Art Show!

The artists featured at the inaugural Book Fair on the Square come from all different backgrounds, with very different personal and professional stories to tell. They will display select pieces during the fair on Saturday, October 4.

Jerome Lawrence

Jerome Lawrence has been a major presence in local art since graduating from Georgia State University in the 1980s, and has showcased his art in various galleries including the Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech and the VSA Arts for All Gallery. His art was also featured in “Shadow Voices,” the acclaimed documentary by Mennonite Media, and he’s also appeared on local news stations WXIA-TV and WSB-TV, as well as CNN.

Lawrence has been greatly involved in the mental health community, his mental health diagnosis came while studying art at GSU. Working with the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network; creating and selling art; and a few speaking engagements makes for a fulfilling life, says Jerome. He also makes important donations of his artwork to The Carter Center, having developed a close relationship with former first lady Rosalynn Carter. Look for his art on the cover of the Carter Center Christmas card in December.

www.JeromeLawrence.net

Lois Curtis

Having grown up in Atlanta, artist Lois Curtis focuses on folk art, depicting animals and humans up close and personal by using bright colors and broad strokes of the brush. Curtis is popular among the local gallery circuit.

Curtis is perhaps best known for her involvement in a landmark Supreme Court case, best known as the Olmstead Decision. Following a youth spent in state institutions, Curtis repeatedly requested to be placed in a community. After being denied several times, she sued the state of Georgia, which would ultimately lead to a national mandate to free thousands from institutionalized care.

Curtis has been recognized by several notable leaders in Georgia and the nation, including receiving the 2007 Harriet Tubman Act of Courage award, along with six others including United States senator and well-known Civil Rights leader, John Lewis.

web.mac.com/sanderslee

Alison Golden

Talented artist Alison Golden has displayed her work during juried student art shows at Kennesaw State University, The Art Place and at the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, though her journey through life has been a bit rocky. During high school, she began battling mental illness and now has current diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder. Despite these obstacles, Golden continues to produce beautiful paintings. A graduate of KSU with a bachelor of fine arts degree, Golden is a Georgia Certified Peer Specialist, Peer Trauma Initiative Facilitator and a NAMI Connections Facilitator. She continues to work on improving her recovery.