The Meta Shaw Coleman Children’s Imagination Station announced that it has joined Museums for All, a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) to encourage individuals of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. Museums for All is part of the Imagination Station’s commitment to welcome all families and inspire creativity, curiosity, and connection through imaginative play. 

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will host the 9th Annual ARToberfest on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Turner Center for the Arts Campus in Valdosta. Celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month, this popular community festival showcases the talent of local and regional artists while highlighting the arts’ meaningful impact on community life.

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts presents Heather Frederick and The Wiregrass All-Stars for a live Music in the Art Park concert on Fri., Oct. 9, from 7-9 p.m. in the Art Park, located at 605 N. Patterson St. The concert, sponsored by Cheryl Oliver, Jeani Synyard and Mala Vallotton, is open to the public.

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will hold a new exhibit opening reception on Mon., Sept. 21, from 5 to 7pm, at 527 N. Patterson Street, featuring the works of Alex Berdysheff, “Edge,” Flavia Lovatelli, “Cycles of Change,” and John E. Bayides, “The Art of a Sailor in Southwest Georgia.” Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will host 2RiverStation for a live Music in the Art Park concert on Friday, Sept. 11 from 7-9 p.m. in the Turner Center Art Park, located at 605 N. Patterson St. The live concert, sponsored by Landis International, is free to the public.

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts is proud to announce the 2026 Turner Center Beyond the Book – A Literary Event, taking place on Sat., Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Turner Center Galleries, located at 527 N. Patterson Street, in Valdosta.

The Turner Center for the arts hosted its 18th Annual Valdosta People’s Choice Photo Contest Awards Reception, July 20, to announce the winners who beautifully captured the essence of community life through their lenses.

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts presents Dirty Bird and The Flu for a live Music in the Art Park concert on Fri., August 14, from 7-9 p.m. in the Art Park, located at 605 N. Patterson St. The concert, sponsored by Johnny & Susan Dukes, is open to the public.

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will hold a new gallery exhibit reception on Mon., August 3, from 5 to 7pm, at 527 N. Patterson Street, featuring the works of Stacey Fletcher, Steven S. Walker, the AHTCA Ceramic Showcase, andthe re-installation of the Jerry Tillman African Artifacts Permanent Collection. Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

Stacey Fletcher is a mixed-media artist recognized for her intuitive mark-making and gestural paintings. Fletcher holds an MFA in Painting & Drawing from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a BFA from Valdosta State University, Georgia. Based in Florida, she is a professor of 2D Studio Arts at Daytona State College and actively exhibits her work both nationally and internationally. Her accolades include an international residency in Che?m, Poland, multiple grants and awards recognizing her artistic contributions, features in Studio Visit magazine and The Woven Tale Press, and inclusion in public and private collections.

Steven S. Walker has been creating inspiring works of art for corporations and private collectors for over twenty-five years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in illustration. He would later earn his master’s in fine arts from Marywood University. As a full-time artist, Steven has been included in several local and national juried competitions including the Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional, Salon and National, Richeson 75 Landscape Competition, Plein Air Salon, the International Salon and the Art Renewal Center. His works have been included in several private collections including the Boy Scouts of America, The United States Air Force, Dominion Resources, Hilton Hotels, the American Heart Association and the National Parks Service.

AHTCA Ceramic Showcase – The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts (AHTCA) in partnership with the Valdosta Public Art Advisory Council is excited to host the 2026 AHTCA Ceramic Showcase. This show features work from AHTCA ceramic students and instructors as well as artists both locally and from across the region.

Jerry Tillman African Artifacts Permanent Collection. The Tillman Gallery houses a spectacular display of artifacts, donated to the Center in 2003, by Jerry Tillman, a Lowndes County native. Tillman spent over a decade living in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Somalia and most of the artifacts in his collection were made by the Makonde Tribe in Tanzania.

All exhibits will remain open in the galleries for the public’s enjoyment through Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. For more information, call 229.247.2787 or visit turnercenter.org. Patrons who need special assistance may contact the Center to make those arrangements.

The Greater Valdosta United Way sponsored a field trip for 30 youths in the Together We Learn: Bridge the Gap program, which focuses on educational and social enrichment throughout the summer.