These events will bring you face-to-face with student and professional artists from Athens

Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
(L) Athens printmaker Amanda Burk interacts with a patron at the 2019 Monster Drawing Rally at Cine in Athens, Ga. Burk is among the artists that will be participating in the Really Big Art Rally on Mar. 25, 2023.
(L) Athens printmaker Amanda Burk interacts with a patron at the 2019 Monster Drawing Rally at Cine in Athens, Ga. Burk is among the artists that will be participating in the Really Big Art Rally on Mar. 25, 2023.

Athens wouldn't be Athens without its ever-thriving creative class, and some of the contributors to that vibrant culture will be celebrated this week with a pair of events that showcase their wide variety of artistic talent and welcome the public to show up as supporters and patrons.

Clarke County School District Youth Art Month Art Exhibition

The annual Clarke County School District (CCSD) Youth Art Month Art Exhibition opens Friday at ATHICA (675 Pulaski St., STE 1200) with a reception from 5-7p.m. Entitled "Confluence," the pop-up will run through Mar. 31 with gallery hours from 2-4 p.m. on Mar. 26 and 4-6 p.m. Mar. 29-30. This exhibition will feature artwork by students from Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central high schools.

A second CCSD Youth Art Month Exhibition is now open at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia (270 River Rd.) and is scheduled to run through Mar. 31. To honor the student artist contributors and their teachers, a reception is planned to take place at the School of Art from 1-3 p.m. on Mar. 26. Both events are designed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors of all ages.

Really BIG Art Rally

Attendees for the Really BIG Art Rally on Mar. 25 at Ciné (234 W Hancock Ave.) will be able to view Athens-based professional artists gathered together to create original works on site and offer the finished pieces up for purchase at a reduced price of $60. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and all proceeds will go toward supporting ATHICA and Ciné, which are both nonprofit cultural venues.

The dozens of Athens-based artists confirmed to be participating include Greg Benson, Amanda Burk, Jill Carnes, Susan Hable, Michael Lachowski, Erin McIntosh, Stan Mullins, Susan Nees, Paul Thomas and Rusty Wallace. The event will be hosted by Lyndon House Arts Center program supervisor with inspirational musical accompaniment provided by DJ Mahogany.

$10 admission tickets for the Really BIG Art Gallery can be purchased at athenscine.com/movie/really-big-art-rally.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Community art events celebrate high school students, local creatives