ArtsNatchez Gallery celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary

Special patriotic exhibit set for Saturday, July 11, in downtown Natchez

By Roscoe Barnes III

Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
Jul 9, 2026 | 3:43 PM

ArtsNatchez Gallery Director Leon Hollins showcases Carolyn Terry's "Red, White and Blue" photograph, part of the collection that will be featured Saturday at the downtown gallery. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Like communities across the United States, ArtsNatchez Gallery will celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary with a special patriotic- themed art exhibit on Saturday, July 11, at 425 Main Street. The reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. and is free to the public. Refreshments will be served.

“We’re inviting all of our artists to participate,” said Gallery Director Leon Hollins. “We’re asking them to showcase their work using the colors red, white, and blue. We’re expecting to have photographs, banners, and paintings, and other pieces of art. It will be a great show for the public.”
 
Among the many works that will be displayed is Carolyn Terry’s photo of a red, white, and blue hot-air balloon. It was photographed over the Mississippi River three or four years ago, said Terry, who is based in Picayune. This and other images she photographed are “very Americana,” she said.
 
Terry said she appreciates the patriotic theme. “It’s a wonderful thing to celebrate our 250th anniversary,” she said. “I hope we as a nation continue to grow and that in another 50 years, our 300th’ anniversary will be even better.”
 
Terry said she remains optimistic about the nation’s future because of the people who want it to succeed. “That’s why we’ve made it to 250 years,” she said.
 
Terry is a master craftsman photographer, digital artist, and member of Professional Photographers of America Inc. She is the author of “Onward Mississippi,” a coffee table book with 65 images of her digital paintings and explanatory text based on locations throughout Mississippi. Her second book is “The Endurance of the Spirit: Mississippi Episcopal Churches.”
 
The works of Carolyn Weir, who is experimenting with patriotic colors in her banners, will also be featured in the exhibit. Weir said she is excited about Saturday’s event, which will highlight artwork that reflects what it means to be American.
 
“Our artists have come together and presented creations that tell a little bit of the story of our great country,” she said. “We invite the public to help us continue to celebrate the wonderful gift we have by living in America.”
 
In addition to being a painter, Weir is a kinetic mobile sculpture artist who specializes in “things that move,” she said, adding she also does abstract paintings.
 
Weir was recently awarded a $500 mini-grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission for the creative work she is exploring with banners.
 
ArtsNatchez Gallery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes the arts in the greater Natchez area and is managed by a board of directors. It features local artists whose work spans a wide range of media, including photography, painting, ceramics, woodwork, fabric arts, and jewelry. Artwork is presented in oils, acrylics, pastels, charcoal, pencil, and pen and ink.
The gallery is open daily at 10 a.m. For more information, call 601-442-0043.