ABINGDON, VA.- William King Museum of Art (WKMA) in Abingdon, Virginia announced the opening of Jocelyn Mathewes: Para(site)dise. This new exhibition will be on view from August 20th, 2026 through January 10th, 2027 in WKMA’s United Company Contemporary Regional Gallery.

Jocelyn Mathewes’ work, ranging from photography, to assemblage, to paper sculpture and video, centers on the theme of illness and corporeality: how do we deal with illness, especially chronic illness, in our day to day lives? In what ways are we allowed to be sick and in what ways are we expected to be strong? Above all, how do we navigate illness in a world which is not made to accommodate disabilities or, indeed, times of weakness? In our region, as in the rest of Appalachia, those who deal with pollution, addiction or disabilities face this struggle every day.

In her work, Jocelyn uses cyanotype prints and the manual work of quilting and paper folding to make her process mirror the labor that goes into caring for one’s body when it is weak or in pain. That manual work becomes a source of comfort and reassurance, even as it begins to take on the character of penitence and purification. It is an effort to remain human in the face of a world that sees the sick body as a parasitic one.





Russell Facemire, Curator of Fine Art & Worrell Collection of Wildlife Art says, “The artworks are objects to be seen, but they are also objects generated by the act of living. They’re made up of the day to day things we touch and handle every day, each one forming a cellular unit of an ersatz body.”

Jocelyn Mathewes is an artist, curator and arts organizer living and working in Eastern Tennessee. She obtained her BA in Fine Art and English Literature from Messiah College and exhibits across the country. Regionally, she is an active member and leader in the arts scene, starting the Eat/Art Space project in 2020, and organizing regular newsletters, exhibitions and artist meet-ups.

Para(site)dise is a William King Museum of Art original exhibition and is part of the museum’s McGlothlin Exhibition Series. A special thank you to WKMA’s Annual Sponsors: Ballad Health Johnston Memorial Hospital, BurWil Construction Company, and The Martha Washington Inn & Spa.