The culture of Augusta, Georgia is influenced by the many different perspectives and histories of its community members, as well as its own history. The large military population of the area as well as the city's rural surroundings have affected the types of festivals and culture produced within the city. Another major influence on the culture of the city is the annual Masters golf tournament held in April of each year. The most prolific cultural medium produced by the city is its musicians, as evidenced by James Brown, Jessye Norman, and Wycliffe Gordon. Though notably, the writer Frank Yerby and visual artist Jasper Johns were Augusta natives as well.
Augusta is host to a variety of annual events. The largest event held in the city each year is the Masters golf tournament bringing in around 250,000 visitors. [1] One of the majors of the PGA tour, the Masters is also a major cultural influence on the city. Most semi-professional sports teams in the city are named for puns related to the tournament (the Augusta GreenJackets and the now defunct Augusta Lynx). Many establishments in the city, especially in the area around the Augusta National Golf Club, are also named in a similar manner. Restaurants throughout Augusta use memorabilia from the tournament as decor. [1] Spring break for schools within the Richmond County School System coincides with the tournament, similarly to the timing of school breaks in New Orleans and Mardi Gras. [1]
Other annual events include the cultural festival Arts in the Heart of Augusta, [2] the hip hop concert Mayfest, [1] and the arts festival Westobou. [1] The Rock Fore! Dough Concert is a charity concert held each year to coincide with the Masters golf tournament. The CSRA Classic, a traditional style marching band competition, is also held each year in Augusta. [1]
Each year, Augusta also hosts the Augusta Futurity, the largest horse cutting show east of the Mississippi River. In 2009, the Futurity hosted its 30th annual event. [3] Augusta hosts the Augusta Literary Festival on the first Saturday in March at the Augusta-Richmond County Library in downtown Augusta (823 Telfair Street). [4]
Along with these annual events, downtown Augusta also hosts a monthly "First Friday" arts festival in the downtown Artist's Row district. [1]
Augusta hosts an annual LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) pride parade called Augusta Pride. Augusta Pride attracted 4,000 people in 2010, its first year. [5] The festival is rapidly growing and an estimated 7,000 people attended in 2011.
The metropolitan area supports a number of theatrical venues and both amateur and professional companies. The Imperial Theatre, where James Brown formerly practiced, [1] and the Bell Auditorium are the largest dedicated theater venues in Augusta. The Miller Theater was formerly a movie theater and reopened in 2018 as the home of the Augusta Symphony and a theatrical space for music, comedy, dance and theatrical performances. The Le Chat Noir Theatre is a new addition to the theater scene in Augusta. [1] The Greater Augusta Youth Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth theater company operated entirely by youth actors, directors, designers, artist and musicians of the Metro-Augusta area. All of these spaces are located in the downtown district.
Two theaters operate in the district of South Augusta. The Augusta Mini Theater recently opened its doors for both theatrical classes and performances. [6] The Fort Gordon Dinner Theater is a long-running theater that is based on the military base of Fort Gordon. [1] The Young Artists Repertory Theatre, Inc. is a 10-year-old youth theatre company based in adjoining Martinez.
Augusta Ballet is a prominent presenting dance company based in Augusta. They present world-class performers mostly out of the Imperial Theatre. The Augusta Players are a theatrical troupe in the city.
The James Brown Arena is the largest venue in Augusta. It is used for a variety of events. Notably, the arena was named for Augusta-native musician James Brown just prior to his death in 2006. [1]
The Augusta Symphony is a full concert orchestra that performs four major series each year. [1] The Augusta Choral Society often performs with them, but also has its own concerts and series. [1]
Artists' Row is a small district located in downtown along Broad Street. This is an important landmark in downtown Augusta because it is one of the first revitalization efforts begun downtown. It is named for the art galleries located along the 700-1200 blocks. The business fronts stay open for First Friday, which began in 1995. Every first Friday of the month downtown galleries, dinners, and boutiques stay open until 10 pm.
The mission of the Greater Augusta Arts Council [8] is to enrich the quality of life for citizens and visitors by advancing vibrant cultural arts. They serve as a resource for Augusta's arts community and help connect arts lovers to the events and programs they are passionate about. Founded in 1968 by the Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce, the Junior Women's Club, and the Junior League of Augusta to serve as an umbrella organization for the arts in Augusta, they have taken an active role in supporting Augusta's cultural identity. They currently act as Augusta's public art agency, and also administer re-granting arts funds from the City of Augusta through the City Arts Grants Program.
They organize opportunities and events for both artists and art lovers, including the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival, [9] a 2+1⁄2-day celebration of the varied arts and cultural diversity that make up Augusta. Other events and outreach programs they produce are: The Arts Weekly Radio Show & Podcast, [10] Aspirations workshop series (including the Business of Being an Artist class produced in collaboration with the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, The City Gallery [11] & the Gallery at Augusta and Company, [12] and professional training sessions, the annual Wet Paint Party + Art Sale, and the annual Arts Awards dinner, the online Augusta Arts Calendar, [13] the annual Arts Day Luncheon (formerly the Grassroots Legislative Luncheon), Public Art & Neighborhood Placemaking Projects, the City Arts Grants, and they offer daily support for all local artists and arts organizations.
In 2016, the Greater Augusta Arts Council [14] partnered with Americans for the Arts [15] to run the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 (AEP5) study for Richmond & Columbia Counties. [16] The insights it provides are useful for arts advocates, city leaders, arts educators and those who support the arts in any capacity to share the economic value and impact of the arts with our broader community. The Arts Council partnered with the City of Augusta, Columbia County, and the Georgia Council for the Arts in order to bring this study to the Central Savannah River Region and discover the impact of the arts to our local economy.
Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third most populous city in Georgia, is situated in the Fall Line region of the state.
The culture of Ann Arbor, Michigan includes various attractions and events, many of which are connected with the University of Michigan.
John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School (DFA) is a public magnet school for the fine and performing arts located in downtown Augusta, Georgia, United States. It draws students in grades 6 through 12 throughout Richmond County. In addition to a basic curriculum of college preparatory and Advanced Placement academic courses, Davidson offers academic and fine arts courses in the areas of visual arts, music, chorus, dance, cinema production, and theatre. It has been recognized as a National Grammy Signature School, has been ranked as the #1 school in the state of Georgia, and has placed in the top 100 tier of Newsweek's "America's Best High Schools."
Hosting the region's largest urban population, Halifax, Nova Scotia is an important cultural centre in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is home to a vibrant arts and culture community that enjoys considerable support and participation from the general population. As the largest community and the administrative centre of the Atlantic region since its founding in 1749, Halifax has long-standing tradition of being a cultural generator. While provincial arts and culture policies have tended to distribute investment and support of the arts throughout the province, sometimes to the detriment of more populous Halifax, cultural production in the region is increasingly being recognized for its economic benefits, as well as its purely cultural aspects.
The Cultural District is a fourteen-square-block area in Downtown Pittsburgh bordered by the Allegheny River on the north, Tenth Street on the east, Stanwix Street on the west, and Liberty Avenue on the south.
The performing arts community in Louisville, Kentucky is undergoing a renaissance. The Kentucky Center, dedicated in 1983, located in the downtown hotel and entertainment district, is a premiere performing arts center. It features a variety of plays and concerts, and is the performance home of the Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra, Broadway Across America - Louisville, Music Theatre Louisville, Stage One, KentuckyShow! and the Kentucky Opera, which is the twelfth oldest opera in the United States. The center also manages the historic W. L. Lyons Brown Theatre, which opened in 1925 and is patterned after New York's acclaimed Music Box Theatre.
Montreal was referred to as "Canada's Cultural Capital" by Monocle Magazine. The city is Canada's centre for French-language television productions, radio, theatre, film, multimedia, and print publishing. The Quartier Latin is a neighbourhood crowded with cafés animated by this literary and musical activity. Montreal's many cultural communities have given it a distinct local culture.
The culture of San Diego is influenced heavily by American and Mexican cultures due to its position as a border town, its large Hispanic population, and its history as part of Spanish America and Mexico. San Diego's longtime association with the U.S. military also contributes to its culture. Present-day culture includes many historical and tourist attractions, a thriving musical and theatrical scene, numerous notable special events, a varied cuisine, and a reputation as one of America's premier centers of craft brewing.
The culture of San Antonio reflects the history and culture of one of the state's oldest and largest cities straddling the regional and cultural divide between South and Central Texas. Historically, San Antonio culture comes from a blend of Central Texas and South Texas (Southwestern) culture. Founded as a Spanish outpost and the first civil settlement in Texas, San Antonio is heavily influenced by Mexican American culture due to Texas formerly being part of Mexico and, previously, the Spanish Empire. The city also has significant German, Anglo, and African American cultural influences. San Antonio offers a host of cultural institutions, events, restaurants and nightlife in South Texas for both residents and visitors alike.
The Sacred Heart Cultural Center, originally known also as Sacred Heart Catholic Church, is a historic events center and former Catholic parish church located in Augusta, Georgia. The church was established to accommodate Augusta's growing Catholic immigrant population, which had outgrown the St. Patrick parish by the 1870s.
The Imperial Theatre is an 853-seat theater located in downtown Augusta, Georgia, United States. The theater opened on February 18, 1918. It is named after the Imperial Theatre in New York City.
Augusta, Georgia was founded in 1736 as part of the British colony of Georgia, under the supervision of colony founder James Oglethorpe. It was the colony's second established town, after Savannah. Today, Augusta is the second-largest city in Georgia, and the largest city of the Central Savannah River Area.
The Rialto Center for the Arts is an 833-seat performing-arts venue owned and operated by Georgia State University and located in the heart of the Fairlie-Poplar district in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The venue is home to the Rialto Series, an annual subscription series featuring national and international jazz, world music, and dance. The Rialto also routinely presents Georgia State University School of Music performances, the annual National Black Arts Festival, and many others.
The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) is an American non-profit cultural organization that promotes Indian theatre, art, film, fashion, music, dance, and literature in the United States. The Council was established in 1998 in New York City and is headed by Aroon Shivdasani. IAAC hosts cultural and artistic events throughout the year, including the annual New York Indian Film Festival, which showcases Indian and diaspora-related films.
The culture of Columbus, Ohio, is particularly known for museums, performing arts, sporting events, seasonal fairs and festivals, and architecture of various styles from Greek Revival to modern architecture.
The Jessye Norman School of the Arts is a free, comprehensive after-school arts program serving mostly disadvantaged middle and high school students in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 2003 by the Rachel Longstreet Foundation, Inc. and was funded in large part during its first year by its namesake, the celebrated opera singer and Augusta native Jessye Norman, who was very involved in the life of the School in the following years. The School, a 501(c)(3) organization, offers courses in dance, drama, visual art, music and creative writing on the same academic schedule as the Richmond County School District.
The arts in Atlanta are well-represented, with a prominent presence in music, fine art, and theater.
The Midland Cultural Centre is a public multi-use complex located in Midland, Ontario, Canada. The 2787 m2 building is home to three main groups: Quest Art School and Gallery, the Huronia Players theatre company, and Rotary Hall, a community event space.
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