"Life Perspectives" through the eyes of seven West Tennessee artists

Sister Series IV by Artist Jere Williamson is among the pieces on exhibit during "Life Perspectives"

Seven award-winning West Tennessee artists share a collection of their works during an art exhibition opening to the public October 3 at the Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville. The exhibit "Life Perspectives," organized by Brownsville artist Jere Williamson, features his personal pieces as well as those of noted artists Bill Bailey, Dr. Tim Hacker, Susan Hyback, Lendon Noe, Mary Spelling and Tuva Stephens.

Williamson is a Brownsville native who graduated from the University of Memphis in 1967 and began teaching art in Jacksonville, Florida. He went on to earn his Masters' of Fine Art  and taught at three Florida colleges before returning to Brownsville in the 1980s. His art has earned him numerous awards and has been included in eight museums, corporate buildings and numerous private collections.

"I'm excited to be showing in my hometown," says Williamson. "Most pieces in the show are watercolor, but you'll also see colored pencil and mixed media, too."

Bill Bailey worked for 30 years as an electronics engineer before devoting himself to painting in 1992. He attempts to capture the "Southern landscape and people" in his works and was selected among the "ones to watch" by Watercolor Artist Magazine in 2012.

Dr. Tim Hacker of Bartlett, Tenn., began studying art in high school. Since that time he has studied with numerous nationally-known artist such as Charles Harrington, Frank Francese and more. The Memphis-Germantown Art League has honored Hacker with the Spectrum Award and in 2011 he received the Westy Award from the Bartlett Arts Commission for his continued support of the visual and performing arts.

Susan Hyback, of Somerville, Tenn., has enjoyed life as a commercial illustrator and fine artist. She has a fervor for painting wildlife and animals. Two highlights of her career has been inclusion in "The Best of Wildlife Art" and acceptance into the Kentucky National Art and Wildlife exhibit.

Jackson, Tenn., native Lendon Noe enjoys using a combination of media to create her themed works. For the last 15 years her work has focused on natural history. She uses drawing, painting, collage, image transfer and assemblage to bring her award-winning pieces to life.

Mary Spellings, of Mercer, Tenn., loves to capture light and life in her paintings. She has won numerous awards for her paintings in regional and national competitions and most recently was awarded the "Annie Pitcher Award" from the Mississippi Watercolor Society Grand National Exhibition.

Tuva Stephens, of McKenzie, Tenn., was an art and drama director for 34 years before pursuing art professionally in 2009. In 2010 she was  a featured artist on the Nashville-based TV program Tennessee Crossroads. She likes to capture those "fleeting moments that captures my heart ... and causes the viewer to create their own story."

The 30 piece exhibit, showing a unique perspective of West Tennessee life through the eyes of the individual artists, will premier during an Artist Reception Thursday evening, October 2, and remain on display October 3 through November 14 at the Delta Heritage Center. Admission is free.

Guinn goes "Off the Beaten Path" for nature photos

Joe B. Guinn

Photographer Joe B. Guinn knows he has to get "off the beaten path" for the best nature shots. A new exhibit at the Delta Heritage Center, Brownsville, offers a look at his work featuring scenes of West Tennessee. The exhibition Off the Beaten Path: Scenes of West Tennessee can be seen daily now through September 7. A special artist reception will be held Thursday, June 27, at 6 p.m.

Birds and nature caught Guinn's eye at an early age. Once he got a camera in hand, this Tennessee native began to focus on his natural surroundings.

"My favorite photographic challenges are landscapes," says Guinn.

College and a career took him away from the area. When he returned in the 1970s, he discovered his beloved Hatchie River forest and wetlands had dramatically changed. And "not for the better," according to Guinn.

This prompted him to begin the project of photographing what remains of the Hatchie's fragile untouched wetlands and deep forest areas. Off the Beaten Path depicts life in the wetlands and river valleys that include the Hatchie, Reelfoot Lake and Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. Guinn captures this beauty using only natural light and his photos are untouched, except for an occasional cropping.

Great White Egret

"Guinn is able to capture the heart of the river valley," says Sonia Outlaw-Clark, director of the Delta Heritage Center. "Through his photos, we are able to get a glimpse of life most would never be able to see."

There are also permanent photos on exhibit in the Hatchie River Museum at the Center, according to Clark.

"Daisy Field"

His work has been featured by the Tennessee Ornithological Society, Audubon Society, Nature Conservancy and Environmental Action Fund. Guinn was awarded a Wildlife Conservation Award by Haywood County in 1996. His most extensive exhibit has been in Nashville at Cheekwood Museum.

The exhibit is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays from 1-5 p.m. The public is also invited to meet the artist at a special reception Thursday, June 27, from 6-8 p.m. To learn more about the artist visit www.joebguinn.com

West Tennessee native writes mystery books

A. Scott Pearson

Scott Pearson is a Haywood County native and a Nashville surgeon. He's also a mystery writer.

His first book, Rupture, was released in 2009. The second in the series of medical mysteries, Public Anatomy, was released earlier this year. Pearson uses his knowledge of medicine and the Mid-South area to weave a compelling plot that takes place in and around areas that we are all familiar.

Rupture's main character, Eli Branch, is a successful surgeon and scientist, who finds himself searching for answers when a patient dies under suspicious circumstances. What he finds leads the reader on an adventure through the streets of  Memphis where he encounters danger and the "dark side of medicine."

In Public Anatomy, Eli Branch is found investigating the murder of a colleague and discovers even more lives are in danger. Once again, this book holds your interest until the very end.

Both books are an easy read .... and you won't want to put them down once you start. They are both available in our gift shop -  Rupture $10, paperback; Public Anatomy $20, hardback

Learn more about A. Scott Pearson and his books at http://www.ascottpearson.com/index.htm.

WestTAM group moving forward

Members of the West Tennessee Association of Museums (WestTAM)

Back in the late Spring, a group of West Tennessee museum professionals decided to get together. From this first meeting, we have continued to network and grow friendships. We recently gathered at Davies Manor Plantation in Bartlett, Tenn., for a tour and Christmas gathering. I'm very proud that the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center is a part of this group and look forward to what we will be able to accomplish in the coming year. 

NASA Traveling Exhibit to Visit Casey Jones Village

 A little bit of Mission Control will have lift-off in Jackson, Tenn., the weekend of May 14 - 15, as the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, brings  NASA’s Driven to Explore mobile exhibit to Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum and Casey Jones Village  from 9 am to 7 pm each day.  Driven to Explore has no admission charge and is designed for all ages to enjoy. 

Driven to Explore is a mobile, multimedia experience showcasing NASA’s future plans for space exploration, including information on next-generation vehicles and the challenges associated with long term space travel. It immerses visitors in the story of NASA. The walking tour includes breathtaking imagery and audio and visual technology to connect guests with the space program.  

The Museum was chosen as the only site in West Tennessee due to the unique transportation connection of the railroads to space travel and amount of visitors Casey Jones Village enjoys each year.  NASA will be touring the exhibit through Tennessee during the month of May. 

Visitors will have the rare opportunity to touch a moon rock brought back by Apollo 17, the last manned mission to the moon in 1972. The moon rock is the centerpiece of the traveling exhibit and is one of the only seven lunar samples in the world made available for the public to touch and feel.

Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum is located in Casey Jones Village in Jackson, Tennessee at 30 Casey Jones Lane.  It is dedicated to the life and legend of Casey Jones and Jackson railroading history.  For more information visit www.caseyjones.com. 

The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's center for human space flight  training, research and flight control. The Center consists of a complex of 100 buildings constructed on 1,620 acres in Houston, Texas.  Johnson Space Center is home to the United States astronaut  corps and is responsible for training astronauts from both the U.S. and its international partners. It is often popularly referred to by its central function, "Mission Control".  For more information visit www.nasa.gov.