Blog Topic: In the Community

Culture Briefs: Athens Arts Alliance Survey Details the Pandemic's Economic Impact on Local Artists

By Jessica Smith | May 14, 2020 1:00pm

Following the onset of the coronavirus outbreak, representatives from various Athens arts organizations began meeting online once a week to touch base and identify strategies to advocate for local artists who have seen their income reduced or threatened during this critical time. In an effort to more precisely identify how the local arts community has been economically impacted by the pandemic, the Athens Arts Alliance administered an online survey to gather feedback from local artists, musicians, performers, makers, writers, educators and other creatives. These survey responses will be used to inform the local government about the challenges currently faced by the creative community, and will help shape proposals for relief opportunities.

See the AAA’s official press release and full survey results below.

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Culture Briefs: Shelter Projects Program Announces 34 Fellowship Recipients

By Jessica Smith | May 11, 2020 2:50pm

Shelter Projects, a mini-fellowship program launched by the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts in response to the pandemic, seeks to support graduate students and community-based artists and practioners. Following two rounds of proposal reviews, 34 individuals have been selected to receive funding for their creative reflections on the pandemic. Look forward to seeing their work through Flagpole over the next few months!

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Culture Briefs: Mayor and Commission Expand Funding for ACAC Arts in Community Awards to $100,000

By Jessica Smith | May 7, 2020 1:30am

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In the Loop: Health District Seeks PPE Donations

By Blake Aued | May 11, 2020 10:13am

Elise Stafford (right) of PruittHealth-Athens Heritage receives donated supplies from Elisabeth Wilson (left), District E healthcare coalition facilitator

The Northeast Public Health District is now accepting donations of personal protective equipment to distribute to area health-care providers and long-term care facilities.

Needed items include N-95 respirators, surgical masks, cloth face coverings, eye protection (face shields/goggles/glasses), gowns, gloves (latex free), disinfectant wipes, shoe covers and hand sanitizer.

Contact Elisabeth Wilson at 706-286-4684 or [email protected] with questions or to donate supplies.

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Culture Briefs: Resources Available for Artists During COVID-19

By Jessica Smith | April 29, 2020 8:30pm

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Culture Briefs: 2020 Athens PRIDE Festival Canceled

By Blake Aued | April 28, 2020 4:48pm

Photo Credit: Savannah Cole/file

Athens PRIDE in 2018.

The LGBTQ organization Athens PRIDE has canceled its 2020 festival, usually scheduled for September, and is donating the funds earmarked for the festival to local nonprofits instead.

Athens PRIDE is donating $1,000 each to Live Forward, Casa de Amistad, the Athens Area Council on Aging, Athens Mutual Aid Network and Nuci's Space. Those nonprofits serve HIV-positive individuals, immigrants, seniors, people who need assistance with rent and those with mental health issues, respectively.

“We are deeply saddened by the decision to cancel our festival,” Athens PRIDE board president Amber Strachan said in a news release. “However, we are fortunate to be able to contribute to others in these unprecedented times. We will be donating funds to the organizations on the ground that are addressing the hardships Athens residents are facing as a result of COVID-19.”

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Culture Briefs: Athens Arts Alliance Seeks Input from Artists Impacted by COVID-19

By Jessica Smith | April 17, 2020 1:00pm

Flagpole is collaborating with other area arts organizations to gather information during this unprecedented time, which is striking our culture as well as our health. This "Athens Arts Alliance" is seeking to inform the local government on the challenges being faced by our creative community, many of whom have had their incomes reduced, eliminated or threatened during this COVID-19 crisis.

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Culture Briefs: Submit Artwork to the UGA Earth Day Challenge, an Online Exhibition

By Jessica Smith | April 9, 2020 11:00am

In celebration of Earth Day's 50th anniversary, the UGA Office of Sustainability will present a virtual exhibition called the UGA Earth Day Challenge. Between climate change and COVID-19, it’s a critical time to contemplate how to collectively maintain our relationships to natural systems. Might as well make it beautiful!

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In the Loop: Flagpole Wants to Hear Your #QuarantineTales

By Noah Rawlings | April 7, 2020 10:03am

For many Athens residents, this is an unprecedented moment: A virus spreads unpredictably throughout the globe; schools and workplaces are closed; most days are spent indoors, for weeks at a time. In short, “normal life” either is nonexistent or has become something else entirely.

We at Flagpole want to hear and share your stories of living, working, playing and hoping in these tumultuous times. How has the coronavirus altered your life? How are you responding? How would you like to see others respond? What do you miss about life before sheltering in place? What has sheltering in place, oddly, brought back into your life? (A skill? A hobby?)

Your quarantine stories can be fact or fiction, prose or poetry, lighthearted anecdotes or heavy accounts, or comics or photographs. Please limit them to 500 words, and we’ll publish as many as we can in future issues of Flagpole. Email all submissions to Associate Editor Noah Rawlings at [email protected].

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Culture Briefs: UGA Willson Center Announces 'Shelter Projects' Micro-Fellowship Program

By Jessica Smith | March 24, 2020 4:30pm

UGA's Willson Center for Humanities and Arts has just launched a new micro-fellowship program called "Shelter Projects," inviting graduate students and community-based artists to develop works that reflect their unique experiences during the pandemic. The call for submissions is open to all create media.

Read the official statement below.

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