Artist and Wetumpka native Jeanie Edwards returns to hometown for Wildlife Arts Festival
(Jeanie Edwards/Contributed) Jeanie Edwards has found her niche as a wildlife artist and premier gallerist in Highlands, NC, but her love for art is deeply rooted in Alabama, where she grew up on a Wetumpka horse farm and was once crowned Miss Rodeo Alabama. Recently featured in [...]
Birmingham’s David Diodate: Where ancient artistic methods meet modern day mediums
Birmingham’s David Diodate is responsible for some of the city’s most enticing artistic works. An incredibly talented photographer with a unique eye, Diodate brings a new perspective to the photography world, utilizing ancient Greek art methods to create memorable must-have modern pieces. “I constantly am doing photography of a variety [...]
Top 10 stops to make along the Alabama Black Belt Arts & Antiques Trail
One of the best ways to experience the charm of Alabama’s Black Belt is by embarking on the Arts & Antiques Trail. This trail takes you on a captivating journey through many distinct areas, each boasting its unique artistic treasures and antique gems. From awe-inspiring galleries to hidden antique shops, let's delve into ten of our favorite wonders of this trail.
The Kelly breathes new life into Wetumpka’s historically artistic community
(The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts/Contributed) The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts, most often referred to as The Kelly, is a cultural gem in the heart of Wetumpka. With a vision to “engage, inspire, and educate artists and the public at large by promoting local [...]
Local artist showcases collection on the history of Birmingham rock ‘n’ roll
Craig Underwood, better known as Craig Legg, grew up listening to rock ‘n’ roll in Homewood in the 1960s. More than five decades later, he’s paying tribute to his favorite bands and artists with an art show all about Birmingham’s rock ‘n’ roll history. The multidisciplinary artist is well-known as a spoken word artist in Birmingham, but about 10 years ago, Legg says he got bored of writing and decided to take on a new pursuit—painting. Since then, Legg has been creating and showing his unique style of neo-realistic paintings across the Magic City.
6 questions with Birmingham artist Kyle Rodgers
Politics and art don’t typically go hand in hand, but for Birmingham-based artist Kyle Rodgers, the two will forever be intertwined. The Charleston native discovered a passion for art during a decades-long career as a lobbyist where he traveled up to 300 days a year. During long and lonely business trips, he created constantly. Using an iPad app, he interpreted everything he saw, from people dining at coffee shops to folks waiting at airport terminals. He quickly found faces to be his forte and spent hours painting blues and jazz musicians, cowboys, and Native Americans. Though he certainly has his favorite subjects, Rodgers will paint just about anything that comes to his mind—and on any surface that he can get. During the pandemic, he painted an entire series of magazine covers on brown paper Trader Joe’s bags. “I just have to create,” he says. “If I’m out jogging, and I hear a song, I’m painting the song in my head.” Though Rodgers still works as the vice president of external affairs for Spire, he paints any chance he gets and is excited to get more of his work out in the world.
