Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Winfred Hawkins is an exhibiting artist at the Johnson Center for the Arts.

Hawkins’ monkey, Jacob, is generating interest in the exhibitions at the JCA with  “Jacob Goes to the Museum” on Facebook, said Brenda Campbell, JCA director.

“Winfred won the monkey at the state fair in Montgomery and he brought Jacob to the JCA to see the exhibits,” Campbell said.  “He videoed Jacob on the tour. It’s a fun video and we just might see Jacob at the artists’ reception Thursday night at the Johnson Center.”

The artists’ reception for Hawkins and Leanna Lesley will be from 6 until 8 p.m. Thursday and the public is invited. As always, admission to the JCA is free.

The exhibiting artists will participate in an art talk at 6:30 p.m. Hawkins will discuss his exhibition, “Reality is Not Real,” and Lesley, her “Shaken by the Roots” exhibition.  Both will take questions from the audience.

Campbell said both exhibitions are getting high praise by visitors to the art center.

“The JCA is not open to the public on Mondays but I heard people outside, so I invited them in,” Campbell said. “They were here from St. Augustine and they raved about the JCA and the exhibitions. Everyone who has visited the JCA has been impressed by the amazing talent of these two Alabama artists.”

Winfred is dyslexic and, some of his artwork featured in ‘Reality is Not Real,’ he painted with his non-dominant hand.

“Most everyone can appreciate how difficult that must be,” Campbell said.

“Leanna is a fiber artist and her work takes a lot of forms, from needlepoint chair cushions to portraits of jazz musician that she created freehand. Her exhibition also includes quilts based on the Civil Rights movement.”

Families are encouraged to attend the artists’ reception and art talk Thursday night. Children will love the artwork and so will senior adults, Campbell said.

The Johnson Center for the Arts is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and until 3 p.m. on Saturday.