For Winona native Earl Dismuke, it was his gifted art teacher, Gene Gutierrez, who encouraged him to pursue a career in art. Today, his work can be seen as far as Switzerland, Peru, Pennsylvania, New Orleans, Oregon, and most recently Oxford.
“I’ve been an artist all my life,” he said. “But, I’ve been a working artist for the past 10 years.”
Dismuke’s latest sculpture is on display in Oxford, in the center of a roundabout at South Lamar and Belk Boulevards.
With Gutierrez’s encouragement, Dismuke changed his major from Computer Design to art at Holmes Community College.
“It’s drawing on a computer, but you’re doing it for material fabrication in CAD,” he said.
Dismuke then went to the University of Mississippi where he obtained a bachelor’s of fine arts with an emphasis in sculpting.
“So, I’ve been an artist my whole life, just not walking around with the title,” he said.
Dismuke said he credits his art teacher for helping him realize his passion -- a passion that led him to a lucrative career.
Dismuke said last fall, the City of Oxford put out a call for artists, and he put in a proposal. He learned the city had chosen him as the winner and his design for “Victory Dance 2.”
He said “Victory Dance 2” is a group of figurative abstract pieces made out of rings, connected together to look as if they’re “dancing.”
“It symbolizes the connections and relationships that we have between one another. When we work together we’re able to accomplish larger things. It’s bigger than us and we are stronger together,” he said.
But, the thing that he loves about the piece is that people can interpret it the way they perceive it.
“They may not know the full meaning behind it, but they know a little and they bring a little piece of themselves into it,” he said. “I think that’s where the magic comes from, in my opinion. It comes from the viewer.”
He said people can be from two entirely different backgrounds and can see the sculpture in two different ways, and it opens up a dialogue. Dismuke said a lot of times, especially lately, people have spent time arguing and not listening or communicating. However, if people did the latter, they would realize that everyone is needed to work together to create something much bigger than individual efforts. Dismuke said he’s seen and heard the dialogue of his work.
“The response has been good. Some people don’t like it, and that’s okay. You’re never going to please everybody,” he said.
But, the praise for which he was extremely thankful came from his aunt, Shirley Blakely.
“I’m extremely grateful and proud, and it makes me proud that they’re proud of me. They’ve been very influential in my life and to know they took the time to celebrate me, it means a lot to me,” he said.
The young boy from Winona with an art dream turned into the man fulfilling it, but Dismuke said he doesn’t think about it that way. He wants to always remain humble.
“It’s an absolute privilege to get to do what I do and for that I’m grateful,” Dismuke said.
He said for those who may want to go into art and don’t know where to start, to just go after their dreams.
“Find out what your interests are and don’t be afraid to ask for help, find some mentors,” he said. “Find people who are doing what you want to do. Ask for a mentorship, find those people who have made some mistakes so that you don’t make the same ones. And they don’t have to be alive. I have mentors that I’ve never met, that aren’t alive anymore. But, I’ve read their work, I’ve studied their work. We’re in a place and time where you can learn a lot and reach out to a lot of people through social media. It never hurts to ask, you only get one shot at life,” he said.
