The Turner Center for the Arts and the Young Writers League (YoWL) are seeking fiction, non-fiction, and poetry entries for the 5th Annual Art of Writing Contest. The contest is open to middle and high school students in fifth through twelfth grades in Georgia and the surrounding states. The entry deadline is Sat., Jan. 11, 2025. A theme that inspires young people to express themselves concerning important topics is chosen each year. The theme for 2025 is “Courage.”

(l-r): Amber Oveart, Leslie Hersh, Justin Watford, and Crystal Watford stand by the Turner Center for the Arts annual Snow Village display. In 2014, the Snow Village was donated to the Center by Joan Byrne and has been a source of Christmas joy to young and old alike.

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will host Gogh Green, an upscale art resale event, on Mon., Dec. 2, from 6 to 8 pm at 527 N. Patterson St., Valdosta. Patrons will be allowed to take home their purchases knowing their support of this event will benefit different educational programs provided by the Turner Center for the Arts.

Some of the Annette Howell Turner Center’s longstanding programs are literary arts offerings. Dr. Cheryl Carvajal leads the free writers leagues for youth and adults at the Turner Center weekly and assists with coordinating the Turner Center’s annual “Art of Writing” contest. She describes how writing has shaped her life and how writing can inspire others.

Several opportunities are still available for artists who were financially impacted by recent hurricane events. Application procedures for the two funding opportunities below are easily accessible.

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will present BACH to the Future – Tuesday, November 19, from 7-9pm, at the Turner Center for the Arts, 527 N. Patterson St., Valdosta. Tickets are $25/ea at the door.

BACH to the Future, led by chart-topping pianist Michael Silverman, takes classical music into the modern age! Imagine the classics – Bach, Beethoven, Mozart – performed in exciting new ways… modern jazz, African, and Latin rhythms. BACK to the Future brings an exciting, whimsical approach to the most beloved music of all time, and some of the most interesting cutting-edge instruments you’ll ever see. All members are world renowned performers, best-selling authors, and highly acclaimed composers. This is a show you won’t want to miss!

Kreea Chakraborty has participated and placed in three of the Turner Center’s Annual “Art of Writing” Contests. Each contest awards $2,500 in cash prizes and the opportunity to be published to regional middle and high school students for works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Chakraborty is a testimony for how the Turner Center’s literary programming has progressed her writing as both an art and a skill.

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts is accepting nominations for the Lena Bosch Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes individuals who have exhibited outstanding, creative, innovative, and visionary leadership in the growth and advancement of the arts in our community through involvement with the Turner Center.