John Lee Matney
Curator, Photographer, Cultural Connector

John Lee Matney is a Southern-born curator and photographer whose work bridges the often-disconnected realms of institutional art, cultural history, and personal storytelling. As founder and director of the Linda Matney Gallery in Williamsburg, Virginia, Matney has spent over a decade shaping one of the region’s most distinctive platforms for contemporary Southern and international art. His exhibitions resonate not through spectacle, but through thoughtfulness—offering spaces where narrative, craft, and cultural memory coalesce into something both grounded and expansive.

Raised in Newport News and educated in the vibrant creative scene of 1980s Athens, Georgia, Matney came of age among artists, musicians, and outsiders who showed him that art could be a form of witnessing. His own photographic work is informed by that tradition: rooted in realism, steeped in Southern nuance, and often shaped by unspoken moments—things seen and felt more than said. His photographs, whether documentary or conceptual, retain a quiet intensity. They explore not just what we see, but how we live inside what we see.

But Matney’s deeper legacy may lie in his curatorial vision: connecting artists across time zones and cultural barriers, while drawing institutions, collectors, and communities into fresh conversation. He has curated museum-quality exhibitions that range from the narrative paintings of Art Rosenbaum to international dialogues with artists from Beijing and the Amazon Basin. Whether working with female abstractionists, regional photographers, or indigenous anthropologists, Matney’s exhibitions feel lived in—rooted in a sense of responsibility, intimacy, and respect.

What sets Matney apart—often quietly—is the way he navigates complexity. He listens closely, sometimes without needing to speak, and he remembers details that others miss. His curatorial decisions are deliberate, empathetic, and intellectually rigorous. This clarity of focus has helped him earn trust not just from artists, but from museums and collectors seeking integrity over noise. When Matney curates, he’s not just installing a show—he’s telling a story that invites others to think more deeply about where they stand.

His gallery has collaborated with institutions such as the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, the Peninsula Fine Arts Center, and the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art. He has organized over 100 exhibitions, many of which serve as points of entry for museums interested in collecting or contextualizing underrepresented voices. These shows are often accompanied by lectures, community events, and beautifully produced catalogs that make the work approachable without ever simplifying it.

Matney is especially drawn to the “in-between” artists—those who don’t fit into neat commercial categories but whose work pulses with conviction, craftsmanship, and consequence. He has a special gift for identifying artists who deserve to be in museum collections, then finding creative, resourceful ways to make that happen.

Today, Matney continues to work quietly and intently behind the scenes—connecting collectors to legacies worth preserving, and museums to artists who might otherwise be overlooked. His approach may be quieter than most, but the results speak volumes. To collaborate with him is to step into a richer, more deliberate way of seeing.

MATNEY Gallery And Consultancy

Lee Matney Curator. Consultancy and Advisory Services

MATNEY GALLERY, SOUTHERN ROOTS, AND AMBITIOUS SCOPE

Painted, photographic, and sculptural works, both naturalistic and abstract, speak to the times while reflecting more personal and universal reflections of the human condition. The ability to speak to and transcend the current moment is the strength of the exhibitions, the individual works, and the gallery’s larger mission.

John Lee Matney curates and facilitates projects with some of the most significant artists of our time. With expertise in the art and culture of Athens, GA, and the American South, he specializes in Southern figurative painting, contemporary Southern art, and photography. His knowledge also extends to European contemporary art and works associated with Virginia colleges.

MATNEY GALLERY OFFERS SPECIALIZED CURATORIAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES FOR MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS AND PRIVATE ART COLLECTIONS. OUR EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE INCLUDES COLLABORATIONS WITH INSTITUTIONS AND COLLECTORS. WE PROVIDE EXPERTISE THAT ELEVATES BOTH EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED ARTISTS WITHIN THE BROADER ART COMMUNITY.

VIRGINIA, HOUSTON, ATHENS GA

John Lee Matney is the owner, director and principal curator at Linda Matney Fine Art Gallery in Williamsburg, VA- a contemporary art gallery- 

"Matney’s experience with collaborative artist exhibits spans the United States, drawing nationwide public and media attention.  The gallery also offers art curating for musueum exhibitions and art investment consulting. "

John Lee Matney is dedicated to curating exhibitions and mentoring innovative emerging artists, as well as the furthering the careers of more established national and international artists, including works of painting, installation, video, photography, sculpture and performance. 
 John has established a research based contemporary gallery that develops thematic group shows and collaborative art projects with international and american artists, corporate and private patrons, curators, professors and qualified students. Lee has experience with curation and consulting for investment art , business forensics as it applies to programs management, and consulting for editorial fashion and art business in addition to his work as a photography professional , fine art photographer and multimedia artist. 

Specialties: Investment Art and Contemporary Art, Art Curation, Art Research , Consulting, Art Collections

CONTACT JOHN LEE MATNEY, (757) 675-6627, Curator@lindamatneygallery.com