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.

Spotlight on: Deb Templeton

Deb Templeton is a Ranger in our pottery studio, a role that is part artist-in-residence, part studio manager. Most days you can find her in the studio working on a new sculpture or guacamole bowl, in between loading and unloading the kiln to fire all of our pottery. Her husband, Bowden, is also a member of our studio.

She has been an artist of all of her life, but she didn't really have any opportunities to work with clay after high school. Art in general was often pushed to the back burner as a working mother and then caregiver to aging parents. A couple of years ago, she found an opportunity to return to the pottery through The 567's studio. She took a pottery wheel class with her husband to brush up on her skills, and then became a studio member to continue creating pottery on her own in her free time.

In this midst of all this, she was still caring for her parents, who suffered from dementia. In the final years of their lives, the stress began to take a toll on her health. When her father passed away last year, she gained a new perspective. She wanted to spend as much time as she could making art, so she left her job to be a full time artist—a choice she still doesn’t regret.

About the transition, Deb said, "In addition to my husband's love and support, the creative environment and community support at the 567 have been essential elements in allowing me to grow and thrive in this endeavor. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this place and all that happens in and outside of these walls."

We’re grateful to have Deb as part of our studio, too. When she became a full-time artist, she also became a Ranger. As the pottery studio has grown in the past year, we couldn’t have done it without Deb to help keep up with all of the tasks that go into running a studio.

You can find Deb’s pottery in our gallery this month and next as part of the Favorite Things exhibit. You can also find some of her work in our online gallery.

#PandemicPerspectives: Melissa Macker On Passion During COVID-19

Our executive director, Melissa Macker, was interviewed this summer for the Choice Premiums blog about her experience working during the pandemic. Here is an excerpt from the article.

A field reliant on community support, COVID-19 has significantly impacted arts organizations and the artists they serve. For executive director Melissa Macker and program manager Jonathan Harwell-Dye, adjusting to a socially distant reality has been challenging. However, both have maintained their passion during COVID-19 for the work they do and who it affects.

One of the most significant shifts for Harwell-Dye and Macker has been reimagining programming for their organizations. This is especially true for Macker, whose programming for The 567 Center for Renewal is primarily classes and art shows.

“Everything I knew that worked that was tested and proven over time didn’t matter now,” Macker said. “And our main sources of revenue were gone. I spent most of the first few weeks reading articles and watching webinars on topics ranging from how to make your arts programming virtual to how to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program. There was so much information out there on ‘how to adapt to COVID-19,’ and even that information was continually changing.”

Read more.

This artist is making a difference

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

Imagine downtown Macon without art. No sculptures. No art festivals. No sip and paint classes. No storefront windows painted with cherry blossoms in the spring.

It would be awfully dull, wouldn’t it?

Downtown Macon wouldn’t be what it is without artists--artists like Heather.

Five years ago, Heather’s husband suffered a back injury that left him unable to work. Heather had a choice. Would she work a full-time job that would pay the bills but leave her exhausted and unable to make art? Or would she find a way to earn a living through her passion?

Through The 567—and because of the generosity of our donors—she was able transform her hobby into a career in a way she never thought possible.

The 567 provided Heather the space, supplies, and encouragement to earn income teaching art classes, support her family, and still have time to spend with their four children.

The opportunity to pursue her art career also gave Heather the freedom to keep making her own art and experiment with new mediums. Last year Heather had her first solo exhibit at The 567. The exhibit pushed her to create more art, gave her exposure to new audiences, and boosted her confidence as an artist. These days, new artists are coming to Heather for advice.

“Tribute to Rocky” by Heather McLaurin. Smoke and India ink. 20” x 24”.

“Patiently Waiting” by Heather McLaurin. Smoke and India ink. 16” x 20”.

Downtown Macon is a different place because Heather was able to pursue her art. Hundreds of people have enjoyed a fun art class with Heather downtown, whether it was Corks & Canvas, Drink & Ink, or pottery classes. Heather has taught art activities for kids on the Art Cart and helped lead our kids’ summer camps.

Heather is just one of many artists we’ve worked with. Thanks to our donors, more than 40 artists have earned income from teaching art classes or selling artwork in the past year alone. These artists attract hundreds of people to downtown through the classes they teach, enrich lives with the art they create, make downtown's alleyways more interesting through the graffiti walls, and provide kids a creative outlet.

When artists thrive, so does 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 Heather to work.

The 567 Center for Renewal Creates “Alley Canvases” in Downtown Macon

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

The 567 Center for Renewal has established more safe places for graffiti and mural artists to practice their craft in the alleys of downtown Macon. Thanks to a Downtown Challenge Grant from the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, The 567 Center is installing 3 new graffiti walls.

The 567 Center created the first Graffiti Wall last summer to beautify downtown Macon while encouraging creativity and artistic pursuits. Anyone, whether professional artist or aspiring artist, is able to use the wall as a blank canvas to express themselves and create art. It also gives street artists a legal place to create art, without causing property damage for building owners.

Artist paints on first Graffiti Wall in downtown Macon

“The first graffiti wall has been a great success,” said Melissa Macker, executive director of The 567. “Many people have used the wall as their canvas, and people walking by really enjoy seeing the art created on what would normally be a boring brick wall. Graffiti artists have been really respectful of the space, too. We haven’t seen anything inappropriate.”

Funding through the Downtown Challenge Grant has allowed The 567 Center to replicate this success in 3 new locations downtown. One of the goals of the grant was to improve use of underutilized spaces in downtown, such as alleys. The new Graffiti Walls will allow these alleys to become destinations of creative expression.

Mural on graffiti wall near The 567 Center

The 567 Center will celebrate the unveiling of the new Graffiti Walls on September 5 at 5 pm in Broadway Lane, near Tubman Museum. Spray paint will be available for anyone who wants to try out painting on the new wall.

The new Graffiti Walls are located at:

• Broadway Lane near Cherry St, between Service Loan & Tax and Tubman Musuem

• At the intersection of 3rd St Lane and Cherry St Ln, on the corner of the parking deck

• Mulberry St Lane near Third Street

Spotlight on: John Skelton

John Skelton gives a pottery wheel demonstration outside The 567.

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

John Skelton has been teaching pottery in academic settings for 17 years and creating pottery for much longer. Last year he started teaching pottery wheel classes at The 567, and another Beginning Wheel class just kicked off this week with John.

"The 567 is important to me as a hub for making the ceramic arts available in the community," said John. "The casual environment allows me to demonstrate alternative techniques, allowing me to experiment while teaching."

John is a patient instructor. He seems to have a knack for explaining how to transform a spinning ball of clay into a bowl or cup for those who have never touched a pottery wheel before. Getting that clay on the wheel to bend to your will for the first time can be difficult, but John takes the stress out of it by keeping the whole class relaxed.

You can tell that what he really loves, though, is encouraging people to keep learning. Making a bowl is easy—but John hopes they will press on to learn more challenging shapes like vases, boxes, and teapots.

Pottery by John Skelton

In addition to teaching at The 567, John is a ceramics professor at Middle Georgia State University and instructor at Mercer University. As an artist, his pieces have been exhibited in juried ceramics exhibitions nationally and internationally, including the Ceramics Monthly International Competition and the Strictly Functional National. His pottery has been published in books and periodicals such as The Art of Contemporary American Ceramics, Ceramics Technical, and American iPottery. You will see some of his pottery on exhibit in The 567’s gallery next month.

John's wife, Johnnie, also teaches ceramics at The 567. Occasionally you'll see their 3-year-old son, Jack, in the pottery studio. Jack loves cooking and Play-Doh.