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"Little Richard" Penniman, James Brown and the Allman Brothers Band got their start. Jazz, alternative rock, bluegrass and country bands are playing in some venue almost every night of the week. Macon's music highlight of the year is Bragg Jam when as many as 30 acts perform on stages around Macon in one night. In this unique concert crawl, people pay one admission price and roam among the venues to catch their favorite bands. The music ranges from soulful folk to rowdy rock with many alternative genre blends as well. This year's Bragg Jam features the Blind Boys of Alabama. The visual arts are well represented by the Macon Arts Alliance, Middle Georgia Art Association, Monroe County Arts Alliance, Fort Valley Arts Alliance and Houston Arts Alliance. These non-profit groups support and coordinate artists' shows, exhibits and classes. Macon Arts, Middle Georgia Art Association and Monroe County Arts have galleries featuring rotating exhibits. Macon Arts also sponsors Fired Works, the state's largest exhibition of functional and sculptural pottery. The Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon has a strong visual arts program, including rotating exhibits and art education for adults and children. Also in Macon, the Tubman African American Museum is the largest museum in the Southeast dedicated to educating people about the art, history and culture of African Americans. It is moving into a new building this year. The Macon Film Festival has grown tremendously in nine years. Created to celebrate the cinematic arts and to introduce independent films to Central Georgia, the festival offers workshops and Q&A sessions with the filmmakers as well as screening dozens of films and bringing noted star power to Macon. During the rest of the year, cinema aficionados can get their fix at the Douglass Theatre. Once or twice a month, the Macon Film Guild screens Macon Pops Steve Penley art reception 78 l MACON MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY 2014