The Folk Art Collection of Wyatt and Becky Collins (Nov. 2009)

  At the Festival Acadien I met Wyatt and Becky Collins and they were interested in getting one of my new Katrina trees. I sold the ones I had there, so I made plans to deliver to them when I got some free time in November. I also made the delivery rounds in Lafayette and spent some time at the Juneau’s home checking out their studio(s) on their property in Scott, La. When Suzanne Juneau made it home, she, Pat and I drove out to the Collin’s home for dinner. Because of the long drive from Jackson to New Iberia, the Collins were kind enough to put me up for the night. WE HAD A FEAST!!!!
  Before ever meeting the Collins I had heard about their extensive and unique folk art collection but had no idea just how vast it was. There was a book published about their amassment titled “From Inside Our Hearts: Outsider Art”. I believe the book can be purchased through the Acadiana Center for the Arts.
    Let me tell you something….I started my business 3 years ago and it has been such a great journey. I always knew I was a little off from everyone else, particularly my family, you know…thinking too much, observing too often and feeling the desperate desire to build and give away.  Then, here I am breaking bread with incredible people and surrounded by what looks like the extension of dozens of other personalities. Every room in the Collin’s home was busting at the seams and full of vivacious colors and textures. Faces observing me as I observe them, so it seemed. The beauty of it all was the simplicity of materials used…twigs, fabric, paper, even the paintings had a clarity I had never seen before. A colloquial form of communication through art from minds undaunted by lack of formal education. I guess you could call it honesty. What you see if what you get. Art without ego.
    I asked Becky who her favorite artist was and she smiled at me, then proceeded to pull out several different pieces from random places throughout the main room. She placed them in front of me and explained that they were made from an artist in Mississippi named Slim Allums. This man was her daddy and she was very proud.  “He was self taught and created out of an obsession to create. He went in many different directions and sold very little.”
  We moved on to other artists and their creations…. Shane Campbell (TN), Reverend Howard Fister (GA), Purvis Young (FL), Theora Hamblett (Oxford, MS), the Cooper family (KY), Pat Juneau (Scott, La. of course) and the list goes on and on. I got schooled in a very grand way!!!  These pix you see here are just a very few of what I actually shot. What a great night. And we ended it with the planting of their Katrina tree. Wow!  I’m still taking it all in.