Hanging Art From a Clothesline

Clothesline Art and Fine Art Treasures isn’t your average gallery.

Owned and operated by photographer Les Scarborough, Stone Mountain Village’s newest art gallery features artwork from residents in Park Springs, a local retirement community where he was living with his wife for five years. And even though some art is framed and hung traditionally, many works are unframed and instead pinned to a string lining the walls. This clothesline, in addition to Scarborough’s “digital clothesline,” allows him to order different sizes and canvases for whatever art the customers favors.

This week, Patch talks with Scarborough about his new venture.

Patch: Where did the Clothesline style come from?

Les Scarborough: Many years ago, there was a lady in what was called Plum Nelly, Ga., and she had a Clotheslines Arts Festival every year. She just strung wire all over the side of the mountain and artists would come and clothespin their art to the wires. That was basically the inspiration here.

Patch: What inspired you feature artwork from seniors?

Scarborough: The inspiration mainly for the gallery was the fact that they are in a fairly closed campus, and there is not much to do with their art in the mainstream of their community. I had heard some say that when they finish one, they just stick it in their closet or put it under the bed. My dream was to have a gallery that would feature their artwork, as well as my photography. I will bring in pictures that they will either want to sell or just show; they don't have to sell it. This is a place where someone can sit and enjoy artwork and just be comfortable.

Patch: How long have you been a photographer?

Scarborough: When I went to Korea, my father-in-law gave me a camera and said, "Please take some pictures and show us where you are." So that was the beginning. I took a picture of a little girl in Seoul, Korea, in 1954.

Patch: What do you enjoy most about photography?

Scarborough: Finding things to photograph. I don't do people well. I do leaves, wildflowers; I do a lot detailed photography. I would like to get into portrait photography and have maybe a setup here so I can take photographs. The ones I've done have been mainly outside. I love to take pictures of Stone Mountain and people, so that will probably be one of my next ventures. I have never taken much interest in landscape photography until my wife and I took a cross-country train trip and about all you can take on a train is landscape. I learned a lot about it and now I've taken a great deal of pride in my landscape.

Clothesline Art and Fine Art Treasures is located at 963 Main Street in Stone Mountain Village. Its gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.