AMERICUS — Come celebrate “Springtime in Americus” by taking a walking tour of downtown Americus and enjoy viewing work by area artists and art students on display through the month of April.

Downtown Americus Main Street Coordinator Angie Singletary was approached by area artists and businesswomen Maureen Smith and Phyllis Argo with a wonderful idea to promote area artists and downtown business. They worked with Singletary and her staff, contacting landlords and business owners as well as artists. The event is called the Spring Art Walk, and is now on view through April 30. Brochures are available in the Welcome Center at 101 W. Lamar St. The Americus and Sumter County Arts Council and the Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) Department of Visual Arts were also excited to promote the project.

A total of 35 windows are on the tour, containing work from artists and area art students from GSW Department of Visual Art, Americus and Sumter County High School and Cherokee Elementary School.

 In the old Citizens Bank at 120 N.  Lee St., Americus-Sumter  County High School art teacher Cathy Dance is exhibiting some garden sculptures made from dishes, and the drawings and paintings of some of her students are in the adjacent window. Around the corner on the Forsyth Street side of the building, artist Lenny Sacramento is exhibiting glass ball sculptures.

Across the street at 103 W. Forsyth St., Cherokee Elementary School students exhibit colorful abstraction and graphic arts.

Further down to 131 W. Forsyth St., at The Maze, Shawn Bland’s paintings are on display amidst owner Chuck Smiths’ always creative merchandising. The work of Bland’s painting students’ work may be seen in the window of her studio located at 124 Jackson St. Also displaying work at The Maze is painter Jeff Williams and photographer Mike Dalton.

Also on Jackson Street, Mary Beth Rogers is exhibiting her oil paintings, and the work of her painting students, Nancy Bell, Carolyn Daniel, Theresa Heffernan, Marilyn Jacobs, Janet Kennebec, Robin Lowery, Jane Myers, Becky Ray, Mary Tolbert and Beth Williams, are adjacent at 109-A Jackson St.

At 109-C Jackson St., GSW art students are having a senior group window exhibit entitled “Turning Point.” Showing a variety of sculpture, painting and photography are Sam Hendley, Ashley Bell, Elisa Boswell, Annisa Brightell, Justin Hodges, Kendall Jackson, John Lin, Kurt Peterson, Arriano Serrano, Rebecca Shields, Scott Wilkerson, Charles Woolbright and Sunni Zemblowski. At the corner of Lamar and Jackson, at 134 W.  Lamar St., students of Keaton Wynn, from the GSW Ceramics Department, show a variety of work including sculptures with animal references. Students include Jermaine Davis and Xavier Sims.

GSW Assistant Professor of Photography Tonia Hughes is also in the exhibit, showing photographs of mysterious interior spaces in the window of the old fire house at 109 N. Lee St.

  West Lamar Street has many windows on view. In the windows facing Lamar of Minick Interiors are the paintings of Helena Meek. Also exhibiting at Minick is artist Travis Hunt.

Jean Sheffield’s paintings are in the window of George’s Soda Fountain at 310 W.  Lamar St. Connie Blanchard is exhibiting her hand-made jewelry amidst a creative floral display in the window of Gatewood’s Florist. Pat Booker‘s paintings may be seen at 302 W. Lamar St., in the Draw Products window. Trenton Tye, blacksmith and leatherworker, shows his work  at 222 W. Lamar St. Additionally, a painting by noted portraitist June Elizabeth Blackstock from Parrott may be seen in the Kinnebrew Clothing Co. window.

The space at 214 W. Lamar St. has the work of three artists. Linda Adams, muralist from Ellaville, is showing paintings, collage and painted furniture. Anne Thomas’ abstract paintings and Kimberly Norris’ mixed media, drawing and printmaking are in the adjacent windows.

Across the street at 223 W. Lamar St., a poster created by Nancy Fields may be seen in the window of a new fabric store, Fabric FYI. Next door at Zebra Lilly, Maureen Butler Smith is exhibiting an oil painting. Further down at 217 W. Lamar St. may be seen many richly colored pastel drawings by artist Nancy Peabody. At this location, Dr. James C. Dudley is also showing his oil paintings.

 Wanda Roberts is showing narrative art in the window of 213 W. Lamar St., consisting of drawings and mixed media. Also in this area are the woodworking of Harvey Simpson M.D., and watercolors by Leesburg resident Donna Mosteller, both at 201 W.  Lamar St.

 Phyllis Argo’s lovely paintings may be seen, at 125 W. Lamar St. in the window of Richelle’s Bakery. Also participating in the event are Cameron Malehrus and William Jenkins. Miriam Finley, from the Windsor Spa at 108 Windsor Ave., is also exhibiting.

  At 200 Cotton Ave., in the window of the Stein Center, may be seen unusual portraits in painting and photography by artist Earl Carter. At 326 W. Forsyth St., the location of the Arts Council’s new art center, additional interesting work by GSW art students may be seen. This location will be filled with art exhibits and activities between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 21, when the Arts Council will be presenting  “Arts in Rylander Park.”

Everyone is come to enjoy a stroll in downtown Americus and see the arts blooming.