Pike County Art Guild holds event at BSweet

The Pike County Art Guild met up to hold a still life session at BSweet Bakery in Downtown Troy last Thursday. The group gathered to sketch the décor and sweets that fill the shop. 

The art guild was founded in 2025 by former president of the guild Kitty Smothers, who is now an adjunct professor of psychology.  

“After graduating from Troy, I sort of lost connection with the art community,” Smothers said. “I missed that.  

“Then, I started talking to Jerry Johnson, and we put our heads together on how we could get artists together around Troy.” 

After a successful event at the Downtown Square, the group began monthly meetings for still life sessions. The guild also allows members to find and enter shows in the area.  

They now have members of all ages and all skill levels, some being faculty of Troy University as well as students. Some of the artists have been drawing and painting for many years, while others are just getting started. 

The guild is a way for artists to get out there and not only meet but  feel support and inspiration from other artists.  

“Whenever you’re an artist, you tend to be a deep introvert, but sometimes you can get stuck in a rut whenever you’re off on your own island,” Smothers said. . ““When you’rechallenged to get out and interact with other artists, you try new things, and it opens up your viewpoint in a way that you would have never had on your own.” 

“I joined the guild in 2022,” said Rebekah Alexander, the president of the art guild. “It’s nice to show up where you’re not working, but you’re more so playing while feeling supported.” 

With their emphasis on community, the art guild does not just focus on themselves.

Instead, they find it beneficial to help bring awareness and support to local businesses such as BSweet. 

“I think it’s fun to bounce around and support other creatives and business owners,” Alexander said. “They’re part of the community, too.  

“It breaks you out of your comfort zone of collaborating with others.” 

“The arts are so important,” said Jeanna Barnes, the owner of BSweet Bakery. “It teaches you discipline, and it gives you a chance for your creativity to shine.  

“It’s nice to see adults still doing it.” 

In a small community like Troy, Barnes emphasizes the importance of the arts and bringing people together in a creative way.  

“In a small town, you’ve got more people that know each other, and it’s a little more of a tight-knit community,” Barnes said. “Art is a great outlet for people who might not fit in in other places.  

“Some people may call us oddballs, but that’s okay. We have our little community.” 

Smothers shared what she loves the most about the guild. 

“One thing I love about the guild is that it has connected the entire community,” Smothers said. “We’ve connected the Johnson Center for the Arts as well as local businesses with the art community.” 

The Pike County Art Guild meets once a month for different events throughout the year that promote the visual arts. Next month, they will be holding an event called Roll the Dice, which is an art game with different possibilities to paint, sketch or draw still life in some way. 

The event will be held at Art by the Tracks. 

Everyone is welcome to the art guild. The first meeting is free, but the yearly membership costs $35. To keep up with the different events the art guild is doing, follow @pcartguild on Instagram.