Early Days Linger
The “Early Days” Exhibit continues at the Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/ Douglas County (CAC). Come take a tour at the gallery, Mondays-Fridays, 9 am – 5pm, before the display of nostalgic scenes comes down on June 24. Can’t get out to view it in person? You can view the artwork for sale on the CAC at https://artsdouglas.org/product-category/exhibit-artwork/
Four artists were invited to display their work based on what the theme meant to them personally. When the CAC first reached out to Sally Storey Jones, the exhibit was intended to be called “Days Gone By,” to evoke the vibes of reminiscing. “Can I suggest something?” asked Jones over the phone, “Days Gone By sounds so sad, what about ‘Early Days’ Instead?” And she was right! The message of the exhibit is not that days are lost, but that they live on in our hearts, and our memories live on through the arts, as is proven by the decadent work on the gallery walls. “Early Days” is a show to prove that art really becomes a part of who we are.
Susan Smith presents a collection of different mediums, from pen and ink to pastel. A large portion of her work in the show is a tribute to her past travels, affording her some of her most memorable times in her life. Coë Steinwart also pays tribute to places she’s traveled with bright watercolors. She shared stories of her trips to California on the reception night. During one visit while housesitting in California, everywhere she turned there was a little sight she felt inspired to paint; she could hardly keep up with the opportunities for artworks that surrounded her. Laura Smith went to school for music and history, but became hooked on painting the first time she tried. She was painting a room in her home, and knowing she wanted an artwork on one of the walls, she thought, ‘I can make it.’ She did, and she has been painting breathtaking odes to seemingly mundane scenes ever since. Sally Storey Jones shares visions of delightful landmarks, reminding us of the impact a single corner store can make in a community. Her passion is to preserve history with a refined brushstroke, and sure enough viewers at the reception shuffled through her items remembering the years they had spent at the Alpha Theater and other locations.
The CAC thanks The Farmer’s Table for generously hosting the reception evening on May 13. The local family-owned business generously served home-churned ice cream and peach cobbler. Throughout the evening the artists and guests repeatedly stated, “it was the best ice cream and peach cobbler [they] ever had.” Farmer’s Table started as a little produce store inside of a gas station. Over the past 10 years, they have continuously strived to present Douglasville with a shopping experience they will never forget. The shop sells fresh produce and prepared meals in the market, offers a café and gift shop with handmade goods.
The Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/ Douglas County, located at 8652 Campbellton Street in historic downtown Douglasville, Georgia, is open Mondays through Fridays, 9 am to 5 pm. For directions and more information, visit www.artsdouglas.org or contact the Cultural Arts Council at 770.949.2787.
The mission of the Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/ Douglas County is to nurture, guide and stimulate the enjoyment of and participation in the arts among Douglas County residents by providing an atmosphere conducive to the arts, broadening the spectrum of quality exhibits and performances available to the community, and fostering individual interactions with the arts through a wide range of satellite groups. The Cultural Arts Council is supported in part by the City of Douglasville and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners