The Turner Center for the Arts will host the Dabbit Trio for a Music in the Park Summer Concert, on Friday, August 14, from 7-9 p.m., in the Art Park located at 605 N. Patterson Street.
Sponsored by IPG, Inc.- Architects & Planners, the Dabbit Trio plays a mix of local favorites and all-time classic party music. Read More
The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will host a Gallery Opening Reception on Monday, August 3, featuring several local artists from Valdosta and Tallahassee. Artworks from the following are on display for the community to enjoy: Jill Bright’s collection of oil paintings titled, “Bright”; a photography collection from Thomas Phillips titled, “Lux et umbra: Monochrome Musings of a Middle-Aged Medic”; Javon Longieliere’s photography collection capturing “Hometown Heroes: A Valdosta, Georgia Story”; and Tallahassee artist Lucrezia Bieler’s artwork titled, “Cutting Nature.”
The Turner Center’s permanent European porcelain collection is also on display in the Howard Gallery.
The Center staff is committed to adhering to necessary procedures to maintain a clean and safe experience, which includes several self-sanitizing stations located throughout the galleries. Opening Gallery Reception attendees are required to wear a mask, or one may be purchased for $5 from the reception desk. In addition, non-contact temperature checks will be taken at the door.
The free gallery opening reception on August 3 is from 5 to 7 p.m. All exhibits will remain open for the public’s enjoyment through Wednesday, September 16, 2020. For more information, call 229-247-2787.
The Turner Center for the Arts has delayed the opening of the 2020-2021 Presenter Series, which for over 50 years has featured three to five national touring shows annually for performing arts enthusiasts in Valdosta, Lowndes County and across the region. Concerns for the overall health and safety of patrons on account of COVID-19 have created obstacles to hosting the quality performances for which the Turner Center has become known.
The global health crisis forced Broadway to shut its doors through the end of 2020, and the majority of performing arts companies across the nation have followed suit. Due to the communal nature of performing art events, the Turner Center will wait until it can safely host large crowds again at the Mathis City Auditorium.
“The Presenter Series Committee is working hard to schedule a great season to kick off the year 2021, and we are extremely grateful to the patience and understanding of our season ticket holders,” said Executive Director Sementha Mathews. “No one is exempt from the conditions we are experiencing here and around the world. We look forward to resuming these large cultural events and the new Presenter Series season when it is safe to do so.”
To stay informed about the Presenter Series and all other Turner Center programs, visit www.turnercenter.org to sign up for the E-newsletter, or call 229-247-2787 (ARTS).
The Valdosta Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) will host their next monthly meeting on Thursday, July 16, 2020, at 11:30 a.m. In order to practice social distancing, this public meeting will be held in the Josette’s Gallery of the Turner Center for the Arts, located at 527 N. Patterson Street. It is requested that each attendee wears a mask.
The purpose of PAAC is to further the purchase, creation and appreciation of public art for its aesthetic value to the community. The PAAC also encourages the preservation and protection of works of public art which play a vital role in the economic development of the community.
PAAC meets on the third Thursday of each month, and meetings are open to the public. For more information about the PAAC, call 229-247-2787.
Concert pays tribute to the late Jim Sineath and The Hot Grease Band
The Turner Center for the Arts will host The Hot Grease Band for a Music in the Park Summer Concert, on Friday, July 10, from 7-9 p.m., in the Art Park located at 605 N. Patterson Street.
Sponsored by Mackey Lumber, the live concert pays tribute to the late Jim Sineath by bringing together the band he created and performed with from 2008-2014. Band members Jerry Newman, Chip Tanner, David Rodock and Bill Vendemo will perform several originals from their earlier days, as well as a mix of local favorites and all-time classic party music.
Community members are invited to bring their picnics, blankets or chairs to this free community concert, and relax in the park while safely distancing and enjoying the music. On site vendors are Rico’s Taco Truck and Jessie’s Catering (beverages), or patrons may choose to carry out from several downtown restaurants or bring their own culinary favorites.
The Music in the Park concerts will continue on the second Friday of every month through November, from 7-9 p.m., and feature local favorite musicians. The concerts are free to the public, thanks to local business sponsorships.
On Friday, August 14—same time, same place—The Dabbit Trio, sponsored by IPG Incorporated, will perform for the community.
For more information about attending the concert series or sponsoring one of the future concert events, contact the Turner Center at 229-247-2787, visit www.turnercenter.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Turner Center invites community to help paint murals in Art Park
Acceptance. Compassion. Humanity. Love. Respect. Five basic values that build community.
The general public is invited to participate in a mural painting event at the Turner Center Art Park, on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19, where these words will be artistically expressed onto five 4’ x 8’ panels that will be affixed to the Art Park fence. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and all supplies will be on site for individuals to assist in creating the art work.
VSU Assistant Professor of Graphic Design Evelyn Davis-Walker and artist Steven S. Walker have intentionally designed the murals for community engagement. The images will be outlined on the panels by the Walkers, and volunteers will paint within the lines with the provided paint and brushes.
“Given the current climate (pandemic, social injustices, lack of physical and emotional connection), there is an overwhelming need for harmony now more than ever,” said Davis-Walker. “What better way to express the community’s desire to unite than by rallying together in a safe and meaningful way to reconnect with our neighbors…and paint.”
The event, approved by the Turner Center Board and funded by the Valdosta Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC), will expand the number of public art pieces available in the Art Park located at 605 N. Patterson Street.
The Art Park, created in 2019, spans nearly an acre of landscaped greenspace in the heart of the city. Currently, the park houses two metal sculptures by local artist Wilby Coleman and a fence mural created by former Artist-in-Residence Kristy Hughes. The five murals designed by the Walkers will be installed to the right of the park’s pavilion and will each be separated by 4’ x 4’ chalkboards for additional community engagement.
“The Turner Center for the Arts board and staff are extremely grateful to the City of Valdosta, the PAAC and the Walkers for making this community mural event possible,” said Executive Director Sementha Mathews. “The arts serve to inspire all people; and the Turner Center serves all people with the arts. The values represented on these murals are like open arms to our community, and the completed project will serve as a long-lasting reminder of these basic values that unite us.”
Earlier in the year, the Turner Center Board and PAAC approved plans for an Art Park Mural Contest that was canceled due to COVID-19. In an effort to reschedule the event, the Walkers came up with the design and event that results in a collaboration of community. VSU art instructors and art students will also assist in completing the project.
Volunteers for the event may sign up by emailing emdaviswalker@valdosta.edu or by calling the Turner Center at 229-247-2787.
The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts’ Gallery Opening on Monday, June 29, will feature the Southeast Fiber Art Alliance: “Intertwined 2020: Contemporary Southeastern Fiber Art,” Pines and Palms: “We Are Doing Well, Thank You,” Tallahassee’s Judith Birtman’s solo exhibit of ceramic sculpture, the 12th Annual City of Valdosta Photo Contest submissions, and a Brass Rubbings Collection of medieval tomb rubbings created by Barbara Weis-Lehmann.
The Turner Center’s Fine European Porcelain permanent collections are also on display in the Tillman and Howard Galleries.
The free gallery opening on June 29 is from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a live Facebook announcement at 11 a.m. All exhibits will remain open for the public’s enjoyment through Wednesday, July 29, 2020. For more information, call 229-247-2787 or visit www.turnercenter.org.
The Turner Center for the Arts will launch the first concert of its Music in the Park Summer Concert Series, on Saturday, June 27, from 7-9 p.m., in the Art Park located at 605 N. Patterson Street.
Sponsored by Happy Tailz Grooming Salon, the live concert features the Blues Factor Trio performing a mix of funk, soul and dance party music.
Community members are invited to bring their blankets or chairs and picnic, or choose carry out from several downtown restaurants, to this free community concert, and relax in the park while safely distancing and enjoying the music.
The Music in the Park concerts will continue on Friday, July 10, from 7-9 p.m., featuring a tribute to the late Jim Sineath and the Hot Grease Band. Several original members from this local band will reunite to perform some original music as well as the all-time favorites. This event is sponsored by Mackey Lumber. On Friday, August 14—same time, same place—the Dabbit Trio will perform for the community. This event is sponsored by IPG Incorporated.
For more information about attending the concert series or sponsoring one of the future concert events, contact the Turner Center at 229-247-2787, visit www.turnercenter.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Center for the Arts (CAG) Guild welcomed four new board members and elected officers for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year, which begins July 1, 2020. CAG is intensely involved in supporting the interest in and rendering services to the advancement of the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts as the region’s art center hub.
At their May 5 meeting, the following individuals were elected as board officers for the new fiscal year: Jane Burgsteiner, president; Helen Tucker, past-president; Rosemary Brannen, recording secretary; Linda Grondahl, corresponding secretary; and Margaret Mittiga, treasurer.
The board also unanimously voted four new members to the board: Rena Barclay, Peggy Chitty, Jeneane Grimsley, and Krekoria Ward.
The CAG is currently accepting new members. Membership dues are $25 annually, and lifetime memberships are $500. All members participate in supporting the Center with art activities, gallery opening receptions, and fundraisers—such as the Food & Wine Classic—throughout the year.
On Oct. 5-7, 2020, the CAG will host a Gogh Green fundraiser at the Turner Center. The event will sell recycled art to help raise funds for Center programs. Individuals interested in donating their art works for the cause may email Jane Burgsteiner at jane01@bellsouth.net.
For more information about CAG, Gogh Green or to become a member, call the Center at 229-247-2787 or visit www.turnercenter.org.
The Valdosta Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) will host their next monthly meeting on Thursday, June 18, 2020, at 11:30 a.m. In order to practice social distancing, this public meeting will be held in the Josette’s Gallery of the Turner Center for the Arts, located at 527 N. Patterson Street. It is requested that each attendee wears a mask.
The purpose of PAAC is to further the purchase, creation and appreciation of public art for its aesthetic value to the community. The PAAC also encourages the preservation and protection of works of public art which play a vital role in the economic development of the community.
PAAC meets on the third Thursday of each month, and meetings are open to the public. For more information about the PAAC, call 229-247-2787.
