SACC Obtains 501(c)(3) Certification

We received notice today that our 501(c)(3) certification was approved by the IRS. It is retroactive to August 15, 2015. Donations and gifts made since that date are now tax deductible. Thank you to the SACC Governance Committee for all of your hard work achieving this critical milestone for the organization.

We will soon launch our fundraising campaign to support our mission. Stay tuned for details!

Ricky and Bambi Perform at Fresh Market Music!

Ricky and Bambi were the May 28 Fresh Market Music! concert series guest performers. They put on a lively and thoroughly enjoyable show and were joined by upcoming performers Ballad Brian and David Patterson.  

Bio:

Ricky and Bambi are an acoustic duo based out of Atlanta, GA.  In the years that they have been working together, they have performed over 1,000 shows from California to Europe including festivals, conventions, local music venues as well as the CBS Morning Show and several other television appearances.  

The duo plays a wide range of music from classic rock to 80s pop to country to bluegrass to children's music and they have released numerous CDs over the years in a variety of styles.  But perhaps more importantly than their long list of achievements is the fact that even after years of touring, they still love what they do.  As a result, they always bring along something to every show that can't be bought at a store: FUN!
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​Click here to enjoy their music.

The Fresh Market Music! concert series is sponsored by Smyrna Arts & Cultural Council with support from Keep Smyrna Beautiful. The Smyrna Fresh Produce Market, hosted by Keep Smyrna Beautiful, features locally grown produce, fresh baked goods and more.  The market is open on Saturdays from 8 am to 12 noon.  It is located at 1275 Church St. Smyrna, GA.  This is the north parking lot of the Smyrna First Baptist Church which is entered from King Street.

The Fresh Market Music! concerts are FREE to attend and are held every Saturday from May 21, 2016 to September 24, 2016. The concerts start at 9:30 am.

Aaron Childree Opens Fresh Market Music! Concert Series

The Smyrna Arts and Cultural Council kicked off the “Fresh Market Music!” concert series this morning at 9:30 am at the Smyrna Fresh Produce Market.  Aaron Childree was the inaugural performer.  Aaron started the show at 9:30 and played until the late morning rain shower cut his performance short.  The attendees really enjoyed the performance.  Aaron will be back on June 11 at 8:30 am for an expanded show that coincides with the annual plant sale. 

The Fresh Market Music! concert series is sponsored by Smyrna Arts & Cultural Council with financial support from Keep Smyrna Beautiful. The Smyrna Fresh Produce Market, hosted by Keep Smyrna Beautiful, features locally grown produce, fresh baked goods and more.  The market is open on Saturdays from 8 am to 12 noon.  It is located at 1275 Church St. Smyrna, GA.  This is the north parking lot of the Smyrna First Baptist Church which is entered from King Street.

The Fresh Market Music! concerts are FREE to attend and are held every Saturday from May 21, 2016 to September 24, 2016. The concerts start at 9:30 am except on June 11 when the show begins at 8:30 am. 

SACC Announces Fresh Market Music! FREE Concert Series

The Smyrna Arts & Cultural Council announced new concert series entitled “Fresh Market Music!”. We are partnering with Keep Smyrna Beautiful.  The shows will be during the weekly Smyrna Fresh Produce Market every Saturday from May 21, 2016 to September 24, 2016. The concerts start at 9:30 am except on June 11 when the show begins at 8:30 am.  FREE ADMISSION  

The Smyrna Fresh Produce Market, hosted by Keep Smyrna Beautiful, features locally grown produce, fresh baked goods and more.  The market is open on Saturdays from 8 am to 12 noon.  It is located at 1275 Church St. Smyrna, GA in the north parking lot of the Smyrna First Baptist Church.  

We are excited about this partnership with Keep Smyrna Beautiful and we are grateful for their financial support.   

View the full schedule on our website!

Jonquil City Sessions Features Don White and Christine Lavin

Toss aside the audiobooks. If you're looking for entertainment on your road trip this summer, invite Christine Lavin and Don White along ... if you can get them. 

Popular singers/songwriters Christine Lavin and Don White gave superb performances Saturday, May 14th, in the Smyrna American Legion Music Hall. With a repertoire covering everything from poignant father-daughter songs to laugh-out-loud songs about the sacrifices of dating and airplane encounters with strangers, and an impromptu moment of Wheel-of-Fortune with the audience, it's hard to know if Christine and Don are singers/songwriters, comedians or game show hosts...Lavin even twirls a mean baton...but, then, why can't they be all three (and athletes too)? Wearing skull-and-crossbones-studded pants, toting a guitar and a wide smile, Christine immediately engaged the audience with her humorous song set, her energy and enthusiasm (seriously, a baton!) and her off-the-cuff commentary throughout the night. 

Don spoke for all parents when he described the time he caught his kids imitating him dancing ("Let's do the Dad!"), but the audience may have been surprised to find moments for tears too, when he switched the pace to sing a touching song about loving a daughter. The two performers have performed across the country, sharing their unique and refreshing worldview of topics that are universally experienced. The concert was part of the Jonquil City Sessions, the Smyrna Arts and Cultural Council's acoustic concert series. 

Click here to enjoy the concert photos.

Kevin Renshaw Speaks on Black Box Theatre

Our May 9th Talk of the Town monthly speaker series was a study in Black Box Theater (sometimes called experimental theater) by Kevin Renshaw, Artistic Director for CenterStage North Theatre in Marietta, GA. Black Box Theater became popular in the 1960s for its focus on the human performance and less on the trappings of big budget, technical scenery and sensation. The performance takes place without the distractions of colorful backdrops, scenery or distracting props, so the actor is the action and talents can truly shine. Kevin joined CenterStage North five years ago and has appeared on stage, sat in the director’s chair and worked on set and sound design. 

The SACC thanks Kevin Renshaw for sharing this unique and lesser-known form of true theater with attendees. Kevin's acting credits include; Willum, The Nerd/ Stu  California Suite/ Duncan Leading Ladies/  Frank Burns, M*A*S*H / Goldberg, The Birthday Party / Jamie, The Robber Bridegroom/ Reverend David Lee, The Foreigner / Biondello, Taming of the Shrew / Claudio, Much Ado About Nothing / Mrs. Smith, Bald Soprano/ Howie Newsome, Our Town.  Kevin is the a recipient of a Metropolitan Atlanta Theater Award (MAT Award) for Best Supporting Actor as Boolie in Act 1 Theaters production of Driving Ms. Daisy.

Oils, Pastels & Watercolors by Susan Knight Smith Opens at Smyrna Public Library Art Gallery

The May/June art gallery exhibit for 2016 has opened - Oils, Pastels & Watercolors by Susan Knight Smith. Susan’s exhibit is on display until June 30. The art gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the Smyrna Library. The art gallery exhibits are sponsored by the Friends of Smyrna Library.

Biography:

Susan Knight Smith works primarily in pastel, a medium that allows her to combine her love of expressive drawing with vibrant color. In addition to landscapes, she paints portraits, figure studies, still life, intimate garden scenes, and particularly enjoys plein air painting, or painting out of doors. Susan’s paintings reflect her love of nature, her fascination with the juxtaposition of colors and the play of light, and an enchantment with particular or unique people, places, or things. Of her work, she simply says, "I paint what delights me." She finds much to delight her in the metro Atlanta area where she lives, or near the E. Tennessee home where she grew up. She has also found inspiration for many of her paintings on trips to France, Italy, Mexico, the Arizona desert, and the coast of Maine.

Her work is in over one hundred fifty collections in the United States and has appeared in publications including the cover of ArtCalendar magazine. Exhibiting in over 50 juried regional, national, and international exhibits, Smith has won numerous awards.

Susan has been a working artist for over 25 years, was a teacher before she entered the field of art, and is happy to now be combining these two loves.
Susan paints from her home studio in Powder Springs, GA.

She lives with her husband Roy. They have four children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild!

Glass Art, Acrylics and Pastel by Ann Tewelow Opens at Smyrna Public Library Display Gallery

The May/June art gallery exhibit for 2016 has opened - Glass Art, Acrylics and Pastel by Ann Tewelow. Ann’s exhibit is on display until June 30. The display gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the Smyrna Library. The display gallery exhibits are sponsored by the Friends of Smyrna Library.

Biography:

I am so fortunate to be able to spend my retirement doing what I love to do and sharing my love of art with others. I hope that you will enjoy the creations in glass and pictures in glass, pastels, watercolors or acrylics.

I am fortunate enough to be living my dream of "doing my art when I retire". I have always had a love of and interest in art since my childhood which included earning painting opportunities in elementary school, giving me the desire and assurance that one day I wanted to be able to enjoy doing the art I loved to share with others. 

After marrying and having 3 children with my husband who was serving in the Navy, including being stationed in Naples, Italy for four and half years, we enjoyed touring most of Europe on vacations. Studying oils and acrylics while in Naples, my art was included in exhibits and private collections. ("Roman Mist" was in The Vatican.) Returning to the Naval Air Station in Atlanta, Georgia, I set aside my art while raising the children and pursuing other endeavors, including working with Cobb County as Coordinator of the Mable House Art Center and The Art Station. Upon retiring, I have been able to again return to my art. 

It has been my privilege to have participated in numerous exhibits at home and abroad and to have been honored to receive awards for my art as well as earning commissions and sales, been invited to be a juror for exhibits but the most rewarding is the reaction of friends and viewers to my work.  As well as continuing my work with pastels, acrylics and watercolors, I have expanded my interest to include working with glass. The beauty of glass with the depths of its reflective qualities and colors has always held a deep fascination for me. Taking up the art of fused and slump glass when I retired, I discovered the art of pate de verre and fritography as two new glass methods. In the attempt to create a niche of my own, I have begun to create my own molds from clay which are then fired. I have since added mosaics, etching and sandblasting on glass and mirrors to my repertoire. All these mediums have allowed me a wide range of creativity. I trust you will enjoy my art as much as I have enjoyed creating it.

I hope you will appreciate my work as much as I enjoy doing it to share with you. 

Nancy McGee Presents "Where in the World is CREATWOOD?"

Nancy McGee, lifelong Smyrna resident, presented "Where in the World is CREATWOOD?" today at the Smyrna Public Library.    

Her First Sunday Lecture Series presentation focused on the families that came from West End Atlanta to this Smyrna neighborhood in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the locations they occupied.

She also discussed how the land and land use evolved over the following century and the memories and achievements that are linked to the CREATWOOD families and area.

The First Sunday Lecture Series is co-sponsored by the Smyrna Arts & Cultural Council and the Friends of Smyrna Library.