Jonathan Van Ness Selects Artists for Austin Exhibition

Netflix star Jonathan Van Ness (JVN), best known for his work on the award-winning series Queer Eye, has collaborated with Austin art gallery West Chelsea Contemporary (WCC) for a new exhibition called JVN X WCC ‘On the Wall.’ The display, which opens tomorrow, will feature three emerging artists whose work will run alongside WCC’s current exhibition, ‘Icons & Vandals.’ The two will operate parallel to each other until July 11.

The three rising talents—Lanecia Rouse, A’Driane Nieves, and Ben Medansky—will have their work showcased next to globally-recognized names such as Banksy, Basquiat, Takashi Murakami, Ai Weiwei, RETNA, Andy Warhol and others. ‘Icons & Vandals’ celebrates global artists who have subverted the contemporary art world throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. The idea behind JVN X WCC ‘On the Wall,’ is to give voice to rising contemporary artists that are often marginalized by the gallery system. The exhibition also gives collectors the unique opportunity to both discover and support new talents.

According to WCC, Lanecia Rouse, a multidisciplinary visual artist, uses manipulations of color, texture and materials in her work to portray the intricacies of individual and communal memory and history. A’Driane Nieves’ abstract works on canvas explore the concept of identity and how it’s shaped. Ceramicist Ben Medansky’s work takes inspiration from natural and man-made environments, merging industrial design aesthetics with fragile material and a limited color palette.

‘On the Wall’ is open to the public May 28 through June 11, 2021. The exhibition is available for viewing Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., at WCC’s downtown gallery. Click here to plan a visit.