16 August Armistead work currently on display in ICC gallery August 16, 2019 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 The 2019 fall opening exhibition at the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center gallery at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus features the paintings of John Armistead of Tupelo. Currently on display through Sept. 19, ‘Remembrance of Things Past’ is a collection of oils and watercolors depicting primarily rural landscapes of surrounding North Mississippi counties as well as a few portraits. Armistead, a Presbyterian minister, is an award-winning artist, author and journalist. He holds degrees from Mississippi College (B.A.), the University of Mississippi (M.A. in Classical Greek and Latin), Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min. in Theology and History) He has also studied at The Graduate Theological Union of Berkeley, Sorrento Lingue International Language Institute in Sorrento, Italy, the Art Students League of New York and the National Academy of Design in New York. Armistead began formal studio training in Mobile, Ala. when he was eight years old, working in pastels and oils. He continued art studies through college and participated in master's classes taught by Everett Raymond Kinstler at the Lyme Academy of Fine Art in Old Lyme, Connecticut. A former kindergarten and high school teacher, Armistead has served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Guerneville, Calif., Waimea Baptist Church, Waimea, Hawaii, Kailua Baptist Church, Kailua, Hawaii and Calvary Baptist Church, Tupelo. He was formerly religion editor for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal and is currently pastor of Unity Presbyterian Church in Plantersville. Armistead is the author of three mystery novels, A Legacy of Vengeance, A Homecoming for Murder and Cruel as the Grave. His novel for young people, The $66 Summer, was named by the New York Public Library as one of the best books for teenagers published in 2000. His novel, The Return of Gabriel, is used in many schools throughout the nation in teaching about the civil rights era. Armistead is a member of Mystery Writers of America, The Author’s Guild, the Portrait Society of America and the Mississippi Art Colony. He and his wife, Sandi, have eight grandchildren. A reception for the artist will be Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. in the gallery. Gallery hours are from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information regarding the exhibition and events, contact Shawn Whittington in the ICC Fine Arts Department, eswhittington@iccms.edu or (662) 862-8301. Related Articles Work of 94-year-old Virginia Jackson, one of ICC's first students, currently on display in Fine Arts Center Gallery “The Gift of Life,” a collection of paintings by 94-year-old Virginia Jackson of Tupelo, is currently on display in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center Gallery at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus. The show includes Jackson’s acrylic paintings of landscapes and country scenes as well as two acrylic paintings by her granddaughter, Morgan Davis. Jackson’s first recollection of an interest in art was when she received a box of Crayola crayons at the age of five. She recalls coloring the embossed flowers on doilies (small napkins or decorative mats), but she didn’t start painting until the age of 91 when her daughter, Jill Jackson King, bought her a set of acrylic paints. She describes herself as self-taught and paints most scenes from memory. Most of her paintings are landscape scenes of farm life and “pretty flowers,” but she experiments with abstracts, also. She was born Virginia Anthony in 1929 in her family’s home outside of Tremont. Her father built their house and raised crops, cattle and hogs on their farm during the Great Depression. Growing up, she ... Work of Victoria Cummings-Bobo now on display in ICC gallery The work of Victoria Cummings-Bobo is currently on display in the gallery of the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center at the Fulton Camps. The exhibition titled “Enchanted Child’s Dream,” which features a collection of oil, acrylic and mixed media pieces to commemorate Black History Month, will be on display until Mar. 31. Bobo’s work uses household items or something nature provides to tell colorful and vibrant stories. Her work ranges from miniature models, which reflect everyday people to vibrant paintings and statuesque colorful objects. She combines her art and her faith by using adorned mannequins to teach Sunday School classes at New Temple Baptist Church. Bobo’s love of the arts has included poetry, acting and playing the piano. After a time in New York City, she returned to Dorsey in 1987, and in 1988, Bobo and her sister, Dr. Ormella Cummings, formed We Amend Minds-By-Action, an organization devoted to introducing cultural activities and enrichment programs to young people and adults in Itawamba County and the surrounding area. She and her husband, Forrest, ... Mississippi Painters Society art currently on display in ICC Gallery A collection of paintings by the Mississippi Painters Society is currently on display in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center Gallery on the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus. The exhibit consists of 35 works in watercolor, oil, acrylic and mixed media. Subject matter ranges from still life to landscapes and portraits to abstract art. Members of the MSP include Shirley Hill, Rhonda Grammer, Alfred Jones, Karen Jones, John Armistead, Jerry Jones, Jane Sutton, Daphne Works, all of Tupelo; Lee Waltress, Robbie Boyd, both of Pontotoc; Elizabeth and Vernon Chase, both of Baldwyn; Sarah Beckham of Belden and Melissa Byrd of Fulton. Almost all works are for sale. The exhibit will continue to May 5. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, contact Shawn Whittington at eswhittington@iccms.edu or call (662) 862-8301. "Red, White, and You" currently on display in ICC gallery Now through Dec. 4, Itawamba Community College will host “Red, White, and You,” an exhibition of the work of Jackson artist Ming Donkey in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center gallery on the Fulton Campus. The exhibit is a multi-media installation combining wall hangings, video and audio media. In the artist’s words, “Red, White and You” offers a visual exploration of contemporary capitalism’s impact on community and identity in America. The title references the American flag, symbolizing freedom and liberty, while reflecting on the ways emotions are manipulated and desires manufactured in our society. In a world increasingly divided into opposing factions, we find ourselves grappling with a growing sense of disconnection and alienation.” According to the artist, the core of this exhibit is Ming’s worker character, an “everyman” avatar representing the nameless individuals who collectively seek their own version of Niagara – a metaphor for escape from our current realities, pursued by any means necessary. This figure highlights the excesses of a capitalistic culture and evokes Huxley’s notion of ‘soma,’ a distraction many embrace in their relentless search ... Work of Tanner South on display in the ICC Fulton Campus Gallery The work of Tanner South of Columbus will be on display in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center Gallery at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus until Dec. 9. The exhibition entitled “Charm and Chaos: A Collective of Aesthetic Forms Through Decadent Textures” features mixed media paintings, prints and wall assemblages. South said that his work is “inspired by imagination and visionary forms. My paintings embody the textures, colors and nature of my own dreams, nightmares or subconscious renderings. I find it hard not to physically want to touch some of my paintings myself. It’s a sort of textile stimulation that I think I sort of feed into when I’m creating the heavier textured pieces.” South said that he doesn’t “let the orderly left-brain of my day job stop my right-brain from cathartically creating and making a mess in the studio. Whether it’s with multiple mediums at once or with shapes of upcycled treasures to use in conjunction with other forms, it’s always fun to push the limits of myself.” South works full-time ... Summerford work on display in ICC Gallery The watercolor paintings of Fulton artist Laura Summerford will be on display through Dec. 7 at the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center gallery at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus. Entitled “Southern Rust and Decay,” the exhibit includes 24 paintings featuring familiar Southern icons and images of the city of Fulton. “I was born into a family of artistic ability,” Summerford said. “My parents were very creative and nurtured that spirit in my brother and me. This atmosphere helped to mold my future in the art field. From the time that I picked up my favorite red crayon, I was hooked. I would have rather draw and color than anything else.” Summerford began to watercolor while majoring in graphic art at ICC. “The softness of the medium mesmerized me over the harshness that oils and acrylics possess. I had an instant love for watercolors. While continuing her studies at Mississippi University for Women, she found watercolors to be her choice medium. “The light washes allow for many layers of color to show through ... Comments are closed.