Whether it’s your first year at Mercer or you’re returning after a summer away, you should know about Macon’s thriving arts scene — and the many ways you can get involved.
It would be a misfortune for film buffs to miss Macon’s annual Film Festival taking place this weekend from Aug. 19 through Aug. 22.
The festival features dozens of independent and immersive films on every topic imaginable, from a series of LGBTQ narrative shorts to a documentary about boxing in a small town in Texas. Take a look at the schedule and design your own movie-watching weekend of fun!
Music lovers, don’t fret: Macon welcomes the return of live concerts with several of its own musical events.
JBA and Grant’s Lounge are always hopping with local entertainment, typically favoring jazz and rock. On Aug. 29, the Douglass Theatre will hold its free Jazz In The Courtyard event. And right here at home, the McDuffie Center for Strings will perform its Labor Day Festival on Sept. 6.
If you’re in the mood for an afternoon stroll, look no further than one of Macon’s several art museums. The Tubman Museum just downtown is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to preserving the art, history and culture of African Americans.
Upcoming is their Tubman Talk Series: Aug. 20, Kizito Kalima, Founder and Director of the Peace Center for Forgiveness and Reconciliation and survivor of the Rwandan genocide, will share his story with the Macon public.
The following week, Aug. 26, the McEachern Art Center opens up its new exhibition by Jim Roche, who captures the politics and attitudes of contemporary Southern culture.
A short drive will bring you to the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Both subjects under one roof mean that there are an abundance of events to participate in, including a planetarium, a mini zoo and both permanent and cycling art collections.
Right now, you can view Marian Zielinkski’s “Providence Canyon Art Quilts,” “Africa’s Great Migration” captured by Robert Edenfield and George Youmans, Jr., “Glass and Light” by Jenn Shifflet and the museum’s annual emerging artists series.
Ivy Marie Clarke ‘22 is an English literature and creative writing double major, double minoring in art and women’s and gender studies. She has served as editor of the Arts & Culture section of The Cluster for the last two years. She also interns with Macon Magazine and Mercer University Press and edits for The Dulcimer. She also enjoys drinking coffee and writing poetry.
