John Gordan
Pottery Instructor
Retired engineer and Aiken Artists Guild member, John Gordan, had a love for pottery at a young age. He became enamored with the art after seeing a potter work while on a family trip to the Southwest. John specifically remembers seeing the artist using the needle tool and wanted to learn that for himself. During Christmases as a child, he would ask for a pottery wheel. Both of his parents were college professors, and he jokingly notes they did not encourage that artistic side of him. It wasn't until the early 2000s when his wife, knowing that he had been dreaming of it since childhood, got him pottery lessons as a Christmas gift. John learned the craft and developed what he calls a folk-art style. Now John enjoys teaching others the skill he has been drawn to most of his life and uses his own needle tool regularly.
Kenny George Band
Recording Artists
If you’ve been in Aiken for any length of time, you’ve probably heard of the Kenny George Band. The band consists of Kenny George (lead guitar, vocals, song writer), Randy Borawski (drums/harmony), Center Ely (steel guitar), Brooks Andrews (bass) all meshed together to form a band more suited to haunt Austin, Texas or Nashville scenes. The uniqueness and authenticity of their art is evident as soon as you hear it, with storytelling lyrics as a prominent element. It’s quite refreshing to hear their take on southern folk rock. There is no Free Bird there, but sounds reminiscent of everything from the Rolling Stones when they did country, to traditional outlaw country, with a hint of blues.
The band tours all over the Midwest and Eastern US, playing around 100 shows a year. When asked about their favorite place to play, Kenny named The Roasting Room in Bluffton, SC. "They always went above and beyond by taking care of the bands, promoting shows, as well as having great sound and lighting. The crowds there were also attentive to the music."
George points out, “Our goal has always been to connect with our audiences. Our music is honest and organic, and we deliberately avoid pretense. We may seem like a ragtag bunch, but there’s a passion, purpose and sincerity that underscores everything we do, and hopefully that’s apparent even the first time you hear us play.” Being from Aiken, the band has a soft spot for The Aiken Brewing Company. Kenny noted, “Aiken Brew Pub was the first place I played, so I’ll always love that place.”
Barry Bornstein
Photographer
Barry Bornstein is influential in the Aiken equestrian community in many ways. He is on the Board of Directors for the Aiken Trials and contributes to the media surrounding it. But, you're probably most familiar with Barry's work in equestrian photography. The Aiken Training Track and Aiken Steeplechase Association have relied on Barry for his artistic eye and skill for their events to be represented in the media for years. He spends his year divided between Aiken and Saratoga, New York, documenting the lifestyle and dedication of the trainers, riders and horses at the respected racing tracks. Barry's work spans many decades, and along the way he has received media awards, been featured in national publications as well as in gallery showings in Saratoga and Aiken. This year was his second year being featured in The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame exhibition, Photo Finish. The photo that was honored this year was Barry's exquisite capture of historic Whitney Barns here in Aiken, that were restored after escaping demolition. Barry began his media journey in elementary school. His peers noticed his sense of irony even at a young age, which he still pairs with his photography. His skill with a camera further led to college sports photography for his yearbook. Barry states that wit and irony was a good icebreaker with the girls, which paid off, leading him to his wife Valarie. Valerie is an equestrian and that sparked Barry’s interest in equine photography. Not always at the race track, Barry has also photographed such music icons as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters and BB King in concert.
“Our goal has always been to connect with our audiences. Our music is honest and organic, and we deliberately avoid pretense. We may seem like a ragtag bunch, but there’s passion, purpose and sincerity that underscores everything we do, and hopefully that’s apparent the first time you hear us play.” Kenny George
