Staff Writer: Layne Woods
On September 4th, 2026, an artist named Leslie Larson journeyed to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College to display her artwork at the school. Her artwork consisted of various landscape paintings. Some of her paintings even portrayed the ABAC campus and Tifton.
Larson is originally from Utah but now lives in Tifton, Georgia. She is constantly trying to express her own creativity and encourage creativity in others. The ways in which she does this is by making jewelry and painting. What she paints tends to vary, but it tends to be scenes from nature. Her favorite mediums to use are either acrylic or oil paint, and she enjoys mixing her own paint to create interesting hues.
The theme for the art show was nature, as evidence by the different environments Larson painted. Her reason behind this was that she is fascinated by nature and wants to show off how beautiful the real world can be. She also said that she did not want to limit herself to only one type of landscape and would much rather prefer to be able to try her hand at different ones.
Along with nature, Larson also likes to paint pictures of her family. One of her paintings featured her husband and daughter at the beach in Oregon. Larson had taken a picture of the moment and tried to paint the picture shortly after. However, she felt like it was the wrong time to paint the moment, so she ended up waiting ten years before finally painting the meaningful scene.
When asked her thought process on why she decided to paint ABAC and Tifton, Larson explained that she wanted to shine a light on the beauty of places she believes are overlooked. People are far too guilty of not appreciating what they have and instead searching for the next best thing. Sometimes we need a reminder to slow down and learn to appreciate what we have.
The decision to have Larson showcase her art at ABAC was influenced by ABAC’s tradition to let a local artist display their artwork at the school. This allows others to see the talent that we have right here in our community. Additionally, showcasing a talented artist’s work at ABAC provides inspiration to aspiring artists that are students at the college.
With ABAC being predominantly an agriculture college, it is easy for anyone not majoring in agriculture to feel left out or less important. On top of that, artists from rural places like Tifton tend to feel like they do not belong. Additionally, they may believe that achieving a career in art is impossible.
Displaying Larson’s work shows that ABAC is more than an agriculture college. It is also a place where artists can thrive. Students who see her artwork can feel that they truly do have a place at the college and a place in the world. They can see that it is possible for them to create art that others will enjoy and possibly even have their own work in a gallery someday.
Seeing Larson’s work is also beneficial for those who are not artists. Her work allows viewers to recognize the charm of day-to-day scenery. After all, there is beauty in the ordinary. You just have to stop long enough to see it.
For those wanting to see Larson’s artwork, it will be displayed on the first floor of Edwards Hall until September 30th. The paintings are accessible to anyone in the community. There is no fee that needs to be paid. All you have to do is walk in, and you can see her incredible work.