Skip to main content

PAAC Identifies City’s Arts District with Banners

By News

Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) members will hang banners on Saturday, July 14, to identify the City Center Arts District (CCAD), beginning at 10 a.m. in front of the historic Lowndes County Courthouse. Volunteers are needed to attach nearly 150 CCAD banners to the bottoms of the Main Street banners already affixed to poles throughout the Downtown Valdosta area.

The CCAD serves as the anchor of attraction for our community, defining a place where arts, culture and creativity improves our community’s competitive edge, attracts new and visiting populations, and contributes to the development of a skilled workforce.

The purpose of PAAC is to further the purchase and appreciation of public art and to promote its aesthetic value to the economic development of the community. The CCAD was established by the PAAC and approved by the Valdosta City Council in October 2016, becoming the first arts district in the city’s history.

The arts district follows the Central Valdosta Development Authority’s western, southern and eastern boundaries. The CCAD’s north boundary, however, extends two blocks to Webster Street to include the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts, as well as its Hudson Pottery Studio and youth art education Annex.

Community volunteers are invited on Saturday to meet at the courthouse with step ladders and pliers to assist with the identification of the CCAD. For more information or to volunteer on Saturday, July 14, contact Sementha Mathews, Executive Director of the Turner Center for the Arts, at 229-247-2787 or [email protected].

Turner Center Cuts Ribbon on Guardian Bank Studio

By Blog

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Guardian Bank Studio on June 11. The studio, located on the second floor of the center, houses the resources for the Turner Center’s Career Pathways program.

Made possible through a partnership with Guardian Bank, the Career Pathways program provides creative classes such as photography, photo editing, and other fine art disciplines for children and adults who do not have the financial resources to afford these types of courses. The Guardian Bank Studio features 11 computer stations, modern software programs, and other technology and presentation equipment. Other disciplines, such as videography and website design, will gradually be added to the program throughout the five-year strategic partnership.

The grant covers the costs of the instructors, as well as provides a number of scholarships for those with a lot of desire but limited resources. The overall goal is to equip people with skills that positively impact their economic status and contribute to the overall success of the community.

The Career Pathways program at the Turner Center serves people of Lowndes County and the surrounding region.

“We are fortunate to have this partnership with Guardian Bank that helps us provide people with creative skills and meets real needs in the communities we serve.” said Turner Center Executive Director Sementha Mathews. “The commitment of Guardian Bank and the Turner Center for the Arts staff is reaching people where they are and, together, positively impacting community development in our region.”

For more information, contact the Turner Center for the Arts at 229-247-2787 or visit www.turnercenter.org.