Mill Hill Welcomes New Resident Artists

Jeni Hansen-Gard and Forrest Sincoff Gard
Macon Arts Alliance Welcomes Resident Artists for
Mill Hill Community Arts Center in Fort Hawkins
Macon Arts Alliance is pleased to announce the selection of a new resident artist team who will lead and program the new community arts asset in Macon’s first neighborhood. The Mill Hill Community Arts Center Kick-Start Residency is a 6-month residency program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and John S. & James L. Knight Foundation.  Forrest Sincoff Gard and his wife, Jeni Hansen-Gard, bring their combined artistic talents to launch new programming and provide management support for the Mill Hill Community Arts Center in Ft. Hawkins. The residents will also coordinate event rentals to ensure that the 7,000-square foot center can maximize community engagement to become a working neighborhood asset soon after opening. The facility features a large performance stage with sound and lighting, an auditorium (that once housed a full size basketball court), a small gallery, a professional kitchen, a technology toolshed and a large outdoor area, ideal for hosting festivals and artist markets.
Macon Arts Alliance is fortunate to engage two professional artists who applied as a team. The couple will reside in one of the newly renovated artist cottages located on Schell Avenue, just behind the arts center. Forrest and Jeni met at the University of Florida in the ceramics studio in 2010. In 2014, they helped found the Socially Engaged Craft Collective, a craft and social practice organization. Forrest is a ceramic artist and the associate Editor of Ceramics Monthly and Pottery Making Illustrated magazines. ­Jeni is a potter and a community-based artist. The artists currently live in Macon, with recent projects at Wesleyan College.
“We are really excited to join the Mill Hill community and bring new life to the Community Arts Center. As current residents of Macon, we love this town, and this residency will allow us the opportunity to contribute to the development of a city we call home. We are eager to work collaboratively with the community as we work towards building a sustainable future. As community-oriented ceramic artists we are eager to begin our residency where engaging with the community is part of our job! ” – Forrest Sincoff Gard and Jeni Hansen Gard