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ife in the south has always been steeped
in time-honored traditions. This year finds creative endeavors in the southern
states steady and thriving. Artists are claiming urban buildings, galleries
are opening, museums are expanding and a new following seems to be emerging.
ARTISTS FOLLOW ALABAMA’S FESTIVAL CIRCUIT
Artists are drawn to Alabama for the inspiration that rises from the beauty of the land and the many opportunities to exhibit and sell their work. “In our state, we’re still very Southern,” says Georgine Clarke, visual arts program manager for the Alabama State Council of the Arts. “We have a lot of respect for traditional works made by hand. Most of our people market their work through the festival circuit, which is fairly consistent.”
The weekend of April 25-27 offers two such events — Birmingham’s Magic City Art Connection, which showcases two-dimensional and contemporary craft in mixed media, glass, wood, fiber, clay and jewelry; and Huntsville’s 22nd Annual Panoply Festival.
“ This is one of the largest art festivals in the southeast,” says Shannon Majors, marketing director for The Arts Council Inc. Panpoly draws a crowd of over 90,000 people to view the work of 80 artists working in crafts such as pottery, jewelry, primitive arts and more.
Autumn breezes roll through the 32nd annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts. Held in Northport, Ala., on the third weekend in October, the event hosts about 300 artists, including more than 20 jewelers and 30 potters. Also featured is the work of ninth-generation potter and National Heritage Fellow, Jerry Brown. The festival draws about 30,000 attendees.
Rounding out the 2003 events in Alabama is the 22nd annual Mid-South Woodcarver’s Show in November at the Historic Roundhouse on Church Street in Huntsville. This show features 23 different categories of carving, according to Melissa Roth, vice president of the North Alabama Woodcarvers Association.
KENTUCKY CELEBRATES A YEAR OF GLASS
This is the year of glass in the bluegrass state as four venues — the Louisville Visual Art Association, Glassworks, Kentucky Art and Craft Gallery, and The Speed Art Museum — come together to present “Celebration of Glass 2003,” promoted as one of the most extensive glass events ever in the United States.
During the April through July event, Louisville
Visual Art Association presents “A
New Millennium, A New Light: An International Survey of Architectural Glass
Art,” from April 25-June 29.
From April 14 to July 19, the Kentucky Art and Craft Gallery in Louisville
offers “The Glass Vessel: An International Invitational” and “Rick
Beck Exhibition.”
The Speed Museum presents “The Light Within: Glass Sculpture from Louisville
Collections,” from April 15 to June 29.
Weekends during the citywide event visitors can watch demonstrations by visiting glass artists and shop for glass art at the Glassworks.
An artist-friendly community, Louisville distinguishes itself as a regional destination. “Come for two or three days and explore the museums, the galleries, the restaurants,” says Penny Peavler, manager of public information and membership at the Speed Art Museum.
The Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation, which is changing its name to the Kentucky Museum of Arts & Design, is also moving into new digs this spring on Louisville’s Main Street. The foundation gutted and combined two buildings that are part of the third largest collection of cast iron buildings in the world. (Moscow in the U.S.S.R. and Soho in Manhattan grab the first two spots.) The new venue features three exhibition galleries as well as a sales gallery promoting primarily Kentucky artists.
MISSISSIPPI GUILD CELEBRATES 30 YEARS
The Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi marks a milestone this year as the organization celebrates its 30th anniversary.
“When the guild was formed 30 years ago, I think we had 30 members, only two of whom were making a living in art,” says Kit Davis Barksdale, executive director of the Guild. “Now we represent over 400 professional artists.”
On the first weekend in December, the Guild hosts the Chimneyville Crafts Festival in Jackson. The 26-year-old event at the Mississippi Trade Mart has upwards of 150 booths. Exhibitors must be Guild members.
Those in the craft industry throughout Mississippi report the arts are experiencing solid growth. “Bringing in the galleries and studios helps rejuvenate older areas and new development,” says Larry Morrisey, Heritage Program Director on the Mississippi Arts Commission. “The arts provide a way to use some of these spaces and provide services to the community.”
TENNESSEE ENCOURAGES CRAFT TRADITIONS
If iron and steel inspire you, a visit to Memphis wouldn’t be complete without spending time at the National Ornamental Metal Museum. Calling itself “the only institution in the Americas devoted exclusively to the preservation and promotion of fine metalwork,” the museum offers a broad spectrum of classes in addition to its permanent collection and ongoing exhibits.
Among the exhibit highlights for 2003 are “Transformation 3: Contemporary Works in Jewelry and Small Metals, the Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize Exhibition,” through April 27, and the “Master Metalsmith Exhibit,” featuring works by metalsmith Peter Ross from Sept. 28 to Nov. 30.
In October, the museum’s annual Repair Days Weekend attracts more than 100 volunteer metalsmiths from across the country that donate their skills to repair items brought in by the public.
From Oct. 24 to 26, Memphis Arts in the Park marks its 15th year in 2003. The outdoor craft show features the works of 150 to 165 artists. Attendance is usually about 45,000 reports Marisa Arezzi Stasz, executive director of the Memphis Arts Festival that produces the event.
Arezzi Stasz says one of the great features of this show is the “Artists in Action” program. “We contract with several artists to work on site,” she says. “We have potters, painters, glass blowers, metal artists and paper makers booked in two-hour blocks all three days of the event.”
In Nashville, the Tennessee Crafts Fair, showcasing the work of artists living and working in Tennessee, will mark its 32nd year in Centennial Park on the first weekend in May. Considered to be the largest market available of select Tennessee crafts, the annual event heralds the outdoor summer season and attracts 45,000-50,000 visitors each spring.
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And artisans looking for a quality arts education in Tennessee can enroll at the Joe L. Evins Appalachian Center for Craft, a nationally renowned facility dedicated to expanding the influence of craft on contemporary art while preserving craft traditions.
A division of the Tennessee Technological University, the craft facility located in Smithville offers top quality academic and professional programs in ceramics, fibers, glass, metals and wood, including the bachelor of fine arts degree and professional craft certificates.
According to university officials, the craft center is named for Tennessee U.S. Representative Joe L. Evins, former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who sought to revitalize the economy of the Appalachian region and to protect the region’s spirit and flavor.
