Talk Artsy to Me
April Showers...Bring May Flowers
I Want to smell them all!
April 2025
It’s April in Augusta and the city is rocking and rolling. While much of the world is here for the greens, the fairways, and the quiet hush of The Masters, those of us who live and breathe creativity know that this season means something else. For us, it’s a time to reflect, to reimagine, to rework the way we show up and to do the real, heart-forward work that builds legacy and community.
While The Masters can mean big business for some, for others especially local businesses tucked away from the main traffic it can be a moment of pause. A chance to refocus, reset, and pour into the spaces and places that need it most. This season reminds me that mastery doesn’t always look like winning a tournament. Sometimes, it looks like building with consistency, staying rooted in purpose, and pushing through even when no one’s watching. And for that, I’m already full. My cup overflows.
March was nothing short of miraculous for me, for the Greater Augusta Arts Council, and most importantly, for the creative community that we’re here to serve. Thanks to the Hurricane Helene Relief Fund from the Community Foundation of the CSRA, we were awarded a transformative grant to expand and elevate our Creative Collaboration Resource Hub. What started as a simple lending library is growing into a vibrant ecosystem of tools, tech, and tangible support for artists who just need a hand up to keep creating.
We’re adding wide-format scanner and printer, MacBooks and XGen drawing tablets, podcast equipment, sewing and embroidery machines, DJ setups, cameras, mics, stands, journals, writing tools, art supplies, and more. This is about access. This is about equity. This is about making sure that if you have a vision, we help you make it real. It’s not about borrowing things it’s about borrowing belief in your next step.
And the blessings didn’t stop there. We also received a Porter Fleming Foundation grant to bring to life the Art of Words exhibit (Thank you Heather), an experience that will live on through a published book of the featured works. This marriage of art and literacy, visuals and voice, is the kind of impact work that deepens roots in our community and helps us reach new hearts. On April 3rd, while I was in Montgomery co-presenting at the Creative Placemaking Conference (deepest thanks to Genna Styles-Lyas and Americans for the Arts for the invitation and trust), something meaningful was happening right back home. In the historic Sand Hills district, we unveiled the Giant Golf Tee commemorating the legacy of the Black Caddies of Augusta National. It was a moment of pride, love, and reverence and it was deeply personal. The visual artist behind the project is none other than my husband, Baruti. While we were in two different places, doing two different kinds of work, our purpose was the same: to uplift, to honor, and to use our gifts to tell untold stories.
To our Augusta community, thank you for showing up and showing out, for wrapping your arms around a project that means so much to a neighborhood that has been too often overlooked. Art belongs everywhere, and it especially belongs in the spaces where healing is needed most.
And none of this, none of it would be possible without the incredible team I am blessed to walk beside. To Heather, Bryce, Zoe and Brynna, you are the engine, the spark, and the steady hands that keep the wheels turning even when no one’s watching. You are always doing the work, showing up with heart, and holding space for creativity to flourish. Your commitment, your passion, your belief in the vision it means everything.
I am thankful to our board for trusting me. Thank you for allowing me the space to connect and create wherever I go. To lead this organization after such a visionary director, someone who poured so much into its foundation, is an honor I do not take lightly. I stand on strong shoulders, and I am grateful every day for the opportunity to build on the legacy with love and intention.
Yes, Arts in the Heart is on the horizon. Yes, the Annual Arts Awards are almost here (please, nominate those changemakers and culture-bearers in your life). But we know the real work is year-round. It’s in the quiet investments, the whispered encouragements, the meetings that go long, the projects that stretch us, and the art that speaks truth.
Because art is our superpower. Not just the light-hearted kind that makes you smile (though we love that too), but the kind that challenges systems, sparks conversations, stirs the spirit, and awakens something deep in our souls. I didn’t learn that in Montgomery, I brought that to Montgomery. I’ve been living it. I’ve been building with it. And I’ll keep showing up, loud and clear, until art is seen as central to our city’s story not just an accessory.
As an arts administrator, I’ve learned that impact only happens when you stay close. We can’t lead from a distance. We must be proximate. The Arts Council is here to serve, to advocate, to lift voices, and to make sure no one gets left out of the creative conversation. But to do that, we have to listen. We have to be present. We have to stay rooted in the communities that need us most.
And just in case you thought that was it, get ready for the debut of “Talk Artsy to Me,” our brand-new weekly radio show launching this May on Beasley Broadcasting. It’s going to be full of real talk, big ideas, artist spotlights, and that same heart-centered energy you get here each month. Stay tuned, more details soon.
So here’s my ask to you: support an artist. Nominate someone for the Annual Arts Awards. Join the Arts Council. Say something kind today. Do something good for someone else. We’ve got work to do, but we’ve got work to do together.
April is blooming. I want to smell every flower.
And while I’m doing that….
Talk Artsy to Me.
