Gadsden Art Center shows its fine arts exhibit

Courtesy of Taylor Watson

The 27th annual exhibition of fine arts at the Gadsden Art Center will show its exhibition Jan. 15 through April 2 exposed students and residents to fine art and offered regional artists the opportunity to exhibit their work

The Gadsden Art Center offers exhibitions year round with opening receptions and attendance ranging from 200-550 visitors. The run off show attendance averages to 2,000. The annual juried signature exhibition of fine art, represents artists living within 200 miles of Quincy.

The mission is to foster understanding and appreciation of the visual arts and improve the quality of life in the Gadsden County area and region. The organization works to enhance arts education, provide cultural opportunities and stimulate economic growth in the community.

Grace Robinson, executive director of the exhibition, provided details about the art center and the longevity of it.  

“This art center has been here since 1994, and was founded by volunteers four years before that. It was a once-a-year exhibition held on an empty storefront on Quincy Square, because a lot of families couldn’t see any art,” Robinson said.

Art in Gadsden began in 1989 when a local teacher used the store fronts of downtown Quincy for a regional exhibition of art. Its permanent collection includes 52 works of art by 31 different artists, mainly from the Southern Eastern United States.

This year 68 artists were represented in a 109 works of art with a variety of style, subject matter and mediums.

Angie Berry, creator of Exhibitions and Collections, explained how she helps most of the artists.

“I help work with committees to select what artwork is shown here, and also work with the artists to pick the artwork that's going to be in the exhibition,” Berry said.

The first, second and third place award winners were Harold Griner, Mary Jane Lord and Nan Liu.

Daniel Mitchell, artist whose artwork was presented in the exhibition, expressed his thoughts about visual art philosophy.

“When I visited the Pima-Maricopa Reservation in Phoenix, Ariz., I was struck by the physical world there with the extreme poverty, abandoned building and debris throughout the environment. With this exhibition I encourage viewers to examine these environments and how they affect this communities and how they can change this country for the better,” Mitchell said.

For more info on the art center, visit Gadsdenarts.org