Art Exhibit offers look at Troy’s landmarks and locales

Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The “Scenes of Troy” art exhibition at the Colley Senior Complex Annex offers visitors a unique look at city landmarks and historic sites.

The “Scenes” are viewed through the eyes of local artists and shared through their talents.

The exhibition is a part of the Colley Senior Complex Art Guild Show that will run through Oct. 31.

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The show opened on Oct. 12 with an artist reception for Mary Page, the resident artist at the Complex.

“We had a large crowd for the opening that featured the artwork of Mary Page,” said Joyce Lee, co-chair of the Art Show committee. “We wanted to recognize Mary for her artwork and for her many contributions as the art instructor at the Complex. The artwork of many of Mary’s students is also included in the show as well as the “Scenes of Troy” exhibition.”

The Scenes of Troy exhibition includes the work of Phoebe Porter, Susan Berry, Joan Word, Ann Gilchrist, Libby Doty, Larita Mitchell, Day Barnes, Betty Minton, Suzette Helms, Joyce Lee and the late Jane Brantley.

The “scenes” include the downtown square, the Rock Building, Walnut Street Church of Christ, College Street, Farmers Market, Sorrell Chapel, the old Post Office, town square at Christmas, Beulah Primitive Baptist Church, Bush Memorial Baptist Church and Ann Love’s grave.

The Colley Senior Complex Art Guild is an extension of the Colley Senior Complex and offers a variety of arts workshops at the Complex. The Troy Arts Councils offers arts entertainment events for the community and the Arts Auxiliary supports the TAC in different ways, including serving as ushers and hostesses for events, supplying refreshments and raising money.

Several members of the Art Guild are also members of the Arts Auxiliary.

“We participate in the events of the Troy Arts Council but we also like to support the council through fundraisers,” said Susan Berry, who is a member of both the Guild and the Auxiliary. “Our last money-making project was the sale of prints of Marsha Rice’s diorama painting of Troy that includes so many of the long-standing buildings. We also made note cards from scenes from the diorama and sold them.”

The Auxiliary decided to build on the Arts Guild’s “Scenes of Troy” idea and create a booklet of the “Scenes of Troy” artwork.

“We were trying to find a way that we could make money and decided to make a booklet from the “Scenes of Troy” that would include the artwork and the artists who have contributed to this show.”

The booklet would serve a dual purpose. In addition to making the “Scenes” available to the community, the booklet would also spur the reassembling or reinvigorating of the creative writers guild.

“We needed reason and purpose for the creative writers to get back together and the “Scenes of Troy” booklet is both,” Berry said. “The creative writers will write the descriptions about the artwork and also information about the artists. We will probably include some anecdotes. It will be an interesting project for the writers and also have historic value for the community.”

The booklets will not be available until mid-2009 but those who are interested in the art classes and the creative writing guild at the Colley Senior Complex are encouraged to call 808-8500 for more information.

The Colley Senior Complex Art Guild Art Show may be viewed between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 2 p.m. on Friday.