Spring is in the air

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Macon Arts Alliance announces Nationwide Call for Artists for Mill Hill Visiting Artist Program

Macon Arts Alliance seeks two US-based social practice artists for a visiting artist program as part of the cultural planning process for Mill Hill: East Macon Arts Village. Artists with a history of socially engaged work, especially those with experience working on a neighborhood scale, are invited to apply. Complete details are available here.

Mill Hill: East Macon Arts Village is a creative placemaking initiative of the Macon Arts Alliance in partnership with the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority, the residents of East Macon’s Fort Hawkins Neighborhood, and many local stakeholders. The Mill Hill Visiting Social Practice Artist Residency is a 3 to 9-month residency that brings together social practice artists, residents, and local artists.

“Our model envisions building relationships between artists and neighbors as a form of social capital that empowers residents,” said Jonathan Harwell-Dye, director of creative placemaking at Macon Arts Alliance. “Artists and neighbors will work side-by-side as agents of change.”

During their residency, visiting artists will work with local artists to engage the neighborhood in creative projects that will result in a creative assets map and cultural master plan for the neighborhood. These artists will partner with key stakeholders to develop programming that engages residents, families, and youth living in the area.

“The cultural planning process is designed to be a creative platform for community building in East Macon’s Fort Hawkins Neighborhood,” said Harwell-Dye. “By building on local gifts and talents, the cultural plan will reflect a shared vision for the future and empower local residents and artists to work together to realize that vision.”

The Mill Hill Visiting Social Practice Residency Program is open to all US-based artists with a history of socially engaged work. Selected artists will be provided with a stipend of $3,500 per month, paid on the first day of each month, along with a housing allowance to live in a renovated home in the Mill Hill: East Macon Arts Village during 2016. Residencies are 3-9 months in length and should culminate in the public presentation of one or more arts-based, community building projects.

The deadline to apply is December 31, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Finalists will be interviewed January 10-15, 2016. Selected artists will be notified by January 20, 2016. Interested artists should apply online here.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and a Community Grant and Neighborhood Grant from the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. To find out more about how NEA grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov. Learn more about the Community Foundation of Central Georgia at www.cfcga.org.

Macon Arts Alliance presents “Far and Near” exhibit for November

Set the cruise control, lace up your walking shoes, and book a flight. “Far and Near,” will take you on an emotional journey of exploration, maybe even allow for a bird’s eye view. The exhibit will debut at the Macon Arts Alliance on First Friday, November 6 with a reception from 5-8 p.m. Paintings by Ginger Concepción and duck decoys by Matt DeFore will be on display through November 28. Admission is always free and open to the public.

Unintentionally and quite literally, our featured artists for the month of November are the epitome of their exhibit name. Ginger Concepción hails from varied hemispheres and Matt DeFore is a proud Macon native. Both artists understand the beauty of distance and the homage that should be paid to the here and now.

Concepción a self-taught painter whose black book of previous countries lived in is rather robust, including Taiwan, England and Iran. Growing up as an air force brat greatly curated Concepción’s views on life. Total immersion, regardless of locale, is a tenant by which she strives to live. “I’ve always completely absorbed my surroundings from a very young age. It’s a gift which I am so grateful for,” states Concepción. Notably, her love of color and landscape is evident in each painting. Much of Concepción’s work comes from family photos taken during childhood growing up in uncommon places, as well as personal travels abroad.

DeFore gives life to the artistry and sport of hunting. He began carving contemporary hunting decoys in 2009, teaching himself by trail and error. Creating functional art is a way to merge his love of craftsmanship with his passion for hunting. Every decoy begins as an original drawing, hand carved from high density cork, head composed of light weight wood, and tail/wings varying between maple and walnut. Each decoy is made to withstand the elements and provide many years of service for the duck hunter. “It doesn’t get a whole lot better than gazing over a rig of hand carved decoys on the water…and to take birds over something you made is a great feeling,” states DeFore. During the off season, DeFore competes nationally in many duck decoy competitions, where creativity, color, and artistic ability is judged.

We’ve moved to a new office

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Reason I love traveling

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National Attention for Macon Roving Listeners and East Macon Arts Village

Macon Roving Listeners and East Macon have received national attention by Creative Exchange for their art of listening. The contributions of neighborhood residents are key to the success of the Mill Hill arts village initiative.

Highlights from Nicole Rupersburg’s article include the following:

“The Macon Roving Listeners are there for just that purpose: to listen. To ask questions. To show people that their opinions matter. And, beyond just listening, also act as agents of change.”

“The Macon chapter of the Roving Listeners was started five years ago by Centenary Community Ministries with the same mission: to find out what people’s gifts are through listening…The Listeners are a mix of youth and adults who go out as a team to knock on doors and interview people in the neighborhood, asking them basic questions about who they are, where they’re from, how long they have lived there, what they like about Macon, and what they want to see changed.”

“The goal of this project is to develop approximately four square blocks of the historic Fort Hawkins Neighborhood in East Macon into an arts village in order to address blight and foster economic opportunity in Macon’s oldest neighborhood.”

Mill Hill: East Macon Arts Village is a partnership of Macon Arts Alliance and the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority and a key component of the Macon Action Plan.

For the full article please visit: http://www.springboardexchange.org/people/maconrovinglisteners.aspx

Photo provided, courtesy of Matt Odom.

2015 Macon Arts Alliance Cultural Awards and Annual Meeting

Macon Arts Alliance cordially invites you to the Cultural Awards and Annual Meeting on Thursday, October 29 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Historic Douglass Theatre in Downtown Macon. The annual meeting will feature a short presentation about the accomplishments of the arts alliance over this past year and an overview of plans for the future.
 
Beverly Blake, Craig Burkhalter, Sammy and Annie Dame, Friends of Tattnall Square Park, Sean Pritchard, Stephen Reichert, and Laura Voss will be honored with 2015 Cultural Awards. Maryel Battin will be honored with a Rosalyn Elkan Lifetime Achievement Award. The Cultural Awards are presented by Macon Arts Alliance to honor those citizens who have made significant contributions to the arts and cultural community. A reception will immediately follow the awards presentation with music provided by students of Mercer University’s Townsend School of Music from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, featuring Reed Sarasua, double bass, Sarasota, Florida, and Harry Ward, violin, Sydney, Australia.
 
Beverly Blake joined the Knight Foundation in December 2004. Prior to that, she served as senior vice president and senior charitable advisor at Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo) in Atlanta, where she oversaw six private foundations. A graduate of West Virginia University and the American Bankers’ Association National Graduate Trust School, Blake is a recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award and a member of the Downtown Macon Rotary Club. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, the Georgia Cities Foundation and the Board of Trust of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Georgia.
 
Craig Burkhalter is a life-long resident of Macon. He is third of four generations to graduate from Lanier/Central High School. His father was a printer for the Macon Telegraph and News and his earliest memories are of presses running and the smell of ink. He has had a long career of teaching on the high school (Southeast, Hutchings and Westside) and college level (Middle Georgia State College) in Macon. He has conducted workshops for the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Mercer University, Girl Scouts, Georgia Theatre Conference, Middle Georgia Art Association and others. Craig’s primary medium is printmaking. Thematically he vacillates between hard line political and social statements (often with a sense of humor) to more formal concerns of the elements and principles of art. 
 
Sammy and Annie Dame are a power couple, and it is rare to ever see one without the other. Their goal is to “educate” the community about the arts and, particularly, to get young people involved or introduced to the performing arts. Although their main emphasis has been on Macon’s performing arts, the Dames support Warner Robins Little Theatre, as well as other Central Georgia community theaters. They give generous support to Meals on Wheels, Ronald McDonald House, and the Daybreak Ministries. “Our emphasis is more than cultural…our emphasis is to build a better community. Yes, it is the arts, but it is more than the arts. It is about a better community of well-rounded citizens. When we are actively involved with cultural venues, we are present…we are not just check writers,” stated Annie.
 
Friends of Tattnall Square Park brings together neighbors, donors, and city partners in order to make historic Tattnall Square a beautiful, well-maintained, and dynamic public space for everyone. They believe public parks are a measure of our commitment to one another and invite the community to volunteer, donate, and make a difference with them. Friends of Tattnall Square Park was established in 2011 to help restore, preserve, and promote historic Tattnall Square Park. Since its establishment, Friends of Tattnall Square Park has helped raise more than $600,000 of donations for the park, guided the park’s full restoration, and helped supervise thousands of hours of volunteer labor in the park.
 
Sean Pritchard has been passionate about arts and entertainment in Middle Georgia since working as a partner in the Macon Venue Project during his junior year in high school. After high school, Sean went on to work with various bands around the Southeast before returning to Macon to book and promote live music as a partner of TheBlueIndian.com, Georgia’s Indie Music Hub. During the last five years, Sean has been active as a regular contributor to The 11th Hour, a Bragg Jam Music Festival Board Member, and as a volunteer with Macon Film Festival, Weaver’s Weekend, Macon Octoberfest, and more. More recently, Sean was employed as the Director of Programing & Festival Process for the International Cherry Blossom Festival, where he worked from early 2012 until April of 2015. Sean currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where he attends Belmont University as a student of their Liberal Studies Program where he is focusing on Music Business and Entertainment Industry Studies. Macon will always be his home.
 
Stephen Reichert is a native of Macon. A product of public schools, he graduated from Lanier High School in 1961 and then graduated from Emory University in 1965. He volunteered for the U.S. Naval Reserve and spent two years as Communications Officer aboard the U.S.O,. Alacrity. Returning to Macon after the service, he worked for Suntrust Bank for several years before moving to New York City in 1976. While in New York, he volunteered for the Central Park Conservancy, the English Speaking Union and other non-profits. He retired in 2008 and returned to Macon and purchased the home his parents’ built and in which he and his two brothers, Albert and Robert, were raised. Since returning to Macon, he has volunteered for several organizations including the Museum of Arts and Sciences, the Hay House, the Middle Georgia Concert Association, the Vineville Neighborhood Association, Middle Georgia State University and as President for the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens.
 
Laura Voss, co-owner of the Academy of the Performing Arts, has served as a band director, music director, instructor, composer and arranger for area schools, theatres and civic organizations. Ms. Voss has performed as a show percussionist for countless theatre productions and has served as musical director for nearly 100 musical theatre shows. With the exception of the three years spent founding the A.P.A., she has been the band director at Stratford Academy since 1983. One of the highlights of her years at Stratford has been working to create the Georgia Independent School Association All Select Band, Orchestra, and Chorus event. Together with Sylvia Haynie, she authored two original works, Traditions and a new adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. She also frequently works as a band and percussion clinician and adjudicator for events sponsored by the Georgia Independent School Association, The Georgia Music Educators Association, and the Georgia High School Association.
 
Maryel Battin was educated in Britain, South Africa, Canada, and attended Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, N.Y. After college, she worked for Parke Bernet Galleries, later Sotheby’s, in the antique furniture and decorative arts department. With her family she moved to Macon in 1973 and purchased property in InTown Macon, where they came involved in both InTown Macon Neighborhood Association and Macon Heritage Foundation. After the Hay House was donated to the Georgia Trust, she identified and recorded its collection of furnishings and decorative arts. From 1984 to 2000 she was Executive Director of Macon Heritage Foundation.
 
She is presently a historic preservation consultant to architects, developers, and owners of historic buildings assisting them with applications for financial incentives for rehabilitation. She is a former vice chairman of Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority and former member of the Georgia National Register Review Board. She is the recipient of the Mary Gregory Jewett award from the Georgia Trust and Woman of Achievement award from Career Women’s Network. The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution awarded her the Historic Preservation Medal.

Macon Arts Alliance presents “Robots” exhibit for October

“Robots,” an exhibit of intergalactic proportions, lands at the Macon Arts Alliance on First Friday, October 2 with a reception from 5-8 p.m. Paintings by Thomas Sanders and ceramics by Michael Klapthor will be on display through October 31. For both artists, the exhibit is an ode to limitless possibilities and the unconventional. Admission is always free and open to the public.

Untainted by commercialism, Thomas Sanders aims to capture other worldly imagery playing by his own rules. Sanders hold two degrees; a BFA in graphic design and a Bachelor’s in art education from the University of Georgia. He’s worked as a freelancer and instructor, however he comes alive with a brush in his hand focusing on texture, color, and composition of far away galaxies.

“The robot paintings are based on a genderless, race less group of anthropomorphic beings living in a post-apocalyptic environment,” states Sanders. “Visually they evolved from a group of small watercolor sketches and figure drawings I did for a graphic design class at the University of Georgia. The larger paintings, however, are inspired by abstract expressionist and color field paintings by Mark Rothko and Wolf Kahn.  They also evolved from the line work and landscapes present in the robot paintings.

Michael Klapthor’s ceramics illicit romantic tales from the future using “physicality to convey thoughts and emotions.” Nostalgia and innovation resonate throughout his work, while maintaining lightheartedness and a sense of humor.

“In my current series, I’m using altered forms from the wheel as my sole building material to construct sculptures that have a 1950’s science fiction aesthetic,” states Klapthor. “The robots are an attempt at social commentary on humanity through their expressions and body language.”

Klapthor is currently on staff at MudFire – Atlanta’s Pottery Studio in Decatur. He teaches sculpture classes at both Callanwolde Fine Art Center and Chastain Art Center.

 

Macon Arts Alliance welcomes Lauren M. Kritsas as new Director of Communications

The Macon Arts Alliance is pleased to announce Lauren M. Kritsas as the new director of communications.  In her new role, Kritsas will guide the strategy for all communications, public relations, and marketing collateral to consistently articulate Macon Arts Alliance’s mission. Lauren will develop, implement, and evaluate the communications plan for Macon Arts Alliance including all programs and events.

“Lauren has a proven record of accomplishment and a strong background in business and marketing,” said Jan Beeland, executive director of Macon Arts Alliance. “We’re thrilled to have her on our team as she will be a wonderful advocate for Macon Arts Alliance and the 34 million dollar arts and cultural industry in Central Georgia.”

Kritsas was previously an assistant director in the Office of University Admissions at Mercer University, her alma mater, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing, management and advertising. She brings exceptional strength of storytelling and brand advocation.

“I am thrilled to serve the Macon community in a capacity that allows for me to give back to a place that’s so intrinsically a part of who I am,” said Kritsas. “I’m passionate about Macon and privileged to be in a position that brings attention to the tremendous growth, specifically in the arts. This position is an opportunity to create further awareness for who Macon is and who she strives to be.”

Nuts. Walnuts

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