Lavonia Hosting Special Art Show

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

A special art exhibit is taking place through the month of November in Lavonia.

Hosted by the Pilot Club of Lavonia, the exhibit features works by artists from across Georgia who are disabled.

“They submit their work in September and there are about 300 pieces that come to the Georgia Power building in Atlanta, and they’re judged by professional artists. We have about 46 on display here in Lavonia,” said Eleanor Ragsdale who has been organizing the exhibit for the Pilot Club.

According to the Artists with Disabilities Web page, the Pilot Clubs of Metropolitan Atlanta founded Georgia Artists with DisAbilities, Inc. in 1985.

Disabled artists throughout Georgia have the opportunity to display and sell their original art, and are eligible to compete for awards and the opportunity to have their artwork displayed in a statewide tour and exhibit.

This year, two local artists have their works touring the State.

Timothy Wright and Timothy Massengale have works this year in the exhibit.

Ragsdale said Wright lives in the Hartwell area and won the Chairman’s Award for his portrait of a barn.

“We like to bring the students at AVITA in Lavonia pizza about once a month. Back in March he said he wanted to give something to the Pilot Club because they had been so nice to him and the Lavonia AVITA,” Ragsdale explained. “So he gave the Pilot Club the barn. I took the painting and had it framed. We entered it in the art show and he got the recognition for it.”

The other local artist with a work on display is Timothy Massengale whose work is a pen and ink drawing of one of the Transformer characters, Optimus Prime.

Ragsdale said the exhibit will be available for viewing at the Lavonia Train Depot Monday through Friday through November 25th from 1p to 5p.

Many mediums of artwork are included in the show, such as pottery, painting, sculpture, woodcarving, photography, weaving, and others.

And many of the works are available for sale.