We need your support!

We NEED your support!Did you know that the state of Georgia is dead last among all of the states in states arts funding? The Greater Augusta Arts Council needs your support in order to continue to be a viable resource for our community. How can you help?

1. Become a member of the Greater Augusta Arts Council... Memberships start at the affordable rate of $25 a year!

2. Have your business sponsor an event or sponsor an event individually. We are currently seeking sponsorships for our Wet Paint Party and for the
Par 3 Party sponsorships for these events start at $200 and have a variety of benefits.

Interested in becoming a member? Download our membership form. If you are interested in getting sponsorship information please contact Grace Inman.

Goodwill Industries is looking for a Volunteer Museum Coordinator

Goodwill Industries of the CSRA has a unique opportunity for a
volunteer to make history come alive here in Augusta!

As part of Phase II of the construction of Augusta’s Career Campus, Goodwill is building a Chapel and Museum to Goodwill’s Methodist Minister Founder, Reverend Edgar Helms. Rev. Helms started Goodwill in 1902 as America’s first social entrepreneur, partnering with the business community to create a self-sustaining education and training program that offered the unemployed a “hand up” out of poverty.

We are looking for a volunteer with museum experience to assist us in the following areas:
• Help finalize the design of the Helms Museum space.
• Consult the architect and designers on the care and display of historic pieces in the museum.
• Assist in the overall plan of display for historic items to include important documents, photographs, and historic objects related to Goodwill’s founder and 110-year history.
• Assist with the securing of historical items from autonomous Goodwill organizations from around the world.

Sound interesting? Contact Amy Breitmann, Volunteer Manager for more information at abretimann@goodwillworks.org or 706-650-5760.

Annual Arts Recognition Awards

Augusta is incredibly lucky to have a thriving art community with so many talented individuals and organizations who work hard every day to make our city a great place to live. The Greater Augusta Arts Council created the Annual Arts Recognition Awards to recognize these individuals and organizations for outstanding artistic talent, exceptional initiative, and/or leadership in regard to the advancement of the arts in our area. We are currently accepting nomination forms for the following categories:  

Individual Artist
Recognizes exemplary artistic achievement in any discipline by a living Augusta area visual/performing/creative artist who has dedicated him/herself to the excellence, growth, support and /or availability of the arts in the Augusta area

Sponsor/Corporate 
Business/individual honored in this category will, in addition to providing financial support for the arts, have encouraged employees to participate in community arts activities, developed significant art collections, enhanced the arts in the community, or established programs in the arts...

Volunteer 
Recognition will be given to a volunteer who, for example, was influential in developing new programs resulting in extraordinary changes in the arts in a community, had an unusual influence on the growth or development of an arts organization, activity, or program, was responsible for a notable “first” in the arts, or has been the motivating spirit behind a community arts project...

Media- Individual or Corporate 
The media award will be granted to a newspaper, television, radio station, magazine, or individual that has demonstrated support for the community arts activities, provided outstanding coverage for an arts event, contributed features or special spotlighting the arts, or encouraged personnel to participate in the arts...

Arts Professional 
Recognizes those who have made contributions to the arts in the CSRA as professionals, but not as professional artists. Nominees could come from organizations, education, etc...

If you know someone who deserves to be recognized please take the time to fill outour nomination form, the winners will be chosen by a community committee representative of arts and business leaders.

Winners will be honored at our Annual Awards Party on June 14^th at Sacred Heart Cultural Center. 

Wet Paint Party Applications

We are currently accepting applications for our Wet Paint Party which will be held Saturday May 19^th at the Old Government House. The event will give artists the chance to sell their work and receive the full selling price.

 In addition to the art sale we will have a fabulous fashion and hair show by Vintage Ooollee and Modish Salon. 

Interested in participating? Participants must be a current member of the Greater Augusta Arts Council (memberships start at $25 a year for artists). Click here for the membership form.

Just need more information? Click here for the guidelinesand application. 

Official Par 3 Party for the City of Augusta

The Greater Augusta Arts Council will hold the 3^rd Annual Official Par 3 Party for the City of Augusta on Wednesday April 4^th on the Augusta Common Downtown.  The Party will feature music by the Finesse Band and the South Atlantic Live Entertainment Band. Gates will open at 6pm and tickets are $10 in advance at augustaarts.com and $12 at the gate.

Also be sure to check out the Mayor’s Master Reception on Monday April 2^nd at 6pm at the Augusta Commons. The event will showcase 40 different restaurants and will honor two time Master’s tournament winner Tom Watson. 

Wet Paint Party 2012

What: Wet Paint Party
When: Saturday May 19th, 2012 
Where: Old Government Building 

The Wet Paint Party gives artists a chance to sell their work as well as receive the full selling price. Artists are constantly being asked to donate their work for charity auctions and this gives them a chance to participate in the auction but make money from it as well. Basically the Artist sets the selling price and they are guaranteed to make what they ask for if the item sells. If the art receives several bids the Artist will keep the selling price they set and the Arts Council will receive the difference.

In addition to a fabulous local art silent auction we will have a Fashion & Hair show put on by Vintage Ooollee and Modish Salon.

The party doubles as our annual membership event so members of the Arts Council get in free, and people who would like to attend who are not current members are able to join at the door. We have a variety of membership levels with different corresponding benefits. Click here for membership information. 

Click here to apply to be an artist at this fabulous event! LIMITED SPACE is available so get your application and membership fees in EARLY! Also click here if you would like to review the guidelines for this event. 

General Membership Meeting - Arts Town Hall Meeting

We invite our members to join us on February 16th at 5pm at Sacred Heart Cultural Center for our quarterly membership meeting. We will be discussing  the Cultural Action Plan, Miller Theatre, Imperial Theatre,  and also have a arts town hall meeting about how you choose your arts events. 


Please RSVP by February 14th by emailing Grace Inman or by calling (706) 826-4702 ext 2. 

Arts Day at the Capitol

The arts community is partnering with our friends in Georgia's tourism industry for Tourism Day at the Capitol on Monday and Tuesday, January 23rd & 24th. In these tough times, focusing on the positive economic impact of the arts as a vehicle which attracts tourism dollars to Georgia is a great way to convince skeptics of the need to invest in the arts now!  

For the event, the Georgia Arts Network is partnering with: Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Restaurant Association, and the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association.

You can find out more details about the event at the GACVB website, and you can register to attend HERE(it's free to attend, other than the optional luncheon). Please plan to to attend the January 24th arts break-out session at 9:30am. You can see a breakdown of the day's schedule below.

If you plan to attend, please register your attendance now with the GACVB and then inform the Georgia Arts Network by writing to us at contact@gaartsnetwork.org (please include the full names, email addresses, and organizations of all attendees).  

You should also plan to schedule meetings that day with your local legislator; we would appreciate it if you would let us know when your meetings are, so we can facilitate coordination between arts groups in neighboring areas.  

This year it is critical to speak with legislators about the need to increase funding for the Georgia Council for the Arts in order to secure that Georgia receives the full matching funds from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

Please help advocate for the arts in Georgia by attending this event and letting your voice be heard in support of the arts community! Register now! 

Arts Day at the Capitol Schedule:

Monday, January 23, 2012
2:00pm      Advocacy 101 Session at the Capitol

4:00pm      GDEcD and GCA Open House, 75 5th St NW

Evening     Attendees are encouraged to take their  
                     legislators out to dinner in small groups on   
                     their own

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
8:00am      Registration open at the Capitol

8:15am       Travel & Tourism Day Briefing

9:00am      Formal presentation of check with Governor

9:30am      Arts Day Breakout Session Meeting 

11:00am     House and Senate Joint Committee on   
                     Economic Development & Tourism

12:00pm     Travel & Tourism Day Luncheon

11am-4pm   Advocacy Meetings with Individual  
                        Legislators 

   

Register for Arts Day! 

Fat Saturday 2012

The 2nd Annual Fat Saturday Pub Crawl will be held on Saturday February 18th in downtown Augusta. Registration will be held that day starting at 4pm. The first 500 individuals to register will receive a free t-shirt! 

The Pub Crawl costs $10 and all proceeds go directly to the Greater Augusta Arts Council. When you register you will receive a “Pub Crawl Passport” which you can get stamped at each of the participating bars. Once you have visited all the bars and received all of your stamps you drop the passport in a registration box (located in all participating bars) and will qualify for tons of fun prizes!

This year we will be also offering a Trolley Pass for $5.Trolley Passes will allow you to ride (and drink!) on the fun Mardi Gras themed Trolley! The trolley will visit each pub crawl stop and will feature Matt Stone as the MC. We will also be giving out fun prizes to those who ride the trolley! Much thanks to our amazing Trolley Sponsors: Knology and Metro Spirit! 

More info to come! Make sure you like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FatSaturday

Non-Profit Member of the Month: Augusta Choral Society

The Augusta Choral Society

Jamie Lowe

            The Augusta Choral Society was founded in 1951 by Emily Remington. Mrs. Remington was able to return last year, now over 90 years old, from her home in Charleston for the 60^th Anniversary performance given by the Choral Society. The Executive Director, Carolyn Dolyn, met we me to discuss the gilded history of the non-profit organization.

            The Choral Society, Mrs. Dolyn told me, accepts volunteers who donate their talent and time. Each singer is an unpaid volunteer ranging in age from seventeen years old to members into their mid-eighties. The performers go through a simple audition and, after being accepted, are expected to be at rehearsal every Tuesday for ten months out of the year and pay membership dues. There are scholarships available for students and financially needy who want to join the Society, because “[The Augusta Choral Society] wouldn’t want to turn a talented individual away because of dues”. Members also help sell advertisements for the Society’s performance programs during the season as well as helping out with several fundraisers during the year, with the largest fundraiser being the annual golf tournament that the society holds in the spring. The fundraising proceeds go to the cost of the Society’s performances each year.

            There are normal four performances during a season, with professional musicians employed to bring live instrumental music to the performances. The Society may only have four performances in their season but never turns down the oppourtunity to perform. This year the Choral Society will perform alongside the Symphony Orchestra Augusta in two of the programs in the Symphony’s season. Most of the performances on the calendar for the Choral Society are held yearly at the Sacred Heart Cultural Center, with an occasional concert at Saint Paul’s Church in downtown Augusta. Both locations are idea for setting a great ambiance for live instrumental and vocal music, being reverent and serene locations.

             According to Mrs. Dolyn a personal, and crowd, favorite is the annual concert that the  Choral Society holds in December, this year the “Baroque Christmas”. This concert, typically, showcases a performance of Handel’s Messiah which is what “everyone asks about all year”. Other concerts include the Memorial Day performance that the Choral Society has presented for the last four years consecutively. This performance deals less with the fist pumping, firework saluting “feel-good” emotions associated with mass patriotism movements and the Fourth of July. The performance is centered around the meaning of Memorial Day and addresses the pain and sadness of the men and women who sacrificed themselves for our country as the families and lives that they courageously left behind. Needless to say, this concert is a solemn and moving performance in the skillful pairing of song and montages of pictures and videos honoring the fallen.  A novel concert appeared on this year’s Augusta Choral Society’s season calendar; February’s “It’s all about Love” concert. This performance will feature famous love songs and is a new leap that the Society is making. This concert will be presented on the tenth of February and tickets can be purchased in advance on the Choral Society’s website.

            The Choral Society has had sixty-one tremendous years since its creation in 1951 and hopes to have sixty-one more fantastic years. If you would like information on how to support this non-profit or join the ranks of volunteer performers contact Executive Director Carolyn Dolen or Artistic Director Porter Stokes. 

Want more information on the Augusta Choral Society? Visit: http://www.augustachoralsociety.org/