Trustmark, 304 Barnett Boulevard, June 9 & 10, 2017
On June 9 and 10, 2017, the Dixie Art Colony Foundation held two exhibitions at the 304 Barnett Boulevard branch of Trustmark located in downtown Tallassee. The exhibitions were held in conjunction with the 2017 annual "Tallassee NOW" event. On Friday, June 9 an estimated 350-plus visitors viewed the exhibitions during the opening reception.
The main exhibition, “Dixie Art Colony: A Look at its Lasting Legacy,” included 70 pieces of framed artwork by artists associated with the Dixie Art Colony. Many of the works shown were from the DAC Foundation’s Permanent Collection. The centerpiece of the main exhibition was four oversized paintings or murals commissioned in 1953 by Bank of Tallassee president Roberts Blount. The oversized canvases depict important milestones in the history of the city of Tallassee. Well-known Wetumpka artist Kelly Fitzpatrick designed the four paintings prior to his death in 1953. On April 18, 1953, while working on the paintings in his Wetumpka studio, Fitzpatrick suffered a heart attack and passed away. After his death, Fitzpatrick’s student Arthur Stewart, a native of Marion, Alabama, was hired by the Bank of Tallassee to complete the paintings. The three larger paintings measure 60” x 168.”
Also included in this exhibition were be works by DAC artists Kelly Fitzpatrick, Arthur Stewart, Warree LeBron, Carlos Alpha “Shiney” Moon, Genevieve Southerland, Walter Keith, Karl Ferdinand Wolfe, Mildred Nungester (Wolfe), Anne Wilson Goldthwaite, Louise Smith Everton, Lester Green, Elizabeth Metcalf, William “Billy” Symington Wilson, Katherine Neville, Frank Applebee, Joe Clancy, and more.
The satellite exhibition, “Dixie Doodles: The Lighter Side of the Dixie Art Colony,” took place in the Trustmark bank Annex located next door. The highlight of this exhibition was a series of painted tin panels rescued from the Nobles Ferry site of the Dixie Art Colony. The panels showed playful scenes painted by Arthur Stewart, Warree LeBron, Mildred Nungester (Wolfe), Donnave (Brennan) Lindsey, Amanda (Moon) Erisman, and several others. Also included in this exhibit were a series of caricature type sketches of some of the colonists, silkscreens, watercolor sketches, and pencil sketches by Richard Coe, Austin (Rudy) Martin, Frank Applebee and Kelly Fitzpatrick.
Both exhibitions included a series of storyboards. Plans are already underway for next year’s Tallassee NOW exhibition which will be held in June of 2018. The 2018 exhibition will feature many new pieces not included this year. For more information about this exhibition, contact the curator, Mark Harris at M.Harris@DixieArtColony.org
Images may not be reproduced or distributed without written permission. © Dixie Art Colony Foundation, Wetumpka, Alabama