HAPPY SPRING
FREE
HAPPY SPRING
Thomasville’s Only
Issue No.
APRIL 4 - APRIL 17
Payphones were once ubiquitous, so this urban/street art is transportable to any city or town. Our poetic incarnations are called Poetry in Public/Private Abandonments (PIPPAS); drawing/poem, or drawing/haiku hybrids (called “haidü,”) are what we call PAPPAS—Poetry and Art in Public/Private Abandonments. Cheap Plug: there has been a haidü in in the last several Townie issues (see back page). There are two PAPPAS on Madison, at Clay Street, where L & G Food Marts (Owner: Gary) inhabit two corners of that intersection. Back up a bit and jog down East Jackson Street toward Route 319, as if headed to Moultrie (I told you we were going off-Broad). On the left side there is the 319 Express Mart (Owner: Bobby), where you’ll find a PIPPA (FYI: it’s a sonnet). Come almost all the way to the intersection of East Jackson Street and Pinetree Boulevard, where the OM Market (also Bobby’s place) has a PAPPA. The key to each deployment is the owner of the store. You must speak with him/her, and when I did, they were good. I then went even off-off-Broad down Route 84 towards Boston, where just past the big, red and white
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Keep your peepers peeled for new businesses on Jackson Street...
milk carton on the right is the 84 East Market, and another PAPPA. So, as of now, we’re downtown, uptown, and on the skirts. And, with more payphones to be found, more art is on the way. There is method here, our way to bring art and poetry to the people where they are every day. The pictures and poems will be changed out monthly. The initial PIPPA & PAPPA installations will run through the end of the year. The hardest part was getting over the permission hump with the storeowners. This turned out to be the easiest part (Secret: they like art and poetry too). And, that gets us to the goal of what I am pioneering with David: If it catches on, then we’d like to turn it over to the college and the Center for the Arts, to let them use it as a means of nurturing new artists. Let the artists use it to cut their teeth, and to allow the public who don’t have any time for reading poetry or viewing art generally, but would if they could—to do that very thing on their way into frequented establishments. PIPPAS and PAPPAS will hopefully remind folks that we writers and artists are here, and we’re relevant; and art and poetry are both mediums worth the time because they’re thought provoking, memory evoking, eye catching, positive, and transporting; plus, the people (that’s all of us) can always use an uplifting. We all need at least a moment’s respite, to wit: we’re bringing it to the streets in a seemly way, a repurposing and beautifying way, and we seek to do it well—de’ PIPPAS and de’ PAPPAS. – Benjamin G.
Record Store Day is on the Way!
The renovation at Mom + Dad’s is finally complete...go take a peek! Kevin’s isn’t opening a boutique hotel, that’s just some wishful thinking from the Townie... Psst...FLAUNT! is what’s popping...stay tuned for more info from the Center... Posters are up at TOSAC’s storefront theater for their upcoming production... Psst...Boston, GA, in the near future...an open air produce market & a vintage special events company... Got a Whisper? Tell the Townie at editor@ yourtownie.com...or zip us a message on Facebook...
The garden is an early and visible part of a comprehensive community rehabilitation project that will be driven by Episcopal Development Agency of Thomasville, an outreach mission of the three local Episcopal churches: All Saints, Good Shepherd and St. Thomas. Although the garden is in its infant stage, it is already surrounded by a beautiful, handmade picket fence, plus flowering shade trees and a vegetable garden have been planted. The garden will provide a beautiful and tranquil place for everyone in the community to work and relax together. Having a garden to which everyone can contribute is one of the easiest ways to build community, because there is just something special about playing in the dirt. Imagine people enjoying nature together and working to help create something beautiful and useful. Families will be
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F r e e
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CHUMS Amelia Gallo
Whether she’s giving tours, leading children’s camps, or answering the phone (and your questions!) at the Museum of History, Amelia Gallo is the go-to girl for the many happenings at the museum and LP House. Amelia took the job as Educator and Assistant to the Director nearly two years ago and has been loving her job and the ‘Ville ever since. What’s your favorite part about working at the History Museum? ‘Make History at the Museum!’ I am loving the opportunity and challenge that this family event provides because I get to test my creativity, craftiness, and knowledge every month and share it with Thomasville. What is the most fascinating thing you’ve learned about Thomasville? Definitely the Resort Era in the 1870s-1910’s. I grew up in a beach town so the concept of tourism and what it can do for a community is nothing new, but the timing of the influx of people, cash, and technology in a small southern town following the Civil War is nothing short of amazing. What are some of your favorite things to do when you aren’t working? I like to wander downtownusually adding to my “to-read” list at the Bookshelf or seeing what new kitchen accessories I cannot live without at Relish. Most often though, I can be found relaxing on my front porch. - Jennifer W.
Good Shepherd Gearing Up for Green Thumbs The Good Shepherd Community Garden is located at 515 Oak Street on the grounds of the beautiful Good Shepherd Church, which lies in the heart of the Stevens Street Historic District. Standing at 120 years of age, Good Shepherd is one of the oldest places of worship in the city. The garden will open to the public on Tuesday, April 22nd from 5 pm to 7 pm to celebrate Earth Day. There will be planting of a large tree near the church to commemorate Earth Day, a tour of the garden, light refreshments, plus games and free giveaways for children.
Apollo Records in the USA is gearing up for another huge Record Store Day, an all-day shebang on Saturday, April 19th! Last year’s festivities drew a massive crowd of vinyl-lovers from all over the region, and this year’s event promises to be even better. Apollo Records will host live music, including local group Stay Home, and Nashville’s Balloon Assembly Line, plus the talents of Thom Streets, DJ Lil One, John Clark and Robert Kelly. Plan to come on down to The Points, peruse the records, and jam along to live tunes on this nationally celebrated holiday for those with vinyl fever! Apollo Records is located at 318 South Broad Street. For additional info, “like” and follow Apollo Records in the USA on Facebook.
FREE APRIL 4 - APRIL 17
Whispers.
PIPPAs n’ PAPPAs Going Off-Broad They used to be payphones, but what are they now? Small, derelict monuments to obsolescence? Not to myself nor to my friend David Longstreet, for we are currently repurposing selected payphones as micro-galleries. Protected on at least three sides, we are mounting our common man’s art and poetry inside of payphones, not only here in Thomasville, but in Quitman and Valdosta.
Thomasville’s Only
t h a n k s
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able to introduce more fresh produce into their diets. Parents can send their children to school with fresh fruit in their lunch boxes, and children will have the opportunity to learn about recycling and composting. Plans are underway for neighborhood teens to create a small farmers market. Gardeners will produce a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and cutting flowers of their choice. People will be encouraged to plant, tend and reap the benefits at harvest time, and children of all ages are especially welcome to enjoy as well as learn about the garden. We hope to partner young children with some of the more experienced gardeners in the area, you knowthose with the green thumb like your granny who can grow a beautiful flowering plant from a dried up stick. We are in the process of preparing more ground plots and raised beds in anticipation of planting a large spring garden. Please join us this Earth Day if you have a love of gardening, and would like to help us grow some tomatoes and strengthen the community! In addition, we will take a short walk around the Oak Street block to pick up litter as a way to teach children (and we adults too!) about caring for our little corner of the earth. What better way to celebrate spring? - Susan & Whitney J.
t h e s e :
THE
CENTER Assemblage Workshop! March 29 • 10am-4pm • Studio 209 Come learn about the art of assemblage + collage!
Learn more at
spend the day your favorite way!
in addition to loads of stunning rsd titles we will have dj lil one...mix master and producer thom streets live music by local embryonic legends stay home and nashville indie rockers balloon assembly line!!! food, drink, and loads of fun throughout the whole day
The Plaza
VINYL RULES!!!
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