THE LOVE I HAVE TO GIVE BEFORE I DIE
VIVIAN CHAVEZ
AUGUST 7 - SEPTEMBER 4
Vivian Chavez, Making Space, 31 x 30 x 9 inches
THE LOVE I HAVE TO GIVE BEFORE I DIE
VIVIAN CHAVEZ
CURATED BY EMERGING CURATOR, PAULA CUEVAS
Opening Reception: Thursday, August 7, 6 - 9 pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, August 23, 3 pm
Exhibition Dates: August 7 - September 4
The Swan Coach House Gallery is pleased to present The Love I Have To Give Before I Die, a deeply personal showcase of mixed media sculpture and installation by Atlanta-based artist, Vivian Chavez. This marks her first solo exhibition — and commemorates the life and legacy of her father, Carlos Jorge Chavez. The exhibition opens next Thursday, August 7 from 6 - 9 pm and will be on view through September 4. Emerging guest curator, Paula Cuevas, curates the exhibition.
Vivian Chavez, also known as “Toots” by her creative peers, is a Mexican-American multi-disciplinary artist based in Atlanta, GA. Vivian has worked tirelessly in various artistic fields throughout her career — from production design and immersive event installations to large scale sculptures and murals. She does not shy away from the unease of stepping into the unknown. This can be seen and felt throughout the work she has made for The Love I Have To Give Before I Die.
A love letter in physical form. This exhibition explores the vast, complex, and often contradictory nature of love: the love we pour into others, into our passions, and back into ourselves. At its core, the show embraces the dualities of love — how it can be both igniting and exhausting, beautiful and brutal. It asks us to hold space not only for tenderness and joy, but also for the pain, pressure, and vulnerability that come with loving deeply. The exhibition doesn't shy away from these tensions; instead, it gives them form. Inspired by the legacy of Vivian’s father — a resourceful, self-taught builder — the work honors the philosophy of “using what you have” to make something meaningful. His influence lives in both the ethos and the techniques: sculptural forms made from found metal, fabric, and salvaged materials that blend strength with softness. Each piece tells its own story. Together, they form a body of work that expresses a kind of love too expansive to explain — love that must be seen, held, and felt.
VIVIAN CHAVEZ
Vivian Chavez (Toots) is a Mexican American sculptor, muralist, installation artist, and stage designer based in Atlanta. A lifelong creator, she has worked professionally in art direction and set design for over six years, building immersive worlds across disciplines. Her sculptural work—often made with salvaged metal, fabric, and raw textures—centers on emotional storytelling, balancing hard and soft materials to explore themes of love, grief, resilience, and transformation. In contrast, her colorful, stylized eye doodles serve as visual expressions of overthinking and mental clutter, offering a more chaotic glimpse into her inner world. Whether sculpting, painting, or designing large-scale environments, Vivian’s practice is deeply intuitive and tactile—guided by the belief that objects can hold memory, and that art is a way to process what words cannot. Her debut solo exhibition, The Love I Have To Give Before I Die, is a culmination of this hands-on, heart-led approach. Photo by Ari Skin.
PAULA CUEVAS
As an up-and-coming curator, Paula Cuevas strives to create a more accessible and inclusive world of art with a focus on experimentation. Hoping to use any opportunity to bring under represented artists to the forefront and allow audiences to gain an understanding and sense of appreciation for all walks of life. Paula is a multidisciplinary creative with a background in Interior Design and Art Direction. While currently working in varying scales of art department in the ever growing film production industry here in Atlanta, Paula has also taken on several independent curatorial positions. She has curated and consulted for shows at The Gallery by Wish, Atlanta-based agency Chemistry, and Arts & Entertainment Atlanta’s Local Stories Program. Photo by Jaylan Cayetano.
This exhibition is sponsored by Robin Howell, Mary Johnson, Lorri McClain, and Betsy West.
FAF is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the visual arts in Atlanta. Founded in 1965, FAF supports cultural programming and individual artists through grants and a variety of programs.