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Heart of the Arts: 41 West Main is now open

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After 10 years in Statesboro, I've seen change happen every day. After I moved here, the bypass opened, the Statesboro Crossing shopping area bloomed, residents got Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, Steak and Shake (debatable improvement, but signs of the times), Panera, Parker's convenience stores, and 5,000 more university students. But no change has been as uplifting as the one I saw today. I attended the ribbon-cutting and opening of the newest location of the Averitt Center for the Arts.

The new location, which serves about 500 children over the course of a week, holds a black-box theatre, named for distinguished director and actor Mical Whitaker; a ballet studio, named for ballet director Jurijs Safonovs, and an impressive new gift shop. Located at 41 West Main, about a block from the Averitt Center's Emma Kelly Theatre and the galleries, the new site is designed to nurture the children in Statesboro and the surrounding counties through art classes, dance classes, theatre opportunities, and performances. If anyone thinks that the arts cannot thrive in a small southern town, they are sadly mistaken; the people of Statesboro have spoken, and the arts are here to stay. 

Not only do the arts benefit area children, they benefit the downtown businesses. After-school classes bring parents to the downtown area, where there are stores, restaurants, and other businesses. People flock downtown to see a regular slate of performances, art gallery showings, demonstrations, and sales. And in a week or so, the Farmer's Market will be in operation for its 2015 year--a perfect way to round out the week with a Saturday morning outing.

Life in Statesboro has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade, and I am delighted that I've been able to witness the changes, Of course, having Georgia Southern University in town helps; faculty who are raising children have become a vital part of the community, and they help to make it a welcome place. However, the leadership comes from Statesboro natives, people who are here to go the distances, and for whom this is home. Congratulations to them for all they have accomplished.

When I settled here I was comfortable, but in the years I've taught, I find I have not paid attention to the changes in the community. I guess it's time to get my head back in the game, and to begin recognizing the great place I landed. Lucky me! I found the heart of the arts!

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