A friend and I have been making weekly sojourns to exploring the local art scene in the North Georgia
area. So, far we have visited some really awesome galleries and been surprised
by the local artisans shown and also, found less stellar art. We live with in an hours drive of a few small
college and university towns. Last week we took a tour of Gainesville and had a pleasant
conversation with a local artist in her coop small store front gallery, shared
by 5 other artists. Then saw a group show at the college gallery. Yesterday we
travel in the other direction to the University town of Athens, where
there are many little store front art galleries, as well as a few larger spaces
including the Lyndon House Arts center. It was a joy after so many rainy days
to be out in sunshine even if it was a bit to hot for me walking around the downtown area
after our yummy lunch at the Last Resort Grill. I dined on a “healthy” green salad
with grill chicken and followed it with a most decadent mocha cheese cake. I’m sure
I walked of the calories during the afternoon tours of shops and galleries.(LOL) In one little shop we found an artist who made
the most amazing wire miniature portraits that he was selling as pins. He looped wire this way and that, overlapping
it, creating a maze of tangled black wire lines that form a face and hair. I
wondered if his creativity came out of random playing with wire or if it
started out intentionally. In any case it was inspiring.
We ended our day with a wonderful exhibit at the Lyndon
House Arts Center. The show was of Ossabaw Island: Holy Ground by The Ossabaw
Artists Collective a group of artists who have explored Ossabaw Island State
Heritage Preserve twice a year, since 2009, as part of a visiting artist
program, sharing the works of art they created on their visits. We were the only two people walking around this wonderful large
gallery space of light oak hardwood floors and high white washed
walls flooded in natural light from a ceiling of skylight windows. The art exhibit depicted the solitude, and natural beauty of one of
Georgia’s largest barrier islands of marshes, beaches and maritime oak forest. I had to smile at the background sound in this peaceful light filled
gallery of children laughing and talking in summer art camp behind closed classroom
doors off the gallery. (I think there is
a poem or something in the contrast.) My fav artist in the exhibit was Paula Eubanks and her fascinating 3-d constructions using photos and paint that creative an interesting narrative of Ossabaw Island
Lyndon House Arts Center had a little gift shop where we met a fiber artist who is part of
a local artist group that sell in the shop. My friend bought some fun colorful ear rings and we enjoyed chatting with the artist. She told us we needed to
check out a place up in Clayton which is in the mountains north of where we
live and so we added it to the list. One thing I am learning is we have art around here
in great abundance. I think many, many people have a drive to be creative and
that is wonderful. I hope we continue to have a growing creative population with
venues for all to be shared, both the noteworthy and the beginners alike. Where
has your creativity taken you lately?
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| Photos of Ossabaw Island |
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