WORM GRUNTIN’ ARTIST RACHELL MATHIS

Rachell Mathis’ artwork for this year’s Worm Gruntin’ Festival.


Rachell Mathis.

By LINDA ANN McDONALD Correspondent

The Worm Grunter’s Ball annual T-shirt is admired by local and visiting festival goers alike. Each year, the usually quiet City of Sopchoppy is visited by many folks to celebrate the annual Worm Grunting Festival.
When initially viewing the festival T-shirt art, one will probably observe worms having fun. Comparable to unseen worms beneath the surface of soil prior to worm grunting, beneath the surface of the tee shirt art, awaits a world of festival history and representation which can only be described by the artist herself, Rachell Mathis.
When asked, “What made you decide to share your art for the festival”? Mathis answered, “Being a Sopchoppy Florida native myself brings an abundance of love for the creative process and production of the art that the community has seen for the last four years running.
In 2018, I designed my first ever piece for the Sopchoppy Worm Grunting Festival by collaborating fun and playful ideas with members of the original committee that oversaw the approval for the annual design. They have since passed the baton of responsibility to Discover Sopchoppy, a new panel of delightful folks who also love and understand the importance of the traditions that have made this event so special for 21 years, (and counting).” Mathis said.
Activities such as the Wiggle Worm Fun Run, music, worm grunting demonstrations, senior wiggler dancers, hula hoop contests, Easter egg hunt, crowning of the queen and the Worm Grunter’s Ball are all a part of the festival. Mathis’s art will show worms partaking in these events.
 In respect to the 2023 shirt, Rachell Mathis wanted to share, “The moon is matched with the accurate phase for April 8, 2023. It illuminates the night sky that the annual Worm Grunter’s ball is celebrated under each year. I wanted to accentuate its importance because that’s when the ‘Sopchoppy Wigglers’ cut loose and dance to the music of talented musicians hired for the event.
“The snail and bees are a representation of the ‘easy living’ life, balanced with the hard work of those in the community that run their small businesses and the local city government that serve from the heart.”
“The babies and butterfly tell a story of a new generation of Sopchoppians that were born this year. My grandson, Easton DeSherlia, Ginny McSweeney, and baby Waylon Roberts, who was actually born in Sopchoppy. They will one day transform the world in beautiful ways.
“I couldn’t forget to show our food vendors, craftsmen and massive local talent some love as well, through the hungry lady bug and worms playing various instruments.
“The worm with the hook was in my first design, but he has since removed the obstacle that pierced him with the help of his friends and now has a newfound look on life. So, if you’ve accomplished this in some form of your life, celebrate that with the ones that love and support you.”
When she was asked about her family and growing up in Sopchoppy, Mathis shared: “A favorite memory of mine is with my father Joe Mathis. I am named after him by the way his middle name is spelled – my dad’s middle name is Lamarr with two Rs at the end, and the two Ls at the end of my name, Rachell. We used to go to different parks and enjoy restaurants. We enjoyed supporting the local shops of Wakulla. My fondest memory as a child was on Saturdays, Pee Paw, Buster Mathis of Sopchoppy, would take us into Sopchoppy Grocery and we would pick out the prettiest rose to go to church with. I would hold his hand and get a piece of candy and a drink. Walking out of the store I would feel like a million bucks.”
Regarding the future of art in Wakulla County, Mathis stated, “I hope to see in the future a gallery of art on display in a local area for all to enjoy.”
Visible on this year’s T- shirt is a DJing worm holding a microphone directly pointing a finger to its audience while wearing a hat with “CB.” The worm is representative of Sopchoppy’s DJ Butch (Corey Benedict). The CB stands simultaneously for both County Boyz and Corey Benedict. DJ Butch has been both a performer and volunteer for the festival for several years.
Asked about the DJ worm, Mathis said, “Andrea Cayson, a member of Discover Sopchoppy, reached out to me and only requested two things in the design this year: to add DJ Butch, our local celebrity, and have the ‘SOP’ portion of the art stand out with worms playfully incorporated throughout the design. ‘We will give you full creative freedom beyond that, just do your thing,’ Cayson said. And so, I did.”
“Rachell’s art represents us (Sopchoppy),” said DJ Butch. “Artists have been making art here for many years. There’s Tom T. Hall, the Pottery Man, the studios, the painters and so much more.”
Benedict added that he is “very honored to be a worm, it is a big deal to me.”
 The artwork for the shirt was never officially named, although Mathis said, “I would call it ‘Worm Grunter’s Ball’ because that is my favorite part of the entire festival.”