The Arts Revive Harmony Club Art show brought several out-of-town artists into Selma to appreciate the city, according to the group president.

Vicky Sommerville, Arts Revive president, said several artists from Birmingham and even other parts of the world came into town and fell in love with Selma.

“This is pure Arts Revive,” Sommerville said. “We attract people that think Selma is wonderful.”

In addition, the show also serves as an unofficial kickoff of the annual Pilgrimage event, opening just before the parade of historic homes.

While the two events aren’t affiliated, several members of Arts Revive pitch in with Pilgrimage.

This year’s crop of artists featured some of Selma’s usual suspects, Charlie “Tinman” Lucas, Teresa Cammack and Robert Baynes, artists who usually wind up in Selma’s shows.

Others, from outside Selma, have fallen in love with the place, according to Sommerville.

Tres Taylor, from Birmingham, and event judge Sandra Reeves, from Oxfordshire, England, Sommerville said, are appreciating their visit to the Queen City.

Sommerville said both of the out-of-towners had grown to love the atmosphere of Selma and the architecture.

Reeves agreed.

She’s shown her work – thin wire sculptures of everything from puppies to tea pots – in New Orleans and St. Louis and worked her way to Selma along the way, she said.

“I realize there’s something special about this place,” she said of Selma.

Sommerville said Reeves experience is central to the mission of Arts Revive. Hopefully, Sommerville said, the organization would be able to do more in the future to bring artists like Reeves to town.

The group is attempting to get a building donated to the organization.

“Centrally located, decent enough to be useable for gallery space,” Sommerville said.

She said she’s hoping for a space in Old Town.

The donatation would be completely tax deductible, according to Sommerville and the group’s lawyer.

According to them, Arts Revive status as a 501C3 with the IRS would allow private companies or individuals to make donations of any sort, including a house, to the group and deduct the value from their taxes.

Sommerville said any member of the AR board can help set up the process for donating a building.

If the group gets a building, they’ll be able to hold more shows like the Harmony Club exhibit.

Reeves said she enjoyed the exhibit.

“I’m very impressed with the standard of the work,” she said. “I think it’s brilliant.”