Ashlee Parrish, curator and visual arts director for the Colquitt County Arts Center, show volunteers Rose Schwartz and Anna Hiers the finer points of installing an art exhibit. Schwartz and Hiers are volunteering at the Arts Center as part of the service hours required for Packer X at Willie J. Williams Middle School.

It’s no secret that the Arts Center could not provide the variety of quality programming it does without a little help from our friends. Okay- more than just a little. Friends like The United Way of Colquitt County, the Moultrie Service League, The Volunteer Arts Alliance, Moultrie Federated Guild, Moultrie Junior Women’s Club, Jackie Friedlander Foundation, Vereen Family Foundation, Duggan Horne Foundation, Arts Council Foundation and the list goes on and on.

And the list also includes the Moultrie Kiwanis Club which provides the Arts Center with an annual grant, hosts the Youth Art Month opening and provides student artists and musicians the opportunity to compete for scholarship funds.

Youth Art Month is observed nationally each March to emphasize the value of art education for children and to encourage public support for quality school art programs. Colquitt County Arts Center is proud to partner each year with the Moultrie Kiwanis Club and the Colquitt County School System to host an annual month-long Youth Art Month Exhibit. Each year Youth Art Month provides a forum for recognizing skills developed through visual arts experiences that are not possible in other curriculum subjects.

For over 39 years the Georgia District of Kiwanis Art and Music Showcase has provided students with the opportunity to demonstrate their talents in a competitive atmosphere with students from across the state. The students have received certificates, trophies, awards, and scholarships in recognition of their talent and efforts.

In order to qualify for the District competition, the student(s) must:

Be the winner of and be sponsored by a Kiwanis Club within Georgia that has conducted a local showcase during the same Kiwanis year. This is accomplished through our Youth Art Month exhibit with students chosen from each of the Middle, Junior and Senior High School art programs. All contestants must be students in good standing with their respective schools and currently registered in Grades 6-12. And must meet the qualifications for the local and District competitions.  

Local artists Jane Simpson and Kim Mazili will have the  daunting task of selecting the winners of the Arts Center Youth Art Month Exhibit and the Kiwanis District Showcase winners this week. The Youth Art exhibit will be open to the public from Wednesday, March 6th until March 29th.

Any student(s) that wish to participate in the music Competition should call the Arts Center no later than March 15th to set a time for an audition.

The Music Competition – General Rules for Contestants

1. All contestants must be sponsored by a Kiwanis Club in the Georgia District of Kiwanis.

2. All contestants must be students in good standing with their respective schools and currently registered in Grades 9-12.

3. Contestants can only participate in one local Kiwanis “Music Showcase” (or competition path) within a school year.

4. The act is limited to a vocal and/or instrumental performance.

5. Contestant may participate in only one act. This act must be the same for all levels of competition. Any act deemed unsuitable or objectionable by the committee will be excluded from the competition.

6. Groups of five (5) or fewer members including the accompanist may participate as an act.

7. Except for the accompanist of an act, only amateur talent may participate in the competition. An amateur is one who has not signed a contract to receive payment or valuable compensation for performing the talent being submitted. If this status is in question, the District Committee shall make a ruling in the case.

9. Only one winner of the local showcase is eligible to compete at the District level.

10. No act shall exceed four (4) minutes in performance time. All acts that exceed this time limit shall be disqualified. This rule will be strictly enforced.

11. Scoring by the judges’ uses the following criteria:

a) Musicianship: 40 Points – Includes ability, difficulty, confidence and execution.

b) Artistry: 30 Points – Includes variety, challenge, and creativity.

c) Presentation: 30 Points – Includes poise, intensity, and professionalism.

d) Judges will also take into account the length of the performance and any other factors they feel are relevant.

12. There will be 5 judges, each of whom controls 100 points. Should there be a tie the highest and lowest scores will be dropped and scores re-tabulated.

13. A maximum of 24 acts will be accepted on a first-come, first-accepted basis. Applications will not be accepted without all documentation and fees.

14. Background soundtracks that are used for vocal performances shall be instrumental only. No vocal backgrounds will be permitted for soundtracks that are used in vocal performances. Please label your CD with contestant name and track number.

In 2018, the Georgia District Kiwanis Foundation provided a total of $15,000 in Educational Scholarships – $7,500 in the Art Contest and $7,500 in the Music Contest. The first-place award in each contest received an educational scholarship in the amount of $3,500.

For more information about these wonderful opportunities please contact Connie Fritz at the Colquitt County Arts Center 985-1922.