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7/28/2019 Cotton South in LakeLifeSummer

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FINE ARTS

Beautiful, historic Madison will be the place

for ne art lovers this fall, as The Cotton

South Fine Arts Festival makes its debut

Sept. 28-29.

Bringing the work of more than 120 artists to the

downtown area, The Cotton South Fine Arts Fes-

tival will be the rst of its kind in the Lake Coun-

try, says Tim Reilly, festival organizer. Reilly has

sought out and invited niche artists whose mediums

encompass oil, pastels, watercolor, sculpture, glass,

2-D and 3-D mixed media, ceramics, jewelry, pho-

tography and metalwork. In all, 23 different catego-

ries of work will be featured at the festival.

Nationally and regionally renowned artists likeAnne London, Jean Yao, Frank Strunk III and

Thomas Lott will be coming to Madison for the rst

time, and Reilly is rolling out the red carpet in an-

ticipation of a great show of gallery-quality work.

This is such a diverse show, and Im really ex-

cited that were hosting it in Madison, Reilly says.

I didnt want to duplicate any show that was cur-

rently available we needed this to be something

that people hadnt already seen. Were going to be

showcasing some of the best artists in the country.

While the show draws artisans from all over thenation, its the aspect of the shows name, The Cotton

South, which gives this festival a distinctive South-

ern avor. Many of the festivals artists already call

Georgia home, including Aaron Hequembourg of

Monticello, Peggy Martin of Buckhead, Len Jagoda

of Waverly Hall, and Charles Pinckney of Athens.

For example, the work-worn face and arthritic

hands of a man holding cotton bolls set against

salvaged bead board and hymnal pages is quintes-

sentially representative of Aaron Hequembourgsmixed media work (see above). Inspired by the

empty sharecroppers homes on his wifes circa

1815 farm, Hequembourg uses salvaged materials

to capture the spirit of another time and the people

of the South.

Fine jewelers working in gold, copper, titanium

and sterling silver will be among the featured art-

Cotton

South

thE

Fine Arts Festival

STORY BY: REBECCA RAKOCZY

LAKELIFE MAGAZINE SUMMER 201340


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ists at the festival. Working in 14-carat gold and us-

ing the lost wax technique (bottom image, opposite

page), Florida jewelry artist Thomas Lott will be

offering his stunning wearable art including Au-

rora Borealis, a hand-forged 14-carat gold piece

set with a 16.79 carat boulder opal and diamonds.

Charles Pinckney of Athens brings a primal mascu-

line energy to his metalwork jewelry, with forged

and carved titanium as one of his metal choices for

his pendant titled, Fire; while local Buckhead

artist Peggy Martin uses her metalwork jewelry toevoke a sense of playfulness for her metal mask

pendant necklaces. (top of page)

Speaking of primal, the work of Louisi-

ana artist Anne London captures the

heart and soul of African wild-

life, with her giant pastels watercolor and charcoal

images of big cats taking center stage at the festival

(left center). London has a passion for the conser-vation of endangered species and has been a pro-

fessional artist for almost 40 years. London works

with conservation groups such as the Black Rhino

Foundation and the Ann Van Dyke Cheetah Center.

Less exotic, but no less stunning is the sculpture

and artwork of Len Jagoda, who captures the es-

sence of the hunting life in his sculpture of dogs

and his portraits of horses (see sculpture, bottom

of page).

Festival goers also can expect a wide variety of

acrylic, oil, and watercolor pieces, as well as the 2-D

and 3-D work. The brilliant hues of Carol Swayzes

acrylic underwater sh seem to leap from the

paper (above, right center); while Illinois

artist Jane Johnsons orange poppies

pop off the page in brilliant color con-

trast with the more somber tones of

Richard Augers black and white

photography.

In other categories,

festival goers will enjoy

the giant woven baskets

of artist Jean Yao,

and the distinctive



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glass, wood and metal sculptures of Charlottes-

ville, Va. artist Holly Olinger, who tells a story

with each piece.Yao weaves her designs, such as

the show-stopping basket, My Fair Lady, out

of cocoanut and palm fronds. Both Olinger and

Yao have received accolades in their respective

categories in festivals across the nation.

Several of the artists will demonstrate their

artistic techniques during the weekend. Thats a

plus for Reilly, who hopes to inspire a future gen-

eration of artists who visit the festival. Working

with Morgan County schools, the show also will

highlight student artwork in a special exhibition

in Town Park. Reilly says, I wanted to get the

art students in close proximity to the profession-

al artists, in the hopes that a few of the students

might see art as an enjoyable, and potentially lu-

crative, career.Artwork will be displayed in tents, but their

gallery-like settings will give festival-goers the

feeling of visiting an array of exquisitely ar-

ranged art galleries, Reilly says.

A preview party for festival artists, sponsors

and VIPs will take place on Friday evening, Sept.

27, after artists set up. The party will give spon-

sors and VIPs an opportunity to view and pur-

chase the best works of the show ahead of the

festival crowds. It will also afford the artists an

opportunity to mark their ballots for the cash

prize awards.

Sponsors of the festival include High-Horse

Productions, LLC (Reillys company), Vivid

Events, Smith Communications, Madison Perk

Avenue and Town 220 Restaurant. Admission

is $10, and children under 12 years old are free

when accompanied by an adult. Admission in-

cludes a special discount at Madison restaurants,

shops and accommodations. The Cotton South

Fine Arts Festival will be from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00

p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00

p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29. For more information,go to www.cottonsoutharts.com or call 706-342-

2050. v

Top right: My Fair Lady by Jean Yao.

Bottom right: Rejections Des Moines

2009 by Holly Olinger


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