I'll never forget driving to my summer school class on June 19 and wondering why there was so much traffic and black clouds of smoke rising from downtown Athens. When I finally arrived at my class, everyone was abuzz with the news of the Georgia Theatre being in flames. For the next couple of days, a steady stream of black smoke rose from the charred ashes of one of Athens' most beloved landmarks. It was an integral part of downtown Athens and had hosted concerts from every music genre possible. The Georgia Theatre had to be rebuilt.
Fast forward five months and fortunately progress can be seen from the rebuilding of the Georgia Theatre. Insurance covered the replacement costs, but in order for the Georgia Theatre to be built according to modern building codes, they have had to raise $3 million. The theatre has partnered with The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, a not-for-profit organization who restores historically and culturally significant landmarks, and created a tax-deductible donation fund. In addition to donations, local artist Jennifer Schildknecht has invited artists, musicians, businesses, and individuals to take part in creating an art quilt to be auctioned later for rebuilding funds. Schildknecht explains of the unconventional art piece, "this ain't your granny's quilt!" No sewing or fabric is required. Each of these quilt blocks will be an individual piece of art and can be made from a variety of materials, such as canvas, fiberfill, cardboard, paint, glue, or ink. All blocks must be turned in by Nov. 30. For more information on the Georgia Theatre art quilt, visit here. To donate to Georgia Theatre’s restoration fund, visit here.
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