A League Of Their Own

The quote, “Creativity takes courage,” comes from Henri Matisse, the French artist known for breaking artistic rules into his 80s. And courage is what it took for the Artists’ League of the Big Bend, formerly just The Artists’ League, to continue moving forward and making art after more than 30 years of progress were slowed by a global pandemic and the retirement of their fearless leader.

What began as a collaborative partnership between the community and the Florida State Museum of Fine Arts—championed by Allys Palladino-Craig, who stepped down in 2018—has grown into a multifaceted organization offering workshops, networking, exhibition opportunities, and other professional development resources for its members.

The artists who make up the league come from a wide variety of personal, intellectual, and artistic backgrounds. Some of the league’s most prominent members, who helped the organization in its period of transition, include Mary Liz Tippin-Moody, Terrie Corbett, Mark Fletcher, Viki Thompson Wylder, Perdita Ross, and Bob Jones. While navigating the landscape of the pandemic, these members worked with Tallahassee State College’s Barbara Cohenour, who arranged for the first exhibition as the Artists’ League of the Big Bend in the summer of 2020.

Photo by Erich Martin

Five years later, the league’s initiatives include professional development awards, Sketch Crawls, art education grants, a permanent collaboration with Tallahassee State College, and regular exhibitions (including the “Synergy 4.5” exhibition at Jefferson Arts Gallery, which runs from September 7 to October 5) that are open to the public, though only members have the opportunity to show their work. This is just the beginning of the league’s renaissance. 

The league is open to applicants from talented artists from the Big Bend area. In addition to the league’s other programming, members enjoy monthly meetings, when the organization’s supportive community best comes into focus. Imagine the creative energy present at a roundtable discussion answering the question: “Are you an artist?”

Looking ahead, the Artists’ League of the Big Bend embodies the creative courage Matisse so often championed.