The Plum Nelly Depot Art Show returned to Trenton, Georgia this weekend to celebrate the artistic heritage of the tri-state region of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.
“This is an area that really has a lot of artists and we want to celebrate that and give people the opportunity to see and purchase local art,” said Sandy White, President/CEO of Alliance For Dade.
Fifty artists from across the tri-state area gathered at the Dade County High School Event Center.
The show was organized by the Alliance For Dade’s Public Arts Committee.
Their goal was to pay homage to the Plum Nelly Arts Festival that took place on Lookout Mountain in the ’40s and ’50s, an event that even served as a reference to how the area was described.
“Nelly from Georgia, Plum from Tennessee, so this goes back to the folk art era or Appalachian art, and we just want to celebrate that, as well as the fact that there are so many talented artists in this area,” White said.
These talented artists brought a little bit of everything, from jewelry to paintings to ceramics.
“Knowing that you can take a piece of mud, literally a piece of mud from the earth, and make this beautiful, functional art is just a passion for me,” said Tracey Strickland, owner of Wildvines Studio.
Strickland is from Rock Spring, Georgia, and owns Wildvines Studio, where she works with ceramics, and her favorite type of work is mugs.
“Everyone drinks from a mug, even if they don’t drink coffee. You can drink anything from a mug. It’s just a nice feeling to hold it in your hand and know that it’s a handmade piece of art that you can use,” Strickland said.
Scott Schneider, owner of Paint To Fly, shares the ambition to create something that puts a smile on someone’s face.
“I try to do a lot of positive things. I have ‘Love’ and ‘Bubbles’ and quiet pieces with the tigers just sitting quietly and relaxing and just trying to do happy things,” Schneider said.
To create much of his work, Schneider combined two of his life’s passions: painting and hang gliding.
“Being creative is great. It takes you to another place, to another level. It makes you and all kinds of people happy,” Schneider said.
You can find many of these artists in the area if you missed the event on Saturday.
Be on the lookout for more art exhibits from the Alliance For Dade, which hosts three events throughout the year.
