Across My Desk with Brenda Durant
August 2024
Today the new Augusta Magazine hit my desk with a cover by my friend Rhian Swain and coverage of our local arts, including many of our Arts Awards winners. I am so thankful to the Editor and Staff of Augusta Magazine for continuing to support the arts with extraordinary coverage, especially our annual Augusta Arts Awards Dinner. One of my favorite photos is the shot of the Artists of the 5th Street Bridge. We really wanted to celebrate the Spirit of Collaboration with a special award this year, but with the price of food today we could not afford to comp so many meals. What to do, what to do? Thanks to the generosity of Pat Knox we were given the funds to invite the Artists and give them each a certificate and commemorative pin. It was great to see how happy and appreciated it made them feel. Make sure you check out the August/September Issue of Augusta Magazine to see all the photos and articles.
It’s officially August, so the whole office is working fast and furious on Arts in the Heart. We spent the better part of a year securing the 500 Block of Telfair and Greene only to be told to move it back to Broad Street last week. We did move it back, calling sponsors and vendors to ‘unthread the needle’… not my
favorite thing. But, if we need to count blessings (putting on my Pollyanna hat) we have done Broad Street numerous times so we have the maps, we know where everything is, and we know geographically where problem-solving skills come into play. Now all the City has to do is remember to turn off the fountains on Broad and the sprinklers on the Common. (Don’t Ask) Onward.
School is starting soon! Aiken County went to year ‘round so kids are back very early August with Richmond County following right behind. On Long Island, where I grew up, it was the Tuesday after Labor Day when we donned our new shoes and uniform and marched to the bus stop. Saying that, to me, summer is not yet over. I still want to swim, read a book in the sun, and hopefully make it to the beach ONE MORE TIME! We all know it hot as hades during the Festival so let’s all agree to say summer lasts until October!
One more thing— already planning for next year’s summer, I booked a beach house in laid back Edisto so any tips and tricks you can throw my way would be much appreciated. Insider information is greatly appreciated.
Thanks all,
-Brenda