CMYK Thursday, April 11, 2013
features
3B
Partnering to keep children protected April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Does child abuse happen in Jackson County? We all see children who grow up with parental support and care but don’t see those who are without food or a roof over their heads. We see great examples of children and parents interacting well, but don’t notice when parents don’t pay any attention to their children. We know parents who teach their children to read but don’t always see those parents don’t know if their child can read or not and don’t care. We see families in our communities with children who feel the love from their parents but don’t notice those parents who are zoned out on drugs and don’t even know their children are in the same room with them. This happens in Jackson County. Is it child abuse? No, it’s actually child neglect, but it has such a profound effect on children and how they live their lives after they are grown. How can we avoid it? Parent education is important. Often these families have an established multi-generational cycle of neglect. They do it because their parents did it. Parents need to see that they are their children’s future, need to see that taking drugs is not helping their children, need to know that their children depend on them, not just for basic necessities but for love. Children don’t need fancy houses or late model cars or the most current clothes or gourmet food. They need love and attention and boundaries. How do we reach our parents (they are “our parents,” raising children in our community)? We do it one at a time, one person to another, one community member to another. When we see something that doesn’t look right, it’s easy to ignore it. It’s always easier to talk to a third person about how so and so is not caring for their children or “you won’t believe what I saw today at the grocery.” Instead, we have to do the hardest thing of all: we have to talk to that person about it. We also need to educate ourselves about what resources there are here in our communities for these families. Some of those resources include: The Tree House, which holds free parenting classes and support groups for children; Peace Place, which has support groups for teens and parents who have been victims of domestic violence; the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), with has lots of help they can give to families in trouble (they don’t take children out of their home unless there’s a risk of those children being hurt); Family Connection, which can provide information and resources for families and individuals; Lindsay’s Legacy Mentoring program, which can provide a free mentor to help guide a child through their school years; and Piedmont CASA, which provides and coordinates trained volunteers who advocate in court for children in foster care. Let’s work together to make our communities safe from child abuse, one child at a time.
SAVE THE DATE The Braselton area’s bi-annual Rivers Alive event with Barrow and Jackson counties will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 25. Participants will convene at 9 a.m. in the Braselton Community Room, located at 5040 Highway 53 in Braselton. Rivers Alive is held in the spring and fall with a focus on maintaining water quality especially of the Mulberry River. Yvette Wise, Environmental Specialist for the Town of Braselton, is coordinating the event and is also seeking donations of food and snack items, beverages and door prizes. Contact Wise at 706-654-3915 ext. 1012 or email ywise@braselton. net if you are interested in more information about the Rivers Alive effort.
Artists brings Tilly to life on pages of new children’s book For The Paper
Sandra Stephens, a member of the Hoschton Heritage Arts Council, will be signing the children’s book, featuring a Saanen dairy goat born on her farm, which she illustrated. She will also be showing her oil and acrylic paintings during this weekend’s HHAC event.
The Hoschton Heritage Arts Center is hosting its members’ spring art show April 13-14, and Sandra Stephens, local Hoschton artist, will be signing a children’s book she illustrated. The book, “Tilly the Goat Princess,” is written by Pamela Slabaugh. The book features the adventures of Tilly, an American Saanen dairy goat that was born on Stephens’ farm. Princess Chantilly Lace went to live with Slabaugh when she was 9 months old and has been adding joy and laughter to that farm ever since. She has inspired the book and Stephens’ illustrations. The show will feature original local art and jewelry and a reception will be held each day. The spring art show will be from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday and from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday.
Members of HHAC are showcasing artwork The art scene is exploding in our comsional pieces. What a great incentive to enmunity, and this is something to celebrate. ter beautiful displays of art to this event. People of all ages are expressing their There will also be a reception each day. creativity in many ways and are enjoying it Awards will be announced at the beginning along the way. of the show on April 13. The Hoschton Heritage Arts Participating in the members Council (HHAC) offers sevart show will be Vivian Growitt eral opportunities for artistic with oil painting; Jaclyn White and involvement, one being the Marcia Bergen, jewelry; showHHAC Members Art Show. ing oil and acrylic painting will This spring art show and sale be Sandra Stephens, Lynn Page, will take place from 5-7 p.m. on Jean Hoopes, Carol Tanner and April 13 and from 2-5 p.m. on Linda Tilden; Nancy Rhodes will April 14, and is open to all arthave acrylic and mixed media and ists over the age of 18. jewelry; while Susan Wilkinson Members of the HHAC do Farah Bohannon will show acrylic painting and not have to pay an entry fee, pottery. Columnist but interested artists may Come by and visit the HHAC join for $20. Once you’ve joined, on April 13 and 14 to see the beauthe membership will last through tiful art displays. Everything will June 30, 2014. be for sale, and each artist is able to submit All artwork must be original work and can three pieces. Some artists may have more, include drawings, watercolor, oil/acrylic, depending on how small each work is. Not pastels, mixed media, glass, sculpture, jewonly will visitors benefit the artist, but the elry and photography, so there are a lot of HHAC will receive 20-percent commission options. Once the piece is entered, it must to help keep it going strong in the commustay for the entire show. nity. Original art that is entered also has the For more information, call 706-654-2971 opportunity to win some pretty hefty cash or 770-827-6443. You can also send an e-mail prizes. For three-dimensional pieces, first to hhac55@yahoo.com place will win $100 and second place will Let’s support this recent blossoming of art win $50. It will be the same for two-dimenin our community.
Hoschton Heritage Arts Council member Susan Wilkinson will be showing her acrylic paintings as well as her pottery during this weekend’s members art show at the center, located at 74 White St., in downtown Hoschton. Farah Bohannon is a freelance writer living in Winder. She loves to utilize her skills to write inspiring stories. Reach her at farah.bohannon@gmail.com
Braselton Gallery grows its artistic appeal with events The list of Braselton Gallery artists continues to grow, and Debra Swantek Brooks is showcasing some new additions to the downtown Braselton specialty shop with a Saturday event. The featured artist series from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, will spotlight Lynn Page, who specializes in oils and acrylics; Jen Dick, with crocheted bracelets and necklaces and earrings crafted from blown glass beads, crystals and more; and the photography and notecards of Catherine Cosenza. Visit the gallery every second Saturday of the month to meet that month’s featured artists. On Saturday, Cosenza will be introducing the community her “Artistic Edge, Serendipitea, ~Art of Interpretation.” “For years I’ve been making photo note cards as a more of a hobby and either selling them for charity or giving them as gifts. A part of me wanted to find a way to market them, but feared rejection,” said Cosenza. “Joining the gallery was my leap of faith,” she said. “When I took my large Iris canvas in and showed it to Debra, she loved it. That’s exactly what I needed to take the plunge, someone to love
my work besides family and friends.” Cosenza said, “The gallery is really helping me to feed my creative side, it’s a constant source of inspiration. Seeing what the other artists are doing with their own art really has encouraged me to broaden my own artistic style. “I had to fit tea in there... and I think what I love about photography so much is that my favorite photos are the ones that I just point and shoot and don’t give any thought to...the unplanned. That’s why I came up with Serendipitea, ‘Art of Interpretation’ - only playing with the end of the word ‘Serendipity’ to make it fit my love for tea,” said Cosenza. Braselton Gallery is located at 36 Frances St., in downtown Braselton. Also involved at the gallery is John Allen Dees and Lisa Doster, Bill and Lynn Maxwel, Stephanie Phelan, Mia (Luz) Rodriguez, Sarina Roth, Terry Short, John Weber, Donna Bailey, Tim Cash, Anne Holifield, Ed and Sloan Jones are among the artists you’ll find at Braselton Gallery. Featured artists are gallery owner Brooks, John Dionne, Terri Estates, Astra Graham, Lillian Hicks, Martha Moore and Lynn Wallace Page.
LeAnne Akin The Paper
A February meet and greet connected artists with admirers of their work.