Meet the Folk │ Martha Alfonso: Embraced by Art
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Producer
Ashley Gregg
Description
Martha Alfonso welcomes us into her eclectic home and into a world of stories embedded in the art she has collected throughout her life. The artworks graciously displayed throughout her home are just as much a celebration of community and friendship as they are of artistry. She tells us, “You know there’s an expression I like that says, ‘Life is short, but art is long.’” For Martha, the storied histories of each artwork transcend the lifespan of their makers. The memories and beloved relationships formed with the artists are at the heart of the works she collects and the stories she shares. During her time as a gallery owner, Martha recognized the beauty, care, and vulnerability that went into being an artist and advocated for that: “Do you know what courage it takes for an artist to really put their work out there? To believe it’s important enough to show?”
In 1984, Martha moved to Johnson City and soon connected with Helen Roseberry, the director of the Reece Museum at the time, who said to her, “Martha, you know so many artists, and you have such an interest. We have in Johnson City a real need for somebody like you. We have artists but nobody to represent them or, really, a place to show them.” And so, the seed for Ralston Fine Art was planted: “Our daughter, Allison, had just come back home from Ohio where she just had finished college at Kent State and was searching for a job. And I thought, well, we could do this together. She’d have a job, and I’d have something to do. But we didn’t know what in the world we were doing. So, we were just out there. We rented a space on West Unaka. It was two rooms. And we just hung up a sign. We didn’t have a typewriter. We didn’t have anything. I think I must have been really courageous.” Ralston Fine Art gallery, named for Martha’s father, ran from 1987 to 1999 representing artists such as, Andrew Moore, Charles Lawson, Bessie Harvey, Mike Smith, Sammie Nicely, Suzanne Stryk, Bill Nickels, Steven Wyandt, and more.
Publication Date
7-22-2025
City
Johnson City, TN
Keywords
Appalachian art, Appalachia, public folklore, public history, regional museum, culture practitioner, folklore, oral history, artist, artifact
Disciplines
American Material Culture | Appalachian Studies | Folklore | Museum Studies
Recommended Citation
The Reece Museum, East Tennessee State University, "Meet the Folk │ Martha Alfonso: Embraced by Art" (2025). Meet the Folk [documentary series]. 2.
https://dc.etsu.edu/meetthefolk/2
