A Moment in Time by Bethany Stahl
November 7-29, 2025
A Moment in Time by Bethany Stahl
Opening reception: Friday, November 7, 4:00-9:00 PM
The Emporium, 100 S. Gay Street. Gallery hours: Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-1; Additional hours: Sat Nov 8, 10 AM – 5 PM; Sun Nov 9, 11 AM – 2 PM; Fri Nov 14, 5-7 PM; Fri Nov 21, 5-7 PM.
A Moment in Time features a collection of plein air paintings by Bethany Stahl created directly from life in the open air over the past few months, spanning scenes from Tennessee to Illinois. Each brushstroke responds to shifting light, fleeting color, and the living atmosphere, capturing a moment that can never be repeated. Working in oil, Stahl paints on location, from the center of a stream to a windy mountaintop. Stahl captures the impression of the energy of the moment in her work. This exhibition celebrates the world around us, inviting viewers to pause, notice, and reconnect with the subtle beauty in everyday landscapes.
Bethany Stahl is a plein air painter working primarily in oil, currently based in Knoxville. Growing up with a love for nature, Stahl began her career writing, illustrating, and publishing her best-selling children’s book series Save the Earth while she self-taught herself to draw, paint and sketch. Recently, she began working in plein air because of its immediacy and the chance to capture ever-shifting light, color, and atmosphere of a moment in time. She has shown her paintings in various galleries around the nation, and her work continues to evolve through travel and observation. Her work emphasizes fleeting moments in nature, and she hopes to inspire preservation of the world’s natural and historic places by capturing them in her art.
My work is deeply rooted in capturing nature, where I seek to capture the profound connections between humans and the natural world. I work with oils painted en plein air to capture and express my evolving vision with bold brushstrokes. Each piece is a testament to my belief that we are not separate from nature but an intrinsic part of the Earth. As a neurodivergent individual, I tend to admire small details of a scene before the whole, and hope that my unique view of the world can capture everyday places and turn them into a scene worth taking a moment and truly observing. I hope others can discover new beauty in the world around us and feel inspired to take action in preserving the Earth we all share. My artistic journey has been shaped by both struggle and triumph. It wasn’t until college that I discovered my love for painting, though I obtained a Bachelor’s in Biology. In the years that followed, I faced physical challenges due to chronic illness, yet found solace and empowerment in merging my scientific background with my artistic expression. This combination has allowed me to share my story and message: that art can inspire change, foster peace, and bring us closer to the world we must protect.
www.bethanystahl.com | Instagram @bethanystahlart | https://www.youtube.com/@BethanyStahl | https://www.facebook.com/bethanystahlart