City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Celebrates October as National Arts and Culture Month by presenting GO ARTS

Georgia Open Arts Month (GO ARTS) – October 2007
www.georgiaperforms.com

The City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs is celebrating National Arts and Culture Month by collaborating with MARTA, the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau to designate October as Georgia Open Arts Month (GO ARTS) to metro-Atlanta citizens and visitors. GO ARTS offers Atlanta residents and visitors the opportunity to see theater, music, dance, visual art, cultural exhibits and more at either a discounted rate or free of charge

Last year, GO ARTS 2006 included more than 50 FREE things to see and do. GO ARTS 2007 promises to double the fun with over 100 deals for events happening on stage, in galleries, and at some surprising places too. It’s all wrapped in a month-long celebration showcasing the diverse arts & cultural entertainment options available across Georgia.

The collaborative effort of the four organizations will enhance last year’s marketing efforts by presenting to MARTA riders a taste of what the month of October will offer them. MARTA Mondays will promote a different cultural experience each week. These promotions will take place at either the most trafficked MARTA stations and/or those closest to performing arts venues. Live music will be programmed at the Five Points MARTA station. All events will be promoted through GO ARTS partners.  Performers and promoters will be donned in GO ARTS t-shirts while they interact with MARTA riders encouraging them to join the excitement of October as “Arts and Culture Month.” Promotions will run from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Events Calendar

Date	Event
October 4	Georgia Open Arts Month is an opportunity to GO see theater, music, dance, art exhibits, special activities and more cultural going's on, at a place or by a group never seen. Thousands of free and discount admissions are being offered to well over 100 performances, exhibits and other great activities.  www.georgiaperforms.com
October 5-7	Oktoberfest Atlanta, presented by the German Cultural Center, returns for a second year to Atlantic Station bringing a taste of Bavarian culture to Atlantans with a three day festival running from Oct. 5 through Oct. 7.  The event opens to the public Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. and is open Saturday from noon to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. www.oktoberfestatlanta.org
October 8	Atlanta Celebrates Photography (ACP) is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to the cultivation of the photographic arts and the enrichment of the Atlanta art community.  ACP hosts an annual, citywide photography festival in October: the Atlanta Celebrates Photography Festival. The festival includes a wide variety of exhibitions and multiple events around Atlanta and throughout the surrounding communities.  Visit the ACP website for specific dates, locations and activities. www.acpinfo.org
October 13,14	Taste of Atlanta is a 2-day outdoor food festival held in the streets of Atlantic Station on Saturday, October 13 & Sunday, October 14. The event will feature more than 70 of the city's best restaurants, live cooking demonstrations from national and local celebrity chefs, live entertainment and a Wine Experience at Ten Pin Alley.  www.tasteofatlanta.net
October 19-21	StreetStage Atlanta is the South's first festival of street performing that will bring extraordinary performing artists from around the world to Atlanta's residents and neighborhoods.  The event features variety performances presented in a street setting as well as roving archetypes, a street painting competition and exhibition for kids and adults, a hands-on skill workshop, an artisan street market, three evening theater-staged shows, and community outreach.  The event takes place October 19-21 and Woodruff Park located at Peachtree and Auburn Streets. www.streetstageatlanta.com City Gallery East will feature 25 images also on display on 25 MARTA buses throughout the city.  All of the images will be on exhibit in the Gallery from October 19 through November 23. www.ocaatlanta.com
October 22	Live Jazz will be programmed at the amphitheatre located on the concourse level at MARTA’s Five Point station and several MARTA stations on October 24. www.itsmarta.com

The following MARTA stations will be hosting volunteers that will promote cultural activities in Metro Atlanta:

Dunwoody          Hamilton E. Holmes          Decatur
Arts Center         Five Points                      College Park
Peachtree Center    

“We are excited about the opportunity to encourage MARTA riders to experience the many cultural events during National Arts & Humanities Month with this GO ARTS promotion.  It is our hope that MARTA becomes one of the primary ways that patrons of arts and culture will travel to events.”

-Camille Love, Director of the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs

The City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA), a division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, was established in 1974 to encourage and support Atlanta’s cultural resources.  In order to improve the social fabric and quality of life for Atlanta’s citizens and visitors, the Office is committed to nurturing excellence and diversity in the city’s artistic offerings.  Acknowledging that the arts play an essential role in defining the cultural life of the city and contribute substantially to the city’s economy, our organization strives to enhance Atlanta’s reputation as a cultural destination.  The Office seeks to support programs that educate and expose the public to a rich and diverse range of cultural expression and aspires to make arts available to everyone.

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For more information about this and services of the City of Atlanta visit our website at www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26