If you’re a member of the Arts Alliance, thank you. If not, now is a great time to join, renew or make a donation at decaturartsalliance.org. Together we can continue to grow the arts in our community heart.
The Decatur Arts Alliance works to ensure that art is at the heart of our community. And look at how we’re succeeding!
Decatur kids of all ages turn out in droves for the annual Community Lantern Parade. Thousands of residents and visitors flock to the square every May for the Decatur Arts Festival. The Decatur Artway initiative placed 10 outdoor sculptures downtown and in Oakhurst. Our young emerging artists event, YEA!, invites student artists to sell their creations and perform in a festival setting. Year-round, our gallery at the Decatur Visitors Center hosts shows for local artists. We’ve presented “The Book As Art” to critical acclaim four years running. We bring pop-up music and creative performances on Sidewalk Saturdays, and sponsor citywide ArtWalk gallery crawls twice a year. Engaging public art installations surprise and delight in unexpected places all over downtown. We art Decatur.
Our efforts extend beyond our own events and exhibitions. We were there when the Decatur Book Festival was launched. We lend a hand (and logistical support) to the Oakhurst Porchfest, Georgia’s largest organic free-range music festival. Our seed grant program helps artists launch new projects.
We help to weave the arts into the tightly knit fabric of our community because the visual and performing arts expose us to different perspectives, challenge our assumptions, and tell us new stories. By considering unique interpretations of our world we are better able to understand what’s going on around us.
The Decatur Arts Alliance began nearly 30 years ago as a group of passionate artists and art lovers who wanted to celebrate the arts at a two-day festival on the square. Today we’re a full-time arts advocacy group that touches community life throughout the year, and we are recognized as an arts leader in metropolitan Atlanta. We couldn’t do it without the help of our members, volunteers and sponsors. We hope you are or have been a participant, and that you appreciate our efforts. Any time you want to add some art to your life, visit decaturartsalliance.org and see what’s going on around town.