A Look at the Music of The Art Council's Panoply

When I was a kid attending Morris Elementary back in the 80’s, billboards would pop up around town with the most fun artwork on them spelling out that one of the best weekends in Alabama was about to be upon us: Panoply. Each year that I was in elementary school, I wanted so hard to have my picture featured up on one of those billboards. Finally in the 5th grade, I was fortunate and excited to have my name called as the 5th grade winner. My picture of a clown and his smile had made it to a billboard!

Fast forward several years later and I am still excited when I see those Panoply billboards pop up. I have not seen them this year, and I hope that is just my own blind eye, and not that they have discontinued doing them. If so, please bring them back for all of us that have watched them pop up through the years ushering in spring to the valley.

The Importance of the Arts

The Art’s Council’s Panoply is so important to Huntsville and our kids. A 1995 study showed that students who studied the arts for more than four years scored forty-four points higher on the math portion and fifty-nine points higher on the verbal section of the SAT. I put this statistic in this blog because we have a community that values the arts as well as education and Panoply shows us that we should use the wonderful art from this weekend year round in our schools.

Panoply brings out the best in our community and this year is no exception. There are so many wonderful artists who will put their art on the display both in print and on stage. From the homegrown talent like Snake Pit Ninjas that will rock you and have adrenalized the crowds at Warrior Dashes, to jazz bands, country artists and singer-songwriter Amy McCarley who I saw at The Folk Mission in November, Panoply has managed to keep the local performers at the highest levels satisfying its mission.

View the complete music schedule for Panoply

Panoply Featured Performers

The Panoply featured performers are going to close each night out with their own unique music.

I was able to see The David Mayfield Parade open for The Avett Brothers on New Year’s Eve in Asheville N.C. a couple of years ago, and his stage presence is one that will have you at the edge of your seat.

The Secret Sisters will take you back to The Lonesome Highway and Hank Williams with their beautiful harmonies capturing the rural qualities of the 20’s. These sisters from Muscle Shoals continue to bring the Shoals sound out of Alabama.

Claire Lynch, another Valley native has shown that besides rockets, we know music. She was awarded the 2010 female vocalist of the year by the IMBA. Emmylou Harris said Claire has the voice of an angel.

Committed, who honed their talent at Oakwood University, has shown the world what they can do after winning the second season of NBC’s Sing Off through strong faith, creativity and hard work showing that with God, all things are possible.

Margery McDuffie Whatley will bring her talent on the piano to Big Spring Park on Sunday. She has played with our own Symphony as well as serving on their boards and teaching at UAHuntsville receiving the Distinguished Teaching Award.

View the featured performer schedule

That clown and the little boy that drew it used that creativity that Panoply fostered to create a passion and career in Landscape Architecture designing artful spaces throughout Huntsville. I now have kids of my own and I love taking them to Panoply allowing them to experience how art can open up imaginations, its influence on in everyday life and making a connection with them through the art from generation to generation.

Panoply is the best downtown activity that Huntsville has and now it’s “all grown up.”