Columbus native, Coulter Fussell may have left decades ago, but the community never left her. Her latest exhibition, Hot Water, at the Bo Bartlett Center, is specifically inspired by the Chattahoochee River Valley.
It is a mixed media installation featuring pieces made from quilts, hand-me-down t-shirts, an old console television and many references to Columbus lore. In her own words from a recent Bartlett Center talk: “Even though I’ve lived in Mississippi longer than I’ve lived here, there is endless inspiration from Columbus.”
Telling a local story
Her large work quilts tell a local story and are influenced by and referential to Columbus and the area.
One such piece, titled “Jump School” is a nod to the United States Army Airborne School at Ft. Benning. It’s big in scope, stretching 99 x 88 inches, and, like all her work, is made up of all donated materials and textiles.
One of her most revered pieces, “Steam Mill” is inspired by Columbus’ history as a mill town. After reading “Red Clay, White Water and the Blues” by Virginia Causey, she shared, “I drew from that idea of the town powered by these mills.”…