Treasures to behold at RCAC’s ‘O Holy Night’ gallery show
From a distance walking through the doors of the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center gallery, one would think the figures throughout the room were carved from big blocks of stone from local the local quarry.
After all, the exquisite detail of the face of the shepherd boy smiling upward at angels blowing on brass horns, or the look in the eye of a proud new father beholding the joy of a newborn in a manger, a true miracle and savior of the world.
Yet the almost life-sized statues on display through December in the “O Holy Night” exhibit aren’t stone at all. They’ve been made by hand over the past 17 years with nothing more than newspaper, glue and wire mesh by a Rockmart woman.
Susan Waters, originally a native of Bath in the United Kingdom, said quite honestly she doesn’t know where her original inspiration to create Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus in the manger originated.
“I wanted to make the nativity part of the Christmas story, and I wanted to make it look stone-like, but with no color added,” Waters said.
She started work on the first nativity scene over the summer in the early 2000s, and then once it was completed thought maybe Rockmart First United Methodist Church might like to use it in their annual Christmas parade float.
That fateful choice began Waters down a creative path that has turned out true masterpieces.
Many of her creations now showing at the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center gallery were originally built to be used in the Rockmart Christmas Parade floats over the past years. The camels being ridden by the three wise men are built in such a way to not only look lifelike, but also move their heads with the motion of the trailers required to carry them.
Waters said they also require assembly so they can be transported, an initial problem for other figures like the angels hanging from the ceiling, which feature real metal wings that she cut out by hand.
Sometimes those materials aren’t as kind to her artist’s hands as she would like, but the labor of love she’s created has expanded over the years.
The gallery showing even includes some of her handiwork on the walls, as murals painted to be part of the scenes created by the nativity story were added and completed by Waters as well. And throughout the exhibit are small hints at her love for these creations and her home in Rockmart.
For instance, visitors should spend their time trying to find a Rockmart brick hidden in a painting, or find small details that shouldn’t fit into the nativity story. Waters also created a crèche wall mounting of names thanking patrons who helped make the show possible.
Every bit of the work was done by hand. Not all of it is easy either.
Waters said since her creations are used outdoors and weather doesn’t always play nicely with paper, glue and metal wire, repairs are needed from time to time on the figures.
However she believes that if they were crafted into something more durable, her creations would lose some of the character and all of their portability though would be lasting.
Additionally, other pieces she’s created over the years were just too much to include such as a large star that was part of one year’s display but didn’t fit in anywhere else.
Though Waters created the figures on display using the crèche process, she works in a variety of other mediums including oils, watercolors, clay, and more.
Singing is among her many other talents, and Waters participates as a member of the Rockmart Community Choir.
The gallery show of Waters’ work ends on Dec. 22. Several organizations have already been through to see the crèche models in the RCAC gallery, including a Chamber After Hours meet-up last week, a visit from the Community Chorus, the Rockmart City Council and many more. of her crèche figures for the
Rockmart’s annual centerpiece. Christmas ornament on sale Ornaments can be found at at the gallery which over the the RCAC gallery on sale now past years featured a landmark while supplies last. is this year also honors the Those who want to hear Waters talents and uses one Waters sing as part of the chorus can check out the upcoming Community Choir show at the Rockmart Arts Theater coming up on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., and Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, and children 12 and under free.