Finding Community Through Pottery

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

When everything shut down in April because of the coronavirus, we didn’t know how The 567 would make it to the end of the year. Would we end up shutting our doors in our 10th anniversary year?

It’s been a hard year, but thanks to our donors, we are not only surviving—we’re making a difference.

For most people, the coronavirus brought feelings of stress and isolation as life was turned upside down this year. As businesses were affected, many people lost their jobs.

People like Dotti.

Dotti is the kind of energetic person who works hard and loves to stay busy. When she lost her job at the beginning of the pandemic, depression could have set in. When her sister invited her to take a pottery wheel class with her at The 567, Dotti jumped at the chance.

She loved the class so much, Dotti signed up for a pottery studio membership. The membership would allow her to come to the studio to work on her own. She could use our tools and supplies to continue practicing her new passion.

Because of our donors, Dotti had a place to come and work every day—and people to connect with.

In the studio, Dotti not only found a way to keep busy, she also found a community. The members not only create incredible pottery, they also share what they’re learning with each other and even share their lives. They talk about their families, their favorite music, and current events.

Dotti is only one of several members who have found community, inspiration, and stress relief in the studio this year. Each one has a story to tell. In addition, many more artists have been able to earn income teaching classes, sell artwork in our gallery, and learn business skills this year because of the help of our donors.

One day, this pandemic will be over. We can’t wait to draw crowds of people to downtown Macon through the arts once again. I can’t wait to see what the next ten years bring for The 567 Center and for art in downtown Macon.

We are entering the season of giving, when many people give to the organizations and causes they care about. Please make a gift to The 567 today so that we can continue to be a place for artists like Dotti to work and find community in the coming year.

4 Reasons to Shop Local

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

It’s always a great idea to shop locally, but this year it’s more important than ever. Not only is it great for the economy, it’s enjoyable as well! As you do your holiday shopping, here are four reasons to shop at local small businesses.

1.      It’s good for your city. For every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $73 remains in the local economy. For every $100 spent at a big chain store, only $43 remains in the local economy. If you’re shopping online and out of state, then almost nothing is going back to your local economy. While no one likes paying taxes, taxes are required for cities to provide services like fire stations and road maintenance. Macon businesses pay Macon property taxes, business licenses, sales tax, and more. Macon businesses provide local jobs to your neighbors, who in turn spend money at local businesses. When a local small business does well, everyone wins.

2.      Local businesses need your help. 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. Small businesses have been particularly affected by the coronavirus. Shops and restaurants had to shut their doors completely for a month or more. Festivals and craft fairs—a main stay for artists and other creative entrepreneurs—were cancelled. Entrepreneurs are working hard to adapt, to provide a safe shopping experience, or to find ways to sell online, but it’s not the same. A large corporation won’t notice whether you spent your money there, but that small business owner appreciates your $30 purchase more than you know.

3.      Shopping at a local business is a fun experience. That big chain store is the same no matter where you go in any city in America. You could be in Arizona or Alabama, and it would all look the same. But you can’t find Travis Jean, Gallery West, The 567 Center, Macon Arts, Golden Bough Bookstore, or Fresh Produce Records anywhere else. At each of them you’ll find interesting people who love where they work, and would be more than happy to tell you all about every single thing in their store or gallery if you ask.

4.      You can find some really unique gifts. Whether you shop in a store, make a purchase through Facebook, or buy online from a local artist, locally made gifts are something special. That piece of jewelry, handmade bowl, painted Christmas ornament, or handwoven towel is truly one-of-a-kind. Even if there are others like it, no two are exactly alike. When someone receives something made by a local artist, they know you really put some thought into finding the perfect gift. It’s something they can cherish.

Spotlight on: Deb Templeton

Deb Templeton is a Ranger in our pottery studio, a role that is part artist-in-residence, part studio manager. Most days you can find her in the studio working on a new sculpture or guacamole bowl, in between loading and unloading the kiln to fire all of our pottery. Her husband, Bowden, is also a member of our studio.

She has been an artist of all of her life, but she didn't really have any opportunities to work with clay after high school. Art in general was often pushed to the back burner as a working mother and then caregiver to aging parents. A couple of years ago, she found an opportunity to return to the pottery through The 567's studio. She took a pottery wheel class with her husband to brush up on her skills, and then became a studio member to continue creating pottery on her own in her free time.

In this midst of all this, she was still caring for her parents, who suffered from dementia. In the final years of their lives, the stress began to take a toll on her health. When her father passed away last year, she gained a new perspective. She wanted to spend as much time as she could making art, so she left her job to be a full time artist—a choice she still doesn’t regret.

About the transition, Deb said, "In addition to my husband's love and support, the creative environment and community support at the 567 have been essential elements in allowing me to grow and thrive in this endeavor. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this place and all that happens in and outside of these walls."

We’re grateful to have Deb as part of our studio, too. When she became a full-time artist, she also became a Ranger. As the pottery studio has grown in the past year, we couldn’t have done it without Deb to help keep up with all of the tasks that go into running a studio.

You can find Deb’s pottery in our gallery this month and next as part of the Favorite Things exhibit. You can also find some of her work in our online gallery.

#PandemicPerspectives: Melissa Macker On Passion During COVID-19

Our executive director, Melissa Macker, was interviewed this summer for the Choice Premiums blog about her experience working during the pandemic. Here is an excerpt from the article.

A field reliant on community support, COVID-19 has significantly impacted arts organizations and the artists they serve. For executive director Melissa Macker and program manager Jonathan Harwell-Dye, adjusting to a socially distant reality has been challenging. However, both have maintained their passion during COVID-19 for the work they do and who it affects.

One of the most significant shifts for Harwell-Dye and Macker has been reimagining programming for their organizations. This is especially true for Macker, whose programming for The 567 Center for Renewal is primarily classes and art shows.

“Everything I knew that worked that was tested and proven over time didn’t matter now,” Macker said. “And our main sources of revenue were gone. I spent most of the first few weeks reading articles and watching webinars on topics ranging from how to make your arts programming virtual to how to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program. There was so much information out there on ‘how to adapt to COVID-19,’ and even that information was continually changing.”

Read more.

This artist is making a difference

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

Imagine downtown Macon without art. No sculptures. No art festivals. No sip and paint classes. No storefront windows painted with cherry blossoms in the spring.

It would be awfully dull, wouldn’t it?

Downtown Macon wouldn’t be what it is without artists--artists like Heather.

Five years ago, Heather’s husband suffered a back injury that left him unable to work. Heather had a choice. Would she work a full-time job that would pay the bills but leave her exhausted and unable to make art? Or would she find a way to earn a living through her passion?

Through The 567—and because of the generosity of our donors—she was able transform her hobby into a career in a way she never thought possible.

The 567 provided Heather the space, supplies, and encouragement to earn income teaching art classes, support her family, and still have time to spend with their four children.

The opportunity to pursue her art career also gave Heather the freedom to keep making her own art and experiment with new mediums. Last year Heather had her first solo exhibit at The 567. The exhibit pushed her to create more art, gave her exposure to new audiences, and boosted her confidence as an artist. These days, new artists are coming to Heather for advice.

“Tribute to Rocky” by Heather McLaurin. Smoke and India ink. 20” x 24”.

“Patiently Waiting” by Heather McLaurin. Smoke and India ink. 16” x 20”.

Downtown Macon is a different place because Heather was able to pursue her art. Hundreds of people have enjoyed a fun art class with Heather downtown, whether it was Corks & Canvas, Drink & Ink, or pottery classes. Heather has taught art activities for kids on the Art Cart and helped lead our kids’ summer camps.

Heather is just one of many artists we’ve worked with. Thanks to our donors, more than 40 artists have earned income from teaching art classes or selling artwork in the past year alone. These artists attract hundreds of people to downtown through the classes they teach, enrich lives with the art they create, make downtown's alleyways more interesting through the graffiti walls, and provide kids a creative outlet.

When artists thrive, so does downtown Macon.

We are entering the season of giving, when many people give to the organizations and causes they care about. Please make a gift to The 567 today so that we can continue to be a place for artists like Heather to work.

The 567 Center for Renewal Creates “Alley Canvases” in Downtown Macon

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

The 567 Center for Renewal has established more safe places for graffiti and mural artists to practice their craft in the alleys of downtown Macon. Thanks to a Downtown Challenge Grant from the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, The 567 Center is installing 3 new graffiti walls.

The 567 Center created the first Graffiti Wall last summer to beautify downtown Macon while encouraging creativity and artistic pursuits. Anyone, whether professional artist or aspiring artist, is able to use the wall as a blank canvas to express themselves and create art. It also gives street artists a legal place to create art, without causing property damage for building owners.

Artist paints on first Graffiti Wall in downtown Macon

“The first graffiti wall has been a great success,” said Melissa Macker, executive director of The 567. “Many people have used the wall as their canvas, and people walking by really enjoy seeing the art created on what would normally be a boring brick wall. Graffiti artists have been really respectful of the space, too. We haven’t seen anything inappropriate.”

Funding through the Downtown Challenge Grant has allowed The 567 Center to replicate this success in 3 new locations downtown. One of the goals of the grant was to improve use of underutilized spaces in downtown, such as alleys. The new Graffiti Walls will allow these alleys to become destinations of creative expression.

Mural on graffiti wall near The 567 Center

The 567 Center will celebrate the unveiling of the new Graffiti Walls on September 5 at 5 pm in Broadway Lane, near Tubman Museum. Spray paint will be available for anyone who wants to try out painting on the new wall.

The new Graffiti Walls are located at:

• Broadway Lane near Cherry St, between Service Loan & Tax and Tubman Musuem

• At the intersection of 3rd St Lane and Cherry St Ln, on the corner of the parking deck

• Mulberry St Lane near Third Street

Spotlight on: John Skelton

John Skelton gives a pottery wheel demonstration outside The 567.

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

John Skelton has been teaching pottery in academic settings for 17 years and creating pottery for much longer. Last year he started teaching pottery wheel classes at The 567, and another Beginning Wheel class just kicked off this week with John.

"The 567 is important to me as a hub for making the ceramic arts available in the community," said John. "The casual environment allows me to demonstrate alternative techniques, allowing me to experiment while teaching."

John is a patient instructor. He seems to have a knack for explaining how to transform a spinning ball of clay into a bowl or cup for those who have never touched a pottery wheel before. Getting that clay on the wheel to bend to your will for the first time can be difficult, but John takes the stress out of it by keeping the whole class relaxed.

You can tell that what he really loves, though, is encouraging people to keep learning. Making a bowl is easy—but John hopes they will press on to learn more challenging shapes like vases, boxes, and teapots.

Pottery by John Skelton

In addition to teaching at The 567, John is a ceramics professor at Middle Georgia State University and instructor at Mercer University. As an artist, his pieces have been exhibited in juried ceramics exhibitions nationally and internationally, including the Ceramics Monthly International Competition and the Strictly Functional National. His pottery has been published in books and periodicals such as The Art of Contemporary American Ceramics, Ceramics Technical, and American iPottery. You will see some of his pottery on exhibit in The 567’s gallery next month.

John's wife, Johnnie, also teaches ceramics at The 567. Occasionally you'll see their 3-year-old son, Jack, in the pottery studio. Jack loves cooking and Play-Doh.

How to Collect Art

by Melissa Macker, Executive Director

We had a wonderful lecture last week titled, "How to Collect Art." Three local art collectors--Jean Bragg, Jan Beeland, and Alexis Gregg--spoke about their experiences and journey in collecting art. In addition to telling some interesting stories, they also offered advice for someone who might be considering art collecting, but doesn't know where to start. In case you missed them, here are 5 takeaways:

1. Collect what you love. Unless you're a dealer purely collecting art to make money on it, art collectors can agree that it is ultimately about enriching your life with art. Whatever you decide to collect, buy art first and foremost because you love it and it makes you happy. Whether it is a painting from your travels, a quirky piece from your favorite local artist, or a richly handcrafted mug for you to drink your coffee from, collect what you love. That will look different for each person. You may find yourself unintentionally becoming a collector of paintings of doors because that is what you are drawn to! But for an art collector, art isn't just fluff, it's a deeply rewarding part of their life that is worth every penny.

2. Buy original pieces. While prints of paintings can be a more affordable way to enjoy the work of your favorite artists, they cannot really replace the original piece itself. There are some high-quality canvas prints available, but only the original will show every brushstroke that went into the work. Buy as many original pieces as you can afford, even if they're smaller. If your budget is small, watercolors, pastels, and ceramics can be a great way to get started collecting at a more affordable price point. Most collectors start out with a small budget, and then buy more expensive pieces over time as their budget grows. Unlike prints made from originals, original pieces can keep their value and even go up in value, depending on the artist. If your collection gets larger, you can cull your collection occasionally and sell original pieces that you have become less attached to in order to make room for new work. Also, if you do buy an original, make sure the artist has signed it.

Artwork in The 567’s gallery

3. Study the artist. If you're interested in collecting art as an investment, learn as much as you can about the artist and each individual piece. Buy a book about the kind of art you want to collect, Google the artist, talk to galleries and dealers, and visit and revisit the pieces. If it's a living artist, reach out to them and ask to visit their studio. Many artists would be happy to meet you at their studio and tell you more about their work. Once you learn about the artist and their work, then you will get a sense of which pieces could potentially go up in value over time. For example, rarer pieces are more valuable because they are harder to find. If a piece is much larger than everything else that artist painted, it could potentially have great value because there are no other pieces like it.

4. Find art from different sources. Galleries and art dealers are a great place to start when you art collecting art. Even if they do not currently have exactly what you are looking for, they know art and artists and can sometimes help you find it. Galleries are not the only place to buy art, though. For more well-known artists, there are art auction houses such as Neal Auction Company where you can find higher-end art and more hard-to-find pieces. (Make sure you set a limit for yourself before you go to an auction, though!) You can even buy art on eBay, but you have to be careful about sellers being dishonest. For example, sometimes sellers on eBay claim that a piece is by a different artist than who actually did it. Events and shows like Fired Works, which just took place last week, can be a wonderful place to see a lot of work by different artists, discover new artists, and find pieces you love. If you visit the artist's studio, you can also buy artwork directly from the artist. Sometimes artists have work in their studio that is "seconds," which means work with minor defects, that you can purchase at a lower price than what it would normally be worth.

5. Use your art collection. If you collect handmade ceramic mugs, use your mugs. Just because they are art does not mean they have to sit on a high shelf to never be touched. Pottery, in particular, is meant to be handled to be enjoyed. Using original pottery changes your experience of food and drink. If one of them breaks, then you have an excuse to buy more pottery! It will enrich your life so much more to use your pottery or hand-blown glasses in your daily life than to only look at it. Hang your paintings where you can enjoy them. If you have an oil painting that does get damaged, it can be repaired by a professional. The important thing is that your art collection is part of your life.

Help with your holiday shopping

by Victoria Phillips, Gallery Intern

Have you ever thought about buying a piece of art but you haven’t been quite sure how to go about it? Well here at the 567, we know that your time is valuable and sometimes you just can’t squeeze in enough time to stop by the gallery during our operating hours. We also know that you may have lots of questions concerning the media and the dimensions of the artwork that is available. With these things in mind, we have adapted our online gallery to fit your needs.

Panhandle, Dawn, Watercolor painting, Eric O’Dell, 10” x 13”

When creating our online gallery we were very intentional about what you, the buyer, might need to know. For each of our products, we have included the artist, medium, price, and sizes in the listing. We have also organized our products by prices, so if you are on a budget you can simply select your desired price range and the options that we have available in that price range will appear. We have created options for you to search through the work through price, medium, and artist!

Cosmic, Acrylic on canvas, Casie Trace, 36” x 48”

As the holiday season approaches, please take a moment and check out the local artists that we have on exhibit through on our online gallery! There is no greater gift than offering something that is unique and made from the heart!

Spend time with family and friends at an art class

by Victoria Phillips, Gallery Intern

As the seasons change so does our class schedule! Here at the 567 we are dedicated to offering as many creative opportunities to our community as possible. With that in mind, we change our class schedules on a regular basis.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but we have all of your entertainment covered! This upcoming week, we will have lots for you to do with your family and friends.

Growler Painting Class

Join us on Wednesday, November 21st for a Growler Painting Class at 6:30 p.m. to entertain your guests. On November 23rd we will have two Clay Ornament Classes for kids, one at 10:30 a.m. and 1 in the afternoon.

Clay Ornaments for Kids

We will end the week with a Coffee & Canvas on Saturday November 24th at 2:00 in the afternoon. We will continue the rest of the month with a variety of classes including pottery, oil painting, Corks and Canvas, jewelry making and more! Check out our events calendar to reserve your spot today!