A 10-day celebration of music, visual and cultural arts in LaGrange, Georgia

The cold, dark days of winter once again will be infused with artistic energy as the second-annual FOR LOVE OF THE ARTS CELEBRATION casts a bright light on the arts in LaGrange. Running from Thursday, February 7 to Sunday, February 17, this 10-day celebration of music, visual, and cultural arts offerings provides visitors with the best of the arts and the region’s culture in one central location.

 

Presented by collaborating partners, LaGrange Art Museum, LaGrange Symphony Orchestra, Lafayette Society for Performing Arts, and Legacy Museum on Main, there are events designed to appeal to arts lovers across the region.

 

 

If performing arts strike your fancy, maybe an evening of great music with the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra or an uproarious play at the intimate Lafayette Society for Performing Arts’ Black Box Theatre is what you are after. For those who enjoy a tall tale, storytellers Carol Cain and Chetter Galloway will bring laughter and reflection to an afternoon of stories from the past.

If the visual arts are more your style, you can reflect upon wedding traditions -past and present- at Legacy Museum on Main or celebrate Valentine’s weekend with champagne and a glimpse at photos of some of your favorite Hollywood stars at the LaGrange Art Museum.

Whether you are looking for a quick pre-show dinner or a soothing nightcap, a visit to one of the upscale, locally owned downtown restaurants is the perfect accompaniment to your favorite event. And with lodging available to suit most any taste, there’s no reason to make that long drive home. 

 

With live performances, introspective museum exhibits and a variety of sumptuous dining choices, LaGrange is the perfect destination for a romantic Valentine-themed getaway with that special someone in your life.

WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO

 

OPENING RECEPTION - A WEDDING TEA

Saturday, February 16

2-4 pm

Legacy Museum on Main

136 Main Street

Admission is free

 

EXHIBIT - WEDDINGS OF GEORGIA: SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

February 1-April 20

LaGrange Art Museum

112 Lafayette Parkway

 

Wedding dresses, shoes, veils, announcements, invitations, and newspaper reports will all be used to spotlight love and weddings in West Georgia from the 1800s to the present. For more information, call (706) 884-1828.

 

HOT L BALTIMORE

Thursday-Saturday, February 7, 8, & 9 | 7:30 pm

Friday-Saturday, February 15-16 | 7:30 pm

Sunday, February 17 | 2:30 pm

LSPA Black Box Theater

Lafayette Society for Performing Arts

214 Bull Street

 

Hot l Baltimore is a play set in the lobby of the Hotel Baltimore. It focuses on the residents of the decaying property who are faced with eviction when the structure is condemned. The play draws its title from the hotel's neon marquee with a burned-out letter "e.” The play won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for the Best American Play of 1972–73 and was later turned into a TV series by Norman Lear. Attendees may bring their own fare and beverages as the theater is set up “dinner theater” style. For tickets contact lafayettesociety@bellsouth.net or call (706)882-9909.

 

LAGRANGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA presents AN EVENING WITH JASON COLEMAN

Saturday, February 9

7:30 pm

Callaway Auditorium on the campus of LaGrange College

801 Dallis Street

 

Back by popular demand for one night only! Enjoy a nostalgic lineup of country, pop, and easy listening standards guaranteed to bring back wonderful memories as Jason Coleman returns to perform with the LSO. Coleman is the grandson of legendary keyboardist Floyd Kramer. For tickets contact info@lagrangesymphonyorchestra.org or call (706) 882-0662.

 

RESERVATION-ONLY PRE-CONCERT DINNER: DENIM & DIAMONDS

Saturday, February 9

Cocktails - 5 pm

Dinner Buffet - 5:30 pm

Highland Country Club

1 Country Club Drive

 

Denim and Diamonds is a casual buffet dinner held at Highland Country Club. Reservations required by Thursday, January 31. Cost is $30 and seating is limited. For tickets contact info@lagrangesymphonyorchestra.org or call (706) 882-0662.

 

A TASTE OF STORYTELLING

Sunday, February 10

2:30-4:30 pm

LaGrange Memorial Library

115 Alford Street

Admission is free

 

Local favorite Carol Cain and noted Atlanta storyteller Chetter Galloway mesmerize listeners with their stories.  Carol's audiences love the insightful and side-splitting adventures she shares from her own life.  Chetter specializes in African and African-American stories enhanced with sound effects and music. For reservations, contact lafayettesociety@bellsouth.net or call (706) 882-9909. 

 

HOLLYWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

Thursday, February 14

11:15 am-Noon

Dickson Assembly Room, Turner Hall

LaGrange College in partnership with the LaGrange Art Museum

115 Alford Street

 

Artist lecture with noted Hollywood celebrity photographer Douglas Kirkland. For more information, contact dbriggs@lagrange.edu or call (706)880-8211.

 

THE CHORAL SOCIETY OF WEST GEORGIA PRESENTS

SKYLARK - AN EVENING WITH JOHNNY MERCER AND FRIENDS

Thursday, February 14

6 pm

LaGrange Civic Chorale

Highland Country Club

1 Country Club Drive

 

Dinner with Dancing Choral Concert

featuring

The LaGrange Civic Chorale 

Elizabeth Biggs, Director

with

The Fidelity Jazz Quartet

Billy Kravtin, Director

Tickets $45

Price includes dinner, dancing and concert. For tickets, contact choralsociety@charter.net or call 706-882-2734 .

 

RED CARPET RUNWAY…A NIGHT WITH MARILYN 

Friday, February 15

7 pm

LaGrange Art Museum

112 Lafayette Parkway

Lamar Dodd Art Center, LaGrange College

Cochran Gallery, Lafayette Square

 

Walk the red carpet with Marilyn, sing with Gladys and croon the night away at a champagne and chocolate opening reception featuring the photography of noted Hollywood celebrity photographer Douglas Kirkland at the LaGrange Art Museum and the Cochran Gallery. The Smithsonian recognized, intimate stage and footlight photography of Atlanta-based Motown photographer Jim Alexander will be shown at LaGrange College’s Lamar Dodd Art Center.

 

This touring exhibition is organized and circulated by the Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona State College, Daytona Beach, Florida.  All images courtesy of the artist. For more information contact art@lagrangeartmuseum.org or call (706)-882-3267.

 

 

MORE TO SEE AND DO

Downtown LaGrange is home to a plethora of eateries sure to please any palate. Just ask Hollywood stars Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton and Kevin Bacon, who in 2011 ventured into LaGrange to dine while filming a movie on the outskirts of town. Patrons at Idle Hour Pub were delighted to find the celebrities warm and accommodating and happy to pose for pictures!

 

Whether they’re from Hollywood or not, the stars do shine on Downtown LaGrange where dining, shopping and entertainment attract visitors and residents alike. Belly up to the counter at historic Charlie Joseph’s for one of the world’s best hotdogs in a laidback atmosphere or, if fine dining better suits your style, visit C’Sons, where each meal is a culinary event. Enjoy tasty treats at Sugarmeyer’s or Cakes by Debbie, lip-smacking barbecue at Country’s or kick back in the evenings with your favorite libation at Mare Sol, Venucci’s,  Brickhouse Grille or Blondie Roux.

 

If shopping’s your pleasure, don’t miss the antique and specialty shops in Downtown LaGrange where you’re likely to find anything and everything from collectible coins and antique furniture to exquisite kitchenware and unique gifts. Call 706-298-4534 or visit downtownlagrange.com.

 

A “must see” is the home and garden of textile magnate Fuller E. Callaway, Hills and Dales Estate, completed in 1916. The Italian villa was designed by noted Atlanta architects Neel Reid and Hal Hentz. It sits on a 35-acre estate, featuring the pre-Civil War Ferrell Gardens.  Call  706-882-3242 or  visit hillsanddales.org.

 

Need more? Make it a three day weekend and visit Explorations in Antiquity, Callaway Gardens (free during weekdays in February), Columbus’ National Infantry Museum (free) or The Little White House in Warm Springs, all easy drives from LaGrange.

 

 

AREA HOTELS HELP SPREAD THE LOVE 

Ask for the For Love of the Arts rate when making your reservation at these lodging destinations:

 

Best Western LaFayette Garden Inn, 706-884-6175

Country Inn and Suites, 706-298-4571

Hampton Inn, 706-845-1115

Wingate by Wyndham, 706-298-5270

 

 

 

 

THIS PROGRAM IS PRESENTED BY PARTICIPATING PARTNERS

Copyright © 2013 Participating Partners