From the General Manager's Desk

from The Art of Living Horizons 2023

Millbrook launches arts tourism initiative

We discovered anew that art is the heartbeat of Elmore County while researching stories for this year’s annual Horizons magazine, a celebration of the many forms of art in our communities. From Tallassee to Millbrook and Titus to Spectre, art speaks to us through surprising and unexpected ways. I think we’ve known this for a long time, but we rarely look at the big picture and recognize the asset it is across the county and in our lives. In the following pages, we offer a cross-section of art’s impact in our beloved Elmore County.

In Tallassee, Corrie Sid adds an artistic spin to hospitality and the culinary arts at Grove Station, the butcher shop/bakery/market where she cares for guests in an inviting atmosphere. She shares the basic how-to of her art on page 26.

Jade Snell at The Pointed Toe now owns the studio where she found expression and fulfillment as a child in the art of dance. Here, she helps Tallassee’s children gain self-confidence and develop social skills, work ethics and healthy exercise habits. Check out the article on page 30 to learn more.

The art scene in Millbrook is busting wide open with the enthusiasm and energy of Cultural Arts and Special Events Director Danae Morgan, who will further art appreciation and education at the Millbrook Arts Center, now under renovation on Grandview Road. Get to know Danae and the City’s plans to promote art tourism on page 60.

Elmore County’s music scene feeds the soul and keeps the beat going with school music programs and a variety of concert events, including the annual Titus Bluegrass Festival (page 20) and Eclectic’s Cotton Festival (page 14).

Eclectic also hosts one of the county’s most spectacular holiday events, An Eclectic Christmas, a walk-through Nativity staged with the help of 200 volunteers every December. You’ll learn how they do it in the article on page 8.

Our beloved county also is a popular venue for movie makers. One of the most iconic films created here was Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor, Jessica Lange and Albert Finney. The movie set at Spectre is open for visitors, weddings and overnight campers. But you can visit it now on page 37. The Big Fish house still stands in Wetumpka, where art takes a front row seat at local events, among lifelong friends and throughout history.

The women of Thread My Needle have been creating textile art through quilt making at the Black History Museum for generations. They passed some pointers on to Kymberly Donowski in the article on page 34.

On page 38, Mark Harris at Dixie Art Colony Foundation has dedicated more than 10 years to tracing the history and impact of the original art colony artists, demonstrating that Elmore County’s fascination with art is more than a flash-in-the-pan trend: It’s a mindset that has endured and fed the hearts of Elmore County residents and visitors for more than 85 years.

This publication offers a mere glimpse of the art in our lives, but we hope it will inspire you to create your own art and to visit art venues and events in Elmore County throughout all of 2023.

Let’s get creative!

STAFF Chairman

Kenneth Boone

General Manager

Tippy Hunter tippy.hunter@alexcityoutlook.com

Editor-in-Chief

Betsy Iler betsy.iler@alexcityoutlook.com

Creative Services

Audra Spears audra.spears@alexcityoutlook.com

Marketing Consultants

Marilyn Hawkins marilyn.hawkins@thewetumpkaherald.com

Sheryl Jennings sheryl.jennings@tallasseetribune.com