Artists Atkins & Williams

Sunday, February 26, in Johnston

It will be a show to remember, starting at 3:00 p.m., Sunday afternoon, February 26 at Possibilities.

Lorenzo Williams brings paint and color to the canvas as he responds to more recent happenings in the world – many of the pieces both pre- and post-pandemic. Viewers will see both the artist’s view of the world caught in this recent world dilemma through both realistic and abstract works.

Known to us all for many years, Lorenzo Williams has been not just an artist in the communities of this County but also a teacher of art, both in the County and in nearby Georgia. He is presently minister to the congregation of Mount Zion Baptist on Sweetwater Rd. His work has been seen in murals in both Edgefield and Johnston, and he most recently celebrated the peach industry in a mural painted some months ago and seen from Edisto Street at Calhoun. His mural to the Black Potters of Edgefield on Penn Street was rather recent also.

Williams says there will be a salute to Dave Drake (celebrated Black Potter of the 19^th century) with pieces of slab construction potter from his studio.  Other categories of his work will be collages and floral canvases.

Robert Atkins, introduced to the reader in this paper a short time ago, comes from The Augusta, Ga., area and brings nostalgia to his audience as he will be showing his neighborhood from his youth through his graphite drawings. “Reflections of a Time Once Lived”
are portraits and paintings of a once vibrant Black community that was life-embracing. From his notes: “It supported and sustained life, growth and identity. From the fields to the church pews, under the quilts, and with each other, love and care were the glue that held the community together.  This exhibit gathers the memories of many generations of colorful living and presents them in the simplicity of graphite.”  Among the 23 pieces in the collection are these examples: 1) Dignity, There are many storytellers in our community and this work shows just such a teller as she sits in the space that brings the past, present, and future together. This matriarch shows how humble beginnings can be elevated to radiate beauty. 4) The Rock (church, unfinished) 12) Grandma’s Bed 14) Community Council members 18) Saturday morning Summit. 

As Artist Atkins pointed out: “This is not the HOOD, but the NEIGHBORHOOD!”