Class of 2027 Arts & Culture Day Sponsored by SRP, AU, and PC Techware
Arts and culture are something every community needs to thrive, even when it isn't always obvious how much they shape a town's identity. They're what draws people in, whether to visit, to move, or to stay, and they keep a community engaged, interesting, and connected. Our class saw just how true that is on Arts & Culture Day, starting the morning at the Morris Museum of Art, where we learned about the museum's history and mission before being set loose to get lost in the galleries ourselves.
One thing I hadn't realized is just how active the Morris's education programs are, from free public school tours to art packets delivered to kids in the hospital who can't visit in person, to events designed for all ages. While working through challenge cards and wandering the exhibits, I had the chance to hear from Kevin Grogan and Matt Porter about several of the pieces on display, and their insight was incredible.
From there, we walked to Westobou, where we heard from Matt Porter about their newest exhibit and learned how the gallery fills a different role in Augusta's arts community than the Morris does. There's a real gap in our community when it comes to supporting young and emerging artists, and Westobou is working hard to be a home for them, giving them a place to start and advocating for them along the way.
Our group then split up to explore a few more corners of Augusta's arts scene: Art on Broad (where I wanted to buy everything in the store), New Moon, and Humanitree. All three were welcoming, creative spaces, and I'd highly recommend checking each of them out.
We regrouped for a delicious lunch from Bradley's BBQ at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts (JNSA), where we heard from JNSA staff and some of their students. Talking with those young, passionate performers was one of the highlights of the day. Afterward, students led us through a listening workshop, where we practiced hearing someone else's story and retelling it back with their emotions intact. It was challenging, but genuinely insightful. The students then gave us a performance that was outstanding. I'd recommend catching one of their shows, and I'm hoping to make it back for one soon!
From JNSA, we headed to the historic Miller Theater, home to the Augusta Symphony, to hear from a panel of Augusta's art leaders. They gave us an honest look at where our arts community stands today, the challenges it faces, and how other cities approach supporting the arts. The contrast was striking. We wrapped up the day at Le Chat Noir, where we took the stage ourselves for a short performance of our own, and some of our classmates even wrote and performed a song they wrote that day!
Arts & Culture Day opened a lot of eyes in our class to just how important the arts are to any community, and how intentional we have to be about prioritizing them if we want Augusta to become everything it's meant to be.
Thank you to Gary Dennis and Matt Porter for putting together such a memorable day for our class, and as always, thank you to Taylor and Kaylee for leading us through an incredible year.
A special thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, SRP Federal Credit Union, our Program Partner, Augusta University, and our new Technology Sponsor, PC Techware, for their continued partnership and commitment to developing community leaders.
Written by Zee Baker, Class of 2027
Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, SRP Federal Credit Union; Technology Sponsor, PC Techware; and our Program Partner, Augusta University! We appreciate your continued partnership and commitment to developing community leaders.
