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Folk Art Revealed
Written By: Laurel Magazine Staff | Issue: 2018/11 - November
It all started with a single face jug!
The owners of Around Back at Rocky’s Place, Tracey Burnette and Robin Blan, became collectors nearly 30 years ago. What started out as a face jug obsession quickly spread to paintings, then woodcarvings, metal pieces and so forth. With such a wide collection, they were asked to be pickers for a couple of galleries in the Atlanta area.
Then, collecting reached a new high when they discovered the work of John “Cornbread” Anderson. The folk art train doesn’t end there, but speeds up at a breakneck pace when the two established Around Back at Rocky’s Place in 2002. The gallery was born out of a dream and found its way to the backyard lawn mower shed. Repurposed as a gallery, this shed housed the works of 24 artists at its inception, with Cornbread being the mainstay. The growing list of artists necessitated the need for a much larger gallery space, adjacent to the original space. Now one can easily see the works of 300-plus artists to date.
The gallery prides itself on its quality of work. Some of what you will find on a visit to the physical gallery or on the online website include pottery from the leading folk pottery families in the Southeast. You will find work by the grandfathers of folk art, R. A. Miller, Howard Finster, Mose Tolliver and Jimmy Lee Sudduth. A large majority of artists, from all mediums have works in the Smithsonian and other major museums and collections around the world. Not only will you see work form these masters, but from new, emerging artists.
The gallery is not just a place to visit and buy cool folk art, but also it is a source for education. Over the years Rocky’s has hosted art classes taught by the actual folk artists for both adults and children. The gallery has also exhibited and shown in art centers and colleges in the North Georgia area and shown at festivals.
That’s but a brief history in Around Back at Rocky’s Place’s 16-year run. As they begin their 17th year, it’s anybody’s wonder what will be in store. Many folks from all over the United States make Rocky’s Place a destination. Don’t miss your opportunity to come by and see what it’s all about.
