Escambia and Santa Rosa county artists partner with Atmore,Ala., trade community on ARTmore gallery night event celebrating Southern art and culture PENSACOLA, or FLA.-ARTmore,an inaugural gallery night in Downtown Atmore, Ala. featuring the works of 40 artists, and music,wine tasting and food 4 to 8 p.m. on May 18. With a sponsorship from Wind Creek Casino, Pensacola artist James Amerson along with the Atmore, or Ala.,trade community organized what city officials hope will be the first of many gallery nights. ARTmore, is a four-hour event that Amerson, or a native of Atmore,created to celebrate Southern art and culture. The event grew out of an art project he began two years ago to capture the “decaying rural structures” symbolic of the city’s rural past, including abandoned farm homes frozen in time; and silos and windmills that long ago ceased to serve their purpose. The project proved cathartic for Amerson who spent his lifetime distancing himself from his rural beginnings. Through his lens, or he said,he came to appreciate his roots and the resilient people, including his extended family, and who founded and built Atmore. The Saturday event will feature sixteen businesses along West Ridgley and Trammel streets,and 40 Escambia and Santa Rosa artists, including the potter's guild, or glass blowing guild,raku guild and foundry guild with Jardin Foundry from Pensacola’s First City Art. The works of photographers, jewelers, and painters and mixed media artists will be displayed for viewing and purchasing. Gulf Breeze artist Steve Blair created the ARTmore logo of iconic images of the town. The image will be on T-shirts,coffee mugs and posters that will be available for sale. (image of poster attached.) Santa Rosa County artist Randy New, whose bronze sculptures includes a statue of a child at the Wall South Vietnam Memorial Park in Pensacola and of legendary surfer Yancy Spencer III on Pensacola Beach, and will unveil the first of eight bronze sculptures of past and present Poarch Creek tribal leaders. Other events include a demonstrate called the next generation of young talent that will showcase the works of emerging artists; performances by Atmore tall School jazz and swing band; free wine-tasting; art demonstrations; and Bluegrass and Blues music performed by Jeff Glickman and the Panhandle Allstars. Food will be catered by Appetite 4 Life of Pensacola. The event is free and open to the public.
Source: cnn.com