The 22nd Annual Fine Arts Festival was held on Saturday, May 12th, 2018 from 10AM until 3PM and was definitely worth seeing. The event, held annually at the corner of Dempsey Avenue and East Third Street, and adjacent to the Jackson Veterans Memorial Park, draws both artists and art lovers from all over Georgia. Patrons may view and purchase original artwork in the form of paintings, clay, mixed media, photography, blown glass, sculpture, turned wood, jewelry and much more. A number of the artists are also from Butts County, including Scott Coleman and Katherine Allen Coleman, Alan Jones and, this year, Bambi Rogers among others.

The Jackson-Butts County Council for the Arts “is organized for the purpose of encouraging excellence in the arts by promoting a broad range of arts activities throughout the county. It is to provide opportunities for children and adults to develop their imaginations and creative abilities through exposure to exhibitions, performances, concerts, festivals, and classes” according to their mission statement. The active group is always welcoming to new members interested in promoting and advancing the arts in Butts County.

The Council houses its permanent collection of artworks at the Butts County Administration Building for the enjoyment of all citizens and visitors. This year, the latest addition to the collection is the beautiful painting “Millennium” by R. Scott Coleman, shown below. The painting shows what downtown Jackson looked like at the turn of the 21st century, from the artist’s view of downtown on December 31, 1999.

If you didn’t get to stop by and view the unique and interesting works of art that the art festival helps to bring to the community each year, don’t worry because they will be back in 2019.