Art exhibits to enjoy during your visit to Mardi Gras

Although visitors come to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, there’s a lot more to the Crescent City than parades and partying. Take time to enjoy the museums and free venues for art around town for a delightful change of pace. Beyond the art galleries in the French Quarter, visitor can find many artistic treasures in the city. Check venue hours during the hectic days of the Carnival season to avoid disappointment. Here are a few to get you started.

Jackson Square

The artists surrounding Jackson Square present a colorful introduction to the New Orleans art scene. The eclectic genres available assure something for everyone. Browse along fence to see the work of up to two hundred artists, operating on licenses granted by the city. Looking is free, and visitors might find the perfect piece to purchase as a souvenir of the visit.

Woldenberg Park

Across Decatur Street from the square, climb the steps to the Riverwalk and turn right along the path to visit another free venue, Woldenberg Park, sixteen acres of green space and art leading toward Canal Street. The park operates under the auspices of the Audubon Foundation which also operates the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, among other attractions. Sculptures and mobiles dot the park, giving art lovers an open-air viewing experience along the bank of the Mississippi River. Watch river traffic glide by for a glimpse of reality art in motion.

Dutch Alley

Tucked away behind the buildings lining Decatur Street at Dumaine, a circular fountain hosts a band in silhouette. The characters captured there welcome visitors to Dutch Alley, a combination of open-air art exhibit and art gallery. Step into the alley and meet Jacques the Butcher by Eric Kaposta, who greets visitors entering the Alley.

Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Go beyond the boundaries of the French Quarter and into the Warehouse District to enjoy art created by a wide spectrum of southern artists. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art boasts multiple floors of paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography and installation art. The reasonable admission fee coupled with the variety of artists makes the O an excellent destination for any art lover. The Confederate Museum next door will interest history buffs.

Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans

Stroll across the street from the Ogden Museum to reach the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans and another reason to love the Camp Street museum corridor. Park once for access to both art centers, plus the National World War II Museum.

New Orleans Museum of Art and Besthoff Sculpture Garden

Venture out of the French Quarter and Central Business District for a visit to a New Orleans legacy, the New Orleans Museum of Art. Although the traditional museum facility requires an admission fee, the stunning open air Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA does not. More than sixty sculptures dot the peaceful garden, including the iconic Hercules the Archer which stood at the main entrance to the museum for decades.

Originally appeared on 02/24/14 at http://www.examiner.com/article/art-exhibits-to-enjoy-during-your-visit-to-mardi-gras

Faces of Faith: The art of sculptor Ben Watts

Columbia, Miss. sculptor Ben Watts counts several faith-influenced statues within his body of work. With images such as William Carey accepting the calling to foreign missions and a battle-weary angel catching a moment of rest, Watts brings physical presence to the spiritual. His gift for depicting faces filled with emotion finds special impact in these inspirational pieces.

Watts shows the cobbler’s bench that Carey left behind when he prepared for his mission to India. The apron is leaving his hand as Carey Turns to the World, one foot raised in movement toward his callings. The tools rest in a box beneath the bench and an unfinished project sits on the bench.

Carey’s face is turned toward India as he acknowledges his destination, Bible in hand. The bronze statue stands on the campus of William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Miss., in front of the Sarah Ellen Gillespie Museum of Art.

Angel’s Song, an 18” high sculpture in water-based clay, offers the serenity of maternal embrace. Is the song by an angel or for an angel? Watts captures the peacefulness of a child held safe in loving arms in this elegant sculpture that could depict the Nativity.

In the eternal battle between good and evil, even warrior angels need a moment’s rest. In Peace on Earth, an angel pauses and experiences peace, if only for that moment. The 16” bronze shows the angel in full battle gear, ready to take up the fight again when summoned.  

Watts sculpted Thanksgiving during a Thanksgiving service. The source of gratitude stands, arms outstretched, in what Watts says could depict the crucifixion or the resurrection. The figure yields all, holding nothing back at this moment.

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, stands on the campus of Watts’ alma mater, Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. Funded by alumni donations from the classes of 1964, 1965 and 1966 along with other Millsaps family, the statue stands just north of the library, overlooking the open area known as Millsaps Bowl. Wesley stands, book in hand, bags at his feet, as though giving a sermon or sharing a text.  

Originally appeared on 09/16/2013 at http://www.examiner.com/list/faces-of-faith-the-art-of-sculptor-ben-watts

Climbing and sculpture define a life lived creatively

For artist Jeremy Thomley, life must be lived in the moment. Thomley suffers from cystic fibrosis, a lung disease that regularly puts him in the hospital and hovers as a constant threat over his activities. His response to the ailment leads him to fill his days with things that create joy and beauty. He travels the world climbing whatever he can find to climb, then returns to his south Mississippi studio at Mohawk Steel Company to tell the stories of the climbs in powerful sculptures of steel.

Whimsical metal Whomping Willow

Some of his work is whimsical, like the giant replica of a fictional tree that he is creating from discarded farm machinery. A century of outdated equipment finds new purpose as a child’s fantasy play land. The finished tree will measure more than 30 feet tall. The pieces of equipment, many of which move, form the steps and levels for a climber to ascend to the crow’s nest at the top.

A passion to climb

As part of his climbing passion, Thomley holds climbing parties in his studio. The wall behind him contains climbing holds. He does some work for a climbing hold manufacturer in Phoenix as part of his delight in the process. Planning his climbing trips keeps him going during the all-too-familiar hospitalizations.

Bottle trees garner second looks

His bottle trees stretch steel fingers upward and outward, ready to accept the colorful glass bottles that will adorn them. Thomley forms many of his trees from rebar, adding the texture of the metal to the graceful shape. He explains that, besides being an artistic element in the piece, rebar allows him to make less expensive bottle trees and therefore more affordable trees.

A bottle tree with a twist

Thomley was a speech communication major in college. He uses those skills to tell stories through sculpture. One of his professors requested a tree that would allow his wife to display her glasswork. Thomley adapted the traditional bottle tree to include hooks on the ends to support the woman’s art.

A stone 'lung' takes form

Of all of his projects, the one dearest to his heart is his Anthem series, images reflecting lungs and rib cages. With his own history of breathing problems, it’s no wonder that he finds allure in images about “containing breath or breaking free” as he works. This lung started as a piece of stone he found in Colorado on a climbing excursion.

 

Thomley shows his diversity with lungs that can burn

A figure of a human torso contains tubing to permit the pipes to be ignited, lighting the room and pulsing with life. A portable fuel tank attaches below the pipes, providing the fuel for the display. The polished metal against the rougher rusted backdrop creates a startling contrast.

A rib cage awaits lungs

A rib cage formed from metal rods awaits the installation of lungs to complete the piece. The structure sits in Thomley’s studio among other projects in various stages of completion. Thomley hopes that his Anthem series will create an enduring legacy, reminding viewers of the preciousness of the gift of breath.

A glass lung takes shape

Working with a glassblower colleague, Thomley has created delicate glass lungs for a piece in the Anthem series. The mottled coloring calls to mind the fragile sacs within human lungs, and their importance in the process of breathing.

 

An inside view of a glass lung

Thomley shows the interior of the glass lung. He also collaborates with a woodworking friend for other depictions of lungs. Many of his pieces are on display at Artwistic Revolution Cooperative Gallery in Columbia, Miss. He combines his talent for metal art and the shadow of perhaps having only “one more summer” to create powerful sculptures that delight and inspire.

 Originally appeared on 09/08/2013 at http://www.examiner.com/list/climbing-and-sculpture-define-a-life-lived-creatively

Jeremy Thomley creates 3-D art from discarded metal in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Thomley's version of The Whomping Willow

On a Christmas tree farm outside of Hattiesburg, Miss. there grows an amazing structure. Inspired by the Whomping Willow of Harry Potter fame, artist Jeremy Thomley is constructing a massive sculpture out of a century’s worth of discarded farm implements. His London-based clients bought a farm in Bunker Hill, Miss. and discovered piles of discarded metal on the property. Rather than have the pieces carted away as rubbish, the couple called on Thomley to create a replica of the fictional tree from the detritus.

One version of the Harry Potter tree stood at Scholastic Place in New York during the launch of the last novel calls children to enjoy the space. The sculpture Thomley builds in Hattiesburg provides a steam punk take on the tree.

Thomley explains his work in his studio on the family Christmas tree farm outside Hattiesburg, Miss. His climbable tree project is only one of the many metal sculptures he creates with steel and a blowtorch. 

A metal Mohawk to top the tree

An airy array of metal will top the tree like a Mohawk hairstyle. The girders will fit into grooves on the tree when final assembly is completed. A series of “sails” will dress the crow’s nest atop the structure. Like graceful sails or insect wings, the future branches of the tree rest around Thomley’s studio. When the tree reaches its final destination, the leaves will spread from the trunk in all directions.

Thomley demonstrated the climb-ability of the tree he is building from discarded equipment pieces. With the variety of shapes and sizes incorporated into the tree, the young man destined to own the tree will be able to climb from many directions. 

 

Thomley neared the crow's nest as he climbed the fantasy tree on the family farm. An avid climber, he has traveled the world seeking new climb sites. Now he is building one outside his sculpture studio, Mohawk Steel Company.

 

The lighter-colored channels at the top will hold the tree's Mohawk topping, and the remaining branches will attach around the trunk. A giant chain provides a means of descent from the top of the metal tree. Thomley has utilized parts of tractors and other farm implements to create the giant playground.

 

Originally appeared on 09/04/2013 at http://www.examiner.com/list/jeremy-thomley-creates-3-d-art-from-discarded-metal-hattiesburg-mississippi
 

The art of the game: Sports sculptures by Mississippi native Ben Watts

Walter Payton by Ben Watts

Artist Ben Watts sculpts many subjects, but few of them capture the hearts of sports fans as do his depictions of sports legends. Some of them are national figures, others are local heroes, but Watts brings them to 3-dimensional reality in bronze. His works grace campuses and athletic fields, allowing the next generation to appreciate the larger than life icons of the past that he recreates. The Columbia, Miss. native’s art merges sophisticated skill and emotional heart in an enduring form.

Coach Dobie Holden

 

Between 1948 and 1966, Coach Thomas D. “Dobie” Holdenled the Pearl River Community College Wildcats to a 140-43-7 record and a consistent appearance in the national top ten rankings. More than his winning record, Holden is remembered at PRCC as a mentor, supportive influence and builder of young men who would go on to succeed at life, as well as football. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1970.

The Poplarville, Miss. stadium where Holden celebrated his victories has been torn down. 

The new stadium bears his name. Visitors can mark his presence with a bronze sculpture that greets them as they enter through the home gate. He gazes toward the field, still watching over the players of PRCC. The statue was dedicated to “Legendary Coach, Mentor & Maker of Men Who Became ‘Winners in Life’” in 2008, as part of PRCC’s centennial year. Watts captures the paternal aspect of Holden, as he stands with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a rolled-up paper, watching his team work.

Legendary Walter "Sweetness" Payton

Walter Jerry Payton became a superstar on the gridiron as a member of the Chicago Bears. The late running back earned numerous records and accolades. His hometown of Columbia, Miss. honors Number 34 with a street named after him as well as Payton Field at Gardner Stadium and a statue of Sweetness in motion on a big play within the running track. Columbia considers Payton to be America’s Greatest All-Time Running Back, and proudly proclaims it on the statue on the high school campus. Payton was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Watts shows Payton in mid-stride, the football firmly grasped in his right hand. He seems to be checking for pursuit as he plots his course to the goal, ready to scramble and prepared to score again.

"Bull" Sullivan

Robert Victor “Bull” “Cyclone” Sullivan led the Lions of East Mississippi Junior College in Scooba during most of the 1950s and ‘60s. Celebrated as “The Toughest Coach There Ever Was” by Sports Illustrated, Sullivan has been inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, but had long before been inducted into the hearts of the players who learned from the big man.

In Watts’ sculpture, the coach turns out in uniform, a football helmet on the ground between his feet, as he reviews the paper in his hands.

Howard Chappell

High school coach Howard Chappell left an enduring mark on those fortunate enough to play football under his leadership at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia, Ala. He was a teammate of the late Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama and the 1932 yearbook labels him the “Sylacauga Flash.” From coaching, Chappell became principal and served with distinction there, as well.

Chappell attended the unveiling in 2004 when the bust created by Watts was dedicated along with Deshler’s Alumni Plaza. He joked that his statue was in a more beautiful location than Bear Bryant’s. The bust depicts him with hands at rest on a football, gazing out across the plaza filled with bricks bearing the names of his players.

To the Top! with USM

Watts shows the spirit of USM with a sculpture commissioned by the alumni association and depicting the school slogan, To the Top! Watts executed the piece as a golden eagle with wings spread, beak open in full cry. The eagle took its place atop a hill of stones as part of the Waites Fountain in the Phalen Courtyard of Ogletree Alumni House in 2009.

The building, currently under repair because of tornado damage suffered in February, 2013, originally housed the first president of Mississippi Normal College. As one of five original buildings left on USM’s Hattiesburg campus, the structure holds a treasured place in school history. The Watts sculpture was spared damage in the tornado and awaits the reopening of the facility to delight viewers once again.

Archery icon Fred Bear

Archery legend Fred Bear stands in full gear at Bass Pro Fishing’s Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, MO. Watts shows Bear carrying a bow and quiver, wearing binoculars, and packing out trophy antlers. Bear founded Bear Archery Company during the Depression, bringing the sport into a prominence not previously enjoyed. His contributions to the sport and the science of archery earned him the place in the WOW museum.

Originally appeared on 08/20/2013 at http://www.examiner.com/list/the-art-of-the-game-sports-sculptures-by-mississippi-native-ben-watts