Milledgeville-Baldwin County Allied Arts hosted an evening of art and celebration last Friday to honor the work of Denise Thompson and the late Betty Snyder.
Visitors gathered at the John Marlor Arts Center on North Wayne Street for light refreshments and an opportunity to experience artwork from two members of the community who share a passion for cultivating creativity.
Snyder passed away in 2018 but her legacy continues to influence the arts in the Milledgeville and Baldwin County, specifically with Allied Arts.
Allied Arts was established in 1986 as a Georgia nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide a range of inclusive artistic experiences in the performing, visual, literary, and heritage arts.
Snyder was one of the founders of the organization and served as its first executive director for 18 years. She is credited with inspiring thousands of people to pursue knowledge and appreciation of the arts. Her biography at the exhibit referred to Snyder as a “student of life” who was an artist, historian, administrator, writer, teacher, coach, and speaker.
This description is evident in her work that is brimming with history, storytelling, and a deep understanding of concepts that are foreign to many. The art shown displayed a range of Snyder’s work from pottery and collages to oil and watercolor paintings.
One piece on display at the show is a sculpture entitled “Joan of Arc’s Armor,” which depicts a bronze sculpted torso made to represent the armor that Joan of Arc wore.
Thompson is also featured in the exhibit with many of her pieces focusing on character illustration and portrait realism. Thompson is a 33-year-old, self-taught artist originally from Putnam County.
“My inspiration just really flows within. I will find some kind of reference that I absolutely fall in love with and then I dive into researching it or the aspects of what makes it what it is. Portraits are what I have drawn a lot recently,” said Thompson.
Her specialties include graphite, charcoal, and realism, which allows intricate details of her creativity to shine through in each of her works.
Thompson enjoys using her family as inspiration for a lot of her artwork but also finds fulfillment in creating commissioned pieces for people looking for something special.
One piece that she was proud of is featured at the exhibit and entitled “Motherly Love.” She commissioned the piece for a young man who lost his mother when he was a young child and depicts the man in the current day standing beside his mother.
Both Snyder’s and Thompson’s exhibits will be displayed at the John Marlor Arts Center until June 27 and offer a unique opportunity to become immersed in the talents of members of the community.