Macon Magazine

82 | M A C O N M A G A Z I N E F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 7 C hanges are happening in Macon. Recent developments in downtown and College Hill are apparent. New restaurants, new lofts, new festivals and events are popping up, and downtown is becoming more active with music and arts. "It seems to be a wonderful revolution," said Jan Beeland, executive director at Macon Arts Alliance. "For the five years that I have been downtown, a lot of things have happened … it's a changing culture." Using Bragg Jam as an example, Lauren Lin, Macon Arts director of communications, pointed out the event's crowds had doubled in size in the past three to five years. "So if you think about just from a tourism standpoint," she said, "it's drawing in a lot of people." And Bragg Jam is just one of more than 50 independent arts organizations that are part of the Arts Roundtable in Macon. "A lot of [the growth] all started from grants," said Brad Evans, publisher of the 11 th Hour and co-owner of The Creek radio station. With the support of funding entities such as The Knight Foundation, the Peyton Anderson Foundation and the Community Foundation as well as the involvement of institutions such as Mercer University, the local arts community is growing. More galleries and art spaces are appearing and offer a wider range and better accessibility to classes and collaborations. "I'm starting to meet younger artists that want to stay around after they graduate … and they're having an impact," said Rudy Mendez, a local artist since 1997 and an instructor with the Outreach Teacher Program at the Tubman African American Museum. "Even three years ago, not much was happening in downtown. Now they have music and events and it's helping the art scene … it's bringing old and young artists together." Here is a look at the new developments, venues and events that continue to expand Macon's visual arts scene. Get the picture Taking stock of the local arts community >> Photos and story by Christopher Smith

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