HAPPY NEW YEAR!

from the

Franklin County Arts Alliance

NEXT SATURDAY!

2018 ANNUAL MEETING

Business Meeting

Saturday, January 6^th

5:30pm

Followed by 

A FRESH LOOK, 

A Young Artists Exhibit  

OPENING RECEPTION

6pm

*Refreshments will be served.

Cultural Arts Center

100 N. Rusk St.

Mt. Vernon, TX 75457

(one block west of courthouse)

ALL ARE WELCOME!

IN JUST ONE WEEK!

*Flyer courtesy of FCAA Children's Chair, Keitra Stoker

OUR NEXT EXHIBIT!

Franklin County Arts Alliance presents:

A

FRESH

LOOK

A Young Artists Exhibit

(January 5-February 2, 2018)

Lindsey Bass

Jared Chapman

Kristin Decker

Jerrod Hammond

LeAnne House

Kendall Kent

Jason Lewis

Lauren Lewis

Audrey Norman

OPENING RECEPTION

JANUARY 6, 2018 @ 6PM

Cultural Arts Center, 100 Rusk St., Mt. Vernon, TX 75457

(one block west of courthouse)

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!

2018 FCAA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

WITH A $25 2018 FAMILY MEMBERSHIP YOU CAN RECEIVE A DVD OF THE 2017 FRANKLIN FOLLIES-FREE

WE NEED TO KNOW WHO IS INTERESTED IN DVD'S BECAUSE WE ARE ORDERING AS WE GO THIS YEAR.  

JUST SEND IN YOUR FAMILY MEMBERSHIP, & WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR DVD.

IF YOU WOULD RATHER WE MAILED YOU THE DVD, THERE WILL BE A $5 POSTAL FEE.  ($25 Family Membership + $5 Postal Fee+$30 TOTAL)

To receive a 2018 Membership Form Email us: franklincountyarts@gmail.com.  

THANK YOU ALL!

OUR NEXT CHILDREN'S CLASS!

Franklin County Arts Alliance Presents:

CHILDREN’S ORNAMENT CLASS

Saturday, December 16, 2017

1pm-3pm

Instructor:  Priscilla Smithey

AGES: 5-12

Cultural Arts Center

100 Rusk St.

Mt. Vernon, TX 75457

(one block west of courthouse)

*This is a FREE class, provided for, in part, by the St. Clair Endowment, through the Franklin County Historical Association.

For more information

Call Keitra: 903-456-7549

Email Christian: franklincountyarts@gmail.com

AN APPRECIATION OF OUR NEXT EXHIBITING ARTIST

THE LADY FROM TOPEKA

    Sandra St. John: An Appreciation

Photo courtesy of Sandra St. John

Sandra. St. John grew up in a big old house in Topeka, Kansas, in a quintessential matriarchal atmosphere, with her grandmother, her mother, her aunt, one sister, two female cousins, and one brother, who somehow managed to remain heterosexual.  Six women under the influence of one great dominant matriarch, Grandma Tillinghurst, who introduced her brood to the world of culture and what people used to call "the finer things."  Topeka was not New York, of course, but it was on "the culture circuit," and Sandy made the most of it, singing and dancing her way to the "Miss Kansas" title, along with her ebullient rabbit creation, Jack Bunny.  Later, on the cruise line entertainment circuit she met Dallas News Staff Writer Bob St. John and married him in 1998.   Mt. Vernon has been fortunate to have them reside for many years at the Lake, as well as the Greek Isle of Paros, which they also called home.  Sandy is an accomplished painter, singer, dancer, poet and comedienne, who gives generously of her talents.  Since Bob's untimely passing last year, we've been so fortunate to have her stay here.  Welcome back to Center Stage, Sandy, and thanks for all those wonderful memories, with more yet to come!


---Tom Wilkinson

GETTING TO KNOW OUR OCTOBER ARTIST

Biography

Sandra St. John

"After a career as a singer and ventriloquist traveling the world, Sandra St. John traded her puppets for paints and a palette.  For years she had traveled the world performing on cruise ships and entertaining throughout the United States.  Yet her love of art was never far away.  She always carried a sketchbook, and when she was not traveling she managed to take art classes.  She studied at Collin Country Community College with artists such as James Tennyson, who painted Ann Richards' Capitol portrait and illustrator Michael McGar.  She says, "Half the time I got an A and the other half I would be traveling so much I'd have to withdraw and get a W. I guess you could say I had a J average!"  She has also learned through art workshops and videos of master artists.

Now Sandra is devoting her time to painting.  "Painting brings me the joy of seeing the wonders of the world ever more clearly.  Art asks not for erasing oneself, but it does demand a quieting of the self and an opening to that marvelous exchange encountered in the dialogue between the self and what is outside the self.  This happens at deeper and more profound levels as the artist grows in awareness.  I wish to experience this heightened  state of being and, through my art, share it with others."

She has received an award here and there, including first place in the Mt. Pleasant Art Society and Franklin County Arts Alliance shows.  She is also a signature member of the Southwestern Watercolor Society."

Meandering Through Mt. Vernon, Recent Works by Sandra St. John is a must see exhibit!  The exhibit opened October 13th and will close November 10th.  There will be a CLOSING RECEPTION ON NOVEMBER 10TH FROM 11am to 1pm.

*Photo and Bio courtesy of Sandra St. John

OUR NEXT EXHIBIT

Franklin County Arts Alliance Presents:

MEANDERING THROUGH MT. VERNON

Recent Works by Sandra St. John

Photo courtesy of Sandra St. John

JOIN US DURING COUNTRYFEST

OCTOBER 14^th from 10am-2pm

(EXHIBIT OPEN: OCTOBER 13-NOVERMBER 10)

CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

100 RUSK ST.

MT. VERNON, TX

(One block west of courthouse)

MARIE-CLAIRE'S ARTIST STATEMENT

MARIE-CLAIRE’S ARTIST STATEMENT:

“Although I work in various other media, I primarily use acrylic paints on wooden panels and sculpt in clay.  A fourth of my work is based on visual reality and is technically disciplined; the rest of my work emerges from my subconscious in the form of spirals and circles.” 

–Marie-Claire Montgomery

Join us September 1^st from 7:00pm to 9:00pm for an Opening Talk & Reception for Figures, Circles & Spirals, An Exhibit by Marie-Claire Montgomery (September 1^st-29^th), at the Cultural Arts Center, 100 Rusk St., Mt. Vernon, TX. 

*Artist Statement & photos courtesy of Marie-Claire Montgomery

OUR SEPTEMBER ARTIST

OUR NEXT EXHIBIT (SEPT. 1-29)

FIGURES, CIRCLES & SPIRALS,

AN EXHIBIT BY MARIE-CLAIRE MONTGOMERY

Here is a brief history to help you get to know Marie-Claire!

Our September artist, “Marie-Claire Quichaud Montgomery was raised in the suburbs of Paris, France.  She conceived of and executed aesthetic projects from her earliest years.  Family friends invited her to visit them in Bryan, Texas.  A week after she arrived, she was painting murals and recording tapes for a French language lab at Texas A& M University.  She has mostly lived and worked in Texas ever since.

Marie-Claire graduated from the Chicago School of Interior Design and Decoration and operated an interior design practice, centered in the Dallas area.  She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Drawing from the University of North Texas and completed some graduate coursework in sculpture.  Private collectors in Europe and the U. S. own her pieces. “

*Photo & Bio courtesy of Marie-Claire Montgomery

OUR NEXT EXHIBIT

Franklin County Arts Alliance Presents:

Figures, Circles & Spirals

An Exhibit by Marie-Claire Montgomery

Open from September 1st to 29th

CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
100 RUSK ST.

MT. VERNON, TX 

(One block west of courthouse)

Opening talk & reception will be from 

7:00pm to 9:00pm, Friday, September 1, 2017

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED.

Photo courtesy of Marie-Claire

GRAVITY ART CLASS FANTASTIC!

Our CHILDREN’S ARTS & SCIENCE CLASS, featuring GRAVITY ART, on Saturday, JULY 15TH from 2pm-4pm was FANTASTIC! Everyone had a BLAST!

Thank you to the 14 children who participated! You guys are so creative! Thank you to their families for allowing them to participate!

KAY MAJORS was a fabulous instructor, and her daughter, MADELINE did a wonderful job as her assistant! Thank you both!

Thanks to Keitra Stoker,  Hayley Pickens-Dickson, & Christian Galloway for your hard work! 

Many thanks, again, to the St. Clair Endowment, through the FCHA, for helping to make this class possible!

*Photos courtesy of Keitra Stoker

LOCAL ARTIST TO OPEN STUDIO/GALLERY & GIFT SHOP

Local artist, Jerry Boyd, is planning a soft opening  of his Studio/Gallery and Gift Shop at the intersection of HWY 37 and FM 21, South of I-30 in Franklin County, next to Colvin's Body Shop (in the building where Bloomin' Crazy was located), on August 15^th.

He will offer lessons in Clay Processes, Drawing, and Painting on a monthly basis.  Each weekly Clay class will be a three-hour block. There will also be a time-flexible three hours of lab each week. The $110 monthly fee for his Clay Classes includes: 50lbs.of clay, glazes, two firings, as well as, the weekly classes and lab.

 Jerry is planning to do something similar to Painting with a Twist, called Painting For Fun. In time, he will do something similar with ceramics. The idea there being that people can pick from bisque ware to glaze, while enjoying some wine with friends, The attendees would then come back to pick up their glaze fired pieces.

JERRY’S HISTORY:

* Bachelor of Fine Art, Texas Wesleyan University, Ft. Worth;

* Studied Ceramics, Life Drawing and Watercolor at University of Texas at Arlington;

* Earned Texas Teacher Certification at Texas A&M Commerce

* Taught High School Art in Muentser, TX.,

* Taught High School Art at Mt. Pleasant High School for 26 years

* Taught Drawing I, Drawing II at North East Texas Community College and most recently Ceramics I and II, Fall semester of 2016.

* He does Drawing in a variety of Medium, Portraits, Acrylic Painting on canvas and Ceramics.

* He teaches wheel throwing techniques, slab and hand building techniques as well as sculpting.

**Jerry will also feature other local and area artists in his Gallery and Gift Shop.  Any interested in talking with him about it may call or come by his shop.   

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT JERRY:

Call: 903-588-2358 OR Email: gboyd1948@gmail.com

CHECK HIM OUT ON FACEBOOK: Jerry Boyd

***Information & photos courtesy of Jerry Boyd.

FREE ART & SCIENCE CLASS NEXT SATURDAY!

JUDY'S ARTIST STATEMENT

Photo & Artist Statement courtesy of Judy Wilder Dalton

Artist Statement

Finding Art in Life and Life in Art

I  attempt to express the subject or design in the use of color, form, line and texture in a simple yet powerful statement. I believe there is a strong human response to color and it reflects and affects our moods.  My intention is to keep the elements universal and invite the viewer to experience it on an emotional level as well as visually.  The elements of  form, line, color and texture are my focus, whether the subject is a still life, landscape or figure. I love the delicacy, vigor and beauty in them apart from the subject.

I love the use of color and line by the impressionist and I love seeing the "evidence" of the artists process by seeing  brush strokes, lines of drawing still visible in a finished work. 

I find that art is a part of how we live.

I hope that my art reflects how I see life....with great appreciation and gratitude!"  

Judy Wilder Dalton

Contemporary Fine Artist