Tanna Rose is the Leeds Arts Council’s featured artist in September.  The public is invited to the opening reception at the Arts Center on Sunday, August 28, 2016, 1:30-3:30 pm, to view her beautiful paintings.  Admission is free.

​From her earliest memory, Tanna Rose loved to draw. She seldom played with dolls or other toys; she would just sit and draw. In elementary school, she discovered new art techniques from her art teachers and often won ribbons for her work. In high school, she was fortunate to attend a school that had a good art department and a very good teacher. Again, she often won awards for her work.

 She decided to major in art in college, but through the prompting of her father, majored in Graphic Arts.  Her first year of college was at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, Alabama. There, in an Art History class, she met two guys who were transferring to Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. Tanna Rose was considering transferring to the University of Alabama, but was fascinated by what Ringling had to offer, as well as the location. She discussed Ringling with her parents, applied, and was accepted.  Ringling, in the 70’s, had a very academic approach to art, even in graphics. Figure drawing was a required class every year that met for four hours, two days a week. Also, painting, drawing, and landscape were required classes every year that met at least once a week for 4 hours. Often, painting was done on location in Sarasota, whether it was at the beach, bay, marina, museum, or other choice locations. Tanna Rose grew as an artist at Ringling, and her drawing ability blossomed, especially in figure class. She was awarded her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Ringling School of Art and Design.

 Professionally, Tanna Rose has worked over 25 years in the graphics industry, including five years at Ebsco Media; nine and a half years at Southern Progress Corporation, working with both Southern Living and Cooking Light Magazines; and with Luckie and Company since 2011.  From 2004 to 2008, she executed numerous portrait commissions. Her favorite painting medium is oils and her favorite drawing mediums include pencil, pastel, and conte, though she has worked with a variety of other mediums. Raising a family, working, and a busy life style have limited the time she has been able to devote to her love of fine arts. She hopes that she will soon be able to express her passion for art more in her paintings and drawings.

Tanna Rose’s ​paintings will be on exhibit at the Arts Center through September 29, 2016.  The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and during events. 

The Leeds Arts Council, Inc. will honor artist Dr. Lowell Vann with an opening reception on Sunday, August 30, 2015, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. The public is invited to meet the artist and view his beautiful art work.  Admission is free.

Dr. Vann was born in Lincoln County, Tennessee and grew up in Cullman, Alabama.  He earned degrees at Howard College (now Samford University), the University of Alabama, and Florida State University.  He taught in the Cullman County schools, at the University of Alabama, and at Samford University, where he was chair of the Art Department from 1970 to 2006.

As an ordained minister since 1956, he has served at several churches and has done over 1600 chalk-drawing presentations for worship services throughout the southeastern United States.  Since 1999, he has served on the board of directors for Artists Incorporated, a local cooperative gallery in Vestavia Hills, where his work in painting and pottery is currently exhibited.

The Leeds Arts Council, Inc. will honor artist Dr. Grady Sue Saxon with an opening  reception on Sunday, August 2, 2015, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.  The public is invited to meet the artist and enjoy her beautiful photographs, paintings, and sculptural works.  Admission is free.  The exhibit will include photographs of a variety of subjects, ranging from tractors to animals to flowers, and pieces of her early art work in a variety of media, including clay, acrylic, watercolor, copper, and pen and ink.

For more information, see Featured Artist

Esther Levy is interested in many types of media.  She uses them all and may even use a variety in one art piece.  Most of her work contains paintings of women,  She feels there is a natural connection that all women share with each other and that women are very soulful.   She also uses a lot of bright colors which she sees as invigorating and up-lifting.

The reception will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 3 in the gallery of the Leeds Theatre and Arts Center, 8140 Parkway Drive, downtown Leeds.  The public is invited to attend.  There is no admission fee.

Come and enjoy this artist’s variety of subjects, media and styles.  Her beautiful paintings will be on exhibit through June 4.

Nelda Faulkner is a Leeds resident known for her beautiful photographs of birds, especially bluebirds.   The reception will be in the gallery of the Leeds Theatre and Arts Center, 8140 Parkway Drive, downtown Leeds.