The human body extends far beyond its physical traits. Concepts like the soul, emotions, feelings, and even thoughts remain, to this day, a “Mariana Trench” for scientists. Certainly, much about ourselves has been discovered and studied, but even now we have only just begun to explore the depths.
Art, in any form, is one of the most effective ways to channel and sublimate our emotions. And it does not matter which side of the fence you are on, artist or observer, art allows us to see the world from new, previously unseen perspectives. Art is an essential and inseparable part of life.
Take for example, sculptor Wesley Wofford’s striking work “Sowing the Seeds of the Future,” which is situated at the entrance of Main Street and became a symbol of Franklin last year. Known to residents and visitors alike, it has become a landmark for our town. Yet, Macon County is rich not only in globally well-known artists. Turns out this is truly an artsy area.
The Moozic Lady
Sonia Brooks began writing and performing music for children when her daughters were three and five, playing weekly at their preschool. “It was there that I started developing a rhythm training program for very young… I then approached other preschools in the Asheville area, and my Tap-n-Shake business was born,” shared Brooks.
Soon, children began calling her “The Moozic Lady,” inspiring a logo of a singing cow in a calico dress with a guitar. “Music is everything to me,” she said. “Children learn quickly through music as they develop.”
In 2012, Brooks began writing her own songs and has released four albums, all available on streaming platforms. During the pandemic, after moving to Franklin, she met videographer Ben Walker. Their first collaboration at the Macon County Public Library evolved into a YouTube channel with more than 100 videos — from concerts to clips in the library’s garden.
“I thought it would be my grand finale, as technically I was retired,” said Brooks. “Instead, my Family Concert 2023 drew 10,000 views in its first weekend!”
Walker emphasized that Brooks’s performances are more than just music.
“One of Sonia’s visions has always been to create a place where families can share a concert together, geared towards what kids like.”
Brooks now has followers worldwide.
“It’s amazing to see other cultures look in and watch how kids are taught and cared for,” shared Walker.
Serious and humorous artist
Matt Taylor is a muralist, creator of custom paintings, and recently, a caricaturist.
“Caricatures were the next thing to do. I just started, so I’m practicing, getting into it. It’s another outlet for my art,” explained Taylor.
Taylor’s journey is both romantic and inspiring. He drew as a child but eventually set it aside. One day, his wife discovered his drawings and decided to challenge him. Returning home from work, Taylor found canvases, paint, brushes, and an easel laid out on the table. From that day in 1994, he never stopped painting. “I don’t know if I’d be drawing or painting if it weren’t for her,” he said.
Today, Taylor’s style is increasingly recognizable in Franklin, with his works visible across the town including in an alley off Main Street. Another example is the Kitchen Sink on Main Street.
When the Kitchen Sink owners, Rob and Brooke Reale, decided to add art to the back wall of their building, the original plan was to convey images of real chefs. The idea shifted to playful cartoon chefs, due to Taylor’s caricature style. Taylor embraced the project, starting work on July 4, 2024, and painting late into the night under his truck’s headlights.
“If you give [Taylor] a concept, he can create it! He’s open to anything — cartoon, portrait, nature scene,” emphasized Rob.
Taylor’s artwork enriches Franklin’s community spirit in joyful, visible ways. People often stop to take photos – whether of butterfly wings at Rusted Arrow, or the funny chefs on the back of the Kitchen Sink building. “We get tickled every time someone poses in front of the chefs. It brings people together, and it’s fun for everyone!” said Reale.
Taylor’s caricatures have also become popular, serving as unique “souvenirs from Franklin.” “I can set up a spot where people can come and have something drawn — a unique piece to take home and remember their trip,” he explained.
From welder to metalsmith
James Williams has worked with steel and bronze for more than 50 years. He first experimented at 18 while working as a welder, learning to “see life” in ordinary scrap metal. “I’d see a piece of scrap that looked like a fish or something else, and I just had to turn it into something real. Then I began noticing different pieces of metal and liked designing them together. At first, I was just adding small edge designs to give a frame. I didn’t know the proper technique back then.”
A turning point came when renowned Alabama artist Bill Morris advised Williams that in order to build a fish, you need a spine. “The spine is the middle piece. I was shown one way to do it, but I came up with my own — building the whole skeleton. From there, I kept welding and creating pieces of all kinds.”
His works are now noted for their organic forms. Williams combines steel and bronze, creating natural color effects without paint. “When you work with stainless steel, chemicals create colors: orange, blue, gold. I know how to capture that; it’s not paint. Everything I do is by hand,” he explained.
He acknowledges that his skill is a true blessing from God, and, he has received national recognition. Ellen Peel, president of The Billfish Foundation in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has admired his work for more than 20 years, purchasing sculptures for the foundation and featuring him in brochures. “It was really a compliment for me,” said Williams.
He recently presented a proposal to the Franklin Tourism Development Authority for a large metal sculpture downtown — a trout/river scene. “I’d be honored to create that sculpture in Franklin. Because I live here, I love it here,” he said. “It’s God’s country for me. These waters and the life we choose, to go downtown or fish, brings immense joy.”
The reactions from people who see his art is Williams’s greatest reward. “Kids run their hands over my sculptures and light up. Sometimes I lower the price so they can take a piece home. They run to show their mommy and daddy, and that brings me so much joy. That joy is worth more than anything.”
Writing and illustrating for children
Living most of her life in New York, author-illustrator Laura Petrisin eventually moved to the mountains of North Carolina with her husband, Mike, and their French bulldog, King. After 30 years of teaching and then retiring, Petrisin decided to focus on her greatest passion: writing and illustrating children’s books. In fact, she just released a new picture book, “Get Real, Lucille!” about a rubber chicken.
Petrisin explained the storyline.
“Lucille is tired of being the circus clown’s sidekick. Deep down, she dreams of being a real chicken. But when her big escape turns into a bigger realization, Lucille discovers that being ‘real’ isn’t about feathers or eggs — it’s about doing what you were made to do and loving every minute of it.”
“Get Real, Lucille!” is Petrisin’s first picture book with Monarch Educational Services, though she previously wrote and illustrated the chapter book “Acorn and Button” in 2022; it is now available at the Macon County Library. “Get Real, Lucille!” will soon join it.
“I wanted children to realize they have a voice,” explained Petrisin. “Often kids feel powerless in an adult world. I wanted to create a character that changes her situation through ingenuity and problem-solving. She changes her circumstances, not herself, discovering her self-worth in the process.”
Petrisin hinted, “You may not have seen the last of Lucille!”
Macon County is extraordinarily rich in talented and remarkable individuals. Thanks to our sculptors, artists, writers, and musicians, we have a community to fall in love with. Our responsibility as citizens is to support local creativity and help share it with the world.