The Powers Crossroads festival may be gone, but this Labor Day Weekend the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society will be remembering the popular event with “Powers Crossroads Revisited” at a newly re-opened Male Academy Museum, 30 Temple Avenue.
Three paintings by the founder of the festival, Tom Powers, will be on display, along with quilts, crafts, and folk art dating from the early days of the festival, which began in 1971.
“We received these paintings of Mr. Powers just before he passed away, and it seemed like a sign we should remember him and the festival he started in some way,” said Jeff Bishop, executive director of the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society.
NCHS is actively seeking loans of art from the festival’s early days to include as part of the event. Pottery, metal craft, sculpture, painting, fabric craft, glass, woodwork, etching, and other crafts bought or produced at the Powers Crossroads festival, especially items from the festival’s early days, are sought.
The early September event will be part of a re-launch of the Male Academy Museum, which will be re-opened with a new quilt exhibit. Quilts are needed to add to the exhibit, to complement the quilts already in the NCHS collection, which include the Newnan Sesquicentennial Quilt.
“We also would like for artists who quilt, weave, or paint to set up tables for this event,” he said. Please contact NCHS at 770-251-0207 or email Jessie@newnancowetahistoricalsociety.com for more information.
Around 1970, Powers and business leader Lindsey Barron launched the concept that became the Powers festival. There were few such events at Labor Day at the time, and Powers Crossroads became a highly touted, juried art venue that drew shoppers from all around. The festival continued for over 40 years, but eventually went into decline. The last festival was held in 2013.
“If you have old quilts, especially, we would love to display them and share the stories of their creations and meanings,” said Jessie Merrell of the historical society. “We are looking for all shapes, sizes, patterns, and techniques. If you have some you would like to share, come by the McRitchie-Hollis Museum at 74 Jackson Street or contact the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society and let us know.” The quilts do not have to have been associated with the Powers Crossroads festival, since the quilt display will continue after the Labor Day event.
