Lake Oconee Living - Fall 2023

Relaxed Luxury Golf · Lake · Lifestyle

Set among 1,600 lush wooded acres, and bordered by nine miles of Lake Oconee shoreline, Harbor Club is an award-winning golf and lake community located an hour east of Atlanta in prime Georgia lake country. Whether you are looking to build the home of your dreams or revel in the comfort of a move-in-ready residence, Harbor Club offers an array of real estate opportunities for you to craft your greatest lake lifestyle.

Since 1987, Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties has represented buyers and sellers alike in the sale of thousands of properties, all of them only at Reynolds Lake Oconee.  Our team is connected every day with club operations; plugged in daily with the social rhythms of clubs and events; and not distracted by, or obligated to buyers and sellers of any properties beyond the gates of Reynolds.

Reynolds Lake Oconee is what we do.  It’s also all we do, and it shows.

save the dates

UPCOMING OPAS EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

COUNTRY HITS

SONGS FROM NASHVILLE

Join us for a honky-tonking, heart-aching celebration of everything America loves about Country music past and present. Featuring the classic hits you know and love, from legendary Country stars Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash to today's biggest stars like Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and Kacey Musgraves. SONGS FROM NASHVILLE features new symphonic arrangements from Grammy-winner Jeff Tyzik, breathing new life into this timeless American art form. Joining us are two of Nashville's brightest young vocal stars, Emily West and Rick Brantley, along with four of Nashville's most in-demand instrumentalists and the Augusta Symphony Orchestra.

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

BROADWAY SINGS FOR OPAS

DOUG LABRECQUE AND FRIENDS

Joining Doug will be some of Broadway’s finest singers, including OPAS favorite Capathia Jenkins and a fantastic orchestra!

DECEMBER 15, 2023

FA-LA-LA

LISA VROMAN RETURNS!

Our not to be missed Holiday celebration with Phantom’s long-running Christine (Lisa Vroman) and violin pioneer and legend (Mark Wood) from Trans-Siberian Orchestra!

www.opas.org | 706 467 6000

volume xxvi , no . 3 , fall 2023

The magazine that reflects the lifestyle of residents of the Lake Oconee area and beyond.

Publisher General Manager Editor Art Director

Sales & Marketing

Circulation

Contributing Writers

OTIS BRUMBY III

LEE GARRETT

ANDREA GABLE

DANIELLE HAWKINS

BARBARA AYCOX

DAVE GOSSETT

BROOKE BARRETT, CHIP BELL, ANDREW CURTIS, TIA LYNN IVEY, DOUG LABRECQUE, LEARA RHODES, MELISSA SHIVER, KRISTA WILLIAMS, PATRICK YOST

Contributing Artists

JARROD BROCK, JOE CARDWELL, ANDREW CURTIS, MAKENZIE EDDY, ANDREA GABLE, JESSE WALKER, KRISTA WILLIAMS WEBSITE

Please visit our website at www.loliving.com.

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Unsolicited queries and submissions of art and writing not accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope will not be returned. Response time varies and Lake Oconee Living cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited materials. To contact the editor by email, address correspondence to editor@loliving.com.

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Lake Oconee Living is published for the United States, its territories and possessions. Four issues per year: $17. Single issues in the U.S. $5. If you are moving, renewing, or have a question, please enclose subscription label with all correspondence; allow four weeks for change of address. Address all correspondence pertaining to subscriptions to:

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Lake Oconee Living

Building Homes for Hope

An exclusive look inside the homes featured in the upcoming Lake Oconee Showcase of Homes to benefit Greene County Habitat for Humanity.

Photography by Jarrod Brock

‘People of note’

Museum exhibit to honor the family of some of the region’s most well-known artistic visionaries.

Story by Patrick Yost

A place Jesse Freeman calls home

Local filmmaker offers ‘a new way of seeing’ important cultural moments and community icons.

Story by Leara Rhodes Masterpiece

on Main

The Georgia Trust’s Fall Ramble to showcase one of Madison’s finest historic properties.

Story by Tia Lynn Ivey

Raise the curtain

OPAS begins its 16th season with a look back on its community impact through cultural and educational experiences.

Story by Doug LaBrecque

How

In

At

Book

Backyard

One of my favorite aspects of this job is visiting homes throughout the Lake Oconee area to seek out potential home features for upcoming issues.

From historic mansions to rustic cottages to modern masterpieces, I’ve seen countless designs over the past two decades from different builders and designers, and yet it’s never hard to find fresh and new inspiration once I walk through a door.

Homeowners are eager to take me through their home and through their journey to the lake. I love to hear the stories behind different art pieces, heirloom furniture, or overall design decisions, and I found an outpouring of these stories while putting together this special Home Issue.

Lake Oconee Living once again got a sneak peek inside the homes at Reynolds Lake Oconee that will make up this year’s Lake Oconee Showcase of Homes and we were able to meet the generous homeowners who will open their doors to visitors on October 21. Find a preview of some of these ex-

quisite and diverse homes beginning on page 32.

These new designs demonstrate how homes have changed and evolved through the years to incorporate new trends and technology or accommodate growing or shrinking family structures, all while maintaining the comfort and style that makes them worth visiting.

They remind us that a home is a living thing, full of love, treasured memories, and hope for the future. And it’s that hope that makes this annual home tour possible.

Greene County Habitat For Humanity is dedicated to giving that hope to local families in need and proceeds from the tour will fund future building projects in the area.

They aim to inspire a broader sense of community and volunteerism through the Showcase of Homes in addition to the fresh design ideas to be found inside the homes.

We hope you discover that inspiration in the pages of our Home Issue.

Enjoy!

Speakeasy Style

The anatomy of an in-house Irish Pub.

STORY BY ANDREA GABLE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAKENZIE EDDY

The cozy banquette space off the lounge area was created by Rustic Trades of Atlanta. A removable leaf can connect the two parts to create one oversized gathering table. Custommade Irish Whiskey signage was sourced from Northern Ireland.

When planning the terrace level of their new home at Reynolds Lake Oconee,

Brian and Kara Travers knew they wanted a space for entertaining – a cozy getaway to escape the summer heat or warm up with a fire in the winter.

What they got was a destination.

“We entertain quite a bit and I wanted somewhere warm and inviting where friends could gather,” says

WBrian Travers. “I’ve always liked the look of an Irish pub and since the whole house has a bit of a rustic feel anyway, it just follows that theme down to the terrace level.”

Brian’s wife, Kara, worked closely with DreamBuilt and Black Sheep Interiors on her vision for the space.  DreamBuilt brought in the au-

thentic wood beams and elegant trim details found elsewhere in the home and used the same flooring from a French farmhouse to create a herringbone pattern to ground the space.

Black Sheep Interiors focused on design details to capture that cozy, Irish feel – deep green colors, plaid

Summer Wood with Black Sheep Interiors added equestrian touches to the design including a bridle’s bit detail on the black of this plaid club chair. The leather straps that suspend the pillow backs along the banquette were inspired by leather horse bridles, she says.

fabrics, large leather barstools behind brass foot rails at the bar, plush lounge seating, and antique furniture and accessories.

“We just tried to really pay attention to the hardware and details and were able to really focus on those special touches that can sometimes get overlooked,” says Summer Wood of Black Sheep Interiors.

Wood even hunted down authentic Irish Whiskey signage from an unexpected source.   “I couldn’t find pub art anywhere and I wasn’t just going to put anything in this pub, so I found a gentleman who made these incredible handmade with 22K gold inlays and I said, ‘I love these signs. Can I get these?’ And he said, ‘Sure!’ I

asked where he was located and he said, ‘I’m in Northern Ireland,’” says Wood laughing. “So I worked with him and he got them here and I ended up developing a really nice relationship with him.”

“Everybody really leaned into it,” says Travers. “I think they got excited because it’s not terribly common and I can imagine if a builder or designer gets to do something a little different, it’s refreshing. It’s always good to be working with people who share your vision and are just as excited as you are.”

The vision realized was a veritable speakeasy stretching the length of the home’s terrace level, an unexpected surprise tucked away at the bottom of the stairs.

“It definitely gives you that feeling like you’re opening a hidden door to a secret space,” says Haley Ruhl of DreamBuilt. “Within the trend of design that

Brian Travers keeps his favorite beer – Oconee Brewing Company’s Hey Man! Blonde ale – on tap behind his fullsized bar.

The powder room of the pub is wrapped in plaid, accented by oldworld style fixtures, and balanced by grasscloth on the ceiling to lighten the tone.

we’re seeing, clients are looking for more of a sense of discovery which lends itself to this feeling of being in a completely different space and creates destinations within the house and you never have to leave.”

See the Travers’ Irish pub in person during this year’s Lake Oconee Showcase of Homes on Oct. 21. For more details on the home, see page 52.

Sip and Share

These flavorful fall cocktails are perfect for cozy evenings at home or a night out with friends at your favorite hometown spot.

COMPILED BY BROOKE BARRETT AND MELISSA SHIVER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF REYNOLDS LAKE OCONEE

it’s how to embrace and enhance the hometown vibe. You’ll know everyone and everyone will know you, but there will always be new faces coming to join the party. You’ll have your favorite spot at your favorite Reynolds restaurant, and Chef Z is always making sure the menu is spiced with new cuisine to try and the mixologists are debuting new cocktails to make you feel right at home, but satisfy your craving for something new.

Try these creations at home, or stop by your favorite hometown spot and share one with a friend.

Find the Mission Fig Old Fashioned recipe on the following page.

IIf there is one thing Reynolds knows,

The Knee Knocker

a smoked rum Old Fashioned

• 2 oz dark rum of choice

• Bar spoon of brown sugar simple syrup

• 2 dashes of orange bitters

Serve garnished with a twist of orange and smoked with Applewood chips to give a wonderful nose and look to the drink.

Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

The star of this drink is really the brown sugar simple syrup. It really compliments the rum flavors and highlights the citrus in the garnish.

• 1 cup dark brown sugar

• ¼ cup honey

• ¼ cup agave

• hot water

Bunker Bend Blizzard

• 2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon

• .5 oz lemon juice

• 1 oz cranberry juice

• Bar spoon of simple syrup

Shake and strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Mission Fig Old

Fashioned

• 2 oz whiskey

• 1 oz Mahia Fig Liqueur

• 1 Luxardo Cherry

Garnish with a dried Mission Fig and orange twist.

The Famous Recipe

This simple catfish stew has the right ingredients for slowing down and simmering the important moments around us.

STORY AND RECIPES BY ANDREW CARTER CURTIS

This is Lake Country.

A good article can include catfish, right? And if we mention catfish then naturally we should offer a culinary connection to this ubiquitous resource. List all the possible ways to cook this fish, and we shall grow weary with options. Therefore,

I will focus on only one— THE Famous Catfish Stew. Now, a world class recipe must embody a tantalizingly terrific taste combination to draw on the deepest cravings of our gastric domains. But is that enough? Shouldn’t we

feel it through body, mind, and soul? Here is how it is done. The Famous Catfish Stew is more than merely a recipe; it’s a process, and in fact a way of life. It teaches us important lessons.

First, this meal may only be pre-

TFrom left, Mr. Andrews cleaning a fish on the old hickory board at the outdoor sink, the Famous Catfish Stew ready to eat and a behind-the-scenes look at the process.

pared on a special occasion to be shared with someone. It is a monumental shame to attempt this alone. Preferably, two or more people should collect the bounty in the most unarduous of ways — fishing on the bank of the lake. No cell phones are allowed, just a sense of communion with nature and friends, where time becomes a figment of your imagination. Hurrying is forbidden. Pay close attention to the view around you, and breathe it all in. This is a moment which will last, which will pass into the sacred immortality of memory. Lock it in.

Once enough of the prized catch has been caught, a quality knife becomes paramount. Carving a catfish, teasing that tender white tissue from the stubborn skeleton which holds greedily, is an art form. To trace the contours of the bones delicately with the fine, gleaming edge of your selected cutlery produces an almost therapeutic sensation and feeling of utmost satisfaction. Imagine now that the knife you wield is not just any knife but one that has been handcrafted especially for you and holds a genuine uniqueness that you alone can fully comprehend and appreciate. Yes, the knife can make an enormous difference in the overall experience, so choose your knife wisely.

A charcoal grill adds the next layer of the method’s intrigue. Not to discount the courageously high performances of the Green Egg and the likes, but nothing special is needed here; if it holds charcoal then it will work just fine.

“Famous Catfish Stew”

• 4 bacon strips, chopped

• 2 TBS oil, for cooking

• 2 large onions, diced

• 3-1/2 lbs red potatoes, diced

• 4 TBS butter

• 2 quarts tomato juice

• 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tsp seasoning salt

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 4 lbs catfish fillets, smoked (preferably on a charcoal grill)

Allow the smoke time to fill the meat as it cooks. Pause and feel the outdoors around you.

Now on to the final cooking. Indoors we must go to load the pot of potatoes, onions, bacon, and butter. Smell the soothing aroma as you suck in a lungful of the sizzling concoction. Add the remaining ingredients, and imagine the taste before the tongue is even called on to perform. At last, plunge the ladle into the pot to withdraw your portion to sample. Collect potato and catfish for the initial bite, and discover the completion of a job well done. And so it is that this recipe is more of a journey than a destination, but an oasis of reward does await.

Now allow my introduction of this recipe’s origin — Mr. Andrews. In character, he is everything that I aspire to be. He glorifies the good in Southern heritage. I am humbly grateful to Mr. Andrews for revealing to me the secrets of the Famous Catfish Stew. In fact, he shared with me an entire lifestyle that I can feel whenever I bite into this delicious dish, a lifestyle where moments are precious and simplicity reigns in a world of frenetic living. He showed me by simply living his life, a role model of momentous proportions.

Maybe we all need a Mr. Andrews, an inspiring mentor to guide and keep us grounded. And perhaps, just perhaps, we could all use a little more Famous Catfish Stew.

– Andrew Curtis is a small animal veterinarian in Valdosta, who frequently visits his family’s lake house on Oconee. His book about Mr. Andrews, “Famous Catfish Stew,” is available through his website andrewcartercurtis. com.

“Famous Catfish

Cook chopped bacon in oil in a skillet for a few minutes. Add onions to the bacon and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Transfer bacon and onions to a large pot and add potatoes, butter, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, about 30 minutes. Break catfish (already grilled) into chunks and stir in the pieces, then simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The stew is ready to serve when the potatoes are tender. Serves 8-10.

Stew” is a timeless story of a young veterinarian (author) and an aging mentor, replete with Southern traditions. As the knife making skill is taught, life lessons are learned, and a way of life is shared. This mentor, Mr. Andrews, is a craftsman with an artistic eye, but his eye for beauty transcends the material side. In transforming a rusty piece of metal into a beautifully handcrafted knife, Mr. Andrews shares valuable lessons of simplicity, patience, optimism, and quality. An unexpected twist leaves the author with a gift more profound than he could have ever dreamed to receive.

Biography of a Book

How a story goes from brainstorm to bestseller, and everything in between.

STORY BY CHIP R. BELL

Book readers and “wannabe” writers know far more about how a book is written

than how it is made. They know a manuscript leaves a computer screen and ends up in a physical or online bookstore. But the trip between those two points is a bit of a mystery. So here is an abbreviated reveal of what happens to a book on its journey to a buyer’s nightstand.

The biggest surprise along the journey for most first-time authors is the jarring notion that, unless you are already famous, the publisher does not sell books; they merely support you in your efforts to get your book past the pocketbooks of book buyers.

“Rarely is a writer satisfied with the marketing and sales of their book,” says Marc Jolley, director of Mercer University Press. “The chief focus of the author is to write their best book.

And then

the writer should accept any speaking engagement, signing, or opportunity to promote the book.”

Vehicles for Making the Journey

There are three publishing vehicles writers can use to journey from manuscript to marketplace – a traditional publisher, self-publishing, or a hybrid of the two.

The best vehicle depends on money, time, and the author’s desire for control. Unfortunately, only 30 percent of books published today use a traditional publisher. That is because a traditional publisher provides the funding and is only

interested in books likely to sell. Getting a publisher to choose a manuscript takes a great book proposal and often a savvy book agent.

The main advantage of self-publishing is the author gets the exact book desired. A self-published book can be released faster (traditional publishers can take 18 months). The author funds the entire operation but keeps the revenue mi-nus expenses. Self-published authors, however, must

also create a distribution process, something traditional publishers already have. Hybrid publishers are much like traditional publishers, except the author funds it entirely, and the publisher takes care of all the details from editing to marketing to distribution.

The Sausage Making Part

Here is a typical book-making sequence in a linear fashion. Some of these steps could happen simultaneously. First, the author writes the book and either hires or is assigned an editor. There are several types. A developmental editor helps brainstorm what the book is, who it is for, how it will be unique and provides feedback during the writing process. A copyeditor checks for grammatical errors, inconsistencies, and fact-checking. Sometimes a proofreader is also involved. Copyediting is crucial because

a minor hiccup can destroy an author’s reputation. Every grammatical mistake, typo, and inconsistency is checked to avoid printing a mistake.

When Penguin published a book called “The Pasta Bible” in 2010, the recipe for tagliatelle called for “salt and freshly ground black people.” Obviously, spell check missed it, and Penguin had to destroy thousands of copies because of one word.

The copyeditor prepares the finished manuscript for book design and ultimately for printing. The book designer does book layout and interior design, essentially getting the book ready to go to the printer, assuming it is a physical book and not an e-book. A copy (called galleys) is sent to the author for another read and edits. Cover designers craft a cover that becomes eye-catching “advertising.” The design

team also handles typesetting since printers today require print-ready files.

Once everyone is satisfied with the look of the book, it is proofread again using “page proofs.” Minute changes can be made by the author since large ones involve completely laying out the book again. Once completed, the printer turns it into a product that can be inventoried, marketed, distributed, and purchased. The author is now ready to market the new book.

Are We There Yet?

All authors are thrilled when they get to hold the first copy. But the real work must now begin. No one ever bought a book they never heard of. Getting the word out about the book, a step that should have started along with writing the book, is the only way to get the cash register to sound. But, again, unless you are J.K. Rowling, publishers

are more printers of books than sellers. They rely on authors to do most of the selling. That is why a marketing plan is today a major part of all book proposals sent to traditional publishers.

Authors who want to sell books (not just give copies to family and friends) must create a website, build a large following on social media, and drive traffic to the website to promote book purchases. Success comes from lining up early opportunities to assertively promote the book.

“If writing and publishing a book is like giving birth to a child,” wrote best-selling author Heather Hart, “then book marketing is like rearing it.”

– Chip R. Bell has authored numerous award-winning, best-selling books and serves on the board of Georgia Writers Museum in Eatonton.

REAL ESTATE Here & Now

HOPE building homes

for

An exclusive look inside the homes featured in the upcoming Lake Oconee Showcase of Homes to benefit Greene County Habitat for Humanity

Written by ANDREA GABLE Photography by JARROD BROCK

Since 2018, Greene County Habitat for Humanity has joined with homeowners in Reynolds Lake Oconee to create a Showcase of Homes offering a look inside some of the most exquisite homes in the area.

The fall tour event not only highlights the best in building, architecture, and interior design, but also brings awareness to Habitat’s mission of providing safe, affordable housing for local families in need. For Greene County Habitat, it’s more than just building homes, it’s about building hope.

This year’s Lake Oconee Showcase of Homes returns on Saturday,

October 21. This self-guided tour features seven private residences along with two new Reynolds Lake Oconee models in Richland Pointe.

The tour showcases the striking architecture, stunning interiors, and gorgeous landscapes of some of Lake Oconee’s most well-appointed homes. Docents will be on hand to provide details about each home.

Proceeds from this year’s tour will go toward upcoming Habitat building projects with the goal of providing affordable housing for deserving families in Greene County.

Through generous sponsorships from businesses and individuals throughout the community, Greene County Habitat is able to make a significant impact for those in need. An online auction is also held in conjunction with the tour, offering exciting auction items and experiences donated by local businesses and individuals. For tickets and more information on the Showcase of Homes, visit: LakeOconeeShowcaseOfHomes. org. To learn more about Greene County Habitat for Humanity, their mission to serve the community, and volunteer opportunities, visit: HabitatGreene.net.

shining SANCTUARY

Bathed in white and adorned with elegant lighting, the home of Kefe and Hal Brandon is a peaceful sanctuary for relaxation and healing.

Located in Richland Pointe, one of the newest additions to Reynolds Lake Oconee, the Brandons had the opportunity to open up to a more transitional architectural style. Designed and built by DreamBuilt, the home boasts an old-World style stucco and stone exterior that belies a modern interior of clean lines and connected spaces.

Amanda Higgins with Black Sheep Interiors worked with the Brandons to create a comfortable design with well-appointed spaces to gather with family and entertain on game weekends. As legacy graduates of the University of Georgia, the terrace level entertainment area is a veritable shrine to their beloved Bulldogs. A custom built display at the bottom of the stair holds memorabilia and comes complete with an interchangeable UGA poster in the center. A coveted Steve Penley painting of the 1898 UGA football team graces the wet

bar and framed degrees from the university are grouped with more composites and photos on the main wall. While it’s the perfect spot to catch a game, it’s also a fun escape for Hal. When he’s not playing his favorite course at Reynolds, The Preserve, he’s downstairs at his state-of-the art golf simulator. There’s also a custom-made putting green just outside.

For Kefe, her favorite part of the home is the serene den on the main level that is framed by a wall of windows and punctuated by a dramatic modern light

LEFT: Each living space on the main level connects together for a seamless flow of entertaining possibilities. The home’s open concept allows the kitchen and dining spaces to flow into a recreation area that in turn, opens up to a large screened porch overlooking the pool and lake.

ABOVE: The Brandons’ in-suite bath has a freestanding tub as a focal point and an open-air shower with a two-sided entry flowing behind the tub.

fixture of circular tiers.

“When I’m in the den, I just love how the water of the lake and the pool becomes one and appears to all flow together. It’s so soothing and healing and calming,” says Kefe. “I like to watch how the trees and lighting in the sky change with each season of the year. It’s like having the outside coming in.”

Each space has been customized to fit the way they live, from the oversized butler’s pantry to the personalized mudroom.

“We wanted to make sure each of the spaces has its own importance,” says Haley Ruhl of DreamBuilt. “The foyer and the grand sense of entry is

One of the things that sets the Brandon home apart is its collection of dramatic lighting that creates focal points in each space, from the pendant lights that dangle from the stairwell to fanciful fixtures dripping over the dining table to the modern circles that crown the main level den.

so important in many of the houses here, but we’ve tried to refocus too on the homeowner’s daily entry into the house, usually from the garage, and make sure they don’t feel like they’re just passing through the utility function only. We want to make sure they’re getting a grand sense of entry as well.”

Kefe’s favorite Bible verse greets her each time she walks through the door. It’s transposed on the wall in a large, custom-made metal script.

“It’s a daily reminder to be thankful for all the things that God has put inside these walls,” she says, “and for the strength He gives me and my family.”

Making the DreamBuilt

transition

with Haley Ruhl,

“This home crosses the boundary between traditional to transitional without being too “expected.” The Brandons were leaning more toward that transitional style but didn’t want the stark white exterior with sharp black windows, so we tried to incorporate that style but soften it a bit by picking some more neutral tones on the exterior. It definitely falls along the lines of transitional both inside and out, but it’s a softer version.

Inside, it’s open concept and connected, but nothing seems cavernous. The main level flows into a recreation space that opens onto an outdoor screened porch that’s connected to the pool area. The outdoor space extends all the way down to the putting green and tucks back into another recreation space on the terrace level.

The kitchen is open to the dining room, but serves as a second living space thanks to the walk-through butler’s pantry or caterer’s kitchen. Everyone lives in the kitchen and entertains there so it’s nice to have that area decorated with clean working spaces and then have a back-of-house area where you can keep all of your small appliances plugged in and prep your meals and tuck away all of the dirty dishes.

People are definitely beginning to open up the sizes of things like pantries and closets and shower spaces. The pantry has turned into more of a caterer’s kitchen and the showers have become more like a spa. We were able to incorporate more modern touches like these into all of the different spaces to create interest in each part of the house.”

elegance ORGANIC

As Greene County Habitat For Humanity’s new board chair, Charity Hatfield knows the importance of home. She and her husband, Bob, have been building custom homes in the area for more than two decades and are ardent supporters of Habitat’s mission.

In building homes for their own family over the years, the duo has honed in on what makes a home livable, comfortable, and functional. Their latest home showcases all of these traits with an organic elegance they have come to love.

“This home is all about using Earth tones and textures to create really comfortable and casual spaces,” says interior designer Ashley Martin. “I think that’s how people want to live –comfortable but still surrounded by a very put together space.”

The light stone on the fireplace and comfortable neutral furnishings

balance the dark, rich gray tone of the vaulted wooden ceiling – a detail that draws the eye upon entering the house. The furniture was selected for comfort and includes a lush daybed that allows access to the room. “The daybed is a great way to keep your sight lines open, but maximize your seating,” says Martin.

Martin also added a reversed seating area between the kitchen and living area. Charity admits she was apprehensive at first, but the space quickly became a favorite. “It was too expansive of a space to have nothing,” says Martin. “This just created a kitchen conversation area without having to sit at the dining table.”

Though bright and open, the kitchen creates a moody and inviting space through the use of mixed cabinetry and rich textures. The honed black Quartzite island is a dramatic centerpiece among the mix of black,

white, and white oak cabinetry that surrounds it.

Using a simple color palette, Martin used a variety of textures, metal finishes, and fabric patterns to create an organic feel. She incorporated abstract art and framed tapestry pieces to soften the walls and complement natural elements found in the design.

The home is comfortable by design and welcoming, which is what Charity and Bob were aiming for with the structural design of the space. With four children and their first grandchild on the way, they wanted a space for their family to gather.

The home offers plenty of sleeping space for all of their guests and fun recreational areas where they can spend time with family and friends.

This, as Charity and Bob understand well, is the essence of a “home.”

Dramatic lighting adds distinction to the various living spaces within the home. Interior designer Ashley Martin created an organic feel through natural textures, metal finishes, and fabric patterns to match the soft, but impactful, tones of the home’s simple color palette.

Organic with designer Approach

Ashley Martin

Simple palette

I always work with a limited color palette, usually five colors, that can be spread throughout the house in different ways. That’s what really helps tie everything together in a cohesive way and gives us a common thread as we’re making our way through the house.

Abstract patterns

I love bringing abstract patterns into fabrics, pillows, and rugs throughout the home. It maximizes that organic feel while still being grounded in the neutral colors of the room. It’s a subtle way to add texture.

Textured finishes

I’m huge on using textures, metals, and fabrics to just pull everything together within that simplistic color palette. We used a lot of woven rattan for the lighting and bouclé fabric touches to soften bedrooms and relaxing spaces.

Artful impact

When I’m sourcing art for people it’s not only to fill spaces but to create an impact. I try to select pieces that are really unique and have a lot of detail and don’t feel like they’re printed and reproduced.

Martin employed the use of calming neutrals to create inviting spaces in each of the home’s bedrooms. The Hatfields added special touches, including this master vestibule, to the design of the home.

Spaces

with Charity Hatfield,

Favorite Hatfield Custom Homes

Q: As a custom home builder, what were some of the spaces you and your husband, Bob Hatfield, knew you wanted to create in your personal home?

A: Outdoor Living

Our screened porch with the vaulted ceiling and dark tile flooring is where we spend most of our time. Outdoor space is so important to us and we installed heaters and fans so we could use it as long as we can throughout the year. We eat outside all the time, unless it’s unbearably hot or cold. Bob’s favorite spot is the outdoor kitchen connected to the porch around the corner with access to the kitchen inside. He’s got a place for his smoker, pellet grill, burner, and flat surface grill.

Reading nook:

My favorite “moment” is at the top of the stairs. We knew we’d have extra space up there and it turned out to be a perfect reading nook. Sitting there you have uninterrupted views outside and to everything below, so it’s just a perfectly connected space.

Details:

We brought back the “master vestibule” that we loved in our previous home. It’s a built-in area at the end of the hall leading to the master bedroom. We love having that “moment” before you walk into the bedroom.

Add ons:

One thing we added during framing is the movie room. We realized we had a lot of storage and Bob walked through the terrace level and said this would be the perfect amount of space for a movie room. We adjusted the plan and now we use this room probably more than anywhere else in the house.

custom COMFORT

The classically modern home of Reagan and Mark McLaughlin is comfortable in its simplicity – an understated, yet elegant design accentuated with details that layer color onto a canvas of clean lines. Originally planned to be the home of Bryan Combs of Artisan Built, the home features custom details and hallmarks of quality craftsmanship for which

his company is known. Large, oversized wooden beams beckon guests into the entry of the home and can be found throughout the interior amongst a mix of natural textures.

The home’s expansive outdoor living spaces include a custom pool, fire pit and putting green, designed by Outdoor Innovations.

The interior design conveys a casual feel, made

modern by a carefully curated color palette. Each guest room showcases a new color scheme, balanced by a consistently neutral base. High-backed headboards behind colorful pillows in each room have trim details to match each room. One-of-akind area rugs and bold wallpapers in adjoining bathrooms bring in a color-coordinated twist. The home is full of small

details that bring you in for a closer look. Overall understated and casual, the interior design relies on intentional use of strong solids and detailed trims and hardware to stand out amid a clean palette.

Reagan says she wanted to create a modern classic, a home that is timeless, so that 10 years from now, it will still be current.

Large double islands make the kitchen a gathering place. The home’s understated design creates soothing spaces in the owner’s suite that are punctuated by layers of color on a clean palette.

with Bryan Combs, Builder Q&A Artisan Built

Q: Since you were originally building this home for your own family, what are some of the things you knew you wanted?

A: As a builder, I’m always trying to look ahead and incorporate what everyone wants in life. Some things we’re seeing on a lot of floor plans are these large, double islands in the kitchen, or doors that pocket into the wall, walk in showers behind the tub. I tried to put in some of these things that I knew people were looking for that were becoming more and more popular.

Q: What stands out as one of your favorite aspects of this home?

A: I like that things are moving toward cleaner lines, like the fireplace – it’s very simple, kind of understated, but elegant.

The intentional use of strong solids adds interest to each guest bedroom. Fun wallpaper prints coordinate with trim details on high-backed headboards and pillow fabrics in each of the different rooms.

Q: In which room would you spend most of your time?

A: One thing that I was going to put in here for me is the golf simulator. There’s a room finished out for it downstairs and the concept was to have the bar area open to the golf simulator.

Wendy West and her husband, Dr. Brian West, are both collectors.

Wendy collects original art, photographs, sculptures, and blown glass from renowned artists from around the country – pieces carefully curated from their life together on the way to settling at Lake Oconee. Brian collects sports memorabilia –priceless items signed by some of the biggest names in the history of baseball, boxing, football and beyond.

Their home is a veritable art gallery and is well-appointed with pedestals, easels, lighted cabinets and crisp white walls to

design GALLERY OF

hold each treasured piece. Even the floorcloths are hand-painted works of art. The home’s museum-like atmosphere is tempered with soft textures, organic design elements and comforting blue tones, driven by the vision of local interior designer Tim Green who worked with Wendy to finalize the design.

“When people have colorful art collections, you have to let the art speak,” says Green. “You lay a soft palette and allow the art to be the ‘pop.’”

Green says he was able to take an already beautiful canvas and put in a few final layers to create a masterpiece.

“I believe that my job is

not to impose my style onto a client, but instead take the client’s style and elevate it to the next level. Designing someone’s home is very personal and it should be fun” says Green. “The most important part of the process to me is that the client loves their home when we are finished. I feel like your home should be your safe place – every time you walk in the door it should feel like it’s giving a warm hug. If you do not get that feeling then I haven’t done my job.”

Green was able to blend together an interior that both celebrates the Wests’ passion for art while keeping their home comfortable, welcoming and warm.

‘You can interpret it any way you like,’ says Wendy West. ‘I see it as something spiritual, as if you are standing with your hands up toward the sky, thankful for everything we have here.’

TOP: A stainless steel sculpture by Dale Rogers titled ‘Rise’ overlooks the pool.

BOTTOM: Works of blown glass find a museum-quality display on pedestals throughout the house and behind lighted glass cabinets along the top of the kitchen.

Finishing with designer Touches

Tim Green

Just as an artist applies the final strokes of the paintbrush before signing their name on a work of art, Tim Green takes the same approach with the final layers of a home’s interior design.

“One thing I’ve found working with clients over the years is that a lot of the time, people don’t take it all the way in terms of their interior design,” he says. “They get to a certain point and they stop, but it’s really the last couple of layers that elevate things to a level where you end up with a beautiful home.”

Some of the finishing touches he chose to apply to the West home include a selection of rugs and draperies to complement the collection of art, wallpaper to accentuate small spaces, and organic pieces of furniture and accessories to add texture to the overall design.

“I like working with a lot of natural elements,” says Green. “This home is more of a formal space, so I felt like we could bring it back down by introducing natural elements like the quartz console table in the foyer and the fur throw pillows. Adding in those Earth elements can keep things from being too fancy.”

elevated ESCAPE

When Gwen Tucker and Galen Stockton want to escape the hustle and bustle of their life in Las Vegas, they head to Lake Oconee. After falling in love with the area, they set about planning a stunning retreat on an ideal lake lot with the help of Jones & Jones Premier Builders and Alicia Mooney Interiors. They wanted a gathering place where they could bring everyone in their large family of six children and six grandchildren together and create unforgettable memories.

“That’s the main reason we built the house, so we’d have somewhere we could all come and be together,” says Galen. “Every time I come here, it gets harder and harder to go home.”

Every morning, he says, he sits outside with his coffee, watching the wildlife, in his favorite

ABOVE: Interior designer, Alicia Mooney, used soft neutrals to create serene and calming bedrooms throughout the house.

LEFT: Incredible views of Lake Oconee are maximized in the home’s outdoor living spaces.

BELOW LEFT: The master bath boasts a large steam shower, stand alone tub, and live plants to create a spalike experience.

BELOW: The home’s stately exterior features a slate roof.

Elevated

Details

with builder

Dan Jones

Q: What are some of the details that really stood out in the construction of this home?

Slate roof:

part of the home –poolside, overlooking the water, just outside the expansive pocketed doors that open to the living room. The Stocktons knew they wanted the pool on the main level of the home so that it would be connected with the overall open floor plan of the home. They wanted open spaces to gather, but also wanted to be able to give their guests their own space on the other levels of the home.

“Everything is connected on the main level so that even when the house is full, no one is out of the flow, but they wanted each guest room to have its own privacy and its own personality,” says Alicia Mooney, who brought in special elements to each room.

“Alicia did a great job of creating very serene and calming bedrooms and keeping things uncluttered and clean in the main living areas,” says Gwen.

Mooney used warm neutral tones of grays and taupes to create inviting spaces through-

Real slate roofs are really not all that common. Even for this house, it wasn’t much more expensive than cedar shingles and slate will last a lifetime.

Pocket doors:

The sliding pocketed doors are expansive and really open up the whole living area to the outdoors.

Outdoor living spaces:

This home has a nice outdoor kitchen and lots of great outdoor spaces. We installed motorized screens and infrared porch heaters that allow them to enjoy it year round.

Main level pool: We built up the foundation in the back and raised the pool to the main level which was unique for this kind of lot, but we made it work.

Trim details:

There’s a lot of hand-hewn oak beams throughout the house, like the coffered ceilings in the main room, and a fair amount of shiplap and paneling.

Steam showers:

The primary bathroom and downstairs guest bathroom have large, zero-entry steam showers with a floating bench along the back wall.

ABOVE: Bathed in natural light, the main living area is balanced by warm neutral tones to create an inviting space.

LEFT: The custom millwork on the home’s rounded, mahogany door provides a dramatic entry.

BELOW: Personalized touches were added to each space to give subtle nods to the homeowners’ love of horses, cattle, and nature.

out, and softened the interior with layers of texture with a mix of finishes, furnishings, and wall coverings.

“The house has a good sense of proportion and scale,” says builder Dan Jones. “It’s a big house but doesn’t feel big. It’s comfortable.”

Live plants adorn each room and dramatic lighting draws the eye to every ceiling.

“A lot of focus was directed toward the fixtures,” says Mooney. “I consider light fixtures to be like jewelry so I spent a lot of time finding the right pieces.”

Gwen worked with Jones and Mooney to select sturdy, yet beautiful, finishes and flooring that are essentially “kidproof.” She made sure to include a whimsical bunk room, complete with a slide, for her grandchildren to enjoy for years to come.

This home, for Gwen and Galen, is all about family.

“A lot of what we build is generational housing now. These folks are building for their kids and grandkids and there’s a

lot of memories made there,” says Jones. “It’s a pretty big responsibility that you bear, knowing that you’re putting out something that offers those memories. That’s pretty special and I take a lot of pride in that. It’s not just a house that I’m building. It’s how we make our living, but it means much more than that.”

Elevated with builder Design

Alicia Mooney

Q: What were some of the main approaches you took with this design?

Keeping it warm: My goal was to make everything warm and inviting. I used a lot of neutrals so it didn’t feel too busy and overdone. It’s important, especially with the huge living room, to make sure that even with the volume, you’re bringing it back down to a warm, inviting space.

Keeping it clean: This home is not “minimalist” but it does have more clean lines. That’s really how I approach design. I like to keep things clean and understated. I want everything to have a purpose and not be overdone.

Keeping it personal: When I do a home, I want it to represent the client. These two are big on family so I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the house – for it to still look beautiful but be “livable” at the same time. They have horses and cattle back home, so I wanted to give a subtle hint to that. I brought in touches of hides and included pieces of art that would be special for them.

goldSYMPHONY IN

The contemporary home of Lauren Maxwell and Dan Kowal brings together a medley of metallic finishes, plush furnishings, and glamorous textures to create a symphony of style. Its dramatic design on the main floor is punctuated by gold accents and dazzling lighting and grounded by large format porcelain tiles that can be found consistently throughout.

“There are so many things about this house that make it stand out, but the tile is really something special,” says Kevin Aycock of Southern Luxury Homes. The porcelain flows elegantly from the kitchen countertops, vent hood and backsplashes to the fireplace, builtins with floating shelves, and along to the wall behind the bar at the home’s entrance. It was an element that Lauren Maxwell knew she wanted to incorporate into her new home at the lake and she knew Aycock could

make it happen. Aycock had worked with Lauren on her first home at the lake three years ago and was familiar with her tastes and expectations. It gave him freedom to add details he knew she would like, including a barreled ceiling in the hallway of the primary suite leading into the luxurious bathroom and a geometric wood ceiling detail to cap off the main stairwell inside the home’s turret.

“When you know someone well, you’re able to tell if they’ll like something or not,” says Aycock. “We were able to do that with ease here with the second home.”

Lauren had a vision for each space in her home which created a surprise around every corner – from the playful tile in each guest bathroom to the soft pink walls and fur chairs in her home office overlooking the lake.

“This house really captures her personality,” says Aycock.

A collection of contemporary furnishings live together with light, natural woods found in ceiling details, flooring, and cabinets. Large format porcelain tile was used throughout the home to add a glamorous finish to the fireplace, wet bar, kitchen countertops and back splashes.

Trendsetting with builder Features

Kevin Aycock

Large format tile

Large format porcelain has really taken off because people hate grout lines, and when you can eliminate 98 percent of your grout lines and have clean solid pieces, that’s a big thing. The beauty of these larger sheets is that you can cover entire walls with it. It’s still heavy and massive, but it’s lighter and more functional now. You’re able to do more and more things with the same material – countertops, splashes, walls with floating shelves, fireplaces – and it’s all consistent and flows together.

Back to nature

Things are going back to that natural feel – not necessarily heavy and dark natural, but people want real things, natural materials, stones and woods. They want to see the natural woods and not have everything painted or stained.

Lighten up

Within those natural materials, things are going back to the light colors, not so much the dark woods. You’re seeing more blonde woods being used for cabinetry or flooring. Things now are light and more feminine, but they’re natural.

Some of the home’s most striking features are the turret that houses the front stairwell (top) and the curved walls on each side that create unique spaces inside for the breakfast room, wet bar, and guest shower, complete with curved tile.

1079 Night Heron Drive

living

Story and Photography courtesy of REYNOLDS LAKE OCONEE

Construction by Camden Homes Interior Design by Alicia Mooney

Located in Richland Pointe, the newest development at Reynolds, and just steps away from the award-winning amenities of Richland Pointe Village, two unique model homes exhibit a completely fresh design perspective, with the interior and exterior reflecting contemporary living at Reynolds Lake Oconee.

1295 Night Heron Drive

Construction by DreamBuilt

Interior Design by Zeb Grant Design

Distinct architectural design and refined interiors set the home of Brian and Kara Travers apart on Lake Oconee. Rich in texture, the home showcases deep colors, warm woods, exquisite hardware, and unexpected spaces. Black Sheep Interiors brought in modern touches to the rustic retreat that was designed and built by DreamBuilt. The comfortable elegance of the home is punctuated by  natural “living” finishes and luxurious design details to elevate each space.

retreat REFINED

“We paid extra attention to make sure that every room had the same level of detail and that it wasn’t all focused within the primary living space and master bedroom,” says Haley Ruhl of DreamBuilt. “Each room has its own featured detail –painted shiplap, reclaimed beams, stained wood, brick walls – some kind of texture so the house feels cohesive in that way.”

Designer Summer Wood of Black Sheep Interiors selected a German smear technique for the brick to bring in a rustic, unfinished feel.

The brick’s added texture complements the wood beams, shiplap and extraordinary flooring.

“When you walk in, the first thing that draws your eye is the floor,” says Wood. Large planks of rough, unfinished wood from a farmhouse in France were used to create a compelling finished product that runs throughout the home.

“We were hesitant about it at first because it was so uneven when it was going in, but it turned out beautifully,” says Ruhl. “People usually want perfect, even surfaces, but

Photography by MAKENZIE EDDY OF TIFFANY & MAKENZIE PHOTOGRAPHY

DreamBuilt used pure materials on the home’s exterior to create a ‘living exterior,’ adding texture with copper that will weather over time, shakes on the roof that will age into silver, and natural cedar shakes that were stained a deep navy.

this gives so much more texture and warmth than what you would typically get out of a site-finished floor. It’s nice to see people investing back into authentic materials and finding a little bit more charm in the imperfections.” Natural finishes can also be found in the spectacular custom hardware throughout the house. A mix of bronze hand-brushed, unlacquered brass, the hardware has a “living fin-

Refined Design

with Summer Wood,

principal designer, Black Sheep Interiors

Q: What are some of the design details that elevate this home to the next level?

A: The natural materials and custom hardware used throughout the house are unparalleled. Aside from that, I love the modern lighting that we were able to bring in, like the swing arm lights that you’ll see throughout the house that are so functional, and the contemporary art that we used to balance that rustic, “lake house” feel. The oversized steel doors leading out everywhere bring in a ton of natural light into the house and the deep green benches in the entry are a perfect touch.

Q: What is your favorite space?

A: That is impossible to say! We had so much fun creating the Irish pub downstairs but there is also the playroom that stands out. Ryan wanted to surprise Kara with a really special place for their grandchildren, so it was a top secret mission to create this really amazing space. The little “cafe” and playhouse with a loft and slide turned out to be so unique. I can’t figure out which room is my favorite. It was all so much fun.

Q: What would you want to incorporate into your own home?

ish,” meaning it will age and wear as it is touched over the years.

“We tried to bring in a lot of nature to the house and incorporate a lot of neutral tones,” says Wood. To balance the rustic, “lake house” feel, Wood says they incorporated modern lighting and contemporary art, creating a juxtaposition of modern and traditional genres.

“I like mixing different styles and

A: There are fantastic tiles throughout this house. Each guest suite has its own color scheme, and style of fixtures and hardware, that is coordinated seamlessly with tile selections in each accompanying bathroom. I love that special touch. Their outdoor kitchen is amazing and fits their lifestyle so well. I would also love to have their butler’s pantry. It’s so functional and has a classic checkered floor which is one of my all-time favorite things to incorporate into a home.

TOP: ‘It was important for the Travers to have a true outdoor kitchen where they could cook and entertain and still feel a part of the mix,’ says Haley Ruhl of DreamBuilt. Retractable vinyl sheets make the fully-functional second kitchen usable year round.

ABOVE: Brian and Kara Travers created a storybook playroom for their two grandchildren, complete with a cafe, loft, slide, and swing.

RIGHT: Natural materials ground the architectural design of the home, creating texture through reclaimed beams, brick walls, stained wood, and painted shiplap.

textures together,” says Wood. “I like the unexpected.”

The Travers’ home is certainly full of the unexpected.

There’s a beautifully-appointed playroom for their two young grandchildren, complete with a built-in cafe and playhouse, a slide, swing, and reading nook.

The comfortable outdoor living spaces flow seamlessly along the back of the home and are anchored by a full outdoor kitchen. Another fully-functional cooking space can be found in the oversized caterer’s kitchen inside.

The terrace level below unfolds into the home’s most unique space – an Irish pub, where the Travers love to entertain and where lavish design details abound. (See more on page 15.)

“There is something to discover around every corner,” says Ruhl.

The innovative layout of the home was driven by the personal ways in which the Travers wanted to use their home. In addition to dynamic entertainment areas, the Travers wanted to create distinct living spaces for all three of their children.

DreamBuilt designed three separate “family suites,” each containing a guest bedroom and a bunk room, bathrooms for each and a coffee bar and laundry room for each space. Ruhl says they wanted to create a comfortable living space for their children and grandchildren – a special home away from home.

“I like seeing people creating an inheritable home for their children,” says Ruhl. “A home like this is going to live exactly as they need it to as long as they want to be here, and then it will be something their kids grow fond of and want to take over as a generational home.”

LARRY MASSEY Madison

DOUG EWING Madison RUSTY EWING Madison

THOMASIA ALEXANDER Madison

SHEREE EVANS Madison TERRY EVANS Madison RICHARD McGINNIS Madison

PEOPLE OF

PEOPLE OF

STORY BY PATRICK YOST

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE MADISON-MORGAN CULTURAL CENTER

During an exhibition in 1990, members of the Andrews family mingle with guests at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. A permanent exhibit will be dedicated to the family of famed artists and authors in October.

NOTE

NOTE

Museum exhibit to honor the family of some of the region’s most well-known artistic visionaries

On July 5, 1976, the night before the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center was set to open to the public for the first time, Philip Lee Williams, his wife, Linda, and noted Morgan County artist, Edward Hudson, were at the former graded school building working to hang an exhibit featuring the artwork of Morgan County native, Benny Andrews.

Williams, a native Madisonian who would become a noted Georgian and American writer and composer, says he remembers the night well.

“We had never hung art,” Williams recalls. “We were up half the night.”

But the art, on loan from Atlanta’s High

Museum, was hung and, according to former Madison-Morgan Cultural Center Board Chair Wayne Vason, he was immediately impressed with the Morgan County artist. Vason was able to meet Andrews in person years later in 1982 when the Cultural Center featured an exhibit of his works from a Fulbright Fellowship in France. Vason introduced him to a diverse crowd gathered for his lecture.

“I didn’t know Benny but I did know that he was addressing an audience in a segregated school building that he couldn’t go to,” Vason says.

“He couldn’t have been more gracious,”

Andrews would eventually become a board member at the Center.

So begins the connection, says the Center’s executive director, Cynthia Huger.

On October 22, the connection will truly come full circle when the Center opens its permanent exhibit honoring the entire Andrews family –Benny, his brother and noted author, Raymond, his father and Georgia folk artist, George, his mother, Viola, and eight other Andrews children.

“It is a long history and a positive one,” says Vason.

Called the Andrews Family Legacy Gallery, the Center is devoting an upstairs exhibition space to house the $275,000 permanent exhibition that strives to tell the story of an artistically talented sharecropping family who survived and thrived in the rural segregated South in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

The Andrews family lived off Plainview Road in Morgan County and worked as sharecroppers for a cotton and peach plantation. The family, including Benny and Raymond, worked the fields when they had to and attended local schools, including the Burney Street School, when they could.

According to Betsy Morehouse, cochair of the Andrews Family Legacy committee, the committee worked with Andrews family members including committee member Randy

Latimer, a nephew of Benny and Raymond, to get the story of the Andrews family right.

Vason, also a co-chair, agrees. The committee began more than four years ago to begin to try and tell the tale. “They (the family) wanted us to tell the family story. That makes it more compelling,” Vason says.

The exhibit hopes to honor both the artistic instincts of Benny, Raymond and George and the will and drive of Viola. “It is the family story that we are attempting to tell,” says Vason, “and part of it is this influence of the mother Viola

Portraits of the family created by George ‘The Dot Man’ Andrews, clockwise from left, are of Benny Andrews, Raymond Andrews, George Andrews, and Viola Andrews.

and her insistence on the church and education.”

The Andrews family attended Morgan County’s Plainview Baptist Church. When Benny Andrews died in 2007, civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis came to Morgan County and spoke at his Life Celebration at the church. Congressman Lewis also attended a Benny Andrews exhibit titled “Benny Andrews: A Georgia Artist Comes Home” on the same day and heard the Center open the exhibit with a rendition of “Georgia On My Mind,” the song Benny used as his ringtone on his phone.

Lewis and Benny Andrews were longtime friends. As part of the October opening, a companion exhibit of 17 works by Benny Andrews from the John Lewis Series, on loan from the Human and Civil Rights Museum in Atlanta, will be showcased in a separate space.

The Center was previously gifted 11 works by George Andrews, known as “The Dot Man.” Those works currently hang on the second floor. The exhibit is also going to feature the significant collection of written works by Raymond Andrews, a man Philip Lee Williams became friends with when both writers lived in Athens.

The exhibit is being curated by Martina Dodd. Morehouse says she became interested in the family and the story after she read Raymond Andrews’ “Last Radio Baby,” a memoir Raymond published in 1990. The life portrayed, she

The Andrews Family Legacy Gallery

October 22

Madison-Morgan Cultural Center

The Andrews Family Legacy Gallery opens October 22 at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. The permanent exhibit will feature works by Georgia Folk Artist, George ‘The Dot Man’ Andrews (bottom left), alongside works by his sons, renowned artist and activist, Benny Andrews (left), and noted author Raymond Andrews (top left).

A companion exhibit of 17 works by Benny Andrews from the John Lewis Series, on loan from the Human and Civil Rights Museum in Atlanta, will be showcased in a separate space. The Civil Rights icon, John Lewis, and Benny Andrews were longtime friends.

says, is one of struggle and persistence. “It’s a very rich, very deep story.”

As the committee, which includes Alfred Murray, Ollie Rivers and Latimer, began to peel back the elements of the Andrews family’s life, Morehouse says she was astounded by the fortitude of the family and its matriarch. “It is uplifting,” she says.

Viola, says Huger, was “absolutely dedicated to schooling her children and exposing them to religion.”

“She was the real force of nature in the family,” says Vason. The Andrews family produced “artists of note,” says Vason. “People of note.”

The aim of the exhibit, when opened, is to inspire and educate. It will speak directly to “sharecropping, education, segregation and religion,” says Vason.

For more information, visit: mmcc-arts.org.

a place Jesse Freeman CALLS HOME

Local filmmaker offers ‘a new way of seeing’ important cultural moments and community icons

Story by Leara Rhodes

Photography by JESSE WALKER

Under the outstretched portico of the vintage Sinclair gas station is a patio with rows of chairs, a table holding a large cake, and a podium. The Sinclair coffee shop by day and bar by night is hosting the annual Raymond Andrews Prize organized by Jesse Freeman and the African American Museum in Madison.

The location of the event creates a sense of place that ties the event to its namesake. A café was dominant in Andrews’ book, “Appalachee Red;” and thus, the young person who wins the top prize gets to cut the “Appalachee Red Velvet Cake,” referencing a cake also made popular through Juneteenth events.

Both Freeman and Andrews were born and raised in Mor-

gan County, both writers have managed to create a singular voice to tell a story important to place and community. “He [Jesse] has done a remarkable job for Georgia to let people know that these cultural areas and people are here,” says Anthony Grooms, author of several books including “Bombingham,” twice winner of the Lillian Smith Prize, and retired professor of creative writing at Kennesaw State University. Freeman’s voice is clear through his work where he establishes a place that he calls home.

At the event in the sweltering Georgia heat, Freeman stands at the podium with his navy suit jacket over a white shirt; and, to prove he has Southern roots, he has loosened his pony tail to let his

dark brown below shoulder length hair blow in the summer breeze. Since his work in broadcasting has eliminated his southern accent, he explains in a clear voice that the Raymond Andrews Prize is a creative writing contest for high school students in Morgan County to celebrate reading and writing by recognizing creativity among young people.

An additional goal of the contest is to educate young people about a nationally respected writer who was raised in the community. Raymond Andrews was an acclaimed novelist and chronicler of the African-American experience. He won the James Baldwin Prize for fiction in 1979 and was inducted posthumously into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2009.

And the students, living in the same place Andrews had lived, write to compete for over $600 in cash prizes. Freeman created the prize, found the non-profit African American Museum to work with him, raised the sponsorship monies, and located the judges, including this year’s final judge, Prof. John Holman, a former professor of Freeman’s from his college days at Georgia State University.

Freeman has been able to layer what he has learned through internships, college and graduate school experiences, and connections to people he has met along the way to tell stories. Stories he creates as a writer, storyteller, and producer of stories using his own voice to define place and community.

Place is a location, such as the place on a shelf, a physical environment, a building or locality of special significance, or a particular region or location. Freeman wrote about place by reflecting on Andrews’ work.

“Raymond’s arc from a hardscrabble childhood in rural Georgia—where he and his family suffered under the Jim Crow system as cotton sharecroppers— to a celebrated author at a major press in New York City is certainly intriguing, and I was compelled to find out more.”

To find out more, he read all of Andrews’ books, researched the Andrews family archives and created the documentary, “Somebody Else, Somewhere Else: The Raymond Andrews Story,”

which aired on GPB (2010) and was nominated for a Southeastern Emmy (2011). He did this with no budget and no deadline. “The film really helped promote Ray’s work,” says Grooms, who was a friend of Andrews.

To have his own film meant that Freeman built on skills he had learned through education and experience. People he worked with saw him focus on several skills: listening, writing, and creating his own voice. He wrote for the hometown weekly, “The Madisonian,” and for Georgia State University, “Signal,” where he received a BA in English. This degree and his writing experience landed Freeman an internship with Georgia Public Broadcasting. The senior political correspondent at the time was Nwandi Lawson, who created the firm Virtues Collective, remembers Freeman as an intern with GPB, “Interns came with different levels of maturity; he came as a pony-tailed young man who asked a lot of questions. He brings voice to the work he does. His own physical voice, I think, is a unique voice the way he listens and tells stories. He’s curious. He’ll be the last person in the room to ask more questions.”

He was hired by GPB to anchor “Cover to Cover,” a literary talk show highlighting Southern writers and he became a correspondent for the nightly “Lawmakers” program, a news show covering the Georgia General Assembly. This is where he learned to listen, to interview, to be in front of a camera, and to write quickly. He also met people he would work with on future projects.

Those who have known Freeman say he is “bright, a charming guy, and though I cannot remember others in my classes, I do remember Jesse, who stood out as a friendly, warm person,” remembers Holman. “He’s cerebral, energetic, he thinks outside the box. He is willing to listen but has a vision. He is definitely not a cookie cutter type person,” says Cheryl Bland, director of the African American Museum in Madison. “If Jesse says he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it,” says Judy Long, writer, editor and close friend of Raymond Andrews. “He is a great connector of like-minded people.”

He connected where he went. Attending the University of Maryland’s graduate program, he received an MA in Creative Writing and connected with Prof. Michael Olmert. “As a writer and English teacher, I have written at least one hundred documentaries and know when one is good,” says Olmert. “Jesse makes good movies that have a heart, not just information. He gives the person feelings as to their culture and stature.”

Other connections in graduate school included co-coordinating the visiting writer’s series, “Writers Here & Now” (2010-12). “I would drive the writers around and talk with them,” remembers Freeman. As a graduate instructor with the Jimenez-Porter Writing House, a living-learning community dedicated to serving undergraduates committed to improving their writing, he learned how to recreate a writing competition like the Raymond Andrews Prize. He also won the graduate 2012 Katherine Anne Porter Fiction Prize.

Having two degrees and experience, he moved to New York to work as a video editor but found that all of the interesting video projects were with clients who wanted to film outside of New York, someplace else like Georgia. Living in Brooklyn he would go to the Metropolitan Opera as often as he could. He loved New York but saw his career needed him to create Milk Crate Media and to move back to Madison.

Back in Georgia, he got to work, reconnecting with old friends and seeking out new projects. When Grooms’ last novel came out, Freeman helped promote the book. Chris Hodges, a broker with Madison Realty, Inc. says, “Jesse and I are products of Madison’s progressive and vibrant arts scene. He and I reconnected over our love and appreciation for the Andrews family and the Madison Morgan Cultural Center.”

The MMCC was where Freeman was introduced to film, since Madison did not have a cinema, his mother would take Freeman and his brother to the summer film series shown at the center. “Later when I finished the film on Raymond, it was shown at the center and it meant a lot to me,” remembers Freeman. Hodges adds a community side to Freeman, “When I was on Madison’s city council, I wanted to establish a public arts commission. Jesse was one of the first people I appointed. He helped create the funding mechanism and contracts for finding and placing art throughout our community.”

An exhibition at the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art in Buckhead brought Freeman through the door and into a conversation with Lisa Conner, daughter of Steffen Thomas Conner, on creating a documentary. Though it took five years and lots of fundraising, Freeman finished a documentary on Steffen Thomas. Freeman assembled a team of award winning, experienced people: Will Eccleston (editing), Michael Bruno (videographer), and David Garner (music). Freeman was drawn to Garner after hearing his music performed at Emory University; he called Garner and they met for lunch long before the Steffen Thomas project developed. Garner is the assistant director of the Southern Exposure New Music Series at the University of South Carolina.

The hard part was next: digesting the archival information on Steffen Thomas. “Jesse has the ability to distill information and he digitized 30/40 audio tapes, and reel-to-reels,” says Conner, who explains that her mother made Steffen sit down and read his journal out loud. Conner also feels that Freeman sees a bigger picture as evidenced when he

had them pitch the film in 2019 to GPB. Work began in earnest with interviews at STMA.

“Jesse had everything down: the filming, lighting, sound,” says Conner. “And reshooting…I now have sympathy for actors; during the filming we would reshoot 5 to 10 times, excruciatingly precise efforts. Jesse is persistent and doesn’t give up. Telephones had to be off, no other people present. And when COVID hit, he didn’t stop, that’s when family members were interviewed.”

“Steffen Thomas: Rock & Chisel” aired on GPB on February 13, 2023, and premiered at Emory University in Atlanta on February 7. “I thought it was fantastic,” says Conner. “I was emotional seeing it on a big screen. Hey, we did it! And, to see it and hear the music,” Conner paused, enjoying her memory.

The film features an original score written by Garner; performed by Phillip Bush (piano) and Claire Bryant (cello). Garner’s creation process began with a visit to STMA where he saw one of Steffen’s sculptures: “Four Songs for Schumann.” Garner had used Schumann’s work in other projects. “I was struck by the sculpture and its four images. I love writing music about music and history.” Garner describes working with Freeman as one who is sensitive to timing and cues, and sensitive to how music compliments what is happening on the screen. “Where I am the theory and nuts-and-bolts guy, Jesse holds the emotion. It is fun to talk and explore these together.”

Conner reports an overwhelming response to the premiere of the film. “People saw the film and drove across the state to see the museum. And though it aired at 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., there were 16,000 viewers.”

Freeman comments on what the film did for him, “There is a photo from the screening at Emory that shows me watching the film, sitting between Lisa Thomas Conner and Will Eccleston,” writes Freeman on his Facebook page. “Even during that screening, we were critiquing parts of the film we’d argued over in the edit suite. We were each chiding the other’s choices. But we were also celebrating one another, and being self-deprecating about the edits we each

argued for but realized, eventually, that the other guy had it right all along.”

Eccleston reacted much the same way when he saw the finished product. “How different it feels to see and hear the appreciation of an audience in the moment. It makes you see the film differently.” The collaborative work with Freeman was enjoyable for Eccleston. “I learn something from everything I’ve edited. I learned about Steffen Thomas and all the things we don’t know about him and the time.” Though a major film is finished, Freeman is not done; he has only just begun. He is working on new projects. One is with a friend of 20 years, Rajiv Wanasundera, an architect with Lord Aeck Sargent in Atlanta. The project’s goal is to raise awareness of the importance of architecture in Sri Lanka. “I’m from Sri Lanka and Jesse brings his own perspective. Having grown up in the South, he appreciates culture and is sensitive to other cultures,” says Wanasundera. The project began just before COVID shutdown. In their first trip they got some photos and interviews. Wanasundera estimates that it will need at least two more trips, another two years to complete the project.

A second project Freeman is working on is with partner Asen Kirin, professor of art history at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art and the Parker Curator of Russian Art at GMA. “Jesse made a short documentary about the Nadler Collection of Late Antique art from Egypt. Currently, we are working on a feature focusing on the Parker Collection and the Belosselsky-Belozersky Collection, both at the Georgia Museum of Art,” writes Kirin.

Expanding outside of his Southern area does not change Freeman’s focus on place and community. Freeman might agree with Marcel Proust: “My destination is no longer a place, rather a new way of seeing.” Freeman’s voice remains clear.

“What he’s doing, the work he is doing is important work and much more important than going to LA and making films, that super hero type of crap,” says Grooms. “He has done a remarkable job for Georgia to let people know that these cultural areas and people are here.”

MAIN Masterpiece on

The Georgia Trust’s Fall Ramble to showcase one of Madison’s finest historic properties

STORY BY TIA LYNN IVEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE CARDWELL

Just five years ago, a “diamond in the rough” sat deteriorating in the heart of Madison for more than two decades. Now, the “Masterpiece on Main,” also known as the Foster-Thomason-Miller-Minnix House, is beginning to shine once again.

The historic gem is currently being restored to its former glory by its new owners and will headline this year’s Fall Ramble, an annual event put on by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and a popular draw for lovers of history and admirers of architecture.

Slated for October 13 - 15, the Fall Ramble will return to Madison’s renowned historic district for the first time in a decade. The event will feature exclusive tours and social events in historic properties not usually open to the public, taking advantage of Madison’s ample stock of Antebellum homes and historic landmarks. The Georgia Trust declares Madison as “one of the finest historic districts in the nation.”

Mark McDonald, president and CEO of the Georgia Trust, says this highly anticipated return to Madison offers a rare glimpse inside magnificent homes and fascinating historic sites. Tour-goers can expect to “enjoy a weekend of exploring stunning architecture, dining

FILE PHOTOS

at enchanting historic sites, and discovering the charm and southern hospitality of one of Georgia’s largest historic districts,” he says.

The Georgia Trust chose to return to Madison, in part, due to the impressive restoration of the Foster-Thomason-Miller-Minnix House, built in 1883 and located at 498 South Main Street. In 2018, The Georgia Trust listed the house on its annual “Places in Peril” list to sound the alarm on this beloved historic structure in danger of being lost to time.

The Madison-Morgan Conservancy (MMC), a local non-profit organization aiming to protect historical resources and promote a culture of conservation, stepped up to the plate. The MMC bought the Foster-Thomason-Miller house to stabilize the structure and market it to qualified buyers ready to painstakingly restore the home.

“This place matters to the people of Madison and Morgan County. The historic significance of the house is preeminent,” says Christine McCauley Watts, director of the MMC.

According to the Conservancy, due to the Foster-Thomason Miller house’s unique historic status and frontline visibility in the heart of Madison’s Historic District, the property was the perfect choice as the first recipient of the Conservancy’s Endangered Properties Revolving Fund, established in 2018. The fund is used to purchase endangered historic properties, clean them up, stabilize the structures, and sell to the right owners who will fully restore these historic homes.

The Foster-Thomason-Miller-Minnix house embodies both an inspiring and tragic legacy.

From 1882-1883, Legare H. Foster built the house on the foundation of

Welcome

David Minnix, above, along with his wife, Elizabeth, and their three young children, recently welcomed hundreds of guests for the MadisonMorgan Conservancy’s annual Derby Day fundraiser. During this grand evening in May, attendees were able to get a sneak peek into the ongoing restoration efforts that are transforming the home back to its original splendor.

the former Georgia Female College which closed in 1880. In 1889, the Fosters sold the house to Robert Usher Thomason, and over the next 90 years, three generations of the Thomason family occupied the home. The Millers bought it from Thomason descendants in 1978 and meticulously restored it, earning a Georgia Trust Award in 1986. In 2001, a fire broke out in the back of the house and severely damaged a rear addition. Although it did not spread into the historic structure, the original house suffered significant smoke and water damage.

After the conservancy bought the property and stabilized house, the hunt was on for new owners to finish the job. Enter David and Elizabeth Minnix, of Atlanta.

The Minnixes purchased the home in 2018, taking on the tedious work of restoration to both breathe new

life into home while preserving its historical integrity.

“It’s over 90 percent complete. We are very close to the finish line,” says David Minnix, who is looking forward to moving into the home next year with his wife and three daughters, Lucinda, Isadora, and Lilith.

“We are really happy with it.”

In addition to being historical enthusiasts, David Minnex has deep roots in Madison and to the house itself. David’s great-great grandmother graduated from the Georgia Female College that existed on the property before the house was built.

“I feel like we’ve come full circle now,” says David.

The Minnixes prioritized restoring the original woodwork on the house, revealing intricate details that had been covered up over the years. With just some painting and millwork left, the Minnexes are looking

5317 PEACHTREE BLVD, SUITE 102, CHAMBLEE GA 30341 | 706-540-3025 EMAIL: AMI_INTERIORS@YAHOO.COM |

forward to hosting an open house for the Georgia Trust’s Fall Ramble in October.

“There’s a ton of fine craftsmanship and artistic detail that you just couldn’t build today, even if you wanted to,” says David. “The really interesting thing about the house is that it is both functional and a piece of art. That’s what made us want to take on this project. We saw something intrinsically beautiful and we wanted to restore it to its rightful state.”

“Elizabeth and David have spent the last five years restoring the historic house with a keen preservation ethic,” says Watts. “The preservation choices they have made inside and out are remarkable, saving as much of the historic material as possible, repurposing wooden members whenever feasible, retaining every mantle, and even recasting missing architectural details that were lost due to fire. Surrounded by an amazing team of architects, designers, contractors, and tradesmen/women, the Minnixes have made a substantial investment into the future of Madison’s Historic District, and we are so grateful to them for that and honored to be a part of their story.”

Hundreds will gather in October to share

in the big reveal of this lovingly restored jewel during the Fall Ramble, which will include other historic venues throughout Madison. For more information on the event, visit: GeorgiaTrust.org.

Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia’s diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use. As one of the country’s leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations, the Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia’s “Places in Peril.”

Ornate details abound throughout the historic gem and are being painstakingly restored during the renovation process.

Raisethe curtain

OPAS begins its 16th season with a look back on its community impact through cultural and educational experiences

Story by Doug LaBrecque Photography courtesy of OPAS

The Oconee Performing Arts Society (OPAS) is dedicated to raising the curtain on cultural excellence through its main stage programs and working with local students through its extensive Educational Outreach programs.  Bolstered by the support of a loyal membership of nearly 700 residents, the organization is redefining the cultural landscape with every performance.

Each season, creative leadership seeks to expose audiences to groundbreaking performing arts.  OPAS enjoys relationships with worldclass artists to present inspiring performances of symphonic, jazz, Broadway, and other eclectic musical genres that entertain audiences and local students.

The arts are an intrinsic part of cultural enrichment and economic prosperity.  Engaging more than

During its inaugural season in 2007, OPAS presented Amahl and The Night Visitors and welcomed the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: FLY Dance Troupe performs as part of the Arts Education program. Tony Award-winning conductor Stuart Malina debuts with OPAS in 2022. American Idol’s Melinda Doolittle meets with the Greene County Boys & Girls Club in 2013.

6,000 patrons, visitors, and students through the years, OPAS reaches deep within the community and beyond, bringing together a diverse range of individuals to enjoy their performances and Arts Education Initiatives.

This year, OPAS provided five scholarships to local students pursuing the performing arts. Four students were past members of the OPAS Community Youth Chorus. Under its newest initiative, the OPAS Lesson Bank, qualified young music students are paired with internationally acclaimed faculty for online learning. A young Greene County aspiring musician studies with the first trumpeter for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and two singers from surrounding counties study with outstanding vocal instructor Anne Runolfsson, who has appeared in eight Broadway shows, including leading roles in Victor Victoria and Les Misérables.

Other education programs

OPAS supports include numerous summer camp scholarships, masterclasses presented by guest artists, and major theater events offered to more than 2,000 local students annually. OPAS also provides complimentary access to concerts to students and collaborates with The Atlas Academy for the OPAS After School Theatre and Music Camp.

Funds for these much-needed programs are primarily raised during the annual Soirée en Blanc & Noir, a “fun”raiser that focuses on supporting local youth and the organization’s expanding Arts Education initiatives. This year’s event takes place on Sept. 8 at Barrel 118, in downtown Eatonton. Through the support of the community, these programs move forward, and OPAS continues to bring world-class experiences to the region. Whether it’s under the stage lights or under the stars, OPAS performances embrace the traditions of the past and the vibrant artistry of the future.

a look back

2007

Launch of OPAS: The organization hires Roman Terleckyj from The Kennedy Center (shown with Broadway Legend Baayork Lee). Marvin Hamlisch appeared three times with renowned guest artists. He was instrumental in the organization’s formation and felt strongly that Arts Education should be a key element to the success of the organization. Hamlisch won the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, and Pulitzer Prize.

2008

The Oak Ridge Boys take the stage along with Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell. OPAS introduces its popular Fa-La-La annual show. The Washington Ballet dances for local students.

2009 Academy Award winner John Lithgow makes an appearance in a Tribute to Roman Terleckyj. Other highlights of the season include Lucie Arnaz, The King and I, and the American Ballet Theater performs for local college students.

2010

OPAS welcomes Crystal Gayle (shown with OPAS donors Tommy and Janet Warner) and Michael Feinstein in The Sinatra Project.

2011 Metropolitan Opera star Jeffrey Wells arrives to lead OPAS.

2012

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder take the stage.

2013

Tony Award Winners Debbie Gravitte and Don Pippin perform. Augusta Symphony has its debut. American Idol’s Melinda Doolittle appears and meets with Boys & Girls Club students.

2014

OPAS holds its inaugural Oconee Idol Education Fundraiser and welcomes the Georgia Boy’s Choir. Let’s Go Science is presented to nearly 6,000 local students.

2015

UGA presents Hansel and Gretel to local high schools, and Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop visit K-6.

2016

The Tamburitzans present their arts education program to more than 1,000 K-5 students and teachers. Broadway legend Lisa Vroman debuts with OPAS.

2017

Cheryl and Andy Andrews underwrite the founding of The OPAS Community Youth Chorus providing a unique music education opportunity for students in Greene and Putnam counties that encourage a love and appreciation for choral music.

2018

America’s Got Talent’s The Texas Tenors perform to a sold-out crowd.

2019

Jeffrey Wells announces retirement and national search begins for a new Artistic Director to embrace the future.

2020

Broadway and Symphony Orchestra star Doug LaBrecque arrives to continue Roman and Jeffrey’s legacy with OPAS. LaBrecque’s passion for music education and his long collaboration with Marvin Hamlisch helped to fuel a broad expansion of the program. Emmy and Grammy winner John McDaniel leads the socially distanced return of Fa-La-La alongside the longest-running Elphaba in Wicked history, Dee Rosciolli. OPAS begins to provide complimentary tickets for local students to their MainStage programs.

2021

During the global pandemic, OPAS maintains the support of the membership and finds success in presenting alternatives to live performances. LaBrecque created the popular OPAS Lesson Bank, pairing talented students with world-class faculty in a virtual environment. Hosted by LaBrecque, numerous Tony award-winners

were featured in a filmed tribute, introducing Broadway Sings For OPAS. The OPAS Lounge Series is announced.

2022

OPAS celebrates its 15th season. Tony Award Winning Conductor Stuart Malina debuts with OPAS. The rapid expansion of Arts Education Initiatives continues, and increases support of local youth. Five summer camp scholarships were provided to the Broadway Intensive. The collaboration with Atlas Academy begins with the OPAS After-School Music and Theater Camp. OPAS brings Virginia Repertory Theater to Rock Eagle to perform for more than 2,000 local students. Two-time Grammy winner Catherine Russell triumphs in the debut of the OPAS Lounge Series and is the highlight of a memorable 15th season for OPAS. All three OPAS Lesson Bank students were accepted to college to continue their training in the performing arts.

2023

Membership continues to grow, and MainStage performances expand. Best New Artist Grammy winner Samara Joys sells out the OPAS Lounge Series, and American legend Michael Feinstein appears and meets with aspiring students following his performance. LaBrecque expands college scholarship programs to five students, and OPAS provides scholarships to all Broadway Intensive students culminating in a delightful production of Seussical produced by The Plaza Arts Center and The Arts Barn. After 2,500 performances as Christine in Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera, Lisa Vroman returns to lead masterclasses for local students. She continues as a faculty member of the OPAS Lesson Bank.

a look forward

OPAS announces its 16th season which opens this fall with three exciting musical performances along with one star-studded concert event.

September 29

The 2023-24 season kicks off with Country Hits: Songs from Nashville. Six of Nashville’s finest musicians join OPAS and the Augusta Symphony. Duluth-Superior and Augusta Symphony Music Director and Conductor Dirk Meyer leads the orchestra for this honky-tonking, heart-aching, rocking celebration of everything American loves about Country music, past and present.

Hear hits you know and love from legendary stars like Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson to today’s biggest stars, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and Kacey Musgraves. OPAS Board Chair Margie-Eddy Forbes said, “I, and so many others in the area, love our Country music. It is a rare opportunity to hear this genre of music played with stunning new orchestral arrangements by Grammy-winner Jeff Tyzik. Get your tickets immediately, we are very excited!”

October 21

Reynolds Lake Oconee and OPAS present Rhythm and Brews, an annual outdoor event hosted by Reynolds at the beautiful Sandy Creek Barn Amphitheater. Join 1990s pop rock bands Tonic and Better Than Ezra as they take the stage for an unforgettable night of music.

A beer and wine tasting begins at 5 p.m. and is included in the concert ticket price.

November 17

Broadway Sings for OPAS returns as Tony and Grammy-winning composer, conductor, and pianist Jason Howland leads a 32-piece orchestra for this memorable evening. OPAS Artistic/ Executive Director Doug LaBrecque will host the evening alongside a collection of some of his most talented colleagues, including OPAS favorite Capathia Jenkins.

December 15

A seasonal favorite, this year’s Fa-La-La show will feature Maestro Howland leading the symphony orchestra alongside two American legends, soprano Lisa Vroman and electric violin pioneer Mark Wood.

A familiar and famous singer to orchestras worldwide, Vroman was a long-running Christine in Broadway’s The Phantom of The Opera, performing the role more than 2,500 times. She will lead a series of masterclasses for local students while she is in town.

Emmy Award-winning composer/violinist Mark Wood is known as a founding member of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra and has played with Celine Dion, Billy Joel, Lenny Kravitz, and more. He is a Juilliard School of Music graduate and is passionate about Arts Education. He visits more than 50 schools per year when he is not performing. Known as “The Eddie Van Halen of the violin,” Wood invented the famous Viper electric violin and is making his much anticipated OPAS debut.

ABOVE: Rick Brantley, featured guest artist Country Hits: Songs From Nashville.

TOP RIGHT: Capathia Jenkins, featured soloist for Broadway Sings For OPAS.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Lisa Vroman, featured soloist for Fa-La-La 2023.

a foodie’s guide to the

BIGEASY

Chef Krista Williams returns to her roots in the city that inspired her culinary journey

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTA WILLIAMS

New Orleans is a food lover’s heaven.

The signature Creole food of the Crescent City is one of America’s first “fusion cuisines,” with influences by Native American, West African, Haitian, French, Spanish, German and Italian immigrants.

These influences guided me as I moved on from my childhood in New Orleans into the culinary world, providing a foundation from which I build nearly every one of my dishes. Now, as a professional chef, I am able to see the city from a new perspective, finding a deeper appreciation for the place my family has called home for over a century.

Growing up, I remember going on special trips to Salvo’s in Belle Chasse to enjoy oysters on the half shell, visiting lounges where my father played in jazz bands or just enjoying Lucky Dog hot dogs from a street

The Court of Two Sisters’ famous tableside flambe Bananas Foster.

backyard traveler |

cart – a New Orleans tradition since 1948.

These will always be special places to me but during a recent trip to New Orleans in the middle of Restaurant Week, I had the opportunity to really explore the city in ways I never have before.

The ever changing culinary scene of New Orleans offers new adventures alongside the traditional flavor and flair of the city itself. It’s well worth the trip to take in the tastes and sights of the city.

Get a room with a view:

Stay at the Omni Royal Orleans in the beautiful French Quarter. The marbled lobby, crystal chandeliers and wrought iron balconies reflect a more sophisticated time in history. The hotel is perfectly located within a short walk of boutique shopping, famous restaurants and an exciting nightlife with Bourbon Street being one block over.

Order up some room service from The Rib Room located in the lower level of the hotel. There’s nothing better than enjoying Bananas Foster stuffed french toast on the balcony in the morning while watching the city wake up and start its day.

A taste of New Orleans:

With New Orleans having so many signature dishes, you won’t want to miss any of them. The Royal House Oyster Bar across from the Omni Royal is a great spot to try many of the classic dishes of the city. The “Taste of New Orleans” is the star entree on the menu, with Cajun style chicken and Andouille jambalaya, crawfish Etouffee, red beans and rice and chicken Andouille gumbo. This dinner will hit all your cajun cravings. Take advantage of the

Growing up, Krista Williams remembers taking special trips over to Salvo’s in Belle Chasse to enjoy oysters on the half shell.

balcony dining to enjoy music coming from Bourbon Street at the end of the block.

Po’ Boy style: If you are looking for a more casual spot for lunch and itching to explore more than the West Bank, take a short ferry ride to Algiers Point. After a quick walk from the dock past the statue of Louis Armstrong, you’ll find a local watering hole called Dry Dock. There’s nothing fancy about this English pub style restaurant on the Mississippi. The Po’ Boys are

great but the barbecue shrimp is one of the best in Algiers Point. This sauteed shrimp in a Worcestershire spiked butter sauce inspired me to create a fan favorite dish that was added to the restaurant menu when I was an executive chef in Monroe.

Beyond Creole: If you are doing an extended visit in the Big Easy and want a change from the Creole style seafood menus, there are still plenty of options. You can explore the unique forms of

travel the city has to offer and take the St. Charles streetcar to Vincent’s Italian restaurant, a local favorite. Or try the Court of Two Sisters for a romantic date night. I enjoyed a wonderfully seared filet with a Bearnaise sauce but my wife’s pork sirloin was to die for. It came complete with velvety sweet potato puree, with candied pecans, rapinis and drizzled with cane syrup. We finished our meal with the Court of Two Sisters’ famous tableside flambe Bananas Foster.

LEFT: The ‘Taste of New Orleans’ at The Royal House Oyster Bar offers Cajun style chicken and Andouille jambalaya, crawfish Etouffee, red beans and rice and chicken Andouille gumbo.

RIGHT: The Dry Dock is known for their Po’ Boys but the barbecue and shrimp is one of the best in Algiers Point.

Sweet side of the city: Obviously, you can’t come to New Orleans and miss trying a beignet! Cafe Du Monde has been frying these square french doughnuts lavishly dusted in powdered sugar since 1862. Add a Cafe au Lait to get the full experience. My advice is to enjoy these as an afternoon treat to avoid the crowds. If you want beignets to start the morning, but Cafe Du Monde’s line is too long, just head up Canal Street to Hot Benny’s.  Made fresh daily, you can find some of the finest Creole style pralines at Aunt Sally’s, one of the oldest praline companies in the city. If you are looking for something more interesting than the original flavor, go to Southern Candy Makers on Decatur Street. Named Best of the United States by Bon Appetit

magazine, they make some of the most unique praline flavors the city has to offer. Go ahead and give the sweet potato, creamy peanut butter, or coconut lemon a try. Looking for a hearty breakfast? Look no further than French Toast on Decatur Street near the French Market. It was hard to say which French Toast was the table favorite. We enjoyed sharing the King Cake French Toast stuffed with cinnamon and cream cheese, topped with green, purple and gold Mardi Gras sprinkles and the Coconut Cream Stuffed French Toast with candied Macadamia nuts, lemon curd and topped with burleed pineapple.

Learn from the masters: We were able to beat the heat with a few interesting

TOP: World famous beignets from Cafe Du Monde. Above: King cake French Toast. RIGHT: Hot Benny's on Canal Street.

indoor activities. My favorite was a cooking class and demonstration at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Located in an old molasses factory, we enjoyed learning the culinary history of the city from an incredible instructor while indulging in a five-course meal of biscuits with cane syrup, jambalaya, gumbo, bread pudding and creole pralines. I picked up up a few new tips and tricks from the chef teaching our class and learned the easiest way to explain the difference between Cajun and Creole style cooking. Creole is more

tomato based while Cajun cuisine is spicier with a brown roux base.

Throughout the trip, I was reminded of the things that continually draw me back home –sweet smells of pralines bubbling in the copper pots, the clopping of a horse drawn carriage on the cobblestone, jazz drifting from a second line band, rich deep flavors of seafood gumbo, the first bite of a hot beignet. The combination of all these senses fills my heart and makes me fall in love all over again with the city way down on the river.

TOP: Lucky Dogs has been a New Orleans tradition since 1948. RIGHT: The New Orleans School of Cooking.

Fall 2023

Top acts take the stage for a season filled with music, art, and much more.

Milledgeville’s annual Deep Roots music festival celebrates 20 years this fall. Blues Traveler headlines this year’s festival on Oct. 21 behind Vanessa Collier, Richard Martin & Friends, and many more musical acts. The day-long event also includes kid-friendly activities, local performances, arts and food vendors and more. Visit deeprootsfestival. com for more information.

September

Sept. 9

The Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Taste of Eatonton event from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Plaza Arts Center in downtown Eatonton. Tickets are $20. Eatonton.com

Sept. 14

The Artisans Village Art Gallery hosts an opening reception for Dual Vision: Art Through Different Eyes from 5-8 p.m. at Barrel 118 in downtown Eatonton.

theartisansvillage.org/events

Sept. 16

The annual Rock & Roll Cruise In returns to downtown Greensboro. downtowngreensboroga.com

Sept. 21

The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center welcomes A.D. Blanco to its historic theatre at 7:30 p.m. as part of its Mainstage Concert Series. Tickets are $35. Mmcc-arts.org

Sept. 22

An opening reception for “Melange,” an exhibition of mixed works by a trio of Atlanta artists, is held from 6-8 p.m. at the MAGallery in downtown Madison. TheMadisonArtistsGuild.org.

Sept. 23

A1A: The Official and Original Jimmy Buffett Tribute performs on the lawn at the Plaza Arts Center in downtown Eatonton at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $50. Plazacenter.org

Sept. 23

The annual Classic Wooden Boat Show is held on Lake Sinclair. visitmilledgeville.org/event

Sept. 30

An “Upscale Resale” event is held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lake Oconee Community Church to benefit Greene and Putnam County Food Pantries.

October

Oct. 14

Madison’s annual Chili-Cook-off is held in Town Park. The tasting event features live music, arts vendors and more. Visitmadisonga.com

Oct. 14

Homegrown talent Matt Rogers performs an outdoor concert on the lawn at the Plaza Arts Center in downtown Eatonton at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $50. Plazacenter.org

Oct. 21

The Lake Oconee Showcase of Homes returns to Reynolds Lake Oconee to benefit Greene County Habitat for Humanity. Lakeoconeeshowcaseofhomes.org

Oct. 21

The 20th annual Deep Roots Festival returns to downtown Milledgeville beginning at 10 a.m. with music until midnight. Deeprootsfestival.com

Oct. 27

An opening reception for quilter and watercolorist Elizabeth Barton is held from 6-8 p.m. at MAGallery in downtown Madison. TheMadisonArtistsGuild.org.

November

Nov. 2

The Artisans Village Art Gallery in downtown Eatonton hosts an opening reception for “Gifts from the heART” from 5-7 p.m. theartisansvillage.org

Nov. 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19

PAPA Presents Twelve Angry Jurors LIVE at The Plaza Arts Center in downtown Eatonton. plazacenter.org.

Nov. 11-18, 28-Dec. 22

The annual “Christmas at the Mansion” is held at the historic Old Governor’s Mansion in downtown Milledgeville. visitmilledgeville.org/event

Nov. 21

The Mayor’s Tree Lighting Ceremony is held at Madison’s Town Park at 6:30 p.m. Visitmadisonga.com

Nov. 24, 25, 26

The Artisans Village Art Gallery in downtown Eatonton holds a Christmas Open House Weekend from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. theartisansvillage.org/events/

Cobb’s Got Cobb’s Got

Cobb Arts Vibe puts the spotlight on Cobb County’s thriving arts scene including local visual, performing, and cultural heritage arts groups. From A-List celebrities on center stage to small-town gallery shows, Cobb has something for every art enthusiast.

> Photo of Prince Cherrywood Challenge Fine Art Quilt Exhibit at the Mable House Arts Center. The Mable House Arts Center in South Cobb offers an exhibition gallery, art classes, art camps, and theatre productions year-round.