When one walks into the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, the odds are that they will immediately be met by the museum’s own Ginny Garlotte. A native of D’Iberville, Mississippi and long-time patron of the arts, Garlotte is not only the face of visitor services and inquiries at the front desk of WAMA, but she is also one of the Gulf Coast’s most humble visual artists. A well-read and passionate researcher, Garlotte has created a theme of artwork that is both strong in beauty and amusement.
Garlotte is guided by her interest in ancient myth and folklore, finding an “escape” from reality in the realms of the otherworldly. She states that she was initially pulled into this interest by means of reading Edgar Allen Poe, mythology, and various fantasy novels as well as observing works from the artists Maxfield Parrish, Boris Vallejo, Brom, and Michael Whelan. This inspiration is evident in her artwork, featuring imagery such as the natural world, the fae, the merfolk, the ever-wise owl, and strong heroines of old. She fearlessly creates depictions of ethereal, almost whimsical scenes that will easily pull an onlooker out of reality.
This past month, the artist was challenged with a commission to lend her handiwork to the spookier side of the fantastical world, for the good of her own Gulf Coast community. This October 18th, the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence will hold its Moonlight Masquerade Mask Art Contest at its Netherween Ball fundraiser. This will be the center’s 15th annual event, hosted at White Pillars in Biloxi.
The contest calls for artists to contribute an original piece of artwork that reflects a spooky thematic. The pieces will then be auctioned off in support of survivors of interpersonal violence. Garlotte felt an immediate calling to do her part in giving back the best way she knew how—and she did not disappoint.
The piece she created, an acrylic painting titled Allyson Dupré, depicts the epitome of a strong female character, offering an energy of power and resilience. In the artwork, the heroine stands as an embodiment of goodness in an ever-changing world—a setting which is tinged with a fair amount of Beetlejuice and other Tim Burton-esque tropes. Aside from the apparent visual mastery of the work, the piece itself holds its own in terms of honor and the artist’s originality.
Garlotte’s contribution to the season does not stop there either, as she will also be hosting her own vendor space at the Museum’s Traveler Café on Halloween Night, October 31st. The event will take place from 6-10p.m., featuring food, craft cocktails, and Garlotte’s own altered-reality artworks.
We are honored to have talented and community driven individuals like Garlotte at WAMA. The next time you stop by the museum, be sure to stop and shop the artist’s line of handmade jewelry, and maybe even lend a few minutes to chat about art with her.
“I enjoy working at the museum because I am surrounded by the amazing art of Walter Anderson, and I am able to hear the reactions of the visitors that come in,” Garlotte explained. “My favorite thing about making art is being able to create something that lets me escape for a while and destress from everyday life.” Something tells me that Walter Anderson might have said something similar himself— sometimes, there is something special about embracing the unknown.
