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The following works of art were accessioned into the Gadsden Arts Center Permanent Collection in 2011.

Mary Proctor (b.1960)
Self-Portrait, n.d.
mixed media (broken glass on found window), 44.5" x 49" x 4.5"
Gift of Su Ecenia, 2011
2011.2

Mary Proctor often depicts herself in her artwork, but in this particular self-portrait she also includes writings about her struggles in life and her relationship with God. Proctor paints herself jumping in the air and holding hands above her head. Her mouth is open and seems to be exclaiming the words around her. Proctor adorns her dress and hat with brightly colored broken glass, and six angels float around the figure, each accompanied by a brightly shining sun. The piece is "begun" by the first lines written above the figure's head: "Have you ever saw a mirror that broke in pieces? That's how my life has been and only the lord is picking me [u]p and he is still mending my broken pieces back together". A self-proclaimed missionary, Proctor uses her artwork to communicate spiritual messages, such as "God is able to mend you if you trust him" and "God's still mending us". Proctor writes about the trying times in her life, like family members dying and her own failing health, and stresses how God is mending her, like the broken pieces of glass that adorn her portrait.

In the 1990s, Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida, replaced the windows in its historic building and, as a fundraiser, asked local artists to paint the old windows to sell at auction. Su Ecenia of Tallahassee purchased this window decorated by Mary Proctor at the fundraiser and donated it to the Gadsden Arts Center in 2011.

James Thigpen (b.1943)
QuincyFest I, 2010
oil on canvas, 23.5" x 15.7"
Gift of Capital City Trust Company, Tallahassee, Florida, 2011

2011.1

QuincyFest I is an oil painting created in 2010 by Quincy, Florida, native James Thigpen. The painting depicts a scene at the community event, QuincyFest, a Blues and Barbecue festival celebrated for the past few years in the historic downtown courthouse square in Quincy. Local residents walk among the large barbecue grills and tents where local merchants sell arts and crafts on a hazy afternoon in early May.

James Thigpen was born in the Sawdust neighborhood of Quincy, Florida. He majored in art at Florida A & M University and received a Master's Degree in Administration and Supervision from Florida Atlantic University in 1975. Thigpen worked for over 35 years as a school administrator and retried from the Broward County School system in 2001. Since retiring to Quincy, Thigpen has been an avid landscaper and gardener. Over the years, Thigpen has painted in various media including oil and acrylic and has also worked in pottery and clay sculpture.

QuincyFest I was accepted into the 22nd Annual Art in Gadsden Juried Exhibition of Fine Art and was exhibited at the Gadsden Arts Center in 2010. Randy Pople of the Capital City Trust Company, Tallahassee, Florida, purchased this painting and donated it to the Center in 2011.

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