By Skylla Mumana | Journalist

On Saturday, Susan Lee Sistrunk unveiled her art exhibit, “Into the Mystic”, during the Waco Uptown Art Walk at the Susan L. Sistrunk Fine Art Gallery.

The Waco Uptown Artwalk ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and featured many works of art, music and food for the enjoyment of the Waco community. It was located at several locations in the upscale neighborhoods, such as MC Art Supplies, Brown Electric, Monument Barber Co., Ana’s Taxes, and the Susan L. Sistrunk Fine Art Gallery.

Besides having been an artist her entire life, Sistrunk said she has also taught art for over 15 years. She opened her gallery at home in March 2019 and her goal was to help sell the work of other artists, as well as her own. Over the past year, Sistrunk has created up to 100 works and, through her gallery, she has sold around 60% of her inventory. Sistrunk dedicated his new exhibition to his father, who died in 2002, and his brother.

With interconnection in mind, Sistrunk hopes her new exhibit and gallery can bring people together, just as she feels about art.

“His [a] connection, ”Sistrunk said. “Every time you get people of different races, from different socio-economic backgrounds in the same room and start talking to each other and looking at art, it’s powerful medicine.”

Robinson senior Meagan Noranbrock, a local artist, was one of the art vendors outside the gallery. Noranbrock is the owner and creator of Coaster & Canvas, an art company that produces jewelry, clothing, canvas and more. Noranbrock currently takes orders through their Etsy and has an Instagram account that shows photos of their merchandise.

Noranbrock said she is seriously considering opening a store during the pandemic. In confinement, his creativity exploded. Once the country started to open up again, she needed a way to sell her excess art.

“They kind of crammed into my house,” Noranbrock said. “I started going to the local markets and selling my stuff and people loved it. So I kept doing more, and now I love it.

Sistrunk’s exhibit is on display in the back room of the gallery, but the main room contains artwork that changes every two months and typically features local artists from the McLennan County area.

The current rotation includes Russell Campbell. Campbell, a mixed and abstract artist, is based in Waco. Her art is featured in places like Skellington Curiosities, Cultivate 7Twelve, her Instagram and more. His exhibition featured a series of paintings that included a song from Spotify, so visitors could listen while they viewed the painting.

Pasted next to his exhibit on a piece of white paper was a short biography on Campbell. In the biography, Campbell said he hopes the song will allow his audience to find deeper meaning while watching his work.

“Read the title, scan the barcode and listen to the song,” Campbell said. “It might sound completely random, but there’s going to be something about it that makes sense.”