I do love it when a plan comes together and the Home Town Teams exhibit is coming along great! We have received several items from various community members around town. (One of my favorites is Mayor Bill Mcintosh’s Little League uniform from when he played on the Riverside’s Little River Indians.) Connie Southwell’s photography is an excellent representation of sports in our community and could stand alone as its own exhibit. She is a wonderful photographer! You will not want to miss the opportunity to see her photography hanging altogether in the gallery. And you never know, you might be in one of the photos!

Although, we have received some fantastic items so far, I believe there are still some hidden treasures out in our community. We have several items in certain sports disciplines but are lacking in some areas. One of the areas needing attention is the William Bryant High School. The William Bryant High School has been an integral part of this community and we do not have enough material to represent the importance of the school’s alumni. If you have any stories, photographs or memorabilia we could use for the exhibit please contact Leah Garcia at learts@windstream.net.

The local exhibit is just one component of the Home Town Teams Celebration. The Arts Center has planned a Schedule of Events to keep the celebration going for the full 6 weeks. Coming up we have… April 18th at 5pm: Panel Discussion on Sports related injuries sponsored by Vereen Rehabilitation Center. April 1st – 30th – “Home Town Teams” at the Colquitt County Library. A preview of the exhibit highlighting sports and athletes that have impacted our community will be at the Colquitt County Library. Get ready for the exhibit by checking out some books on the Home Town Teams’ reading list! Friday, April 21st- Movie Under the Stars. The Moultrie Junior Women’s Club will be hosting the 13th annual MOVIE UNDER THE STARS. “Sing” will be the feature presentation at the YMCA Soccer Field. Gates open at 6:45pm and “Sing” starts at 8pm. Tickets are $6 and available from any MJWC member or at the gate. Saturday, April 22nd from 12pm to 2pm – “Home Town Teams” Opening Ceremony. It’s official! The Smithsonian Institution comes to the Colquitt County Arts Center. Join the ribbon cutting for the grand opening of this unique interactive exhibit – HOMETOWN TEAMS: HOW SPORTS SHAPE AMERICA. Featured Guest: Colquitt County’s hometown football champion and former head coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, Ray Goff. Sunday, April 23rd at 9am – Trap Shoot FUN-raiser. Gather up a team of 3 shooters and come enjoy a morning of trap shooting at South Georgia Youth Shooting Club. Located at  3760 Dunn Rd Hartsfield, GA 31756. Each participant gets 2 rounds of skeet. Lunch is included. Tickets are $200 per team. Contact Austin Garcia for tickets and more info at 229-591-5660.Prizes: 1st – $500.00, 2nd – $250, 3rd- $100. Saturday, April 29th at 9pm– E8 Showdown Throwdown. Saturday, May 6th– ARTolympics. Sponsored by Mobley Greenhouse, Inc. Get your children interested and involved in the Olympics by participating in ARTolympics at the Colquitt County Arts Center! Friday, May 11th: Special Olympics. Opening Ceremonies begin at 9:30am at the Football Stadium. Games take place at the football stadium, practice field, rec department and YMCA. Saturday, May 13th from 12:30pm to 2:30pm- Pool Day! Sponsored by the Barbeque Pitt. The Moultrie Recreational Pool will be open for you and your family to come enjoy a swim! Thursday, May 25th at 2pm- Sports Movie Matinee at the Arts Center sponsored by Vereen Rehabilitation Center. Saturday, May 27th – Demo Diving at Moose Moss Farms.

Stay tuned for more information and mark your calendar for April 22nd at 12pm!! If you have any sports memorabilia that we can use for our exhibit please bring your items to the Arts Center before April 12th! We would love to exhibit them! And to see what all is happening at the Arts Center you can visit our website at www.colquittcountyarts.com! “Where Creativity Finds Community!”