Arnold Thompson Exhibition

September 1-30, 2025
Reception: September 7, 2-4 pm
On view in the Visitors Center – East Hallway

“Arnold Thompson is a multimedia artist from Memphis, whose vision defies genre classification. He dubs his work “Synthesism,” to indicate hybrid expressions of diverse experiences he has lived and observed. With each idea brought to life, Thompson says that he seeks to create an intimate interaction that resonates, provokes, challenges, and sometimes envelops, hopefully opening the doors to inspiration, imagination, and possibilities.

Thompson earned a BFA in graphic design from Xavier University of New Orleans, taking numerous studio classes from vaunted artist John Scott, a Macarthur Genius Fellowship recipient. Shortly after graduation, Thompson made the decision to pursue a fine art career, rather than one in design. He began to develop works based on the concepts of energy, light, 

space, geometry, patterns, and three-dimensional illusions, ideas that had actually emerged while he was in college. Throughout his 30-plus-year career, some combination of these 

themes has appeared in nearly all of his work, regardless of the medium (media). More recently, he has been drawn to quantum physics, helping him to derive greater meaning from his work and to further develop the concepts that he consistently explores.

The vast majority of Thompson’s work has involved mixing various media, to include some combination of acrylic paint, oil, and or chalk pastels, collage, repurposed and found objects, as well as other materials. His current work features photographs printed on canvas and presented as shadowboxed assemblages. He has also produced works in the area of sculpture, large-scale murals, and lighting design.

Arnold Thompson has exhibited nationally and internationally, created numerous public art commissions, and has works in private and public collections throughout the world.”