The Cotton Street Gallery in Andalusia is partnering with Alabama’s Poarch Band of Creek Indians for an exhibition celebrating the tribe’s rich history of handcrafted regalia and traditional art. Items on display will include powwow regalia, princess regalia, basketry, quilts, reproduction pottery, and copper medallions, as well as arrowheads on loan from the Covington County Historical Museum. Tribal artisans will give cultural presentations at the gallery throughout the exhibition.
“We are proud to work with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to bring to Covington County creative regalia and artworks that are made by Poarch Creek Indian Tribal members,” said Sue Wiggins, founder of AIR Artists, Inc., which is sponsoring the exhibition.
The exhibition will be open to the public Tuesday, August 27, through Saturday, August 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the months of September and October. Donations are welcome and will go to support AIR Artists, Inc.
The Emmy Award–winning documentary The Forgotten Creeks, which tells the story of Alabama’s Creek Indians from their first contact with the Spanish in the 1500s to modern day, will run continuously at the gallery during the exhibition.
The Cotton Street Gallery, located at 104 North Cotton Street in Andalusia, celebrates Southern textile art and artists and offers textile-related classes and demonstrations for adults and children throughout the year. Proceeds from the gallery benefit AIR Andalusia.
To learn more about the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, visit https://pci-nsn.gov/. To learn more about Cotton Street Gallery, visit https://cottonstreetgallery.com/. To learn more about AIR Artists, Inc./AIR Andalusia, visit https://airartists.org/.
Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday encouraged children to set goals, work hard, and participate in her Summer Reading Challenge while visiting the summer program at the Coleman-Robertson Center in Andalusia on Wednesday.
The program, started in about 1973 by Coach Richard Robertson, provides meals and organized activities during the summer months. Current program director Rose White-Parker invited Gov. Ivey to speak as part of her Community Connections program, which invites members of the community from all walks of life to share career stories and ideas with students.
Gov. Ivey told the students that she once was also a small-town girl who “sat at a small desk with big dreams.”
She said as a youngster, she had decided to work one summer on her father’s cattle farm. When she became frustrated with the challenges of the work and was considering quitting, her father gave her some advice.
“He said, ‘Kay, anything worth doing is worth doing well,’ ” she recalled. “I marched back to the barn and got to work.”
She also encouraged children to set goals.
Growing up, she said, she had a horse named Lightning.
“He was fast, too,” she said.
She later got a dog, whom she named Thunder.
“I trained Thunder to ride Lightning,” she said. “If you set goals – even unusual ones involving a dog and a horse, you can accomplish great things.”
Governor Ivey said, “Strong students will lead to a stronger Alabama.”
She also encouraged them to complete her Summer Reading Challenge, which challenges students to read a book and write a letter to Governor Ivey about their book.
“I’ll be checking the mailbox, and I look forward to hearing from you.”
All letters to Governor Ivey should be addressed and mailed to:
Governor Kay Ivey
Attn: Governor Ivey’s Summer Reading Challenge
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36130
Parents and educators also are encouraged to show Gov. Ivey what students are reading by using the hashtag #GKIsSummerReadingChallenge.
Andalusia will again mark the Fourth of July holiday with a parade and a fireworks show on Thursday, July 4.
The Old Three Notch Chapter of the DAR will hold its annual Fourth of July Parade Thursday morning.
Everyone is welcome to don their red, white and blue and join the fun. There will be floats, golf carts, bicycles and walkers.
There is no fee to enter, and no pre-registration is required. Line-up is in the parking lot of First Baptist Church beginning at 9 a.m.
The parade will roll at 10 a.m., and will travel from First Baptist down East Three Notch and turn at Pirate Graphics to circle back to the church.
That evening, FiftyFive South will return to the stage at the Kiwanis Fairgrounds for the City of Andalusia’s Fourth of July celebration.
There will be bouncy houses and a water slide for the kids, as well as free watermelon. There also will be concessions on site.
The gates open at 5:30 p.m. and live music begins at 6 p.m. The fireworks show begins at dusk.
Alabamians are taking advantage of the savings associated with the state’s back-to-school sales tax holiday.
Alabama’s 19th annual back-to-school sales tax holiday is July 19-21. This marks the eighth time the annual tax holiday will take place during the third weekend of July.
From 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 19, until midnight, Sunday, July 21, the state waives its 4 percent sales tax on school-related supplies and clothing. More than 300 cities and counties throughout Alabama also waive their local taxes. In some areas, including Covington County, the savings reach 10 percent.
Exempt items include:
• Clothing priced at $100 or less per article;
• School supplies valued at $50 or less per item;
• Books that cost $30 or less per book; and
• Tablets, laptops, computers and printers with a selling price of $750 or less.
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There will be 22 participating teams when Andalusia hosts the Cal Ripken 10U State Baseball Tournament this weekend, June 28-30.
“This is one of the biggest tournaments I’ve seen since I started working with Babe Ruth,” Willie Edwards, director of parks and recreation for the City of Andalusia, said. “We’re excited to have this turnout, and look forward to a great weekend of baseball.”
There will be two tournaments within the tournament, Edwards explained. Teams from small parks will participate in one division, and teams from large parks in a separate division.
Andalusia, Covington County, Saraland, Westside, Spanish Fort and Florence Navy will participate in the large park division.
Participating teams in the small park division include Opp, Evergreen, Brewton, East Brewton, Flomaton, Northwest Escambia, Decatur American, Decatur Nationals, Florence Red, Monrovia, Sweetwater, Millry, Roanoke, Grand Bay, Robertsdale and Bay Minette.
Opening ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. Friday, June 28, in Johnson Park. There is no admission charge for this tournament.
The large park division will play pool play Friday and enter bracket play Saturday morning with the finals slated for 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 30.
The small park division will play pool play Friday and Saturday, and being bracket play at 10 a.m. Sunday. Finals are set for 12:15 a.m. Sunday.
This marks the second consecutive year Andalusia has hosted a Cal Ripken state tournament. Last year, Andalusia played host to the state 8U baseball tournament.
“We work hard year-round to make Andalusia a destination location,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “We know that events like Candyland, JulyJamz, and ball tournaments bring people to our city. While they’re here, they eat in local restaurants, and many sleep in local hotels.
“Early reports are that the hotels are all booked this weekend,” Johnson said. “We look forward to welcoming our guests to Andalusia.”
For brackets and updates, please visit the Andalusia Department of Leisure Services' Facebook Page.