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About Russell Faxon
A letter from the artist:
As a resident artist a few years ago at a K-3 elementary school, I posed the question to my students: What is an artist and what is art? Not knowing what kind of response I would receive. One little girl summed up the answer by saying, “an artist is someone who makes really neat stuff and makes lots of money!”
In a moment of bewilderment I thought, maybe that is the consensus of thought in the public as well. After I regained my composure, I told her that I thought an artist is someone who shares part of themselves with others.
Art is really the sharing of our thoughts, observations, experiences and interpretations of living, whether it be whimsical or thought provoking. We share ourselves with others through what we do. Some people share through drawing or painting, dance or literature, theater or sculpture, or even sitting down with a new friend.
The lasting impact we have on others is not always in the object created, but it’s in the communication we share that will be remembered, no matter what language we speak.
If we share ourselves with others, in what ever medium we choose, we have shared a most precious gift that can affect many, a few or one, if one cares to do so.
After all, who really wants to be a “stuff maker”?
— Russell Faxon
About Summer Song
The unveiling of Summer Song
The Tullahoma Arts Center paid homage to a part of Tullahoma’s history with the unveiling of a bronze statue on October 17, 1999. The statue was financed with a $5,000 grant through the Tennessee Arts Commission and with public donations.
Lucy Hollis said the statue is an ideal way to commemorate the past. “We feel such a commitment to the history of the area and especially the history which relates to the arts,” Hollis said. “While she doesn’t have a palette in her hand per se, I think the artistic quality of the piece speaks for itself.”
Bell Buckle artist Russell Faxon created the piece, entitled Summer Song. Faxon is well known for his realistic bronze sculpture, such as the Korean War Memorial at the Tennessee Legislative Plaza and the statues of Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Center director Lucy Hollis said it was Faxon’s style of work and reputation that made him the ideal choice to create a piece of art which would capture the attention of the public, while focusing on a link with the center’s past.
Artist’s website: www.russfaxon.com
Created with a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission Hosted by MidTnn.net Design by Russel Mobley
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