ADVERTISING SALES Jonathon Musser, Isabella Williams
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Sam Lipkin
CITY EDITOR Blake Aued
MUSIC EDITOR Sam Lipkin
ARTS & CULTURE COORDINATOR Libba Beaucham
OFFICE MANAGER & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Jennifer Keene
CLASSIFIED ADS & CALENDAR COORDINATOR Jennifer Keene
AD DESIGNERS Chris McNeal, Cody Robinson
CONTRIBUTORS Gordon Lamb, Renuka Rayasam
CARTOONISTS Missy Kulik, David Mack, Klon Waldrip, Joey Weiser
CIRCULATION Jennifer Bray, Charles Greenleaf, Joe Rowe
EDITORIAL & OFFICE ASSISTANT Mary Beth Bryan
EDITORIAL INTERNS Lily Thomas
PHOTOGRAPHERS CJ Bartunek, Kat Wood, Jake Zerkel
SPECIAL AGENT Pete McCommons
Take a Load Off, Kelly
MAYOR GIRTZ ENTERS HIS LAME DUCK PHASE, AND MORE LOCAL NEWS
By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com
The Athens- Clarke County Commission unanimously approved a $377 million budget for 2027 at a called meeting June 9, keeping the property tax rate the same at 12.25 mills.
Commissioners made only minor changes to the budget proposed by Mayor Kelly Girtz—his last budget as he prepares to leave office at the end of the year— including a slight increase in raises for county employees from 3.5% to 4%, adding a part- time municipal court judge and funding for an investigator for the public defender’s office. “We had a lot of consensus on this as a group, and we are moving through in a conflict- free, calm, responsible way,” Commissioner Carol Myers said.
That’s in contrast to the horse- trading that often takes place on the floor as commissioners prepare to vote, but the body’s primary wheeler and dealer, Commissioner Mike Hamby, jokingly warned that next year’s budget process might not go so smoothly. “Don’t get too used to [Manager Bob Cowell’s] way of doing things,” he said. “I’ve been down but not out. I’ll be back to true form next budget season.”
Before the vote, Cowell gave a brief presentation on enterprise and special revenue funds. Enterprise funds— including the Solid Waste and Public Utilities departments and the airport— are run like businesses, supported by fees for services rather than taxes. Special revenue funds, such as the Classic Center, are supported by taxes levied for a specific purpose (in that case, a tax on hotel and motel rooms).
Public comment over the past few weeks focused primarily on funding for downtown events and the use of surveillance cameras. Festival organizers asked for $1 million to assist public events like the Wild Rumpus, AthFest and others that are supported by the local government. Girtz included $300,000, up from $250,000 last year, and said he would ask the state legislature to raise the local hotel/motel tax from 7% to 8%, which would generate about $1 million a year. Several commissioners asked Cowell for information on whether police camera footage is shared with other law enforcement agencies.
The commission also voted 6–4 to approve a referendum on replacing a portion of property taxes with a sales tax hike. The FLOST (Floating Local Option Sales Tax) would raise sales tax from 8% to 9%, coupled with an approximately five-mill property tax cut, saving homeowners hundreds of dollars a year.
Girtz and other supporters say the proposal would shift part of the tax burden from permanent residents to visitors and UGA students living on campus. “It is com-
plicated, but it makes sense, and I think it’s a good fit for our community,” Commissioner Allison Wright said. “Again, it will be up to the voters in our community to decide, but we need to educate them.”
Commissioner Ovita Thornton said she would abstain, but wound up voting no. “This is too complicated for me,” she said. “It’s a bit more than I want to take on.”
Although the commission had already discussed FLOST at a retreat last year and
Taylor raised concerns that inclusionary zoning contributes to gentrification. “Development has side effects, and a lot of times it’s the most vulnerable who are pushed out, displaced, for the new shiny thing,” she said.
The mayor and commission are now in the midst of a six- week hiatus, with the next meeting scheduled for July 21.
New BOE Member Named
The Clarke County Board of Education approved a $263 million annual budget for the 2026-27 school year at its June 11 meeting, and temporarily appointed Johnelle Simpson to a vacant position on the board.
Simpson, originally from Southwest Georgia, came to Athens to attend UGA, where he was elected student body presi-
Commissioners threw paper confetti at Mayor Kelly Girtz to celebrate passing his last budget as his second term comes to a close.
during a budget work session last month, Commissioner Dexter Fisher wanted to have another work session before voting to put FLOST on the November ballot. However, there was not enough time due to a July deadline for the ACC Board of Elections to approve the referendum and to print ballots, Girtz said.
Myers voted against the referendum because she said sales taxes are regressive, and she believes it will be approved if voters are given the opportunity. Commissioner Stephanie Johnson said the county should have already begun educating voters even before approving the referendum.
Thornton did abstain from a vote directing the ACC Planning Department to write language expanding the county’s inclusionary zoning ordinance, which offers incentives for developers to build or fund affordable housing. She said she abstained “because of my past experiences,” and that “I need more time to be focused in my decision-making.”
The expanded ordinance would allow developers to add up to two stories in commercial zones and four stories downtown, above what is already allowed (65 feet tall in commercial zones and 100 feet downtown) if they include below-market units or contribute to the county’s affordable housing trust fund. There would be an exception for parcels located adjacent to single- family residential zones. Commissioners will still have to vote on whatever specific language comes back to them through the ACC Planning Commission.
larly living on the Eastside, we understand that in Athens, the Eastside gets a bad rap.” Simpson later went to law school and is now an attorney at Fortson, Bentley & Griffin. He also chairs the board of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center. “Through those boards, I’ve learned how to govern,” he said, adding that he could help bring in businesses as partners with CCSD.
The vote was 7–2 to name Simpson to replace Nicole Hull, the District 8 BOE member who resigned. Board members Mary Bagby and LaKeisha Gantt voted against Simpson. The other applicants were Irami Osei-Frimpong, a UGA graduate assistant in philosophy and father of three CCSD students; and Sidney Waters, a former school board member who ran unsuccessfully for Athens- Clarke County Commission in 2024. Simpson will serve until the end of the year, and a special election to fill the final two years of Hull’s term will be held in November.
In addition, Mumbi Anderson announced she is stepping down as board president, although she is keeping her seat representing District 6. Vice President Mark Evans was named as president. The board put off a vote on naming a new vice president until August (there is no BOE meeting in July).
CCSD’s budget for the coming year, starting July 1, keeps the property tax rate the same at 18.8 mills. It includes about $6 million in new spending to address pay raises, rising insurance and retirement costs, and recruitment and retention bonuses, particularly for special education teachers. Board member Linda Davis voted against the millage rate but for the budget, and Bagby abstained from both votes.
dent in 2015. After graduating, he took a job with the Clarke County School District as head of the Great Promise Partnership, a program aimed at helping at-risk youth gain job experience. “Back then the mantra was ‘proud to be CCSD,’ and I’m still proud to be CCSD,” he told the school board. “Particu-
The board also voted to place a fiveyear extension of the 1% Education Local Option Sales Tax on the ballot in November. If approved, the tax would raise a maximum of $215 million for school construction, renovations, equipment, vehicles and other capital costs. It would not raise the sales tax rate, but rather keep it the same as it is currently. f
CHRIS DOWD
ICE in Walton County
TRUMP STRONGHOLD GRAPPLES WITH HEALTH RISKS OF DETENTION CENTER
By Renuka Rayasam news@flagpole.com
Until recently, Social Circle, about 45 minutes east of Atlanta and 45 minutes south of Athens, was best known for its Blue Willow Inn cookbooks featuring recipes for Southern dishes such as baked pineapple casserole and kudzu blossom jelly. Lately, however, the community has been trying to stave off a new identity of “prison town” as it fights the opening of what could become the nation’s largest immigration detention center, holding up to 10,000 people.
Walton County, home to this city of about 5,500, voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump in 2024. But as the administration’s mass deportation strategy hits closer to home—with plans moving forward to transform a more than 1 million square- foot warehouse into a holding pen—locals say the city’s infrastructure just can’t handle such an influx of people.
Last month, Social Circle filed a lawsuit in federal court against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The city’s complaint argues that the operation of a detention facility, what it calls a “mega center,” would harm public health, strain the local fresh water and sewage treatment systems, and overburden emergency medical services “due to Social Circle’s modest EMS capacity and DHS’ nebulous plan for emergency transport,” referring to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.
“The community is very unified,” City Manager Eric Taylor said. “We want them to go away.”
Social Circle is one of several communities across the country thrust into a charged national debate about the administration’s mass immigrant deportation strategy. On the campaign trail, Trump said migrants were occupying American towns. But local leaders, state attorneys general, advocacy groups and others in Arizona , Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas claim the administration is doing the same thing by plopping detention centers into communities without the capacity to handle a surge of people.
try’s biggest immigration detention facility, which is in El Paso, TX.
“I thought it was a joke,” said John Miller, when he first read about the plans last year. He and his wife, Kathlene, have lived in Social Circle for 21 years. When they bump into neighbors, Kathlene knows their children’s names, and John can cite the kids’ baseball stats. Their 50acre horse farm is less than a mile from the elementary school and right across the street from the detention center site.
The Millers support Trump’s stance on immigration, but feel that turning the vacant warehouse into a detention center would re- create the very problems his administration is trying to solve. Whether people are concentrated in a detention center or out in the public, “they’re still there,” John Miller said.
Last year, Todd Lyons, who is serving as acting director of ICE until the end of May, described a goal to have mass deportation operate with the efficiency of Amazon.com. Deportations would move “like Prime, but with human beings,” he said at a border security expo in Phoenix.
ICE is now putting every person they seek to deport in detention, including those with no criminal records, without the possibility of release on bond. In January, the agency held almost twice as many people as it had that same month in 2024 under President Joe Biden.
However, while many supporters remain aligned with Trump’s immigration stance, some locals fear their city’s stability will be jeopardized. “Social Circle is not exactly flourishing, but it’s making it,” said Gareth Fenley, a retired social worker who ran for state Senate in 2024 as a Democrat and was not among the locals who voted for Trump.
“If Social Circle becomes a prison town,” she said, “we’re gonna lose what we have.”
‘I
Thought It Was a Joke’
In February, DHS purchased the 235-acre site in Social Circle for almost $129 million, nearly five times its assessed value. It plans to house more people there than at the Rikers Island Correctional Facility in New York City, and nearly triple the number of people now housed at the coun-
DHS estimates that the facility would require about 1 million gallons of water daily, according to the city’s suit, which alleges that volume would bleed residents’ taps dry and contaminate local streams with sewage. Emergency medical calls from the detention center, the lawsuit claims, would overwhelm the city’s first responders, which Taylor said clock in at 14 firefighters, 15 police officers and two school resource officers. The city relies on Walton County for ambulance services.
Additionally, Social Circle would live under an everpresent threat of a major disease outbreak, the lawsuit said, adding that the federal government didn’t conduct the needed environmental reviews or solicit community input beforehand.
Taylor said federal officials had only one meeting with local leaders and brushed off concerns about water, sewage and emergency care, which administration officials said the site wouldn’t need to use. “I don’t buy that,” Taylor said. “And that’s the problem.”
Supercharging Health Concerns
Current DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said he is reviewing plans made by his predecessor, Kristi Noem, to transform warehouses like this one into detention facilities. And the department’s inspector general is investigating whether the federal government overpaid for some of the buildings. Mullin also said officials are reviewing agency
policies and working with community leaders. “We want to be good partners,” said Lauren Bis, a DHS spokesperson. Still, the administration’s swift escalation of immigrant detention has exacerbated long- standing allegations of medical neglect for those in custody across the country and led to the highest number of detainee deaths in at least two decades. Three detention facilities in Folkston, about an hour north of Jacksonville, FL, issued 130 emergency calls from Feb. 4, 2025, to Feb. 3, 2026, according to dispatch reports obtained by KFF Health News through a public records request. The calls from the facilities, which hold about 2,000 people, were for wide-ranging reasons, including anaphylaxis, assaults, suicide attempts, overdoses, seizures, strokes, head injuries from falls and other health issues.
GEO Group, ICE’s largest contractor, which runs the Folkston facility, provides “around- the- clock access to medical care” and relies on emergency medical services as needed, said Christopher Ferreira, director of corporate relations.
ERO El Paso Camp East Montana, built on a Texas military base, is currently the nation’s largest detention center and holds about 2,500 people. In the five months from Aug. 17, 2025, to Jan. 20, 2026, about 130 emergency medical calls were made from the site, according to city records. Several detainees have died at the facility; several others have tested positive for tuberculosis, measles or COVID-19. Amentum Services, which recently took over management of the facility, did not respond to questions about emergency calls.
Even bigger detention facilities, such as the “mega center” planned in Social Circle, would only supercharge those health issues and bring them to new communities, said Michelle Brané, who was immigration ombudsman at the Department of Homeland Security under Biden. Existing facilities already suffer from staffing shortages, poor ventilation and hygiene, and insufficient medical care, she said. The proposed facilities are enormous and generally built for boxes, not people, she said. “There’s no way, without extreme cost, both to the community and just in dollars, to make these safe for humans,” she said.
In the meantime, people such as Kathlene Miller said they feel that Social Circle has become “collateral damage” in the larger debate over immigration. “We’re like the children in a divorce,” she said.
But Social Circle may face an uphill battle. Taylor said Walton County leaders and the state of Georgia have been silent on the center. “They say it’s federal issues, that they have no jurisdiction,” he said. “They don’t have any interest in helping us.” f
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism. Learn more about KFF at kff.org.
Gareth Fenley is among the Social Circle residents fighting the ICE facility.
DHS bought this industrial property to turn into an immigrant detention center holding up to 10,000 people.
RENUKA RAYASAM / KFF HEALTH NEWS
RENUKA RAYASAM / KFF HEALTH NEWS
Civil Rights Reversed SUPREME
COURT RULING LETS REPUBLICANS ERASE BLACK DISTRICTS
By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com
Aspecial session of the Georgia General Assembly starts June 17, and as a result, deep-blue Athens could be left with no Democratic representation on the state level.
Gov. Brian Kemp called the special session last month, after the U.S. Supreme Court gutted a portion of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais. Previously, Southern states with a history of disenfranchising Black voters were required to draw political districts that allowed minority communities to elect the candidates of their choice. Now—even though redistricting is usually only undertaken once a decade, after a Census—many Southern states are rushing to erase majority Black districts, which also just so happen to invariably elect Democrats.
Whatever new political lines Georgia Republicans introduce this week won’t affect the 2026 election. But in 2028, the GOP could blunt any gains Democrats are making, giving themselves larger majorities in the state’s Congressional delegation and the Georgia House and Senate even as the statewide electorate shifts from red to purple.
Gerrymandering on Steroids
Georgia politicians have a long history of gerrymandering Athens for partisan gain. In 2002, when Democrats were still in power, they drew a boomerang- shaped congressional district connecting Democratic strongholds Athens, Augusta and Savannah that John Barrow, then an Athens- Clarke County commissioner, won in 2004. By 2006, Republicans had taken full control of the state government, and took Athens out of the 12th District. Barrow responded by moving to Savannah and won re-election, but Republicans finally beat him after they removed Savannah as well.
GOP legislators undertook another unusual mid-decade redistricting in 2006, when they divided Athens between two strongly Republican state Senate districts, ensuring that Athens Republican Bill Cowsert would win what was formerly a swing district.
Prior to 2012, Athens had three state House districts—two drawn for Democrats and one shared with Oconee County drawn for a Republican. But when Democratic state Rep. Doug McKillip of Athens switched parties, Republicans scrambled
the map, moving part of McKillip’s district into Oconee County so that Athens would be represented by two Republicans and one Democrat in the state House. Perhaps spooked by Democratic upsets in two 2017 special elections, GOP legislators diluted the Athens electorate even further after the 2020 Census, dividing it among three Republican-leaning districts, with just one Democratic district represented by Spencer Frye. Without the protection of the VRA, Frye could now be a target.
Georgia’s history of discriminating against Black voters is even longer. Carol Anderson, a history professor at Emory University, pointed to the all- white state legislature refusing to seat Georgia’s first 33 Black lawmakers during Reconstruction. Then came Jim Crow poll taxes and property ownership requirements—with exceptions for Confederate soldiers and their descendants—the county unit system that favored rural white communities, the institution of runoffs aimed at preventing Black voters from uniting behind a candidate, and more recently an attempt to limit access to the ballot box with Senate Bill 202, Anderson said. “They all share a common goal: weakening Black political power when it threatens the status quo,” she said on a call with reporters organized by the voting rights group Fair Fight Action. The current redistricting effort “should be understood as a modern continuation of an old strategy,” she added.
“I want to be very, very clear here: Any new maps that are proposed are meant to discriminate on the basis of race,” said Amir Badat, Southern states director for Fair Fight Action.
Republicans argue that the Supreme Court is forcing them to redraw districts. “Voting is already underway for the 2026 elections, but it’s clear that Callais requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle,” Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement announcing the special session.
Democrats disagree. The special session is unnecessary, according to state Rep. Eric Gisler (D-Watkinsville). “Nothing in the court’s decision requires aggressively partisan maps. Georgia can continue the cycle of endless partisan redistricting, or we can choose to draw districts that respect communities, county lines and voters,” Gisler
said. “I encourage every Georgian to contact your state representative and state senator, and urge them to reject unnecessary partisan gerrymandering. Competitive elections and accountable government are not weaknesses in a democracy; they are the foundation of one.
“Regardless of what maps are ultimately passed, voters should remember this: No district line can overcome an engaged electorate. High turnout, civic engagement and community organizing still matter. If citizens stay involved and hold leaders accountable, even the most carefully engineered political maps will fail.”
Gisler is proof of that—he won in a right-leaning district in a 2025 special election. But Republicans could choose to improve Gisler’s opponent Mac “Dutch” Guest’s chances this November by adding more conservative voters to the district.
Vulnerable Seats
The Callais decision “triggered a mad dash across former Confederate states to redistrict as quickly as possible,” Badat said. State legislatures in Alabama, Louisiana and elsewhere have eliminated majority Black (and Democratic) districts formerly protected by the VRA. So far, though, Georgia is alone in redrawing state legislature districts in addition to Congressional maps.
According to a study by Fair Fight Action, Republicans could flip 14 seats in the Georgia House and six in the Senate, reversing the slow gains Democrats have made since their low- water mark in 2010. With the VRA now gutted, the number of majority Black districts in Georgia could shrink from 17 to 9 in the Senate and 54 to 37 in the House, along with losing the state’s only majority Hispanic House district. Any Democratic district bordering on Republican territory could be targeted. Republicans can do this by using the formerly illegal tactics of “packing” and “cracking.” Packing involves consolidating
minority voters into one district so that nearby districts can be “bleached.” Cracking means dividing minority communities into multiple districts to dilute their collective voting power.
However, University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said Republicans could choose to proceed more cautiously. “The problem you run into, potentially… you could take a safe Republican district and a safe Democratic district and turn them into two swing districts.” In a wave election year, such tactics could wind up backfiring.
One example is the 13th Congressional District, an open seat represented until recently by the late David Scott. Republicans could try to flip it by swapping out Democrats for Republicans from the nearby 8th and 10th districts. But that would “change the flavor” of the 10th, which includes Athens, Bullock said. It’s currently rated as R+11, meaning that in a generic election, the Republican would win 61% of the vote, and the Democrat would win 39%.
An easier target would be the 2nd District in Southwest Georgia, represented by Black Democrat Sanford Bishop. As Bullock noted, Georgia legislators responded to a close call for Bishop in the 2010 election by moving Black voters into the 2nd from the Macon- centered 8th District to meet the requirements of the VRA. That turned the 8th, formerly a swing district, into a safe one for Republicans. Now, without the VRA, they could do the reverse.
No one except a handful of insiders will know what strategy Republicans intend to pursue until they release a set of maps, which Badat predicted would be at the last possible minute. Nor will there be months of public hearings all over the state, as is customary for standard post- Census redistrictings, he said.
“They’re not doing this because it’s what the community wants or their constituents want,” Badat said. “They’re doing this to amass as much political power as possible on the backs of Black and brown voters.” f
Georgia’s 10th Congressional District
Georgia House Districts
Georgia Sendate Districts
arts & culture feature
No Name Left Behind
T.R.R. COBB HOUSE LAUNCHES DATABASE OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE
By Libba Beaucham arts@flagpole.com
Anew public database of over 1,100 people who were enslaved by the Cobb and Lamar families, among others, will launch on June 17. The project was developed by the T.R.R. Cobb House, a circa 1834 house museum in Athens supported by the Watson-Brown Foundation, and is the culmination of over a decade of research.
Ashleigh Oates, director of the T.R.R. Cobb House, led the effort to create the online database four years ago. “An earlier version existed before my time, so more than 11 years ago, but not as detailed as this,” said Oates, who took on the meticulous task of transcribing an 1859 plantation logbook. “Reading 18th- or 19th- century handwriting with a lot of scribbles and crossing out and smudges—reading the book itself and transcribing it has taken about four years.”
are probably teenagers, while the smallest are for the youngest children.” Another notation throughout the logbook indicated who were older adults. “It says ‘full hands exclusive of,’ and lists some names. So those people are likely older than 50, or disabled in some way and not able to be out in the fields,” said Oates.
Research for the book Seen/Unseen: Hidden Lives in a Community of Enslaved Georgians was essential to the development of the database. “That research saved us from having to go and find them all over again and duplicating research efforts,” said Oates. The book’s website, seenunseenbook. com, provides information about more than 700 people enslaved by the Cobb families.
The T.R.R. Cobb House’s extended database includes people who were enslaved by the Cobb, Lamar and other families noted in documents. Some individuals have far more details available than others, such as Susan Castle. Castle was interviewed by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s and was formerly enslaved by the Cobb family. “She slept at the foot of [Marion Cobb’s] bed, according to her own record,” said Oates. The interview also mentioned an enslaved woman who was literate. “A woman named Vic is mentioned in Susan’s narrative as being literate and reading the Bible to them,” said Oates. Letters from the Cobb family also confirm that Aggy Carter, documented in Seen/Unseen, was literate. “She was taught to read and write by Mary Willis Cobb,” Oates said. “But then Aggy goes on to teach several of the Cobb children to read and write, so it’s kind of full circle.” Oates emphasized that allowing for literacy among the enslaved was selective: “Even though it was OK for some of the enslaved people to read and write, it was not OK for all of them.”
The information that Oates was able to glean from the logbook offers insight into the lives of the enslaved including ages, familial relationships, literacy, skills and types of labor, and where they lived on the various plantations. “This is John B. Lamar managing seven different plantations for himself and for Howell [Cobb] and Mary Ann [Lamar Cobb],” said Oates. “In order to do so, he needed to keep track of every single name of every person that was on the property.”
While the logbook does not contain the specific ages of enslaved people, the records of clothing allotments were a significant indication of age and sex. Oates explained, “Adult men are getting seven yards of summer [cloth], eight yards of wool, three yards of cotton, while women are getting 11 of summer [cloth], seven of wool, six of cotton… That made us able to figure out this is an adult man, this is an adult woman. And the smaller [allotments]
Multi- talented artist Parker Wierling started writing and releasing his own songs in 2019, inspired by ’90s alt rock, indie pop and Americana. After graduating high school, he jumped into the music world by teaching himself music production using Logic Pro X. He has released several singles and EPs since then. Most recently, Wierling released his newest song, “Blur of Love,” on Apr. 10 along with an accompanying music video. This is the lead single from his upcoming debut record. When Wierling’s not busy releasing his own music, he can be heard on his music interview podcast, On That Note, or spotted acting in TV shows like “The Walking Dead” and films like Saturday Night or Yes, God, Yes. Joining him on the rooftop will be North Carolina-based artist/producer Melodramatic and local indie-rock musician Alex Jett. [Mary Beth Bryan]
Information about what happened to enslaved people who were emancipated has also been discovered. The logbook for Hurricane Plantation near Milledgeville has notes indicating those who left with the Union in 1864 when the plantation was burned by General Sherman’s troops. “Flag has ‘Yank’ next to him, so he probably went off to join Union forces,” Oates said. One name has “off with Sherman” written next to it.
Oates encourages anyone who has further information about any individual listed in the database, or those who may not yet be listed, to contact her. “This will grow and develop with further research. This is not a final product in any form… we’re trying to make sure that no name is left behind,” said Oates.
The T.R.R. Cobb House will host a free open house on Saturday, June 20 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. with guided tours of the house at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Visitors will be able to view the database and the original 1859 logbook during the open house. To view the database and for more information, visit trrcobbhouse.org f
tics to create danger- folk songs that range from high speed to spooky, and combine elements of country, punk, jazz and psychedelic music. The band has played Athens many times over the years, and Hopkins says that FLAP “has always enjoyed sharing their acoustic guitar madness with great Athens crowds.” For the first time, FLAP’s record will be available for purchase on vinyl at the show. Joining is local band Normaltown Sound Machine, a post-dance group that just released “(You May Not Use) My Likeness,” the first single from its upcoming record Temporal Strobes. The full record comes out this September. [MB]
PERFORMANCE | WED, JUNE 24 Puppet
& Clown Show
Dead Beat Club • 8:30 p.m. • $10 (adv.), $15
Dwain Segar began the Segar Jazz Affair concert series after he moved to Athens from New York in 2010. Alongside the smooth jazz show he hosts on WXAG 92.7, Segar Jazz Affair has since become a staple of the city’s jazz scene, hosting renowned musicians from near and far. For its 104th installment, Atlanta-based saxophonist Dwan Bosman will return. Bosman has been surrounded by music since his birth. His original instrument was the clarinet, but after listening to John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme when he was 15, he decided to pick up the saxophone. He is now over three decades into his career as a musician and has performed across the country and abroad. You may have even caught him performing at Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where he is a veteran performer for “The Sounds of Southern Hospitality” program. [MB]
Atlanta duo FLAP is returning to Athens to play songs from its newest record, DeKalb County Guitar, which is composed of all-instrumental acoustic guitar tracks. FLAP was formed in 1989 by Andy Hopkins and Matt Miller, who use their two acous -
Puppet Pants is an Atlanta-based oneman marionette troupe. He performs his shows over 100 times a year across the country for private parties, festivals, conventions and independent tours. His latest show, “Phantasmagoria,” is a weird, whimsical, circusy puppet show intended for mature audiences. Set to an original score, the show is about clowns, monsters and mysteries, but also has a core message about believing in yourself. T. Anthony Marotta, who is an assistant professor and director of mainstage productions at UGA, as well as an expert on masks and puppetry, will also perform a program called “(un)filter.” This is a wordless marionette variety show featuring a signature mix of clown, puppetry, mask, movement and media. The show looks at lies, liars and the little performances people do to get through the day while asking the question “What happens when the lie pulls the strings?” [MB]
ART
| THU, JUNE 25
‘Southworks’ Artist Talk
OCAF • 6 p.m. • FREE!
OCAF’s annual “Southworks” national juried exhibition opened last month, and this month the foundation will host two events to give participating artists an opportunity to share more information with the public and with one another about their work and the creative processes behind it. Groups will tour through the exhibition for one hour on both June 25 and June 30 alongside these featured artists as they share their insights. The June 25 talk will feature Barbara Mann, Barbara Odil, Beata Kochut, Cathi Warren, Colin Ward, Ian McFarlane, John Roberts, Lawrence Stueck, Ray Lee, Wendy GarfinkelGold and Susan Pelham. June 30 will feature Deirdra Owen, Hilda Kurtz, Janet Rodekohr and William Lum. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided both nights. [MB] f
Dwan Bosman
A page from John B. Lamar’s 1859 plantation logbook.
RESTAURANT SECTION
The Steakhouse Athens Has Trusted For 26 Years First dates. Graduation dinners. Business deals. Anniversaries. Family gatherings. For 26 years, Porterhouse Grill has been honored to be part of the moments that matter most. While restaurants come and go, our commitment to exceptional food, outstanding service, and genuine hospitality has never changed. Thank You, Athens, For 26 Incredible Years. Experience the tradition. Porterhouse Grill Steakhouse Serving Athens Since 2000.
Complimentary Dessert with Entrée Purchase OR Complimentary Appetizer with Two Entrées Ask about our $12 lunch menu when you come in
Celebrating Movies & America! Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Juneteenth
COMMUNITY EVENTS CELEBRATING OUR SECOND INDEPENDENCE DAY
By Sam Lipkin editorial@flagpole.com
Although Juneteenth was signed into law as a federal holiday just five years ago, it’s a date long commemorating the end of slavery in the United States—hence being known as the Second Independence Day. Juneteenth celebrations date back to more than 100 years ago, when African Americans were still often prohibited from using public facilities for their festivities. Now Athens has multiple events and festivals honoring the history and traditions of Juneteenth for everyone to enjoy. These celebrations encourage understanding the past while building a brighter future.
A Day of Celebrating Our Black Heritage
June 19, 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m. • Morton Theatre
Presented by Charlie Maddox with the Athens Downtown Development Authority, there will be a full day of activities that aim to celebrate Black culture and local icons. Through film screenings, spoken word and storytelling, different individual perspectives will help shape the broader experience of being Black in America. More details about the specifics of the lineup are still to be announced. Admission is free but requires a ticket, which can be registered for at mortontheatre.com.
can be found at athensjuneteenth.com.
Classic City Juneteenth Music and Arts Festival
June 20, 3–7 p.m. • Georgia Square Mall
The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement and United GA Entertainment organize this community- centered celebration. The free event features live performances, food trucks, vendors, children’s activities, collaborative art activities and more. There will be a curated Black-owned business marketplace featuring regional entrepreneurs, retailers and creatives. The official festival opening at 3 p.m. will include a traditional libation ceremony and reflection led by Dr. Ojo, followed by a Freedom Bell ringing, collective affirmations and a Juneteenth Freedom Walk. At 3:40 p.m. there will be an African drum and dance performance, with a public art project at 4:30 p.m. that
Athens Juneteenth Celebration & Festival
June 19, 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. • Downtown Athens
On behalf of the Athens- Clarke County Office of People & Belonging, Historic Athens is the organizer of this year’s festival held downtown. The free event is open to the community and features live performances, storytelling, food trucks, vendors, children’s activities, interactive exhibits and more. The event will begin with a gathering at Hot Corner at 10:30 a.m., where attendees can create signs with provided supplies, followed by a march from College Square to City Hall for the raising of the Juneteenth flag and a brief ceremony at 11 a.m. Historic Athens will distribute a Juneteenth Kids Guide created by the Historic Athens Welcome Center that includes information about the history of Juneteenth, traditional celebrations and a reflection on freedom. The organization plans to turn downtown into a museum for a day with pop-up interpretive signage highlighting important places, individuals and events in local African American history. More information
attendees can participate in throughout the rest of the evening. Then a live performance showcase will keep attendees entertained through the end of the festival with DJs, musicians, spoken word artists, dancers and cultural performances. For more info about individual or associated festivities, visit aadmovement.org.
Miss Black Northeast Georgia Teen Pageant
June 20, 4–6:30 p.m. • Morton Theatre
The third annual pageant presented by nonprofit Northeast Georgia Pageant Association celebrates Black excellence. The organization’s mission is to empower young women through leadership development, community engagement and personal growth while using its platform to build confidence and character. Contestants come from high schools in the Northeast and East Central counties of Georgia, and they will compete in talent, oratory, evening wear, and question and answer competitions. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at mortontheatre.com. f
AADM's 2025 Juneteenth Celebration
DANIEL BORREMANS
Q&A With Rial Rye
By Libba Beaucham arts@flagpole.com
Atlanta-based artist Rial Rye’s new exhibition “Son of a Griff” at the Lyndon House Arts Center concentrates on his biracial identity through vibrant, highly saturated works created with nostalgic children’s toys that invite visitors to consider race, identity and challenging histories in an unexpected way.
Flagpole spoke with Rye ahead of the exhibition’s opening reception on June 18 from 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Flagpole: Tell us about the intention behind using bright, “happy” colors and familiar toys to communicate more difficult subjects.
Rial Rye: Initially, you get that kind of sour candy sugar high; it’s the very first response you get. What you will realize is that all of the smiles and bright colors are hiding something. I think about all of these toys as being replacements for Black and brown bodies. So I’m putting these toys in situations that Black and brown bodies find themselves in.
FP: Can you describe a piece from the exhibition that exemplifies that experience for the viewer?
RR: The piece “Tethered” is of two dolls, and they are kind of balancing each other on opposite sides of the panel. They’ve been dunked in paint, and then they have gold leaf dripping down their faces, and the gold leaf and the paint splatters are something I utilize to depict biracial and BIPOC people. The gold is actually something I’ve been doing in reference to Thomas Jefferson’s mistress, or enslaved woman that he had, Sally. She was utilized in his presidential campaign against him. The papers wrote that he had “golden affections,” which was a reference to her skin because she was a biracial woman. And that was a derogatory thing that was thrown against white men
that would be with mixed race enslaved women. And just like the title of the show, “Son of a Griff,” where I took the derogatory term “Griff”, and I reimagined myself as a griffin, or as more magical… I’ve kind of done that with the golden affections that I’ve marred these dolls with gold. You could see it as they’ve been altered or ruined, or you could see it as they’ve been embellished, made more beautiful.
FP: The exhibition’s title is linked to your family’s history. Tell me more about that.
RR: It was such a relief to find that my ancestors in the Census records were labeled as griffs, which despite being a derogatory term, brought me a lot of joy. One of my ancestors was presumably enslaved by the Native American people, by the Choctaw tribe… Being biracial and feeling like an outsider, I realize that I’m actually not really that outside. I come from generations of people who are biracial, intermixed. And that is the spirit of this show.
FP: What was the process of developing this show like for you?
RR: I gotta be honest, I was very angry when I made this work. Originally when I heard that I would be doing this show, it was prior to the Trump administration. So it felt like a lifetime ago. So much has changed day to day and week to week as I was producing this work, and my feelings were all over the place… I damaged some art, like I took my anger out on some work in my studio, and I even threw a piece of wood, and it cracked, and I was like, “Oh, I like this…” this kind of all started out of a tantrum that I had.
FP: You saying “tantrum” seems to relate back to the childlike quality of the toys and colors. Is there something to that?
RR: What’s so funny is that sometimes I have parents who tell me that they’re concerned about what their child will think, seeing a My Little Pony wrapped in barbed wire… I have never had a child react in the way that people are afraid that they’ll react, and often I have kids that will tell me, “Oh, I did this to a Barbie doll too…” I think they totally understand that mindset of being upset and using the toys, not in a happy way, but as a tool of engaging with the world.
FP: What do you hope visitors take away from the exhibition?
RR: I really hope that they see that the world is not black and white, that there’s a
lot of different experiences… we can all be in mutual destruction, or we can help each other break free from these chains.
“Son of a Griff” will be on display from June 18 to August 29 as part of the Lyndon House Arts Center’s summer series featuring five shows: the non- juried community presentation “Pet Portraits,” the language based group show “Speaking in Tongues,” Stephen Humphreys’ photographs documenting “Excursions in Ukraine” and the experimental group Swannatopia’s installation “BEE CITY OF NOW.” The opening reception on June 18 is for the entire summer series. More information is available at accgov.com/exhibits. f
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live music calendar
Tuesday 16
Ciné
8 p.m. $12. www.athenscine.com
THE SNARES Psych-rock outfit based in Sacramento, CA. Booze, ear fatigue and a bruised knee guaranteed.
DEAF CONDORS Experimental garage-rock group with a genrebending sound anchored by Peruvian brothers Bob Jesus and Darrick Alvarez.
KENOSHA KID The brainchild of guitarist Dan Nettles performs two sets of adventurous new music each week from his ever-expanding catalog that exists “somewhere in the Schrödinger’s nexus of jazz, post-rock and improvised music.”
THE BROKEN STRING BAND Americana band blending Western folk with indie rock.
The World Famous
H.A.R.D.T.A.C.K. Presents. 9 p.m.
$10. www.facebook.com/theworld famousathens
GRIPE Houston, TX punk quartet. CERVIX Birmingham, AL rock and roll unit.
RUBBER UDDER Self-described weirdo experimental acid punk/ noise-grunge thing from Athens. REGULATOR Music for mounting up.
PETER AND THE SKEETERS Local lo-fi egg punk group.
Wednesday 17
585 Barber St. Summer Sunset Music Series. 7–8:30
p.m. FREE! www.treehousekidand craft.com
WOMEN IN STEM Indie rock girl trio with a power complex and lots of love.
Amici at The Falls
6 p.m. www.facebook.com/amiciat thefalls
MAKENNA BRYAN Playing originals and covers.
Flicker Theatre & Bar
9 p.m. FREE! www.flickertheatreand bar.com
DR. FRED’S KARAOKE Featuring a large assortment of pop, rock, indie and more.
Nowhere Bar 7 p.m. (doors), 9:30 p.m. (show). www.instagram.com/nowherebar athensga
DENNY ZINGER Progressive garage rock out of Pittsburgh, PA. Porterhouse Grill 7 p.m. www.porterhousegrillathens. com
JAZZ NIGHT Longest running jazz gig in Athens featuring a rotating cast of familiar faces performing American songbook, bossa nova classics and crossover hits.
Thursday 18
Athentic Brewing Co. Blues and Brews. 6 p.m. $5. www. athenticbrewing.com
RICK FOWLER ACOUSTIC BAND Original, guitar-driven local bluesrock group.
Dead Beat Club
8 p.m. (show). FREE! www.deadbeat athens.com
TANNER FALLIN Recent graduate of UGA’s School of Music who is a classically-trained percussionist well-versed in piano and bass guitar.
RUDY MONTAYRE Athenian acoustic singer-songwriter with influence from R&B, rock and folk music.
JOHN KINNISON Solo live-looping acoustic artist originally from Pensacola, FL.
JOHN PAUL WHITE Nashville songwriter previously part of the duo The Civil Wars.
Friday 19
40 Watt Club
7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $19. www.40watt.com OF MONTREAL Long-running psych-pop group fronted by Kevin Barnes, known for its outlandish stage presence.
CORMAE Austin, TX riot grrrl egg punk.
Amici at The Falls
6 p.m. www.facebook.com/amiciat thefalls
AUSTIN SISK & ALLIE BRYAN
Singer-songwriter duo playing altpop and country.
Athentic Brewing Co.
7:30–10:30 p.m. www.athentic brewing.com
THE ORIGINAL SPLITZ BAND A mixed drink of the classic Motown sound, part 1970s funk and disco flavor, a dash of the old-school and contemporary R&B, and a guaranteed good time.
Dead Beat Club
8:30 p.m. $10. www.deadbeatathens. com
RYNE MEADOW Local indie folk singer-songwriter with vulnerable and socially insightful lyrics. Album release show!
LIBBALOOPS Electronic musician and looping artist who loves to be silly and get “loopy doopy.”
Downtown Athens
10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. FREE! athensjuneteenth.com
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION & FESTIVAL Family-friendly event featuring spoken word, special guest speakers and live music by Blacknerdninja, Ishues, TIKICA, Vernon Thornsberry with John Fernandes and Bill Oglesby, and Dr. Nkululeko “Freedomo” Zungu.
MACHINE Hologram pop for fans of The Cardigans, Squeeze, Stereolab and The Pretenders, featuring members of Ceiling Fan, The Salt Flats and Still Small Voice.
FLAP Avant-guitar duo from East Atlanta comprised of Andy Hopkins and Matt Miller.
Front Porch Bookstore
6 p.m. FREE! Find Front Porch Bookstore on Facebook
MARY & THE HOT HOTTY-HOTS
Hot jazz and swing band offering music from the 1910s, ’20s and ’30s.
Georgia Square Mall
3–7 p.m. FREE! www.aadmovement. org
CLASSIC CITY JUNETEENTH MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL
Family-friendly event featuring reflections, affirmations, cultural performances and live music by Duddy Ken, Ali & Lil One, Kaliah Hearts, Trina Meade & Band, and Miles Stone.
DWAN BOSMAN Saxophonist with over 25 years of experience.
Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall
7:30 p.m. $74–106. pac.uga.edu
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA This program features iconic music from cinema and classic American symphonic music in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Nowhere Bar
EASTERN DREAMERS Americana and ’70s folk duo from Nashville. Nuçi’s Space
6 p.m. FREE! www.nuci.org
CAMP AMPED JUNE FINALE
Young musicians in the Nuçi’s Space Camp Amped program show off what they’ve learned.
The Old Pal 6 p.m.–12 a.m. www.instagram.com/ vinyl_open_decks
VINYL OPEN DECKS DJ Nate and JiiG host open decks where attendees can bring a few records and sign up to share some tunes. Turntables and mixer provided.
The Root 10 p.m. FREE! www.therootathens.com
SILENT DISCO Grab a pair of headphones, choose a music channel and dance the night away.
Southern Drawl Bar & Grille
6–9 p.m. www.southerndrawlbarand grille.com
BRANDON SEARS TRIO Playing Southern rock jams. St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church 2 p.m. Donations suggested. www.st gregoryathens.org
COMMUNITY SING In memory of Don Downie, there will be performed pieces and opportunities for the audience to sing along.
OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS House, rap and shoegaze-inspired music on synth hardware.
HAMAIXA Live solo electronics and modular synth project inspired by house, electro and musique concrète.
SWEETEARTHFLYING Former Athens resident Emmie Pierce uses guitar, found objects and modular synths to create subtle and extreme sonic textures, spatio-temporal distortions, and serene waves of cut up music.
The Globe
4–7 p.m. www.facebook.com/globe. athens
TRADITIONAL IRISH SESSION
Easy listening traditional Irish music.
Oak House Distillery
4 p.m. www.oakhousedistillery.com
GREG CLINTON Solo set by the guitarist for RiffNotes.
Tuesday 23
The Classic Center 6 p.m. (doors), 7 p.m. (show). $76–413.50. www.classiccenter.com
VINCE GILL Grammy Award-winning modern country musician. Daily Groceries Co-op 6–7:30 p.m. www.instagram.com/ dailycoop
TUESDAY TUNES AT DAILY Rotating local musicians play stripped down sets. Hendershot’s 5–7 p.m. www.hendershotsathens. com
PIANO BAR HAPPY HOUR Enjoy drink specials and live piano music.
Wednesday 24
585 Barber St. Summer Sunset Music Series. 7–8:30 p.m. FREE! www.treehousekidand craft.com
THE SPEAX Blues and psychedelic rock-influenced power trio who met through Nuçis Space’s Camp Amped program and play mostly original material. Amici at The Falls 6 p.m. www.facebook.com/amiciat thefalls
AUSTIN SISK & ALLIE BRYAN Singer-songwriter duo playing altpop and country.
KARAOKE WITH DJ GREGORY Second and fourth Wednesdays. Creature Comforts Brewery Athens Farmers Market. 5–8 p.m. FREE! www.athensfarmersmarket. net
FOLIE À CINQ Playing a mix of French chansons, jazzy tunes, and originals by Lavon Smith, accompanied on guitars, accordion, and double bass. (6 p.m.)
Flicker Theatre & Bar 9 p.m. FREE! www.flickertheatreand bar.com
DR. FRED’S KARAOKE Featuring a large assortment of pop, rock, indie and more. Nowhere Bar 7 p.m. (doors), 9:30 p.m. (show). www.instagram.com/nowherebar athensga
GHOSTWRITER Musical project from Austin, TX that melds influences from country-blues to postpunk and has opened for acts like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and T-Model Ford.
Porterhouse Grill
7 p.m. www.porterhousegrillathens. com
JAZZ NIGHT Longest running jazz gig in Athens featuring a rotating cast of familiar faces performing American songbook, bossa nova classics and crossover hits. The Roadhouse 9 p.m. $5. www.instagram.com/road houseathens
CHALICE D-beat/crust punk band from Melbourne, FL. DRES CODE Hardcore punk from Murfreesboro, TN.
CRYING FORM Local hardcore punk trio.
TOMMYGUN Athens punk band. ARMS DEALER Welcome to the gun show punks.
event calendar
Tuesday 16
CLASSES: Internet 101: Privacy and Security (ACC Library) Learn how to protect your data, recognize security risks and get tips on how to manage your personal information. Registration required. 10 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org
COMEDY: Take This! Improv (Athentic Brewing Co.) The troupe will perform their own improv skits along with a surprise musical guest. 7 p.m. www.athenticbrewing.com
COMEDY: Open Toad Comedy Night (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Comedy performed by a mix of newcomers and local favorites from Athens and Atlanta. 8:30 p.m. (doors). $7. www.flickertheatreandbar.com
EVENTS: Tiki Taco Tuesday (Live Wire) Enjoy craft cocktails and a taco pop-up from Don Carne with themed weeks, live music and dancing. Tuesdays, 5–10 p.m. www.livewireathens.com
FILM: Love Island Watch Party (Athentic Brewing Co.) Chaotic Good Podcast hosts a watch party with a pre-show podcast, games and special drinks. 8 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com
GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Amici at The Falls) Test your trivia knowledge with host Miles Bunch. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/ baddogathens
GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Paloma Park) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/baddogathens
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Winghouse Grill Hull) Test your general trivia knowledge. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Akademia Brewing Co.) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco
GAMES: UnPhiltered Trivia (Mellow Mushroom) Test your trivia knowledge with host Phil. 7 p.m. www. facebook.com/MellowMushroom Athens
GAMES: Singo! (Beef O’Brady’s) Win gift certificates and prizes at this music bingo night. Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. www.beefobradys.com/athens
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Magnolias of Athens) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Benjamin. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. www. instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco
KIDSTUFF: Gator Talk (Oconee County Library) Retired gator wrangler Rick Cleveland will share artifacts, stories, photos and more. 10 a.m. & 11 a.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/oconee
MEETINGS: Corporation Annual Meeting (Morton Theatre) There will be volunteer award presentations, board and staff reports, and more. 6:30 p.m. FREE! www. mortontheatre.com
SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. info@athenspetanque.org, www.athenspetanque.org
Wednesday 17
ART: Tour at Two (Georgia Museum of Art) These drop-in public tours feature highlights of the permanent
collection. 2 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org
CLASSES: Beginner’s Camping Workshop (REI) This hands-on introduction to tent camping includes setting up tents, sleeping bag saftey and other practical advice. 6 p.m. $15 (members), $45 (non-members). www.rei.com
COMEDY: Hendershot’s Comedy (Hendershot’s) Enjoy a lineup
p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzu nottrivia
GAMES: Magic The Gathering and Pokemon Meet-Up (Athentic Brewing Co.) Drop in to spend an evening playing games or matches. Third Wednesdays, 6–9 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Hotel Indigo) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Ian. Wednes-
days, 8 p.m. www.instagram.com/ shihtzunottrivia
KIDSTUFF: Paleo Palooza (Oconee County Library) Learn about the Paleolithic Era with puppetry, magic, comedy and more. 10 a.m. & 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee
MEETINGS: Athens Puzzle Club (Hendershot’s) Puzzle lovers are invited to bring along their favorite
featuring comics from Athens and Atlanta as well as newcomers. Hosted by Noell Appling. Third Wednesdays, 8 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com
EVENTS: The Athens Farmers Market (Creature Comforts Brewery) Markets offer fresh produce, flowers, eggs, meats, prepared foods, arts and crafts. Live music at 6 p.m. AFM double SNAP dollars spent. Wednesdays, 5–8 p.m. www. athensfarmersmarket.net
FILM: Three Star Cinema (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Screening of the 1991 action drama film Maximum Breakout. 7 p.m. FREE! www.flicker theatreandbar.com
GAMES: Shadowfist Power Lunch (Tyche’s Games) Drop in and play Shadowfist. All skill levels. 11:30 a.m. FREE! www.tychesgames.com
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (South Main Brewing) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 6
GAMES: Love.Craft Bingo Night (Athentic Brewing Co.) A bingo event benefiting the nonprofit organization Love.Craft Athens. Third Wednesdays, 6:30–8 p.m. $3–5. www.lovecraftathens.org
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Normal Bar) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (The Local 706) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett. Wednesdays, 7:06 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco
GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Cafe Racer (Oak St.)) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/ baddogathens
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Locos Grill and Pub Eastside) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednes-
els. First come, first served. 6 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org
COMEDY: Gorgeous George’s Improv League (Flying Squid Comedy) Bring a loose funny bone to some home-grown townie improv. 6:30 p.m. (doors), 7 p.m. (short-form), 8 p.m. (long-form). $5. www.flyingsquidcomedy.com
FILM: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Ciné) Screening of the 1966 Western action film with a live film history podcast hosted by Aaron Strand of Behind the Slate. 8 p.m. $20. www.athenscine.com
GAMES: Bad Dog BINGO (Amici at The Falls) Play BINGO with host TJ Wayt. Thursdays, 6 p.m. www. instagram.com/baddogathens
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Terrapin Beer Co.) Test your general trivia knowledge. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzu nottrivia
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Butt Hutt) Test your general trivia knowledge. Thursdays, 7 p.m. www. instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia
GAMES: Athens’ Hardest Trivia Night (Nighthawks Lounge) Test your trivia knowledge with host Phil. 7 p.m. www.nighthawkslounge.com
KIDSTUFF: Read to Rover (Oconee County Library) Drop in to read a story to certified therapy dog Oliver. Ages 4 & up. 3:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee
KIDSTUFF: Teen Dungeons & Dragons (Bogart Library) Join a volunteer-run gaming session open to all skill levels. Grades 6–12. 6 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ bogart
MEETINGS: KnitLits Knitting Group (Bogart Library) Knitters of all levels are invited to have fun, share craft ideas and knit to their hearts’ content. Thursdays, 6 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/bogart
SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. info@athenspetanque. org, www.athenspetanque.org
Friday 19
ART: Opening Reception (Winterville Cultural Center Gallery) Artworks by Jack Burk will be on view. 5–7 p.m. FREE! www.wintervillecenter.com
puzzles to share. 2–4 p.m. FREE! www.instagram.com/athenspuzzle club
Thursday 18
ART: Opening Reception (Lyndon House Arts Center) The summer series of exhibitions “Pet Portraits,” “Speaking in Tongues,” “Excursions in Ukraine,” “Son of a Griff” and “BEE CITY OF NOW” will be on view. 5:30–7:30 p.m. FREE! www. accgov.com/lyndonhouse
ART: Opening Reception (tiny ATH gallery) Artist Tatiana Kiselyova’s exhibition “Inner Possum” will be on view. 6–9 p.m. FREE! www. tinyathgallery.com
CLASSES: Yoga in the Galleries (Georgia Museum of Art) Enjoy a yoga class in the art galleries led by instructors from Yoga and Pilates for the People. Open to all skill lev-
FILM: Sinners (Marigold Auditorium for Arts and Culture) Screening of the 2025 action horror film. 7 p.m. $6. www.wintervillecenter.com
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Oak House Distillery) Test your general trivia knowledge. Fridays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia
GAMES: Friday Night Initiative (Tyche’s Games) Learn how to play a new roleplaying game. New players welcome. 7 p.m. FREE! www. tychesgames.com
MEETINGS: Creative Athenians (Hendershot’s) Connect with fellow creatives during this relaxed and informal monthly gathering. Third Fridays, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. FREE! www.hendershotsathens.com
SPORTS: World Cup Watch Party (Terrapin Beer Co.) Screening of the United States vs. Australia soccer game with BINGO and merch raffles. 12–9 p.m. www.terrapin beer.com
Saturday 20
ART: Painting With Pops (K.A. Artist Shop) Celebrate Father’s Day with this beginner-friendly painting workshop. Ages 13 & up. 1 p.m. $35. www.kaartist.com
ART: Artist Talk (OCAF) Artist Terry Rowlett will discuss the works in his exhibition “Beyond the End of Time.” 1–2 p.m. FREE! www.ocaf. com
CLASSES: Build a Glass Pride Flag (Work.Shop) Create a customized glass suncatcher by cutting, grinding and soldering. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. $45. www.fluxgoods.com/classes CLASSES: Aromatherapy Skincare (OCAF) Learn how to blend essential oils for your skin type, understand safe dilution practices and create a custom aromatherapy product to take home. 1 p.m. $60 (members), $75 (non-members). www.ocaf.com
EVENTS: A Day of Celebrating Our Black Heritage (Morton Theatre) Film screenings, spoken word and storytelling celebrating Black culture and local icons. 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m. FREE! (with ticket). www. mortontheatre.com
EVENTS: Athens Juneteenth Celebration & Festival (Downtown Athens) Historic Athens presents a community festival featuring live performances, storytelling, food trucks, vendors, children’s activities, interactive exhibits and more. 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. FREE! www. athensjuneteenth.com
EVENTS: Rum Tasting (Tonique Bottle Co.) Drop in to sample three different styles of Dark Caribbean Rum with a welcome Daiquiri cocktail. 5–7 p.m. $15. www.shop tonique.com
EVENTS: After Hours: A Night of Regulation & Rituals (Shakti Power Yoga) Calming mocktails, acupressure, under eye masks,
CLASSES: Dig Up Your Roots (Bogart Library) Learn about how to research records and search for family members. 3 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart COMEDY: Improv Comedy (ACC Library) A variety of all-ages improv comedy skits with Off The Rail. 3 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org
EVENTS: The Athens Farmers Market (Bishop Park) Markets offer locally grown groceries and handmade goods with live music and children’s activities. AFM doubles SNAP dollars spent. Saturdays, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. www.athensfarmers market.net
EVENTS: Comer Community Market (The Perch) Browse flower and vegetable plant starts, baked goods, vegetables, honey, pottery, eggs, mushrooms and handmade items. 9 a.m.–12 p.m. www.theperchcomer. com/farmers-market
EVENTS: Marigold Farmers Market (Pittard Park) Vendors offer organic produce, prepared foods, agricultural products and artisanal goods with live music, kids activities and more. Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. www.marigoldcollectivewinterville.com
EVENTS: Open House (UGA Trial Gardens) Browse plants for sale,
The exhibition “Inner Possum” features works by Tatiana Kiselyova at tiny ATH gallery. An opening reception will be held on June 18 from 6–9 p.m. and an artist talk on June 26 from 6–9 p.m.
take guided tours of the garden and get books signed by horticulturalist Allan Armitage. 9 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! ugatrial.hort.uga.edu
EVENTS: YWCO 120th Birthday Celebration (YWCO) Celebrate with a trail walk, vendors, refreshments, games and more. 9 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! www.ywco.org
EVENTS: Enslaved People Database Launch (T.R.R. Cobb House) Learn about the new database that documents over 1,100 people enslaved by the extended Cobb family with guided tours. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. FREE! www.trrcobbhouse.org
EVENTS: Abnormal Bazaar (Indie South) This market features vendors selling soaps, jewelry, vintage, vinyl and more. 11 a.m.–3 p.m. www.the indiesouth.com
EVENTS: Father’s Day Celebration (Terrapin Beer Co.) There will be live music, food, activities for kids and more. 3–9 p.m. www.terrapin beer.com
EVENTS: Classic City Juneteenth Music and Arts Festival (Georgia Square Mall) AADM presents a community festival featuring live performances, food trucks, vendors, children’s activities, collaborative art activities and more. 3–7 p.m. FREE! www.aadmovement.org
FILM: Arrival (Ciné) Screening of the film with a conversation about “Do Aliens Tell Knock-Knock Jokes?” with experts in science. 2 p.m. $9. www.athenscine.com
KIDSTUFF: Storytime (Rec Room Books) Enjoy a morning of storytelling with Ms. Rachel. 10:30 a.m. FREE! www.instagram.com/ recroombooks
MEETINGS: Atheist Society of Athens (ACC Library) A reality-based, non-prophet organization. 4 p.m. FREE! www.atheistsocietyathens.org
PERFORMANCE: Miss Black Northeast Georgia Teen Pageant (Morton Theatre) In this third annual competition high-school contestants will showcase their skills and compete in variety of presentations. 4–6 p.m. $15. www.missblack northeastga.com
Sunday 21
ART: Figure Drawing (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) Bring your supplies to sketch various poses
during a summer solstice yoga session. 12–2 p.m. $20–40 (suggest donation). www.revolutiontherapy andyoga.com
ART: Artist Talk (tiny ATH gallery) Artist Tatiana Kiselyova will discuss the works in her exhibition “Inner Possum.” 2–5 p.m. FREE! www. tinyathgallery.com
CLASSES: Floriography & Bouquets (Daily Groceries Co-op) Learn about the Victorian Era secret language of flowers and create a fresh mini bouquet of your own. Proceeds benefit Daily Groceries. 4 p.m. $20 (members), $25 (nonmembers). www.tussiemussie athens.com/class
COMEDY: Comedy Showcase (The Globe) Athens Comedy hosts themed and general showcases of local and regional comedians. Sundays, 9 p.m. www.athenscomedy.com
EVENTS: Dad’s Day BBQ Bash (Athentic Brewing Co.) Enjoy live music, barbecue, custom cigars and more at this Father’s Day themed event. 4–8 p.m. www. athenticbrewing.com
FILM: Tokusatsu Club (ACC Library) Screening of the 2017 Japanese sci-fi movie BraveStorm. 3 p.m. FREE! clubtoku@gmail.
GAMES: SIM Race Sunday (ACC Library) Drive for fun or compete for fastest lap at the Watkins Glen circuit. Ages 12 & up. Registration required. 3 p.m. FREE! www.athens library.org
GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (The Globe) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Sundays, 4 p.m. & 6 p.m. www.instagram.com/baddogathens
SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. info@athenspetanque.org, www.athenspetanque.org
Monday 22
ART: Mandala Workshop (Winterville Cultural Center) Nicole Bechill guides participants as they explore creativity and self-discovery through mandala art. 10 a.m. $35. www.wintervillecenter.com
CLASSES: Vietnamese Class (Oconee County Library) Instructor Martine Thy Nguyen will lead a
art around town
ATHENAEUM (287 W. Broad St.) Prompting artists to create the “wildest bathrooms in Athens,” artists Amanda Burk and Elinor Saragoussi designed installations for the Athenaeum bathrooms. Burk’s installation is titled “Mars: a color study,” and Saragoussi’s is titled “threshold (true): finding comfort in hidden worlds.”
ATHICA (675 Pulaski St. Ste. 1200) “Mutual Grit” features works within the theme of Georgia’s ecology and human impact on the environment. Special Third Thursday Hours on June 18, 6–8 p.m. Through June 30.
ATHICA@CINÉ GALLERY (234 W. Hancock Ave.) “Piecemeal” features collages by Brian George built piece by piece over two years. Special Third Thursday hours on June 18, 6–9 p.m. Through June 25.
AURUM STUDIOS (125 E. Clayton St.) “The Silk Show ’26” features painted silks by Margaret Agner. Through July.
DONDEROS’ KITCHEN (590 N. Milledge Ave.) Whimsical artworks by Susan Pelham will be on display through August.
FLICKER THEATRE & BAR (263 W. Washington St.) Works by Jeremy Long celebrate his 30 year anniversary in this exhibition. Through June.
GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART (90 Carlton St.) Drawing on Ada Limón’s poem “In Praise of Mystery,” “We, Too, Are Made of Wonders” explores humanity’s fascination with the cosmos through poetry, science and visual art from the museum’s collection. Through June 28. • asinnajaq’s “Three Thousand” combines archival videos from the National Film Board of Canada with animations, soundscapes and contemporary video footage. Through June 28. • “Seeing the News in Harper’s Weekly, 1860–80” features Civil War-era and Reconstruction-era illustrations by Thomas Nast and Winslow Homer, curated by students in UGA’s Hands-on Public History course. Through July 12. • On loan from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art are 377 painted ceramic plates from Julie
class on the basics of Vietnamese. 6–7 p.m. FREE! www.athens library.org/oconee
EVENTS: PFAS Community Screening & Discussion (ACC Library) Screening of the documentary Contaminated: The Carpet Industry’s Toxic Legacy followed by a discussion about what PFAS are and recent developments in regulations. 6 p.m. FREE! www.eacau.org
GAMES: Chess and Community (ACC Library) Drop in for open chess play to learn the game, challenge skills and engage with other enthusiasts. Mondays, 3:30–5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Fully Loaded Pizza Kitchen (Normaltown)) Test your general trivia knowledge. Mondays, 7 p.m. www. instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Dooley’s Bar and Grill) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett. Mondays, 7 p.m. www.instagram. com/classiccitytriviaco
GAMES: General Trivia (Athentic Brewing Co.) Test your general trivia knowledge. Mondays, 7 p.m. www.athenticbrewing.com
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Pancho’s Tacos & Tequila) Test your general trivia knowledge. Mondays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzu nottrivia
GAMES: Pride Trivia (Athentic Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge in celebration of Pride Month. 7 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing. com
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Grindhouse Killer Burgers) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Benjamin. Mondays, 7:30 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccity triviaco
KIDSTUFF: Dino-mite Magic Show (Bogart Library) Enjoy a dinosaur themed magic show with magician and ventriloquist Mr. Keith. All ages. 1 p.m. FREE! www.athens library.org/bogart
MEETINGS: Writers of Oconee (Oconee County Library) Led by Sanese Pippen learn how to share your writing experiences and get feedback on your work. Second & fourth Mondays, 6:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee
PERFORMANCE: Puppet & Clown Show (Dead Beat Club) Internationally touring solo artist T. Anthony
Marotta and the one-man-marionette-troupe Puppet Pants will perform shows. 8:30 p.m. $10–15. www.deadbeatathens.com
Tuesday 23
CLASSES: Email Basics (ACC Library) Learn how to send and receive emails, manage your inbox, add attachments,and recognize spam. Registration required. 10 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org
CLASSES: Boots & Brews Line Dancing (Athentic Brewing Co.) Learn the line dancing basics from host Lindsay before the floor opens for social dancing. Fourth Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m. www.athentic brewing.com
EVENTS: Tiki Taco Tuesday (Live Wire) Enjoy craft cocktails and a taco pop-up from Don Carne with themed weeks, live music and dancing. Tuesdays, 5–10 p.m. www.livewireathens.com
FILM: Love Island Watch Party (Athentic Brewing Co.) Chaotic Good Podcast hosts a watch party with a pre-show podcast, games and special drinks. 8 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com
GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Amici at The Falls) Test your trivia knowledge with host Miles Bunch. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/ baddogathens
GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Paloma Park) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/baddog athens
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Winghouse Grill Hull) Test your general trivia knowledge. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Akademia Brewing Co.) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco
GAMES: Bingo & Sip (MaiKai Kava Lounge) Play BINGO with a chance to win prizes. Every other Tuesday, 7 p.m. FREE! www.athenskava.com
GAMES: UnPhiltered Trivia (Mellow Mushroom) Test your trivia knowledge with host Phil. 7 p.m. www. facebook.com/MellowMushroom Athens
GAMES: Singo! (Beef O’Brady’s) Win gift certificates and prizes at this
Green’s “The Last Supper” series inspired by death row inmates’ final meal requests. Through Aug. 16. • “Looking Through a Sewn Sky: Rachel B. Hayes” is a commissioned installation in the Jane and Harry Willson Sculpture Garden that blends sculpture, painting and craft. Through Jul. 30, 2027.
HABIBI ART (160 Tracy St. Unit 4, Ste. 10) Third Thursday open studio June 18, 6–9 p.m.
LYNDON HOUSE ARTS CENTER (211 Hoyt St.) “AIR Group 2” features narrative printmaking works by Jo Anderson and jewelry pieces by Jordan Blackwell. Through June 27. • “Surface Tension” features artwork by Erika Diamond and prosthetics by Chelsa Lillo that explore protection, identity and the fragility of the human body. Through June 27. • “Somethings” features small sculpture works by Ivy Laurel Anderson made from discarded mass-produced objects. Through July 18. • “Speaking in Tongues” features multi-media works by local and regional artists inspired by language and text across mediums and eras. Opening reception June 18, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Poetry/spoken word event Aug. 27, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Through Aug. 29. • A Pet Portrait Exhibition with works submitted by the public will be on display June 18–Aug. 29. Opening Reception June 18, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
• “Excursions in Ukraine” features photographs by Stephen Humphreys documenting life in the war-torn country over the past four years. June 18–Aug. 29. Opening reception June 18, 5:30–7:30 p.m. • “Son of a Griff” features paintings by self-taught Black and Indigenous American artist Rial Rye that explore race and identity through saturated color and found objects. June 18–Aug. 29. Opening reception June 18, 5:30–7:30 p.m. • “BEE CITY OF NOW” is a 24-foot model community for bees by Swannatopia and Experimental Art Club, installed on the Arts Center’s second-floor outdoor patio. Opening reception June 18, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Through May 1, 2027.
MADISON-MORGAN CULTURAL CENTER (434 South Main Street, Madison) In celebration of the center’s 50th anniversary, the exhibition “experience and intersection” features works by John Cleaveland and the late
music bingo night. Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. www.beefobradys.com/athens
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Magnolias of Athens) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Benjamin. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. www. instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco
KIDSTUFF: Who Would Win? (Bogart Library) Learn about dinosaurs and polar bears, enjoy an indoor “snow” fight and watch a creature feature film. 2 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/bogart
MEETINGS: Athens Photography Guild (Lyndon House Arts Center) Several photographers will provide live demonstrations of photographic equipment and software applications. 6 p.m. FREE! www. athensphotographyguild.wordpress. com
SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. info@athenspetanque.org, www.athenspetanque.org
Wednesday 24
ART: Tour at Two (Georgia Museum of Art) These drop-in public tours feature highlights of the permanent collection. 2 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org
CLASSES: Hiking Basics Presentation (REI) Learn how to prepare for a day hike including what items to pack, where to explore local trails and how to practice Leave NO Trace principles. 6 p.m. FREE! www.rei. com
EVENTS: The Athens Farmers Market (Creature Comforts Brewery) Markets offer fresh produce, flowers, eggs, meats, prepared foods, arts and crafts. Live music at 6 p.m. AFM double SNAP dollars spent. Wednesdays, 5–8 p.m. www. athensfarmersmarket.net
FILM: The Birdcage (Athentic Brewing Co.) Screening of the 1996 comedy drama film. 8 p.m. www. athenticbrewing.com
GAMES: Shadowfist Power Lunch (Tyche’s Games) Drop in and play Shadowfist. All skill levels. 11:30 a.m. FREE! www.tychesgames.com
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (South Main Brewing) Test your trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Hotel Indigo) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Ian. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. www.instagram.com/ classiccitytriviaco
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Normal Bar) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunot trivia
GAMES: Classic City Trivia (The Local 706) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett. Wednesdays, 7:06 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco
GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Cafe Racer (Oak St.)) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/ baddogathens
GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Locos Grill and Pub Eastside) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. www.instagram.com/ shihtzunottrivia
KIDSTUFF: Mermaid Meet & Greet (Oconee County Library) Enjoy a sea themed party, crafts and a visit from the mermaid Ariel. 11 a.m. & 12 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee
LECTURES & LIT: RIP Book Club (Hendershot’s) Casual discussions about horror-themed books, comics and graphic novels with rotating monthly picks. 5:30 p.m. FREE! www.instagram.com/ripbookclub athens
MEETINGS: Film Athens (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Meet and network with others in the filmmaking community (actors, directors, etc.) during happy hour. 5 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/FilmAthens
Down the Line
6/25 Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park)
6/25 Across The Board Book Club (Oconee County Library)
6/25 World Cup Pregame (Terrapin Beer Co.)
6/25 LEGO Builder’s Challenge (Oconee County Library)
6/25 Dino Bingo (Bogart Library)
6/25 Pencil Pushers Drink & Draw (Hendershot’s)
6/25 Mystery Book Club (Bogart Library)
6/25 Closing Reception (tiny ATH gallery) f
Richard Olsen. Through October. OCAF (34 School St. Watkinsville) “Before the End of Time” features oil paintings by Terry Rowlett. Artist talk June 20, 1 p.m. Through June 26. • In the Main Gallery, “Southworks” showcases a variety of mediums juried by Beth Malone and Rachel Waldrop. Artist talks June 25 & 30, 6 p.m. Through July 31. • “Art in the Family” presents multi-medium works by OCAF members and volunteers. July 3–31.
THE OLD PAL (1320 Prince Ave.) “Flowers in India Ink” features framed original India ink works on paper by Michele Dross. Through June.
TINY ATH GALLERY (174 Cleveland Ave.) “Inner ‘Possum” features works by Tatiana Kiselyova. Opening reception June 18, 6–9 p.m. Artist talk June 26, 6–9 p.m. Through June 28.
STATE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF GEORGIA (2450 S. Milledge Ave.) Athens printmaker Amanda Burk displays works combining traditional printmaking techniques with hand-drawn and painted elements. Through June 28.
UGA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES (300 S. Hull St.) “Fashioning the Classic Bride: The Life and Career of Anne Barge” features 33 dresses from the UGA alumna. Through July. • “Beyond the ’96 Games: Atlanta’s Olympic Legacy” features an original torch from the opening relay and other authentic memorabilia. Through October.
UGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (230 River Rd.) In the Lobby Gallery on the mezzanine level outside Ramsey Concert Hall are large-scale paintings by Christopher Hocking with themes of pop culture, history, literature and more.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP (780 Timothy Rd.) The Athens Fibercraft Guild’s exhibition “Celebrating Fiber” is on view in the Claire and Robert Clements Gallery. Through June.
WINTERVILLE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER (371 N. Church St., Winterville) Artworks by Jack Burk will be on display June 19 through September 15. Opening reception June 19, 5–7 p.m. • In honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary, “Rebellious Art, Treasonous Artists” is on view in Room 103. Through December.
bulletin board & classifieds
BULLETIN BOARD: Listings from nonprofits, community resources and free opportunities. Print deadline is THURSDAY
Classifieds
HELP WANTED (Part-Time) Video Editor & Content Creator for new 4x4 offgrid DIY camping YouTube channel. Around 10 hours per week at $30/hr. Read more at milesog. com/editor
HELP WANTED (Part-Time) Junk South is hiring for the Crew Leader position. Must be 25 years or older, clean 3 year MVR and be a hands-on leader. Starting pay + tip ~ $25/hr. Email us at info@junk south.com to find out more.
MUSIC (Instruction) Athens School of Music. Now offering in-person and online instruction in guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, brass, woodwinds, strings, banjo, mandolin and more. From beginner to expert, all styles. Visit www.athensschoolofmusic.com. 706-543-5800
MUSIC (Services) Instant cash is now being paid for good vinyl records & CDs in fine condition. Wuxtry Records at corner of Clayton and College Dwntn. 706-612-4926
REAL ESTATE (For Rent) Hair salon in Normaltown area. One chair only. Contact jujujr0000@gmail.com for more information.
REAL ESTATE (Room for Rent) Room for rent w/private BA. Located in Watkinsville. $800/mon all inclusive. Graduate student preferred. Call 706-286-0138 for more
information.
SERVICES (Classes) SUMMER CAMPS at Merit Music Academy are now open! Songwriting, Rock ’n Roll, Piano, and even Puppetry and Comedy camps. 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. or 9 a.m.–5 p.m. options available. Read more at MeritMusicAcademy. com/camps.
SERVICES (Health) HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACHING: Integrating herbalism, mindfulness and movement for a whole body approach. 706-343-3576, connect@cora rosewellness.com, www.corarose wellness.com
SERVICES (Health) JAMES HILTON HYPNOSIS: Smoking, vaping, exam preparation and athletic performance enhancement. 678-8954278, www.hiltonhypnosis.org
SERVICES (Home & Garden)
Scratching your head with all this poison ivy? We can help! WomanRun Gardening Services: We offer garden maintenance, invasive plant removal, personalized edible and native gardens for your school, home or business! 706-395-5321
SERVICES (Home & Garden) Hi! I’m Pablo, an expert gardener offering personalized care for your landscape. I specialize in lowmaintenance, native gardens that support pollinators and biodiversity. Find me @pablofromseed, email pkozatch@gmail.com or call 631903-4365.
Arts
ATHENS CREATIVE DIRECTORY
(Athens, GA) The ACD is a free platform to connect creatives with patrons. www.athenscreatives. directory
CALL FOR ART (Various Locations) Visit www.flagpole.com/bulletin board for ongoing open art calls. CALL FOR MURAL LOCATION
(Double Helix) Students from the Double Helix Steam School are offering to paint a free mural for a local business/organization. kquinn@doublehelixschool.com
CALL FOR STORYTELLERS (Rabbit Box) Rabbit Box seeks story ideas for upcoming shows. www.rabbit box.org/tell
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (Athens Homeless Coalition) Seeking submissions for street newspaper. Poetry, short stories, visual art, song lyrics. enagementcoordinator @athenshc.org
COMMUNITY TOURS (Georgia Museum of Art) A variety of tours open to the public including “Student Perspectives” which runs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays throughout the month. www.georgia museum.org
PUBLIC ART SELECTION PANELS
(Athens, GA) The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission is seeking community members to participate
Classes
A COURSE IN MIRACLES (855 Tallassee Rd.) Heal your psychology and your life using simple instruction of high vibrational thought. Sundays, 10–11:30 a.m. 770-237-2354
ACCENT REDUCTION CLASS (Covenant Presbyterian Church) Improve your American English pronunciation skills. For ages 18 & up. Tuesdays, 12 p.m. marjoriemiller@ gmail.com
CLASSES, HIKES & PADDLES (Watson Mill State Park, Comer) The park offers a variety of events including firebuilding classes, various educational hikes including “Bridge History,” “Tree ID,” “Historic Mills” and more. Parking fee/ pass required for all events. www. gastateparks.org/WatsonMillBridge
in upcoming public art selection panels. www.accgov.com/9656/ Public-Art-Selection-Panels
SEEKING DONATIONS (Lyndon House Arts Center) Accepting art paper, canvas, paint, tools and more for various community programs. www.accgov.com/lyndon house
SEEKING INSTRUCTORS (OCAF) Currently seeking instructors to teach children’s art classes in any medium for the upcoming school year. Submit a course proposal at www.ocaf.com/courses
Auditions
OPEN AUDITIONS (Georgia Children’s Choir) GCC serves singers in grades 2–12. Auditions for placement across five ensembles currently available for all skill levels. www.georgiachildrenschorus. org/about/audition
OPEN AUDITIONS (Athens Master Chorale) Seeking new members in all voice parts including high sopranos, tenors and basses. Scheduled auditions held at St. Gregory the Great Church. athmcdirector@ gmail.com
OPEN AUDITIONS (Athens Symphony) The Athens Symphony is holding auditions for qualified musicians. www.athenssymphony. org/openings
CLASSES & SCHOLARSHIPS (Canopy Studio) Canopy offers a variety of trapeze and aerial arts classes for children and adults. Scholarships and financial aid are available. www.canopystudio.org/outreach/ scholarships
CLASSES & PROGRAMS (Athens, GA) The Athens Land Trust hosts a variety of virtual and in-person classes. Topics include Affordable Housing Info and Homebuyer Education Course. www.athens landtrust.org/classes-events
CLASSES & PROGRAMS (Bogart Library) Various ongoing weekly events including ESL (Tuesdays and Thursdays), Knit Lits Knitting (Thursdays) and more.
CLASSES & PROGRAMS (Oconee Library) Various ongoing weekly events including Drop-In Painting (Tuesdays), Open Chess Play (Saturdays), Mixed Media Meetup (Mondays) and more.
CLASSES & PROGRAMS (Winterville Cultural Center, Winterville) Flow Yoga & Pilates (Monday), Yoga in the Gallery (Wednesdays), Chair Yoga & Creative Cafe (Thursdays) and more. www.winterville center.com
CLASSES, PROGRAMS & TOURS (State Botanical Garden of Georgia) Various ongoing weekly events including Guided Plant Walk (Tuesdays–Fridays), Porcelain and Decorative Arts Tour (Tuesdays), Free Sketch (Fridays) and more. botgarden.uga.edu
CLASSES, PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS (OCAF, Watkinsville) Registration now open for extended session pottery classes, art instruction and more. www.ocaf.com/ courses
CUBAN SALSA LESSONS (El Carretonero) SALSAthens offers multiple classes for different skill levels. Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. (advanced) and 7:30 p.m. (beginner/intermediate). $10 drop in. www.SALS AthensDancing@gmail.com
DANCE CLASSES (The Studio) TIMBAthens & Bachata Conexión host a 9-week workshop series for salsa and bachata dancers of all levels. Through Aug. 9, 4:30 p.m. No class July 5. Registration required. www. timbathens.com/events.
DANCE CLASSES (East Athens Educational Dance Center) The center offers classes in ballet, hip hop, jazz, modern and more for all ages and skills. www.accgov.com/myrec FREE CLASSES (The Athens Free School) Learning network for community centered around compassion, autonomy and playfulness. Visit @athensfreeschool on Instagram.
Help Out
BRAS FOR A CAUSE (Grail Bra Specialists) Seeking donations of gently-used bras for distribution to local shelters, recovery centers and communities in need. 706-8500387 or support@grailbras.com
DIAPER DONATIONS (Athens Area Diaper Bank) Diaper donations needed for local infants. All sizes and open packs/boxes are accepted. www.athensareadiaper bank.com
FIRE PIT RAFFLE (Friends of the Madison County Library) Madison County Library hosts a raffle for an outdoor gas fire pit to benefit various programs. $1 per ticket, unlimited entries. The winning ticket will be drawn in November after the Madison County Harvest Festival. www.athenslibrary.org/madison MEDICAL EQUIPMENT (Friends of Disabled Adults and Children) Free home medical equipment provided to those in need. Athens locations for pickup at Northeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging and Multiple Choices. Donations also accepted. www.fodac.org
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT EXCHANGE
(Silver Lace) Open registration for consideration for free mobility and daily living medical items. Donations also accepted. www.silverlace inc.org, info@silverlace.org
MICROCHIP SCANNING STATIONS
(Multiple Locations) Connect lost pets with their owners. Available 24 hours. Located at ACC Animals Services, Memorial Park Dog Park and Southeast Clarke Park. Instructions provided at each location.
MULTIPLE CHOICES VOLUN-
TEERS (Multiple Choices Center for Independent Living) Seeking volunteers to assist a nonprofit agency that serves individuals living with disabilities throughout a 10-country area of Northeastern Georgia. 706-850-4025, dmyers@ multiplechoices.us
PET SUPPLY DRIVE (Lyndon House Arts Center) Seeking toys, towels, treats and all types of cat/dog food. In conjunction with the Community Pet Portrait Exhibit benefiting ACC Animal Services. Donations accepted during business hours. www.accgov.com/lyndonhouse
SEEKING BOARD MEMBERS (Bigger Vision of Athens) The nonprofit homeless shelter Bigger Vision of Athens, Inc. is seeking new members for its board of directors. the biggervisionshelter@gmail.com, www.bvoa.org/boardmember
SEEKING BOARD MEMBERS
(Moms Adopting Moms) Local nonprofit seeks board members, including a chair and treasurer, to support foster children and families through mentorship and reunification. momsadoptingmoms@ gmail.com
SEEKING DONATIONS (The Cottage) Seeking donations of single-serving, non-perishable snacks to help children and adults navigating interviews, therapy sessions and court hearings. To arrange a drop-off please call 706-546-1133, ext 223.
SEEKING DONATIONS (Hands of Hope) Local homeless ministry accepting donations of clothing for their free distribution program and fundraising yard sale with proceeds benefiting the program. 706-2075172
SEEKING DONATIONS & VOLUNTEERS (Animal Services Adoption Center) Animal service sessions run Monday through Friday; training session required. Seeking donations of gently used bath towels and rags. Donations can be dropped off at the door after hours. www. accgov.com/animalservices
SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (Marigold Collective, Winterville) Volunteers needed for community food distribution events including weekly food kitchen, meal deliveries and more. Also accepting donations of canned and dry goods. wwwmarigold collectivewinterville.com
SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (Meals on Wheels) Currently recruiting volunteers to deliver meals, engage in safety checks and more. eschley@ accaging.org
SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (PAX Exchange Students) Seeking volunteer families to host global exchange students. www.pax.org, 800-555-6211
SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (Shoal Creek Sanctuary) Volunteers needed for variety of events including invasive plant removal, plant adoptions and more. First Sundays, 1–3:30 p.m. www.shoalcreek sanctuary.org/volunteer
SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (St. Mary’s Home Health & Hospice) Seeking volunteers to provide companionship or to help with simple tasks for those in hospice care. Training provided. 706-389-2273
TASTE THE TOWN RAFFLE (Athens Area Diaper Bank) Enter to win a gift card from a local business. Tickets available for annual fundraiser with all proceeds benefiting AADB mission. $25–100 for ticket bundles. www.athensareadiaper bank.com
TEACHER SUPPLIES (Teacher Reuse Store) Educators can access free creative supplies at the store. Please bring credentials. www.acc gov.com/trs
VOLUNTEER NETWORK (Community Works, Watkinsville) A nonprofit organization that connects volunteers of all ages to events, resources and training opportunities. CWorksOC@gmail.com
Kidstuff
CLASSES & PROGRAMS (ACC Leisure Services Department) Various ongoing weekly and monthly events including Jumping Gym, 123 Toddler & Me!, Fantastic Friday, Storytime and more. www.accgov. com/myrec
CLASSES & PROGRAMS (Bogart Library) Various ongoing weekly events including LEGO Mania (Wednesdays), Storytime with Miss Harli (Mondays), Sensory Open Play (Tuesdays) and more. www. athenslibrary.org/bogart
CLASSES & PROGRAMS (Oconee Library) Various ongoing weekly events including Kids Yoga and Open Play (Tuesdays), Story Time and Cocoa Club (Wednesdays), and more. www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee
GRAND SLAM SUMMER PROGRAM (Lay Park) Evenings include games, giveaways, guest speakers, life enrichment activities, music, refreshments, sports and more. For ages 11–17. Fridays through July 24 6–9 p.m. www.accgov.com/ grandslam
LEARN TO SWIM (ACC Leisure Services Department) Registration open for variety of lessons for ages over 3 years old including Swim School, Parent/Tot Swim School and Adult Swim Lessons. $33 per session. Additionally, a free Kinderswim program is offered for 5-yearold children. Registration required for all events. www.accgov.com/ aquatics
SPRING & SUMMER CAMP
(Canopy Studios) Registration for a variety of day camp dates for grades K-12 is now available. www. canopystudio.org/class-schedule/ camps
SUMMER CAMP (Athens Area Humane Society) Registration is now open for “Humane Heroes” and “Junior Vet” summer camps in June & July. Ages 6–14. www. athenshumanesociety.org/summercamp
SUMMER CAMP (OCAF, Watkinsville) Registration now open for a variety of summer camp opportunities including improv, puppet making, mixed media art and more. Ages 7–14. www.ocaf.com/kids
SUMMER CAMP (Nowhere Archery) Traditional archery and outdoor education day/sleep away camps in the Beloved Land. Learn camping skills, canoeing, woodcraft, and more. Registration now open. Scholarships available. www. nowherearchery.com/summercamp
SUMMER CAMP (Nuçi’s Space) A production, engineering, mixing
and live sound curriculum added to the two week summer Camp Amped sessions. Registration now open. Financial aid available. www.nuci. org/camp
SUMMER CAMP (Sweet Olive Farm, Winterville) Registration is now open for a variety of summer camps in June & July including overnight stays. Ages 5–12. www.sweetolive farm.org/collections/2026-summer-camps
SUMMER PROGRAMS (ACC Leisure Services Department) Registration open for diverse selection of activities highlighting the arts, environmental science, recreation, sports and special events. www.accgov. com/myrec
Word on the Street
CALL FOR VENDORS (Historic Athens Welcome Center) Applications now open for Market Days featuring fresh foods, baked goods and specialty items. Every second Saturday beginning in June. $25 per market or $80 for the full four-market series. www.athenswelcomecenter. com
CITY TOURS (Historic Athens Welcome Center) A variety of guided tours available including a daily shuttle tour, walking tour of the downtown area and local music tour. Schedule in advance. www. athenswelcomecenter.com
COMMUNITY RUNNING GROUPS
(Athens Road Runners) Weekly community runs for all skill levels including Speed Workout (Wednesdays, 5:30 a.m.) and Fun Runs (Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. & Saturdays, 7:15 a.m.). www.athens roadrunners.org
FRIDAY EVENTS (Multiplechoices Center for Independent Living) The organization hosts ongoing Friday gatherings. Tech discussions, support groups, movies and games. www.multiplechoices.us/youreinvited
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE (Nuçi’s Space) Direct connections to mental healthcare like counseling and psychiatry, medical care for physical concerns and more. www. nuci.org, 706-227-1515
MINDFUL BREATH SANGHA MEET-
ING (Healing Lodge) In the Zen tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Sundays, 1–2:30 p.m. Newcomers welcome. Free. www.mindfulbreathsangha.org
SEVENTH GENERATION (No. 3 Railroad Street, Arnoldsville) Seventh Generation Native American Church hosts various gatherings on Sundays, 11 a.m. 706-340-7134
VHS DIGITIZATION (Athens, GA)
Seeking previously recorded concerts and events on VHS, VHSC, Hi8, MiniDV and DVDs to digitize and archive. www.vhsordie.com
VOTER REGISTRATION
RESOURCES (ACC Library Atrium)
Economic Justice Coalition community volunteers assist Georgia residents with registration, confirm prior registration and update voter registration information as needed. www.economicjusticecoalition.org
WEAVER D’S FIRST FRIDAYS (VFW Post 2872) Pop-up from Weaver D’s serving plates for $20 donations in benefit of the VFW. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. www.facebook.com/ vfwpost2872
Missing Something?
MORE LISTINGS (Online) Find the Bulletin Board at www.flagpole. com/bulletinboard for ongoing open art calls, support group information and other resources that are available on a continuous basis. f
Mike Richmond’s Without An Audience
By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com
AROUND THE BEND: Love Tractor co- founder Mike Richmond released his first official solo album, Without An Audience, late last week courtesy of Strolling Bones Records. He’s got a crack team of contributors on here as well, including Joe Rowe, David Barbe, John Neff, Adam Poulin, Ben Hackett, Neil Rosenbaum and Jason NeSmith. Fans of classic Love Tractor will recognize Richmond’s chiming guitar, pop sensibility and tight arrangements. This is especially true on the whimsical but poignant, harmonicapunctuated “You Are Not Alone.” For more information, please see strollingbonesrecords. com, and you can hear the whole thing over at mike--richmond.band camp.com.
THE SUMMER COMES UNDONE: Songwriter, guitarist and singer Scott Roberts has returned with a cool new album named Fake Fakebook on which he covers “62.5%” of Yo La Tengo’s wonderful 1990 album Fakebook. Covering an album of covers is certainly a thing, as Roberts himself readily admits. He recorded the entire thing live to his iPhone, so what’s your excuse? Continuing on, though, particular highlights on this 11- song release are Roberts’ versions of “Can’t Forget,” “Tried So Hard,” his fullthroated performance on “Oklahoma, USA” and a cool take on John Cale’s “Andalucia.” Find this at scottroberts1.bandcamp.com.
of “Soul Searching For The Soulless,” “Favorite Flavor” and “Sleep Listening” don’t elevate this. Every member of this group has had extensive training in their instruments and, indeed, this was recorded at the Dancz Center for New Music. However, skillful playing doesn’t translate immediately into good songwriting, and mostly this suffers from too much going on with no real direction. Your mileage may vary, of course, so if you’re interested check it out at tattoologic.bandcamp.com, and for more information, please see instagram. com/tattoologicband.
GOT TIX?: While no show is absolutely certain to sell out, there are indeed still some that are pretty much guaranteed to be packed no matter the official ticket count. In this spirit, let’s cue the mighty math monsters Cinemechanica who return after an absence of several years to the 40 Watt Club stage Friday, July 17. Also on the bill this night are Tiger Bear Wolf and Real Wow. Advance tickets are $15, which you may want to go ahead and secure unless you just love the thrill of not really knowing whether or not you’ll get in. Advance tickets are available at 40watt.com, and you can catch up with all things Cinemechanica via cinemechanica. bandcamp.com, facebook.com/cinemechanica and cinemechanica.com.
everyday contact with family and friends, and you restrict yourself to avoid angry, aggressive confrontations, you need to step back and take another look. How can you cope once you are involved with a controlling partner? Call Project Safe for help. Our hotline is confidential, and counseling is free. Get your life back.
ESCAPE FROM NOISE: Experimental electronic troupers Invisible Machine already had my attention by tagging its music with “plunderphonics, ” which is a term a lot of people use correctly, but a task often executed poorly. I’m pleased to report that Invisible Machine nails it. I was especially impressed with the agitated ambience of “Hiding In Convergence” as well as the future-primitive pastoralism of “Piano Piano.” The cut-ups of “Maythti” are tempting to play backward to see if there are any hidden messages, and this remains true for “Mother God.” In the group’s online bio it mentions that this music is, “New deal era noises for Hoover townies & city kickers.” And, dammit, that’s good enough for me. Find this sweet chunk of art- for-art’s- sake over at invisiblemachine.bandcamp.com.
HERE’S SOMETHING: Tattoo Logic, which is just such an unfortunate name, has released its 10- song self- titled album. It begins to really kick in around the double-dose of “Big Fish Intro” and “Big Fish” with the latter being a solid pop-punk number, albeit a little reserved, and the former a decent little third- wave emo introduction. I don’t really know what to do with the funky alt-rock of “Simple Symbols,” so I’m going to ignore that one. Similarly, the jam band aesthetics
SINGLES GOING STEADY: Atticus Roness is technically based in Atlanta but has recorded and played here in Athens enough for this to be of some interest. While his new full-length album Rock ’N’ Roll Hit Parade won’t come out until Sept. 4, he’s got a summer full of singles slated for release. The first is “Lovebombs.” It’s a classic pubstyled rocker in the vein of Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, et al. But this is also completely American and has big guitar solos, tooth-rotting sweetness of a bridge and chorus, and hooks galore. Find it on major streaming services, and for more information, please see atticusroness.net.
SUSTAINED DISDAIN: Word on the street, and online, is that a new tape and a new splitrelease are on-deck for hardcore merchants Crying Form. But, for now, we have a lone new song named “Contempt.” It’s only oneminute-and- thirty-nine- seconds long but completes the job successfully. The bones of this style of music were formed decades ago, but Crying Form is one of the few bands competent enough to grab it with both hands as if to say, “Hey, we speak this language as well!” At any rate, I dig ’em. It’s circle pit ready, sounds like it was recorded inside a mud pie, and hits as quick as a sucker punch. Find it at hardtackk.band camp.com. f
Mike Richmond KAREN ALLISON
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