Art Tracks
Art Tracks 2022 Jeffie Brewer Sculptures
The City of Palestine has been graced with the sculptures of the Art Tracks program since 2012. Annually artists were invited to submit their entries to the Art Tracks selection committee. The Visitors Center printed and circulated the Art Tracks Sculpture Tour maps and a Hot Funds grant was used to pay for the artist stipend and for installation and removal of the sculptures.
Initially the program was overseen by an organization called “Palestine Tomorrow.” Jean Mollard and several other pillars of this community have been members from it’s inception. 3 years ago, Celia Campbell Polster was invited to join the organization in order to work side by side with Jean Mollard on the Art Tracks venture. They recruited several others to share in the process.
The organization name has changed but the heart and soul remains unchanged. After the Art Tracks program was transferred to the City for continuation, Celia formed the organization called The Dogwood Arts Council in order to support the Art Tracks program further.
Now that the Art Tracks program has become the sole responsibility of the Dogwood Arts Council, rather than return to the Palestine Tomorrow group, they have formed into a 501c3 with tax exempt status, a local Bank Account, and a Palestine PO Box. This group of 15 is a dedicated, passionate, and tirelessly driven individuals who will continue to honor the long standing tradition of Art Tracks.
Art Tracks will celebrate its 10th year on March18-19, 2022 during Palestine’s 84th Annual Dogwood Art and Music Festival. In fact, The Dogwood Arts Council will provide the VIP Tent Event as well as all of the artists, food, live music, marketing, and more for The Chamber’s Festival as we did this past March. This year has a few differences. The Dogwood Arts Council will solidify it’s brand further by bringing in “Celebrity Artist Jeffie Brewer” as the focal point of the VIP Art Tent event. Jeffie’s Sculpture installation will occur a few weeks prior to the March 18-19 event. We will even offer two Trolly Tours of the sculptures led and narrated by Jeffie himself. This is a limited seating opportunity of 64 tickets at $100./ ticket.
In preparation for the installation of these sculptures, The Dogwood Arts Council has been meeting with local business owners in the downtown area to contract the use of these private property sites for displaying the Jeffie Brewer sculptures over the next 2 years. In the Fall we will install the next round of Art Tracks which will highlight our Alumni artists from the last 10 years as well as some new submissions.
Murals, ArtWalk Palestine, Art Tracks Sculpture Program, The Garden Clubs, For the Love of Music Society, The Texas Theater, the Historic buildings, and so much more add to the whole element of our town. An attraction like the Texas State Railroad venue, or the Hot Pepper and Dogwood Festivals bring people into Palestine. Our art programs help to keep them here to spend the night and enjoy the whole experience of Historic Palestine. It is tourism 101. Art Tracks and murals are part of the infrastructure of the town of Palestine.
Regarding marketing, the Dogwood Arts Council has already submitted articles to numerous publications regarding the Jeffie Brewer installation and subsequent celebration on March 18-19, 2022. Some have already contacted us with acceptance. You see, our hometown celebrity Jeffie Brewer is recognized as exactly that, a celebrity in the art and sculpture world. He has a following that will literally follow him to his other exhibitions. He has notoriety for many reasons including the presence (for many years) of his sculptures in our illustrious State Fair of Texas. This is a considerable honor in and of itself as it is by invitation only.