Country music star to perform at ABAC Painted Ponies |

TIFTON, GA – News release from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Painted Ponies, Painted Dreams, a new exhibit spotlighting Georgia artist Ann Yarbrough, will open at 6 p.m. on July 13 at the Gallery of the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village, now operated by ABAC.

The exhibit opening will include a special performance by Grammy-nominated country music star John Berry, who has been a fan and a collector of Yarbrough’s work for many years.

The reception will also feature locally grown foods and beverages and hosted by the Museum’s Wiregrass Farmers Market and the Hilton Garden Inn. Guests to the opening reception will have a chance to meet Yarbrough.

A lifelong resident of Cedartown, Yarbrough remembers watching her grandfather paint murals on the sides of stores across the country. Many years later she got her own brushes and paints as a Christmas gift from her husband. Entirely self-taught, Ann’s creative journey began thirty years ago and she hasn’t stopped since.

Nowadays Yarbrough is a recognized color pencil and oil artist and a signature member of the Color Pencil Society of America, and has been accepted in their International Show for five consecutive years. She has worked on movie sets, and her stunning drawings explore a wide variety of subjects, including people and animals. She is also one of the official artists for the Trail of Painted Ponies©, having created the pony “Starlight”-now retired, and “Old Paint”- to be put into circulation later this year.

The Trail of Painted Ponies© is one of the premier fine art and collectibles companies in the world, crafting one of the most beloved collectibles in America. These miniature works of art are prized by collectors who appreciate artistry and fine craftsmanship. Each one of the themed Painted Ponies pays tribute to the beauty and majesty of the horse and the time honored tradition of storytelling.

While The Trail of Painted Ponies© is known for creating stunning collectible figurines, companion collections and best-selling books, they are also well-known for supporting the arts, education, animals and the environment.

The Trail of Painted Ponies© began in Santa Fe as a public art project that invited artists to let their imaginations run wild and transform life-size fiberglass horse sculptures into stunning original works of art. The title of Official Painted Ponies Artist is an honor and it is accompanied by an array of opportunities.

"I remember as a child the story my mother and father would read each year on Christmas Eve, about how long ago, late one silent night, a star shined so bright in the sky that it guided shepherds and wise men to the birth place of baby Jesus," recalls Yarbrough. "With this image in mind, I painted twinkling stars on one of God's greatest creations – the horse – to give us all one more reason to believe that the stars shine brighter at Christmas," Yarbrough says about her Painted Pony, “Starlight”.

Several of Yarbrough’s painted ponies and many of her two-dimensional pieces will be displayed in the new Gallery exhibit “Painted Ponies, Painted Dreams”. Guests will also have a chance to view a side collection of Painted Ponies created by Yarbrough’s fellow artists over the years.

"We are very honored to display Ann’s work in the Gallery,” said Paul Willis, Vice President of External Affairs and Chief of Staff.  “Being able to share the talents of Ann and John at this opening will be one of the highlights of the summer.”

Berry has recorded more than fifteen studio albums since the beginning of his career, including one platinum album and two gold albums. He has also charted nineteen songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the Number One single "Your Love Amazes Me" from 1994 and six additional Top Ten hits: "What's In It for Me," "You and Only You," "Standing on the Edge of Goodbye," "I Think About It All the Time," "Change My Mind," and "She's Taken a Shine."

“We have been privileged to work with Yarbrough in showcasing her work in Tifton,” said Polly Huff, GMA Gallery Coordinator. “The Gallery is always drawn to Georgia artists, and to those among them who work to preserve and advance their craft and pass it on to the next generation. Her realistic images and the way in which her brush captures light, emotion, and movement will amaze you.”

The opening reception for “Painted Ponies, Painted Dreams” will take place on Friday, July 13 at 6 pm.

For questions about the exhibit or to book a private Gallery tour for an event or for a group, interested persons can call Huff at 391-5222 or email her at phuff@abac.edu.