As usual, there are plenty of chances to explore your creative side at the Averitt Center this month. Read on to find out all that is available in April.
Little Artists Program
April is Little Artists Enrollment Month! The Little Artists program gives children a chance to discover the world around them through playing, singing, exploring, and creating. Held in the Averitt Center's Main Building at 33 E. Main Street, this fun-filled program will encourage a child's natural sense of wonder and curiosity while promoting self-expression and social development. The curriculum is designed around learning through play, creating using the arts, helping to develop social skills, and sharpening the important foundational abilities needed for school readiness.
The Little Artists program follows the Bulloch County Schools calendar but is open to children in the surrounding counties of Screven, Jenkins, Emanuel, Candler, Evans, Bryan, and Effingham. Beginning on Aug. 1st, the program will be held Mondays through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and is for potty-trained three- and four-year-olds, during the school year. Tuition is $250 per month and there is a $15 monthly supply fee. The program will be under the instruction of Michelle NeSmith. For more information or to register, contact Nesmith at 912-531-2312.
Avant Gardener in the Main Gallery
Lisa D. Watson’s Avant Gardener: A Creative Exploration of Imperiled Species gallery exhibition will be on display through May 5th. Watson is an artist and a gardener. Her concern with human sprawl fuses with her love for plants and animals, pushing her to create multilayered artwork that sparks a deeper awareness of the human impact on nature. Since 2019, with the help of biologists, rangers, and regional naturalists, she has ventured into the surrounding landscapes of the Southeast to study endangered, threatened, and rare plants. In Avant Gardener, Watson probes how the loss of habitat, sprawl, chemical spraying, invasive exotic species, and poachers are changing native habitats into unhealthy and unsustainable lands.
Our Main Gallery at 33 E. Main St. is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and is sponsored by Burney Marsh & John Tucker, Bill & Virginia Anne Franklin Waters, Lawrence & Kathleen Smith, Drs. Patrick & Theresa Novotny, The Statesboro Regional Art Association, and Frazier’s Flowers. All our galleries are free to the public.
Creativity Workshops with Bunyan Morris
One of our favorite artists and teachers, Bunyan Morris, will be holding two Creativity Workshops in April at our Roxie Remley center (31 E. Vine St.). Come explore the possibilities in visual creativity. This hands-on workshop is designed for artists of any level who have a strong interest in self-expression and creativity. We will have fun with a variety of art experiences that will help us tap into and better understand our own creative spirit. Bring your own sketch pad, sketch pencils, and any color media of your choice. In other words, bring a variety of art supplies and be ready to have a lot of creative fun. The cost for these workshops is $35 + a $10 supply fee. The first will be held April 1st, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and the second will be April 3rd, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Spring Break Camp
Bulloch County schools will be out for Spring Break April 3rd – 7th. And when school’s out, we’re in! Indulge your creative child with our week-long Spring Break Camp adventure in the world of art, creation, exploration, and experimentation. Campers will learn about colors, art techniques, and how to express themselves through art. Students will need to bring their morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack and should dress to get dirty. Camp will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Tuition is $150 plus $20 for supplies. Spring Break Camp is for ages 4-10.
Give It A Spin Pottery Workshop
Interested in pottery but feeling shy about signing up for a class? Come on down to the Roxie studio (31 E. Vine St.) and try our Give it a Spin! workshop on April 8th at 6 p.m.. This 2.5-hour session will cover the basics of throwing on the potters’ wheel. All tools and materials provided. The cost is $40. Give it a Spin! is for ages 16-plus.
Ballroom Dance Class with Michael McCurdy
Come get your groove on in Session 2 of our Ballroom Dance Classes, taught by Michael McCurdy. The class will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on four Thursdays - April 13th, 20th, and 27th, and May 4th. We will start off with the show-stealing Cha-cha-cha and the ever-adaptable Rhumba. Then, in the final two weeks we will be dancing to some of your favorite pop ballads with Nightclub Two-Step and finish up with Detroit-Style Ballroom. The cost for Session 2 is $97 per couple. All classes will be held in the Grande Studio at 41 W. Main Street.
Paint-N-Party
April 14th at 6 p.m., we will have our monthly Paint-N-Party. No experience necessary! Just come and have fun with friends and your favorite drink! This month we will be painting some beautiful red tulips. The cost to attend this event is $35 and includes all the supplies needed. Our Paint-N-Parties are held at the Roxy Remley Center at 31 E. Vine St. and are catered and sponsored by BoroTakeout.
Bright Star the Musical
April 20th-23rd come see Bright Star, our final musical of the 2022-23 season. Inspired by a real event and featuring the Grammy-nominated score by Steven Martin and Edie Brickell, Broadway’s Bright Star tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ’40s. When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past – and what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives.
Propelled by an ensemble of onstage musicians and dancers, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion, beautiful melodies and powerfully moving performances. An uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tight in its grasp, Bright Star is as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful. This show will be held in the Emma Kelly Theater (33 E. Main St.). Thursday through Saturday shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinee begins at 3 p.m. Tickets are just $25.
Try Your Hand At Clay Workshop
Want to try working with clay? No experience? No time to take an eight-week session? This hand-building clay class is designed for you! On the last Saturday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., join us for our Try Your Hand at Clay Workshop. This month (April 29th) we will be making a succulent wall pocket. Our fabulous instructor, Georgina Osuna-Diaz will take you step-by-step through the process of creation. Any experience level is welcome! Registration is required. This workshop is for artists aged 16-plus. The cost is just $35.
Chamber Orchestra and String Showcase
April 30th at 3 p.m., Jonathan Aceto will lead our beloved Chamber Orchestra and String Program in an All-American concert/showcase. Join us in the Emma Kelly Theater (33 E. Main St.) to enjoy American classics featuring Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Admission is free of charge! This event is sponsored by Orchid.
For more information on events, classes, and workshops, visit our website at www.averittcenterforthearts.org or contact the Averitt Center at 912-212-2787.
