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

West Georgia Recognized by Creative Colleges

The University of West Georgia received its second national recognition by Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers and Musicians, a publication that selects the top 200 schools in the nation for its creative programs for students.

West Georgia offers outstanding creative programs in music, drama, art and creative writing. The Departments of Music, Art, English and Mass Communications and Theatre provide many opportunities to earn a degree through creative endeavors. The university has a television and radio station, three theatres and several recital halls on campus.

Students excel in the arts at West Georgia and travel internationally to pursue their passions. This summer, the UWG Jazz Percussion Group performed in Italy and a UWG student from the Department of English and Philosophy studied creative writing in Czechoslovakia. The student also attended the Bucknell Seminar for Younger Poets, which is the most prestigious seminar of its kind in the nation.

The Creative Colleges guide is aimed at college-bound students and gives them the information and resources to choose the best programs in music, theatre, art and creative writing.

West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral granting institution with an enrollment of more than 10,500 undergraduate and graduate students. For more information on creative opportunities at UWG, call 678-839-5000.

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Georgia Front Page
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