Murals of local artist, Bob Coleman, are on display in the Stanny Sanders Library on the Moorhead campus of Mississippi Delta Community College. Coleman, a native of Doddsville, now lives in Yazoo City. He attended MDCC, then Sunflower Junior College, where he played football for the Trojans.
During his early years at home, Coleman’s mother encouraged her children to draw and paint, and she would display their art work which she rotated on a weekly basis in a special frame. Little did Coleman know that his talent would pay off after the failure of his farm in 1951. Encouraged by his boss at the lumber yard in Ruleville, Coleman began painting again and painted signs to make a living. He moved his business to Yazoo City in 1952 and has never looked back. Coleman’s signs are created by free hand and his first mural was of a tree on a Yazoo City hillside painted on the side of a building in downtown Yazoo City. Many of these murals have been destroyed or painted over or have faded with time.
Coleman is highlighted on the website of the Mississippi Art Commission and has display his art across the state, the latest being at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center in Oxford. He is also an accomplished poet and has two self-published books, entitled “Rays of Light” and “Father’s Prayer.”
Coleman’s work, which he calls “New Millennium Art,” revolves around his inspiration from a preacher’s sermon.” His work will be on display in the library until the end of April. On April 20th at 10:30 a.m., the library will hold a reception for Coleman. The exhibit is free and the community is invited to visit the library to view Coleman’s work and attend the reception.
