Wetumpka City Hall: May 23 through July 6, 2014
More than a year in the making, this exhibition about one of the Deep South's first art colonies is thought to be the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition about the Dixie Art Colony. The popular exhibition and lecture series held at the Wetumpka City Hall served as the impetus for the formation of the Dixie Art Colony Foundation. The exhibition drew large crowds and visitors to Wetumpka, Alabama from as far away as Baltimore, Maryland.
The exhibition, curated by Mark Harris, was inspired by Lynn Barstis Williams Katz, Ph.D. Katz is a longtime resident of Auburn, Alabama, and is considered to be one of the foremost experts on Southern art colonies. Without her assistance, this exhibition would not have been possible. We would also like to thank colony descendants, Sally LeBron Holland, Martha Moon Kracke and Bebe Wolfe for their invaluable assistance.
An extensive collection of private papers, journals and photographs were closely examined in preparation for this exhibition, some of which were included in the exhibition.
Part one of the exhibition included 34 oversized 36”x 48” storyboards which chronicle the history of the Dixie Art Colony. The storyboards include a written history of the colony, plus enlarged and restored vintage photographs, letters, notes, postcards, newspaper clippings and other items found in the colony archives.
Part two of the exhibition featured 54 pieces of original artwork by 13 of the colony artists. The range of work includes watercolors, oils, etchings, lithographs, and silkscreens. While the majority of the works are regional landscapes, the collection of work also includes portraits and still-life paintings.
For more information about this exhibition, contact the exhibition curator, Mark Harris at M.Harris@DixieArtColony.org
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