Georgia Made... Georgia Grown...

Although born in Georgia, I was a military brat, leaving the state before I could walk. Moved back, married military and, at least for a bit, continued to move around again before settling back in my birth state. While I can't claim to have hit every corner of the globe, I've lived in enough places to say with some credibility that Georgia is the best of the best.

Georgia has a little bit of everything a person could want and a lot to be discovered. A little bit? Well, travel to New York and try to choose which show to see on Broadway. Georgia has a lot of top notch theater, but a little bit  in comparison to the overwhelming offerings in New York, "the City".

Go spend a month in Washington, D.C. doing nothing but visiting the Smithsonian and other museums - you'll need more time! Georgia has a wealth of history and fabulous museums, enough to keep you busy for months and months, if you're willing to get in the car. Not quite comparable to the volume in D.C., but they are well worth multiple visits.

I could go on! No matter where you're from or what you're looking for that's good, you can find it in Georgia.

Don't misunderstand though --- while we may have a little bit of everything, we also have a lot of some things that are uniquely "Georgia". Fantastic restaurants, home grown foods, talent in every artistic corner, festivals, warm people, thriving businesses, fun beaches, oh, the list is long.

Georgia is like one of those gift baskets people give sometimes when they're not quite sure what you might want. It's chocked full of everything imaginable. You just keep finding new things down in the basket, all different, all wonderful and all to be appreciated.

Because there are so many things in the Georgia 'gift basket', it can be daunting trying to find many of the great things created by Georgians. We want to support those who live in our state, shout about their great talents and accomplishments, figure out where to go, and eat or buy Georgia grown foods.

Now there is an excellent resource being developed by Camille and Bill Ronay, creators of event2000.com and of Ronay Guide fame, to find and share the best of the best in Georgia: Georgia Made Georgia Grown (GMGG).

I can't top their description: "Georgia Made Georgia Grown LLC markets and promotes artists, craft makers, entertainers, musicians, authors, food products creators, agri-tourism venue owners and other creative entrepreneurs in all 159 counties!... Whether you are looking for unique products and services as a gift, looking for the best in arts, crafts, food and entertainment for yourself, or looking for corporate resources from local sources in Georgia, GMGG has what you need."

I have been seeing tweets and tidbits on Facebook for a while, but only recently really took a good look at the site. Impressive to say the least. GMGG is going to become "the" place to be for Georgia's creative and entrepreneurial talent as well as an excellent resource for anyone visiting or living in Georgia.

If you are a Georgia farmer, artists, crafter, entertainer, serve Georgia grown in your restaurant, shop owner, or create anything in Georgia, go check out the site. If you'd like to find sell items made or grown in Georgia, go check out the site.

Get on board early. Based on past performance and the agressive marketing the Ronay's have already undertaken, this is going to be another successful venture by the pair. They are active in promoting Georgia and GMGG is developing into an outstanding resource. If you're on Facebook, be sure to find them and hit the "like" button on each of their GMGG channels (links are on the website). You'll receive a lot of quality information and learn so much about your fellow creative Georgians.

If you love the state and want to support the people and businesses that make it a fantastic place to live, go visit Georgia Made Georgia Grown.

- Janet McGregor Dunn
Editor, Georgia Front Page

Generating Some Buzz

For several weeks last fall, different artistic interpretations of Buzz were present around campus. An auction next month gives people the opportunity to own them.

In Buzz Around Town, part of the Alumni Association’s centennial celebration, alumni, student groups and campus organizations were able to sponsor one of 25 five-foot-tall Fiberglas Buzz statues. Each sponsor then paired with a local artist, who helped translate their vision to Tech’s beloved mascot.

Starting May 15 at the President’s Dinner, 20 of the 25 statues will be available for auction online. For a minimum bid of $500 or $1,000, members of the Tech community can own part of the campus-wide celebration.

“Since a lot of the Buzzes were created specifically for campus organizations, alumni who align with these groups are expressing interest,” said Renee Queen, vice president of Marketing Services for the Alumni Association. “Alumni from around the country are sending e-mails asking about them.”

Queen says 10 statues on each side of the walkway will flank attendees as they enter for dinner. The auction will be open for a week, closing May 22.

Sponsors have purchased four of the 50-pound Buzz statues ”two individual alumni, the Alumni Association and Auxiliary Services” and one was sold in a previous auction. Winning bidders must sign an agreement in compliance with the use of Buzz’s image and trademark.

Queen says there have been many requests to hold another Buzz Around Town event, which was held specifically for the Association’s centennial.

“While people have expressed interest, we have no plans to do this again,” she said.

“As far as I’m concerned, these 20 statues will be the only ones available for auction.”

After the fall semester, each statue was taken for repair and paint restoration. Proceeds from the auction will go toward the sponsoring organizations, with a small percentage being used for administrative costs.

“It’s been a wonderful experience,” Queen said. “We’ve been able to support student organizations and many local artists. And I feel so attached to each one. Each one epitomizes and shows the Tech community.”

Buzz Around Town facts

For Buzz Around Town, sponsors paid $1,600 to acquire and decorate a Buzz. Student organizations paid $800. Of the 25, 11 were sponsored by student organizations. Alumni sponsored nine, and Tech departments and organizations sponsored five.

Although every Buzz statue has undergone repair and restoration, Queen says the BuzzCard Buzz, sponsored by Auxiliary Services, was the only statue not damaged.

Tech organizations included the College of Engineering, the Alumni Association, the Georgia Tech Foundation, Auxiliary Services and the Tech Parents Program.

On the Alumni Association’s Web site, visitors were able to vote on which they thought were the best. The A.E.K.D. Buzz, sponsored by Kappa Sigma Fraternity, was voted the favorite.

Alumnus Kimberly Davis-Blackstone sponsored “Heritage Buzz.” Artists included David Boyd Jr., the art teacher at Heritage High School in Rockdale County, and Davis-Blackstone’s daughter, Nicole Young.

Alumnus Susan M. Davis sponsored the “Celebrating the Power of Women’s Contributions at Tech and Beyond.” Davis was the first female Buzz mascot, and the yellow shoes on the statue recall a time when she forgot her black high-tops while the team was playing out of town. The only shoes she could find at the last minute were yellow.

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Native American Festival at Indian Springs September 13-14

GFP Note: Join in the fun at Indian Springs on September 13 and 14 for the 2008 Native American Festival. It's only a day-tripper away!

The annual Native American Festival at Indian Springs promises to be better than ever this year. Come listen to the old stories, see the colorful Native American regalia, and enjoy the music. Hours are 10 am - 5 pm on September 13 and 14.

Free parking across the street from the Indian Spring Museum/Hotel.

Donations:
Adults: $5
12 and under: $3
Infants: Free

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Anne Frank Exhibit Opens in Carrollton September 7

GFP Note: This exhibit opens at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton on September 7th.

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"Since its publication in 1947, Anne Frank’s diary has served as personal witness to the Holocaust. 'Anne Frank: A History for Today' seeks to continue to teach the history and tragedy of the Holocaust, meanwhile making it clear that prejudice and intolerance are topics as real and relevant today as they were during the Nazi era." - Lorene Flanders

The Penelope Melson Society and the Ingram Library will open the exhibit “Anne Frank: A History for Today” on Sunday, Sept. 7. The exhibit is free and the community is welcome to attend during library hours.

Produced in the Netherlands and made available through the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and the Anne Frank Center USA, the exhibit juxtaposes photographs of the Frank family with historical events of the time period.

With 55 exhibition panels that chronicle the rise of Nazism and a three-dimensional representation of the dining room of the Secret Annex, the exhibit challenges the audience to think about the value of tolerance, mutual respect and the significance of human rights.

Another component of the exhibit features photographs taken by soldier and photojournalist William A. Scott III as he participated in the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp in a segregated all-black army unit. Scott was also a member of one of the leading African-American families of Atlanta who founded and operated The Atlanta Daily World, the nation’s first black owned daily newspaper.

Adding more historical drama to the exhibit is guest speaker Dr. Leon Bass, an educator from Pennsylvania and an African-American soldier who participated along with Scott in the liberation of Buchenwald. He will speak on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center Ballroom. His presentation will also be free to the community through the sponsorship of the UWG Office of Minority Affairs.

Lorene Flanders, professor and director of university libraries, said that the exhibit would open the eyes of its viewers.

“The Anne Frank exhibit on the UWG campus gives members of the campus community and local residents the opportunity to view an exhibit that is touring the nation,” said Flanders. “We expect to welcome some 1,000 eighth grade students to campus to visit the exhibit and appreciate the volunteers who have agreed to serve as docents.”

Sponsors for the exhibit include the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, the Richards College of Business, the Honors College, the Advanced Academy of Georgia and the Office of Minority Affairs in association with Ingram Library’s Penelope Melson Society.

The exhibit will be on display through Monday, Sept. 29. Library hours are Sunday, 2 – 10 p.m.; Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, call 678-839-5337.

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Get Away to Great Past Times During Labor Day Weekend at Powers' Crossroads Festival in Newnan, Ga., Aug. 30 - Sept. 1

PRNewswire/ -- The Powers' Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival opens for its 38th consecutive year on Labor Day Weekend with new entertainment as it continues to celebrate its proud tradition as host to innovative art exhibitions in this West Georgia community.

"It's a great opportunity for festival visitors to dial back the hands of time and experience a real country fair set in the rolling woodlands of this west Georgia community," said Carol Chancy, the festival's executive director.

Held every year on the 100 acres of historic Powers Plantation in Newnan, Ga., near Franklin, Ga., the Powers' Crossroads Festival will open at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, and will wrap up at 5 p.m. Labor Day afternoon, Sept. 1, after a 2 p.m. Miss Coweta County Pageant, a preliminary event for the Miss West Georgia competition in January 2009.

Festival hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and military personnel, $3 for children ages 5-12, and free for children 4 and under. Parking is free and complimentary shuttle service is available from the parking areas.

Visit www.newnan.com/powers for additional information and driving directions.

With a proud heritage as one of the best events in the Southeast, Powers brings back again this year its local Rising Star talent competition on the Festival's opening day.

Beginning at 10 a.m. 30 contestants will vie for the title of the 2008 Powers' Crossroads Rising Star. Contestants will compete in one of three age categories: 15-18 years old; 19-34; and, 35 plus.

This year's three celebrity judges for the rising star competition are "Mid-Days" radio personality J. D. from Midwest Georgia's music station, Magic 98.1, WMGP-FM in Newnan; Jessica Scott, Miss West Georgia 2008; and Linda Walker, owner of the talent agency Speer Entertainment and Really Big Productions, Inc., an entertainment production company.

They will select a winner from each age group, and from that group of three, the judges -- with some audience participation -- will select the 2008 Powers' Crossroads Rising Star.

Each age group winner will receive cash prizes and will perform an Encore Show Monday, Sept. 1 prior to the Miss Coweta County competition.

Visitors to this year's festival can also find perennial favorites in shopping for unique arts and crafts. Each of the more than 200 artisans showcasing their work for sale is selected by judges during the course of the year.

Judges for this year's art competition are Amanda Dumas-Hernandez, a Newnan native who is currently an instructor at the Savannah College of Art & Design's Atlanta campus, and Claudia McDavid, the Art Partners Program Officer for the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

This year, visitors may also see a limited viewing of art purchased by the Festival between 1971-2007.

Each year the Festival art judges select several pieces to purchase as exemplary of that particular year's offerings at the Festival. Known as the Purchase Awards, there are currently more than 100 works of art in this collection.

The Powers' Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival is organized and produced by five local non-profit organizations as their annual major fundraiser with net proceeds divided among the organizations. They are: Newnan Coweta Chamber of Commerce, Newnan Coweta Arts Association, Coweta 4H, Newnan Coweta Jaycees and The Pilot Club of Newnan

Presenting sponsors include Buffalo Rock Beverages and Food Services, Newnan, Ga., West Georgia Technical College, LaGrange, Ga., Toyota of Newnan.

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Voyage to The Carter Center for ‘A View from the Periscope’

Dive into the underwater world of submariners at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.

“A View from the Periscope,” now on display through Aug. 3, features paintings and drawings from the U.S. Naval Historic Center’s art collection.

The exhibition provides a look at the unique role of the U.S. Submarine Service and celebrates the 60th anniversary of the former president’s submarine service.

The exhibition includes a 1902 drawing of the Hunley, the first submarine, as well as 42 other historic paintings and drawings from the World War II-era to the 1980s. Artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, Georges Schreiber and John Charles Roach capture the mystery of the submarine and the adventurous nature of submariners.

The Carter Presidential Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 4:45 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors and $6 for military and students with IDs. Children 16 and under are free.

Nexxus Lighting Illuminates Georgia Power Wrap

BUSINESS WIRE--Nexxus Lighting, Inc. (NASDAQ:NEXS) today announced that its Advanced Lighting Systems business unit has completed a lighting project for the Georgia Power Wrap.

The “Power Wrap” is an art installation created for The Georgia Institute of Technology by Amy Landesberg Architects with students from the Power Wrap Workshop, College of Architecture and the Georgia Institute of Technology. It was a recipient of an American Institute of Architects Merit Award and earlier this month received an Award of Excellence from the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. The project goal was to screen the unsightly substation equipment that spread over several acres. It consists of a 500-foot-long screen made up of 75 20-foot-high panels; each panel has 3 sections of differently rotated vertical steel louvers, so that visibility varies depending on orientation. In daylight there is a visually rich pattern of light and shadow and at night, a surprising display of color and movement provided by programmed LED light fixtures.

“The project used 36 color changing LED LiveLED100’s for the light sources and the system was controlled using the Sunlight DMX controller and software package by Nicolaudie. The result is a lighting system that creates pulses of color to provide a beautifully choreographed light show that is both animated and entertaining,” stated Paul Benton, Regional Sales Manager for Advanced Lighting Systems.

Nexxus Lighting is a leader in advanced lighting technology, including solid-state LED and fiber optic lighting systems and controls used in commercial, architectural, signage, swimming pool, entertainment and retail lighting. Nexxus Lighting sells its products through its SV Lighting, Advanced Lighting Systems, Lumificient and Nexxus Lighting Pool & Spa business units under the Savi®, eLum™, LiveLED™, Super Vision® Fiber Optics and Advanced Lighting Systems™ Fiber Optics brand names.

Certain of the above statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Reference is made to Nexxus Lighting’s filings under the Securities Exchange Act for factors that could cause actual results to differ materially. Nexxus Lighting undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Georgia Southern University’s Performing Arts Center Announces 2008-2009 Lineup

The Georgia Southern University Performing Arts Center (PAC) will open its 2008-09 season at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, with a performance by Capitol Steps, the hilarious group that puts the “mock” in democracy.

Seven more exceptional performances are planned throughout the season. Renewal sales of season tickets will begin on July 8 and end on July 25. Sale of new season tickets will begin on August 5, and sales of single performance tickets will begin on August 26.

This season’s performance schedule features eight acts. In addition to Capitol Steps, Columbia Artists Theatricals will present two much-loved musical theatre productions:‘Wizard of Oz’ is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 5; and ‘Oliver!’ is set for Friday, Feb. 6, 2009.

The PAC will welcome the Grammy Award-winning Pointer Sisters on Friday, Oct. 17. From pop sounds to rhythm and blues, this group has performed with the Boston Pops, in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, at the closing of the Atlanta Olympics, and in “A Capitol Fourth” in Washington, D.C. The Pointer Sisters’ performance will be open to season ticket holders only; no single tickets will be available for this performance.

The world-renowned Vienna Boys Choir will return on Friday, Dec. 5, for a holiday concert, followed in January by the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a group of young African-American stringband musicians. With the banjo as lead instrument, this group takes an old-school approach that draws praise from around the world.

Adding to this array of talent is pianist, George Winston will visit the PAC on Friday, Feb. 20. Best known for his melodic rural folk piano style, Winston has made no secret of the debt his playing owes to the musicians of New Orleans. His style includes the stride piano sound reminiscent of Thomas “Fats” Waller and the late Teddy Wilson, and his own style of melodic instrumental music on solo piano, called folk piano.

Finally, PAC welcomes the artists of the North Carolina Dance Theatre Saturday, April 4. Known for their high energy, precision and speed, this troup’s breathtaking beauty, boundless energy, and amazing athleticism have dazzled audiences and critics the world over.

Season subscriptions are available for the 2008-09 year for $230. Patrons who purchase season subscriptions will realize a 15 percent savings over the cost of individual tickets. Existing PAC season subscribers receive priority for renewals, which will be on sale Tuesday, July 8, through Friday, July 25. New season subscription sales will begin Tuesday, Aug. 5. Individual ticket sales will begin Tuesday, Aug. 26.