Image: Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art
The Marietta Cobb Museum of Art will present ‘Legendary Georgia Musicians’, an exhibition of watercolor portraits by Athens-based artist Jackie Dorsey, from September 26 through December 13, 2026. The show brings together works depicting musicians with roots in Georgia and explores how watercolor can convey not only physical likeness but also the atmosphere and emotional associations of music.
Dorsey is an award-winning watercolor artist based in Athens, Georgia. Her work has been recognized by the American Watercolor Society and the National Watercolor Society. According to the museum, the exhibition is the result of a multi-year endeavor created to pay homage to musicians who have called Georgia home and to acknowledge the work of musicians who tour and perform for audiences.
The portraits are described as combining fine-art watercolor portraiture with visual interpretations of song. Some paintings respond to the emotions Dorsey experiences while listening to a musician’s work, while others translate particular lyrics and narratives into imagery. The museum characterizes the paintings through their luminous washes, confident brushwork and sensitive use of color, with attention to changes in light, expression and character.
Dorsey’s connection to Athens’s music community extends beyond the exhibition. The museum’s exhibition page states that she has collaborated with musicians to benefit Nuci’s Space, a mental-health resource for musicians, as well as the Georgia Music Foundation. No individual musicians represented in the exhibition are identified in the available exhibition material.
The exhibition opens with a reception at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art on Saturday, September 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission to the reception is $10 for non-members and free for museum members. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served, with refreshments available for purchase; proceeds from the reception will benefit the museum. The museum is located at 30 Atlanta Street SE in Marietta, Georgia.
A free exhibiting artist talk with Dorsey is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, from 2 to 4 p.m., with free museum admission during the program. ‘Legendary Georgia Musicians’ remains on view at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art through December 13, 2026.
