Folk art in the spotlight at MMA

Nov. 14—Self-taught Alabama artist Charlie Lucas uses scraps of metal, twisted wire and old mechanical parts to form his unique creations of people and animals, a talent that has garnered him international acclaim in the world of folk art.

A number of his works are currently on exhibit at the Meridian Museum of Art as part of the "Southern Folk/Outsider Art Exhibition" show running now through Nov. 30 at the museum in downtown Meridian. Works from the private folk art collection of Rand and Joyce Lane, as well as paintings by Rand Lane, are also included in the MMA show.

A reception for the exhibit is planned for 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at the art museum, and the public is invited to attend.

"I am so excited we could bring these beautiful works to MMA that showcase outsider artists," said museum Executive Director Kate Cherry. "These works are meaningful because they are prime examples of artists produced without professional training; they come from the heart."

Southern folk art involves a wide range of artistic media and is characterized by its emphasis on individual expression, often reflecting the diverse cultural, social and historical influences found across the American South.

Folk art is sometimes referred to as "outsider art" because it exists outside of the traditional art realm, but it has gradually gained acceptance and respect by the art world.

Lucas, whose early work earned him the moniker "Tin Man," is a self-taught artist hailing from the Alabama Black Belt region. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1951, he spent his early life in a sharecropping community near Montgomery. He often missed school to assist on the family farm, where he picked up many skills from his family of craftspeople.

As an adult, Lucas married and settled in Pink Lily, Alabama, where he and his wife started a family and he went to work in maintenance at a hospital. He turned to metalwork following a back injury in 1984 that led to surgery and a lengthy recovery. By the late 1980s, he was selling his artistic creations to collectors, galleries and museums. His unique sculptures, made from discarded scraps of metal and other materials, invite viewers to craft their own interpretations of their meaning.

Meridian art enthusiasts Rand and Joyce Lane, meanwhile, have amassed an extensive collection of folk art from their travels to art shows and festivals all over the country. Rand Lane is also a folk painter himself. Their collection contains works by several folk artists from the South, including Jimmy Lee Sudduth and Mose Toliver, both from Alabama, and represents a wide range of styles and media in folk art.

"The Joyce and Rand Lane collection is a beautiful collection of works from across the United States. Charlie Lucas' works are unique works that Charlie has created over the years," Cherry said. "Both collections are vast collections of Southern vernacular series. They are significant collections that embrace a style that exemplifies passionate works."

The Lanes' folk art displayed in the exhibit is a small portion of the collection they have accrued over the years. The exhibit also will showcase several paintings by Rand Lane, who has painted a range of subjects from small juke joints in the Mississippi Delta to the homes of renowned Southern folk artists.

Joyce Lane, who has collected folk art for several years, said she likes to find artists that don't quite know their talent yet, then support them in any way she can, according to a press release from the museum. She has helped several artists grow their audience and gain more mainstream recognition.

Works by folk artists to be exhibited among the Lane collection include Sudduth, Toliver, Butch Anthony, Michael Banks and Bobby Gaither, all of Alabama; Bob Gray, Johnnie "J.L." Nippers, Jason Stoddart and Vannoy Streeter, all of Tennessee; Chris Beck, Bob Hart, Peter Loose and Leonard Piha, all of Georgia; Dr. Charles Smith of New Orleans, La.; Scott A. Blackwell of Anna Maria Island, Fla.; Brother Mel Meyer of Florissant, Mo.; Leland Holiday of Navajo Reservation, N.M.; Edith John of Sweetwater, Ariz.; Tom Steck of Harrisburg, Pa.; and Mikey Welsh of Syracuse, N.Y.

The "Southern Folk/Outsider Art Exhibition" will run through Nov. 30 at the Meridian Museum of Art, located at 628 25th Avenue. The museum is open from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and admission is always free. For more information on the show, contact Cherry at 601-693-1501 or visit the Meridian Museum of Art's social media page on Facebook.

Contact Glenda Sanders at gsanders@themeridianstar.com.