03 Dec Holiday Fun in Augusta and Arts Council Sneak Peek
From the desk of Brenda Durant
This year as we enter pre-post-Covid-19 I am looking at activities indoors and out for
December and the coming year. I have a 3-year-old grandson who stays with me one day every weekend. He loves Legos, cars and trucks and plays with them for hours at a time. Recently we took him to our ArtWalk Saturday Concert Series to celebrate the Sculpture Trail downtown. We walked into a Harp Concert taking place in the center of the 700 Block. Vonda Darr was playing a selection of classical and modern favorites, some suggested by the attendees. My grandson, Gunner, was mesmerized. He leaned forward and watched Vonda so intently. He’d never seen a harp before that concert. We talked about the harp for the rest of the day. I thoroughly enjoyed showing him “a first” in his life!
So, the “new first experiences” hunt is on, and I have been looking for more experiences designed for a toddler. I found Christmas tree lightings, Christmas parades, decorating cookies for Santa, making a gnome, walks thru the Morris Museum, meeting a bird dog, shaking his paw, and creating paw print art (also at the Morris). Elf the Musical is in mid-December at the Imperial and the Sunday matinee might work great for us. We could enjoy another Sculpture Trail Concert inside Augusta & Co on the 11 Block of Broad. The music this month is Acoustic Soul Brothers with my current ‘Art Crush” Kigg Cherry as part of the ensemble.
It has felt great to get back in the Arts groove. I attended my first Southern Soul and Song Concert and look forward to the rest of the series. This year’s Guitar Pull at the Bell Auditorium was great, and yes, I was in that energetic crowd this year. I love the vibrant arts calendar and believe we have something for everyone in our town. When I speak to a group, like Leadership Augusta, I encourage the class to step out of their comfort zone and vow to experience something new next year. I hope you’ll try it too. Buy tickets for something new and different. Take someone from another generation to accompany you. Try something you’ve not experienced for a change and experience your own “first.” It’s a great resolution.
At the Arts Council, we are always looking ahead. Our Wet Paint Party and Sale is February 26 and the Committee has been meeting for 2 months. Ooollee Bricker (Vintage Ooollee) presented a wonderful new concept for the 2022 event. Based on the California event ‘Pageant of the Masters” we will re-create the Jonathan Green Painting ‘Silver Supper Club” and Ooollee will create 2 live models who will step out of the painting during the evening. To market the event, my husband Ed, posed as Philip Morsberger’s “Man with a Necktie” to bring that painting to life. (Thank you to Wendy Morsberger and the Morris Museum of Art for permission, Ray Sturkey for painting, and Ed for sitting so still). Some REALLY exciting news: this WetPaint we will be raffling off a Morsberger painting – you may end up owning a Masterpiece.
I hope you have a fantastic month filled with great food, art, family and friends and quiet time to reflect on the past year and the upcoming 2022.
Peace,
Brenda
Always check our website and calendar www.AugustaArts.com