Shoals Culture
News and Updates
I've been scattering news and announcements throughout the site, but decided that is probably a bit cumbersome for the return viewer so I'm going to try to start collecting those tidbits here.
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Recent Press for the Shoals Area |
Budget Travel- 10 Coolest Small Towns - Tuscumbia, Ala. by Anne Kristoff, September 2007 Nashville Lifestyles - The perfect late-summer weekend is just a short drive from home (The Shoals/Ashville NC) by Where to Retire - May/June issue, copies are available for purchase online. Food and Wine - Alabama’s Best Covered-Dish Dinner, February 2007 |
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Florence Slam - October 2007 |
| Newcomer
JT Bullock has organized a monthly Poetry Slam at Rivertown Coffee, 117
N. Seminary St., Florence. The event takes place the third Friday
of every month. More Information: Florence Slam |
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New - The Legacy Gallery - October 2007 |
 The
new Legacy Gallery is a fine art gallery and also provides photo
services such as digital scanning and restoration. The gallery is
owned by Allen Peters and Vicki Pace and is located at 2801 Mall Road,
Florence. The web site is under construction www.legacyphotoandscan.com
Photographs of the grand opening are below.
For more information email mellmee@bellsouth.net |
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New Artist's Live Work Space in Leighton - October 2007 |
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community of Leighton is just a stones throw south-east of Muscle
Shoals. Ken and Noelle Smith recently announced that they have
purchased a building in downtown Leighton and that they are converting the
space in to Artist's Live Work Studios. Please check back for
pictures and details. Some information about Ken and Noelle is
below.
Noelle Smith teaches belly dancing. Her web site: www.wiporwil.com Ken Smith does performance art with fire. Check out video of his "Zippo" at Bonaroo. |
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New Center - Digital Arts Shoals - August 2007 |
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shared facility for digital arts businesses with support from the Shoals
Entrepreneurial Center is under way in Sheffield. Office space is
available at extremely competitive rates for those involved in the
digital arts such as Web masters, movie makers, still photographers,
video editors and graphic artists. The grand opening is scheduled
for November. Photographs and more info shortly.
See the Times Daily article: Shoals Entrepreneurial Center will go digital |
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Movie Announcement - Paul Justman - July 2007 |
Director Paul Justman has announced plans to start shooting a film about the Shoals Music Industry. Filming is scheduled to begin in November.
Times Daily - The announcement covered by the local paper. Standing in the Shadows of Motown - Yahoo Video - A selection of music videos directed by Justman. His brother is Seth Justman of the J. Guiles Band and he has directed a number of their videos. |
| Kennedy-Douglass Center Acquires New Building June 2007 |
 In
early 2007 Charles E. Moore gave the ancestral home of his deceased wife
Mary Eliza Southall to the City of Florence to be used as a
museum. The property is located adjacent to the Kennedy-Douglass
Center for the Arts, making an arts complex of three
buildings. The house, a Queen Anne Victorian, was built in
1890. According to historical architecture consultants Gail
Winkler, Ph.D. FASID and Richard Moss, Ph.D.,"This is a fine house,
not a plain Jane and a wonderful house for the city to preserve,
illustrating a type of architecture from this period in  Florence."
The above information was provided by Barbara Broach museum director. The photo at right shows some of the work that has begun on the grounds. The landscaping will tie all three properties of the center together and unify the center. |
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| New - The Route of Art Gallery - Updated August 2007 | |||
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The Route of Art Gallery is now open in Florence. They offer primarily
outsider, pop, and folk art. They have completely remodeled the building
interior and give the shopper a sleek urban setting in which to view the art.
Photographs are below and the web site is coming soon. Check out
the MySpace here: http://www.myspace.com/therouteofartgallery |
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2nd Half Studio - Updated July 2007 |
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  The
Old Firehouse in downtown Sheffield recently sold to Steve Turner and
his partner Sherry Smith. Steve (aka: Papa T) is a musician and
plans to use the building as a home base for guided tours of music
history sites throughout the Shoals. Steve produced
son Christian
Turner's first album which will be released later this year.
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 This
wonderful 3 story building in downtown Florence has been purchased by
Pat Harris of Harris Interior Design in Atlanta. The photo at left
was taken after she professionally cleaned the facade of the
building. What a difference from the photo
above. She is currently
turning the top 2 floors in to 12 loft apartments. She is also investigating options for the store front. Anyone interested in
renting space should contact John Rusevlyan at ProSouth Realty (256)
366-1627. Click HERE
for a .pdf brochure.
This is a wonderful building and Shoals residents are anxious to see the renovations that Ms. Harris has planned. |
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Rosetta Stone of Florence Gallery - Updated Dec. 2006 |
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| Renovation
work has begun on the building above in downtown Florence. This
will be the home of the new Rosetta Stone Gallery of Florence.
This is the project of Los Angeles transplant Rose Baur. She has
been a Shoals resident for 4 years now and formerly owned a gallery in
Los Angeles. The second picture is of the side of the building
where large windows are being added for additional light. Baur
also recently produced the record South Muscle Shoals Revisited with
vocalist Helen Henderson. YEAH! It's open.
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Rosetta Stone Gallery |
Rosetta Stone Gallery |
Rosetta Stone Gallery |
Rosetta Stone Gallery |
Artists Gathering at Rosetta Stone |
Artists Gathering at Rosetta Stone |
Artists Gathering at Rosetta Stone |
Artists Gathering at Rosetta Stone |
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This wonderful 2 story building in downtown Florence was recently purchased by Kai and Carmen Erdmann. They were part owner/operators of the Rogers Erdmann Gallery in Los Angeles. The Erdmanns plan to open a similar creative enterprise in Florence. They are both sophisticated and dynamic and a welcome edition to the Shoals arts community. |
Self taught
artist Mellissa Meeks will be offering workshops at the gallery in the
near future. The workshops will feature pre-sketched canvases that
allow participants to complete a painting in a one session
workshop. 
