Deal recognizes individuals

achievements in the

Arts and Humanities

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced the recipients of the second annual Governor’s Awards for the Arts and

Humanities. Fifteen individuals and organizations have been recognized for their significant contributions

to Georgia’s civic and cultural vitality through service to the humanities or excellence in the arts.

The awards were presented in partnership with the Georgia Council for the Arts and the Georgia

Humanities Council. “The arts contribute to state and local economic growth by providing a diversified and

sustainable means for creating jobs and attracting revenue,” said Deal. “These individuals and

organizations contribute significantly to Georgia’s excellent quality of life that we are able to provide our

citizens, relocating or expanding businesses, and visitors.”

Fifteen members of Georgia’s arts and humanities communities were chosen from a selection of

nominations from around the state. These recipients represent a diverse group of individuals and

organizations that have laid the groundwork for Georgia’s growing creative industry through innovative

programs, community collaboration and long-term financial commitment.

The recipients of the 2013 Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities are:

Kay Beck, Atlanta • Linda Crowe Chesnut, Athens • Dr. John Ferling, Carrollton

• Melissa Fay Greene, Atlanta • Tim Howard, Chatsworth • Marianne Lambert, Atlanta

• Chuck Leavell, Dry Branch • Frank Maloy, Tifton • Merryll Penson, Athens • Allan Vigil, Morrow

• The Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta • Colquitt County Arts Center, Moultrie

• Fox Theatre Institute, Atlanta • Moving in the Spirit, Atlanta • United Shape Note Singers, Atlanta

Detailed information about the recipients is available on www.gaarts.org.

Our Mission Statement

The Colquitt County Arts Center is a creative cultural resource that makes quality visual and

performing art available to a diverse population. The arts center provides engaging arts

education for children and adults, acts as a steward of permanent collections, and maintains

a landmark facility that enriches the whole community.”

The Colquitt County Arts Center is the recipient of the 2013-14 Georgia

Governor's Award for Arts & Humanities and has also been awarded by the

Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries as the Institution of the Year!

Artist Statement

The continuity and renewal of life is reflected in the changing scenes of nature that

surround us. My artistic sensibilities are inspired by an appreciation for the Master

Painters of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century and their focus on the

colors of nature. The work of nature never ceases to amaze me and its excesses are

a source of inspiration, especially the form of a tree. Some of the Masters who have

influence on my art are George Inness and Albert Bierstadt of the Hudson River

School, and Claude Monet the French impressionist. However, I see and paint the

world around me as a world of shifting perspectives, a universe of energy

sometimes quiet and reflective, sometimes more active and agitated, each seeking

balance within the other.

It gives me great pleasure to conceive something, to work with something, and see

something come forth. Throughout my life, my desire for artistic expression has

used a combination of varied media, with Life as my canvas. Of the earliest

memories are the times my sisters and I spent as children designing fashions for our

Betty Grable paper dolls. From there my artistic inclination moved to a life-long

obsession for fabrics, leading me to create tailor-made clothing including heirloom

sewing, home décor items, and quilts using elaborate hand work. Other art forms I

have explored are floral design, and the design and construction of architectural

pieces and small pieces of furniture. Even for my vocation I chose a form of artistic

expression through hair design for over half a century.

The joy of an artist is to recognize what others cannot see and to set that vision free.

As the grandmother of a beautiful autistic child who did not speak, I heard his

words in my heart, and with God’s help created a program to encourage him to

communicate. His success using this program that awakened his mind will always

remain my most rewarding creative work.

Diversity fascinates me, driving me to experiment in the realm of abstraction in

more recent works, but never straying far from Nature for inspiration. I suppose as

long as I’m alive I will continue to adjust some medium in a way to make it more

interesting to me, and as a Maker I will keep busy as long as my fingers obey. I

believe that if you are active in your life, achieving the most you can in your life,

then you will be happy.

Jean Eaton Gay

October 27, 2013

The Solarium

The Sculpture Garden

The Most Elegant Events

Happen at the Arts Center

Kids will create wonderful keepsake pieces of

artwork while learning to draw, paint , sculpt

using clay and other mediums.

5:30 - 6:30

Senior Art Class w/Karen Sasine

$25/month includes supplies and instruction

Tuesdays from 10:30 - 12:00

Come out and enjoy learning how to paint with acrylics with a great group of adults.

The artwork being turned out from this class is just fabulous!

AdultTeen Drawing w/Shovar Mondays 6:30 - 7:30p.m $40/$10 supply

Adult Painting w/Shovar Thursdays 11:00am - 2:00pm $50

Studio Time Now Available in Big Art Studio

Tuesday nights/$25 per month

Come out and enjoy everyone and be creative at the same time.

Instructor Kathy Nelson on duty for one on one help.

Creative Health Workshop Series Join the FUN and let’s get healthy together!

3rd

Thursday of every month 7-8:30pm

Thursday of every month 7-8:30pm $20 per class

January 23rd

- Kick Start Your Healthy New Year

Have you been thinking about getting healthier, but didn’t know where to start? Join

Karen Sasine, local artist, who has lost 60 lbs this year, in these informative fun and

TASTY workshops focusing on making good health creative and fun! Lots of delicious

organic samples, handouts, and recipes!

“Cooking is the only art form that goes into our

Be inspired! Be creative! Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of

art and explore everything from painting to sculpting to drawing. You'll have fun developing your own unique artistic style and

creating your own fantastic works of art. Something different each month.

ADVENTURES IN ART

W/LIN Mondays 5:30-6:30

Cost: $50/month Supply fee $30 quarterly

Ages: 5 to 12 ages

Kid’s Mixed Media Art

Classes w/Kathy Nelson Kids will create wonderful keepsake pieces of

artwork while learning to draw, paint, sculpt

using clay and other mediums.

Mondays $45.00

4:30 - 5:30 Grades K-2

5:30 - 6:30 Grades 3rd -5th

Tuesdays $55.00

4:30 - 6:00 Middle School & up

Plus $25 supply fee (quarterly)

Kids Art Classes

Auditions

Thursday, March 6, 2014

5:00 pm - 7:00pm

Grades 6 thru 12

Performance

May 2, 3, & 4

Frank Francese

Workshop

$360 for 4 days

9 am - 4 pm Experience a Francese Watercolor Workshop

The signature of a Francese watercolor is his use of big shapes, color, color and more color! No matter where a Francese watercolor is displayed, it will radiate a flash of color that literally jumps off the wall, immediately capturing the eye of the casual observer and art critic alike.

Francese brings a new style to the time tested combination of color and interesting shapes. His style employs the use of large brushes and a wet-on-wet method where in much of the color mixing is accomplished on the paper. Frank's technique often produces brilliant, at other times subtle, and always unique shades of color. The only limits are the artist’s imagination and willingness to experiment with every combination of color on his palette.

Color provides the stage for the artist’s performance; shapes provide the characters. Detail is only used after the color and big shapes, positive and negative, are in place. Francese states “One

must not over do the detail in any painting. It should be using it sparingly and with great thought. I have seen many paintings where the artist used too much detail, thinking that is the key to a great painting.” The goal of a Francese workshop is to teach artists of all skill levels to combine color, shape and then detail into a unique work of art.

Workshop Structure The Francese Watercolor Workshop consists of either three or five days of classroom instruction. That classroom may be inside of a building, at a streams edge or on a city street. Each day includes two demonstrations, the morning demonstration at 9 am and a second afternoon demonstration at 12:30 pm. The demonstration will be 40-60 minutes in length, leaving the student to have ample time to work on their painting using the subject matter of that day’s

demonstration.

February 23, 2014 11:00 am until 2:00pm

Call the Arts Center for reservations 229-985-1922

Menu to be announced.