Val Rainey.. currently is holding a Facebook art auction to raise funds for the American Heart Association. In the attached picture, he is seen with one of his paintings at High Cotton Arts.
ATHENS-At an art camp in Athens in 2010, young artist Val Rainey asked his instructor what color is the emotion “shy.”
He decided on blue mixed with white.
Today, Val is a fifth grade student at Creekside Elementary who is operating a Facebook art auction to raise money for the American Heart Association.
State, local and community leaders learned Wednesday how a non-profit art incubator called High Cotton Arts will soon benefit students and artists like Val. This downtown Athens art incubator will provide affordable workspaces for artists to create, young minds to learn and for the community to enjoy.
Athens Arts League, a committee of Spirit of Athens, will operate High Cotton Arts. Work on the facility began in 2013 when Jim Batson of H.C. Blake and Co. offered Spirit of Athens an opportunity to plan a community use for the former Estes building on 
Washington Street in downtown Athens.
The community supported the art incubator proposal. In 2014, Wes and Marlene Isom of Isom’s Orchard and their family and friends held a Dinner in the Orchard event with the Athens-based and Grammy-nominated band Alabama Shakes, raising $40,000 for the project.
Members of the local Legislative delegation provided $5,750 in TVA-in-lieu-of-tax grants to support the purchase of art supplies. Rep. Dan Williams and Sen. Bill Holtzclaw provided much of the grant funds, with Rep. Mac McCutcheon and Sen. Arthur Orr also contributing.
David Seibert, a former educator and former Limestone County Commission chairman, volunteered to oversee the interior work on the building.
“We are thrilled that business leaders like Jim Batson and Wes and Marlene Isom, citizens like David Seibert, our state and local leaders and hundreds of community volunteers understand the overall good that an art center brings to our community,” said Athens Arts League Chairwoman Diane Lehr. “Art deepens the character and improves the condition of any community that embraces it.”
The Athens Arts League has already surveyed artists to determine their needs, and the committee plans to start accepting artist applications in March. High Cotton Arts will offer 10 artist spaces. Artists will be given about a month to set up their spaces, and a grand opening for the public tentatively will be held in late April.
The committee also is developing programs to offer children affordable art classes and to provide art experiences for children at the Boys and Girls Club and children in Department of Human Resources care.
“This is not only an investment in our downtown, but an investment in our artist community and our youth,” said Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks. “I commend Athens Arts League and Spirit of Athens for meeting a need in our city and having the vision and dedication to make High Cotton Arts a reality.”
