The Mighty Purple Martin Painting

             Purple Martins are known for eating pesky insects and looking for a birdhouse to make a nest in throughout our county. In Calhoun County, we celebrate these beneficial  birds during the Purple Martin Parade and Festival. The festival has grown to its capacity over the years, and, of course, the Calhoun County Library is a part of it!

On Saturday, April 20, 2024, the Calhoun County Library set up a tent with several tables and chairs, multiple easels, paint brushes and paints, and a paintbrush rinsing station at the Purple Martin Festival.  Former teacher of the year and current art teacher at Calhoun County High School, John Sawvell, instructed people of all ages in how to paint a purple martin. We provided canvases with the bird already outlined on them or more advanced artists used blank canvases. Mr. Sawvell had his high school students create connect-the-dots to make it easier and more enjoyable for those who needed some guidance. Amidst all the happenings at the festival, there was something peaceful about sitting under the looming oak trees in front of the courthouse and leisurely creating a work of art.  Our community is filled with talented people, and they came to paint with us! This was a free event and activity for every age. We also gave out CCL pens and pencils, and every child that came to our tent left with a free book. We painted over 100 purple martins and we look forward to doing this again next year already!

We would like to thank everyone who came out to support the community and Calhoun County Library. Thank you to John Sawvell who assisted us making this festival a huge success and had a blast celebrating purple martins!