Mississippi Art Collection:
Pearl River County Welcome Center – Picayune
The Pearl River County Welcome Center in Picayune features a curated collection of original works by Mississippi artists that celebrate the cityscapes, history, and culture of the Magnolia State, offering a creative glimpse into Mississippi life. Each of the state’s welcome centers showcases its own unique selection of Mississippi art, giving visitors a distinctive introduction to the creative people and noteworthy places that shape the state. The collection was curated in partnership with Pacesetter Gallery, whose support helps highlight the remarkable talent and vision of Mississippi’s artists.
Ali Stayer
Hometown: Hattiesburg, MS
Into The Woods
This painting captures the quiet, ethereal beauty of a shaded Mississippi trail, bathed in the soft light of an early morning. Inspired by the state’s countless hidden paths and forested backroads, the scene draws from the stillness found deep within Mississippi’s woodlands, where sunlight filters through tall pines and oaks, scattering dappled patterns on the ground. The hazy distance invites the viewer to imagine what lies beyond the bend—perhaps a creek, a meadow, or a glimpse of wildlife. Mississippi is full of such places where time seems to slow, and the air hums with the scent of earth and pine. Through this work, I hope to encourage others to wander these trails, to step into the cool green shade, and to experience firsthand the serenity and mystery that make Mississippi’s natural landscapes so unforgettable.
Artist Bio
Ali Stayer and her husband, Phil, reside in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Ali’s journey as an oil painter began 30 years ago under the guidance of her mother, Hilda Brown, a distinguished artist from Montgomery, Alabama. With her five children now grown, Ali has transitioned what was once a beloved hobby into a full-time career.
Ali creates most of her paintings in her home studio, drawing inspiration from photographs she takes and collected images. Her work is characterized by Southern landscapes and coastal scenes. She identifies as a representational artist and aims to convey the emotions she experiences in the scenes she paints.
Ali’s art is showcased at Caron Gallery in Tupelo and Laurel, Pacesetter Gallery in Flowood, Studio Gallery 30A, Grayton Beach, Florida, and Gallery One in Montgomery, AL. Her work has often been selected by the HGTV Home Town design team to decorate homes after their renovations.
David Rawlinson
Hometown: Holly Springs, MS
Fishing Lures Collection
I love the beauty of fly fishing flies. Trying to emulate a certain insect or bug in order to catch a fish is just amazing to me. The vibrant colors and textures that are the “beauty” of the fly, versus the hard, sharp nature of the hook that is the “beast,” make these works of art beautiful.
Anticipation
Patience is a virtue that every fisherman needs to have. I have fished for many years, and I still have a problem with this. You may spend many hours on the water and never get a bite, but the real reward is just being on the water and enjoying the peace and solitude of this wonderful place.
The Wait
Hunting and fishing have been a part of Mississippi culture for many years. Duck hunting, in particular, has deep roots for many families, passed down from generation to generation. The Mississippi Delta is an important area where ducks migrate during the winter months. In this painting, I wanted to show the unique bond between the hunter and his dog.
Artist Bio
After receiving a BFA in Advertising Design from Memphis College of Art, David worked as an Art Director for several advertising agencies in Memphis, Tennessee, and Little Rock, Arkansas.
In 1987, David began his own graphic design company in Collierville, TN. For 30 years, his company provided marketing & design services to a wide range of clients, from agricultural chemical & seed companies to manufacturers and service providers.
In the late 60s, David lived with his mother in the French Quarter of New Orleans. She was a portrait artist on Jackson Square. David began painting while attending high school in New Orleans and working in a frame shop after school. While working in the frame shop, he got to know many different artists who lived in the French Quarter. That early art environment in such a unique place was a valuable asset to his art career.
Whatever the inspiration, his paintings share one well-defined theme: the striking beauty of contrast. The work presents people, places, and objects in settings of chaotic serenity that beg the observer to ponder: what is the story behind the story?
David is an avid fisherman and often incorporates his love of fishing into his art. His art studio is in his lake cabin in North Mississippi.
For more information and to see his additional works, visit Pacesetter Gallery in Flowood, Mississippi and pacesettergallery.com
Karen Bennett
Hometown: Kokomo, MS
Mississippi Marsh Diptych
It was such an honor to paint the Mississippi marsh. Mississippi has much to offer the senses, from food and music to art, fishing, and beyond. This painting of the marsh depicts the natural beauty of the Mississippi wetlands. A time of peace and tranquility awaits as you look out across the colorful, grassy waters. A time of personal reflection and meditation as the marsh leads you through swaying grasses within the water, as colors of the sky reflect upon the water’s surface. Can’t you feel the warm breeze and hear the rippling waters?
Artist Bio
Karen is an award-winning Studio and Plein Air Artist. She is married to her wonderful husband, Danny, and they live on their fourth-generation farm in South Mississippi. They are blessed with four beautiful daughters and three sons-in-law, including a bonus granddaughter. Most of Karen’s inspiration comes from the great outdoors of their family farm and the many travels with her husband and their two pup children. “My desire is for the viewer to see, feel, and hear the peacefulness of the pastoral scene.”
She has studied and mentored under renowned artists from across the nation and is a member of local and national art associations. Karen’s artwork has appeared on HGTV’s Home Town and has found a home in many collections across the United States. She is represented by Pacesetter Gallery in Flowood, Mississippi (online at pacesettergallery.com), and by Arts District Studio in Natchez, Mississippi. She invites you to follow her art journey on Instagram and Facebook at @KarenBennettArt, and on www.karenbennettart.com.
Rick Anderson
Hometown: Clinton, MS
Window Pane
Besides creating paintings that depict certain scenes with realistic elements, I sometimes like to move beyond realism into more contemporary or abstract work. Window Panes is the result of beginning with realistic references, taking elements from these subjects, and developing them into shapes, colors, and movement to create a blurry yet strong visual statement. The title Window Panes invites the viewer to look out through a window on a stormy day, where the weather blurs the reality of what we might see on a clear, sunny day. As dark clouds, rain, and wind move the outside elements back and forth, the viewer may begin to let their imagination create a new vision, shifting from realism to abstraction. Hopefully, Window Panes is one of those wonderful moments of imagination.
Artist Bio
Rick is a lifelong resident of Mississippi. He holds a Master of Art Education degree from Delta State University. His teaching career began in 1970 alongside his professional art career. Rick began entering state, national, and international art competitions. Some highlights include: in 1977, Rick was accepted into the Rutgers National Drawing competition; in 1978, the Rocky Mountain National Water Media Juried Exhibition; in 1978, a semifinalist in the First Annual American Artist Magazine Competition; in 1979, became a signature member of the Southern Watercolor Society. In 1995, after 25 years of teaching art in Mississippi Public Schools, he retired from the classroom to focus full-time on his professional art career.
He continued to enter and be juried into watercolor society exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad. Some of these are, in 2025, the watercolor societies of Georgia and Louisiana; and, in 2024, the Belarus International invitational, Malaysia International, and North West WS International. In 2024–2025, the 46th, 47th, and 48th Southern Watercolor Society, watercolor societies of Alabama, San Diego, and Louisiana. In 2023, Freedom Ukraine International, International 6, Thessaloniki, Greece, Venice International, and Fabriano International. In 2019–2022, National Watercolor Society Member Exhibition, American Watercolor Society Member Exhibition, International 5, Thessaloniki, Greece, Southern Watercolor Society, and National Watercolor Society.
In 2019, he was invited to join FabrianoInAcquarello, an international watercolor organization that originated in Fabriano, Italy. Over 1,200 international watercolor artists meet for a week-long watercolor conference and an exhibition of our original watercolor paintings. The spring of 2025 was his fourth year of attending. Also in 2025, he was selected as the USA East Leader of FabrianoInWatercolor. He was honored to have been chosen to have a nine-page feature article in Watercolor Artist Magazine’s 2025 Fall Issue. In 2024, Rick was selected by Daniel Smith Watercolor Materials to be a Daniel Smith Brand Ambassador and as an invited guest demo artist on ZOOM.
Rick owes much of his success to his wife, Merrie. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past March. They have one son, Denman, who lives and works in New York City.
Paul Smith
Hometown: Brandon, MS
Vicksburg Bridge
This is a photograph of the iconic Vicksburg Bridge in morning light. The artist watched the weather for many months to scout the perfect morning with a light mist to bring this photograph to life.
Artist Bio
Paul Smith bought his first camera in 1978 at the local Service Merchandise and has been in love with photography since. “It’s not about photography, it’s about capturing your vision, showing others the world through your eyes. A person’s photography style is ever-changing based on what they see, feel and hear at a given point in time.”
Smith, a Clinton, MS native now residing in Brandon, MS, captures potent images as he travels through Mississippi and the South. His first photography book, “The Color of Mississippi” (Nautilus Publishing, 2012) captured the beauty of our breathtaking state. His second book is scheduled for release in 2024, “Sweet Seasons”, combines his love of baking southern desserts with photography.
“I was just a “home event” photographer until 2009 when my wife asked me to take a photograph of a yellow tulip she admired at Jackson’s well-manicured Highland Village in 2009. Capturing the beauty of that small delicate flower on an overcast day inspired me to pursue photography as a profession. Since then, I’ve made the yearly spring tulip bloom at Highland Village, a must visit on my photography schedule.” states the artist.
Smith has shown work at the George Ohr Museum and Museum of the Delta and was a Meridian Museum of Art 48th Annual Bi-State Art Finalist. Smith’s work can be found throughout the state in residential, government and commercial spaces. His work is included in many permanent collections of fine art in Mississippi, including the EE Bass Museum and Mississippi Governor’s Mansion.
