Photography
by Kelley Krohnert

Art Gallery
January 2, 2024 to February 29, 2024

Artist Statement

My name is Kelley and I live in Smyrna, Georgia with my husband and daughter. My husband and I moved to the Smyrna/Mableton area from Dunwoody over 15 years ago, and we absolutely love this part of town.

I became interested in photography as a hobby shortly after my daughter was born in 2008, and 5 years later, when she went to Kindergarten, I launched my photography business, Kelley K Photography. In April 2016, I was accepted into the Click Pro network of talented photographers, part of Click Magazine. It is an honor to be included in this professional organization of well-respected professional photographers and artists.

My specialties are corporate headshots and children and family photography. On the personal side, I’m also very drawn to fine art photography, because it pushes me creatively and allows me to really enjoy the more artistic side of photography. I shoot a variety of landscape and nature photos, as well as abstract and macro (close-up) images.

I first pursued photography as a way to capture better photos of my daughter and our family. As I learned more about my camera and about light, I began to truly capture images that I was proud to display on our walls. I love that I am able to capture these kind of beautiful images for my clients as well.

https://kelleykphotography.com/

Pottery Teapots
by Tripti Yoganathan

Display Gallery
January 2, 2024 to February 29, 2024

Artist Statement

I AM INSPIRED BY NATURE

Pots, from the beginning of human civilization represented the utility, beauty and the aesthetics of the time when they were created and used.

About 20 years back, when I joined this community of makers of everyday vessels, I wasn’t aware of the joy of making something that is unique representation of my own self.

Studio pottery was a novel experience for me, Although, I came from a country where we have a whole community making earthenware as profession. I remember when I made my very first decent bowl (which I still have). I painted it with Indian Folk designs from north India as it made me feel close to home. And then the curiosity from fellow potters about the designs helped me further my connection to my roots through the representation of the different Indian folk arts.

After living in Georgia for over 20 Years, now, I am inspired by Nature.

Atlanta is most beautiful in spring and fall. The influx of the colors of the irises from my backyard and the dogwood trees from the front inspired my designs for my latest pieces.

I am always exploring and learning and I don’t know what will be on my pots in the future.

So, whenever you visit ‘Ananya’ be ready to be pleasantly surprised!!

https://www.triptiyoganathan.com/

Oils, Acrylics, and Charcoal
by Max Oliver

Art Gallery
March 1, 2024 to April 30, 2024

Artist Statement

Hailing from the heart of south Georgia, Max Oliver emerges as a captivating multimedia artist whose creative journey has been marked by a profound exploration of diverse mediums and styles. With a recent graduation from Kennesaw State University, where he earned a bachelors degree in fine art with a focused emphasis on painting and drawing, Max’s artistic narrative unfolds as an intricate tapestry of innovation and expression.

He specializes in oil paint, although his work is wide ranging in subject matter with use of varying media from digital to traditional charcoal drawings, watercolor, acrylic and oil paints. Much of his recent work consists of commissioned oil portraiture, pets, and still-life paintings.

His style leans more toward a dark realism with heavy influences from classical luminist painters. This style illustrates themes of a fantastical exploration from a crisp, firm depiction of the way things are, into a whimsical, curious world of what could be. This evolution from strict to playful could be more aptly characterized as dark humor.

His background consists of assisting in several mural projects for local schools, businesses, and restaurants, three submissions to the Spring into Art Festival at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, GA, two pieces to the Highlands Art Festival in Highlands, NC, donations to local auctions and charities in Valdosta and Atlanta, seven submissions to the Celestial Show at Phoenix and Dragon Bookstore in Sandy Springs, GA.,and three submissions to the Visions of Recovery art show for artists supporting addiction recovery at the Fine Art Gallery at Kennesaw State University.

Artist Website

Woodturning
by Peggy E. Schmid

Display Gallery
March 1, 2024 to April 30, 2024

Artist Biography

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the Atlanta College of Art in 1990 (now the Savannah College of Art and Design).

Studied to become an Art Educator at Georgia State University where she was an Honors student.

As a sculptor, she produced work for the movie "Freejack", with Mick Jagger and Emilio Estevez, created the Pinwheel Project at Tula Art Foundation in Buckhead, a featured artist on the program "Artage" for the City of Atlanta, and had works featured at ABC No Rio in New York and drawings in the Gorilla Girl Movement in Chicago.

Several of her bowls were featured in the HGTV Green Home in 2012. Demonstrated at several Woodturning Symposiums: Southern States Woodturning in Cartersville, Georgia, Turning Southern Style, Dalton, Georgia, The Florida Woodturning Symposium, and 2016 AAW Symposium in Atlanta. Ms. Schmid has been an instructor on several occasions at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg and is a frequent instructor at The Florida School of Woodwork.

She conducts woodturning retreats for women to help advance their skill levels and create a sense of community among women makers. She also is a demonstrator at many of the woodturning clubs in the Southeast.

Ms. Schmid has served as the President of the Georgia Association of Woodturners in Atlanta and was the Secretary Treasurer of Apple Ridge Woodturners in Ellijay Georgia. She is currently a member of the Etowah River Woodturners in Canton Georgia.

She has won awards both as an artist, sculptor, and woodturner and her works are in private and corporate collections throughout the country.

Artist Website

Transformations Exhibit
May 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024

Combined Art & Display Gallery Exhibit

Elizabeth Mobley – Glass Artist
Mausi – Mixed Media
Stella Spyrou - Photography

Artist Statement:

Elizabeth Mobley

I work with glass because it's challenging - and because no two pieces are the same. Also, glass can be massive and dense, but at the same time delicate and fragile.

I keep going back to my favorite subjects: landscapes, seascapes and animals - imagining depth, texture and lighting to project images in glass.

The results depend upon my technical skills, patience and sometimes luck. If I'm successful, there is wonder. If not, the piece will be melted and reborn into something new.

Transformations Exhibit
May 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024

Artist Statements:

Mausi (Sharon Brown)

Mausi started drawing from a very young age. Her first drawing was of JFK as seen on black and white TV. And from this point on, she never stopped drawing, painting and creating different types of art. Mausi is a multi media artist working with watercolor, pencils, charcoal, acrylics, pastels, textile and natural products to create drawings, paintings, and 3-d structures. She finishes most of her work with artistic framing and embellishments.

She graduated from the Western Kentucky University with an Associated of Arts degree in Fine Arts. She never stopped learning and improving her artistic knowledge and talents.

Stella Spyrou

I have always been taking pictures in my spare time but I became more serious about photography after I retired from an IT Senior Manager position at a pharmaceutical company.

I joined the Sweetwater Camera Club in Douglasville, GA and participated in many of the monthly competitions winning from Honorable Mention to 1st place several times. My winning images were published in the Chapel Hill News and Views (a local publication) and displayed at The Photo Spot in Douglasville, GA. In addition, many of my images were displayed at various local art exhibits. One of them, Evening at the Port, won 3rd place in November 2013 at the NOVAS (National Open Visual Arts Show) sponsored by the Cultural Arts Center in Douglasville, GA.

Atlanta Collage Society
by Cynthia Frigon, Jane Kelley, Ellen Kierr Stein, Jeff Rackley and Aaron Whitmoyer

Art Gallery
July 1, 2024 to August 30, 2024

Artists Statement:

Collage refers to both the artistic technique of arranging and gluing pieces of various materials onto a supporting surface and to the resulting artwork. Collage is one form of mixed media. It first became popular in 1912 when Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque were innovating Cubism in their painting. Some say Picasso was the first to use collage in his oil paintings.

Because it combines material elements and visual culture, collage creates an exploratory and evocative process for both the artist and the viewer.

Pictured L to R: Cynthia Frigon, Jane Kelley and Ellen Kierr Stein. Not pictured: Jeff Rackley and Aaron Whitmoyer.

www.AtlantaCollage.org

Pâte de Verre & Fritography
Fused Glass Art
by Ann Tewelow

Display Gallery
July 1, 2024 to August 30, 2024

Artist Statement:

“The beauty of glass with the depth of its reflective qualities and colors has always held a deep fascination for me.” Upon retirement she took up pate de verre and fritography (methods of art using fused ground glass) and has since added mosaics, etching and sandblasting to her repertoire. She says, "All these mediums have allowed me a wide range of creativity."

Pâte de verre is a sophisticated glassmaking technique that involves creating intricate designs from a paste of crushed or powdered glass that is fired in a kiln to fuse the particles into a solid piece.

Fritography is a glass art technique that uses frit, which is finely crushed or powdered glass, to create vibrant and intricate patterns or images. It is also fired in a kiln.

It's the Journey! Fine Art Pastels
by Marsha Hamby Savage

Art Gallery
September 2, 2024 to October 31, 2024

Artist Statement:

I have created art for over 50 years being inspired by and painting mostly landscapes! My love of nature comes naturally because of the era I grew up in. Mom always said don't come back inside until I call you for dinner! That meant go several houses down and play in a creek, or create forts, climb trees, etc. So I paint trees, and rocks and water, just to name a few things that always inspire me!

Play and experimenting with still life, flowers, figures, animals, and some abstract work is key too. An artist is on a journey that never ends, a journey to learn more. That means I have loads of studies and half-finished artwork to return to for trying new ideas.

I participate in several regional plein air events each year. Artists depend on friendships of our fellow travelers in this artistic journey for understanding and discussions about being an artist. That is as much why I attend these events as for the painting part of it.

I have been represented by many galleries, and feel lucky to currently have three great galleries in Georgia. Invitational shows, art competitions, personal solo and group shows have always been part of my journey. I am honored to have won awards in some, gaining Signature Status and a few Master Status designations. I say those things for you to know I work hard to keep learning by putting my pieces out there for input. With these experiences I have knowledge to share when giving talks, demos for art organizations, and teaching private students and workshops.

I also say those things for the potential collector of my work. You may connect with a piece of art because of your own life experiences. But, I have found that most collectors are interested in the artist and their life. You can learn a bit about me by reading the descriptions I have for each painting here on my website. And, of course, there is the "About" page.

As we all know, things were in upheaval for the last two to three years. I had hopes 2022 would be a better year for workshops and classes. I did get to teach two workshops for two different art organizations in my general North Georgia area. That was good.

Happy Whimsical Ceramic Art
by Karen Fincannon

Display Gallery
September 2, 2024 to October 31, 2024

Artist Statement:

I have always been an artist. My first customers were students on the school bus who paid me for my paper dolls. Over the years, I have worked in a variety of mediums, and now primarily work in clay and acrylic paint. Eventually, I earned degrees in Photography and Art History from the State University of New York in Potsdam, but after taking a tile making workshop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I never went back to the darkroom. After a couple of years making the relief tiles, I took a workshop with Lana Wilson at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, which changed my entire way of working with clay.

I like to create things I wish existed. My world is populated with fat, happy animals, including some holding puppets, and some wearing vintage bathing suits. My pieces are all one-of-a-kind, handbuilt ceramic. After constructing my sculptures, they are bisque fired and finished with a variety of underglazes. I like experimenting with different underglazes and glazes to achieve bright, happy colors. The sculptures are then fired for a second time. Most sculptures have a matte finish.

I believe that art can be complex, engaging, and finely crafted, while at the same time demonstrating a sense of humor and whimsy. One of the most rewarding compliments I can receive is to be told that I have created something that makes someone happy. Because much of my work is whimsical, people often find it accessible and are easily engaged. They understand that artwork can simultaneously be fun, while also well-crafted.

https://www.karenfincannon.com/

Native American History Photography Exhibit:
The Mississippian Era Around Us
by Smyrna Public Library & Smyrna Museum

Art Gallery
November 5, 2024 to December 31, 2024

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, Smyrna Museum and Smyrna Library bring you a photo exhibit showcasing two Mississippian Era sites in Georgia: Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park and Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site. The exhibit runs from November 5 through the end of December and is located on the second floor of Smyrna Library.

The Mississippian Period in Georgia archaeology stretches from A.D. 800 - A.D. 1600 and is characterized by complex societies that built large, earthen platform mounds. Museum Manager, Jennie Eldredge and Library Associate Jennifer Moore visited Ocmulgee Mounds in May of 2024 and Etowah in October 2024 and captured views of the structures around these spectacular parks. The images are presented here with informative signage to introduce viewers to the monuments built by Native Americans in the Georgia area over hundreds of years. Both the Cherokee Nation and Muscogee Creek Nation who later occupied the Smyrna area are descended from these Mississippian peoples.

Native American History Photography Exhibit:
The Mississippian Era Around Us
by Smyrna Public Library & Smyrna Museum

Display Gallery
November 5, 2024 to December 31, 2024

About The Smyrna Museum:

Smyrna Museum is a city-owned and run history museum that is housed in a reconstruction of the train depot near at 2861 Atlanta Rd, Smyrna. Beginning with the Native American period of Smyrna history, visitors are taken on a chronological tour of Smyrna's history with over 100 objects on display. Museum Manager and Cobb native, Jennie Eldredge, has been overseeing the museum. She holds a master's degree in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University. Learn more about Smyrna Museum at https://www.smyrnaga.gov/your-city/history-points-of-interest/smyrna-history-museum.