Art that excites, moves, inspires -- that's the heart and soul of Modfellows Art Gallery.
Modfellows' owners Richard and Julie Modica say they believe art needs to make people feel something: a reaction, love it or hate it, one needs to feel it. "Art shouldn’t be something you buy just to match your sofa or the color palette of your home," adds Rich.
The gallery carries many types of art, including paintings, photography and sculptures. This direction originally was partially guided by the Modicas' shared passion for art, design, vintage and collectibles, including mid-century furniture, art, ceramics and glass.
Since opening the gallery during July 2019, Rich says the goal is to provide clients with a variety of experiences there, diving into artistic styles or statements they haven't seen before. "We like to pick artists whose work makes people say, 'wow, that's interesting,' and then they study it," asserts Rich. "When art draws reactions, then it's doing its job."
The same holds true for the building that houses the gallery. Rich had an immediate visceral reaction to the space when he first saw it. The previous owner was Nashville talent and tour manager Dale Morris, who used to house there gold records, sound systems and tour buses for some of country music’s biggest acts. After five months of remodeling the space, Rich and Julie opened but faced a new business challenge only about a half year afterward when the COVID-19 pandemic went into full swing.
Taking the first syllable of their last name and organically combining it with the notion of modern art and the Odd Fellows -- a fraternal order devoted to the character of mankind through principles of friendship, love, truth, faith, hope, charity and universal justice -- they believed the authentic principles behind the new gallery's name would help pull them through.
"It's been a rollercoaster, and we're being as careful as possible regarding health safety, but we're keeping it afloat and doing well," confirms Rich, who is open by appointment, but hoping during March to return to the regular business hours of Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
After planning a large artist reception for last spring for "The Jealous Curator," Danielle Krysa, the pandemic-related shutdown occurred. Due to promptly promoting that same event online, Rich says they were able to still quickly sell half the show. They've also caught the attention of out-of-town buyers, shipping to other states and internationally. Check online for upcoming Modfellows' popup shows. At press time, an exhibit was being planned to occur May 1 through June 5 for Nashville hard-edge painter and sculptor Maggie Sanger.
By carrying a large mixture of art mediums and selling secondary art, Rich says they are able to introduce more novel art forms, such as scratchboards, etchings from the 1800s and stylized art prints from the 1970s and 1980s.
"We love the one-on-one interactions with clients, and believe we're attracting a whole new breed of collectors in Nashville. Seeing art and music in the Music City intertwined is soulful," says Rich, who collected art himself for quite a while before deciding to stop traveling the world as a tour/production manager for singers, such as Dwight Yoakam, Morrissey, Jakob Dylan and Brian Setzer.
Reserving the freedom to be eclectic with the gallery's offerings, Rich and Julie are creating a welcoming, inspiring space, which lives up to their "no boring art" mantra. For those seeking customized inspiration, Rich says most of the artists highlighted at the gallery will do commissioned pieces.
3655 Trousdale Dr., Studio C, Nashville
Instagram @modfellowsartgallery
615.915.3742
Modfellows.com