The Art of Governing

Representative Doug Stoner & artist Robert Sherer

Recent visitors to Speaker of the House Terry Coleman's suite at the Georgia Capitol have been amazed by the stunning collection of artwork on display. From the massive oil painting featuring two Atlanta landmarks in the reception room tothe life-sized wood sculpture of a blue heron in the Speaker's private office, guests encounter more than a dozen works of art created by Kennesaw State University artists.

About two dozen faculty, students and alumni have loaned their work for this special exhibiton, "A Capitol Art Show," to highlight Kennesaw State's arts programs during the 2004 Legislative Session. Most of the 54 pieces are displayed in the offices of Cobb County senators and representatives, but a few non-local politicians, like the Speaker, also wanted to participate.

"It's been a tremendous publicity coup for Kennesaw State," said Representative Doug Stoner of Smyrna. "Everyone is so jealous of us. They all want to know how they can get such wonderful art for their offices." Stoner, himself a KSU alumnus, has two pieces in his office and several more in the office suite he shares with other legislators.

"When we were moving the work in, several people stopped us in the hallways and the elevators to ask for paintings," said Cheryl Anderson Brown, public relations coordinator for the College of the Arts, who helped organize the exhibition. "We had taken along some extra pieces in case that happened, but we still didn't have enough to go around!"

Several pieces in the show have been borrowed from area galleries for the exhibition while others have never been exhibited before. Some of the works are available for purchase. "It's a wonderful mix of styles and media," Brown said. "There really is something for everyone. In fact, most of the pieces were handpicked by the legislators themselves. Other legislators asked KSU to choose something for them, and we tried to keep their personalities in mind."

A Capitol Art Show will be on display through the last week in March, to view images of the works and learn about the artists, visit the exhibition online.