Art Around Mississippi exhibit housed at Meridian Museum of Art

Published 4:00 am Sunday, February 21, 2016

    The love for old and found objects are common threads running through the Meridian Museum of Art’s “Art Around Mississippi” exhibit, featuring the work of three outstanding Mississippi artists: Neil Hatten, Diane Williams and Randall Shaw Andrews.

      The exhibit continues at the downtown Meridian museum to March 26.  A reception featuring an Artists Talk segment is scheduled for Saturday at MMA.

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    Also on Saturday, artist Randall Andrews will conduct a workshop for utilizing recycled materials from 2-4 p.m. at the Soule Heritage Museum, 402 19th Ave. Registration is not required.    

    Meridian Museum of Art Executive Director Kate Cherry provided the following bios on Hatten, Williams and Andrews:

Neil Hatten

    Artist Neil Hatten paints what he likes, from landscapes to cars, from cows to chickens, things you see every day in Mississippi. His art reminds us of the simplicity of life and that there is beauty found in everything, even in old rusted vehicles. Neil’s watercolors have been shown in the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion; Mississippi State University art gallery and other galleries throughout the state including those in Natchez and Jackson.

 

Diane Williams

    The work of artist/storyteller Diane Williams always tells a story. Created from hand-dyed fabrics, silk yarn, beads, and natural elements like stone, and pine straw and silk yarn and beads, her art incorporates unusual designs and clay faces. These figures possess the unique personalities found in her storytelling and speak of the African-American struggles for freedom. Her artwork reflects her ability to tell a story, therefore it’s easy to see why her awards include the National Storytelling Network’s Oracle Award for Regional Leadership and Service and the National Association of Black Storyteller’s Zora Neale Hurston Award.

Randall Shaw Andrews

    Writer/Chef/Artist Randall Shaw Andrews received an A.O.S. degree in culinary arts from Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, S.C. He worked as a private chef and a producer for the Food Network for fifteen years in Los Angeles, but returned to his Mississippi Delta roots in Clarksdale, where he lives today. His artistic passion is found in assembling into art those mundane objects we tend to forget, items that become clutter rather than accessory. Andrew, too, believes everything has a story. When he saw how much of the Delta was disappearing, salvaging became his quest to share that story. That story became his art. Andrews’ work has been featured in Delta Magazine, Coahoma Living, and Garden and Gun.

    Meridian Museum of Art is a non-profit organization providing art appreciation, art workshops, and art exhibits to everyone. Located at 628 25th Ave., the museum is open Wednesday-Saturday, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and by appointment; admission is free

    Meridian Museum of Art is partially sponsored by the city of Meridian, the Mississippi Arts Commission, The Phil Hardin Foundation, The Riley Foundation, The Community Foundation of East Mississippi and the Rea, Shaw, Giffin, and Stuart, CPAs.

    For more information on the museum, visit http://www.meridianmuseum.org or contact Kate Cherry at 601-693-1501 or email meridianmuseum@bellsouth.net