HANCEVILLE, Ala. – The Evelyn Burrow Museum at Wallace State Community College is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibition featuring paintings by Elizabeth St. John.
While best known as an accomplished equestrian who serves as a Master of the Mooreland Hunt and Hope Horses board member, St. John has mostly kept quiet the fact that she is also a talented artist.
“Most people don’t know the artist side of me, but I have always considered myself an artist,” she said.
Though many will be surprised to learn this facet of her, they won’t be surprised that St. John has decided to donate the proceeds from the sale of her work in this exhibition to charity. She and husband Bill St. John, of St. John & Associates, are longtime supporters of the Wallace State Future Foundation. Funds generated from this exhibition will go entirely to the Future Foundation to support scholarships.
The works in the exhibition are a joyful introduction to spring, perfectly suited to the space, museum staff said. They are bold and colorful, some abstract and some representational, taking their inspiration in large part from nature.
“We are extraordinarily grateful to Liz and Bill for their contributions to Wallace State,” said Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics. “The happiness people feel when they see this exhibition will only be magnified by the joy we can impart to students through scholarships as a result of it.”
In fact, Elizabeth St. John has been an artist for much of her life. Only recently, however, has her work been shown professionally. It was featured at the Huntsville Museum of Art this year after debuting in the Museum’s Gala exhibition and has been on display at the galleries of Twickenham Advisors in Huntsville.
Originally from North Carolina, St. John studied art at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the University of North Carolina-Asheville and Western Carolina University, where she focused on drawing and printmaking.
After moving to Cullman, she studied figure drawing and pastels with Rolina Ogelsby in Birmingham. For the past several years, she has studied with Susan Oliver, a Cullman native, who lives in Birmingham.
A lifelong student, she continues near weekly classes. She now has her own dedicated studio at home, and her work will soon be available at galleries in North Carolina.
The Elizabeth St. John exhibition is on view at The Burrow Museum until July.
Wallace State also hosts U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt’s District Art Competition this month.
The Burrow Museum is regularly open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and select Saturdays. Admission is always free. For more information about the Burrow Museum visit www.burrowmuseum.org or call 256-352-8457.
