Local musician, artists and authors will be coming together to celebrate the creativity in the Lee County area.
The Transformations Life Center, located in downtown Opelika, is holding a Celebrating Creativity event on Friday, Feb. 1 from 6\0xAD-9 p.m.
The Transformations Life Center, which store owner, Bridget Smith, and patrons refer to as TLC, is a gift shop, book and toy store located at 824 Avenue A.
Stasia Dunlop, store manager and a creative influence behind TLC and Celebrating Creativity, said the event is a chance for artists to meet and also share their inspirations while showcasing their arts and talents to other guests. The event will be held inside the store and is free to the public.
"It just seems to be that Lee County is this pocket of creativity and I want that to grow," Dunlop said.
Dunlop said what started out as a book signing for The Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers, a group of six local women who recently published their second book, "The Ploy of Cooking", transformed into what will be a night featuring at least a dozen local talents.
"We try to celebrate people here," Dunlop said.
Some of the other authors attending the event are Kelly Kazek, author of "Hidden History of Auburn", Faith Serafin, author "Haunted Auburn and Opelika," and Ann Pearson, co-author of "Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Photographs" with Delos Hughes and Ralph Draughon Jr.
"It sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun," said Gail Langley, one of the six authors from The Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers. "I am looking forward to visiting with the other artists there."
In addition to these authors, the event will also feature local watercolor artist, Sarah Scott; woodworking craftsman, Jimmy Camp; process artist, Debora Myles; puppet maker, Lesean Spencer and owner of the Gnu's Room, Tina Tatum.
"So many small town writers go unnoticed," Tatum said. "Auburn and Opelika have a lot of really talented writers. People need to take the chance and go check them out."
Local banjo player, Phillip Stroud, will also be in attendance at the event.
"Bridget wanted to give back to the community," Dunlop said. "We try to support local creativity whenever we can."
Celebrating Creativity will be held on the same night as Opelika Main Street's First Fridays, which is when stores in downtown Opelika stay open late on the first Friday of every month.
"Even if nobody else comes, we sure are going to have a great time here," Dunlop said.
When she isn't planning larger events like 'Celebrating Creativity', Smith, an Auburn University alumni and clinical psychologist in Auburn, hosts workshops in her store on a regular basis.
"We want people to grow and become who they want to be," Dunlop said.
According to Dunlop most of the items in the store are either handmade, fair trade, non-profit and all have interesting back stories.
"When most artists hear what we are about, they love it and want to support it and the whole idea of this store," Dunlop said.
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