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O v at i O n s 3 6 5 . c o m Claire smith and nancy shurling "it takes two flints to make a fire." – louisa May alcott. the dynamic duo of claire Smith and nancy Shurling have been nominated and awarded a 2013 cultural award together. each has made significant contribu- tions on an individual basis, but their work together has had an impact on the Museum of arts and Sciences that will live on for years to come. they were the co-chairs of the 2007 event that inspired the annual event known as the Festival of trees luncheon. the first year was a quite an experience — Smith and Shurling volunteered to cater the luncheon which turned into a massive hit. they sold more than 200 tickets and inspired a new tradi- tion. their work has been phenomenal, as they've continued to work together over the past half decade, but 2013 marks the end of an era. this year, they will hand the tradition off to new co-chairs making this award both timely and well deserved. Gina Ward gina Ward has been the manager of the His- toric Douglass theatre in Downtown Macon since 2003. She is respon- sible for every aspect of the theatre including keeping the seats filled through regular performances, musical events, political forums, family gatherings and film presentations. She does this all while maintaining a historic facility that requires special projects, upgrades and repairs. those who work with Ward on a regular basis know that she is dedicated to the preservation of the Douglass and its best use as a performing arts center for Downtown Macon. nominations now being accepted for the 2014 Cultural awards Do you know someone who deserves to be honored for their contributions in arts and culture in central georgia? if so, now is the time to act. Macon arts alliance is currently accepting nominations for the 2014 cultural awards. For more information, call Jonathan Dye, director of communications, at (478) 743- 6940 or visit Maconartsalliance.org. Macon arts alliance is pleased to announce that taste of the arts 2013 was a "roaring" success. the chefs who represented our constituent organizations did an incredible job on food and decorations. our sponsors, donors, volunteers, board and staff worked hard and the pay off was incredible. the attendance this year was strong and the costumes were gorgeous. taste of the arts received rave reviews from everyone who attended. they enjoyed the great gatsby/roaring 20s theme, and they loved the atmosphere of the locale. the decorations were elegant and period, and the food was "the bees knees." as part of the event, celebrity judges were brought in to bestow awards for food, treats, and decorations provided by local arts and cultural organizations. the judges were raymond tubb and tiffaney bradley from WgXa, brian roberts from 93.7 FM, and lee clack from Kudzu catering. over the course of the evening, they had the chance to visit everyone's table and try all the wonderful dishes. Their scores were compiled and the winners were: taste of the arts 2013: a "roaring" success photos by neal carpenter. plans for next year's taste of the arts are already under way. Save tHe Date: taste of the arts: Studio 54 is august 16, 2014. best Savory Dish - Historic Macon Foundation; best presentation – Jazz association of Macon. best Dessert – Museum of arts and Sciences; october/noveMber 2013 Macon Magazine i 33