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Turner Center Offers Free Yoga Classes to Enrich Daily Life

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Written by Abigail Murphy, Turner Center Summer Intern

Every Wednesday at 6 p.m., the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts offers a free yoga class open to inspire patrons through the art of good health and relaxation.

Yoga Instructor Roberta George began offering the class while she was the art director at the Turner Center in the early 1990s. Eighteen years later, George is still teaching the yoga class to a regular following of yoga enthusiasts, as well as new patrons; and the class is still offered at no charge to attendees.

“It’s been a free gift to me, and so I want it to be a free gift to anybody,” she said, referring to a man who years ago taught her yoga at no charge.

According to George, Yoga is a physical discipline, an art form that can be thought of similar to dance since it’s an expression of the body and allows for a creative energy to be found. She said, anything that makes people healthier or stronger allows them to be more creative, increasing their appreciation of other people and other art forms.

George remembers a man who lost his two-year-old daughter. He was so angry at the world, and the only thing that kept him from giving up on life was physical exercise. George said his running allowed him to breathe in more oxygen, allowing him to open up in a way he couldn’t before. Countless other stories from friends and patrons reveal their personal stories of coping with challenges and enjoying life at greater levels. George said that is what yoga and other physical activities are about: allowing people to open up in new ways.

“I’ll teach a class. I’ll do the breath of fire [a yoga breathing technique] driving home, and when I get out of the car, I’m ready to clean the house and write the novel,” she said, adding that everyone’s experience is different, but for her yoga gives her strength.

George said when you feel physically strong, your mental state is stronger, too. Yoga can help with longevity in general because it’s giving attention to the body, she said.

“It has saved my life physically and mentally,” she said.

It can also clear the mind allowing for more creativity to flow, becoming a tool for creativity and connecting a person’s physical, mental and spiritual senses, she said.

The yoga classes draw a different audience to the Turner Center, some who have been taking the classes faithfully since George has been teaching them.

Ingrid Carroll, a yoga attendee, said she has been taking the yoga classes at the Turner Center for two to three years. She said she feels very comfortable in class since the movements are simplistic and yet effective. Carroll said she enjoys the class because people of any age can enjoy its benefits.

“Yoga is relaxing and helps people feel better overall,” George said.

For more information about free yoga classes at the Turner Center, visit www.turnercenter.org or call (229) 247-2787.

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Military Tribute Public Art Project- Community Workshops, Valdosta, GA

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The City of Valdosta’s Public Art Advisory Committee and the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts invite the general public to help create the mosaic section of a public art piece honoring the men and women who have served our nation and core military values they uphold. Community workshops have been scheduled for June 4, 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts annex, 601 N. Patterson St. The final monument will be unveiled on November 11, 2019. Registration is free and open to anyone middle school age and older. Call the Turner Center for the Arts to register at 229-247-2787.

#cleanYOURblock- Great American Cleanup Day in Valdosta, Georgia

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Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful, the City of Valdosta, Lowndes County, the City of Hahira, and the Annette Howell Turner Center For The Arts are joining forces with several local organizations and volunteers for the Great American Cleanup.

“This year we will again be working multiple sites,” said H. Aaron Strickland, Executive Director of Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful.  “We have cleanups and projects planned in the City of Valdosta, Lowndes County, Hahira, and at the Turner Center For The Arts .  Since we are having multiple sites for this event, we are asking those who would like to volunteer to call or email the K.L.V.B. office so they can be assigned to one of the locations.  This method allows us to plan effectively for volunteer placement.”  The Great American Cleanup will take place from 8:30 a.m.—noon on Saturday, April 27.  “We’re hoping for at least 100 volunteers. We’ve got a lot to do. We are trying to improve our communities, and this is an event that everyone that can participate in,” said Strickland.

The Great American Cleanup, a grassroots beautification, litter prevention, and community improvement program, is the signature event of Keep America Beautiful.  Citizens wanting to volunteer can call Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful at (229) 671-3698 or email at astrickland@valdostacity.com.  Strickland says, “Remember, litter will not pick itself up.  Please come out and help our communities in need.”

 

Contact: H. Aaron Strickland

Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful

(229) 671-3698

Turner Center Springs into Art

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The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts hosted several hundred members, donors, artists and guests for the 32nd Annual Spring Into Art opening gala on April 8. Local artist and Valdosta State University graduate Mary VanLandingham earned the Best in Show for her oil painting, “The Last Day.” For a listing of other award winners, visit turnercenter.org. The exhibition is open for the public’s enjoyment through June 5 at no cost. For more information on Spring Into Art or upcoming gallery exhibitions, contact the Turner Center at 229-247-2787 or visit us at 527 N. Patterson Street in Valdosta.

Arts in Education Partnership

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The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts was proud to partner with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College for it’s Arts in Education contest on Tuesday, March 26. The first place winner was awarded $150 as well as entry into the Turner Center’s Spring Into Art exhibition. First, second and third place winners also received tickets to the April 8 event. For more information on how to get your tickets to the Spring Into Art gallery opening gala on April 8, please visit our Spring Into Art page at turnercenter.org. You can also call or visit our offices at 229-247-2787, 527 N. Patterson Street in Valdosta.

Perry High School Visit Reflects Regional Impact of Turner Center

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Nearly two dozen students from Perry High School, Georgia, in grades 10 through 12, visited the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts on March 22, 2019. The AP students and teacher Cathy Heller traveled by bus to Valdosta to view the Youth Art Month exhibition and more specifically the 2019 VSU Invitational High School Art Competition in the center’s galleries. While at the arts center, students were treated by staff to a Black-Out Poetry workshop, which taught the students the concept that art that effectively tells a story is compelling, interesting and engaging. Heller and her students traveled more than 125 miles to visit the art center, evidence of the regional impact the Turner Center has on the local and state arts industry. For more information on local arts, visit www.turnercenter.org.

Turner Center invites supporters to participate in 32nd Annual Spring Into Art exhibition

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The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts is preparing for its largest fine art show and sale of the year, on display from April 8- June 5, 2019. The 32nd Annual Spring Into Art exhibition will feature more than 400 original artworks, in various mediums from regional and statewide artists.

Local businesses that may be interested in supporting the arts in the community are invited to participate as sponsors, giving them the opportunity to have their name prominently displayed on our wall, within the SIA art catalog and on various other printed materials, as well as a 1-year membership at the Turner Center and complimentary tickets to Gallery Opening Gala on April 8 from 6-9 p.m.

For more information on Spring Into Art sponsorship opportunities or if you are interested in purchasing tickets to the Spring Into Art Gallery Opening Gala, please call us at 229-247-2787 or visit turnercenter.org.

Regional Student Artists Recognized at Turner Center’s Youth Art Month Gallery Opening

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Nearly 1,000 student art works are on display at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts, representing approximately 50 regional schools for Youth Art Month.

One of three parts, the Valdosta State University Invitational High School Art Competition awarded 14 Honorable Mentions: Sara Grace Skinner (Berrien High School), Hannah McLean (Berrien High School), Anahi Valencia (Brooks County High School), Abigail Sadler (Central High School, Carrollton, GA), Haley Thompson (Central High School, Carrollton, GA), Daniella Cruz (Coffee High School), Devin Cherry (Hamilton County High School), Halle Gandy (Lowndes County High School), Jaliyah Brantley (Lowndes County High School), Jaliyah Brantley (Lowndes County High School), Wenting Ou (Lowndes County High School), Camille DeGuevara (Peach County High School), Megan Schminky (Thomas County Central High School), Charles Kugler (Valwood School), 3 Top Placements: Avery Barnett (Berrien High School), Kenzie Freeman (Lowndes County High School), Ashlynn Runyon (Perry High School), and a Best In Show: Abigail Sadler (Central High School, Carrollton, GA).

The Turner Center for the Arts invites the public to visit the Youth Art Month Galleries, on display until Wednesday, March 20. For more information on the current galleries or other services offered by the Turner Center for the Arts, please call 229-247-2787 or visit turnercenter.org.

Public Art Advisory Committee Unveils Airport Mural

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The Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) along with local government, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority, the Turner Center for the Arts and the Lowndes/Valdosta Arts Commission board members unveiled the first major piece of public art at the Valdosta Regional Airport on Thursday, Feb. 21. The mural, featuring various iconic events and people within each letter of the word “Valdosta” will warmly welcome visitors and returning community members to the area when they retrieve their luggage. The mural also features the hashtag #ArtsValdosta in hopes that people will be inspired to take a photo of themselves in front of the airport mural, as well as any other art locations in the community, and then post them to the social media site. For more information regarding public art or the PAAC, call 229-247-2787 or visit www.turnercenter.org.

PAAC Meets February 21 at Airport for Public Art Unveiling

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The Valdosta Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) will meet on Thursday, February 21, 2019, at Noon, at the Valdosta Regional Airport. The meeting will take place in the airport conference room located in the airport’s main terminal.

Following the business meeting, the PAAC will host a Mural Unveiling Reception in the baggage claim area of the airport, at 1 p.m. The mural, painted by local artist Ethan Abbott, features various iconic events and people within each letter of the word “Valdosta.” It’s the first major piece of public art at the Valdosta Regional Airport, and it will warmly welcome visitors and returning community members to the area when they retrieve their luggage.

The PAAC, funded by the City of Valdosta, commissioned Abbott to paint the mural that celebrates life in the city. He is Valdosta homegrown, a graduate of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College in graphic arts, a member of the Regional Artists Community, and his works can be seen in various restaurants, businesses and homes across the community.

“This is one of 15 public art pieces that has been placed within the City Central Arts District (CCAD) as well as other community locations for people’s enjoyment and appreciation,” said Bruce Smith, PAAC Chair. “Our committee is pleased to unveil the mural at the airport, which will extend the warm South Georgia welcome that people have come to expect from Valdosta and that will also let our guests know that we are a thriving arts community. We invite the community to celebrate along with us at this Feb. 21 event.”

The mural at the airport also features a hashtag—a user-generated social media tag which makes it possible for people to post and find similarly-themed photos and content in one location using #ArtsValdosta. The committee hopes people will be inspired to take a photo of themselves in front of the airport mural, as well as any other art locations in the community, and then post them to the social media site.

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. 

For more information about the PAAC, call 229-247-2787.