Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/783993
F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 7 M A C O N M A G A Z I N E | 83 Venues and Art spaces [&] Ampersand Guild Artist collective and workspace, Ampersand Guild has quickly established itself as a main player in the Macon arts community. Meagan Evans, who works at Mercer University, said, "I think the Ampersand Guild is the best thing to happen to Macon in a long time, as far as our arts scene is concerned. They offer art classes, meeting and event spaces, and have given a home to an eclectic group of artists and musicians." One of the regular class instructors is Heidi Clinite, who teaches a range of classes from figure drawing to Coloring & Cookies for Kids, and was selected as the 11 th Hour's Favorite Local Artists in their Reader's Choice Awards. Ampersand also recently hosted a talk from ArtPlace America that went over strategies on how to apply for grants for programs that help the community. "[at Ampersand] it's fine to be an artist out loud," said co- owner Gabriel Balmes. When talking about how much collaboration and partnerships among collectives is important for the arts community, he said "In order for the arts community to strive and become stronger, it takes a lot more support than people just being artists. There needs to be effort put into increasing awareness." ampersandguild.com 567 Renewal Center Most commonly called "The 567," this non-profit community space hosts gallery shows, music shows, classes and workshops. "The Corks and Canvas classes are the most popular [classes] at the moment … but we've added more intermediate and advanced art classes for those who are interested," said fine art director Colin Penndorf. They've also initiated the Ocmulgee Artist Guild, a group of artists created to give support to the local art scene and host shows like the Disphoria, which happened last October. The gallery exhibits a new artist or artists every month, opening on the first Friday of the month. the567center.org Macon Arts Alliance Creator of ovations 365, the designated calendar for art and events in Macon, Macon Arts Alliance will be opening a new venue later this year. The Mill Hill East Macon Arts Village will be a community center for performing and visual arts. To bring awareness to the center and create community involvement, MAA has called for applications for a public art installation of temporary art work to be displayed between downtown and the new center. maconartsalliance.org Museum of Arts and Science MAS continues to seek out artists who tend to work as a catalyst in community involvement. "Working with emerging professional artists is key to delivering high quality programs for the state of Georgia," said executive director Susan Welsh. "Our goal is to deliver immersive experiences that ignite curiosity – and that is exactly where art must be today." masmacon.org [&] AMPERSAND GUILD