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Sarah Carlisle Towery 2007 Articles

Art icon passes away at 94

By Kevin Taylor

A kindergarten teacher by profession, Sarah Carlisle Towery had two loves: children and art.

She combined the two for many of her 94 years through teaching.

She would teach kindergarten students in her home in the mornings and then give art lessons in the afternoons.

"The happiest days of my life were spent with the children," she said in a published article in LAKE magazine. "I love when former students come and visit."

An icon in Alexander City and the state, Towery passed away Thursday afternoon in her home.

Funeral services will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, but the location is unknown as of presstime on Thursday. Interment will follow in the city cemetery.

Towery taught art at the Demonstration School at the University of Alabama and at Southern Union State Community College in Wadley. She studied her craft at art colonies and schools throughout the United States, Europe and Mexico. In 1999 Gov. Don Siegelman presented her The Alabama Governor's Award for the Arts.

Before passing Towery was working on a painting she called Homage to Josef Albers.

Albers' flat colored squares are painted on the right corner of the canvas in shades of blue, white, pink, and yellow. A large vase of white flowers covers the canvas' left side. A few yellow and pink blooms are gathered with the white flowers.

"I'm using the circles of the flowers to offset the Albers' squares," she told LAKE magazine while running her fingers over the canvas. "I thought I would do a painting where the circles and the squares would work together and not compete. I think it's almost finished but I think the center of this flower needs more yellow," she said critiquing her own work. "Don't you think so?"

Towery, for whom the Towery Art Coloney is named, has some of her work throughout Alexander City. There are seven murals throughout locals like Special Services Vending, First United Methodist Church, and Stephens Elementary's lunchroom.

And Towery's work served as a continued inspiration for fellow artists.

"Her love of art and her words of wisdom have touched so many people," Catie Radney told LAKE magazine. "I admire her passion for art. She is truly inspiring!"

 

Art Colony keeps founder's spirit alive

By Patrick McCreless

Sarah Carlisle Towery may have passed on but her creative, artistic spirit was alive and flourishing this year at the art colony bearing her name.

More than 30 artists from across the country participated in this year's Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony, which is held every year at Children's Harbor. The event was old-hat for some while for others, the colony was more like a new adventure.

"It's unreal," said Bill Strain, who came from Scottsboro, Ga. this year to participate in the art colony for the first time. "It's a great opportunity to spend a week with 40 artists and instructors. And it is well managed and well organized. They know what they're doing."

The Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony, which has been held for the last 15 years, began in 1992 as a birthday get-together for Towery.

Since then, the art colony has developed into a large retreat for artists to come to work and learn together without telephones or the interruptions of modern life.

Towery, who was a local artist and teacher, died on Aug. 16 in her Alexander City home. She was 94.

Strain said he has always been interested in art and painting but never really had a chance to pursue his passion. Now that he is retired however, Strain said he is dedicating all his time to art.

"I'm eaten up with art," Strain said. "I will be back. It has really been wonderful."

For Antonia Adams of Marietta, Ga., this year was her third time to attend the art colony. Although she did not know Towery personally, Adams said she saw the artist many times at previous colonies.

"She was amazing," Adams said. "She would always make a comment ... speak to everyone ... that would always mean so much."

A former high school art teacher who now works in the clothing design business, Adams said the art colony gives her the opportunity to expand her artistic skills.

"I've been a very tight painter ... I'm trying to be looser," Adams said as she wiped off excess paint from a canvas.

Barbara Simpson, who is a freelance artist and has been to the art colony four times, said she came this year to try and change her artistic approach.

"I'm trying to get out of a rut," she said.

Like Adams, Simpson also did not personally know Towery but was still impressed by her whenever she came to an art colony.

"She was somebody who inspired ... and her work is awesome," Simpson said.

 

Arts Colony to remember, celebrate its late namesake in Oct.

By Patrick McCreless

Virginia Bradshaw misses her old friend and mentor Sarah Carlisle Towery but is comforted knowing the art colony created in her honor will continue for years to come.

"She worried a lot that it might not continue after her death," Bradshaw said. "But this year is a good indication that it will."

The Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony, which has been held for the last 15 years at Children's Harbor, began in 1992 as a birthday get-together for Towery. Since then, the art colony has developed into a large retreat for artists to come to work and learn together without telephones or the interruptions of modern life.

This year will be the first time the art colony will be held without its namesake. Towery, who was a local artist and teacher, died on Aug. 16 in her Alexander City home. She was 94.

Bradshaw, who knew Towery for 56 years and has participated in all the art colonies, said this year's event would have over 30 participants.

"I think it's shaping up real good," Bradshaw said.

The colony will be held from Oct. 1-5 and like every year it will feature two well-trained artists as instructors. Next week the event will feature guest instructors Patt Odom of Mississippi and Darius Hill of Birmingham. While this will be the first year for Hill, it will be the second year for Odom.

"I'm very excited about the workshops I'm in," Bradshaw said. "I think he'll (Hill) be an exciting teacher with a new direction."

The colony will feature several art sessions as it does every year, but due to Towery's death, the event will also feature a few new additions. Bradshaw said the colony would be giving many more art scholarships this year than in previous years as a tribute to Towery.

"We're giving more just this year," Bradshaw said.

In addition, a special memorial service for Towery will be held during the art colony on Oct. 4 in the chapel at Children's Harbor. Several pieces of Towery's artwork will be displayed at that time.

To Bradshaw, the colony shows no signs of slowing down.

"We're just real excited it's still going on and appreciate the support from the city and the community," she said.

 

Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony earns grant

By Patrick McCreless

Sarah Carlisle Towery may have passed on but the art colony created in her honor 15 years ago will continue well into the future.

The colony will continue on this year thanks to a recent grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Last week, the council awarded 168 grants totaling $2.5 million to support arts in education, folk art, community, literature, performing and visual arts programs this year. The council makes grants to non-profit organizations, universities, cities and a wide range of community groups. The Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony received $2,500 of the grant money.

"We are using it to help with the colony as far as instructors fees," said Catie Radney, board president of the art colony.

Radney said this year was only the third time the colony had received the grant. She said the art colony typically functions on money donated from people in the community.

"The grant, we're really excited about it," Radney said.

Towery, who was a local artist and teacher, died on Aug. 16 in her Alexander City home. She was 94.

The art colony began in 1992 as a birthday get-together for Towery. Since then, the art colony, which is held at Children's Harbor, has developed into a large retreat for artists to come to work and learn together without telephones or the interruptions of modern life. Every year, the colony has two well-trained artists to come and act as instructors.

This year's art colony, which will be held from Oct. 1-5, will feature guest instructors Patt Odom of Mississippi and Darius Hill of Birmingham. While this will be the first year for Hill, it will be the second year for Odom.

Typically, there are several sessions during the art colony in which attendees paint nearby Lake Martin, a practice that Radney said would continue this year despite the lake's abnormally low water level.

"It will be fine ... we'll just have more land to paint," Radney said with a laugh.

Due to Towery's death, Radney said a special memorial service would be held during the art colony on Oct. 4 at the chapel at Children's Harbor.

"We're going to put some of her artwork out," Radney said. "We invite anybody who wants to come."

Those who wish to sign up for the colony can do so at www.alartcolony.org or call Catie Radney at 212-9555.

Sarah Carlisle Towery

Oct. 4, 1911 - Aug. 16, 2007

Mrs. Sarah Carlisle Towery died Thursday in her beloved Alexander City hillside home, which she designed and where she taught and painted for 50 years. She was born Oct. 4, 1911, one of twelve children of Washington Homer and Artimisha Motley Carlisle. Sarah's kindergarten and art classes in her home were enjoyed by many of today's community leaders.

In 1991, Sarah's children invited her art colleagues from around the world to Lake Martin to paint together and celebrate her 80th birthday. With the leadership and support of Alabama friends and the staff of Children's Harbor, this collaboration has continued for 17 years. The Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony on Lake Martin has met every October since.

With the World Art Workshop, which she helped establish, Sarah traveled extensively, working with teachers and master painters in Mexico, the Greek Isles, France, Ireland, Austria and Spain. Her studies included Black Mountain College, with Josef Albers and Jean Charlot; Penn State University with Viktor Lowenfeld; Provincetown with Hans Hofmann; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with James Pinto and Ed Osman.

Sarah leaves a son, F. Carlisle Towery and wife Susan of Irvington, NY, a daughter, Sarah G. Towery Wade and husband Clark of Atlanta, and Dr. Joseph L. Sampson, husband of her deceased daughter, Misha C. Towery Sampson of Wilmington, N.C. Her grandchildren are Beck Towery and Lee Towery, Mary Virginia Bergman, Maia Davis, Luke Sampson III, Benjamin Sampson and Lauren Wade. She leaves 15 great grandchildren and two brothers, W. Homer Carlisle, Jr., and wife, Ruth, and W. Herman Carlisle and wife, Marie and many nieces and nephews.