Gilmer Arts

Aubrey, as with the Policy page, just let this be text. No need to dress it up with large headings or callouts for achievements. Going forward, we can use the blog to “highlight achievements.”

About Gilmer Arts                               

Gilmer Arts was formed in 1979 as the Gilmer Arts Council (GAC) and was housed in a small, rented facility. In those early years, GAC was managed solely by volunteers. In 1981 GAC focused on presenting touring art exhibits, arts education and instructional programming.

In 1986 GAC received a two-year Community Development Grant. This grant enabled the
organization to hire a part-time administrative director and to rent a larger facility which accommodated both an office and exhibit space. GAC started offering adult arts and crafts instruction, and initiated the production of Light Up Ellijay – a free public arts celebration held each December on the Ellijay town square. By the end of 1990, GAC was producing art events and providing exposure for area artists as they exhibited their work under the council’s sponsorship.

In 1991 GAC incorporated as a 501c3 nonprofit organization and changed its name to Gilmer Arts and Heritage Association (GAHA). The organization also began focusing on the county’s rich cultural heritage as well as preserving its artistic treasures. The GAHA Board moved the organization to a larger facility – the historic Perry House – and gained more space for an office, workshops, classes and a gallery.

GAHA produced the first annual Historic Calendar which was produced for several years. In 1992 GAHA inaugurated its flagship program, Bringing Ellijay Sensational Talent (B.E.S.T.) Series. This series brought premiere award-winning national and international talent to Ellijay. Past performances include Atlanta Pops Orchestra, Rita Coolidge, Ricky Skaggs, and ShaNaNa to mention a few.

Around the same time, B.E.S.T. For Kids was initiated. This program supports arts education in our schools by presenting talented performers and sponsoring art activities for school-age children in our area. Past performances include Dancing Drum, Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts, Sebastian Baverstam, the Atlanta Percussion Trio and the Summer Palooza Music Festival.

The Gilmer Arts Community Chorus formed in 1999. While sporadic over the first few years, this program has been very successful. Since 2013 the chorus has been a year-round program with a spring and fall concert featuring a mixture of secular, sacred, and popular choral works. The current membership of the chorus is 50+ voices. It is led by choral directors from around the region.

In 1999, the Gilmer Arts Community Theatre was formed. By 2001 it was growing strong and in 2013 the troupe of actors, directors, costume and scenery staff officially formed the Gilmer Arts Players. The Players currently perform several community theatre productions each year. Fast-forward to 2022, the Gilmer Arts Junior Players was formed to showcase the aspiring talents of our local youth.

GAHA started a scholarship program in the 1990’s to award a $500 scholarship to a graduating Gilmer County High School student. In 2014 the Gilmer Arts George Link, Jr. Scholarship fund was established. Scholarships are awarded to three graduating Gilmer County high school seniors in the amount of $1,000 each in the fields of performing, visual and literary arts.

In 2005 GAHA purchased and renovated the building at 207 Dalton Street. The new facility
enabled the organization to expand its current activities and establish new ones. Member artists now had the opportunity to exhibit their work which in some cases led to solo exhibits. Juried shows offered artists the chance to display and have their art judged by well established artists. Classroom spaces and performance spaces were also created.

In 2011 GAHA began sponsoring live music concerts featuring local and regional performers.
GAHA also started a live, monthly event called Acoustic Blends in which local talent performs in an “Open Mic” format. To encourage and foster new performers, a First Sessions class was offered to help build the skills and confidence of novice performers to play with others and in front of others.

In 2012 Gilmer Arts and Heritage Association initiated the use of Gilmer Arts as their DBA
instead of GAHA for marketing purposes and general ease of use.

The Gilmer Arts Gift Shop was opened in 2012. The gift shop, along with the gallery, provides
artists with a location to market their art and the community a place to purchase quality gifts and art.

Membership programs are a vital part of support for Gilmer Arts. In 2012 a new type of Membership Rewards Program was initiated along with the standard memberships. This program reaches out to community businesses to benefit our rewards members with discounts and in turn brings business to local vendors. In 2014 the B.E.S.T. Art Series was initiated. This series is designed to bring sensational visual art exhibits to North Georgia. Gilmer Arts is partnering with other art institutions and museums to bring works of art to Gilmer County that would not otherwise be seen locally. 

Membership has significantly increased over the years. There are several major fund-raising events during the year. Gilmer Arts holds an annual auction which began in Spring of 2000. Members, merchants, artists, restaurants, and service providers in the community donate items to be auctioned. In addition, there is a Gilmer Arts Attic Sale in the fall. Donations of household items, furniture and more are priced to sell.

In 2017, Labor Day Weekend was the official opening of the George Link, Jr Gilmer Arts Playhouse in the newly renovated bldg. at 135 Dalton St. This was the culmination of two years’ work by many volunteers and financed by many donations, grants, the state of Georgia, and the Link Charitable Trust.

Since its inception, Gilmer Arts has offered a variety of classes for all ages to encourage the development of talent and to educate. Adult classes have included studios, watercolors, photography, pastels oils, calligraphy, mosaics and more. Summer programs for children have included camps for art and drama experiences. The organization strives to improve the quality of life in Gilmer County and North Georgia by continuing to bring educational and entertaining programs in literary, performing, and visual arts.

Other Achievements:

2020 – Gilmer Arts purchased the building at 127 Dalton St. to expand programs.

2021 – Thankfully, the organization survived the Covid 19 pandemic and reopened the theater that was closed most of 2020. In fall of 2021, Gilmer Arts hosted its first annual Golf Tournament as a major fundraiser for the new gallery building fund.

2022 – Gilmer Arts and the Playhouse partnered with Makerspace to sponsor Analog Revolution, music for a younger generation and partnered with the Gilmer School System with the help of a FH&C grant to take drama classes into the middle school and started expanding their children’s drama program.