Local teen shines at 17th Annual Mr. Painterman ‘Rhythms of Color’ Art Fest & Student Art Competition
CULLMAN, Ala. – Hundreds poured into The Harbert Center in Birmingham on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. In a sea of colorful canvases and other mediums sat two vases on a pillar, aptly named “Sassy Vase” and “Wonky Vase,” created by Cullman artist Marie Rhodes.
Rhodes, a 16-year-old potter with only a year and a half of experience under her belt was shocked to walk away with the prestigious title of Best in Show at the 17th Annual Mr. Painterman “Rhythms of Color” Art Fest & Student Art Competition.
Rhythms of Color is a multidisciplinary art festival and art competition that welcomes both 2D and 3D pieces for competition from students in grades six through 12. Artists from across the Southeast gather in one building for live demos, vendors and cutthroat fine art competition. Rhodes, a regular customer at the event’s main sponsor, Alabama Art Supply, said she saw a sign as she was picking up her usual order of clay and glazes and decided to go for it.
Under the tutelage of Christy Brock at Cullman’s Art Shop Around the Corner and even a few classes from Sandra Heavan at Meek High School, Rhodes has learned to shape, sculpt and glaze, but most importantly, to work with the clay and not against it.
“Most of the things I make I just try to work with the clay, letting it kinda just do its thing,” she said, comparing working with clay to a “team effort.”
While harsh angles and striking lines may be impressive at a competition level, Rhodes noted her personal preference for fluid contours and free-flowing designs.
“I really like making decorative vases; there is a lot of wiggle room for creativity,” she said. “And I really love doing organic shapes!”
Pottery is one of the slower crafts in the realm of makers, with final products taking days or weeks to make, often needing fine tuning after firings or repeated dips in glaze. The pressure was on before competition time.
“Each vase took about a week to make and dry, then the firings took three days in total,” said Rhodes. The time spent preparing the pieces paid off as Rhodes walked away with $250 in winnings and Best in Show bragging rights as “Sassy Vase” came out the victor in a fierce battle of mediums.
“It was unbelievable!” exclaimed Rhodes. “I was happy, surprised, excited!”
Rhodes, who also does pop-ups at local festivals with her pottery, said that while the competition is over, she’s not hanging up her apron. Her hobby business, Mud Toad Pottery, keeps her busy when she’s not working on homeschool curriculum as she crafts carefully sculpted and colorfully glazed mugs and vases.
Rhodes may be a humble “maker of cool things,” in her own words, but in others’ words, she’s a bona fide “Best in Show.”
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