Stacy Beam is an American painter who began his career as a portrait artist and now focuses on personal interpretation of the American South. He is advancing critically in the “it” city of Nashville, where refinement, art, education, and music blanket the scene.

Of note is Beam’s association with York & Friends Fine Art in Nashville. His early exhibits at creative spaces like White Avenue Studio elevated Beam’s notoriety. His acceptance at popular juried art shows in the south, including Atlanta’s Inman Park Festival and Nashville’s Tennessee Crafts Show, held in the shadow of the great cultural site “The Parthenon,” continue Beam’s upward rise in art circles of the south.

Most recently, Beam’s near life-size painting of one of the world’s best loved celebrity’s Dolly Parton (circa 1970’s), was showcased in the Positive Negative Exhibition at East Tennessee State University.

Literally putting his art stakes in the ground, Beam opened a 1,200 sq. ft.  art studio in late 2019 on the property he shares with his wife, Amanda, and daughter, Bentley Jane. Further, his eponymous gallery in the exclusive summer retreat town of Beersheba Springs has resulted in art collectors purchasing and placing Beam’s works in some of the most historically prestigious vacation homes in Tennessee.

All good, but not necessarily the “holy grail” for Beam. That would be the work. Where does it come from, this inspiring world expressed so deeply in the fine art of Stacy Beam?

“My purpose is to invite viewers to a contemplative prayer/meditation, to engage with my art as I discover and capture the beauty in our physical world. My medium of oil includes the use of dynamic color combinations and varied application techniques. The hint of a storyline is present at first glance, then provides a journey of discovery. Whether viewing at close range or stepping back to take in a work in its entirety, there is story to experience. Layers of the story follow deep within the layers of paint.”

The serene landscapes of tree lines and creeks, fields and sky recall the land of his father’s farm on the outskirts of the small Alabama town of Arab. It’s where a superabundance of creativity flowed freely: art, piano, dance, theatre, band, travel, equine sports and best of all play - for uninterrupted hours - with young friends and cousins, using only imagination. 

Also an accomplished musician, Beam uses music to inspire his work and his audience. 

“Rhythm and musical colors are represented in the art, connected to the golden mean that informs every conscious or unconscious artistic decision I make. In interpreting song titles visually, I have discovered a whole new avenue with which to engage someone - an open invitation for spectators to enjoy an artistic ride.”

European artists, studied for days in the museums of Florence, Rome and Paris, inspire Beam’s impressionistic works of city scapes and moody modern expressions. 

His majestic horse portraits capture the equine-loving heart of Beam, raised around a barn full of the stunning creatures. He rode them, helped train them, got to know them and began to soulfully paint them. The family recognized the young artist’s talent and engaged Billie Nipper, the great horse portraiture artist (President Ronald Reagan’s horse and famed country star Shania Twain with her horse) to teach the protege. 

Beam’s imagination sees beauty and passion in the colors of oil paint dropped onto the palette. In picking up the brush, he begins the flow of paint from brush to canvas to breathtaking works of fine, fine, art.