20 August Tupelo artist William Heard’s artwork opens ICC’s fall art exhibition August 20, 2026 By Camp, Tyler W General 0 Itawamba Community College has opened its fall 2026 exhibition schedule with “Becoming Butterflies, Lovely Ladybugs and Heavenly Honey Bees,” a collection of paintings by Tupelo artist William Flewellen Heard. Heard, a 1994 graduate of Tupelo High School, served in the Army National Guard as a medical specialist before attending ICC and Mississippi State University. In 2000, Heard sustained a spinal cord injury in an automobile accident that resulted in quadriplegia. During rehabilitation at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, he discovered a passion for art through art therapy. After returning home, Heard was inspired by “Pollock,” a film chronicling the life and work of artist Jackson Pollock. Heard began experimenting with drip painting and has spent more than two decades developing and refining his own technique. Heard later returned to Mississippi State, where he earned a degree in general business with an emphasis in furniture production. He also became involved with Living Independence for Everyone of Mississippi, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities. Heard is the founder of Our ArtWorks, a nonprofit organization that provides artistic opportunities for individuals with disabilities. He has also served as president of the Northeast Mississippi Art Association, a member of the LIFE of Mississippi state board and a volunteer and peer supporter for individuals recovering from traumatic injuries. The butterfly became one of Heard’s earliest artistic subjects because of its colors and symbolism of transformation and rebirth. Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center on the Fulton Campus. Admission is free and open to the public, and all paintings in the exhibition are available for purchase. A closing reception honoring Heard will be held Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Eric Whittington at eswhittington@iccms.edu or 662-862-8301. Related Articles ICC Opens 2026 Gallery Season With “Soul Red Wawa” by Artist Lilian You Itawamba Community College opened its 2026 exhibition season with Soul Red Wawa, a cut-paper and mixed media installation by Tupelo artist Lilian You. The exhibition will be on view through Wednesday, Feb. 11, in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Gallery on the Fulton Campus. The term “wawa” in Chinese culture refers to a doll or figurine rooted in folk art traditions. When created through paper-cut techniques, wawas are commonly used in traditional ceremonies as symbols of good fortune, happiness and prosperity. Drawing from these cultural origins, Soul Red Wawa explores the place of tradition within a technology- and meme-driven modern world. Through hundreds of red paper-cut wawas, You examines the merging of culture and ritual, art and contemporary themes, inviting viewers to consider how inherited traditions evolve and persist in present-day life. Born in northern China, You has lived, taught and worked across China, Japan and the United States. Her artistic practice integrates traditional Chinese folk art, embodied experience and contemporary installation. Her work centers on themes of women, the body, memory, trauma and spiritual restoration, expressed through paper-cut installations, spatial interventions and cross-media ... “My Watercolor Journey: From There to Here” by Feixue Yang Concludes ICC’s Fall Gallery Season The final exhibition in Itawamba Community College’s W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center Gallery for the Fall 2025 semester showcases the delicate artistry of Madison-based watercolor painter Feixue Yang. Her show, “My Watercolor Journey: From There to Here,” features a collection of landscape and portrait paintings that blend Eastern aesthetics with Western impressionistic techniques. The exhibition will be on display November 11 through December 3, with an artist’s reception at 1 p.m. on December 3. Yang’s watercolor work is known for its serene yet expressive quality, capturing moments of stillness and emotion through the interplay of light and color. A self-taught artist, Yang draws inspiration from both her surroundings in Mississippi and her deep emotional connection to her hometown in China. “Watercolor is my language,” Yang said. “It reminds me to embrace imperfection—because beauty often appears in unexpected places. My hope is that my work invites viewers to slow down and rediscover the poetry of ordinary life—to see not just with the eyes, but with the heart.” Yang’s award-winning plein air paintings have earned her recognition across Mississippi. She received second and third ... ICC releases fall 2023 honors lists Officials at Itawamba Community College have released the honors lists for the 2023 fall semester. Named to the President’s list, which includes those students with a 3.8-4.0 grade point average were Abbeville – Noah A. Robinson; Aberdeen – Connor Bounds, Morgan Alyse Calvert, Madison N. Huppert, Olivia Elise Randle, Ashlei J. Shelton, Weston Sykes, Jhanya Rene Walker; Ackerman – Holly Jean Tillman; Amory – Katie Marie Archie, Anjela Aida Beato, Jacob Matthew Butler, Jared Brittian Callihan, Haylie S. Chism, Collin T. Corbell, Reese J. Griffith, Anna L. Hadaway, Keri Belle Lann, Mackenzie K. Nevins, Isabella A. Oliver, Aliana Page, Everett B. Price, Angel Daniel Quintero, William C. Reese, Brooke L. Roberts, Alexander Reid Robinson, William Reed Stanford, Aleah Marie Sullivan, Kathryn Allyn Thompson, Kenlee Wilkinson, Peyton E. Wilkinson, Gunnar R. Williams; Baldwyn – Colton Byrd, Savannah Presley Collier, Reagan L. Gholson, Nella F. Jackson; Batesville – Alexis H. Dickinson; Beaverton, Ala. – Sara B. Roberts; Belden – Mikayla J. Alvarez, Shea D. Chapman, Elijah G. Mooneyham, Jakob G. Prather, Annslee Reese Rhea, Cayden L. Rogers, Misty Dawn Taylor, Dathan ... ICC President Allen opens fall 2025 convocation with challenge to 'create a masterpiece;' new faculty/new roles announced Itawamba Community College President Dr. Jay Allen challenged faculty and staff to “create a masterpiece” during his remarks at the fall 2025 convocation Wednesday at the Fulton Campus. “Each year when we gather for convocation, I’m reminded that our work here is more than a list of tasks, programs and budgets – it’s a living, evolving canvas. And this year, our theme reminds us of ‘The Power of One: The Big Picture Begins with You!’ Think of ICC as a great mural in progress. Across its expanse are the colors, textures, patterns and decades of service – brushstrokes laid down by those who came before us, strokes that define our heritage and our foundation.” Those who attended had an opportunity to paint a section of an art piece in the lobby. Allen said that masterpieces don’t happen all at once. “They are built one stroke at a time. One deliberate motion of the brush, and each of you holds a brush in your hand.” Allen noted that there are those who add bold colors, bring delicate details, work in the foreground while ... ICC reopens key health program this fall using innovative instructional delivery method Itawamba Community College is reopening a key health science program this fall using an innovative instructional delivery method. Diagnostic Medical Sonography will combine an in-person boot camp/lab session at the beginning of both the fall and spring semesters, clinical rotations and online didactic courses. DMS will begin as a one-year (three-semester) program in general sonography, according to instructor Amanda Stone. Graduates will earn an Associate of Applied Science degree and will be eligible to take the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography examinations, including Principles and Instrumentation to become a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer in Abdominal and Obstetrics/Gynecology. There will also be an option for students to continue into a second year of Cardiac and Vascular Sonography. Beginning in the fall of 2023, licensed professionals may enter that option. The program format will offer an opportunity for potential students from outside ICC’s geographical area to participate as long as clinical sites are approved, Stone said. “We are excited to offer an innovative curriculum that encompasses both in-person labs and clinicals with online didactic courses,” Stone ... ICC releases fall 2022 honors list Officials at Itawamba Community College have released the honors list for the 2022 fall semester. Named to the president’s list, which includes those students with a 3.8-4.0 grade point average were Aberdeen – Taylor N. Brown, Joseph G. Crandall, Isabella R. Frantz, Tyler Jaudon Gill, Taylor Chimere Harrison, Brayden T. Johnson, Malia F. Luker, Connor Philip Monaghan, Allison B. Underwood; Algoma – Claire Elizabeth Caldwell; Amory – Kelly Leigh Barnett, Gloria Beasley, Jolie Anna Bishop, Taylor M. Braxton, Anthony Reece Cantrell, Dylan M. Christian, Emma K. Collums, Kathryn R. Cooke, Jacob Cade Cumberland, Mackenzie Lea Gallop, Madison Lynn Gallop, Megan Jessica Gillen, Jayden W. Green, Reese J. Griffith, Morgan M. Hall, Brady T. Houston, Harley Elizabeth Kent, Jackson B. May, Tommy B. McSpadden, Caroline E. Nestor, Allyson L. Phillips, Hanna Jayd Poole, McKenzie Poores, Mikayla L. Potts, William C. Reese, Brooke L. Roberts, Sam P. Smaglick, Emma R. Thompson, Hayden Parker West, Mary E. West, Peyton E. Wilkinson, Georgia Nicole Williams, Macie C. Williams, Whitten E. Willis; Anderson, Ala. – Anna G. White; Baldwyn – Kaitlyn M. Cunningham, Alexander ... Comments are closed.