It was a scene inspired by the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. It was a scene many Southerners wish would become our daily reality. It was a scene out of a Benny Andrews painting.Â

Folks gathered together at Plainview Baptist Church last Sunday afternoon to honor the life of Morgan County native and internationally reknown artist, Benny Andrews. Black and white, rich and poor, politicians and farmers, family and friendsâ€" all sat shoulder to shoulder in the plush red pews of that humble country church. Sunshine poured through the simple, stained glass windows and the air conditioning hummed as Georgia Congressman John Lewis addressed the crowd.Â

“To be here at Plainview Baptist Church reminds me of the distance we’ve come and the progress we’ve made in making our country a better country and our world a better world,â€� said Lewis, Andrews’s longtime friend and fellow civil rights activist. He remembered growing up in the rural South and reminded the audience of the obstacles Andrews faced in the 1940s and 50s in Georgia, obstacles he overcame through his art.Â

“As a young man growing up not too far from here, he saw the signs that read: ‘White’ or ‘Colored,’ but he didn’t let that Georgia in the Old South keep him down,� explained Lewis. “He was inspired by, what I like to call, the spirit of history.�

“He had a heart that rejoiced in his Southern roots and a heart that respected the dignity and worth of every human being,â€� Lewis continued.Â

The congressman ended his sermon-like address with an anecdote recounting his childhood in rural Alabama. “My Aunt Seveva lived in a shotgun house,â€� he began.Â

He recalled a treacherous storm blowing into Seneva’s swept yard and threatening their lives. “She thought this old house was going to blow away, so she got all of us little children to hold hands,� he said. “When one corner of this old house appeared to be lifting from its foundation, she got us to move to that corner and try to hold it down with our little bodies… We never left that house.�

In closing, Lewis said, “Benny Andrews would say through his art, ‘We all live in the same house.’ It doesn’t matter whether we’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian American, or Native American. We all live in the same house.â€�Â

As the storms of history continue blowing, sometimes it takes an artist to visualize peace, and Lewis urged the unlikely congregation to be inspired by Andrews’s work. “Be good, be loving, and do what you can to create a world at peace with itself,â€� he pleaded.Â

Following the keynote address, the crowd moved through the back of the church building, where several of Andrews’s murals depicting the holy family remain on permanent display. “In 1983, he painted a mural for the church. No matter how high he got, he always remembered his roots,â€� said Deacon Harris, who stood outside under the great oak tree that shades the Andrews’ family gravestones in the churchyard.Â

From the church, the group traveled to the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center (MMCC) for a tour of Andrews’s work in a solo exhibition entitled “Benny Andrews: A Georgia Artist Comes Home.� The exhibit, funded by the Knox Foundation and organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) in Atlanta, will be on display through August 15.

“I’ve had many wonderful experiences in the arts, but this is at the very top for me,� said Wayne Vason, chair of the MMCC Board. “Benny Andrews and John Lewis are two people I have known in my life with a gift for bringing people together.�

Viewers moved through the gallery space slowly, absorbing Andrews’s uplifting images of life and death. By depicting the joy and sadness of ordinary people, Andrews ensured that his raw, honest memories of the rural South would never be forgotten.Â

Minnie Peek, a Madison resident who taught for 40 years in the Morgan County school system, walked through the exhibition with several friends, commenting on many of the works, which seemed to strike a deeply personal chord with her. “I think those were Benny’s parents,â€� she said, pointing to an oil collage on canvas entitled “Homage.â€� The work depicts a poor couple with their heads drooped in mourning over a gravesite. A tree bursts forth with color beside the bleak headstone.Â

Peek, who grew up with the Andrews family, was happy to recall moments spent with the great artist. “Benny was just so down to earth. He and his brother Raymond would come by my house, and we just talked like we were sisters and brothers,â€� said Peek, as she savored the hors d’oeuvres at the Cultural Center’s reception.Â

Anna and Lydia Kimbrough, two young children who had accompanied their mother from Atlanta for the exhibit, said they thought Andrews’s artwork was very interesting and colorful. They both cited “Museumscape,â€� a lithograph commemorating the founding of MOCA GA, as their favorite piece.Â

Annette Cone-Skelton, president, C.E.O., and director of MOCA GA, was similarly impressed with the exhibit. “It has surpassed anything I imagined it would be,� she said. “Today’s event was so warm, so touching.�

Skelton expressed interest in continuing the relationship forged between her museum and the MMCC. “I hope it will continue and that we’ll do other things in the future,� she said. “This has been a great way to spread the arts throughout Georgia.�

One of Andrews’s most famous works, “When the Saints Go Marching In,â€� an oil collage depicting jazz musicians, came to life on stage in the Center’s auditorium during the reception. The Gary Motley Quartet, a highly regarded jazz group out of Atlanta, lit up the stage with lively renditions of jazz compositions that probably inspired the artist in his day. One musician pointed his trumpet toward the sky in a heavenward salute to Benny Andrews.Â

“Benny was a big fan of jazz,� said pianist Gary Motley. “We wanted to help celebrate his life.�

As the afternoon’s events wound down, Benny’s sister Shirley Lowrie reclined on a love seat with friends. “I was very much pleased with it all,â€� she said about the event.Â

“The last conversation I had with Benny, he said, ‘Success is wonderful and people get to know you, but now that I’m lying here in this bed, knowing what I have is terminal, I realize that family and friends and what you do for others is the most important,’â€� Lowrie recalled.Â

“How he touched others’ lives. That’s what I would want people to remember him for,â€� she said.Â

Andrews’ artistic legacy will ensure that no one ever forgets the soul of the artist or the soul of the friends, family, and place that inspired him. As Lewis said, “In many ways, you could say he started the way he finished, moving through the heart of the Deep South, telling the life stories that bloomed all around him, delighted by their beauty, haunted by their injustice, and freed by the artistic dreams that flowed through him.�