Art Around Athens (and Beyond)

It's one of those beautiful mid-spring weekends that leads to art events happening all over, especially those that take place outside, so here's a selection of what's going on in the Athens area.


The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center is putting on its annual "Madison in May Spring Tour of Homes & Gardens," a self-guided tour of homes and churches that are mostly within walking distance of the center, Friday (April 30) and Saturday (May 1), from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 per day, unless you bought yours in advance. There's also a Plein Air Paint Out Saturday that features Georgia artists painting the tour venues, then offering their work in a silent auction on the Cultural Center lawn at 5 p.m., and you can see a list of the venues on the MMCC's site.

Tonight, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Healing Arts Centre, author and psychologist Baraka Elihu signs copies of her book, "Birthing Ourselves into Being: A Year Long Women's Empowerment Program," while local quilter Sarah Hubbard, whose work is featured in the book, displays her unique art quilts.


Friday evening, Flicker Theatre and Bar will have a closing reception for "Zigzagland," an exhibition featuring paintings by John Stidham.


Saturday and Sunday (May 1-2), from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation will hold its Southworks Artist Market and Arts Festival, featuring 65 of the region's top arts and craft persons selling original works in a juried market that includes pottery, paintings, fiber art, stained and fused glass, jewelry, sculpture, photography and woodwork. There's also live music, a children's activity area and food vendors.


If you want to venture as far as Buford, Slotin Folk Art is having its Spring Masterpieces Sale. The auction starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday, and the full catalogue is linked from the Slotin website.


In Athens, the spring version of the Indie Craftstravaganzaa takes place Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. in the parking lot at Clayton and Pulaski streets downtown, with nearly 100 vendors and DJ Kurt Wood spinning awesome records while you browse.


Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Lamar Dodd School of Art is the premiere of "Specters of the Outer Spaces," Athens artist Marie Porterfield's collaborative film project about the importance of the human belief in the unseen, followed by a reception.

Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m. at the downtown location of Transmetropolitan, is "She's Crafty!" an artists' market hosted by the ladies of Transmet. Check out jewelry, cards, gifts and more, then come home and relax for the last few hours of the weekend.

Art Around Athens (and Beyond)

There's a diverse selection of art events happening this weekend, starting this evening, with the grand opening of the brand-new Anchor Gallery, which is also a tattoo parlor, at 660 W. Broad, near the intersection with Finley. The opening will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. and conclude with an after-party at Ben's Bikes, downstairs. You can find more detail on the Facebook event page.



Also tonight, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation's annual Southworks festival kicks off with a gala reception for the National Juried Art Exhibition (up until May 8 in the Main Gallery). Next door, in the Members Gallery, is the Directors Choice Exhibit of work by Wintervillian and UGA BFA alum Otto Lange (above), which runs through May 2. Both exhibits will be on display normal gallery hours (Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and each day during the Art Market, which takes place next month on May 1 and 2. This year's juror for the exhibition is Catherine Fox, ex of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and lately of ArtsCriticATL.com.

On Saturday, April 3, from 1 to 10 p.m. in the Madison Memorial Park and Gym in Danielsville is the annual Folklife in Georgia Festival, celebrating the traditional music, storytelling, dance and handiwork of rural Georgia and featuring more than 20 artists demonstrating and selling crafts, musical performances and an old-time barn dance. It's $5 for adults, $3 for kids aged 6 to 16 and free for the little ones.

And all weekend and beyond, the Georgia in Bloom Art Fest continues in downtown Madison, Ga. This community-wide arts festival celebrating artists from Georgia's Piedmont Region is ongoing through May 8. Swing by the Old Piggly Wiggly building, United Bank or Dog Ear Books for a chance to see one of the more than 100 works of art exhibited throughout Madison.

Check out the Railroad Arts District blog for more info on arty stuff going on around town.