Set The Table: Molly Mansfield, Rachael Nerney Reese and Megan Trueblood
Art & Light Gallery is happy to present “Set The Table”, an exhibition of work by Molly Mansfield (Austin, T.X.), Rachael Nerney Reese (Charleston, S.C.) and Megan Trueblood (Orem, U.T.) launching on the Art & Light website and in the gallery at 10:00 AM (EST) on Tuesday, November 4 with an opening reception on Friday, November 7 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM.
Molly Mansfield studies the spaces we inhabit and the tablescapes that define our domestic lives. Mansfield employs a wet on wet approach to painting in oil, laying down gestural brush strokes and often leaving some areas less developed than others. Molly’s practice is one of observation, but also imagination. Her still life paintings often focus on the table—a gathering place and a place for connection, sharing, and vulnerability. She typically creates a composition using family heirlooms: dishes, vintage fabrics, half finished quilts of women from past decades. Mansfield states, “I’m drawn to the spaces we inhabit and the way they shape and hold us. Everyday objects appear as silent witnesses, keepers of story and memory. In these painted tablescapes, belonging becomes less of a destination than a soft, continuous unfolding.This body of work explores the layered experience of belonging—the deep desire to be known and accepted with the fullness of a mother’s love.”
Rachael Nerney Reese is a painter, muralist, and illustrator who earned a BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design. Her artwork captures fleeting moments through vibrant color, light, and pattern. Rachael finds inspiration in the everyday magic of food, color, and connection. Known for her joyful brushwork and love of all things food, she turns tabletops into works of art. In “Set the Table” she captures the warmth of shared meals, from sunny breakfasts and weekend brunches to cozy desserts and late-night bites. Every scene is a reminder to slow down, savor the moment, and enjoy the beauty of a well-set table.
Megan Trueblood finds beauty in the familiar and the everyday, her work is meant to inspire peace and provide a respite from the chaos of our busy lives. She is interested in the interaction of color and the use of negative space, and explores both in her detailed, luminous oil paintings. Trueblood says, “I paint ordinary objects that are present in my home and part of my family life. Often, as I make dinner or play with my children, an object will beautifully catch the light, and I’ll snap a quick photo to paint later in my studio. Many of us lead busy, loud, chaotic lives these days and I hope my paintings can be a little escape for the viewer.” Megan received her BFA from Brigham Young University, where she has also taught as an adjunct professor.
