I Have A Dream: A Salute To
The Life Of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.
This collaborative mural honoring the
life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will
be on exhibit at the Kentucky Library
and Museum Jan. 6th – Feb. 26th
2006 in Bowling Green, KY.
The mural “I Have A Dream: A Salute To The Life Of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., is a collaboration of six local African American
artists: Glen Bolling, Thelma Green, Granville Mitchell, Vonda
Victor, Alice Gatewood-Waddell and Thomas Whitrow. The mural
is an 18 ft. long acrylic painting on canvas, and each artist painted
a 36 X 45 section of the mural representing different times in the
life of Dr.King.
Alice GatewoodWaddell depicts
the birthplace of
Dr. Martin King,
Jr., his early
childhood years,
parents and
family. It reflects
the influence of
his father’s
church.
Alice Gatewood-Waddell
A native of Bowling Green, KY, Alice
Gatewood Waddell has developed an artistic
style that appears to a variety of collectors.
Primarily known for her mixed media designs,
Waddell seeks to incorporate positive
messages regarding family, unity, and
spiritual celebration to both move and inspire
the viewer.
A formally trained artist, Waddell obtained a
BFA, with a concentration in painting, from
Western Kentucky University. Waddell
teaches art classes, gives private lessons,
and conducts workshops for children and
adults. Waddell’s work is included in many
local and national corporate and
organizational collections.
Vonda Victor
represents Dr. King’s
education with degrees
from Morehead
College, Crozer
Theological Seminary,
and Boston University.
Represented also are
his marriage to Coretta
Scott and his four
children, Yolanda
Denise, Martin Luther
III, Dexter Scott, and
Bernice Albertine.
Vonda K. Victor
Victor has been part of the Bowling
Green community for 18 years. She is
a 1990 WKU graduate with a BA in
graphic design and has participated in
several local art exhibitions. She owns
Monograms and More in down-town
Bowling Green, which offers
monogramming, glass etching and
graphic design services.
Victor works in several mediums
including, acrylic paint, calligraphy,
stained glass, and fabrics. She
receives incredible joy from calligraphy
of inspirational scriptures for homes
and churches. She also produced a
commissioned stained glass pieces for
a business in her hometown of
Hopkinsville and worked for her
sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. One of her
proudest moments was to provide a
piece for Bishop Vashti McKenzie.
Granville
Mitchell’s canvas
shows historic
Freedom Riders
civil rights
activities and the
violent action
taken against
them.
Granville Mitchell
Mitchell, a Bowling Green
native, is a self-taught artist.
He is an assistant ticket
agent at the Bowling Green
Greyhound Bus Lines.
Mitchell discovered his love
of painting in high school and
he prefers working in oil.
Mitchell’s vibrant work
captures movement, the
dynamic of life. You can see
other examples of Mitchell’s
work on display at Barnes
and Noble through the month
of February.
Thomas Withrow’s
work illustrates
King’s civil rights
work with marches,
sit-ins, and protests
as well as images of
atrocities inflicted on
King and other civil
rights supporters.
Thomas Withrow
Withrow has had many different
jobs in his lifetime but art has
always been an important part of
his life. He received formal art
education at Western Kentucky
University, but developed a
reputation as a portrait artist
through trial and error, working
mostly with pastels and charcoals.
Withrow enjoys working with oils
and acrylics, as well as screenprinting and occasionally sign
painting. Withrow feels fortunate
to possess a God-given gift that
he will enjoy all his life.
Glenn Bolling
paints of historic
speeches, King’s
accolades
including the Nobel
Peace Prize. The
work also shows
men who
influenced and
were influenced by
Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Glen Bolling
Bolling is a Bowling Green
native and is part of the
Western Kentucky University
family. He has enjoyed doing
art all his life. He considers
himself a muralist and
became interested in mural
work while working as a wall
painter in Michigan. Bolling
took a couple of basic art
classes when living in
Michigan.
Examples of Bolling’s work
can be viewed inside at Trinity
Baptist Church and on a wall
at Ragland Lane. Bolling has
collaborated with local artists
doing mural work in Bowling
Green including working with
Delaire Rowe at Parker
Bennett Community Center.
Thelma Green’s
painting with an
image of the
Lorranne Hotel
where King was
shot is an also an
epitaph as she
depicts King in
front of the
"mountain top."
Thelma L. Green
A self taught artist, Green, a native
of Warren County was born in
Wooodburn. She always loved
drawing and would practice on any
found material including brown
paper bags, cardboard, plaster
board, and even the bedroom walls.
After graduating from Warren
Central High School she finished
two semesters at Western Kentucky
University.
In 2004 Green took a painting class
under Neil Peperis. The painting
class reaffirmed her love of art as
she has been painting and entering
local art exhibitions since. Green’s
work is part of the Kentucky
Museum’s collection and currently
on display on the 5th Floor of
Cravens.
•
,
?
•