MILLIGAN, Tenn. (March 27, 2025) — Milligan University welcomes Jason Flack, an “Urban Folk” expressionist artist, for the university’s Artist Lecture Series on Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m. in the McGlothlin-Street Theatre in the Gregory Center. The event is free and open to the public.
Milligan’s Artist Lecture Series highlights those at the forefront of the flourishing art scene in Johnson City, Tennessee, and is sponsored by the Milligan Arts Council.
“We’re excited to have Jason Flack on campus as a part of our lecture series this spring,” said Art Brown, chair of the Milligan Arts Council and associate professor of graphic design. “It’s important for our students to learn about his creative process, the motivation and imagination behind his work, and the work ethic and connections that it takes to be a working artist in this region.”
Flack, a Johnson City native, is a beloved advocate for art in the Appalachian Highlands region. As an artist, Flack’s work is heavily influenced by his personal experiences, and his expressionist paintings feature bold, colorful works that reflect his feelings, surroundings, and observations of society. Flack turned to painting after the sudden death of his twin sister, Jessica, in 2010, as a means to channel his grief and to honor his sister.
Flack uses his work to not only garner the public’s attention but to also uplift, provoke and unify. His work has garnered much attention locally and has helped bridge a gap between self-taught artists and academia. His art has been on display in the William King Museum of Art in Abingdon, Virginia; the Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University; and throughout private exhibits in downtown Johnson City. He received the Art Alliance Mountain Empire Art Achievement Award for 2023 and was the recipient of the Phillip-Marshal Redmond Award for the 2024 FL3TCH3R Exhibit. Flack was a featured visionary speaker at TEDxJohnsonCity in 2023 and a demonstration artist for TEDxJohnsonCity in 2024.
The Milligan Arts Council provides quality arts programming for the university’s community and the region, supports the liberal arts curriculum of the university, and encourages others to enrich their lives through the arts. For more information on Milligan’s art events, visit www.milligan.edu/arts.