The Olde South Photography exhibit has been Extended

While change has certainly become a part of our everyday lives, with it comes the disappearance of pieces of our past. The landscape has changed and the heritage of those who worked the land and who created our traditions is now only visible on our back roads.

These were times of hard work, times of family strength, and times when stories were told on the porch at the end of the day. They were often dreams set into motion and then dashed by storms of Mother nature and by storms of mankind. Once gone, they do not return in their original form, and the stories told inside their walls fade with every new generation.

As Ansel Adams did for the National Parks of the West and as Clyde Butcher has done for the Everglades, Rick McAllister have tried to photograph and conserve structures that represent a part of our past here in the South. Black & white images that hopefully give these elders a little dignity as they fade from our landscapes. There are currently over 400 images in the series and they include Cracker cabins and barns, textile and sugar mills, plantations and estate ruins, churches and cemeteries, and forts and fortifications.

In addition to being part of the permanent collection in the Georgia Nick Gallery here in St. Augustine, and the HUB on Canal Gallery in New Smyrna Beach, they have been exhibited throughout the South and are a part of private and corporate collections throughout the United States. It is an honor to be able to exhibit The Olde South Series as a part of St. Johns County’s “Art in Public Spaces” program.

Historic City News readers can visit the St. Johns County Administration Building located at 500 San Sebastian View off of US-1 North, until April 11th and enjoy this exhibition in the Rotunda Gallery, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

St. Johns Cultural Council’s mission is to promote and enhance the local arts, heritage and cultural programs throughout the county. In pursuance of their role in promoting cultural activities throughout the county, the St. Johns Cultural Council sponsors multiple exhibits throughout the year, that are displayed in the Rotunda Gallery of the St. Johns Administration Building, with the opening receptions prior to the St. Johns County Commissioners meetings.

The St. Johns Cultural Council would like to thank the St. Johns County Board of Commissioners for their continued support of this Art in Public Places project.