AIR Andalusia, AL
Nestled amidst the cotton fields of America’s Deep South, Andalusia, Alabama, has a long history of textile manufacturing, which it is reviving with the help of AIR Artists. Artists are invited to apply for a residency to design fabrics, clothing, and accessories or to explore product and fashion photography. Andalusia is a welcoming stopping point for the thousands of tourists en route to and from the beaches of Florida and Alabama.
AIR Andalusia Advisors
Roger Powell, Community Representative
Roger Powell is an Andalusia, Alabama, native with a long-time interest in the visual and performing arts. Having drawn and painted from an early age, he is primarily self-taught. For over forty years, he has created custom architectural portraits in watercolor, with some 500 commissioned pieces of churches, homes, and buildings hanging throughout the Southeast. Roger has also been active locally in the performing arts. He is a charter member of Andalusia Community Theatre (AT I) and has served on the Board of Directors of the Andalusia Ballet and the Lower Alabama Arts Coalition. In addition, he and his wife, Cathy, have performed in and directed plays and musicals, including Annie and a recent production of Mamma Mia!. Roger served as the Circuit and District Court Clerk of Covington County for 24 years before retiring.
Frank Henderson, Advisor
Frank Henderson is president of Henderson Sewing Machine Co., Inc., one of the largest family-owned distributors of industrial sewing machines, sewing machine parts, and associated products in the world. Frank has more than four decades of experience in the textile and sewn products industries. He has held a wide variety of industry, community, and national positions including chairman of SPESA, president of the Lurleen B. Wallace Community College Foundation, member of the Covington County Economic Development Commission Board, and president of the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce and has been named to Who’s Who in U.S. Executives. Frank earned his degree from Auburn University’s Department of Textile Engineering.