Arts in Augusta

We need your support!

2012-03-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

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

2012-03-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

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

2012-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

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

2012-03-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

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

2012-03-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-11T07:05:00.001-08:00

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

2012-01-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

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/

Transfigured Time Giveaway

2011-09-27T12:16:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to our contest winner Tricia Hughes! Tricia won 2 tickets to the Westobou Event: Transfigured Time on Thursday September 29^th at Sacred Heart Cultural Center.

Click here to get more information the Westobou Festival! http://www.westoboufestival.com

2011 ARTSCAPE Camp: A brief synopsis

2011-06-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

ARTSCAPE Camp is a proactive approach to helping these children meet challenges in their daily lives. During these camps, three weeks in Augusta and one week in Thomson, the children had the opportunity to discover the world of drama, dance, music and visual art. This was a unique opportunity for them and, in fact, may be their only opportunity to experience the arts on a large scale. Of the 37 elementary schools in Richmond County, only 5 have a visual art teacher on staff, and music classes are only provided 30 minutes per week. Private lessons in dance, drama, music, and visual art are not economically feasible for these families, so ARTSCAPE serves as the sole means for tapping into their creativity. The Greater Augusta Arts Council is dedicated to making a difference in these children’s lives. By protecting and working with a group of 698 for several weeks during the summer, the impact was apparent. The children were often asked to try new things and they responded admirably to the challenges presented to them.

This year we are holding ARTSCAPE camps at five different Boys and Girls Clubs Locations: Jamestown, Dogwood Terrace, Hagler, WT Johnson, and Thomson. The theme of this year’s ARTSCAPE camp is “The Antics of Art.”

The Antics of Art is a one week program consisting of roughly 5 contact hours in each of the artistic disciplines of Drama, Dance, Music, and Visual Art. This year's theme exposes children of all ages to some of the diverse elements of Asian art including Japanese scroll art or Kakemono, Lantern and Screen Art, Asian Lion and Dragon dances, an introduction to asian scales using the recorder to reproduce the sounds of the Ocarina and Shakuhachi traditional flutes. Asian drumming patterns and rhythms, and Asian theatrical traditions including, Chinese Shadow Plays, Kabuki, Noh Theatre, and the Chinese comedic form of Xiangsheng.

Each week the children will participate in an overview of the subject areas followed by preparation for a final performance incorporating aspects of the Asian traditions.

The performance will include a performance circle defined by parents, family, and community supporters. One section of the circle will be open to provide an entrance and exit for the children. The performance will begin with an introduction by one or several students. The introduction provides the audience with an overview of the performance and guidance for their own participation.

Students will enter the circle and present their work or collaboration in turns. Once all of the small group and individual displays and performances are complete, the entire camp will participate in a Dragon/Lion dance finale.

We are very excited about ARTSCAPE camp this year and are very thankful to the our 2011 instructors:

Gary Dennis- Lead Instructor & Drama

Karen Gordon – Music

Alexis Beard – Dance

Kathy Jowers – Visual Art

Camp Counselors:

Jamie Nicole Lowe

Amber Jowers

Michael Ryan

If you would like more information on 2011 ARTSCAPE camp please call the local Boys and Girls Club of your choice.

Until Next Time,

2011 Arts Recognition Awards

2011-04-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

We are now accepting nominations for the 2011 Arts Recognition Awards! This program was established to recognize outstanding artistic talent and exceptional initiative and/or leadership in contributing to the advancement of the arts in the CSRA!

We accept nominations for the following categories:

1. Individual Artist – This award 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 availability of the arts in the Augusta Area.

Past Winners have included: 2010 Ed Turner, 2009 Brian Rust, 2008 Edward Rice, 2007 Kathy Girdler Engler, 2006 Peter Powlus

2. Sponsor/Corporate – A 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.

Past winners of this award have included: 2010 Wierhouse 2009 SRP Federal Credit Union 2008 Earth Fare, 2007 Beasley Broadcasting Group, 2006 Jim Hudson Lexus

3. 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 growth or development of an arts organization, activity, or program, was responsible for a notable “first” in t he arts, or has been the motivating spirit behind a community arts project.

Past winners of this award have included: 2010 Rich Borgatti, 2009 Angela Hillesland, 2008 Gary and Paige Tom, 2007 Morris Museum Docents, 2006 John Lovin

4. Media (Individual/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.

Past winners have included: 2010 WFXG-TV Fox 54, 2009 Austin Rhodes, 2008 Perry Broadcasting, 2007 Columbia County News Times, 2005 John Mann

5. Arts Professional - This award is designed to recognize those who have made contributions to the arts in the CSRA has professionals, but not as professional artists, Nominees could come from organizations, education, etc.

Past winners of this award have included: 2010 James Nord, 2009 Audrey Crosby, 2008 Krys Bailey, Doug Joiner, and Richard Justice, 2007 Molly McDowell, 2006 Steve Walpert

If you are interested in nominating any deserving individual please click here http://bit.ly/iaWYEt .

You can also see the complete list of past winners by clicking here http://bit.ly/gGNeNA

Nominations are due by MAY 9^TH and winners will be chosen by a panel of arts and business leaders. The awards will be presented by the Greater Augusta Arts Council at our Annual Awards Party and General Membership Meeting on June 9^th 2011 at Sacred Heart Cultural Center (more details to follow). The award winners will also be featured in the Fall Issue of the Augusta Magazine!

I hope you will consider nominating a deserving individual!

Until Next Time,

Pub Crawl Updates!

2011-02-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

On March 5^,2011 the Greater Augusta Arts Council will be benefitting from a pub crawl sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company. Fifteen downtown bars and restaurants will participate in the “Fat Saturday Pub Crawl.”

Participants can register for the pub crawl March 5^,2011 starting at 3pm on 10^th Street. The pub crawl costs six dollars. Individuals must be at least 21 years old to participate, but are not required to drink. The first 500 people to register will be given a free Fat Saturday t-shirt.

Each participant will be given a Fat Saturday passport. Participants will visit each stop and receive a stamp once they fill the passport with stamps they can turn in the passport to win various prizes. The Pub Crawl will begin at 7pm and passports must be turned in before midnight.

For more information visit the Fat Saturday Facebook page http://bit.ly/g3vPSd or contact the Grace Inman at the Greater Augusta Arts Council by email at grace@augustaarts.com or by phone at (706) 826-4702 ext 2.

Participating Locations:

Firehouse – 1102 – Metro – Soul Bar – The Loft – Playground- Stillwater- Joe’s Underground – Sky City – Place on Broad- The Soy Noodle House – Pizza Joint – Wheelz Pub – Casablanca – Mellow Mushroom

FAT SATURDAY!

2011-02-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

I am pretty excited about the next few months and today I am going to write about a new fundraiser for the Greater Augusta Arts Council brought to you by New Belgium Brewing Company!

When: Saturday March 5^th 2011

Where: Downtown Augusta (on Broad Street)

What: “Fat Saturday” a Mardi Gras themed Pub Crawl

Registration starts on Saturday March 5^th at 3pm on 10^th Street. Be sure to get there early so you can qualify for a free Fat Saturday T-Shirt. The cost of the pub crawl is $6 and all proceeds will go directly to us! 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!

We are still working on getting a list of all the participating bars and restaurants and once we get the final list I will post it here. You can also "Like" us on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/FatSaturday I think this is going to be a really fun event and I hope you can all come out to support us!

Until Next Time,

About ArtScape Camp!

2011-02-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

During the summer we coordinate ArtScape Camp at the Boys and Girls Club. I have already started preparing for the 2011 program and I thought I would take this opportunity to discuss the camp!

ARTSCAPE Camp is a summer camp providing arts education and hands-on arts activities for the children of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Augusta. The Greater Augusta Arts Council, in partnership with Boys & Girls Club of Augusta Inc., seeks to enhance the lives of families historically underserved by using art as a means of self-expression and as a tool in helping children meet the challenges in their daily lives.

Richmond County School System serves over 38,000 students. ARTSCAPE Camp brings the arts to all segments of the population, with special effort focused on reaching underserved audiences. This program, now in its 16th year, provides arts activities to the children of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Augusta, exposing kids to music, dance, drama, reading and visual art in a fun, hands-on learning environment.

ARTSCAPE camp serves “at-risk” youth in the Central Savannah River Area with programs at four Boys & Girls Club locations in Augusta (Richmond County) and one Boys & Girls Club location in Thomson (McDuffie County). Any child enrolled in the summer programs at these four Boys and Girls Clubs can be a part of the ARTSCAPE Program. All facilities are located in low –income areas and are accessible to all children through scholarships and tuition assistance programs.

In 2010, the theme of ArtScape Camp was “Once Upon A Time in the Arts.” Each Boys and Girls Club location received a week of instruction in: dance, drama, visual art, and music. In 2011 the theme will be, “Antics of Art” and we will once again be spending a week at each Boys and Girls Club location.
I hope this blog entry will leave you with a better understanding of one of our outreach programs! Feel free to comment with any questions you have about the program! I am going to leave you with a comment from Gary Dennis about last year’s camp.

"This program is important because it introduces our children to the benefits of artistic pursuit and promotes positive interaction between inspired adults and eager children. This program is also important because it provides another opportunity to keep our professional artists working, improving, and sharing their crafts. In the end, that benefits our entire community. It lifts all of us up a little."
– Gary Dennis, lead instructor for ARTSCAPE camp in 2010

Until Next Time,

Grace Bowles Inman

Write a Review!

2011-01-18T10:59:00.001-08:00

We are currently working on our 2011 GreatNonprofits campaign. Last year we succeeded in getting 25 positive reviews and this year we are seeking additional reviews. We would like to get at least 10 more before the month is up.

If you love our work then tell the world! You have an exciting opportunity to help the Greater Augusta Arts Council, Inc. make even more of a difference in our community.

GreatNonprofits - a site like Amazon Book Reviews or TripAdvisor - is a website where people can share their stories about nonprofits that have touched their lives. Won't you help us raise visibility and support for our work by posting a review of your experience with us? All reviews will be visible to potential donors and volunteers. It's easy and only takes 3 minutes! Go to:

http://greatnonprofits.org/organizations/reviews/greater-augusta-arts-council-inc

With your help, we can gain greater visibility in the community. We appreciate your ongoing support!

Until Next Time,

What We Do!

2010-12-16T07:04:00.001-08:00

The Wet Paint Party was a great success! Many members came and plenty of new members joined! People really enjoyed looking at purchasing all of the beautiful local art work and watching the amazing fashion show put on by Vintage Ooollee and Modish Salon! We are working on a few things to make next year better, and if you have any suggestions please let us know!

If you didn’t attend the Wet Paint Party you can still join the Arts Council at any time! Our membership applications are located here: http://bit.ly/d34Suz

I think a lot of people in our community are unaware of what all the Greater Augusta Arts Council is responsible for and I figured that today’s blog entry would be a great time to really discuss it!

The Greater Augusta Arts Council is responsible for planning and producing many festivals, events that enhance the quality of life of the CSRA such as:

- Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival

- Old School Music Festival

- First Friday

- Par 3 Party

- Wet Paint Party

- Augusta Arts Meet Ups

The Arts Council is instrumental in facilitating outreach programs that impact the community as a whole such as:

- Arts Reading Program

- ArtScape Camp

- Arts Weekly

- 24/7 Extensive Online Calendar

- Legislative Luncheon

- Arts Focus Groups

- CSRA Online Gallery

- AugustaArts Ticketing Project

- Contemporaries Membership Group

The Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival, now in its 30^th year, is a 2 ½ day event featuring visual, performing, and literary arts, while showcasing Augusta’s diverse ethnic and cultural heritage. Brazil is the featured country for 2010. The festival features a global food village, with cuisine from over 35 different countries, a fine arts and crafts market with over 100 artist’s booths, and four stages with over 40 performances. The Children’s Area provides FREE hands-on art experiences for more than 3000 kids. The Arts in the Heart of Augusta festival serves as an economic engine driving over 70,000 people to downtown Augusta each September.

Each fall the Old School Music Festival celebrates the greatest Soul, R&B, and Funk music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. In past years, this festival has featured acts such as Eric Mayweather & the Finesse Band, Rudy Collins & Kayla, and Joyce McCaster & Victorious Soul.

On the First Friday of each month the Arts Council produces a downtown celebration on Artists’ Row. Galleries and studios remain open debuting new works, and local artists sell their wares along Broad Street as street musicians entertain the passing crowds. The Arts Council staff works to coordinate marketing strategies and to schedule the various bands and performers. First Friday is a FREE family friendly event.

Debuting in 2010, the Par 3 Party was held during the annual Masters Tournament. In its inaugural year, the Par 3 Party featured shag music from the South Atlantic Live Entertainment Band and the Embers, shag lessons from George Perkins, and a vintage-clothing fashion show. The first- time event drew over 700 individuals into downtown Augusta.

Back by popular demand, the Wet Paint Party returns this coming December. Local artists, who are members of the Arts Council, are invited to show and sell their recent works at a silent auction styled event. The unique format of this event guarantees that the artists will receive the full selling price of his/her work, while any dollar amount above the set price goes to benefit the Arts Council. Over 30 local artists have participated in this event resulting in great exposure and sales. Several local artists have sold their first major piece at this event.

New for 2010, all Arts Council members are invited to join staff and board members at our “meet-ups” where in they have the opportunity to be exposed to the huge variety of locally produced arts events of all genres…from classical to avant garde.

Of the 35 schools in Richmond County, only 5 have visual arts teachers on staff. To address the lack of arts programming in elementary schools we have developed two programs: the Arts Reading Program and ArtScape Camp.

The Arts Reading Program was developed by the Greater Augusta Arts Council in collaboration with the Junior League of Augusta and the Morris Museum of Art. This program connects third grade core-curriculum subjects to a particular children’s book or a famous artist, and an example of his/her work in a hands-on arts lesson. For many children the Arts Reading Program is their only opportunity to receive elementary level arts education.

In Collaboration with the Boys & Girls Club of Augusta, the Arts Council facilitates an annual summer ArtScape Camp. Now in its 16^th year, this program provides arts activities to the children of the Boys & Girls Club of Augusta; exposing kids to music, drama, dance, reading, and visual art in a fun, hands-on learning environment. The program is open to all segments of the population, but the primary focus is on reaching underserved audiences.

The Greater Augusta Arts Council promotes advocacy through Arts Weekly a weekly radio show hosted by Executive Director Brenda Durant. Arts Weekly is a 30-minute broadcast, highlighting upcoming arts and cultural events in the CSRA. GAAC also produces an extensive Online Calendar, listing thousands of arts and cultural events that occur in our community each year.

The Greater Augusta Arts Council hosts the annual Legislative Luncheon each November. This luncheon connects local artists and arts organizations with local and state elected officials. The council also hosts Arts Focus Groups, which brings artists together with representatives from arts organizations and colleges to discuss challenges facing the artists. GAAC reviews these challenges and works to develop solutions to solve the issues presented by these groups.

To that end, one particular focus groups revealed that local artists wanted to establish a community gallery; a place for artists of all backgrounds to showcase their work. Although a physical gallery space is not a feasible solution, a plan was created that would meet the needs not only of the artists but also of the community as a whole: the CSRA Online Gallery. Local Interior Designers were also interviewed and reiterated the need for this sort of website. Local art work is often requested for their design projects, however finding such art can be difficult. The gallery, modeled after the commercial website UGallery.com, will be sortable by medium, genre, and listed alphabetically by artist’s name. The site will provide artists an opportunity to showcase their work at an affordable rate (memberships are $25 a year) and will increase their visibility. Artists will have an individual page wherein they can post contact information, personal websites, resumes, gallery presence, and their availability to create commissioned pieces. Workshops will be held in conjunction with this project to help artists develop the business skills necessary to promote their art. The gallery will give Interior Designers, the community, and the world, access to local art work 24/7.

The AugustaArts Ticketing Project, hosted on the Arts Council’s website, allows arts organizations, including Westobou Festival to sell performance tickets online. The Arts Council is incurring the banking/merchant fees that smaller organizations would be unable to pay. This ticket site allows arts patrons to purchase tickets at their leisure and is a one-stop shop for all ticketed arts events.

The Greater Augusta Arts Council is collaborating with the Gertrude Hebert Institute of Art and the Morris Museum of Art to create a young professionals membership- “Contemporaries.” By attracting this desirable age group we are able to expose this demographic to all of the local arts events while educating a future generation of arts patrons and leaders.

The Greater Augusta Arts Council is committed to providing quality festivals, events, and programs to the CSRA. We work hard year round to improve the quality of life of those living in our community by infusing the arts into everyday life.

I hope this blog entry gives you a better sense of why you should support our organization!

Wet Paint Party

2010-11-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

December 4^th is our Wet Paint Party and I couldn’t be more excited. This will be my first Wet Paint Party because the Arts Council took a short hiatus from the event the year that I moved back to Augusta. Currently we have around 27 participating artists but will be taking applications until November 30^th.

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 fashion show will also feature some painted body art which should be very interesting!

Artist/Teacher: $25

- Arts Calendar & Newsletter

- Notice & Invitation to Events

- Call for Artist Announcements

- Added to Augusta Arts Meet Up List

- Added to exclusive membership meeting guest list

- Discount for booth fees at certain Arts Council Events

- Opportunity to sell work at the Wet Paint Party

Individual: $35

- All of the above benefits

Contemporaries: $65 individual $100 couple

- This is a joint membership between the Greater Augusta Arts Council, Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, and Morris Museum of Art you will receive basic membership benefits from all three organizations plus entry/discounts into special contemporaries events

- The membership is for individuals aged 21-40

Non-Profit Arts Groups: $75

- All of the above benefits Artist/Teacher benefits minus the opportunity to sell at Wet Paint

- Free space for promotional booths at the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival

- Link to your website on http://www.augustaarts.com/

- Added to Guest List for Exclusive Arts Organizational Meetings

- Have your events featured as Augusta Arts Meet Ups

- Two representatives from your organization will receive admission to our Wet Paint Party

Supporter: $125

- All of the above benefits Artist/Teacher benefits

- 2 VIP tickets to the Par 3 Party Masters Week

- 2 VIP tickets to the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival

- Admission for 2 at our Wet Paint Party

- Recognized as a “Supporter of the Arts” on GAAC website

Patron: $250

- All of the above benefits Artist/Teacher benefits

- 4 VIP tickets to the Par 3 Party Masters Week

- 4 VIP tickets to the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival

- Admission for 4 at our Wet Paint Party

- Recognized as a “Patron of the Arts” on GAAC website

Benefactor: $500

- All of the above benefits Artist/Teacher benefits

- 6 VIP tickets to the Par 3 Party Masters Week

- 6 VIP tickets to the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival

- Admission for 6 at our Wet Paint Party

- Recognized as a “Benefactor of the Arts” on GAAC website

President’s Circle: $1000

- All of the above benefits Artist/Teacher benefits

- 6 VIP tickets to the Par 3 Party Masters Week

- 8 VIP tickets to the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival

- Admission for 8 at our Wet Paint Party

- Recognized as a “President’s Circle” on GAAC website

- Special Recognition at the Annual Awards Banquet

As you can see we have many options! I urge you to join today and get involved! You won’t be disappointed!

If you would like to become a member click here: http://bit.ly/d34Suz

If you would like to get more information on the Wet Paint Party click here: http://bit.ly/b3J1Ou

I hope to see you at the Wet Paint Party Saturday December 4^th 7pm-10pm at Sky City!

Best Wishes,

Grace Bowles Inman

Lots to Do!

2010-11-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

I have attended several social media seminars since I started working for the Greater Augusta Arts Council in 2008, and while we are pretty good about most forms of social media we have never really kept up with a blog. I was finally convinced earlier this week that is imperative to have a blog and to keep up with it!

So I am making a commitment to keep up with this blog and to write in it at least once a week! I will discuss things going on around the office, events we are working on, and art-related news and events from around the CSRA.

I was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia and am accustomed to hearing “There is nothing to do around here,” “Augusta is so boring,” and other like sentiments. I am not going to lie I too once thought along these lines until I returned home from college after graduation and I realized what a culturally rich community we have! There are actually a lot of fun things going on around Augusta and it is growing at a rapid pace, you just have to know where to look to find what is going on!

The Arts Council’s online art calendar is a good place to start: http://bit.ly/cbZDew

We update it daily and are always open to list new events that we might have missed (email events@augustaarts.com to have your event listed).

You can also join our mailing list. We send out a monthly newsletter listing our own events as well as our monthly Augusta Art Meet Up. Meet Ups are held at local art events and are a chance for you to meet other art lovers in the area (also members of the Arts Council sometimes get discounts and deals at these meet ups!)

Our next meet up is November 13^th 7pm-10pm at Art After Dark held at Church of the Holy Comforter in Evans. The event is put on by the Artist Guild of Columbia County and tickets are only $5!

Art After Dark, held annually in November, is an evening of art and entertainment and the Guild's signature event. The show features a variety of art created by Guild members including oils, charcoal, watercolors, photography, pottery and jewelry. Most of the art is available for purchase.

In addition, the evening includes a celebrity auction of art created by some of our hometown celebrities, a silent auction of art, delicious food and wine, and performances by local arts groups! Click here to buy tickets in advance: http://bit.ly/aPq0B5

I truly hope to see you there!

Until Next Time,

Grace Bowles Inman