The Carrollton Center for the Arts and the Southeastern Quilt and Textile Museum are joining forces this week to showcase the art of quilting, beginning February 21. The quilt museum’s Imagine 2020: A Quilting Expo, February 21 and 22, will feature exhibits, vendors, workshops, speakers and demonstrations for quilters at the Center for the Arts and at the museum.
In conjunction with the expo, the center will host a public reception starting at 5:00 p.m. to mark the opening of JAM Session, an invitational exhibit in the Roush Gallery of works by the members of the Georgia/South Carolina region of Studio Art Quilt Associates.
“These quilts show the potential of the medium to express complex ideas and realistic imagery, which can be difficult to do with sewn fabric,” said Carrollton Visual Arts Coordinator Marcella Kuykendall. “The four artists approach their pieces in a unique fashion, allowing visitors to see several techniques and viewpoints within one exhibit.“
In conjunction with Studio Art Quilt Associates, the quilt museum will host a show in their gallery called A Thread Runs Through It through the end of April.
“I would say that these exhibits are not your grandmother’s quilts,” said Tim Chapman, Carrollton’s arts superintendent. “The quilts do not include repetition in design and therefore might lead the viewer to think they are paintings.”
As an expo extra, the Carrollton Presbyterian Church will host A Congregation of Quilts, a free exhibition by the West Georgia Quilt Guild, from 9am-4pm, also on February 21.
Maple Street Beautification Grant
With help from a Carrollton Maple Street Corridor Beautification Grant, White Oak Pediatric Dentistry recently completed a renovation of their building at 709 Maple Street.
“The grant helped us go the extra mile with the aesthetics of our building by providing financial help with paint and windows,” said Dr. Ben Popple. “This also allowed us to allocate funds toward other areas of the building like landscaping, parking lot repairs and other small projects. The city really worked with us to make sure the process went smoothly.”
In December, 2019, the Carrollton Corridor Development and Beautification Grant Sub-Committee voted to approve the $10,000 grant for exterior paint and storefront windows at Popple’s building. The Maple Street Corridor Beautification Program looks to stimulate development and improve the visual image of properties within the Maple Street corridor. Applicants must match the funding, 50/50.
Popple said he had been looking for an opportunity to open an office in Carrollton for three years. The beautification grant and the city’s focus on corridor development helped him make the final decision to open White Oak here.
“The grant makes it easier for business owners to make positive changes to their businesses sooner than they might be able to otherwise.” said Popple. “Maple Street is an important connector between two of Carrollton’s strongest areas, the University and downtown. The grant definitely attracted us to Maple Street and helped us see past some of the issues our building had knowing we could use the grant to help correct them.”
For questions about Maple Street Corridor Beautification Grants, please call Erica Studdard at (770) 830-2000. Photo by Jonathan Dockery.
School Break Arts Camps
As students take a break from school this month and again in April, Carrollton Center for the Arts’ camps offer several opportunities for them to stay creative and have fun outside of the traditional classroom environment. While most of the center’s regular classes and programs will not meet during the weeks of February 17 and April 6, young people can learn about pastry, robotics and the technical side of the arts, working with clay and theatre production — from a murder mystery to the Land of Oz.
Pastry Chef Camp
This kids-only cooking camp, taught by LaToya Gamble, will teach pastry, baking skills and confectionery techniques. Each day of camp will focus on a specific dessert finale.
Winter Camp: Feb. 17 – 19, 9am –12pm, Ages: 6 – 7
Spring Camp: April 6 – 10, 9am –12pm, Ages: 8 – 12
Member Fee: $75 per person
Non-Member Fee: $85 per person
ARTS + TECH Bootcamp
The Center for the Arts and the Neva Lomason Public Library team up to explore how technology like robots, video production tools and even Legos can open up new ways for students to express themselves.
Feb 17 – 19, 9:30am – 12pm
Ages: 8 – 12
Free
Creative Clay Camp
Instructor Melanie Drew will teach hand-building skills, from preparing the clay to slab building, coiling and the wheel, before the works are glazed and fired.
April 6– 10, 12pm – 3pm
Ages: 6 – 12
Member Fee: $75 per person
Non-Member Fee: $85 per person
Wizard of Oz Camp
Campers will learn dances, songs, lines and blocking, create simple costumes and sets and take part in theatre exercises to build confidence and improve overall performance. The class will present a 30-minute production of scenes from The Wizard of Oz. Tammy Barton is the camp’s instructor.
April 6– 10, 1am – 4pm
Ages: 5 – 7
Member Fee: $75 per person
Non-Member Fee: $85 per person
Murder Mystery Theatre Camp
Instructor Jenny Lyle’s camp will explore the murder-mystery genre while students hone their acting and performance skills. The week will end with a spaghetti dinner, followed by a theatre performance with guests investigating the crime. The evening event starts at 6pm.
April 6– 10, 9am – 12pm
Ages: 8 – 12
Member Fee: $75 per person
Non-Member Fee: $85 per person
Register for these camps now online here, by phone at (770) 838-1083 or at the Center for the Arts’ box office at 251 Alabama Street.
Bike Summit Coming to Carrollton
Nearly 200 bicycle advocates, industry representatives, planners and elected officials will roll into Carrollton for the 2020 Georgia Bike Summit, September 18-19.
“We are very excited to bring the 11th Annual Georgia Bike Summit to Carrollton,” said Georgia Bikes Executive Director Elliott Caldwell. “With the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) also coming to Carrollton this summer, 2020 is shaping up to be a big year for bicycling in the area.”
Georgia Bikes is a state-level affiliate of League of American Bicyclists, an organization that advocates for bicycling as a safe and healthy form of transportation and recreation. They work to improve conditions for bicycling by focusing on state policy, bicycle education and developing local advocacy organizations. In 2017, the League designated Carrollton as a Bicycle Friendly Community (one of 12 such communities in Georgia as of 2020) and the University of West Georgia as a Bike Friendly University.
Each year, Georgia Bike Summit brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to share best practices, disseminate information and collaborate in building a bicycle-friendly Georgia. A secondary purpose of the summit is to showcase the bicycle culture and amenities of communities throughout the state.
“Carrollton has really focused on being a great place to ride a bicycle,” said Caldwell. “The dedication of many community members, the local government in creating the GreenBelt, as well as better on-road infrastructure, is bearing fruit with these kinds of events coming to Carrollton.“
The Bike Summit is Georgia’s only statewide gathering for bicycle advocates. This is the first time the event is being held in Carrollton after being held in larger cities and on the coast for its first 10 years. Caldwell said the 2016 Georgia Trails Summit in Carrollton, which several Bike Summit organizers attended, positively influenced the decision to award the city the 2020 event.
Daddy/Daughter/Mother/Son Dances
Dads and moms, enjoy a fun night with your special girl or boy at the Carrollton Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Daddy/Daughter/Mother/Son dances, February 10, 11 and 13. The dances at the Depot on Bradley Street will feature hors d’oeuvres and desserts, door prizes and a gift for every child.
Daddy/Daughter Dances
February 10 and 11, 2020, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
February 10: Pre-K through 3rd Grade.
February 11: Grades 4-8.
Mother/Son Dance
February 13, 2020, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Pre-K through 8th Grade
$30 per couple, $10 each additional child
Register at carrolltonparksandrec.com or call 770-832-1161 for more information.
2020 Proclaimed Carver High School Year
Carrollton’s mayor and city council honored the former educators, alumni and descendants of the students and staff of George Washington Carver High School on the 65th anniversary of the school’s first graduating class. The council proclaimed 2020 “George Washington Carver High School Year” at the January 6 council meeting and presented former Carver students with the proclamation.
Mayor and Council Sworn In
Carrollton’s new mayor and councilmembers spent the first week of the new year getting sworn in and conducting their first business meeting as a council.
Mayor Betty Cason and Ward 4 Councilmember Bob Uglum were sworn in at a January 2 ceremony at the Center for the Arts. Ward 2 Councilmember Brett Ledbetter was sworn in in November to fill the unexpired term of Rory Wojcik. Re-elected Ward 3 Councilmember Jim Watters was sworn in at the first regular council meeting of the year, January 6.
During the meeting, the mayor and council expressed their gratitude to former Mayor Walt Hollingsworth and Councilmember Met Lane for their service.
‘Mountainfilm’ brings Telluride to Carrollton
Mountainfilm on Tour is coming to the Carrollton Center for the Arts, January 4, bringing a selection of adventure-packed and inspiring documentary films selected from Telluride, Colorado’s annual Mountainfilm festival.
“We are excited to welcome this high-caliber event to Carrollton again this year,” said Carrollton Arts Superintendent Tim Chapman. “Our altogether original community is the perfect audience for Mountainfilm’s unique and inspiring films.”
Founded in 1979, the event is one of America’s longest-running film festivals, held every Memorial Day weekend in Telluride. Mountainfilm is also a nonprofit organization that celebrates stories of indomitable spirit and aims to inspire audiences through film, art and ideas.
The Carrollton event will feature a collection of documentary short films that align with Mountainfilm’s mission to use the power of film, art and ideas to encourage audiences to create a better world. A presenter will guide the audience through the program, providing insight on the films, filmmakers and subjects.
Doors open for the event at 6:30 p.m. and the show will kick off at 7:00 p.m. See the complete playlist at www.mountainfilm.org/tour/schedule. Purchase tickets for $5 at carrolltonarts.com, by calling (770) 838-1083 or at the center’s box office at 251 Alabama Street in Carrollton.
Mountainfilm on Tour is hosted by the Carrollton Center for the Arts in partnership with the Alice Huffard Richards Foundation.
‘Cultivated’ & ‘Fiber Stories’ Open Jan. 3
A pair of exhibits using unconventional media and methods to depict life in the mountains and rural South will kick off the Carrollton Center for the Arts’ new year, January 3. Ted Whisenhunt’s whimsical interactive exhibit, Cultivated, celebrates the ingenuity, folklore and music of rural Appalachia and runs through Feb. 13. Fiber Stories, an exhibit featuring artist Annie Greene’s creations using mixed-media and yarn, closes Feb. 1. Both exhibits will be launched with a reception at the center at 5:00 p.m. on their shared opening night.
“Both of these artists are masters of their media and they complement each other so well,” said Arts Superintendent Tim Chapman. “Each artist shows work representative of the South and has a narrative component to their work.”
Rural Appalachia and life in the early 20th Century are the sources of inspiration for Whisenhunt’s work, which features movement and encourages viewer interaction by incorporating hand-cranked mechanical systems. The Alabama native currently lives in North Georgia and is a professor of art at Young Harris College.
“One of the most interesting aspects of Whisenhunt’s work is his playful mix of materials and moving pieces,” said Carrollton Visual Art Coordinator, Marcella Kuykendall. “Metal insects dance above animals with the turn of a crank, a bird takes flight with a soft tug of a pulley and a mixed media whirlygig hovers above a patchwork cow, ready to grab the wind. Viewers will get a rare chance to carefully touch the works as they help the sculptures to come alive.”
Georgia native and LaGrange resident, Annie Greene is best known for her yarn paintings featuring colorful knitting yarns outlined in black embroidery thread. Her paintings reflect culturally and socially relevant images of her life as an African-American in the rural South.
“Viewers will be intrigued by the details Greene creates with rows and swirls of colorful yarn,” said Carrollton Visual Arts Coordinator, Marcella Kuykendall. “It can take observers who are new to the works several minutes to figure out that the they are made of fibers. It has been fun installing the exhibit and seeing the surprise on each passerby’s face as they realize the material and time it took to produce each piece.“
Mayor and Council to be Sworn In Jan. 2
A reception and swearing-in ceremony will welcome Carrollton’s new mayor and new and returning councilmembers, January 2. The ceremony will be held at the Carrollton Center for the Arts, at 251 Alabama Street, during a special called meeting of the council.
Incoming Mayor Betty Cason, newly-elected Ward 4 Councilmember Bob Uglum and re-elected Councilmember Jim Watters will be sworn in at 7:00 p.m. after a public reception in the center’s lobby that starts at 6:00 p.m.
Cason served as Carroll County Probate Judge for two decades before retiring last year. Uglum was the long-time owner of the Maple Street Mansion restaurant. Ward 3 Councilmember Watters will be starting his third term on the council. Ward 2 Councilmember Brett Ledbetter was sworn in last month to fill the unexpired term of Rory Wojcik. Ward 1 Councilmember Gerald Byrd is the longest-serving member of the council, currently in the middle of his fifth full term.