Macon Magazine

October/November 2025 | maconmagazine.com 83 LEFT Two students jump for joy in dance class. ABOVE From left to right, Arts specialty teachers Lindsay Crisp, Arah Gay, Toni Siebenmorgan, and Patricia Baser. CENTER Assistant Principal Timothy Dees and Principal Kristy Graham bear mascot, with classes offered from Pre-K through 5th grade. Parents apply for their child to attend the fall before, with applications usually opening at the beginning of November and closing at the start of December. Applications are then placed in a lottery. Other magnet schools in the district consist of Alexander II Math & Science Magnet School, Burdell-Hunt Communications Magnet School, Dr. John H. Heard Elementary School Academic Magnet, Miller Fine Arts Magnet Middle School, and Central Fine Arts & International Baccalaureate Magnet High School. For Principal Kristy Graham, Vineville is a place where children discover themselves. Besides self- expression, the arts can help academic concepts stick. "We can teach the basics, of course, like math, reading, science, social studies," she says, "but we integrate all of that with the arts. Your right and left brain are both merging together, and children have this enormous experience thinking, wow, I'm learning in so many different ways and discovering O n any weekday morning, Vineville Academy of the Arts is buzzing with life. Parents greet teachers by name in the carpool line, wave to neighbors, and walk their kids to the door. Inside, bright colors and artwork are a feast for the eyes everywhere – so much so that Principal Kristy Graham laughs and notes, "We're going to have to decide what murals to try and keep" with upcoming renovations. One door is decorated with ideas for graphic design-related careers in sports, like working in marketing for a professional baseball team. On the same hallway is a tribute to famed dancer Misty Copeland as "The Firebird." Over the loudspeaker, an administrator calls for all the children who will sing the National Anthem at the first Mercer University home football game to please come to the chorus room for practice. A second grader stops Principal Graham to let her know that she's preparing to audition for Theatre Macon's upcoming production of "Frozen" – and she is gunning to play Young Elsa. This is an average Friday for Vineville. Bibb County School District Superintendent Dan Sims calls this warmth a key part of what makes Vineville special. "Since it's a magnet, everybody brings their child to school," he says. "That gives you an opportunity to create a very unique sense of community. Parents, teachers, and everyone feels like they're a part of the fabric of this place." So how does a public arts magnet school work, and what does it equip a student to do? THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A PANDA The sense of community is rooted in history – a history one can still see in antique brick archways and an ornate facade. Before becoming Vineville Academy in 1989, the school was known as the Joseph Clisby School, a neighborhood elementary founded in 1911 on Hillyer Avenue, moved to the site of the Vineville School after a fire in the 1920s. For decades, Clisby educated generations of children, becoming a cornerstone for the Vineville community. When the Bibb County School District transformed it into a fine arts magnet school, though the building supporting it is new, the original exterior historic brick façade of Clisby School was preserved, maintaining its iconic presence on Vineville Avenue. Under the direction of founding principal Paulette Winters, it opened its doors to students from across the county, offering an education where art, music, dance, and theater are as integral as reading and math. Students aren't zoned for this school. They have to apply to become a part of "Panda Nation," a nickname for Vineville Academy due to their panda

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