Mobile Arts Council

Introducing competitor number three Christy Callaghan LeGros!

Professionally, Christy has been teaching since 1997. She was the 23-24 Mobile County Middle School teacher of the Year, The U.S. Air & Space Force District Teacher of the Year and Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies Teacher of the Year. She has also received two Arty Awards for Arts Educator from Mobile Arts Council and was selected as the 2005-2006 Alabama Secondary Art Educator, and the THS Teacher of the Year for 2006-2007. Christy also received a Nappie Award in 2013 for the Best Local Artist. Not only does she teach art, but she practices and has artwork in six countries including Italy, Japan, Australia, Poland, Slovakia, and the U.S.

Like she often tells her students, you can't win if you don't enter. Witness art educators compete against each other at The Throwdown September 26! This event is a 90-minute competition testing their diverse creativity with mystery components to create works of art to be auctioned off during the evening!

Grab your tickets now on the Mobile Arts Council website (https://event.gives/throwdown12) and donate to her fundraiser page to help her get the mystery box advantage, here: https://mobilearts.app.neoncrm.com/christy

Due to the tropical storm conditions our Gallery at Room 1927 will remain closed for today and will re-open tomorrow if weather permits. Stay dry and safe out there Mobile!

The celebration of National Arts Education Week continues with a visit to the classroom of Throwdown competitor, Katie Thompson! Seeing Katie in her element at Semmes Middle School got us extra excited to witness what she will create in front of our live audience at The Twelfth Annual Throwdown!

Thank you, Katie, for dedicating so much of your life to arts education and believing in the power it provides students in our Mobile County Public Schools!

Don't wait! Get your tickets at the link below to cheer on Katie and the rest of our competing arts educators! See you on September 26th!

https://event.gives/throwdown12

Happy National Arts Education Week! To help us celebrate, meet Soynika Edwards-Bush!

Soynika is an Alabama native, professional artist, and educator. She has worked for ACCEL Day and Evening Academy, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama, Amp Up Arts, and now Floretta P. Carson Visual and Performing Arts Academy.

Pictured here is a mural Soynika created with her Amp Up Arts students at Chastang-Fournier K-8 School. She has completed a number of murals and has had solo and group exhibitions along the Southeast coast.

We are grateful to have Soynika as a competitor in The Throwdown this year. In this thrilling live art competition, five passionate artists will have 90 minutes to create original masterpieces, using a mystery item they won’t see until the event. To help Soynika get first pick from the mystery box, check out and support her fundraiser page here: https://mobilearts.app.neoncrm.com/soynika

We regret to inform you that our Urban Plein Air experience is postponed due to the expected rain tomorrow. We will update you with the new workshop times and dates soon. In the meantime, don't miss Artwalk next Friday, where we'll celebrate the opening reception of "On the Waterfront" by PleinAirSouth artists.
Stay tuned for more details!

Mobile Arts Council is grateful for the opportunity to partner with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District to help beautify their new space with fabulous local art!

Visual artists in the Mobile Bay area: be on the lookout in the coming weeks for applications posted on our website to be featured in their beautiful new building in downtown Mobile. There is potential for 6 artists to be chosen for this paid opportunity. Contact [email protected] with any questions!

Meet Katie Thompson! With her boundless enthusiasm for life, art, and teaching, Katie is bringing her vibrant energy to The Throwdown. Originally from California and the daughter of a pilot, Katie’s world is all about color, joy, and making connections. After 30 years of being a high school English teacher and a destination wedding planner, she’s now living her childhood dream as a full-time artist in a downtown Mobile studio that feels like a NYC 60's loft.

In this thrilling live art competition, five passionate artists will have 90 minutes to create original masterpieces, using a mystery item they won’t see until the event. To help Katie get first pick from the mystery box, check out and support her fundraiser page here: https://mobilearts.app.neoncrm.com/katie

Middle School

# 251Artist

We're grateful to Governor Kay Ivey for sharing our Amp Up Arts work with Mobile County Public Schools and Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama!!

Featured in the Governor's post is our work at Chastang-Fournier K-8 School and Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama.

Arts education matters!

Thank you to Alabama State Council on the Arts, our fabulous teaching-artists, and to all of our donors who make this work possible!

Mobile City Council Sandy Stimpson

The Throwdown is the Mobile Arts Council’s largest annual fundraising event. Proceeds go towards supporting our mission: to enrich the quality of life in the greater Mobile area through increasing accessibility to the arts and promoting a vibrant cultural community.

For the past twelve years, local artists have sought out to compete in this unique live art competition. The event features ­five competitors that have 90 minutes to create original works of art from a shared supply table and a mystery box. This year we are highlighting art educators!
Attendees watch art in action and have the opportunity to take these pieces home by participating in a live auction at the end of the night. Additionally, the 11th Annual Throwdown champion, Brian Tan, will compete to defend his title. This year’s event will take place at The Temple in Downtown Mobile on September 26th, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Surely you have passed this unique statue on the corner of St. Francis and Joachim St.
This awe-inspiring piece of public art is "Heavenly Metal," by artist Bruce Larsen.

The City of Mobile and the Mobile Arts Council have partnered together to create an interactive map highlighting dozens of fantastic public artworks in Downtown Mobile.
From unique sculptures and breathtaking murals to hand-painted utility boxes and the Mobile Bay Oyster Trail, there is a wide variety of artwork throughout Mobile’s downtown. The Mobile Public Art Experience chronicles all of those works — more than 70 pieces of art — in one easy-to-use online map. It’s perfect for visitors exploring the city and locals who want to find all of Mobile’s public works of art.

Developed by the City of Mobile’s GIS Department, the map features the names, locations and details of the public artworks that contribute to downtown Mobile’s rich character. The Mobile Arts Council also worked to compile information about these various pieces and the artists behind them.

Congratulations to our August Member of the month, Mobile Botanical Gardens!

Mobile Botanical Gardens mission is to provide experiences that help visitors of all ages appreciate and benefit from our unique Gulf Coast environment. The Gardens serve as a living classroom for residents and visitors alike. By providing a sense of place, we endeavor to instill passion for nature, and to preserve, protect, and present the unique plants of the Gulf Coast region.

Mobile Botanical Gardens is a vibrant hub for nature enthusiasts and gardeners, offering a diverse range of classes and events for all ages. Whether you're interested in oyster gardening, nature journaling for homeschoolers, or botanical art with the talented Derek Norman, there's something for everyone. Don’t miss the chance to explore handmade artisan goods in their gift shop or witness controlled burns like the one in the Longleaf Pine Treasure Forest.

Mark your calendar for the Fall Plant Sale from October 24-26, 2024, and the Holiday Market on December 6-7, 2024. These events promise to bring natural beauty and festive cheer to the community. For more details and to explore additional programming opportunities, sign up for a class or to become a member be sure to visit their website at https://mobilebotanicalgardens Botanical Gardens

Mobile Arts Council is pleased to present our August Artist Member of the month, Mayssam Iskandar
Born in Lebanon in 1988, Mayssam moved to Germany in 2006 to study art and digital graphic design. Since relocating to the U.S. in 2015, she has continued to develop her art, teaching private lessons, hosting paint parties, and participating in art shows. Mayssam primarily works with watercolors and oils, with a passion for painting portraits.

Participating in our members’ exhibition, competing in our Arts Throwdown, and generously sharing her expertise with art enthusiasts—Mayssam is truly an amazing contributor to our community. Thank you for all your passion and for sharing your talents with us!

Mobile Arts Council would like to wish a very special shoutout to Bryant Whelan, the Members' Choice winner, for Botanica! Our members, who are the backbone of our creative community, cast their votes to award a singular piece in this exhibit and Bryant came out on top.

Bryant Whelan is a Fairhope artist whose work reflects her fascination with natural forms, their shapes and intrinsic beauty. Her mixed media process combines drawing and painting with stitching, photography, collage and printmaking on paper and fabric. Whelan receiver her BFA from Auburn University, exhibits in galleries and museums along the Gulf Coast, and has won numerous awards for her work.

Additional congratulations to our Honorable Mention, and Dempsey & Litchfield Award winners! We are proud to celebrate the diverse range of mediums represented, including traditional oil painting, digital art, and photography. Each artist has brought something unique to the show, showcasing their talent and creativity across various forms.

Special kudos to our Honorable Mentions: Prickly Pear Harvest by Zak Todd and Undine by Ben Kaiser. Congratulations to Micah Mermilliod for winning the Dempsey & Litchfield Award with Mobile Fair Carousels.

Congratulations to the winners of our 2024 Members' Show! These incredible artists showcased exceptional creativity, technique, talent, and discipline in their pieces, earning the top honors for Best in Show. Well done to our first, second, and third place awardees!

In first place we have When Life Begins by Elsa Payton, in second place Ashia by Mayssam Iskandar, and third place Good Brush by JoAnn Cox.

The third annual Membership Appreciation Art Walk was a blast! Despite the heat, everyone beat the odds and contributed to a fun, exciting night for all. Congratulations to all our awarded artists.

A huge thank you to our dedicated vendors, volunteers, and art lovers for making the event such a success, also a very special shoutout to Mike Kittrell, Kevin Lazarus, Joshua Hopper and Ransom Phelps, for the fantastic photos📸!

Please join MAC in welcoming our newest staff member, Community Engagement Coordinator, Jessica Jones!

Jessica is joining us from Colorado Springs where she served as the Events & Marketing Director at Cottonwood Center for the Arts.

Jones brings with her six years of nonprofit arts experience, and a distinct passion for the arts in the greater Mobile community. Her wealth of knowledge is sure to be invaluable to Mobile Arts Council.

Outside of work Jessica is a wife, mother and visual artist. As a primarily self taught artist she finds herself working with a wide array of mediums and subject matters, with multiple solo exhibitions along the front range. She is eager to continue her artistic career and create lasting impactful connections within her new home while supporting the already existing talent of the Bay Area.

Visiting family often throughout her childhood, Jessica has a deep love and appreciation for our great city, and cannot wait to be a part of the arts and culture that makes Mobile vibrant.

We are beyond thrilled to have her on board, and look forward to the amazing contributions Jessica will no doubt make to our team.

Please join us for a very special evening of celebrating our MAC Members!
Our 3rd Annual Members’ Appreciation Night will be held in conjunction with August ArtWalk on Friday, August 9th from 6-9 p.m. Hear the sounds of the legendary Excelsior Band, sip on libations by Braided River Brewing Company, and enjoy catering by Greer’s St. Louis Market in honor of our fabulous Members.
This night will be doubly special as we will announce the juried awards for our annual MAC Members’ Show. You do not want to miss this exhibition, showing at Gallery @ Room 1927 through the end of August.
Mobile Arts Council exists to support and facilitate the arts in our community, and we could not do that without the help of our members. We hope to see you dancing on Joachim Street with us in celebration of the arts being alive in Mobile!

Step back into the 90's at LODA ArtWalk in Downtown Mobile from 6 to 9 p.m. this Friday!

This event will highlight creatives within our community, including visual artists, musical performers, local restaurants, art galleries, small businesses, and more.

LODA Night Market vendors will be set up along Dauphin St., between Franklin and Hamilton St., from 6 to 9 p.m. Woodworking, jewelry, paintings, pottery, and more can be found amongst this month’s vendors.

The Performance Zone will feature PowerLines Poetry at 6:30.

Congratulations to inaugural Poet Laureate of Mobile, Charlotte Pence!

The Academy of American Poets is awarding a combined total of $1.1 million to twenty-two 2024 Poet Laureate Fellows to lead public poetry programs in their communities including our very own Charlotte Pence.

Charlotte Pence is an award-winning author for pieces such as Code & Many Small Fires. She will be utilizing her awarded 50k to offering poetry workshops for incarcerated and paroled teens at Mobile's Strickland Youth Center. At the end of the 2024-25 school year these students will be celebrated with a published print anthology and ceremony attended by local and state officials. Charlotte's project will join Alabama Writer's Forum Writing Our Stories Program that aids youth intwined in the judicial system.

Again, congratulations to Charlotte Pence on this well-deserved honor! It’s fantastic to see such a talented poet and author using her platform and resources to make a meaningful impact in her community, amplifying the voices of those who often go unheard. This initiative not only enriches the literary landscape but also supports important social change.

photography credit: Kim Lovvorn

We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the artists, art organizations, art teachers, and administrators who joined us for the Amp Up Arts networking event on July 18th at our Gallery @ Room 1927. Your participation and enthusiasm made the event a great success, fostering valuable new connections within our growing creative community.

Are you passionate about supporting arts education in Mobile County Public Schools, or interested in teaching with us? Feel free to contact us at [email protected]. Find out more about our partnership with Amp Up Arts by clicking the “programs” tab on our website!

Thank you once again for being a part of this special gathering!

Harley Bell has completed her stunning utility box artwork! After three days of hard work, she’s transformed it into a striking black and white piece that highlights the wildlife and landscape of our region. This eye-catching display is now installed in downtown Mobile, at the corner of S Claiborne St and Government St.

To explore more of the Public Art Experience, simply scan the QR code on the box. You can also follow Harley's artistic journey on Instagram to see more of her incredible work.

Join Us for Members' Appreciation Night during August ArtWalk!

We’re thrilled to invite you to our Third Annual Members' Appreciation Night on Friday, August 9th. This event marks the second month of our member exhibition, showcasing the incredible local talent that makes our community shine. An awards ceremony will be held at 7:30 p.m. at MAC's Gallery @ Room 1927 to honor these amazing artists.

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the unique artwork and handmade wares available at our Arts & Crafts Vendor Market. It’s your support as artists and art patrons that fuels the vibrant art culture in our community. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Works featured here:
Beholder by Vanessa Quintana
Relics by Mike Kittrell
Soul by Savannah Mercer
Memorial by Amanda Youngblood

Congratulations to our July Organization Member of the Month, Dauphin Island Heritage and Arts Council!

Dauphin Island Heritage and Arts Council, Inc. (DIHAC) is a federal 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization formed in 2013 serving South Mobile County. DIHAC’s mission is to provide educational opportunities in the arts, and to increase public awareness of the rich history and heritage of South Mobile County.

In 2013, DIHAC founded the Dauphin Island Gallery, one of the first fine art galleries in South Mobile County. Since then, the arts community has grown substantially, including two art galleries and several other art venues. In 2021, Dauphin Island Gallery became a separate “for profit” entity and offers original art by over 55 artists.
As a nonprofit charitable organization, DIHAC offers a diverse range of art classes, workshops, and music lessons. For a listing of current classes, visit DIHAC’s website.

DIHAC also hosts the annual Dauphin Island Native American Festival at Historic Fort Gaines to celebrate the area’s Native American history that dates back thousands of years. The Gulf Seafood Gala is DIHAC’s annual primary fundraiser, highlighting local seafood and the multi-generational legacies and cultures surrounding it. Be sure to like and follow DIHAC on Facebook and Instagram () and subscribe to their newsletter to stay up to date on these and other classes and events!

Due to a private event, MAC's Gallery @ Room 1927 will close early Wednesday, July 24th and remain closed through Thursday, July 25th.

All normal business hours will resume on Friday, July 26th.

Please join us for a very special evening of celebrating our MAC Members!

Our 3rd Annual Members' Appreciation Night will be held in conjunction with August ArtWalk on Friday, August 9th from 6-9 p.m. Hear the sounds of the legendary Excelsior Band 1883, sip on libations by Braided River Brewing Co., and enjoy catering by Greer's St. Louis Market in honor of our fabulous Members.

This night will be doubly special as we will announce the juried awards for our annual MAC Members’ Show. You do not want to miss this exhibition, showing at Gallery @ Room 1927 through the end of August.

Mobile Arts Council exists to support and facilitate the arts in our community, and we could not do that without the help of our Members. We hope to see you dancing on Joachim Street with us in celebration of the arts being alive in Mobile!