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Spring is Just Around the Corner!
Things will really begin to heat up as spring arrives but February always seem to bring a little down time for Arts in McNairy. Down time, come to think of it, may be a relative term. Rehearsals for Anne of Green Gables are in full swing. The community band announced and began this season's rehearsal schedule last week. The book club's second event of the year will take place Thursday. The painting phase of the Rockabilly Mural project gets underway this month. Plans and preparation for the spring Artisan Trail and Lawton's new art festival are gearing up and March elections always bring new members and officers to AiM board. That's our definition of down time!
All of this goes to show that there really is no off season for the arts. It also points out the countless hours that our volunteers, committees, patrons, board members and officers spend insuring that the community we share is a better place to live. I think everyone will agree that they make it look easy.
Thanks to one and all. Please enjoy your "down time." Spring is just around the corner! |
| Lawton Spring Art Festival - April 16 |
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 The latest addition to the McNairy County cultural calendar is the Lawton Spring Art Festival. Artists from all over West Tennessee, including many McNairy County favorites, will converge on the Lawton Community Center to Welcome spring and share the creative process; both in full bloom! The event is scheduled from 10:00-3:00 on Saturday April 16, 2009.
High quality painting, pottery, glass, wood carving, metal sculpture and much more will be on display for everyone to purchase and enjoy. Many of the artisans will be on hand to discuss and demonstrate their unique techniques in a fun and friendly atmosphere. The festival will be an educational, fun filled, day for the whole family.
The Lawton community center is located just east of Selmer on Crabtree Road. Exit from Hwy 64 East or Lawton Road and follow the signs. The event is being sponsored by the Lawton Neighborhood club and Lunch will be available on the grounds. All proceeds support future festivals and the Neighborhood Club. This is a juried art show. Interested artists should be prepared to submit images for panel review. For more information, please contact: Sandee Barton at 731-632-4753 or sandeecb@hotmail.com |
| The Bible Salesman - February 19 |
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 Clyde Edgerton's new novel, The Bible Salesman will be the subject of discussion at the February book club meeting, 7:00 PM, Thursday February 19. The AiM book club meets every third Thursday in the McNairy Regional Hospital public conference room, just off the Hospital's main entrance by the cafeteria. The hospital is located on Hwy 64 in Selmer near the south intersection of Hwy 45.
Everyone is invited to attend and there are no participation fees beyond book purchase. You may also leave comments and recommendations for future book club selections at the AiM blog: www.artsinmcnairy.blogspot.com |
| Anne of Green Gables - March 13-15 |
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 A cast of more than 30 local young people will bring Anne of Green Gables to the stage for three public performances, March 13 through March 15 at McNairy Central High School's Little Theatre. Friday and Saturday show times are scheduled for 7:30 PM and a Sunday matinee will be presented at 2:00 PM. Two morning shows are also being performed exclusively for McNairy County school children. Those interested in bring groups to these performances should contact Joanna Pitts at 731-645-3850 for reservations and more details.
The show is a dramatic adaptation of the classic children's novel that is, coincidentally, being celebrated for it's 100th year of publication in 2009. It tells the story of the plucky, Anne Shirley who is mistakenly sent by an orphanage to live at Green Gables with the Cuthbert family to fill the role of farmhand. The family's initial shock gives way to the development of warm relationships with the irrepressible Anne but not without many adventure and misadventures along the way.
Those include in the cast are:
Young Anne Shirley - Ryleigh Hilliard
Florence Remsen - Cortney McDaniel
Minnie Stern - Andrea Channell
Teenie Williams - Molly Chambers
Mrs. Alexander Spencer - Evelyn Horst
Youth Anne Shirley - Rachel Fagan
Marilla Culberth - Julie Martin
Matthew Culberth - Greg Dickerson
Rachel Lynde - Emily Pitts
Station Master - Payden Donahoe
Alexander Spencer - Zachary Martin
Mrs. Blewitt - Cassie Rogers
Mrs. Mildred Barry - Meghan Woolworth
Young Diana Barry - Molly Woolworth
Youth Diana Barry - Allie Pitts
Minnie Mae Barry - Lily Beth Durbin
Mary Jo - Shelby Fox
Jerry Boute - Ben Pennington
Mr. Phillips - David Cook
Prissy Andrews - Abby Rininger
Miss Stacy - Sadie Mckay
Young Ruby Gillis - Blaire Robinson
Youth Ruby Gillis - Hannah Briggs
Young Josie Gillis - Ana Grace Ashe
Youth Josie Gillis - Jessica Campbell
Young Moody MacPherson - Konnor Davis
Youth Moody MacPherson - Dillon Rorie
Young Charlie Sloane - Casey Reed
Youth Charlie Sloane - Chaseton Donahoe
Young Gilbert Blyth - Bradley Hunt
Youth Gilbert - Brandon Wilson
Young Extra Classmates - Mara Campbell, Michaela Chambers, Casey Collins, Gracen Donahoe, Mikaylin Donahoe, Brianna Wilson,
Youth Extra Classmates - Hannah Burcham, Kelsey Mardis, Sarah Rininger
Tickets are available only at the door. Don't miss the shows!
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| Cultural Heritage Study Continues in 2009 |
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Do you have information about the cultural heritage of McNairy County? How about newspaper clippings, flyers or posters about concerts, dances or singings held in the county? Do you have, or know someone who has pictures of the old time Bluegrass and string music pickers, the Elvis show in Bethel Springs, or square dances at Finger? Do you own old broom making, weaving and spinning equipment or items used in any of the other folk and heritage crafts? If so we want to hear from you!
In 2009 the Arts in McNairy Heritage and Culture Committee will renew the cultural assessment efforts that began in 2006 with the groundbreaking Community, Culture and Commerce project. The goal is to gain a deeper understand of the cultural legacy of McNairy County and Southwest Tennessee. To be successful we will need everyone's help. We would like to document the various folk art traditions and musical heritage through pictures, print, local publications and those wonderful family stories passed down through the generations.
Several ways to approach the assessment are being considered but we wanted to get the word out early. Dust off the old scrap books and take a turn through the attic. You never know what you might find. There will be a meeting and call for information sometime in the spring of 2009. Until then, pass this story along to the family historian or anyone interested in such a project.
Please direct all inquires and information to the AiM Heritage and Culture Committee at:
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| Spring Artisan Trail - March 21 |
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The AiM Artisan Trail spring tour of studios is scheduled for March 21, 2009. The event features some of the finest working artists and artisans in Southwest Tennessee. Visit with the artists, watch them working in their creative environment and purchase, high quality one of a kind, art objects and artisan grade gifts. More information about participating artists and events will be published in next months edition of Taking AiM. Complete maps will be available on the AiM Blog one week prior to the event and at all participating artisan studios on the trail date.
An organizational meeting for the spring tour is being held 6:00 PM February 19 at the UTM Center in the library. The UTM Center is located on Tennessee Avenue just off Hwy 45 North in Selmer. All participating artists should attend. Interested artists who have not been involved in past AAT events are also welcome to attend and provide representative sample of their work and pictures of their studio for consideration. |
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Community Band Announces Schedule |
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| After a short respite following the December Christmas concert, the Arts in McNairy community band is again organizing in preparation for the 2009 season. The years first meeting and rehearsal was held last week but it is never too late to join in the fun! The band is currently beginning rehearsal for the Independence Day concert at Selmer City Park Stage.
Rehearsals are scheduled for the 2nd and 4th Monday night of each month at Selmer Middle School band hall. The school is located at the south intersection of Hwys 45 and 64 in Selmer. Enter the band hall directly at the rear of the building adjacent to the city park swimming pool.
Community band is open to musicians of all skill levels. No auditions are required. You must provide your own instrument and be able to read basic music. This eclectic group includes everyone from retirees to middle school music students and everyone in between. The goal is to provide an outlet for the community to participate in organized music programs in a fun and supportive environment. Come join the fun!
Contact director Ronnie Brooks to sign up for the community band email list or obtain more information:
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| AiM Artist Spotlight - Tim Pace |
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 To here him tell it, the whole thing was a happy accident. In 1995 Tim Pace went to his garage to uncover an old welder he was storing for a friend. He wanted to try his hand at making something a little different as a gift for a family member. He uncovered more than a used welder that day. Pace discovered a unique talent for transforming the mundane into the extraordinary. Little did he know that his happy accident would be the beginning of a career as an artist.
Tim had no training as a welder or an artist, but his first project, a golfer made out of scrap metal, sparked his imagination and other objects fashioned from throw away metal soon followed. Rusty garden shears were transformed into bird beaks; axe heads became grasshopper bodies; dented hubcaps were suddenly turtle backs and old horse shoes morphed into butterfly wings. Tim's hobby began to look a lot more like a career as people instantly fell in love with the whimsical parade of birds, sea creatures, insects and dinosaurs that were emerging from his makeshift workshop in Finger, TN. Pace, himself, found that he had a great eye for design and drew from a deep well of, previously unknown, creativity. In 1998 he quit his job as an electrician to pursue art full time. He never looked back.
Pace calls his creations "Eco-Art" and even gave his business the same name. As the title suggests, Tim is committed to using 100% recycled materials. He buys scrap metal by the load and has even been known to pick up discarded metal on the side of the highway. Tim says his goal as an "eco-artist" is to help people see both sides of his pieces by retaining as much of the original scrap form as possible. In other words, the viewer should be able to appreciate the finished work while still being able to recognized the individual parts. This is precisely the effect his sculptures often have on the viewer. They seem to unfold little by little before your very eyes and this is just how Tim wanted it. You see the brightly colored animal before you notice that the legs are formed from an old pair of scissors or the body is composed of a series of wrenches. "Hey!...Is that a fork?" You get the picture.
Tim's work is now, very much in demand and he is on the road constantly doing art shows and festivals around the South. He has been the subject of numerous magazine and newspaper articles and was featured in the popular public television series Tennessee Crossroads in 2007. Pace has been commissioned for various projects including the iconic "Reading Mantis" for the Jackson/Madison County Library and is currently working an a commission for the Governor's mansion in Nashville. His work can be purchased at the gift shop of the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, Appalachian Threads in Adamsville and other galleries throughout Tennessee and Mississippi or directly form the artist at his Finger studio and gallery.
We are proud to have Tim as a valuable member of the McNairy County arts community. Stop by and see him between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM during the March 21, 2009 AiM Artisan Trail spring tour of studios or Learn more about Tim and Eco-Art at his website: www.ecoartbytim.com | |
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