30 January Work of former ICC art instructor Greely Myatt featured in new exhibit at ICC Gallery January 30, 2025 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 The work of West Memphis artist and former Itawamba Community College instructor Greely Myatt will be on display through February 27 at the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Gallery at the Fulton Campus. “Defying Gravity on an Airport Carpet in Watermelon Sugar” is an exhibition of sculptures made from various materials and using varying approaches – an exploration of intersecting narratives, where literature, music and the mundane converge to reveal my view/experience of the world, Myatt said. The works draw inspiration from the whimsical and surreal novels of Richard Brautigan, the poignant and tender lyrics of Jesse Winchester’s song, Defying Gravity, and the abstract yet deeply familiar patterns of airport carpets. According to Myatt, Brautigan’s writing, with its dreamlike quality and moments of absurdity, provides a lens through which the world can be viewed as both fleeting and profound. Similarly, Winchester’s Defying Gravity captures a yearning to escape, to transcend limitations and to embrace the weightlessness of possibility with a shy humor. Each piece is an invitation to pause and reflect, to consider how the ephemeral moments of our lives, much like a song lyric or a fleeting glance at a novel, leave indelible marks. The sculptures embody movement, change and the tension between rootedness and flight. By merging these disparate influences, the exhibition seeks to create a space where viewers can navigate their own internal landscapes, drawing connections between the personal and the universal, the obvious and the obscure, the poetic and the prosaic. Myatt noted, “Not only a tribute to its inspirations, the exhibition is also a testament to the power of art to connect, to inspire and to defy gravity, all with a wink and a nod.” Myatt has a teaching history of 40 years and has shown work everywhere from The Brooks Museum in Memphis to New York, Chicago and California, to The Netherlands, Beirut and Dubai. Born in Aberdeen, he attended Amory High School and earned his bachelor’s degree from Delta State University and the master’s degree from The University of Memphis, where in 2020, he received the status of Professor Emeritus. Myatt designed his installation as site specific to ICC’s gallery space. One of the show’s works, “Titanic,” was created when he was an instructor at ICC. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except when ICC is closed for holidays. Admission is free. For more information, contact Shawn Whittington at eswhittington@iccms.edu or (662) 862-8301. Related Articles ICC student artwork featured in exhibit in newly-renovated W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center The artwork of several Itawamba Community College students is currently on display in the newly-renovated W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center at the Fulton Campus. The first student exhibition in the new space, which consists of approximately 80 pieces of art including drawing, painting, computer art and sculpture, will be on display until May 5. Artists include Taylor Braxton of Amory; Jamecia Walker of Baldwyn; Bayleigh Caldwell of Caledonia; McKenna Powell of Hatley; Alli Blansett, Makenzie Brooks, both of Houston; Olivia Jones of Mantachie; Francisco Garcia of Mooreville; Mia Coggin of Nettleton; Michaela Pearson, Rachel Gann, Kaitlin Stegall, Brianna Hall, Maria Tinajero, all of Pontotoc; Lily Wright of Red Bay, Ala.; Jaiden Hutson, Danielle Thompson, Elliana Parker, all of Saltillo; KaJatlon Clark of Shannon; Selena Crowley of Tremont; Ana Chambers, Drew Edmonson, Camille Campbell and Brianna Dent, all of Tupelo. Normal gallery hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Thursday. For more information, email Shawn Whittington at eswhittington@iccms.edu or call (662) 862-8301. 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 ... Armistead work currently on display in ICC gallery 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 ... 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, ... 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 ... ICC exhibition features work of alumnus Bryce Camp The Itawamba Community College Fine Arts Department is sponsoring an exhibition of photographs by Amory resident Bryce Camp, who is a recent graduate of Mississippi State University and an ICC alumnus. He discovered his passion for art after having taken a class in Art Appreciation at ICC, and it was while transferring to Mississippi State that he declared himself an art major specializing in photography. Of his work he says, “My current series of photographs of roadside memorials show the beauty that can arise amidst the tragedy of death and loss. Accidents happen every day, but people can transform that grief into something beautiful and constructive. The memorials pictured in my series are all from the North Mississippi area. They were spread out across our corner of the state, but they all represent the same thing. These memorials are not simply crosses or balloons on the side of the road; they represent a lifetime to someone, the route they may have traveled to work or home, the laughter and the tears, and to some, an ease of pain.” His ... Comments are closed.