Wiregrass Artists Guild

Imagine the sights and sounds that a young boy of 7 experienced each day as he walked through the alley to catch the bus home from school. He lived in Thailand; it was the early 70’s, a time that American influence was there from the US Air Force Base. It was mandatory that he study art, music, and be a scout. Each Friday students and teachers were required to wear their uniforms. His hometown of Nakhon Ratchasima was the 2nd largest city at that time, much larger than Coffee County is now. Though the economy ran much the same, farming was big and along with some industry the people lived well. The name was shortened to Korat by the servicemen, the same servicemen who longed for home and commissioned local artists to paint snow scenes, landscapes and loved ones. There was one artist in particular who lived in the alley, the same alley that the boy walked every day for 7 years while attending his elementary school. The separate lives of the young boy, the artist in the alley, the servicemen and even the scenery painted by the artist would one day cross paths in a most wonderful way!

The young boy’s name was Pongprapang. We know him as Pong Holton. He walked the alley a distance of what we know as about 3 blocks over to a street where he caught a bus home and each time he stopped to watch the artist who worked at his home in this very alley. Pong saw the man painting the snow scenes of America and the other landscapes that the soldiers commissioned. Sometimes he painted and other times he sketched with a pencil. Most of the time he was in the lower floor area that opened literally onto the street. Pong could get closer sometimes to see exactly what the brush or pencil was doing. The man seemed old to Pong, but was only in his 30’s at the time. Being fascinated and challenged, Pong remembers thinking to himself, “I can do that.” It was truly much later that Pong would put the influence of this man high on the ‘short list’ of those who impacted his career as an artist.

In 1975 at the age of almost 18, Pong moved to the United States with his new adopted Dad of 3 years, Donald Holton & Mom, Aree. Donald Holton was stationed in Korat and after the Vietnam War ended decided head home. Their first stop was about 2 weeks in San Francisco and then they flew to Atlanta & then on to Douglas by greyhound bus. “When I got off that grey bus at 3 o’clock in the morning here in Douglas —- then I felt like I was at home. I never was homesick for Thailand, but I missed my Grandmother and friends very much!” said Pong. “When we got off of the bus we drove on over to our new home in West Green and there waiting for us was the giant container we had packed our household and personal belongings into before leaving Thailand! I even still use some of the cookware that we brought over. My Grandmother was a big cook and she used me for a tester. All the time I was learning from her how to cook! She kept us straight, my 2 brothers, and me while my Mom worked. My Grandfather was a perfectionist in his work, he did wood carvings, drew, painted and built traditional Thailand instruments and even played them!”

Pong enrolled in Coffee High School and because of the drastic differences in the school curriculum in Thailand it was basically like starting high school all over. His heavy accent and struggles with English class were his only problems adjusting. Coffee High School is where he makes an addition to that influence list. Ms Joanne Ray taught Pong art and he thrived! Do you remember the Trojan standing in a cart and being pulled by a massive horse painted on the front of the school and it remained there for many years. Well that was by Pong Holton! Pong stated, “The appreciation for what she was teaching me came at a later date as I took classes in construction engineering at South Georgia College. Ms. Ray was a very good teacher and I have never forgotten her!”

Others influenced Pong’s art along the way and in the late 70’s he visited the home of George Hawks, who was the Fine Arts Professor at The South Georgia College. George taught many students painting, drawing, pottery, and basketry. George was best known regionally for his pottery! But what George especially shared with Pong was his love for freeform baskets. Making them from grapevine and kudzu, weaving them with traditional oak weavers, vines, yarn, rope and even strips of cloth. Each took on a personality of its’ own, kinda like George and Pong!

From 1977 until 1984 Pong was a night shift cook for Tony’s Restaurant that was just across from the entrance to SGC in what is now El Potros. In 1984 just after leaving the short order cook career behind, Pong took a manual labor job at Elixir Industries that lasted 6 years! Pong was doing commissioned pieces for many people in the community, mostly drawing portraits, homes and pets. Lets just be candid about those very lucky “early customers”. They were getting a deal at $25 per original piece! It was during this time that the community began to know Pong as an Artist. At this time he did several of his well known pieces, one that stands out is of a co-worker sitting in what is obviously an outdoors break area at a picnic table, with an Elixir sign in the background. The man, Lloyd Burkett, sits there having a smoke and it seems at any moment he might start to tell you how his morning has gone. After winning first place in the Christmas Parade for several years, the request was made that Pong not design or help with the Elixir float because he was a professional! Boy, were they ever right!

In 1990 Pong left Elixir to begin his current job at Suttles & Associates Architects where he puts his left-brain to work in the precision skills of drafting. You may not even realize that Pong has drafted many of our City and County Facility plans under the direction first of Mr. Al Suttles and then with Vic Suttles as he continued to run the business after his father’s death. But what excites Pong most is when he uses his right-brain to create and explore new mediums such as painting, basket making, clay work, stained glass, silver point, woodcarving, and others. In these past 17 years Pong has become known egionally and his passion for his art is so evident to anyone who takes the time to talk with him for very long. This same passion extends to other Artists’ work and to their successes! Pong’s passion comes from within, from a place that was affected by his 17 years in Thailand, the culture he was raised in that taught him to do what ever he was doing “well”! It also ingrained into his being that you are to respect and care for the elderly and show respect for the people around you. “I would like to live a 1,000 years to learn and experience everything about art – but we have so little time – I know this is not possible. Man is a strange thing, so why would people have time to do harm to each other, I do not understand.” said Pong.

Libbo Belger has been a wonderful influence on Pong as they became friends and Libbo taught him the precise art of making Traditional Baskets. “Libbo told me – I will teach you a little and then you will explore how to move on from there.” Pong said, “ And when someone takes the time to teach you what they know without expecting payment, this is a great thing to do. They only want you to learn it and carry on the traditions.” Pong has recently made 2 basket molds and has a shaving horse. The Nantucket, Shaker and Cathead traditional baskets are on his most want to do list.

From 1988-1989 Pong was commissioned by The City of Douglas to create pencil drawing of 43 original “Old Coffee County Scenes” from photographs. The originals hang in The Coffee County Court House as a permanent exhibition by Pong. Prints of these same scenes hang in several prominent and historical locations; The South Georgia College, Coffee Regional Hospital, The C. E. Weir Senior Center, The Douglas Coffee County Parks & Recreation, The Ashley Slater House Welcome Center & Chamber, The Heritage Station Museum and others.

To finish the short list of influences on his art career, Pong adds Andrew Wyeth, Van Gogh, and Rembrandt. He enjoys going to art shows and to Museums to be inspired by so many really good artists and to study their techniques! Pong is a well-known regional Artist who has held shows in Atlanta, Douglas, Tifton, Moultrie, Lakeland, Nicholls, and Willacoochee. In Douglas, Pong has been a part of many shows and very active in The Wiregrass Artists Guild, promoting Art to the youth of our county. Most of his time is used to create commissioned art pieces and spend time with his family.

Pong married Angie Taft in 1986 and they soon brought a very vibrant daughter into the world, who was named Boone, after her aunt and later a son named Rain, who is insatiable when it comes to creating cartoon and fiction characters. They both have inherited art skills! Angie is the glue that holds it all together and this is a great compliment! She does not profess to be an artist. But she is very smart and determined to be the best Mother and Wife possible. She is a Para Pro at Satilla School and loves her job there. Angie spends a great deal of time assisting Pong in promoting his work and keeping his clients happy. Their home is a piece of art in and of itself, filled with many of the family’s creations and design ideas, as well as lots of other Artists’ work.

In 1990, Pong returned to Thailand for a sad occasion, the death of his Grandmother, Vong Buneyaratapan, who died at the age of 88. He was able to visit the Artist in the alley and was surprised to find a Noodle Restaurant on the ground floor of the man’s home! Pong enjoyed the food cooked by non other than “The Artist” and talked with him about the many years earlier when a little boy stopped to watch each day as he walked through the alley! Pong asked the question, “what do you like the most drawing or painting?” They both agreed with each other that drawing was their favorite!

So many things had happened to Pong since leaving Thailand as a boy. After moving to America, he did become an artist who drew and painted the same types of pieces that he had watched the Artist in the alley draw and paint so long ago! After visiting with this man once again as a grown man, the final path had been crossed.

Pong Holton and Todd Womack are friends, and so often as friends do, they were sitting around talking about the idea of an art guild. They threw the idea around enough to come up with the basic concept and then pitched the idea to Connie Cation, who coordinated programs through the Parks and Recreation for the new Art Center.

The Art Center, better known to locals as the Central School Elementary Building, had just opened in April of 2002 with programs in Fitness, a full service Ceramic Studio and The Art Department offering Special Programs in art, community events, and specific clubs. The Art Center runs along Coffee Street and ends at E. Bryan Street, sitting on Central Square, along with Satilla Regional Library, The C. E. Weir Center, Central Square Gyms and The Douglas Coffee County Parks & Recreation Office Building that is shared with The Tourism & Promotions Department of The City of Douglas.

A major goal was set – offer local artists a chance to unite in an effort to promote their own work and bring publicity to the large artists population now living in Coffee County. Artists and art supporters were welcomed to the first meetings to help set guidelines. 5 years have flown by with a strong group forming after the 1st year! We are meeting on the first Tuesday of each month here at The Art Center at 6:30pm.

The Wiregrass Artists Guild is involved in 2 big events each year: the Wiregrass Art Festival held in March that celebrates Youth Art Month and “The Soul of The South” Art Show & Sale held as part of The National BBQ Festival on first weekend in November. Visit our site at wiregrassartistsguild.org. or contact Connie at art@cityofdouglas.com for any further information you may need.

We are focused on helping our artists sell their work and we are focused on promoting art to the community and to the youth of our county. The children’s Festival in March will host a Coffee County School “Student Art Show” of over 300 pieces from Pre K through 12th grade. Coffee County Art Teachers work very hard to Teach the art projects & lessons, then collect the work, matt, frame and present these pieces to the show. The CHS Art is now a juried show where ribbons, $ and art prizes are given to the winners at a reception hosted by The Guild. There is also a Featured Artist selected from The Guild Members for recognition throughout the year. This Artist must be active in the community in promoting art and especially promoting art to the youth.

The Children’s Art Festival, held on the first Saturday in March, is the kickoff for the weeklong event and it is free! We hold a giant sand castle area in the parking lot and lots of hands on activities inside the Central Square Gym. Guild Artists either demonstrate art or run hands on art activities such as clay work, paper cutting, watercolor, face painting and many more! The Student Show is up and the excitement level is sky high! Attendance has been more than 750 for the past 2 years and we are expecting it to just get bigger as more work is entered and as more parents begin to appreciate the art their kids are making!

By Connie Cation, Special Programs Coordinator
Douglas Coffee County Parks & Recreation

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Email Contact: pongstudio at windstream dot net – Telephone: 921-384-2768