Fourth annual Hiawassee Festival of Arts

The Mountain Arts Association announced today the fourth annual Hiawassee Festival of Arts is slated for August 25 and 26 at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. President Cheryl Barrett reported, "Artist applications are pouring in to ensure another wonderful show with a variety of talented juried artists along with live jazz and some tasty food booths run by local charities and restaurants. We're particularly excited to be at such a beautiful venue and have Sara Evans performing at Anderson Music Hall on Saturday night. Sara is Academy of Country Music's 2006 Female Vocalist of the Year."

"Our budding artists from Towns, Union and Clay County schools are preparing to submit their work for awards in the "Artists of Tomorrow" program at this year's Festival", commented Cheryl. The Mountain Arts Association also hosted 25 area students last summer at a free three-day watercolor workshop taught by Artist Jack Shields of Atlanta. The program was such a success Mr. Shields has agreed to come again this summer with some challenging new projects. The MAA Children's Worshop series will continue to provide free instruction to area children in a variety of the arts. Look for our announcements in your local paper.

With the growth of MAA's membership, plans are underway to increase the 2007 MAA Lecture series which features popular local and regional artists and is sponsored free of charge to the community. These lectures are an opportunity for experienced artists to add to their knowledge while stimulating newcomers. The goal of MAA is to increase educational activities for our youth, provide ongoing opportunities to talented students, and provide exposure to a more general adult audience.

Once again, the Mountain Arts Association will award scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to students in Towns, Union and Clay Counties who wish to continue their education in the arts.

The Mountain Arts Association provides opportunities for those who wish to volunteer to serve on committees and provide activity support. We invite you to join us. An application for membership can be accessed online at www.hiawasseefestivalofarts.org or by calling 706-896-9739. For information on becoming a sponsor of the Mountain Arts Association and the 2007 Hiawassee Festival of Arts, contact Cheryl Barrett at 706-896- 4186.