Woodstock Arts: International Creativity Month Highlight
Cherokee County is home to a thriving community of creatives. This January, we’re celebrating International Creativity Month by highlighting some of Cherokee’s many creativity hubs. This week, we’re featuring Woodstock Arts.
Woodstock Arts began as a local non-profit theatre in 2002 but dreamt big – aiming to bring all mediums of art to the community. Today, it spans a variety of creative mediums all with the goal of engaging the community with relevant art experiences every day.
“Our goal is to create community vibrancy through all our programs. We do this by having accessible, multidisciplinary arts opportunities throughout the year,” said Brian Gamel, Managing Director at Woodstock Arts.
Woodstock Arts fosters creativity in many fields, including performing arts productions at their Theatre, outdoor concerts at the Event Green space, visual arts exhibits at the Reeves House, ceramics and pottery at the Kish Center and cultural events.
Mostly, Woodstock Arts seeks to grow local artists. Woodstock Arts supports the local creative community through different partnerships with artists, including but not limited to a semi-professional theatre filled with local talent, exhibits at the Reeves House that feature local artists and artists from around the globe, as well as giving multiple different educational opportunities throughout the year.
Woodstock Arts wants to encourage everyone to tap into their creative side. Non-artist visitors can explore their own creativity through classes and camps. Non-artists can also volunteer.
“We are a volunteer run organization, our board of directors is exclusively made up of volunteers and almost anything we do is thanks to the help of our ‘Visionaries,’” said Gamel. “We call our volunteers ‘Visionaries’ because we want them to share in the vision that an inspired community can do more. They are a big reason why and how we do what we do.”
Beyond honing your own creative skills, you can still enjoy performances and exhibitions of local artists through programs like the Lantern Series, a concert series aimed at bringing world-renowned artists of different genres, backgrounds and ideologies to Woodstock.
“The Lantern Series is a fun and exciting way to welcome the world into our backyard! Looking around the Woodstock, Cherokee, and Metro Atlanta area we knew that there was a need for not just another concert series, but a series where we all can gather around and celebrate what makes us different and what ties us all together,” said Gamel. “Music is one of the most accessible forms of art, and it is a great entry point to discover something new about someone from another side of the globe.”
Woodstock Arts plans to continue bringing vibrancy to Cherokee, by collaborating with the City of Woodstock to acquire a four-acre property and green space to continue growing their vision.
“Since the early days of our partnership with the City of Woodstock, we’ve taken the responsibility of being a cultural, economic and tourism driver very seriously,” said Gamel. “Whether that is through our programming, partnerships with City events or intentional place making – like the playground beside the green – we strive to show that Woodstock is one of the best areas to live in not only in Georgia, but in the country. “
Be sure to support Cherokee’s creative community year-round. Learn more about Woodstock Arts, how you can get involved and view a full events calendar at woodstockarts.org. Be sure to check out their 48 Hour Film Festival coming Feb. 10!