The summer of arts & crafts

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

Remember when you were a kid, and you got to go to summer camp and do arts & crafts? When you’re young, you don’t know what art is “supposed to” look like, and there’s a joy in just making. At camp there’s no grading, just pure experience. Maybe you got to try out a new skill at camp that you never tried before. My earliest memory of making pottery was at art camp (and my mom still has the leaf dish I made.)

As you’re making your summer plans, maybe you have a 2-week vacation planned, or maybe just a staycation. Maybe you’re drowning in work and the words “summer vacation” haven’t crossed your mind in a few years. Everyone needs some time off occasionally, though, whether you can take a week or just an hour.

Making art just for yourself, and not for anyone else, is a great way to recapture that kid-who-just-started-summer-vacation feeling. It can be as simple as picking up a pencil and sketching what you see after the kids go to bed (or even stealing a page from your kids’ coloring books if you’re intimidated by the blank page.) If you’re an artist, trying out something new just for the pleasure of creating is a great way to fuel your creative energy.

There are some fun opportunities to make arts & crafts at The 567 this summer, from 2 hour workshops to 2 month classes. Here are a few I’m excited about to jumpstart your summer of arts & crafts.

Intro to Crochet

If you’ve never tried crochet, it can be really relaxing. It takes a little practice to learn the basic stitches, but after that there’s something soothing about the repetitive movements. Plus, you can make all sorts of fun projects once you learn. This two-week class will teach you the basics, give you time to practice, and then come back to make a pretty little “mug rug” to take home, along with your own crochet supplies to keep. It’s at the beginning of June (June 4 & 11), so once you learn, you can crochet all summer!

Adult Summer Camp

If you really want to feel like you’re back in summer camp, we made a pottery camp for you! Every day you’ll make a different fun project, from a sculpture of your pet to lantern for your porch, and even a beer stein. You’ll even get a camp t-shirt! In case you can’t take time off from your day job, this camp is in the evenings. You might even make some new friends at camp. It’s 6 days long, June 13-18.

Acrylic Painting for Beginners

It’s never too late to learn to paint! People tell me all the time that they can’t paint, like it’s a gene you’re born with. Some people have more aptitude than others, but painting is a skill that can be learned, like anything else. You never know until you try! In this 6-week class, you can spend your summer learning to paint portraits, while equipping you with the basic skills to paint anything. It meets on Wednesdays, starting June 1.

Intro to Photography

If you got a digital camera, but all you know how to do with it is set it to automatic, point, and click, this workshop is for you. In two hours, Andy Carter will tell you the secrets to taking a good photo and have you using all the settings on your camera like a pro. I took this workshop before and can personally recommend it! If you’re lucky enough to take a trip this summer, you’ll definitely be taking better vacation photos after taking this class. If not, maybe it will help you to look at your own backyard in a new way. This one is on June 9.

These are just a sampling of the creative classes going on for adults this summer. If you have a kid, we have camp for them, too! See our class calendar to get inspired.

Spotlight on: Johnnie Skelton

Johnnie Skelton has been helping people make pottery at The 567 Center for a few years, whether at Open Studio Night, summer camps, or workshops like Make a Mug and the upcoming Flower Vase Workshop. She actually really enjoys working on the pottery wheel, and is co-teaching Beginning Wheel with Heatherly Wakefield this month.

Johnnie says, "I love teaching at The 567 because of the people. It's a really friendly atmosphere."

You might also see her son and budding ceramicist, Jack, with her around the studio. When she's not teaching at The 567, she's teaching art at K. B. Sutton Elementary School in Forsyth. Her experience teaching in elementary school is probably what makes her so patient with her adult students! We are lucky to have her as an instructor, and we appreciate all the ways she helps in the studio.

Finding Herself Through Art

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

Imagine life without art. No paintings to brighten your home or photos that inspired you. No pottery in your kitchen. No way to creatively express yourself. No art classes to have fun with friends at. 

It would be awfully dull, wouldn’t it?

Downtown Macon wouldn’t be what it is without artists. And it wouldn’t be where it is today without our donors paving the way for artists to display and sell their artwork, teach classes, create pottery, put on events, and learn business skills.

Artists like Heatherly.

Being an artist has long been part of Heatherly’s identity. But changing jobs, motherhood, and the closure of another community art space took her away from working with art or even making art. For a time, she forgot that part of herself. In a sense, she forgot how to be herself.

Through The 567—and because of generous donors—Heatherly found her way back to being an artist.

In the summer of 2020, staff at The 567 asked Heatherly to make fifteen small pieces for an art scavenger hunt downtown. She agreed, and began to carve out a small amount of space and time at home to make art. Once she finished her fifteen, she kept making them. Soon, her artwork took another turn.

She enjoyed making ceramics in college, but hadn’t made any pottery in the 20 years since then. When she attended a pottery making event with a friend one night at The 567, she immediately fell back in love with it. Shortly after, she joined The 567’s pottery studio.

Thanks to donors, the studio at The 567 not only provided her with access to ceramics equipment, it gave her a place to be an artist without the demands of being a boss or a mom, and gave her a new artist community. It gave her a place to be herself.

As she began to make art again, she realized she didn’t have room for it all at home—so she planned an art exhibit! For almost a year, the exhibit was a goal for her to work towards. It helped her to stop putting art on the back burner. It also meant a lot to her to have it at The 567’s gallery, a place that felt like a safe and inviting retreat to her for eleven years.

The community loved her exhibit, too—and many people bought her paintings, sculptures, and mugs to keep. Now Heatherly looks forward continuing to sell unique ceramic pieces through The 567’s gallery downtown, making more mugs, and creating new series of sculptures. 

We are entering the season of giving, when many people give to the organizations and causes they care about. Please make a gift to The 567 today so that we can continue to be a place for people like Heatherly to have a creative retreat.

A Creative Way to Support Local Creators This Holiday Season

written by guest blogger Rachelle Wilson, photos by Mariah Gandy

A few of my favorite things: shopping, hand-made goodies, supporting local creators, art, and subscription boxes. Now what if I told you all of that is rolled into one with the Local Love Box? This quarterly box features locally-sourced offerings from creators in the Central Georgia area. The Winter Box is in the works and will be heading your way early December. Each item is handpicked and ready to brighten your season! 

If you like surprises, I advise you to stop reading here. 

Otherwise, read on for a deep dive into this box’s contents and creators.

1. Cloud Socks

Local artist Randy Heart is perhaps best known for his joyful clouds that can be spotted almost everywhere in town. From the crosswalks on Maynard Street to the exterior walls of Homegrown Yoga Studios, these cheery clouds bring smiles to passing views throughout Macon. This Winter Box provides us a bit of that glee to wear on our feet! Randy’s Cloud Socks are perfect to complete that outfit for your family photos or to gift to someone special.

2. Winter Woodland Ornaments

Another artist whose work contributes to the city scapes of our community, Heidi Clinte’s talents are known far and wide. As part of her wide-array of art and artisan offerings, she has wood-burned creations for every season. In this box, she’s created some snowy friends to keep us company. Hang from any branch, nail, or hook that looks a bit lonely.

3. Bath Bomb

For me, a hot bath is a top choice de-stressing strategy. Enter Macon Bubbles & More with their Mystic Karma bath bomb. Relaxing and aromatic, it’s perfect for after a long day or to gift.

4. Snow Day Candle

It’s no secret that 7th Street Salvage is Macon’s candle queen. The scents are unique and wrap us with the hygge this season craves. For this Winter Box, we’re offering my favorite scent of theirs, Snow Day. It really will have you ready to curl up with a book and dream of the snow we get every so often.

5. BLACTS. T-Shirt

Celebrate the achievements of a local hero with an exclusive shirt by Blacts. Simultaneously a way to preserve a local hero and spread awareness of Black Reality (past and present), this shirt is one of a kind. A global brand, BLACTS. is operated out of Macon, Georgia and this particular shirt will feature a Macon hero.

6. Schitt’s Creek Holiday Cards

If you haven’t watched Schitt’s Creek, repent and hop to it. These cards by Print Your Sheet have taken Esty by storm and are printed right here at SPARK Macon. Let Moira help you spread some holiday cheer to friends far and near. 

7. Fox Painting

Be one of five to upgrade to a Super Box and your box will include a pre-release of local painter Micah Goguen’s spirit animal series that will launch this winter. These 5 original works on paper are acrylic mixed media on 140lb coated watercolor paper. The color scheme and fox are representational of the season change and each work includes a print out about Fox. Through the Local Love Box, these paintings are available at an exclusive price and are the first works of this series. Each work is in an acid free plastic sleeve with backboard and black matted frame. These custom paintings will brighten any room!

Boxes are available now through December 3rd or until they sell out. Click here to reserve yours now. Supporting local creators has never been so easy or so fun!

A Year During a Pandemic

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

It’s crazy to think that we’ve been living with a pandemic for a year. Thankfully, some sense of normalcy has returned as we all find ways to do the things we love more safely—or maybe it just feels more normal now that we’ve been wearing masks for so long.

In those first weeks during the pandemic, it was hard not to fear for the future. How would we operate? How would we provide our community with the art experiences that they needed during a time of crisis? How would we continue to provide income for the artists who teach our classes regularly? How could we help the artists in the community? What would we do if our staff got sick? How would we pay our monthly bills without our regular revenue?

It was a scary time, but it was beautiful to see our community come together. One by one, our patrons, our donors, friends, and even other organizations in the community found ways to help us and the artists we worked with. Some supported us as we tried to figure out how to offer Corks & Canvas virtually for the first time, and others supported our artists as an Art Pen Pal or buying making a purchase in our online gallery. We even sold our unused art supplies via curbside pickup for a while!

We were humbled by the kindness of everyone who responded to our appeals for donations to keep us going. New City Church made a generous gift from their COVID-19 response fund to help us through those early months. NewTown Macon and the Community Foundation of Central Georgia helped our organization and others to navigate these strange new times we were in. We applied for all possible sources of relief, and the grants we received helped to offset some of what we lost. Every dollar we received was an encouragement that someone believed in us, whether it was a neighbor or a foundation.

The artists we work with also worked hard and came up with some creative ideas to keep us going. It was their idea to offer our very first art scavenger hunt. It was a hot day, but family and friends had a lot of fun finding every piece of public art in the Great Art Hunt! It was a safe activity that all ages could participate in. It was such a success, that we plan to do it every year (but maybe not in July next time).

Another success in the midst of the challenges was our pottery studio. Isolation has affected everyone, so several people joined our pottery studio last year as a safe way to find community and have something relaxing to do. Now we have more members than ever, and most days you can find a few people working in the studio. We started selling some of their work in our gallery, and a couple of our members will even have their pottery in Fired Works this year!

For now, we’ve figure out how to make things work with our new normal. Our classes are in-person, but smaller than before and socially distanced. Since we can’t invite large crowds for First Friday, our curator provides a virtual tour for every exhibit. Our gallery is open for visitors during the week, but we still sell a lot of art through social media. We’re excited to partner with the Local Love Box to provide a new way for our local artists and artisans, who have been most affected by the pandemic, to reach customers. We helped bring three new public sculptures to downtown Macon for the Macon Sculpture Walk last month.

For those of you who have supported us through this past year, and who continue to support us, we can’t thank you enough. We look forward to the day when we can once again welcome large crowds to art exhibits and classes in our little space.

4 Classes to Try This Month

This year got off to a rocky start, but a new month is here promising brighter days. The official first day of spring is only a couple of weeks away, and then we get our beloved Cherry Blossom Festival.

The month of March is also a reminder that it’s been a year since our lives started being affected by COVID-19 (can you believe it?). Last year’s Cherry Blossom Festival had to be cancelled at the last minute, along with all of the fun events we had lined up that week. Even if we have to wear masks, we’re thankful to be able to have classes again during cherry blossom week.

From monthly favorites to new workshops, the month is full of opportunities to be creative, express yourself, spend time with friends, celebrate spring, and maybe even learn something new. Here are 4 classes to try out this month:

1. Copper Jewelry Workshop. Darlene’s copper jewelry workshops are always a great experience, and we’re so excited to be able to bring them back this month. Darlene is a professional jewelry designer (you can find some of her creations in our gallery), and in her workshops, she lets you use the professional tools of the trade to bend and shape a plain piece of metal into a wearable work of art. She also encourages participants to do a little designing themselves, and everyone comes out of the class with their own unique creation. Make your own cuff bracelet with Darlene on March 27 at 2 pm.

2. Coffee & Canvas at Z Beans. Paint and sip classes are always popular as a way to relax and spend time with friends, whether you’re a regular artist or have never picked up a paint brush before. Now you can paint while sipping your caramel macchiato or decaf chai latte and munching on a blueberry scone! We’ve brought the paint and sip experience to Z Beans coffee shop on Cotton Ave. And since there’s no alcohol, teens are welcome alongside the adults for this paint and sip event. Get your creative coffee vibes on March 13 at 3 pm.

3. Drink & Ink. Acrylic paint and canvas usually get all the attention, but Drink & Ink is wonderful way to get the creative juices flowing with a lesser-known medium. Painting with India inks is a little like painting with watercolor, but with really bright, vibrant colors. Plus, Heather can make anyone feel like an artist in her classes. This month’s class is painting a green and yellow butterfly with a blue and purple background, but that’s just a suggestion! Paint your butterfly yellow with purple polka dots if you want—or paint 2 butterflies if you’re feeling adventurous. Leave your worries at the door, it’s just you and the ink (and whatever you decide to drink!). Bring out your inner artist on March 13 at 7 pm.

4. Herb Garden in a Jar Workshop. If you’re feeling those spring vibes and want to do a little gardening, this one’s for you! You don’t even need land of your own—a sunny kitchen window will do. Spend your evening with our executive director assembling mason jars full of everything you need to grow herbs from seed, right in the jar. Finish off your jar by making your own creative labels so you’ll remember what you planted. You’ll also learn a few tips and tricks to keep your herbs alive after they sprout. No green thumb required! If the weather permits, the class will meet outside to make the most of this beautiful spring weather. Get planting March 18 at 6:30 pm.

The Macon Sculpture Walk Brings “Peace, Love + Unity” to Downtown Macon

“Whole Hearted” is a sculpture by Alex Mendez. The sculpture will be part of the 3rd Annual Macon Sculpture Walk.

MACON—The 3rd Annual Macon Sculpture Walk will kick off with new sculptures on Friday, February 26. This year’s sculpture walk will feature three new sculptures by Alex Mendez around the theme of peace, love and unity. The sculptures will be installed throughout downtown Macon.

The Macon Sculpture Walk started in 2018 to exhibit high-quality public sculptures in downtown Macon. The sculptures come from different artists and remain on exhibit for one year. Some of the sculptures from previous years have been purchased by local businesses and organizations and were able to remain on display permanently.

This year’s sculptures will all come from one artist, Alex Mendez. The artist comes from Indiana, but he is not new to Macon.

“Alex was one of the first sculptors to be part of the sculpture walk,” says coordinator Melissa Macker. “We’re so thrilled to feature his sculptures this year. He is really great at creating dynamic pieces that beautify spaces and make people stop and look.”

“Peace” was installed by Alex Mendez for the first Macon Sculpture Walk. The sculpture is now on permanent display in downtown Macon.

Mendez began his sculpting journey in a small town in Indiana in 2014. He uses his hands to create large-scale, visual representations of abstract themes like peace and love out of metal. Mendez’s lighthearted, optimistic, carefree nature is reflected in every piece of his work.

While his roots are based in Indiana, Mendez’s work spans states from North Dakota to Georgia, Florida to New Hampshire. His work has landed permanent pieces at The University of Saint Francis, as well as the personal homes of families across the United States.

The Downtown Macon Community Association originally started Macon Sculpture Walk as a way to beautify downtown Macon and attract visitors. The 567 Center for Renewal is continuing the sculpture walk this year alongside community partners as part of its mission to bring creative life to downtown Macon.

About The 567 Center for Renewal

The 567 Center for Renewal is a non-profit community space for artists and entrepreneurs who bring collaboratively creative life to downtown Macon and surrounding areas through events, exhibits, and classes. For more, visit the567center.org.

Contacts:

The 567 Center for Renewal: Melissa Macker, Executive Director, phone: 478.238.6051, e-mail: melissa@the567.org

Finding Community Through Pottery

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

When everything shut down in April because of the coronavirus, we didn’t know how The 567 would make it to the end of the year. Would we end up shutting our doors in our 10th anniversary year?

It’s been a hard year, but thanks to our donors, we are not only surviving—we’re making a difference.

For most people, the coronavirus brought feelings of stress and isolation as life was turned upside down this year. As businesses were affected, many people lost their jobs.

People like Dotti.

Dotti is the kind of energetic person who works hard and loves to stay busy. When she lost her job at the beginning of the pandemic, depression could have set in. When her sister invited her to take a pottery wheel class with her at The 567, Dotti jumped at the chance.

She loved the class so much, Dotti signed up for a pottery studio membership. The membership would allow her to come to the studio to work on her own. She could use our tools and supplies to continue practicing her new passion.

Because of our donors, Dotti had a place to come and work every day—and people to connect with.

In the studio, Dotti not only found a way to keep busy, she also found a community. The members not only create incredible pottery, they also share what they’re learning with each other and even share their lives. They talk about their families, their favorite music, and current events.

Dotti is only one of several members who have found community, inspiration, and stress relief in the studio this year. Each one has a story to tell. In addition, many more artists have been able to earn income teaching classes, sell artwork in our gallery, and learn business skills this year because of the help of our donors.

One day, this pandemic will be over. We can’t wait to draw crowds of people to downtown Macon through the arts once again. I can’t wait to see what the next ten years bring for The 567 Center and for art in downtown Macon.

We are entering the season of giving, when many people give to the organizations and causes they care about. Please make a gift to The 567 today so that we can continue to be a place for artists like Dotti to work and find community in the coming year.

4 Reasons to Shop Local

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

It’s always a great idea to shop locally, but this year it’s more important than ever. Not only is it great for the economy, it’s enjoyable as well! As you do your holiday shopping, here are four reasons to shop at local small businesses.

1.      It’s good for your city. For every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $73 remains in the local economy. For every $100 spent at a big chain store, only $43 remains in the local economy. If you’re shopping online and out of state, then almost nothing is going back to your local economy. While no one likes paying taxes, taxes are required for cities to provide services like fire stations and road maintenance. Macon businesses pay Macon property taxes, business licenses, sales tax, and more. Macon businesses provide local jobs to your neighbors, who in turn spend money at local businesses. When a local small business does well, everyone wins.

2.      Local businesses need your help. 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. Small businesses have been particularly affected by the coronavirus. Shops and restaurants had to shut their doors completely for a month or more. Festivals and craft fairs—a main stay for artists and other creative entrepreneurs—were cancelled. Entrepreneurs are working hard to adapt, to provide a safe shopping experience, or to find ways to sell online, but it’s not the same. A large corporation won’t notice whether you spent your money there, but that small business owner appreciates your $30 purchase more than you know.

3.      Shopping at a local business is a fun experience. That big chain store is the same no matter where you go in any city in America. You could be in Arizona or Alabama, and it would all look the same. But you can’t find Travis Jean, Gallery West, The 567 Center, Macon Arts, Golden Bough Bookstore, or Fresh Produce Records anywhere else. At each of them you’ll find interesting people who love where they work, and would be more than happy to tell you all about every single thing in their store or gallery if you ask.

4.      You can find some really unique gifts. Whether you shop in a store, make a purchase through Facebook, or buy online from a local artist, locally made gifts are something special. That piece of jewelry, handmade bowl, painted Christmas ornament, or handwoven towel is truly one-of-a-kind. Even if there are others like it, no two are exactly alike. When someone receives something made by a local artist, they know you really put some thought into finding the perfect gift. It’s something they can cherish.