April showers bring…yes, May flowers, but before that, the showers are bringing arts that have already blossomed at Jacksonville State University, Talladega and at the Berman Museum. The arts this month help celebrate Easter at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jacksonville; The Foothills Piano…
When thinking about a vacation as summer nears, there’s a long journey you can schedule without leaving Calhoun County. Take an orchestral journey by attending the Jacksonville State University Civic Symphony concert. Next, your destinations are Asian countries where art celebrates mythologi…
Hands, feet and minds make April arts attractions possible, but these events are entertaining as well. This is because the performers totally enjoy what they are doing and the pleasure is contagious.
Whether the subject is local or national history, it takes agents of history like Jean Whatley Vaughan, Honorary State Regent of Alabama Society DAR, two DAR chapters, Oxford art students, and Sandy and Brett Rothwell to remind us again of our heritage.
Two events this month bring us in, close-up, to people with motivation and dedication who endured through trial and tribulation. An energetic lady was determined to bring her selection of denominations to Jacksonville when it was still a frontier town. Also, a hero for the cause of justice, …
Roll the dice, move across the board and be a winner in the arts! Then, see one artist’s partial collection of styles, themes and shapes at Regional Medical Center and Nunnally’s gallery. A musical with a Christmas theme is on by CAST, plus an all-woman cast production in March. Expect to be…
Christmas is a season of expectation and (hopefully) readiness to celebrate Dec. 25. You can expect to experience the merriment and magic at a familiar ballet — a Christmas ritual — Dec. 5, hear memories of Christmas gifts told in a program Dec. 6 and listen to the symphony of inspiring word…
There are artists in great variety in our area when you consider the extent of art showcased year round, or simply enjoyed in private. There are those who perform on stage. There are those who express themselves with paint on canvas. Groups of quilters show their work in church fellowship ha…
In our area, there are many forms of art created by many types of artists. Whether visual art is traditional, exploratory or contemporary, it has a message or teaches a lesson. In theater, both drama and comedy involve conflict and consequences with different levels of entertainment. This mo…
Last month I found myself in Tampa Bay with eight rolls of film and a camera that predates me by almost a decade. I came back with seven of those rolls — three black and white and four color — and a sense of pride for finally learning something that I’ve wanted to learn for a long time.
Most of us have heard the true story of “The Pleased Boy of Noble Street,” represented by a statue located on the Public Library of Anniston and Calhoun County’s second floor. But how many of us know that a reunion took place between the statue’s artist and the young boy years later? It was …
Artworks are seen in places besides galleries. In fact, a few pieces that we see everyday are in plain view outside on Quintard Avenue’s median. These monuments’ audiences are local citizens and travelers through town, who usually see them only at a glance.
The works of two Annistonians are on display this month in different locations. The artist’s assemblages are in a downtown gallery and the writer’s words are on the printed page. Both are inspirational in their own way. And later this month, save time to see 100 quilts in a showing of handiw…
Want to be entertained? For that pleasure, count on music and theater performances this month. Actors and singers set the tone for Christmas with songs of joy for the public at Zinn Park Dec. 18, while “A Christmas Carol” at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery can be called a serm…
Vincent is having a moment. There are no fewer than five different “immersive” Van Gogh shows traveling around the country — including one that just opened at the Birmingham convention center.
The title of “Through Darkness to Light: Photography Along the Underground Railroad,” an exhibit in the Martin-Lett Gallery at the Oxford Performing Arts Center, has a two-fold meaning. This photography series by Jeanine Michna-Bales centers on slaves’ secret travel on foot, taking them, hop…
Summer has officially begun! Vacation time is here. Whether the destination is far away or close to home, it’s time to make plans.
The arts make life better. They are the source of some enjoyable events that give substance and fascination to our days, despite the challenges and limitations of the pandemic. Theater productions come our way again in the near future at Gadsden State Community College, while an oil painting…
Dorien Johniken is a junior at The Donoho School. His art, “The Ascension,” was recently selected as the cover art for “The Modern Green Book”, a database in the same vein as “The Green Book” of the early to mid-1900s. Digital copies of “The Modern Green Book” are available at moderngreenbook.net.
In 2020, we witnessed what seemed like one world-shifting event after another, including massive, widespread protests for racial equality.
In this period of staying at home — or close to home — there is one way to travel far and wide, and without a passport! My suggestion is to see the world by touring the Berman Museum in Anniston.
Whether you see an art show in a gallery or online, looking at each piece can be a one-on-one experience. This is especially true with Jacksonville State University’s BFA Senior Art Exhibition — which you can view online at www.jaxstateart.org.
For 20 years, the Helen Keller Art Show has been showcasing art made by students with visual impairments. More than 40 artworks were selected for this year’s exhibit, made by students of all ages from all over Alabama — many of whom attend the Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega.
Applause is due to more than 40 artists in music and visual art in Calhoun County this month for their honors and accomplishments. But their success involves more than the recognition. In the case of pianist Rachel Park and 40 artists selected for the annual juried student exhibit at Jackson…