Somebody's Cheering Somewhere

We don’t need to remind you that in these turbulent times, a dose of good news is well received! The title of this exhibition suggests that despite our collective anxiety, focusing on our small victories offers us some joy.

The Exhibition

We’ve worked with Tucker Nichols for many years. In those years, Tucker has made artwork that is funny, vulnerable, and frequently pokes at our collective shortcomings. His work has taken the form of mail art, text-based murals, wallpaper, New York Times illustrations, and powerpoint presentations. 

Then, as the pandemic ramped up, Tucker began to send flower paintings to sick people on behalf of their loved ones. Throughout the pandemic, he sent thousands of small paintings to those in need. He described this project, Flowers For Sick People, as “a way to stop scrolling and participate in our strange times.” The project was featured in articles and films; the PBS NewsHour spotlighted it for spreading kindness and connection during the isolating years of the pandemic.

This March we are opening a major exhibition of new paintings, drawings, and sculptures that consider how flowers have been used to express so many different things: connection, sorrow, love, the passing of time. These new works celebrate the range of human experience from acts of unsung heroism to mundane moments of everyday beauty.

This exhibition coincides with a new book by Tucker published by Chronicle Books: Flowers for Things I Don’t Know How to Say. 

The Book

When it's the most difficult to find the right words, we turn to flowers to express our compassion and care. Flowers for Things I Don’t Know How to Say is like a bouquet of flowers in book form. 

Based on Tucker Nichols’s celebrated multimedia art project entitled Flowers for Sick People, this book gathers vibrant floral paintings and pairs them with poetic dedications that pay tribute to a kaleidoscope of human experiences: “Flowers for Anyone Currently Eating a Cinnamon Bun in a Hospital Cafeteria,” “Flowers for the Last Time You Laughed So Hard It Hurt,” “Flowers for Spectacular Failures,” and more. Deeply relatable and equal parts heart-wrenching and humorous, this book is a comfort and encouragement in any moment and a salve for the loneliness that can come in life's toughest times.

Live Events

Gallery 16 will host a series of inspiring events during the course of the exhibition including

live music events, an all-ages drawing session with Tucker, and a screening of the film Tell Them We Were Here (featuring Tucker Nichols).