Monday, March 25, 2013
The Lionheart Theatre Co., Kudzu Art Zone and the old rectory formerly known as The Nest all have their venues up for bid.
The city of Norcross is accepting bids to take over the leases of four downtown city-owned spaces, three of which are dedicated to the arts. The leases are being negotiated for the Latin American Association, Lionheart Theatre, Kudzu Art Zone and the old rectory formerly known as The Nest. This motion means that the current businesses could lose the spaces if other bids are chosen. "No one gave us a heads up on this," said Lionheart's Artistic Director Tanya Caldwell, who said she didn't know about it until she saw a notice on the theatre's door last Wednesday. "We have a full year of committed [shows] already, and we have season ticket holders. ... This has really thrown us for a loop." "This would devastate Kudzu," said David Raderstorf …
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The council had another lengthy debate on the city funding the arts, an agenda item that still appears to have no resolution in sight.
After months of discussing the subject in city council meetings and policy work sessions, the proposal for the city to financially support the arts was debated once again with no resolution in sight, this time at the Norcross City Council retreat Monday. Rusty Warner, the Economic Development manager, re-introduced the idea at the meeting as part of the vision for economic development in 2013. "I personally feel that the arts is a key player in economic development," he said. Warner noted the city is already a pro-arts community with art galleries, Lionheart Theatre Co. and the Norcross Arts Fest, but it needs to be more than that: Norcross should be well known for its arts. Therefore, he suggested that the city either should keep the arts…
Friday, September 21, 2012
The proposal for the city to be more involved in the arts brought some debate from the Norcross City Council this week at its monthly policy work session.
Updated, 12:01 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 22 At the September policy work session, Mayor Bucky Johnson and the Norcross City Council were asked to consider the following proposal: that the Norcross Arts Alliance can help the city and the art scene thrive, but it needs the city's help. Drafted by Councilman Charlie Riehm, the proposal was presented in a PowerPoint by Lori Sturgess, director of the Norcross Arts Center known as The Nest, and G.G. Getz, an arts advocate in Gwinnett County. The women gave many reasons and statistics as to why the arts are important to a community, and why the city should fund the NAA, a 501c3 nonprofit umbrella for The Nest, which acts as a venue for art organizations, workshops for adults and children and an art …
Friday, August 24, 2012
The NAA had a mix and mingle at The Nest for the art teachers in Chairs for Charity. The annual fundraiser auctions off student-decorated chairs and furniture to raise money for the art departments in Norcross schools.
Norcross Arts Alliance members, art teachers and other educators gathered at The Nest on Wednesday to kick off the Chairs for Charity event at a mix and mingle. Chairs for Charity is an annual fundraiser where art teachers at Norcross-area schools sell chairs and other home items to raise money for every school's art department. Decorated by the school's students, the items are auctioned off every October at the Norcross Art Fest. "It just became a great thing that involved our schools," said Frances Shube. Shube, along with Cindy Flynn, own SplashFestivals, which is the organization in charge of the art fest. "[The students] can feel like being a part of the art festival, too." New this year is a partnership with Binders Art Supply, whose…
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Each week, Patch sits down with someone in Norcross who possesses all the traits of a great leader.
Arlene Beckles always seems to be doing something around Norcross. Since she moved here in 2003 from New York (and before then, it was her home country of Barbados), there hasn't been a whole lot she hasn't been involved in. From the Norcross Police Department Foundation to being a mom to spearheading the city's yarn-bombing project last month, Beckles is a busy lady. Luckily, the influential woman was able to sit down with Patch and talk about herself. What are your different professions and volunteering jobs? Currently, I do Quality Assurance for the Corporate Applications Division at Turner Broadcasting, and I sit on the Corporate Responsibility Council for TBS Inc., my day job. I am on the Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute …
Friday, March 30, 2012
The city of Norcross is installing crocheted and knitted pieces around town tomorrow.
The city of Norcross is installing crocheted and knitted pieces this Saturday, March 31, for Spring Into Yarn, a yarn-bombing event happening downtown. Yarn bombing is a form of street art where yarnwork is attached to places such as lamposts, trees, bicycle racks, benches and more. The Norcross Arts Alliance has had two workshops since February to kick off the event, where attendees crocheted, knitted and picked out spots where they would like to "bomb" with their work. More than 80 people are expected to show Saturday to put up their artwork around historic downtown, said Arlene Beckles, the frontrunner of the Spring Into Yarn movement in Norcross. When the installation's finished, expect to see it practically everywhere you turn for the…
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The school was awarded $2,000 to fund an education-with-arts program.
Beaver Ridge Elementary School was awarded a $2,000 grant to fully fund a new program called Mastering Math Skills Through Music. The program concentrates on education through the arts, and it was pushed by early intervention teacher Kathy Boyer. "It's like a high-energy, music-movement math skills program," said Boyer. She added that the fun program is geared more for third, fourth and fifth graders, but it has basic addition and subtraction activities that can be used with younger students. She first heard about the program two years ago while attending the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference. She went to a session headed by the author of the program, and she was hooked immediately. "I had so much fun as an adult that I…
Monday, January 30, 2012
The city's newest art hub had an opening soriee this weekend, with an interactive exhibit that let community members leave their mark.
The grand opening of The Nest, the new arts center and incubator in Historic Norcross, was held on Saturday with much fanfare. The event, which was also a fundraiser for the Norcross Arts Alliance, was widely supported by the community. A feeling of excitement buzzed through the large, diverse crowd that filled the recently renovated old Rectory at 17 College St., next to the Cultural Arts and Community Center. Guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer as they perused art displays and mingled when they weren’t being entertained by live painting demonstrations or the interactive nest sculpture, located in the foyer. “I love the interactive nest (sculpture), where you put your own piece to help build the nest,” exclaimed Cecie Harrington…
Saturday, December 3, 2011
The Norcross Arts Center, aka the Nest, will open its doors at 6:30 p.m.
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Saturday, December 3, 2011
The tree is lit, so its officially time for a holiday party, right? The historic property next to the Cultural Arts and Community Center, home of the Lionheart Theatre Company, has taken on new life as the Norcross Arts Center--and tonight is the night to check it out for yourself. The center, nicknamed the Nest, was historic Victorian home that served as a rectory for the nearby church. It's most recent use was as storage by the city. Artist Lori Sturgess and many volunteers have rolled up her sleeves in recent months to tranform the space into an Arts Center. The Center will have three components, according to the Norcross Arts Alliance. It will function as an arts incubator, educating members of the community who want to develop their…
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17 College St, Norcross, GA
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Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A resident has led the effort to supplement dwindling funds for the arts in public education, helping raise $2,400 at Art Fest.
When Arlene Beckles was 19, she left the small town in Barbados where she grew up to move to Brooklyn by herself. Her family owned a traditional rum shop on the island, which she said made for an interesting childhood. “But I knew that in order to grow, I had to leave,” she said. That braveness and unwavering expectation that things can—and should—be better has marked Ms. Beckles’ life. Having landed in Norcross, it seems that she has her hands in an endless number of civic projects, from her work creating a safer route for local students to get to school to her latest title, “the chair lady.” Beckles recently helped local art students raise about $2,400 for their schools with a Norcross Arts Alliance project called Chairs for Charity. …
Rose Szymanski
8:11 am on Tuesday, March 26, 2013
I wrote to the councilmen earlier this week and I hope many more write directly to them. I do belie the "Arts" as a general notion is in fact a necessary ingredient to a good life; however, Lionheart Theatre specifically is a great venue that has built up tremendous marketing value for the City of Norcross. Lionheart serves its community (see its loyal and considerable subscription base), and it … more ›