SouthWood Announces First Artist in Residence Program, Featuring Jim Draper
Tallahassee, FL. (April 15, 2008) – The St. Joe Company's SouthWood community today announced the launch of its first Artist in Residence Program, featuring the well-known Southern artist Jim Draper. A kickoff reception, "Inside the Painter's Studio," will be held on Friday, April 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Open Studio in SouthWood's Town Center.
During the evening, Draper will showcase a large-scale multipanel work titled "Plantation Oaks," which has been inspired by the idyllic majestic oaks that grace the rolling hills of the SouthWood community. The Artist in Residence Program, which will extend through May 17, will give visitors to the Open Studio an opportunity to meet the artist and observe painting in progress as Draper creates original paintings of nearby landscapes.
"The SouthWood landscape reflects the culture and mythology of the South, which have been a constant source of inspiration for my work," Draper said. "The flora and fauna of the southeastern landscape evoke the natural history of the area. I don't think people realize how special this part of the country is from an ecosystem standpoint."
Jim Draper grew up in Kosciusko, Miss., and graduated with a BFA from the University of Mississippi in 1974. During MFA graduate work at the University of Georgia in Athens in the mid '70s, Draper studied with Elaine de Kooning, an influential abstract expressionist painter. Through the years, his work has been the focus of countless gallery exhibitions, and today can be found in hundreds of corporate as well as private collections. He lives and works in Jacksonville, FL.
For more information, including Open Studio hours, visit www.joe.com (keyword: Draper).
About SouthWood SouthWood is a mixed-use community where residents can live, learn, work and play. The community is situated on 3,300 acres of graceful rolling hills lined with moss-draped oaks and over 1,000 acres of community-wide interconnected green space, including numerous lakes, parks and wetlands and the 123-acre Central Park and Lake. Miles of walking trails and bike paths wind throughout the community. SouthWood offers a championship Fred Couples/Gene Bates–designed semiprivate golf course, a Community Center with pools and an Education Village providing lifelong learning opportunities. For more information, visit www.joe.com (keyword: SouthWood).
About St. Joe The St. Joe Company, a publicly held company based in Jacksonville, is one of Florida's largest real estate development companies. We are primarily engaged in real estate development and sales, with significant interests in timber. Our mission is to create places that inspire people and make JOE's Florida an even better place to live, work and play. We're no ordinary JOE.
More information about JOE can be found at our website at www.joe.com.
© 2008 The St. Joe Company. "JOE," "St. Joe," "SouthWood," and the "SouthWood Leaf" and "Taking Flight" designs are service marks of The St. Joe Company.