Check out the reception for the latest Regional Art Alliance show on Super Bowl Sunday

"Chickamauga Sunset" by Eddie Laney.
"Chickamauga Sunset" by Eddie Laney.

If you go

› What: Reception for “Celebrating the Seasons” by Regional Art Alliance› When: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 (exhibit continues through March 29; center hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday)› Where: North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Drive, Hixson› Phone: 423-870-8924› Online: www.Facebook.com/RAAwTalent

Wilma Laney is a member of the Regional Art Alliance, but you won't find her work on the walls in the latest exhibition, "Celebrating the Seasons," on view at the North River Civic Center. Or any exhibition, for that matter.

She dabbles occasionally, she says, but it's her husband, Eddie Laney, who's the artist in the family. She's more support staff, someone with clerical and administrative experience who has handled the group's newsletter since September 1999, about four months after she and Eddie joined the group.

photo "Italian Rose Window" by John Alvis.

"The person who was doing the newsletter had given it up, and they didn't have anybody who would take it over," she recalls. "And Eddie said, 'If I volunteer, will you help me with it?' I thought he would dictate what he wanted in it to me, and we'd go from there."

A few weeks later, with his first installment due, Eddie turned to his wife and said, "Have you got the newsletter done?"

She laughs at the memory and says Eddie has come through on a few newsletters over the years. But mostly he concentrates on his creative output. He's one of eight artists who have 52 pieces on display through the end of March at the Hixson community center.

Others participating in the show are John Alvis, Garren Hall, Cindy McCashin, Faye Pryor, Vrij Singh, Brent Templeton and Wanda Thompson.

Laney says there was no limit on the number of pieces each artist could display, so "some have as few as three pieces and some as many as 15." Their media include acrylics, oils and watercolors.

A reception with the artists is scheduled 2-4 p.m. Sunday. The exhibition opened Jan. 7, but the group decided to delay the meet-the-artists reception until midway through the show when everyone's schedules were freer.

"Then we realized we were on Super Bowl Sunday," she says, "but we're hoping we'll be OK since [the reception is] early in the day."

The artists had wide latitude in interpreting the show's theme, she says, so the works aren't necessarily about holiday or meteorological seasons. There are also interpretations of "seasons of life," such as one group of paintings of aging cars.

"It's a variety of things," Laney says. "Whatever 'seasons' means to the artist."

photo "Majestic Splendor" by Faye Pryor.

Chartered in 1980, the Regional Art Alliance has about 30 members, Laney says. They meet once a month, at 6 p.m. on third Tuesdays, at the East Ridge Community Center, 1517 Tombras Ave. They welcome artists of all skill levels, as well as art lovers who want to learn more. Members rely on each other for critiques and advice, and they often have guest artists provide educational demonstrations to further their craft.

Other exhibitions this year include two at Life Care Center of Hixson [late May and November], Morning Pointe of Hixson [August] and Garden Plaza of Greenbriar Cove in Ooltewah [September].

The continuing exhibitions keep the artists busy, Laney says. "They get to paint some new things and hang them up to see if anybody wants to take [the paintings] home and put them on their walls."

Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.

photo "Oil Change" by Garren Hall.

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