Overview

The Morgan Chenille store, the old Dalton firehouse on Pentz Street, the side door of the old Manly Jail Works on Glenwood--these and other historical local structures form part of the backdrop of everyday life in Dalton, the Northwest Georgia industrial and commercial center. But for local artist Gene Mealor, these buildings represent landmarks in the area's journey through time.

Mealor's works have been featured in many art shows, but his collected works featuring Dalton's architectural icons have never been displayed in exhibit form. A selection of his best paintings covering landmarks around Dalton and still life botanicals are the subject of this exhibition.

Since Mealor sold or gave away most of his original pieces, this exhibit would not be possible without the cooperation and generosity of the James and Sis Brown family, which owns much of the original work. A long-time benefactor of the college, the Brown family has been involved with Dalton State College since the institution's inception in the 1960s.

The Mealor exhibition continues the Brown family's tradition of support for DSC. The Bandy Heritage Center is proud to partner with the Brown family to bring this varied and extensive collection into public view.

The Bandy Heritage Center for Northwest Georgia would like to thank the following for making this exhibition possible:

• The Brown Family
• Mr. Gene Mealor
• Mr. Jack Bandy
• Dalton State College
• The Dalton State College Foundation

About Gene Mealor

Born in Chattanooga, Gene Mealor grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. While visiting family in North Georgia as an adolescent, he developed a love for the region and its people. Mealor obtained a degree in art from the University of Chattanooga (now the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) and pursued a career in commercial art for 30 years.

As a graphic artist for Brown Industries, Gene Mealor employed his use of watercolor and eye for detail to create images that captured the process and products of the printing business.

In an era before digitization, These handmade renderings of equipment and products appeared in brochures and printed materials to promote Brown Industries. Today this artwork is displayed on the walls of the company as a fitting reminder of its history.

Much of Mealor's other artwork consists of images of Dalton's past as well as still life renderings drawn from the world around him.

While working as a graphic artist and art collector for Brown Industries in the 1970s and 1980s, artist Gene Mealor spent his spare time painting the historic and picturesque structures he saw in and around Dalton. His work highlights an interesting aspect of the history of the area--its visual imagery.

In addition to his paintings of Dalton and works for Brown industries, Gene Mealor is also known for his still life images, and, in particular, his paintings of flowers and other lush vegetation. His style of capturing subjects as they actually appear is termed "realism" in the art world. He simply calls it "freezing a moment in time."

Gene Mealor still resides in Dalton with his wife. The walls of the Mealor household are covered in his artwork, turning walks down the hallways into trips down memory lane. Mealor's artwork provides a glimpse into the past, allowing viewers to see Dalton as it once was. The history of the area is captured in his images, and his artwork is no doubt an invaluable resource to the Dalton community.