Famous Alabamians: Artists

Famous Alabamians: Artists

Nall Hollis,

Nall Hollis hails from Arab, Alabama, but his art originates in the wilds of the unconscious. Having traveled from the University of Alabama's main campus at Tuscaloosa to Paris, and from there to the Riviera towns of Nice and Vence, Nall demonstrates a thoroughly French sensibility. His tutelage under the great painter Salvatore Dali is evident in his strange, restless works, where carefully wrought faces exist beside luxurious flowers, bones, and mannekins. In both style and substance, Nall's symbolist, surrealist origins emerge.

In 1978, Nall discovered the work of painter Gustav Adolf Mossa, and began a dialogue with the earlier artist that has yielded many rich, meaningful works. Like Mossa, Nall has a fascination with the body and its sexuality. Nall, however, uses a collage-like approach in which certain key elements — teddy bears, rocking horses, skulls, dolls — appear and reappear, suggesting themes of death and sexuality, the uneasy movement from Eros to Thanatos.

The summer of 1997 marked the opening of the N.A.L.L. (Nature, Art, and Life League) Art Association in Vence, France, where the works of Nall were juxtaposed against Mossa. Another exhibition in Nice chronicles Nall's movement between Eros and Agape, the Greek and Hebrew conceptions of love.

In this exhibit, Nall explores the connections between earthly and heavenly love, and the nearness of desire.

For more information, visit Nall.org

Gee's Bend Quiltmakers

With the end of the Civil War, the freed slaves adopted the name Pettway as their own. They continued working on the plantation and gradually developed themselves into an all-black community, tucked away from the rest of the world. At least six generations later, the descendants of the Pettway slaves still reside in that tiny community — only now they own it.

Through those generations, the women of Gee's Bend have taught their daughters to quilt. However, isolated culturally and geographically from other communities, they developed distinctive and sophisticated techniques with little outside influence. Their quilting style is based on traditional American and African quilts, but with a geometric simplicity likened to modern art. To piece together their quilts, the women salvaged any material they could find — from feed sacks to old work clothes. During times when self-expression was discouraged, their singing and their unique quilt patterns represented the women's only creative outlets.

In the mid-1990s, the outside world finally caught up with Gee's Bend, and art historians began to take notice. Quilts that once kept families of sometimes 16 children warm inside drafty log cabins now hang inside some of the world's finest museums. Textiles that were once thought worthless now sell for thousands of dollars. A new sense of self-respect has evolved. And what is most extraordinary, despite their many struggles, the women are not bitter. Wherever they go, they leave behind a kind of inexplicable residual joy — as though they are unwitting ambassadors of goodwill and examples to the world that the key to true happiness exists in positive human relationships, not material wealth.

From September 11 to December 4, 2005 the works of these master quiltmakers will be on display at the Jule Collins Smith Muesum at Auburn University.

For more information Exhibition: The Quilts of Gee's Bend Books: The Quilts of Gee's Bend, Gee's Bend: The Women and Their Quilts DVD: The Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend

Famous Alabamians: Celebrities

Tallulah Bankhead

Tallulah Bankhead was born in Huntsville, Alabama on January 31, 1902. She was best known for her colorful, eccentric lifestyle.

One of her famous quotes is, "It's the good girls who keep the diaries. The bad girls never have the time."

She died of pneumonia in 1968.

Some of her notable films include the following:

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  Die, Die, My Darling (1965)
  
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  Main Street to Broadway (1953)
  
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  Lifeboat (1944)
  
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  Stage Door Canteen (1943)
  

Brett Butler

Butler was born in Montgomery, Alabama on January 30, 1958.

She moved to New York to jumpstart her comedy career. She began to receive national recognition for her work in 1990 when she was nominated for an American Comedy Award as Funniest Female Stand-up.

Butler is best known as the star of the series Grace Under Fire, and, in subsequent seasons, the show's executive producer.

Courteney Cox

Cox was born to a well-to-do Birmingham family on June 15, 1964.

She was just 20 when she got her big break. Director Brian De Palma cast her as the adoring, dancing fan in Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" video.

Years later, Cox was cast as Michael J. Fox's girlfriend on the hit sitcom Family Ties.

She is most widely-known for her 10-year stint as Monica Geller on the Emmy Award-winning sitcom Friends.

Her big-screen films include:

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  November
  
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  the Scream series
  
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  Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
  

Louise Fletcher

Fletcher was born on July 24, 1934 in Birmingham, Alabama.

During her 40 year career span, Fletcher has appeared in over 50 feature films including:

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  Two Moon Junction (1988)
  
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  Flowers in the Attic (1987)
  
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  Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
  
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  The Lady in Red (1979)
  

Her best known television appearences are VR5 and a recurring role as Kai Winn Adami on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Alan Hunter

Hunter started his career as an actor and appeared in a David Bowie video called "Fashion."

From 1981-1987 he was one of the first VJs on MTV.

In 1994, he returned to Birmingham and started Hunter Films with his brother, Hugh. Hunter has also teamed up with three of his brothers to start WorkPlay in Birmingham. WorkPlay houses Hunter Films and has a soundstage, recording studios, and a theater where every seat is the best seat in the house.

Hunter's other accolades include being President of the Board of Directors for the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.



Kate Jackson
Actress, Birmingham

Jackson was born October 29, 1948 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Jackson mader her first real break on the hit series The Rookies. When it ended four years later, she was offered her most popular role on the new series, Charlie's Angels. In addition to being the first Angel to be cast in Charlie's Angels, she was also responsible for coming up with the show's name.Jackson left the series in 1979.

After two decades and two Emmy nominations, Jackson left series television to work in made-for-television movies such as:

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  A Mother's Testimony (2001)
  
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  Panic in the Skies! (1996)
  

Dean Jones

Dean Jones was born in 1930 in Decatur, Alabama.

Jones was groomed by MGM to be the next James Dean — the angry young man of Hollywood. MGM cast him in a series of dramas including 1957's Jailhouse Rock, with Elvis.

Jones' career took a new turn when he was signed by the great Walt Disney, himself. Jones' modest manner and boy-next-store image made him one of the most popular of all Disney actors. During 1981-1991, Jones made documentaries for Compassion International and wrote his autobiography, Under Running Laughter.

His most popular films include:

Beethoven (1992) The Love Bug (1968)

The Ugly Dachshund (1966) That Darn Cat! (1965)



George Lindsey
Actor, Jasper

George Lindsey was born in Fairfield, Alabama on December 17, 1935 and grew up in Jasper. A high school teacher and athletic coach, in his early 20s he switched to a career in theater. He and his wife moved to New York where he studied at the American Theatre Wing. Lindsey had parts on over 40 television shows before he got his big break. The character of Goober Pyle, cousin to Jim Nabor's Gomer Pyle, made his first appearance on The Andy Griffith Show on April 13, 1964.

He would continue the role of Goober during the '70s and '80s on Hee Haw. He also did voice characters in Disney movies.

Lindsey's other acclaims are as follows:

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  Return to Mayberry (1986)
  
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  Hee Haw (1970's and 1980's)
  
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  The Rescuers (1977)
  
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  Disney's Robin Hood (1973)
  
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  The Aristocats (1970)
  
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  "Mayberry R.F.D." (1968)
  

Jim Nabors

Actor and Singer, Sylacauga

Jim Nabors was born on June 12th, 1933, in Sylacauga, Alabama.

Andy Griffth cast Nabors as Gomer Pyle, Mayberry's gas station attendant in The Andy Griffith Show (1960 to 1964).

Nabors then began his own series, Gomer Pyle USMC. After Gomer ended, Nabors was given his own variety show, The Jim Nabors Hour, where he displayed his singing abilities.

Nabors career after television has focused on music. He has recorded numerous albums, including the following:

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  A Time for Us
  
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  I Can't Stop Loving You
  
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  Galveston Starburst
  
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  The Sweetheart Tree
  
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  Yesterday When I Was Young
  

Paula Poundstone

Paula Poundstone was born December 29, 1959 in Birmingham, Alabama.

After being spotted by scouts, she began a series of appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and The Late Show with David Letterman. Her signature bar stool stage prop appeared with her in two HBO specials.

Poundstone's career took a political turn when she joined The Rosie O'Donnell Show as a roving reporter. She was assigned to cover the 1996 Republican Convention, and displayed her liberal wit to national audiences.

Her list of achievements includes:

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  Best Female Stand-Up �
  American Comedy Awards
  
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  Two Cable ACE Awards
  
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  Emmy Award
  

Heather Whitestone

Heather Whitestone was born in Dothan, Alabama in April 1973. She lost her hearing at 18 months.

While in high school, Whitestone endured her parent's painful divorce. Her mother, Daphne Gray, took the children to live near the Gray family in Birmingham. After a year at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Whitestone finished her education at Berry High School.

After enrolling at Jacksonville Sate University, Whitestone began competing on the beauty pageant circuit. After winning the Shelby County Junior Miss pageant and the Miss Point Mallard contest, Whitestone competed in the Miss Alabama Pageant. After three appearances (she was first runner-up in 1992 and 1993), Whitestone finally took the crown in 1994. She went on that year to win the 1994 Miss America Pageant, dancing the ballet Via Dolorosa for an admiring crowd. When Whitestone was crowned, September 14, 1994, she became the first deaf Miss America; in fact, she was the first Miss America with a physical disability of any kind.

After her reign ended, Whitestone continued to travel promoting her STARS program (Success Through Action and Realization of your dreamS) and wrote her autobiography, Listening with My Heart.