Where Has the Fire Gone?

As one of the oldest visual arts organizations in the Central Georgia area- we have to ask ourselves: Where is our Fire? Where is our Passion? Do we want to continue on the path of being considered a group stuck in the past; or, are we ready to make a leap into the HERE and NOW? This is what we in the South like to call "prayer meetin' time" for our members and for our community. Whether you sit up or stand up- it's time to make a change!

Please do not misunderstand- over the past couple of years we have made great strides in getting ourselves out there in the art scene- but we are no way near where we need to be. We have an AMAZING gallery both on Ingleside Avenue as well as housed at Market City Cafe in downtown Macon- galleries that celebrate and are open to ALL visual artists in our community. The question is- do ALL visual artists in our community know about us?

Do you personally know artists in our area who ARE NOT members of the Middle Georgia Art Association right now? Why aren't they members? What can MGAA do to have a 100% rate of Middle Georgia visual artists joining our organization? These are the questions we need to be asking ourselves. Once the question has been posed then it is time to DO something about it... not just sit around for months discussing the "why" of the situation, but actually going out and inviting EVERY artist you know to our next Members' Meeting (which happens to be Tuesday, October 12) or our next Opening Reception (just a few days later on Friday, October 15.)

MGAA was created in 1967- as we like to say- to "support the artist within us all" - at this point are we keeping to that mission? Where is the next generation of members? We can not sit idly by and let cobwebs gather on our doorstep; rather, we want that door swinging open wide AT ALL TIMES!


For more information on membership to Middle Georgia Art Association, visit our Members Page on the MGAA website.

Website Launch

The Middle Georgia Art Association is unbelievably excited to finally have our new and improved website launch today! We are eager to have everyone visit us at http://www.middlegeorgiaart.org/, and see what we have added to make our little online community bigger and better than before!

Featured pages on our new, more interactive website, include:

~ a Calendar that can be broken down by day/week/month... simply click on the date and see what great activities MGAA has in store for you!

~ a location page for our MGAA Gallery, that includes Google directions to show you how to get to us from anywhere!

~ a photo gallery capturing the amazing events that MGAA has offered, from the Mulberry Street Festival to workshops and other exhibitions!

~ an "Add a Badge" page where you can easily pick up the html code to show your support for MGAA on your own blog or website!

~a special Mulberry Street Festival page that even includes a Weather Channel forecast for Macon (remember- come rain or shine!)

~easy online pages to submit your applications to become a MGAA member or sponsor!

~ an online forum for MGAA website members to discuss future exhibits and workshops, and to post their own artist bios/statements!

~ the ability to chat online with fellow MGAA website members

~... and SO MUCH MORE!!!

Stop on by today and see where the excitement is! As always, MGAA is here to support the artist within us all!

Great News for the Arts in Middle Georgia

MGAA has had a long-standing admiration and partnership in supporting the arts in Middle Georgia with the Macon Arts Alliance. We are pleased to learn that the newly-appointed Executive Director is none other than the incredible arts advocate and businessman, Jim Coleman.

We feel blessed to be in a community so ripe and supportive of all the arts. While we are here to support the visual artists in our area, Macon Arts was created to lead all of the fine and performing arts groups in an effort to advocate and educate everyone on the benefits of having organizations (such as our own) in their midst. Macon Arts' umbrella of support has been a beacon of hope for all of us - pushing us forward- and we are proud to say that we have a new friend in Jim to continue the legacy of working together.

Our best wishes go to Jim, Cindy, Heatherly, Dot, and all the Macon Arts Board for starting a new generation of leadership in our community!

What a day to kick off the 40th annual Mulberry Street Festival! Mulberry Street in Downtown Macon was abuzz with vendors from across the country and thousands of visitors browsing the 200+ stands of arts and crafts.

Could we have asked for a more perfect day? Blue skies and warm weather with a cooling breeze kept the crowd full of enthusiasm - and our MSF Director, Peter Nishanian, with his band of incredible MGAA volunteers, kept peace to the festivities (along with the incredible help of the Macon Police Department... those men in blue get a huge thank you from us today!)

If you were unable to join us in Downtown Macon, you have one more chance to stop in on Middle Georgia's OLDEST arts and crafts festival. Tomorrow the festival continues from 10am - 5pm. Do not miss out on this landmark event. Come rain or shine we will be there - and we hope to see you there, too!

Not Just Junque

In the mood for a little more JUNQUE in your life? Head over to the MGAA Gallery on Ingleside this upcoming Friday night for the opening reception of the Macon Iron "Prehistoric Creatures" Junque Yard Sculpture Show in conjunction with the "Rising Stars" Collegiate Show.

Entering its 11th year, Macon Iron provides scrap metal materials for college students to create extraordinary creatures to be on display at the MGAA Gallery. Students from such schools as Mercer University and Georgia Southwestern State College & University participate for the opportunity to receive generous scholarship funds given by Macon Iron. Other awards will be presented by the Middle Georgia Art Association for our annual "Rising Stars" Collegiate Show.

The show will continue through April 9 at the Gallery. Hours are: Tuesday - Friday, 12 - 5pm, and Saturday, 12 - 3pm. For more information call 478.744.9557.

From the President

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist as he grows up."

- Pablo Picasso

In celebration of March being designated National Arts Month, Middle Georgia Art Association is sponsoring exhibits for students of all ages.

We opened the Youth Arts Festival on First Friday (March 5th) at Market City Cafe with a reception and cash awards for middle through high school students. Regretfully we did not have any submissions from artists in grades 6 - 8, however the high school artists that submitted work are very talented and it is a show to not be missed.

The next scheduled exhibit at our Ingleside gallery is the annual Macon Iron Junque Sculpture show featuring "Prehistoric Creatures" made from scrap iron. This exhibit is being held in conjunction with the annual "Rising Stars" exhibit. Both are invitationals for college and university students. The opening reception will be held on March 19th at 6pm. We hope you will come out and support the emerging artists in our area.

Please keep in mind that all artists are lifelong students. We should always be growing and learning. If not we lose that creative spark that shows up in our work!

Ready to Make a Difference?

It's quite easy... making a difference, that is. You can do it tonight simply by taking a few minutes of your First Friday revelries to stop by Market City Cafe in Downtown Macon. Your time will be well spent when you congratulate the students whose phenomenal artwork will be hanging on the gallery walls there. See... easy, right?

With all of the craziness that is occurring in our educational system, we must take the time and stop to see the light that is breaking through a lot of this darkness hanging overhead. That light comes in the guise of our future artists, ranging in age from twelve to eighteen (you can probably spot them with the big grins on their faces for being apart of such a remarkable art show!) The opening reception in honor of these student-artists will be from 6:00 - 7:00pm and will include an awards ceremony.

The difference comes from your support... your support comes from you being there. Are you ready?

Get to Know MGAA... Please Share!

Welcome!

In 1967 an idea came to life when a group of artists joined forces to be supporting guides for one another. This merging of artists was the foundation of the Middle Georgia Art Association, and we are proud to say that over forty years later we are not only continuing the tradition - but we are stronger than ever!

Times have changed... central Georgia has changed... but the one thing that remains the same is that art continues to be the strongest representative of a community's vision. A painting or a photograph or a work of sculpture can bring about emotions that are the deepest truths of our lives. Truths we must embrace.

In this hectic world we hope you will join us as we continue the legacy of the Middle Georgia Art Association founders. There is no denying that we are all the patrons, critics, teachers, and students of our community of artists. Welcome to you all... and may we enjoy this journey together!

2010 Winter Arts Festival