By Elmetra Patterson
Jackson Advocate Guest Writer
Yvonne Norton Ewing is the artist that often puts an art project on Facebook, gets many likes, gets many comments, and then the art disappears into the shed to never be seen again until recently.
The Friends of Dean Park, Inc., was looking for local African American artists for their 14th Annual Black History Exhibit to be held in the Winston County Library. The 2024 theme was African Americans and the Arts. Yvonne Norton was one of the first names that came to FODP as an artist along with Willie Gene Sims. She was contacted and she came to the library with five pieces of art which included paintings, crocheting, and yarn art which no one in the group or library had ever seen or heard of. She eventually filled the wall with her art in several days. She claimed most came from her shed. The wall was named Yvonne’s Wall. It was soon discovered that she is a painter, yarn artist, crocheter, seamstress, and she refurbishes furniture.
Yvonne was born and raised in Louisville, MS on Airport Road to Clara and Ruby D. Norton. She graduated with the Class of 1975 from Louisville High School. She completed two years at Mary Holmes Junior College with an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She has four daughters: Terhey, a nurse practitioner; Tralanda, a traveling CNA; Tyrainne Clarice, an author with a degree in Communications; and Tia-Anne is employed by Toyota in Blue Springs, MS. She is very proud of her daughters and their achievements.
As many women have done after having their children, Yvonne continued her education at Tougaloo College at the age of 40 years old. She commuted with another student in a special program for weekends only. Tougaloo College served as a refuge for activists during the Civil Rights Movement and became a central gathering place for organizers in Mississippi. Yvonne obtained a BA degree in Elementary Education. Yvonne has mostly been employed in the education field from Map Headstart to elementary schools. After receiving her degree, she worked in Durant, Thomastown, and later in Louisville, MS. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with Polymyositis while at Durant. After transferring to Louisville Elementary School, she retired on disability in 2007. She stated that she endured a lot of pain while trying to continue to work and care for her family.
While at Tougaloo College, Yvonne took art classes which included yarn art. With the yarn art, she sketches first and then glues the yarn in place. She stated, “I could always sketch out things. I have been refinishing furniture from my ancestors.” She is a self-taught painter by watching Bob Ross on PBS. As to crocheting, she is self-taught. As to becoming an artist with the FODP at the library, I was not expecting to have my own wall. It was nice to work with them as an artist and volunteer. This has gotten me out of my comfort zone. I now see the value of my art. Now, I am willing to go a little bit further and see where it takes me. I have art supplies and I am beginning to check out festivals and to complete entry forms to enter.”
The FODP’s members expressed their gratitude to Yvonne for attracting many other artists and the community to participate and view the art gallery and the exhibits in the main library. There were nearly 300 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from Eiland Middle School who toured the exhibit; and approximately 200 Louisville High School students, a 4-H Club group, and the NAACP Youth Council. The guest artists, armless painter who paints with his feet, Kendrell Daniels, of Starkville and Chadena Jones, who is blind in one eye of Baltimore, were excited to meet the local artists.
