New Smyrna Beach celebrated the life and hopes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the 2009 Freedom March. Marchers gathered in the morning in front of the Black Heritage Museum and made their way with a police escort to Old Fort Park. for the memorial program. The NSB Middle School Stingray Band, under the direction of Barry Strum, played during the march and at the beginning of the memorial program.
NSB Middle School Band
"Swimshoes," photograph by Laurie Coppedge - selected for the IMAGES poster
IMAGES: A Festival of the Arts, presented by Atlantic Center for the Arts, will be held Jan. 31 & Feb. 1, 2009 in picturesque Riverside Park along the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway in New Smyrna Beach. It will be an outstanding weekend featuring 225 talented artists, a delicious festival menu in the food court, children’s art projects, and free top-notch entertainment all day. Plan to attend this outstanding annual art festival!
Offering more than $100,000 in prize money and Patron’s Choice Awards, the juried festival attracts some of the most talented artists in the country. IMAGES offers a tradition of quality and artistic growth, with fine artists showcasing their best work in painting, graphics, photography, jewelry, sculpture, glass, wood, leather, paper, clay, fiber, and fine crafts. There are thousands of pieces of art for purchase, whether you’re looking for that special sculpture, painting, photograph, glass vase, unique jewelry, or handcrafted table.
In the popular Creative Education tent, sponsored by the Harris House League and the Community Redevelopment Agency, children will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on art projects. The Creative Education tent allows the Festival to nurture the creative gifts of what could be the next decade’s participating artists!
Top-notch live music will be presented both days on the IMAGES main stage, sponsored by Riverside National Bank, including the Valerie Gillespie Trio, Colton McKenna, The Cook Trio, NSBHS Showdolls, NSBHS Jazz Band, Thom Chambers Trio and the Stetson University Big Band featuring Sid Blair on clarinet.
IMAGES is also sponsored by State Farm Insurance, the City of New Smyrna Beach, the Southeast Advertising Authority, County of Volusia, Bellsouth, and Brighthouse Networks.
Laurie Coppedge has been selected as the poster artist for IMAGES. Coppedge, born and raised in Jacksonville, has more than 20 years experience in juried art shows across the country. Her photograph “Swimshoes” has been selected as the poster.
Coppedge’s life-long passion for old photographs from the 1890s to 1930s inspired a “vintage” photographs project, which has become her signature work. Searching out locations that resemble what Florida would have looked like around the turn of the last century; Coppedge uses a 4X5 field camera and black and white film to make her “vintage” photographs.
Using family and friends as models, her extensive collection of 1920’s wool swimwear, and other antique props, she creates endearing and stylish images that look as if they could have graced the pages of the Ladies’ Home Journal or the Saturday Evening Post. You can view her photographs at www.lauriecoppedge.com.
New Smyrna Beach, listed as one of the “100 Best Small Art Towns in America” in the book by John Villani, will pull out all the stops in welcoming IMAGES artists and patrons to town Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. So, bring a friend, bring your wallet, and plan to enjoy an outstanding weekend of the arts.
A food court in Riverside Park will feature seafood, barbecue, Chinese, Italian and Polish sausage, chicken wraps, gyros, rib eye steak sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, kettle corn, funnel cakes, delicious coffee, and Coca-Cola products.
For more information about the festival, or to become a patron, phone the IMAGES office at 386-423-4733, or visit www.imagesartfestival.org.
NSBHS photography teacher Tina Curry and Shawn Sceit look at student art at last year's IMAGES. Creative educations photos by Sandi Carroll
Cast shots of "Out of Order" at Little Theatre by Sandi Carroll
