Abandoned Rural America to exhibit in Alabama

The Abandoned Rural America exhibition series expands beyond the Georgia borders

After 4 years of growth, exhibitions around Georgia, and presentations to regional civic groups, ARA is about to present it's exhibit to Alabama residents. The historic Kelly Fitzgerald Memorial Gallery in Wetumpka, just north of Montgomery, will host an exhibition of works by our 14 artists and artisans as well as a presentation of several poems and short essays written expressly for ARA by associated writers from the Greensboro Writers' Guild. There is traditional music representing the rural scene and 2 songs written expressly for the exhibition series used in the 40 minute ARA video, also to be shown. The Wetumpka community artists and students will be presenting their own adjunct exhibition related to the rural and farming theme that Abandoned Rural America represents. Please join us from the middle of next January through April and celebrate America's farm country and the people who worked hard to feed a nation and most of the world.

Exact dates for the exhibit opening through closing including reception dates will be forthcoming in a future post.

Thank you for your interest in the ARA series.

Here are some photos from past exhibits:

Highlights from The Crawford Depot ARA Exhibit

The Abandoned Rural America Exhibits at the Historic Crawford Depot in Crawford, GA

From late September until the 25th of October, the ARA Exhibit has been visited by folks from around Georgia as they peruse this great historic landmark. The Crawford Depot, located in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, was a train station in use from 1848 until the mid 1900's. IOn May 27, 1977, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. After decades of fundraising and renovation work, October 8th was the official ribbon cutting of the new facility. Now home of the Oglethorpe Chamber of Commerce, the main room and kitchen facilities are intended as a resource for the community. The Abandoned Rural America exhibition is the very first public venue to be hosted in this beautiful historic facility. Check out the exhibition and building photos below. A link to the map of Crawford follows the photos.

Visitors admiring artist/photographer Angelina Bellebuono's installation piece

People started gathering for the ribbon cutting ceremony on October 8

A group of ARA writers and artists were able to attend the Crawford Depot ribbon cutting.
Left to right: Jeanne & Louis Herrero, Bill & Miranda Boughner, Lee & Barb Griffiths, Willene & Joe Coggins, Mev Rozsman, Pete Muzyka, Kathy & Leroy Wright, and Kate Sherrill

ARA members discuss the structure of this historic building.

As the evening progressed many more visitors arrived to admire the building and the ARA art.

Click HERE for a map of Crawford with Depot location highlighted in the center.
See more about the opening reception of th4e Crawford Depot Abandoned Rural America exhibit HERE.

Painting in egg tempera-the Alice Walker Homestead

Hi all. Here is a slide show of the progression of my latest egg tempera painting, a representation of the Alice Walker homestead near Eatonton, Georgia.

I painted this pieces to hang in the Georgia Writer's Museum in Eatonton. The museum represents the works of Georgia writers including Alice Walker maybe best known for The Color Purple. Walker has written several other novels, including The Temple of My Familiar and Possessing the Secret of Joy, collections of short stories, poetry, and other works. Also Flannery O'Conner best known for Wise Blood and A Good Man is Hard to Find among two novels and 32 short stories. Joel Chandler Harris, creator of best known for Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings and wrote novels, narrative histories, children's literature, and collections of short stories about Georgia rural life.

I hope you enjoy viewing my painting process.

Abandoned Rural America Show at the 2014 Cotton Gin Festival

November 1, 2014 Cotton Gin Festival Show

On November 1 the ARA artists displayed for sale some of the work that reflects the Abandoned Rural America Project. We also showed an ARA video version throughout the show in the lobby of the Lucy Agnes Hotel in Bostwick, GA. It was an uncharacteristicly cold and blustery day. Many of the visitors who came to see the parade didn't stay long for the other aspects of the Festival.

In this newest version of the ARA show we included the work of Kate Lebherz-Gelinas. Kate is an artist-craftsman with a focus on fiber arts and hand carved tools. Kate has created crochet hooks from a variety of materials. She lives on a small homestead in Middle Georgia with her husband and daughter and there, she harvests many of the materials for her hooks.

Below are some images relecting the show set-up and some photos of the show visitors.

Working on an egg tempera painting for the Georgia Writers Museum in Eatonton

Hi all

Here is a link to my YouTube video of a recent egg tempera painting for the Georgia Writers Museum. I was commissioned to paint the Alice Walker original home when she was growing up in Georgia for the Alice Walker room at the museum.

I went to the property in early 2014 and photographed the site for reference material. You will see that, after laying in the initial drawing and adding some color with water soluble colored bars, I began painting in egg tempera. One thing I especially added was the color purple wherever feasible to reflect her Pulitzer Prize winning novel "The Color Purple".

 You'll notice in the video that, as the painting progresses, I paint over areas and repaint in details and color. This is, since egg tempera is translucent and the layers beneath will influence the topmost layers as time goes by, the painting will actually look richer in the future. I hope that you enjoy viewing the process of painting this special work.

Thank you

http://youtu.be/EIaBFKwX-s0

Pete

ARA Monroe Installation, availble to view at the Monroe ARt Guild Gallery in Monroe Georgia until December 20, 2013.

ARA Sautee Nacoochee Show Opening

Abandoned Rural America's 3rd Exhibition Attracts Georgia Mountain Visitors

The opening of the 3rd ARA exhibition at the Sautee Nacoochee Community Association Center was attended by over a hundred visitors. The theater that seats 90 was full with some viewers sitting and standing in the aisles. Expanding on the previous shows, the artists and photographers added over 20 new works including new models by Eugene Swain. ARA exhibitors Peter Muzyka, Charles St John Dyer, Eugene Swain, and Lisa Wheeler were there to greet guests. The 2 other ARA exhibitors, Don Jolley of Augusta and Blake Smith of Watkinsville added their contributions to the show although they were out of town for the event. Along with the display artworks there were a number of Greensboro Writer's Guild members doing readings from a series that they prepared for the Abandoned Rural America book. GWG members Kathy Wright, Barb Griffiths, Gay Williford, and Bill Boughner read ARA anecdotal stories on stage prior to the showing of the film.

SNCA curator Jim Thomas and his team did a masterful job of displaying the works. SNCA executive director Judy Barber was responsible for bringing the exhibit to the Center and the work of all SNCA staff and volunteers is very much appreciated by the ARA exhibitors.

Photographer Chuck Dyer shows his approval.

GWG writers discuss the show with visitors.

More of the visitors view the art and photography.

The guests keep coming in.

By evening's end the Center was full.

The next morning visitors begin to enter SNCA to view the art in an earlier light.

Along with the ARA artworks there was an exhibition of works by local favorite John Kollock whose paintings of local historical scenes in The Center Gallery and Gallery Too added to the rural country atmosphere.

John Kollack's painting "Buggy 2"

In the SNCA front hallway, the drawings of Reg Moore were also exhibited to the delight of SNCA regulars.

Reg Moore's colored pencil drawing of work boots.

Be sure to stop and visit the SNCA Center before July 28, 2013 to get a look at all these moving pieces of art, photography, and models including the SNCA regular art and jewelry in their galleries.

http://www.snca.org/bp/galleries/galleriesMain.php

http://www.abandonedruralamerica.com/about