Community

Alice Walker

Alice Walker

Eatonton’s Walker understands voter rights

Alice Walker’s dedication to voter rights began in Putnam County.The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple recalls a time as a young girl when she and her father walked to a Putnam County polling place — a tiny, white-owned store “in the middle of nowhere.
Winter Ball Sponsors Jim and Tammy Beatty, Ted and Riezl Baker, and Matt and Daniela Garofalo. CONTRIBUTED

Winter Ball Sponsors Jim and Tammy Beatty, Ted and Riezl Baker, and Matt and Daniela Garofalo. CONTRIBUTED

OPAS Winter Ball a big hit at Ritz-Carlton Reynolds

The Oconee Performing Arts Society (OPAS) hosted its annual Winter Ball Jan. 31 at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee.The evening’s headliner, legendary singer and cultural preservationist Michael Feinstein, gave a masterful performance demonstrating his command of American popular standards.
Reasha Daniels of Pretty Girlz Fitness in downtown Eatonton poses with just a few of the more than 200 formal dresses donated to provide local girls with prom and pageant gowns. IAN TOCHER/Staff

Reasha Daniels of Pretty Girlz Fitness in downtown Eatonton poses with just a few of the more than 200 formal dresses donated to provide local girls with prom and pageant gowns. IAN TOCHER/Staff

Pretty Girlz Fitness promotes prom dress drive

What started as a simple Facebook post has turned into a community-wide effort to make prom dreams come true for dozens of local teens.
“Moving People are Moving Targets,” is a painting by UGA grad Janie Geisler and one of 20 works in “Reimagine: Contemporary Georgia Artists,” to be presented April 20 to May 29 at the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art in rural Buckhead. CONTRIBUTED

“Moving People are Moving Targets,” is a painting by UGA grad Janie Geisler and one of 20 works in “Reimagine: Contemporary Georgia Artists,” to be presented April 20 to May 29 at the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art in rural Buckhead. CONTRIBUTED

STMA to host traveling state art exhibit

The Steffen Thomas Museum of Art (STMA), one of just a handful of single-artist museums in the country, has been selected to host “Reimagine: Contemporary Georgia Artists,” Georgia’s traveling State Art Collection.
The 12th annual Seuss on the Loose Fun Run & Festival, sponsored by Putnam Reads, will take place on Saturday, March 7, at Putnam County Primary School. CONTRIBUTED

The 12th annual Seuss on the Loose Fun Run & Festival, sponsored by Putnam Reads, will take place on Saturday, March 7, at Putnam County Primary School. CONTRIBUTED

Seuss on the Loose returns next month

The 12th annual Seuss on the Loose Fun Run & Festival, sponsored by Putnam Reads, will take place on Saturday, March 7, at Putnam County Primary School.
Visitors look at the work of Barbara Mann featured by the Madison Artists Guild during the exhibit’s opening reception Jan. 30. LEIGH LOFGREN/Staff

Visitors look at the work of Barbara Mann featured by the Madison Artists Guild during the exhibit’s opening reception Jan. 30. LEIGH LOFGREN/Staff

MAG features Land and Sea Georgia

The Madison Artists Guild (MAG) held an opening reception on Jan. 30 for Barbara Mann’s “Land and Sea Georgia, an exhibition scheduled to remain on display through March 7, providing a visual exploration of the state’s extensive ecological diversity.
Lake Oconee Academy will host the inaugural Lake Country Community Health Fair on March 28, a free health screening event. CONTRIBUTED

Lake Oconee Academy will host the inaugural Lake Country Community Health Fair on March 28, a free health screening event. CONTRIBUTED

Lake Country Community Health Fair coming soon

The inaugural Lake Country Community Health Fair (LCCHF) will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 28 at Greene County’s Lake Oconee Academy.
The exhibit in MMCC’s Gallery 3, “Color Resonance: Gary Hudson in Full Hue,” will feature several large color works by artist Gary Hudson. CONTRIBUTED

The exhibit in MMCC’s Gallery 3, “Color Resonance: Gary Hudson in Full Hue,” will feature several large color works by artist Gary Hudson. CONTRIBUTED

MMCC presents ‘Hudson in Full Hue’

The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center (MMCC) will present a companion exhibit to its highly successful “Emergence – In Black and White” with an opening-night reception from 6-7:30 p.m., Feb. 6 at the MMCC.
“Hairspray, The Musical” is much more than just an entertaining song-and-dance show (though it does qualify there, too); it also provides strong social commentary on 1960s American history, culture, and race relations. IAN TOCHER/Staff

“Hairspray, The Musical” is much more than just an entertaining song-and-dance show (though it does qualify there, too); it also provides strong social commentary on 1960s American history, culture, and race relations. IAN TOCHER/Staff

Powerful message from ‘Hairspray’ at The Plaza

Bright colors, infectious rhythms, and joyful choreography filled The Plaza Arts Center last weekend as “Hairspray, The Musical” entertained and enthralled near-sold-out crowds. The production, led by fledgling director Michael A.