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Dalton Celebrates Dia de los Muertos
A community celebration of Dia de los Muertos will be held Friday, November 1 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at the Creative Arts Guild at 520 W. Waugh Street in Dalton and will feature live music, art, food vendors, beverages, kids’ activities, costume contests with prizes for adults and children, and more! For this event, “Octetra”, the Guild’s beautiful sculpture by Isamu Noguchi will become a shared community altar adorned with traditional ofrendas. We warmly invite all who want to participate to add personal items (ofrendas) to the altar in honor of those whom they have lost. The event is free and open to the entire community. Convenient event parking will be available at First Baptist Church with a shuttle provided to and from the venue. Dia de los Muertos, a tradition that honors and shows reverence toward loved ones who have passed on, is an annual holiday typically celebrated on November 1 and 2. Although found throughout Latin America, Dia de los Muertos is most strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition originated. Get Involved! Come and participate! Come in costume! Authentic Catrin and Catrina attire and kids’ costumes are enthusiastically encouraged! Also, if you are interested in building your own altar at the event, please contact Sarah Murry (sarahm@creativeartsguild.org) to sign up. If you are not interested in building an altar but would still like to honor a loved one, feel free to bring ofrendas to add to the community altar. These can be photographs of the person, small objects representing interests or hobbies they enjoyed, keepsakes that had special significance to them, even samples of their favorite food or drinks. More information on Facebook or contact Sarah Murry 706.278-0168.
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Nurture Your Natural Creativity With Our Fall Workshops
The Creative Arts Guild believes that creativity is a natural human skill everyone is born with and can be improved with exposure and practice. Artistic talent can be jump-started, nurtured and developed at any age. The Guild offers a variety of classes in Dance, Music, Visual Arts, and Culinary Arts to help both the beginner as well as intermediate learner explore and hone creative interests. All classes and workshops are intimately sized and provide one-on-one instruction by credentialed and experienced faculty. Class registration for all Fall/Winter/Spring classes through May 16, 2025 is ongoing and classes are designed to support ongoing enrollment so that those starting later never feel behind! Sign up anytime for classes; we have a full slate of fall offerings available. See below for information. What’s Cooking at the Guild? Our newest and very popular art discipline is Culinary Arts and there are opportunities for all ages to learn or sharpen cooking skills! Here are a few workshops for adults 21 and older to pique your interest: “Flavors of Fall” Oct 21, 6-9pm - With a crisp breeze in the air, and leaves beginning to turn, Fall cooking gets in gear! Our chef will use the flavors of the season to lend inspiration when students enjoy crafting both sweet and savory dishes. “Everything but the Turkey” November 18, 6-9pm – Our chef will get you prepared and confident to put on that classic yet inspired Thanksgiving feast this year by showing you how to create elevated traditional side dishes that will be the supportive cast for that turkey you’ll add to the menu on the appointed day. In December, adults can attend “Savory and Sweet Christmas” December 16, 6-9pm – You’ll explore a delightful array of sweet and savory treats that capture the essence of the Holiday as you prepare to host. Oh, and Christmas sweater wearing is encouraged for that class. Complimentary wine will be served at the adult sessions described above. Have a particular cooking theme or repast in mind? The culinary department can arrange private classes for up to 8 persons. Contact amandaw@creativeartsguild.org to schedule one. Kids in the Kitchen! Kids age 10-14 can have their own Thanksgiving culinary fun with “Gobble, Gobble!” November 13, 5-7:30pm. And, “Sweet Treats for Santa”, December 11, 5-7:30pm, is their chance to learn to prepare tasty Christmas Holiday fare. Chef Courtney Coffey has a knack for engaging young people in learning kitchen skills while having loads of fun! PLUS: we have an ongoing culinary class for kids 10-13years old that still has open slots available! It meets Mondays from 5-6pm and provides introduction to tools, techniques, and exciting recipes! New This Year! Visual Arts has a new offering this fall - “Leather Goods Workshop” October 19, 10am-4:30pm. This is a unique opportunity to make a leather shoulder bag of your choice or choose another project: belt, passport wallet, journal, phone pouch with braided strap, drawstring pouch, clutch purse, or tote. You’ll learn techniques of cutting leather, using basic tools, and stitching styles, plus wood burning applications. Lunch is not provided but all materials, tools, and instructions are provided. No previous leather working experience needed.
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Early Dance Training Has Life-Long Benefits
You may have known that the Creative Arts Guild offers professionally instructed dance classes for youth and adults; but not have known the Guild also has weekly dance classes for little ones! For example, children as young as 18 months to 2 yrs old are eligible for Dance Tots, a once-a-week 30-minute session to learn stretching, body awareness exercises, and traveling steps while holding the hand of an accompanying parent. Creative Movement is a class designed for 3-year-olds introducing ballet basics while promoting awareness of musicality and rhythm. Primary 1 Ballet, for 4-year-olds, is an introduction to classical ballet and emphasizes key essentials of the form. There is also a combined 3- and 4-year-old class for an earlier in the day option. In addition to providing physical exercise, toning, and strengthening, the classes focus on proper posture, alignment, concentration, and discipline. Why Dance? Experts say that it's never too early for a child to start dancing. Movement to music contributes to the development of a number of fundamental skills in toddlers as they gain a sense of identity and personality. Enrolling your little one in a dance class will allow them to establish skills in social communication, teamwork, physical coordination, and cognition. Ballet classes encourage the development of coordination, strength, movement in space, motion, and balance and as they learn multi-step movements, their ability to listen, remember, and concentrate improve not only in dance class but in other areas of life as well. Health & Wellness: In an era dominated by screens and digital distractions, instilling a habit of regular physical activity in children can be challenging. Dance classes offer a fun alternative to traditional sports, keeping kids engaged. Not only does it enhance physical health, but it also contributes to overall wellness. The joy of movement and creative expression, combined with the camaraderie of a dance class, positively impacts mental health. Perhaps surprisingly, dance has also been proven to support and enhance children’s academic journeys. The discipline, concentration, and memory skills nurtured in dance lessons often translate to improved focus and higher grades in school. The benefits of dance to a generally improved cognition and academic performance have been known for some time. More recently, a number of studies have confirmed positive efficacy of dance therapy on cognitive, physical, emotional and social performance of people with dementia. Teamwork & Creativity: Engaging in dance classes from a young age fosters self-confidence. As a child masters new skills and performs with and in front of others, they attain a sense of accomplishment, boosting their self-esteem. That sense of individual accomplishment is paired with enjoyment of their class’s group success, an essential step in development of teamwork in all activities. With increasing self-confidence comes a willingness to explore not only what their bodies can do but how they can express themselves. Dance, while often performed within the structure of certain forms and rules, provides an outlet for personal creativity. It is, after all, an art form, one which opens up a new world of non-verbal communication and freedom to express thoughts, feelings, and even stories through movement. How to Register: For information and to register for classes for all ages, visit www.creativeartsguild.org/classes. Please call us at 706.278.0168 if you have questions. The Guild is a non-profit organization established to serve the community and, in keeping with its mission to cultivate and sustain the arts in Dalton and its surrounding counties, offers year-round instruction in dance, visual arts, music, and culinary arts for students of all ages. All classes and lessons are held on-site at the Guild facility at 520 W Waugh St in Dalton.
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2023 Spigel Award Winners
A highlight of the Student Arts Expo which is open now through March 28 at the Guild is the Bernice Spigel Prize for Excellence in the Visual Arts. Any public, private, or home-schooled senior residing or attending school in Dalton, Whitfield or Murray County is eligible for this coveted award. The Prize was created to honor Bernice Spigel, the Creative Arts Guild's first Executive Director. The Creative Arts Guild is pleased to announce the results of this year’s competition! Not one winner but two! Congratulations go to Audrey Merryman and Wade Sitton. Audrey Merryman Audrey is a senior at Dalton High School. She discussed herself and her art with us: “Over the years I have tried many different art techniques but nothing has captured my attention like working with ceramics. After working on a few assignments in my ceramics class I realized that I have been fascinated with realism, movement, and the expressions on the faces of animals. I am inspired by the works of Nick Mackman, whose realism and use of facial expression carry the composition of an animal to a much farther place than the ordinary sculpture. Ultimately, I want to capture the feelings and emotions of the animals that enrich our lives and whose pure existence makes one smile and at the same time keep honing my craft within the art room. My hope is to give the viewer the same sense of joy that I find when I create my pieces.” She explains: “I have always loved art since I was a little girl and knew that I had a calling to the art field. I may not know for sure what I will be doing in the future but I know that whatever it is it will be something related to art. During my first two years in high school, I was exploring all the different art mediums that our school offers along with trying to narrow down a particular subject matter to focus on. When I was little there was one teacher who discouraged me from doing art and told me that I would be a hobo if I built my life as an artist. So, l considered becoming a dentist. It wasn't until I got lost and found myself in Mrs. Lambert's class that I found my sense of purpose again.” (Ms. Lambert is the 3-D Art Instructor at Dalton High) “My animals were something that I did not think that I would get into later; I started out creating realistic people, but they did not reach my high expectations. I realized that I was more comfortable and found more enjoyment in creating animals. Even though my realism work was taking off in the community and winning awards, it just didn't feel like the right fit for me. Mrs. Lambert taught me a lot; I first found that eyes are the window to the soul, so they needed to have a lot of feeling and expression. She taught me to put a pupil into the sculpture’s eye by digging into the clay and she taught me that a piece needs to have as much texture as will give it more movement throughout the composition. For showing motion, reference photos are very important; but one has to really use imagination to carry off the piece successfully since there is so much that a two-dimensional image does not tell the three-dimensional artist.” Wade Sitton Wade is a student at North Murray High School. He is currently in AP art and design as well as in an audio/video tech class. He is a member of the Art Honor Society and the e-sports team. “Growing up as a child I always loved to play with toys. Even as I have grown older, I still do but in a different way! In my art I'm trying to capture toys in action! Toy photography is the art of bringing action figures to life by capturing the illusion of movement in one single shot. I am experimenting with different techniques and effects to capture the illusion of flying, jumping, exploding, etc. In the future I hope to do photography as a career. I also love experimenting with special effects as well and perhaps someday I will get to be a special effects artist for film making.” Wade describes his process: “This is how a typical photo shoot of mine goes. First, I set up the figures and put them in specific poses making sure they are in good strong standing positions. If necessary, I use wire to hold them in place; or, if a figure is supposed to be flying in the shot, I will put a wire around its waist and pose it for the desired effect. Next, I set up the camera and make sure the shutter speed, the ISO, and the background blur are just right to take the photo. Typically, when using fireworks or any kind of action motion I raise the shutter speed as high as possible but not so high that it makes the photo too dark. Next, I make sure that the ISO is at just the right position to capture the amount of light necessary for the photo. Finally, I set the aperture. I typically raise it high enough to capture everything that is going on during the photo shoot with nothing being blurred out and with everything in focus and looking very crispy.” Please join us to celebrate these two fine artists, appreciate their winning material, and view the entire Student Art Expo which will grace the walls of Galleries FIVE20 and ONE11 through March 28.
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Arts in Health Exhibit
Curated by Creative Arts Guild Executive Director, Amanda Brown, February’s Gallery FIVE20 Arts in Health exhibit educates our community about the growing importance of creativity in the field of healthcare, highlights how arts in health experiences elevate compassionate care and patient experience, celebrates the launch of the Howalt Arts and Wellness Program at Hamilton Medical Center administered by the Creative Arts Guild, and advocates for the continued support and growth of Arts in Health at Hamilton and in our community. As the daughter of a doctor and an occupational therapist who both valued the arts, from a young age, Amanda Brown always naturally understood and appreciated the connection and intersection of arts and health. It has been a lifetime personal interest and when Brown first returned to Dalton in 2014 to step into the role as the Guild’s Executive Director, she had visions of the Creative Arts Guild pursuing this approach to arts engagement and by doing so, supporting Dalton’s health care and wellbeing. Jane Snipes was one of the board members who interviewed and hired Brown for her position as Executive Director, and served on the Board of Directors during Amanda’s first year before resigning to fulfill her new duties as the Executive Director of Whitfield Healthcare Foundation. With a calling to support our community’s healthcare needs and a lifelong passion and appreciation for the arts, Jane shared the vision of integrating the arts into healthcare, and through the generosity and commitment of Cindy and Chip Howalt, that vision was realized, and the Howalt Arts in Wellness Program was founded. “Incorporating the arts into the patient care setting allows us to improve and enhance the patient experience. From the installation of original art in public and private spaces at Hamilton to engaging patients with visual art, music, movement and journaling experiences, our goal is to create a healing atmosphere. Healthcare visits bring about a range of emotions as patients and families cope with challenging diagnoses and treatment. The arts become a refuge from the intense emotions associated with illness and disease. We are forever grateful to Cindy and Chip, and their family, for embracing a shared vision and taking a chance with us on this collaboration between the arts and healthcare. They understand the impact of creating exceptional programs which support patient needs, advance healthcare and the arts, and in turn, elevate our region as a source for destination healthcare. How incredible that they are supporting this program at a high level so that we can grow and sustain it into the future. Once again, we see people in this community are committed to excellence and to each other as we design our future together. “ In February of 2020 before programming began, a site visit to observe UF Health - University of Florida Shands Arts in Medicine program in Gainesville, Florida, offered an experiential model of a working Arts in Health program and solidified goals for formalizing an Arts in Health program at Hamilton. Brown and Snipes along with Terri Woodruff, Executive Director of Anna Shaw Children’s Institute, and Rita Harris of Peeples Cancer Institute, left the 3-day immersive experience excited about all of the possibilities ahead and began planning for an arts program at Hamilton. As the Creative Arts Guild was charged with delivering the hands-on arts experiences at Hamilton, Brown felt it was her responsibility to ensure that the Guild was prepared to follow best practices and provide a top-notch program. This led her to pursue a Master’s Degree in Arts in Medicine from University of Florida. With her graduation approaching in May, Brown confirms that her experience at the University of Florida’s Arts in Medicine Program has opened her eyes to the vast world of arts in healthcare, offered information that will support an optimal program for Hamilton Health Care System, and has fostered invaluable networks and relationships that will support relevant programming in Dalton for years to come. Brown: “Arts in Health is an innovative healthcare field that exemplifies compassionate care and elevates the patient experience. We are so very lucky that Hamilton continues to be an industry leader and is once again leaping forward with another approach to improve healthcare experiences in Dalton. It is a true honor for the Creative Arts Guild to partner with Hamilton and use our mission of the arts to support their mission of community health! I remain appreciative for the partnership and for the generous gift of Chip and Cindy Howalt to support this connection of the arts and health in our community.” Over the last 2 years, Brown has provided arts experiences at Anna Shaw Children’s Institute and Peeples Cancer Institute – using these two facilities for pilot programs. The results have been rewarding for all involved. Terri Woodruff, Executive Director of Anna Shaw Children’s Institute, agrees. “The Arts in Health program has been a positive addition to the services at ASCI. Participating in creating art impacts memory, mood and motor skills. These arts activities have positively impacted children and their siblings! They are smiling with pride to display their creations.” This exhibition will take the viewer on a journey into arts in health in which, Brown shares her experience as an Arts in Health practitioner, as a parent and family caregiver to her son who requires frequent medical care, and as a participant – as she shares how she uses the arts and a creative practice to improve her own health and wellbeing. The exhibit continues with highlights from the different areas of the Creative Arts Guild and Whitfield Healthcare Foundation partnership including the environmental arts in health procurement and curation at Anna Shaw Children’s Institute, Peeples Cancer Institute, and Bandy Endoscopy Center, the early phases of the patient arts in health programming supported by the Howalt Arts and Wellness Program and how arts in health can continue to support public health initiatives in this community. The exhibit opens with a public reception on Friday, February 3 from 5:30-7:30pm at 520 W. Waugh Street and will remain on display at the Creative Arts Guild through February 24. For more information about the exhibit and the Arts and Wellness program at Hamilton Medical Center, contact Amanda Brown – amandab@creativeartsguild.org or 706.259.1974.
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First Gallery Opening + Artist Reception of 2023
February 2023 Gallery Opening and Reception The Creative Arts Guild is pleased to announce the opening of two new exhibits and an Artist Reception on Friday, February 3 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Light refreshments will be available plus wine and beer for purchase. The event is free, open to the public, and family friendly. Gallery FIVE20 – Arts in Health It is hard to overestimate the excitement felt by Creative Arts Guild Executive Director, Amanda Brown, and staff in presenting this long-awaited exhibit! Curated by Brown, the Arts in Health exhibit educates viewers about the growing importance of creativity in the healthcare field, highlights how arts in health experiences elevate compassionate care and patients’ subjective experiences, celebrates the launch of the Howalt Arts and Wellness Program at Hamilton Medical Center (administered by the Creative Arts Guild), and advocates for the ongoing support and growth of Arts in Health at Hamilton and in the community as a whole. The exhibit will take the viewer on a journey toward an understanding of arts in health and the potential for its role in ever greater positive outcomes for patients and families. With this exhibit, Brown shares her own experience as an arts in health practitioner and family caregiver to her son who requires frequent medical care, and as a participant herself in using the arts and creative practice to improve her own health and wellbeing. The exhibit includes highlights from different areas of the partnership between the Creative Arts Guild and Whitfield Healthcare Foundation including the environmental arts in health procurement and curation at: Anna Sue Shaw Children’s Institute, Peeples Cancer Institute, Bandy Endoscopy Center, and early phases of the patient arts in health programming supported by the Howalt Arts and Wellness Program, and finally, implications for how arts in health can support public health initiatives in our community. Gallery ONE11 – Conasauga River Project Presented by artist Juno, this is an immersive mixed media exhibit featuring photos and video documenting the artist's experiences on the Conasauga River. Exploring themes of conservation, community, and legacy through the lens of joy and stewardship, the artist aims to connect people with their natural resources and celebrate the efforts of the community to secure its sustainability for generations to come. A self-described multi-passionate entrepreneur, Tanqueray Harper, AKA “Juno” is a visual storyteller who is committed to community engagement and meaningful work that leads to practical impact. Juno has spent the last ten years developing skills in storytelling as a photographer by day and performance artist by night and is currently most passionate about the work she is doing in conservation. By creating shared community experiences that are specifically crafted to connect people to the natural world around them, Juno’s newest work is meant to be immersive and to inspire action. Additionally, her work as an early education teaching artist has inspired her to add an educational enrichment component to all her artistic projects, one geared towards young developing minds through age-appropriate arts-integration experiences relevant to the subject matter. Juno is dedicated to implementing and over time evolving strategies that create free access and exposure to art for families from diverse backgrounds. As a Family and Newborn Infant Photographer turned Conservation/Community Engagement Photographer, Juno has developed a unique perspective when it comes to visual storytelling that is purposefully guided by capturing joy. Influenced by many photojournalists and publications that successfully showcase the power of photo stories, Juno aspires to find, research, and craft multimedia artwork in the next stage of her career that tell stories of hope and joy from unique perspectives that could otherwise not be seen by the general public. The Exhibits will remain on display through February 24.
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February Exhibits to Celebrate Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, the Creative Arts Guild is proud to host an exhibit of works on paper by almost 30 of the country’s leading African American post-War and contemporary artists. “The Profound Responsibility of Individuality: A Selection of Works by Prominent African-American Artists” will open in February in the Guild’s Gallery FIVE20 with an opening reception on February 4, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. The Guild’s exhibits and the reception are free and open to the public. The works will remain on display until February 28. This exhibit is curated by Joshua Guerrier and Robert Webb, with works from their collections supplemented by a recently acquired suite of prints from the prestigious Brandywine Workshop in Philadelphia. The show includes lithographs, serigraphs, silkscreens, etchings, wood block prints, lino cut prints, collages, watercolors and drawings. The work ranges from 1957 to 2013 and features major artists from most regions of the United States. “Joshua and Robert have chosen works that reflect many powerful stories and many methods of making art,” said Guild Executive Director Amanda Brown. “This show offers a depth and variety that people across this area will be eager to see. We even have a piece by George W. Bush’s art instructor.” Artists in the exhibit include Benny Andrews, Roland Ayers, Chakaia Booker, Moe Brooker, Samuel Brown Jr., Elizabeth Catlett, Nanette Acker Clarke, Adgar Cowans, Melvin Edwards & Jayne Cortez, Reginald Gammon, Marcus Glenn, Albert Gold, Raymond Howell, Sedrick Huckaby, Edward Hughes, Paul Keene, Glenn Ligon, Thomas Malloy, Evangeline “EJ” Montgomery, Julie Oshana, Howardena Pindell, John T. Scott, Charles Searles, Edgar Sorrels-Adewale, Phyllis Thompson, Larry Walker, Richard Watson, Shirley Woodson and more. “The title of the exhibit is derived from a comment that artist Jennifer Packer made in a 2020 interview,” said Webb, a Dalton-based art collector and founder of the Guild’s sculpture garden. “All of these artists are strong individuals whose careers often required great perseverance to gain recognition for their remarkable talents. In my art history courses, we rarely studied the work of People of Color. Within the academic world, these African American artists simply didn’t exist beyond Basquiat or perhaps Jacob Lawrence or Henry Ossawa Tanner. I hope this exhibit will inspire people to explore the rich diversity of American art and discover the work of hundreds of gifted African American artists who are a critical part of our shared history.” The Guild has provided exhibition, instructional and mentorship opportunities for artists across the region for almost 60 years. This exhibit reflects the institution’s ongoing efforts to offer the community access to important art at no cost. “This show is very balanced with figurative, expressionist and abstract work,” said Brown. “You see the ways in which these artists explore the human condition, addressing questions of identify, relationships, social structures, aging and loss. It’s an exhibit deeply rooted in humanity and how people of great talent share the stories of their lives through their work.” Following the exhibit, many of the prints will go on display in a public building to ensure ongoing access to the work and stories of African American artists. Guerrier is also donating a collection of books about these and other artists as a resource for the Guild and the community. “Inspiration is all around us but seeing someone who looks like you achieve the success you desire is empowering and affirming,” said Guerrier. “I hope the books will provide a window into what’s possible.”
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2021 End of Year Message
Dear Guild Family, Another year closes and the Creative Arts Guild stands strong due to the tremendous support of our donors, volunteers, students, staff and board. We look forward to 2022 as the final year of the Guild’s fifth decade. I am always inspired by the founders’ vision and by the love and work that has been poured into this organization to bring it to where it is today. While the Guild is indebted to its visionary founders, we are sustained by those who have offered essential financial support that allows the Guild to flourish. Those investments made 2021 a year to remember. This year, we have thoroughly enjoyed breathing new life back into all our events and programs. While we missed much of our programming immensely during the closures and cancelations of 2020, we chose to view that time as time to rethink, refresh, and revitalize. We actualized those plans during 2021, and your support made that possible. Highlights of our 2021 calendar year included: bringing our dancers home and our Guild family back into one space – as artists we benefit from engaging with one another each day; expanding access to the Robert T. Webb Sculpture Garden through the addition of an ADA-compliant poured concrete path; bringing our Spring for the Arts celebration back to our grounds; cooking and eating with friends at our Low Country Boil Cookoff; hosting the Conasauga Shakespeare Coalition’s performance of Twelfth Night on the pavilion; launching our inaugural Pops in Burr Park 4th of July celebration to the joy of hundreds of audience members; partnering to organize and host the Off the Rails Downtown Dalton Summer Music Series; spotlighting our 58th annual FESTIVAL of Fine Arts and Crafts; enjoying a Dia de los Muertos celebration with a community altar, food, music, and dancing; celebrating the retirement of our longtime employee and beloved friend, Leanne Martin; and ending our year with The Snow Queen ballet performed again with our much appreciated and enjoyed Creative Arts Guild Chamber Orchestra. That’s to say nothing of recitals, jam sessions, performances, exhibits, Student Art Expo, field trips and even a float in the Dalton Lions Club Christmas Parade. This exceptional year was possible because of the generosity and commitment of all our donors and most especially our Sustaining Partners, who fill our well by offering long-term pledges of general operating support each and every year. This allows us to properly budget and plan, gives us flexibility in the event of unexpected challenges or opportunities and ensures these generous funds are directed to where they are needed most. Thank you for believing that the Guild is a meaningful asset for our community and for your partnership in cultivating and sustaining the arts in Dalton, Georgia. We are humbled and honored by your support and vow to continue forward by providing the highest quality arts experiences and enhancing the quality of life in our community. The Guild is in constant motion, and it is truly a joy to be a small part of its story. Whenever I pause to reflect on The Creative Arts Guild, I cannot do so without also feeling immeasurable gratitude for the community in which we live. Thank you ALL for another year FULL of the ARTS! I feel honored and fortunate to be a part of it all, and there is always more to look forward to on the horizon. We wish you all a celebratory close to 2021 and a joyous and energetic beginning of a new year! We hope to see you soon and often! Warmly, Amanda CM Brown, on behalf of the Creative Arts Guild Family
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Updated COVID-19 Guidelines - Summer 2021
In order to keep all of our programming open and running and, by doing so, continuing our mission to cultivate and sustain the arts in Dalton and its surrounding counties, we are depending on all of you to follow our guidelines for operation. It is only through this mindful group effort that we will be able to successfully offer a safe and creative environment to explore all the arts have to offer! Thank you in advance for your partnership in keeping the Guild community safe and well! #ThisIsYourGuild #InThisTogether Download a PDF of the below guidelines • All persons entering our facility or attending any Guild programming or events will be screened upon entry for any visible symptoms as well a temperature check. • All entering or existing the building need to move through the doorway without stopping to avoid any congestion at the building’s entrance. Once in lobby or if waiting outside, social distancing must be maintained. • All students registering for classes will be asked to sign a consent form during the registration process. • Masks are optional for all fully vaccinated (2 weeks after second dose) individuals and all students under the age of 12. For classes or individual lessons, Guild instructors may choose to require masks based on their own comfort level. Social distancing will still be maintained in classrooms. • Hand Sanitizer will also be offered at entry and exit of our facilities. • Any Creative Arts Guild staff, student, or patron showing symptoms and/or a fever will be asked to stay distanced from our facilities for a period of 14 days or until a definitive negative test for coronavirus is verified. If a student or worker begins to show symptoms while at the Guild, they will be asked to leave and will be asked to wait in an isolation area until someone can pick them up. • For all of our classes, workshops and private lessons – we will be following any guidelines set forth by Governor Kemps executive orders as well as with consideration of the guidance provided by the CDC. Additional specific guidelines and precautions for each department are listed below. Culinary Arts, Dance, Music, Visual Arts • The Guild facility will be professionally deep cleaned on a regular basis and additional wipe downs and disinfectants will happen between each student, class, or patron interaction. Details for each department are indicated below. Culinary Arts, Dance, Music, Visual Arts • All students will be asked to be dropped off at the curb in front of the facility or for parents to park and walk the student to the front door. Teachers will be ready at the doors to receive students. Students should not arrive to class more than 5 minutes before class time. Students will be escorted back to the pick-up line by their teachers after their class/lesson is complete or older students will be allowed to walk to their parents’ car in the parking lot while teacher watch. Teachers will remain with students until they are safely in the car with the adult that is picking them up. To accommodate this, all parents need to be in the pickup line or in the parking lot prepared to pick up their student 5 minutes before the end of class. If students are left after pickup time, they will be asked to remain in the lobby with the front desk staff until they are picked up. • All bathrooms will have disinfectant spray available in each stall and will be attended to by staff regularly. • Online tuition payments are preferred, but can also be made directly at front desk. For all assistance with payments, class registration, or any other need, call 706.278.0168 Monday-Friday 10am-7pm. Additional Culinary Arts Department Precautionary Guidelines • Culinary classes will be kept to a maximum of 8 students. • Only chef will handle any food items and will plate each dish for students. Additional Dance Department Precautionary Guidelines • Dance studios are taped for each dancer to be 5 feet apart. • Barres are taped off at 5-foot intervals. Only one child at every 5 feet of barre. • Barres will be lysoled or cloroxed in between each class. Floors will be cleaned thoroughly at the end of each teaching day. • No more than 25 students will be allowed in the large studio at a time and no more than 16 students will be allowed in the smaller studio at one time. • In Dance Tot class - Only one parent per Dance Tot • Dancers should leave all dance bags and non-dance shoes in the hallway cubbies. • All water bottles in studio must be kept 5 feet apart. Please have your child’s name on their water bottle. Additional Music Department Precautionary Guidelines • Each studio will be equipped with hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray. Pianos, drums, music stands, benches, chairs, and other shared equipment and instruments will be sanitized between each lesson. • Students are required to bring their own pencil, music book(s)/sheet music, guitar picks, violin bows and resin, etc. Additional Visual Arts Department Precautionary Guidelines • Each student will have a designated area with designated supplies that are prepped and ready for them before class begins. Each student will have an appropriately distanced space from their neighboring student. • Class sizes will be monitored and kept to smaller numbers to accommodate safe and proper social distancing. • The art studio will be equipped with hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray. Tables, chairs, scissors, pencils, paint brushes etc. and all shared materials and equipment will be sanitized after each use.
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2021 Spigel Award Winner
Each year during the Student Arts Expo a high school senior is chosen to receive the Bernice Spigel Prize which includes a cash award and solo exhibition at the Creative Arts Guild. This year the prize was awarded to Cason Glover, a senior at North Murray High School. Cason says he has been drawing his whole life but did not get serious about it until Middle School. Cason says “My art is all abstracted from worlds and characters I've created and drawing them as an outlet. My inspirations come from elements of astrology and other aspects of space. I love to use these aspects to explore character design and illustration. I found I enjoy drawing things that are my own creation instead of basing them on a source material. My art achievements include having my art put on a billboard for a mascot contest in Chatsworth, being recognized in the newspaper for a game day poster, winning first place district wide for the Georgia Farm Bureau contest, and getting 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in art shows held at North Murray High School. In the future, I hope to be going to school to further build upon my skills and ideas. I would like to major in sequential arts, graphic design, or illustration.”
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A New Year Message from Amanda Brown
Happy New Year to you all. In January, many of us make resolutions; the Guild also is beginning the year with resolve, a firm course of action made possible through YOUR support of YOUR Guild. Fundraising Update (Spoiler Alert: Together, we did it!) Thanks to the generosity of individuals, families, local businesses and foundations, we exceeded the $15,000 goal for our matching grant. I appreciate the leadership of our board of directors on this project and particularly the gracious gifts made by our staff toward earning the match. Gifts from our December appeal put us over the top – thank you – and impressed the foundation so much that they have given us an additional grant for operations in 2021 AND a donation toward ongoing upgrades to the Robert T. Webb Sculpture Garden, which they called “a unique and invaluable arts asset.” We’re pretty happy to be called “unique” and “invaluable;” but we’re happier to begin 2021 with stability, something that was sorely lacking throughout the last year for most non-profit organizations. All of our 2020 fundraising events were cancelled, along with many classes, performances and event rentals both during and after the formal lockdown. We were not alone; arts organizations across the country have struggled. While donations to our Covid Relief program will not completely offset all of our lost income, it makes a TREMENDOUS difference. Snow Queen Tickets Tickets for the 15th anniversary performance of the Snow Queen may be purchased by following this LINK for the shows on Friday, January 8 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, January 9 at 4:00 p.m. (abridged, narrated performance) and 7:00 p.m.; and Sunday, January 10 at 2:00 p.m. Seating will be socially distanced AND Live Stream tickets are also available to watch the performances from the comfort of your home. Operational Update To significantly close the gap between income and expenses, we’re making a major organizational change: the Guild will close our satellite facility on Cleveland Highway in April - ending, with a heavy heart, our gymnastics program, although we’ll proudly support our gymnastics program and competition team through until the end of the season. During the holiday closure, we returned our dance program to Waugh Street in a newly renovated space. There could be no better landlord than Barrett Properties, and Bob Caperton has been incredibly helpful as we looked for a way to help our gymnasts transition and return the dance program to its original studio space. Another exciting community development we would like to share is that Culprit Athletics plans to step into our Cleveland Highway facility when we leave it. The Guild will complete our gymnastics programming as planned in April, the facility will be closed for renovations for the month of May and Culprit Athletics will be reactivating the gymnastics facility in June – so our gymnasts can continue their training without interruption with Culprit Athletics if they choose. We appreciate the community-minded conversations and collaborations that have helped to create such a positive transition for us all. To prepare for the changes and the homecoming, we have also made many essential updates to our Waugh Street facility over the past two weeks: new gallery lighting (installed in loving memory of our late friend Anne Farrow thanks to generous gifts in recognition of her devotion to the Guild); sound proofing of our music studios; and new additions to and organization of our visual arts classroom, so that all of our students have exciting improvements to look forward to. We are stewards of YOUR Guild, and our resolve has never been greater to ensure the organization’s long-term stability as we approach our 60th year, deliver exceptional instruction in our core programs and provide outstanding arts experiences for the greater community through exhibits, performances and special events. We are YOUR Guild, serving OUR community, and, together, we are entering 2021 strong and resilient. Sculpture Garden Update In November, we added a beautiful red Betty Gold sculpture to the Robert T. Webb Sculpture Garden, completing the tenth anniversary acquisitions. During the holidays, Robert and Roman purchased and donated three additional pieces for the garden: Sea Ribbons (1986) by John Richen (bronze and steel); Double Meta Box 4 (1972) by Gerald DiGuisto (steel); and Untitled by Jesus Tellosa (kinetic iron). These will be installed in the spring, and we’ll have a new sidewalk in the Ken and Myrta White Magnolia Crescent and new signage throughout the garden in 2021. Health and Safety at the Guild As we begin the new year with more students and families coming to our Waugh Street location for classes and programming, it is important for everyone to observe the directional signage in our Waugh Street parking lot – entering from Waugh Street or from Hawthorne Street and circling up through the parking lot in order to keep the front drive as a “one way” drop off. Just as we were practicing at the Cleveland Highway facility, dancers should be dropped off at the front door for class, and parents will be asked to wait in their cars. For any parents who would like to tour our new studios, please call 706.278.0168 to set up a time to view them. We would love to host an open house for everyone to see the wonderfully updated space where our dancers will learn and grow, but given the coronavirus restrictions and safety precautions, that isn’t possible at this time. We have no doubts that this will become “home” for all of the dance students very easily and quickly. Staying in Touch Throughout the new year, we’ll keep you updated on the Guild through e-mails, social media posts and our website. We continue to take precautions for everyone’s safety, but we are moving forward with a full schedule of classes, events, exhibitions and performances. Thank you for standing with us through challenging times. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Best wishes for a safe, healthy and happy 2021. Amanda Brown, Executive Director
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COVID Relief Fund
Exciting news! A regional foundation has accepted our request for funding. If we can raise $15,000 by December 31, it will be matched dollar for dollar! Please help us obtain these important operational funds! Our original goal for our Covid Relief Fund was $75,000. We have made it to $45,000 (thank you). If we can raise $15,000 more with your help, we will receive this matching grant and meet our goal! Donate now at cutt.ly/CAGCovidRelief or send your check to 520 West Waugh St, Dalton, GA 30720. There’s no minimum or maximum amount. Every dollar counts. Thank you, always, for your support!
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