MACON, Ga. – Stephanie Fritz has been named director of programs at Macon Arts Alliance, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit and the designated local arts agency for Macon-Bibb County.
Fritz is a graduate of the New Media and Communications program at Middle Georgia State College. She began her career with Macon Arts Alliance as a communications intern in 2013. She went on to be an embedded arts journalist with Art Matters, a partnership of Macon Arts Alliance and Mercer University’s Center for Collaborative Journalism.
In January 2014, Fritz was hired as special projects manager at the Alliance. In her first year, she implemented a community-wide assessment of creative entrepreneurship in Central Georgia. Using the assessment data, she developed Amplify, a membership program offering professional development workshops to individual artists and creative entrepreneurs. There are currently 25 members in the Amplify program, and the workshop series has attracted over 150 participants in a few short months.
“Being special projects manager at Macon Arts Alliance has taught me how to better serve our growing creative community,” said Fritz.” Listening to artists was the key to developing the Amplify program. I will continue to listen as I try to meet the needs of the local creative community as director of programs.”
“As special projects manager, Stephanie built the Amplify professional development program from the ground up,” said Jan Beeland, executive director of Macon Arts Alliance. “As director of programs, she will use that knowledge to grow and streamline our programs to increase our impact in the community.”
“Just the other day, an artist told me she wanted to start her own business because she enrolled in the ‘Amplify Your Creative Business’ workshop,” continued Fritz. “It’s fulfilling to see local artists getting excited about entrepreneurship.”
As director of programs, Fritz will continue to lead the Amplify program along with running the Alliance’s gallery on First Street and curating Fired Works, Georgia’s largest annual exhibit of functional and sculptural pottery.
“I have developed relationships in the creative community from a business perspective, and now I am meeting and consulting with artists about their artwork,” said Fritz. “As an artist, I am inspired by others. Our local artists have so much passion and love for what they do. I want to showcase that passion in our gallery while helping artists develop the skills they need to make a living and a life doing what they love.”
About Macon Arts Alliance
The mission of the Macon Arts Alliance is to foster and support the advancement of arts and culture in Central Georgia. We strive to be an innovative leader of a diverse and thriving arts community as well as a strategic partner in creating an open, inclusive, and vibrant place for artists, arts organizations, residents, businesses, and tourists. Macon Arts Alliance is the designated local arts agency of Macon-Bibb County.