Meet Faith Braithwaite
In my three years of living in Augusta, the ‘Arts in the Heart’ festival has always found a way to make it back to me.
My first encounter came freshman year. Augusta Universities’ Multicultural Mentorship program gave us the option of free admission bracelets, which led to my first exposure to the festival. At the time, I was a new college student with only one month away from home under my belt. I had no idea where to go to meet people and hadn’t been out by myself yet, so I took the opportunity. My learner’s permit was no more than a paperweight, so I relied on walking and occasionally Ubering my way through the city. That weekend happened to be one of those occasions. That weekend also led me to learn that ‘Broad Street’ isn’t all that well of a location descriptor. Because of this, my Uber driver dropped me off at the first match, leaving me stranded in the middle of the city alone.
I had been downtown before, but by myself it seemed much larger, scarier, and more distant. As I wandered down the streets, passing bridges and sidewalks, I’d spot a growing number of people with purple wristbands. Families, couples, and visitors walked by me with smiles on their faces, all coming from the same place—Arts in the Heart. Although I ended up reaching my dorm without passing the festival, seeing the city by myself for the first time was an integral moment—one I almost went without.
My second encounter arrived sophomore year through the AU animation department. My professor approached us with a proposition, offering a free extension in exchange for volunteering at the festival. I was much too busy to participate, but I made a mental note of the offer. At that point I hadn’t branched out much within my department itself; my long schoolwork nights often left me working alone. Although I still left my studies as my main priority, I took the time to assist my classmates in preparation. That assistance led me to discover one of my closest school friends, a butterfly-effect moment that wouldn’t have happened without the festival. Although I still had a lot on my plate, I took the time to make a mental note of the festival and looked forward to the opportunity to finally participate.
The third came junior year at my job. The Maxwell Theatre approached me and the accompanying staff to see if we’d volunteer for the table the school had reserved for them. This allowed my first proper exposure to the festival, three years in the making. That year the festival had moved from its usual home of Broad Street, instead occupying the space near the riverwalk. It was a sunny, hot Saturday morning—the perfect environment for festival-going. The table we were stationed at was reserved for businesses and universities, sandwiching us right between The Miller Theatre and the AU animation department. A rotating door of my professors, classmates, and friends working the latter left me excited to start my shift.
Around noon, my work’s table had been set up and was starting to draw traffic. What immediately surprised me was the kindness of the patrons; greeting me was an assembly line of kind, patient people genuinely interested in our work. Unlike the usual get-it-over-with mentality I’ve come to expect from working customer service, they were genuinely invested in our contributions to Augusta’s arts culture. A truth I’ve come across multiple times in my personal and professional life is the fact that many people simply aren’t aware of the great things happening around them. This truth held both for attendees stopping by and me—I had never taken in the sheer number of wonderful things happening in Augusta’s arts scene until that day. On my break I decided to pass through and explore it all, something I’m glad I took the time to do. Although my shift was cut short due to the rain, the impression left on me was permanent.
As I start my first week with the Augusta Arts Council, What I’m most excited to learn about is what it takes to run an operation like this, seeing it manifest in a way that only comes from hours of deliberate, hard work. Along with this, I look forward to learning which opportunities come my way when working in this type of environment. Each opportunity I’ve been granted in my life has brought great people and experiences into my horizon, something I’m forever grateful for. Each of these aforementioned encounters with the festival taught me more about myself and the world around me. The atmosphere it brings to Augusta is truly unique, something I haven’t experienced beforehand. I truly feel that this festival is one of the great events unique to Augusta I’ll cherish years down the line, and I look forward to the opportunity to help create that same feeling in others.