Explore the work of Alabama artist Miriam McClung — from scenes of Birmingham, the Southeast, and beyond. Over seventy-five years of influential Southern art to be acquired, researched, and enjoyed.
Miriam McClung’s work stands as a visual chronicle of the American South, told through the eyes of a woman who witnessed—and translated—its transformations across more than seven decades. Rooted in Birmingham, Alabama, McClung captured the region’s intimate beauty and deep contradictions, painting its landscapes, people, and spiritual undercurrents with an unflinching yet sensitive gaze. Her early realist style evolved into visionary interpretations where biblical narratives and local environments converge, revealing the South as both sacred ground and human theatre.
In every phase of her practice—from her abstract explorations of the 1950s to her deeply personal biblical allegories of the late 20th century—McClung paints not just what she sees, but what the South remembers and hopes for. Her work is at once documentary and devotional, an artist’s lifelong reckoning with place, time, and faith. Through her art, McClung becomes both witness and storyteller of an era of significant change in Alabama’s cultural and spiritual history.
We are pleased to make available a selection of Miriam’s early works on paper. Some were done while she was studying at the University of Alabama in the late 1950s, and others while she attended the Art Students League of New York City from 1958-59. All are available for acquisition.
She studied under Mark Rothko one summer, but didn’t realize he was famous. And she once met Salvador Dali at a party in NYC.
Miriam’s art career spans over seven decades. Here is a biographical résumé of her education, shows, and exhibits.
Miriam’s Birmingham Alabama, studio location served as her primary creative space from the late 1970s until 2021. Like many artist studios, it has a unique history.
If you wanted to purchase a piece of mid-century art for your collection from a woman artist from Alabama who is a legacy artist, where would you start? When an artist begins their career, they focus on honing their artistic
We are honored to announce that Miriam’s 1960s work, “Red Fruit”, has been acquired by The University of Alabama, Sarah Moody Gallery of Art for their permanent collection. Since 1950, the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, supported by The University
We take the job and process of authenticating Miriam’s work seriously so that you as a collector can have confidence in the foundational value of the work you purchase. This recent case illustrates our commitment to you as a collector
Transitions: On Sunday you are hailed as a king, by Thursday you are condemned as a heretic and criminal. That’s quite a transition that Jesus experienced according to the gospel accounts. This work depicts Jesus condemned by Pilate and is
With Mother’s Day fast approaching, we thought we should introduce Miriam’s mother, Ellen Maddox Jackson, and her impact on Miriam’s art. Ellen (b. 1904) was one of five siblings and grew up in a small town and farming community (Easonville)
It’s “Teacher Tuesday” — a day we’ve totally made up to explore the art teachers and influences throughout Miriam’s career. Let’s jump to 1955— specifically the summer between Miriam’s sophomore and junior year at the University of Alabama where she
If you are on this newsletter list, you probably want to know more about Miriam and her art. And you probably like art in general. What you probably don’t like is reading about Supreme Court case rulings, regardless of your
Why would you collect and hang a portrait of someone in your home that you do not know? Consider this—most of the most valuable, appreciated, and well-known works of art in the world are portraits of people that know one
Painting in the winter months without a studio can be very challenging. The weather in Tennessee, especially on the Plateau where Miriam lives, continually changes from rain to wind and even snow. Sunny days become cloudy in a hurry, leaving
We had a good run on Etsy for exposure, the height of which was an Etsy pick of NY White Abstract which led an HGTV and Magnolia network producer to reach out to us. Miriam’s later work was on HGTV’s
If you wanted to purchase a piece of mid-century art for your collection from a woman artist from Alabama who is a legacy artist, where would you start? When an artist begins their career, they focus on honing their artistic
Art is bananas, but it doesn’t have to be. What if we told you that a banana is art? Or a piece of duct tape is art? Or a piece of duct tape over a banana is art? Or that
