Follow us

The Events Across My Desk
with Brenda Durant

Written by: Brenda Durant
April 2023

My husband Ed and I like to think of our life as an adventure.  For me, this makes the most random, crazy, unknown events fun and remarkable.  In recent weeks I’ve experienced a lot of new experiences: I went to Dave and Busters, caught beads mid-air at the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, made Rice Krispie Treats out of Peeps, attended Neil Gringolds’ estate sale on Broad Street, went to the Steeplechase, and went to Rhian Swain’s art show at the Laney Museum.

 

As if that wasn’t enough, I also attended the movie “Blurring the Color Line” about Chinese Merchants in Laney Walker during the Jim Crow era and hosted a creative roundtable on “Taking Your Art Show on the Road”.

 

I had great fun at the WetPaint Party and Art Sale and the Wine Woman and Shoes events. I enjoyed pinch-hitting as a tour guide for our new experiential tour Promenade and Paint, which includes a curated tour of Augusta’s public Art on the 800 block of Broad Street, a visit to Humanitree House to learn their story, a tasting session of cold pressed juices, and painting a portion of a mural that will be placed on Broad Street. (Next tour is April 8.) It’s been a fun-filled month of creative activities in Augusta!

Photo of Brenda Durant and Rhian Swain standing in front of Rhian's artwork at her show "Breaking the Barriers". Rhian is a Caucasian woman with red curly hair, she is wearing all black. Brenda is a Caucasian woman with short blonde hair, she is waring a black hat and gray dress with black cardigan. Both women are smiling.
Rhian Swain and Brenda Durant a the "Breaking the Barriers" Reception

That’s because Augusta offers so much in so many arenas.  The Gertrude Herbert is offering a variety of Art Classes, and so is 4P Studios.  Joe Stevenson hosts Southeastern Songwriter listening sessions at Fox’s Lair each month.  If you are sick of people talking instead of listening, this show is for you.  Coco Rubio is busy planning the James Brown Birthday Get Down to be held on May 6th at the Museum of History. Let’s honor the Godfather of Soul.

Brenda Durant, dressed ina green tshirt with a four leaf clover printed on it. She is wearing green festival beads. She is a Caucasian woman with blond hair. She is smiling, wearing sunglasses.
Brenda Durant and her beads at the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Broad St.

This week I shared a fun list of things to do during Masters with my Rotary Club.  Try visiting: The Morris Museum, CANDL Fine Art Gallery, Westobou Gallery, Sacred Heart Cultural Center, 600 Broad Gallery, Augusta & Co. Gallery, and Art on Broad. We have several great local restaurants that feel (and taste) like an elevated Augusta dining experience.  Try one.

 

The Arts Council plans for the future. I think that’s why my months fly by.  Currently we are working on our monthly Creative Conversation series, which is scheduled through July. We have three ribbon cuttings for Public Art in the planning stages. We are working on various aspects of the James Brown Birthday Get Down – mark your calendars for May 6th.  Our Annual Augusta Arts Awards meeting is June 15 at the Miller Theatre – we are currently accepting nominations for various community awards.

 

Although we work on Arts in the Heart all year, we are ramping up the festival with applications going on-line.  We know we have to adjust our traffic flow both inside and outside the Festival.  This year we plan to improve our green footprint, so if you want to join our Green Team, I can hook you up.  Our sponsorship search is full speed ahead. Anyone interested in sharing your business with our 100,000 attendees? Give me a call. Don’t forget to check out our website for events, nomination forms, and calls for art:  www.AugustaArts.com

 

Happy April!

-Brenda

 

P.S. I can’t wait to see David Sedaris at the Miller.  What are you excited about?