The first festival presented introduced juried art competition to Central Louisiana, and over the years, has presented a variety of programs of music, film, literature and drama. The professional exhibit has earned the respect of artists throughout the region. “When I moved to Alexandria in 1983 to work for the AMoA, I was impressed that the Tom Peyton Art festival existed,” said local artist Leslie Elliottsmith. “It had a professionally run juried exhibit with an out-of-state, well known juror and great award monies. The community participation and the purchase of art from the exhibit made the show a wonderful venue for artists. In 1984, Tom Peyton was the first juried show that Michael, my husband, entered and he was accepted. Over the years, we have both received awards from Tom Peyton and sold work from the show. When digital imagery and online exhibit applications became more prevalent, it was our pleasure, as committee members, to help the Tom Peyton Juried Art Exhibit move toward an online application.”
In 1967, the first art show was displayed at the First Methodist Church at the corner of Seventh and Jackson. The second annual festival was held the following year in the fellowship hall of the new church at 2727 Jackson Street—even though the sanctuary was still under construction.
The festival, a brainchild of Ben Oliphint, was intended to serve several purposes. Oliphint, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in the late 1960s, wanted to integrate works of art into the new sanctuary and fill the walls of the new church. The late Fran Davis, a longtime church member and member of the festival committee, once remarked that Oliphint “was convinced that, with the introduction of television, we would become a society that would teach and worship through visual means as well as through reading and speaking. This has certainly come to pass.” Oliphint also believed that the human creativity involved in creating works of art is an extension of God’s creativity in the world. The annual festival provided a way to celebrate that creativity.
Stories abound of how Tom endeared himself to all who knew him. After leaving First United Methodist Church, he moved to Dallas to continue working in ministry while earning a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University. He remained active until only a few weeks before his death. Hope Norman, church member and co-chair of the First Annual Arts Festival in 1967 remembers, “When the final diagnosis of his illness came, he met every stage with unparalleled courage and grace, still extending his outreach to others throughout congregation and community.”
Reba Harrington, a member of First United Methodist Church, recounts a story of this outreach in remembering her mother-in-law, Kathern. “During the middle 1970’s, Dale’s mother, Kathern, was battling cancer in an experimental program with Dr. John Stehlin at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. Working with the Sisters of Charity, Dr. Stehlin was responsible for creating the “Living Room”, the first healing environment designed to provide patients and families with art, music, and emotional support. It was in the Living Room that Kathern witnessed another cancer patient playing the piano for those patients and family members who were gathered. She would often express to us how wonderful he was and how much peace his music brought to her during her time in the hospital…and how beautifully he played. In time, as they talked about what they did and where they were from, they came to realize that they had an Alexandria connection. The patient who played the piano and brought so much joy to others was Tom Peyton. As always, Tom took his creativity and talent wherever he went and touched the lives of so many people. He was certainly a blessing to our beloved Kathern.”
Tom loved the arts and made them a core part of his ministry. In the epic vision described in Revelation, God says, “Behold! I make all things new.” For Peyton, this declaration expressed the freshness, boldness and surprise of God’s touch on our lives—and of the artist upon creative material.
This year, with a theme of “Beginnings and Beyond”, the Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival celebrates its golden anniversary by looking back with appreciation at the vision of its founders, reflecting on its impact on the regional arts scene, and surveying its prospects for growth that continues long into the future. Here in Central Louisiana, the Peyton Arts Festival enables a space and an occasion for the public to stage, display, encounter, and enjoy quality art. Activities take place not only within the physical walls of the church but on the streets and in the neighborhood beyond, extending outreach into local schools and the community. “The Tom Peyton festival is still one of the best exhibits for artists to enter whether local or national,” said Elliottsmith. “It has consistently kept the prize monies high, cost of entering low, and recognized the artists who are exhibiting. As two artists who enter many national juried exhibits each year, Michael and I can say they do it right! We want to congratulate the United Methodist Church and the Tom Peyton Arts Festival committee, some who have given of their time year after year, on the 50th anniversary.”
In addition to the competitive show and the School Art exhibit, which displays art by local students and their teachers, a special exhibit entitled “Memorable Places” features landscape paintings by Bill Bryant. Following a 29-year career with Northwestern State University Art Department, Bryant retired in 2005. A veteran of numerous Peyton Festival projects, the list grows with this year’s dedication of a bronze wall hanging depicting “Nails”, the festival logo he designed in 1969. “I had discovered a can of badly rusted nails and had them in my office/studio at school,” Bryant recalls. “It seemed a perfect symbol if I could figure out a way to present them. I had just started using a process for doing photo silk screen, so I put the nails in a circle and used a piece of the film to make a transfer positive for a ‘circle of life’ with a cutout. Simple, but I thought effective.” The sculpture will be unveiled and dedicated during the opening reception.
Later that day, Hope Norman Coulter will offer an interactive program centered around “The Wheel of Light: Poetry Reading and Discussion”. A native of Alexandria, Coulter attended First United Methodist Church and graduated from Alexandria Senior High. She earned her AB at Harvard University and her MFA at Queens University of Charlotte. She is an assistant professor of English at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, where she also directs the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature & Language. “The Wheel of Light” consists of 47 poems, 21 of which have been published in such journals as North American Review, The Carolina Quarterly, and The Yale Review. The opening poem of the book is an elegy for Gregor Goethals, who designed the mosaic in First United Methodist Church’s chapel and the wool wall hangings in the sanctuary and who was both a presenter and a juror for the Peyton Arts Festival. One poem in the book is about Herbie K’s, a restaurant that many in Alexandria may remember. Another contains a scene at the Peyton Festival itself, while in another poem, 100% of the words are taken from an Arkansas map.
In an additional effort to reach out to the community, Coulter will lead PoemPalooza at Rugg Elementary School. Age-appropriate works from poets such as Carl Sandburg, Gwendolyn Brooks, Walter de la Mare, Kevin Young, and Langston Hughes will provide a rich opportunity for exploration of associated sounds, rhythms, colors, figurative language, and feelings. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the poems and use those as a springboard for writing their own poem drafts. “We are excited to partner with Rugg Elementary to share the beauty of poetry with the students,” said Wilkinson. “First United Methodist has a long tradition of being a means by which God blesses this community. From our partnership with Top Spin Laundromat for Laundry Love ministry (free laundry for needy families once a month) to working with the city of Alexandria to offer the Mid-Week Market, we see our calling as being an asset and advocate to the quality of life in Central Louisiana.”
Jazz on Jackson, a favorite for all ages, features the music of Smithfield Fair in an alfresco coffeehouse on Friday, April 15th. The band, featuring Dudley-Brian Smith, Jan Smith and Bob Smith, plays a unique mix of Celtic, gospel, jazz, sacred, classical, swing, blues and country music. Illuminated lanterns from Children’s Day will also be on display.
All exhibits and events are held at First United Methodist Church, located at 2727 Jackson Street in Alexandria and are free and open to the public. Additional details, including registration forms for the Children’s Day events, are available online at www.fumca.org/artsfestival.