Batesville photographer John Mothershed will have his work on display next week at the offices of Panola Partnership on the Downtown Square. The event is sponsored by Batesville Women’s Club in recognition of national Artist Appreciation Week. 

John W. Mothershed has likely sold most of Batesville’s adult population something over the years – appliances, tools, televisions, or tires. Chances are he’s snapped their picture, too.

His parents, John Mothershed and the late Eugenia Mothershed, were owners of the Western Auto Store in Batesville for many years and he grew up in business. He’s now in tire sales for Dunlap & Kyle, a role that continues to keep him around many Batesville people, many of them former customers from Western Auto.

And along with greeting customers and making sales, Mothershed has also kept up his lifelong hobby of photography. It’s a hobby that was put to good use in high school where he was the head photographer for both the newspaper and school yearbooks at South Panola.

Some of the Batesville photographer’s work has been chosen by the Batesville Women’s Club to be displayed for a week at the office of Panola Partnership in celebration of national Artist Appreciation Week.

The Batesville Women’s Club and Panola Partnership will host a reception to introduce Mothershed’s work next Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 4 to 5 p.m.  The public is invited to see his work and discuss photography with the local artist during the event.

The Partnership will keep the exhibit open for viewing through next weekend from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and visitors make drop in without an appointment.

After graduating at South Panola, Mothershed enrolled at Northwest Mississippi Community College, where he took thousands of photos for the school newspaper, the annual yearbook, and the sports information office. It was there that Mothershead was recognized as “Best Photographer” for junior colleges in the State of Mississippi.

From Northwest, Mothershed continued his studies, and photography, at Delta State University in Cleveland. He covered all of the college’s sports events as well as many general events during his time there.

Besides a large collection of photographs from Batesville and North Mississippi, Mothershed also has shots taken when he and his family lived in Texas, where he managed a Western Auto Store for a while.

He still enjoys all types of hobby photography, especially when he has opportunities to travel with his camera.

Mothershed’s work that is currently on display at the offices of Panola Partnership is also offered for sale, and anyone interested in seeing his other selections, some framed and some not, may contact him at 662-267-9451.

CUTLINE:   Batesville photographer John Mothershed will have his work on display next week at the offices of Panola Partnership on the Downtown Square. The event is sponsored by Batesville Women’s Club in recognition of national Artist Appreciation Week. (Contributed)