The Starkville Area Arts Council’s first AiPP (Art in Public Places) exhibit of 2021 is a retrospective of art by Betty Jane Chatham. This hybrid exhibit is on display for in-person viewing in the lobby of The Partnership, 200 E. Main St. in downtown Starkville, during business hours through April 5. The exhibit is subject to mask requirements and social distancing guidelines. The online gallery is viewable on the SAAC website. No opening reception is currently planned.
The show features nearly 35 works in oils, watercolors, monoprint and pencil by the Starkville artist. Chatham has painted since high school. A graduate of The W, she continued her studies in painting at the Memphis Academy of Art, Delta State University and Mississippi State University. Chatham has had several one-woman shows, including one at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel, and the Germantown, Tennessee, Municipal Art Gallery.
As part of SAAC’s AiPP series, works may be listed for sale. SAAC collects and pays sales taxes on behalf of the artist for any work sold, and the artist keeps 80 percent of the proceeds.
Now in its third decade, the SAAC sponsors the Cotton District Arts Festival, runs various art education initiatives and awards almost $25,000 each year throughout Starkville and Oktibbeha County in its mission to build a strong, creative, connected community through the arts. SAAC appreciates the support of the City of Starkville and the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, Oktibbeha County, National Endowment for the Arts, Mississippi Arts Commission, Visit Mississippi, Del Rendon Foundation, 4-County Electric Foundation, SOAR, ATMOS Energy, and various local businesses and individuals. Additional information about SAAC can be found at starkvillearts.org.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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