by Ezabelle Janssen, Staff Writer

WAVELAND (GG) — Saturday, January 10th, Studio Waveland became a beacon, summoning all to see what hung on its white walls. 

The Sol Collective’s opening reception for “You Are The Light” unfolded less like a traditional gallery showing and more like a living room for the Gulf Coast’s creative spirit. Love seats sat in the middle of the room, inviting you to stay. Background beats by Drew Davis of Dos Leches gave the gallery a steady pulse, while Kyle Slagle’s guitar whimsically chimed in, but it all went quiet as poets lay bare their souls. 

From poems and paint to photos and film, the night held space for nearly every form of artistic expression, all under a shared idea: that the light within us is never truly lost. The exhibition showcases 14 Gulf Coast artists and will remain open on January 17th and 18th from 12 pm to 3 pm, and January 24th from 12 pm to 3 pm and 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm, closing out the show. 

One of the evening’s most unique elements was what wasn’t there—no wall tags. No artist bios. No prices. Just the work. 

Artist James Karlson explained, “This organization kind of came out of the blue. It’s kind of nameless, kind of faceless. This isn’t tied to any other organization. It’s really just kind of for us by us. We went with a tagless reception to encourage conversation between the audience and the artist and potential patrons. Too often, we go into art galleries, and there’s all this text there, and there’s a great graphic designer behind that text. But sometimes we’re often focused on reading and not focused on looking. So that’s the reason why we went with the tagless. And part of our goal here is to sort of be a platform for not only artists and voices, but for other creative communities that are also aiming for that same goal.” 

He then explained how it all came together, “This project started percolating in our minds around October of 2024. So kind of a short distance, if you want to think about it. But we had such a great response for the artist call, and a lot of these people kind of have connections that they might not have realized before. So, you know, we’re ultimately connected, even though we might not realize it. That kind of made it easier, I think.” This certainly is not the end for the Sol Collective. “Plans for the future are just to get this group to find their own courage and re-encourage them to continue to seek out opportunities, message, and report back to the collective of the other opportunities. For us, showing again, our goal is to build a case study so that we can pitch it to other galleries and venues. But there aren’t any concrete plans for the rest of the year yet.” 

That philosophy echoed throughout the space. The gallery may have been confined to white walls, but what hung within them transported viewers to places they had been and places they had yet to go, viewing life through a different lens and refracting it back again through frames, brushstrokes, and words.

Without tags telling you what to think or who made what, the work asked something quieter and braver: to be felt first. 

The exhibition’s statement reflects that inward movement: 

“This exhibition is about remembering what can never be lost — the light within ourselves. Through art, poetry, and photography, this show explores the journey of rediscovery: moving through shadows, reflection, and illumination to return to the truth of who we are… even in our darkest moments, the light has and will always be there, quietly awaiting your arrival.” The featured visual artists include Brianna Jenei, Joshea Ferguson, James Karlson, Alyshia Rodgers, Kayley Polk, Matt Kowalchyk, Olivia Wiggins, Erin Herald, Stephanie Grammar, and Thomas Pfaff. 

Poetry by Derrick Reed and Kyle Slagle. 

Photography by Sarah Yun, Finn Hewes, Deniz Türkoğlu Hewes, and Kevin Woolgar. Also in attendance was Mark Burr of the Secret Coast Review, who spoke on the importance of cultivating culture locally, reminding the room that creative work does not arrive from elsewhere; it grows where people are willing to tend to it, sustained by community, curiosity, and care. By the end of the night, Studio Waveland felt brighter as music, poetry, conversation, and art braided together, forming a space that asked visitors not to simply observe, but to linger. To stay connected with future exhibitions and events, follow @thesolcollective on Instagram.

(Photos by Ezabelle Janssen/The Gazebo Gazette)