Dorothy Gunther Pugh: Nature Yearns

Dorothy Gunther Pugh’s contemplative drawings and watercolors of closely observed trees and their twisted branches, fallen limbs, and rotting stumps covered in lichen, may come as a surprise to many Memphians. Pugh is well-known in the community as a ballet dancer, dance teacher, and founder of Ballet Memphis. Although she drew and painted avidly as a child, she gave up this form of artmaking during her college years at Vanderbilt University and only returned to visual art in earnest after her retirement from Ballet Memphis in 2020, a life transition inadvertently timed to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the devastating isolation of this time, Pugh assuaged her need for creativity and connection by returning to visual art. She began drawing trees, and in them she saw dancers, personalities, magical creatures, animals, and stories to be revealed. Pugh is awed by the variety and individuality of trees, particularly older examples with slashed bark, burls, and the stature that comes with age. She says, “I often feel the honor of being an intermediary for small groups of nature’s infinite creations, those that might get overlooked. I try to bring out the mystery, the silence, the awe… it can feel somewhat like bringing a ballet to the stage, though much quieter, private, and alone.”

Organized by: Dixon Gallery and Gardens