In Our Own Words: Judy Walker, abstract expressionist painter

Judy Walker is an abstract expressionist painter whose large-scale watercolors are inspired by nature. She co-founded the Chatt Hills Artist Co-op, Inc., a nonprofit, to encourage fellow creatives in the development of their art, professionalism and responsibility to community.

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In 2017, I founded the Chatt Hills Artist Co-op, along with core members. We opened the Chatt Hills Gallery at Serenbe in 2018. By 2020 we were up to 18 artists, and then opened the Paint Space — a working studio for artists, and for teaching. Then Covid hit. To keep the doors open, our group started a photographic essay of life called Still Serenbe. We charged our neighbors $35 to photograph families on their porch, these images resulted in an exhibit and a book titled Still ~ A Project at Serenbe as a fundraiser to keep the art spaces going and lift up our community.

People came to the Paint Space for a respite from being alone, being overwhelmed, and being in grief over the events of the world. We saw unbelievable transformations from deep depression to vibrant new art skills of community members. The most astounding was a 10-year-old girl who was suicidal. She was stuck at home trying to navigate Zoom classes by herself, becoming despondent because of constant criticism of teachers who could not reach her. She came in to draw and paint. She listened to Malinda Lively-Arnold teach others, and quietly developed a vocabulary of art and process. She went from drawing crying eyes at home to painting rainbows. We found out how art saves lives.

Our group found we could make a difference. In late 2021, we started fundraising to renovate an Art Room in Chattahoochee Hills City Hall for community use. We partner with the City of Chattahoochee Hills, Community Brickworks, The Bridge Group, The University of West Georgia and The South Fulton Institute for Art, Culture, and the Environment to offer future art classes once the room is renovated and equipped.