Nate Renner is a Memphis-based pop artist who finds inspiration in Southern rituals and commercialism. His work explores the repetitive traditions of the rural South—like the guy who throws beer cans in the same ditch every day after work—and how people prioritize vices over necessities. Growing up Church of Christ, Nate examines the connection between brands and memory, how families attach to specific products that stir up nostalgia. His recent solo show "Flowers Ain't Forever" at Ugly Art Co processed his divorce through black and white dying flower paintings, marking his first solo exhibition in seven years and representing a departure from his typical highly conceptual screenprinting work.

Sam Reeves Hill's artistic journey began after what she describes as an "ego death" when her basketball career came to an unexpected end. Asking herself what she would do if money didn't matter, Sam finally admitted aloud what she had always known inside: "I want to paint." Despite having no formal painting experience until college, Sam developed her distinctive layered, textured style through daily practice—what she calls "daily journal entries" of creativity. Now a prolific painter and muralist, Sam creates abstract works that embrace imperfection and depth, drawing inspiration from her family's creative heritage while carving out her own artistic identity.