Macon Magazine

October/November 2025 | maconmagazine.com 51 NewTown Macon is an independent nonprofit, making Downtown Macon safe, beautiful, fun, affordable, and locally led. Their comprehensive approach to downtown development has resulted in 83% storefront occupancy, 89% loft occupancy, and 1M+ annual event attendance. Facebook. Melissa's Tip: Make it a date night. Start at Macon Arts Alliance around 5 p.m., then head to The 567 Center just a few doors down before winding your way through the other galleries. By the end, you'll be ready for a late dinner. Melissa's favorites are Piedmont Brewery and Kitchen (where she always orders the chicken tenders with fries and a veggie) or La Bella Morelia (she recommends the chicken soup). WHY DO YOU THINK ART AND CREATIVITY ARE SUCH POWERFUL TOOLS IN SHAPING THE ENERGY OF DOWNTOWN MACON? When I started at The 567 fifteen years ago, downtown looked very different—you could park anywhere, and everything was closed on Mondays. Now the empty storefronts are filled with galleries, restaurants, and shops. Art tourism brings not just visitors to events, but also economic impact for local businesses—people go to an exhibit, then they shop or grab dinner. Art makes downtown a destination, not just another shopping center. It gives people something they can't find anywhere else, like a handmade mug that no one else in the world owns. It can even turn visitors into future artists themselves! WHAT'S ONE MOMENT THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU WHEN YOU REALLY FELT THE 567'S IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY? The very first All Hands Art Festival in 2022. It felt like magic. The artists and vendors were smiling and laughing, the community was engaged, music was playing. Everyone was just so connected! It was a perfect example of what we're about: bridging the gap between artists and the people who love their work. At The 567, it's not just about buying art; it's about meeting the artists, hearing their stories, and understanding their creative passions. This year's All Hands (September 19–21, 2025) will celebrate art made from clay, metal, glass, and wood, with live demonstrations and even a pottery "Olympics." It's part of a larger celebration: 15 Forward, a fundraising campaign marking our 15th year of bringing art downtown. Annual memberships and donations help sustain the nonprofit's work, from gallery exhibitions to public art projects. Melissa's Tip: If you've never been to All Hands, mark your calendar. Admission is free, but plan ahead— between the live demonstrations, art vendors, and pottery Olympics, it's a busy weekend. Tickets and event details are always available at the567center.org. WHAT'S THE BEST FIRST STEP SOMEONE CAN TAKE TO GET INVOLVED AT THE 567 CENTER? People usually come in one of two ways. If you want to see art, come to First Friday. It's non-threatening, fun, and a great way to meet other artists and art lovers. If you want to try making art, sign up for a class. Even if you think you're not creative, you just haven't found your medium yet. For me, painting with acrylics wasn't a fit, but pottery was—I still treasure the very first thing I made. Classes are easy to find on our website with photos of what you'll create. IF YOU COULD DREAM BIG OVER THE NEXT DECADE, WHAT WOULD DOWNTOWN MACON LOOK AND FEEL LIKE? I'd love for us to have a bigger building with more space for events and art- making. More broadly, I'd love for Macon to become an art tourism destination— like bustling Savannah or iconic Santa Fe—where people plan their trips around seeing and experiencing the arts. I want people who are interested in art to think, "Oh, well, we simply must spend the weekend in Macon." Want to build up Downtown Macon yourself? Go to newtownmacon.com to sign up for business resources today. as a community pillar in the Macon art community. Each September, for example, we co-host the First Street Art and Wine Festival with Just Tap'd—a partnership that brings neighbors together for a downtown celebration of creativity, food, and community. People might not realize it, but walking downtown, they have probably seen the impact of The 567 Center. WHERE COULD SOMEONE ENCOUNTER YOUR WORK? One of the biggest ways is the Macon Sculpture Walk. We have six permanent sculptures on display, and three more that rotate annually. You'll find them scattered along sidewalks from MLK [Boulevard] to D.T. Walton Sr. Way, and over to Mulberry Street. We also feature them in our annual fundraiser, the Great Art Hunt, which highlights sculptures, murals, and other public art throughout downtown. Melissa's Tip: If you'd like to visit the sculptures—and stop by other downtown pieces of art—pick up an Art Hunt brochure at The 567 Center or Visit Macon. You'll get a map and scavenger- hunt-style clues for a fun (and free!) way to explore Macon's art scene. AS SOMEONE EMBEDDED IN THE ARTS, WHAT'S ONE CULTURAL OR CREATIVE GEM PEOPLE OFTEN OVERLOOK? We're so lucky. Macon has so many new galleries that have popped up in recent years. Downtown, there's McEachern Art Center, Wesleyan Leadership Lab, and Sheridan Studios. All of them participate in the First Friday Art Crawl, which is such a fun way to experience art. On the first Friday of each month, galleries stay open late, often with new exhibits, receptions, refreshments, and even live music. There's a new gallery map from NewTown Macon, and of course, you can always find details on "I'd love for Macon to become an art tourism destination—like bustling Savannah or iconic Santa Fe—where people plan their trips around seeing and experiencing the arts."

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