Published: May 08, 2008 02:36 am            

Embrace the Arts set Saturday

PALESTINE — Although the Embrace the Arts event has been delayed a week by last weekend’s Texas Music Awards, participating art walk venues are eagerly awaiting this Saturday’s event.

The art walk takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at three local venues — the Museum for East Texas Culture, 400 Micheaux Ave.; the Palestine Public Library, 1101 N. Cedar St.; and Judith Summerville Arts, 213 E. Crawford St.

“This month’s exhibit includes some excellent photography exhibits, acrylics and oil paintings,” Palestine CVB director Susan Cottle-Leonard said. “And since black and white photography is one of my favorite art forms, I am particularly looking forward to the entire event.”

The largest venue, the Museum for East Texas Culture, continues with its dual exhibits featuring Tyler artists Suzy Green and Penny Nichols-Sanders.

Green uses several mediums, including acrylic paintings, acrylic on paper and mixed media. The images include bright and colorful abstracts of various subjects including Egyptian motifs, cowboys, birds and flowers.

“I am motivated to create to express my inner feelings that I can not put into words,” Green said. “I love to use bold and bright colors.”

The second artist featured at the Museum, Sanders, is a member of the Tyler Art League and has a fine art school in Tyler. Her oil paintings depict lush landscapes and portraits that capture the spirit of her subjects in every detail.

“I really enjoy painting in oils, especially portraits, landscapes and florals,” the artist said in a previous interview. “All of my pieces have a dreamy quality to them. I like to add a little touch of fantasy — to include in each piece something better than you see.”

In celebration of Memorial Day the Palestine Public Library will feature the photograph and artifact exhibit “Memorial Day — One Soldier’s Story of Vietnam,” which focuses on Palestine resident Pete Bayard’s service in the war.

Pete and Robbie Bayard, were Beaumont newlyweds when Pete received his version of the famous “Greetings” letter informing him of his being drafted into the U.S. Army.

“At age twenty-three, Pete Bayard was the ‘old man’ in his unit in Vietnam,” library director Carol Herrington said. “Always with a camera in his pocket, Pete captured on film the everyday experiences of war.”

Exhibits also include U.S. pack gear, North Vietnamese gear, items from the native people, Baynard’s “Greetings” letter, propaganda flyers from both sides, and more.

“With a period of healing since those tumultuous Vietnam days, and politics aside, we invite everyone to come and see images of one man’s experience as part of history,” Herrington said.

Judith Summerville Arts, located in Old Town Palestine, will feature the work of black and white photographer Lynelle Orphin.

Orphin started her love of photography in high school.

“I choose black and white photographs because it just makes it seem like a whole different picture than looking at it in a colorful, meaningful way,” Orphin said. “It makes the pictures seem more boldish and stand out more in their structures than you would normally see how things are.”

Refreshments will be served at all venues, with exhibits open throughout the month of May.

Those who visit all Embrace the Arts venues Saturday will be entered into a quarterly drawing for the work “Auspicious Agent of Spring” by William Young. The piece is on display at the Museum for East Texas Culture.

For more information on Embrace the Arts, call the Palestine Convention and Visitors Bureau at 903-723-3014 or 1-800-659-3484.

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Mary Rainwater may be reached via e-mail at mrainwater@palestineherald.com

        

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