Hey y’all,
On a recent episode of Monroe Today, my good friend Gilda Stanbery welcomed Dr. Denise Buff from The 1823 Artisan Guild. Forsyth has such a rich and vibrant art scene that many people don’t even know about! That’s why Ms. Gilda hosted Ms. Denise on the show to learn more about Forsyth’s creative community regardin’ its artists and artisans.
A Passion for Creativity
Ms. Denise, a native of Forsyth, discovered her passion for art early on. She was in the 4th grade when she took private lessons from a local artist and truly fell in love with art. One thing she did notice growin’ up was that Forsyth didn’t have a lot of opportunities for artists. A lot of things have changed since then because now Forsyth is a community full of art! Once Ms. Denise came into her professional career in education, her plan was to be an art teacher. Since the school already had one on staff, she became the life science teacher. Now, don’t go frettin’ because Ms. Denise didn’t just give up her love of art; she found a way to incorporate it into her science curriculum. Her students did a lot of fun art projects and Ms. Denise also led a course at the science convention called “Artsy Smarty,” which helped incorporate art into the curriculum at other school systems, giving students a creative outlet to learn. After teachin’ for 31 years, Ms. Denise retired but she still found herself wanting to pursue art. That’s when her husband suggested that she should open a local art studio and Ms. Denise loved that idea!
The 1823 Artisan Guild
Back in 2018, Ms. Denise made a point to meet all of the local artists and artisans from the Monroe County area. She discovered that Forsyth is a truly talented area full of artisans who could do a little bit of everythin’. After hostin’ a couple of events and gatherin’ more interested artists together to be a part of a community, the 1823 Artisan Guild was born. They chose the “1823” part of the name to pay homage to the year Forsyth was founded. The Artisan Guild is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to support and foster love for art in the community. Ms. Denise shared that they offer adult, kids and individual classes. They have artists who have practiced their craft for years and want to expand on that and individuals who have no creative background and just want to learn. The Artisan Guild is there to help people grow in their artistic creativity. Along with their classes, they have a gallery where members can show and sell their artwork. This is what makes the artisan guild so special because it’s a place where members can learn, make new connections with fellow artists, and display their hard work!
2nd Annual Plein Air Event
Now, it’s time to mark your calendars, because the 1823 Artisan Guild is hostin’ an upcoming Plein Air event! Ms. Denise explained that “plein air” is a French term for paintin’ outside and usually has a time limit. They hosted their first plein air event in Forsyth and saw a large turnout of artists from across the state. Ms. Denise shared that the artists fell in love with the Historic Train Depot, Tift College, and the railroad track. Some of the artists even stayed after the event was over to keep paintin’. This year’s event will be held in Juliette, Georgia, on Saturday, October 18, giving plein air artists a chance to capture the beauty and charm of Juliette. This isn’t a closed-off event, though; everyone is more than welcome to participate. All you have to do is arrive between 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and register! Artists will have 2 ½ hours to paint and then will have their artwork judged shortly after. If you see a paintin’ that you fancy, you can actually purchase it at the area next to The Whistle Stop Cafe as all of the artwork will be for sale! Even if you don’t plan on paintin’, Ms. Denise shared that this is a great event to experience and watch the artists paint. In fact, most plein air artists love it when guests come to see them paintin’, it adds to the excitement of the process! For more information, check out the 1823 Artisan Guild’s website.
The next time you want to explore your creative side, head over to Forsyth and get ready to breathe in the inspiration! Whether you want to take a class at the 1823 Artisan Guild, attend the 2nd Annual Plein Air event, or explore the public art in Downtown Forsyth, there are plenty of ways to inspire your inner artist to shine.
‘Til Next Time,
Your Storyteller
