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In Alabama's Metropolitan Region, the Birmingham Public Library's Ezra Winter murals have been delighting library patrons for nearly a hundred years. There are some out-of-the-way treasures, too, like the folk art Miller's Pottery in Brent and the Coleman Center for Arts and Culture in York.
In Alabama's mountain district, the town of Ft. Payne was named for the fort built by Captain John G. Payne, who was appointed as an agent for the removal of Cherokee Indians in the area in 1838.
The historic depot (c. 1891) is in the Richardsonian Romanesque style with a fanciful turret decorating the facade.
Inside the depot is an eclectic collection. There is an impressive display of Native American pottery and baskets brought to Alabama by a Ft. Payne school teacher who spent her summers collecting artwork from tribes all over the country: Iroquois, Navajo, Seminole, Hopi, Cherokee, Havasupai and more.
Another room holds a mind boggling collection of 90 intricate dioramas created from 1913 to 1934 by a local man. They illustrate nursery rhymes, historic events and travel scenes.
Alabama Arts
a comprehensive guide to art in Alabama
Published by The Birmingham News
March 2007
ISBN: 1575710188
Through 128 pages of color photos, the visual and performing arts of four regions of the state are explored in depth. Whether you live in Alabama or are just visiting, you may be surprised by the variety and wealth of our artistic heritage. From prehistoric times to the present day, Alabama is alive with visual arts, theatre, music, dance and the spoken and written word.
Our state has a perfect climate for growing all kinds of crops, including artists who lead us to us see the world anew. Meet them through the pages of Alabama Arts.
Alabama's art reflects its people and its culture, painting a picture of changing times and attitudes. It is found everywhere, from two-lane county roads to the state's industrial heart. Murals and monuments, galleries, theatres and bookstores all reveal the dreams of the individual artists; even better, they help each of us bring into sharper focus our own beliefs and hopes for the future.
East to West, North to South
In east Alabama, Talladega is home to Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, a comprehensive resource for education and rehabilitation for people who are deaf, blind or multihandicapped. On the campus of Alabama School for the Deaf (established 1858), artists Linda Kroff and Aida Saul created a sculpture titled Earth Air Fire Water. Part of the country's first collection of public art designed for people with vision and/or hearing loss, it was created in 1996. Students participated in developing the four walls spiraling off from a center column. Each wall reflects visually and tactilely the elements of Earth (rocks), Air (marble molecules), Fire (bright tiles) and Water (sea shells).
On the right is the Fort Payne Depot Museum with its distinctive turret. Fort Payne is also home to a historic opera house. Early developers hoped the town would become a major source of iron ore. Unfortunately or not, the shallow nature of the iron deposits was not discovered before the developers invested in the infrastructure of the town, including the train station, opera house, park and hotel. Photo credit: Hjordis Culpepper
An excerpt from Alabama Arts:
The Coleman Center for the Arts is in Alabama's black belt, an economically disadvantaged area where just getting by can be a struggle. Outside the facility is an exuberant sculpture of a rooster, a tribute to the rural roots of York and surrounding communities. "It was commissioned by the founder of the Coleman Center, Tut Riddick," said Shana Berger, executive director. "The sculptor is a local folk artist, Jim Bird. There is a bridge nearby called 'Rooster Bridge,' and our founder believed that art is a bridge."
Making the connection between art and every day life is essential. A project in 2005 called "Streetscapes" involved teaching area children about trees and then working with them to transform that knowledge into mosaic art, which was then installed in different locations around town.
"Education is by far the most important thing we do," Purath continued....