Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1510185
28 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023 ollowing "Blossoming" in March and "Untold Stories" in June, the theme of the third and final Bicentennial Art Show exhibit is "A Sense of Place." The Bicentennial Committee asked local artists to define the essence of what makes our fair city uniquely Macon, curating an exhibit that implies nostalgia and attachment to the ground we walk on while exploring what more Macon could become. Over 50 Macon artists have been represented in the Bicentennial Art Show F Building "A Sense of Place" during Macon's bicentennial BY SIERRA STARK STEVENS and filled with live plants. Also in three dimensions, fashion designer Ashley Monique's work is a gown armored in delicate gold chainwork, graced with a flock of meaningful photographs of Maconites by DSTO Moore. Coleman's installation spans the length and width of the downstairs gallery space, filling the room with a sweet, grassy scent and filtering the light through bamboo leaves and culms. Reminiscent of Southeast Asian basketry, the artful curves and subtle architectural support elements make the massive structure feel effortless, although it was so large, it had to be brought into the gallery in pieces and assembled inside. It creates an oval path along the walls, directing traffic in an intimate stream that flows through the space. The le -hand side begins with a Blossoming, a large mural live-painted by Kevin Scene Lewis at the March opening followed by artwork that includes photography from Chris Smith, collages by Donna London, and paintings by Heidi Clinite, Kris Davis, Daniel Montoute, and Rhonda Sunshine Miller. The right-hand side of the gallery is populated by diverse works from the Ocmulgee Artist Guild (OAG) a grassroots artists' collaborative founded in 2016 by a small group of Middle Georgia State University graduates, now grown to include 16 local creators, who consistently deliver local fine art and music pop-up galleries and events across Macon – over 20 unique exhibits in seven years – nurturing burgeoning artists with opportunities and community. Among these works are a Frida Kahlo- esque dreamscape on wood by Marcos Velez, flanked by photographs and paintings by Jessica Whitley and mixed-media Venetian mask collages by Brooke Scott. DeMarcus Beckham's handmade buttons in a mirrored, rainbow M arrangement offer a tour through Macon's history and culture. Further along, Lucia Whinnery's glimmering portraits establish such exhibits, and more than 20 in "A Sense of Place" alone. Internationally recognized fine artist Wini McQueen's yearlong textile exhibit is upstairs, and her stunning installation, The Canopy, transcends both floors. Anchoring "A Sense of Place" are two more large, 3D installations: Tanner Coleman's "Be That as It May" and Ocmulgee Artist Guild's custom-graffitied Honda Civic donated by Ackerman Wrecker Services as the artists' canvas DeMarcus Beckham, Reflection of Macon, collage of buttons made by the artist . Photo by Jessica Whitley.