Thomasville Scene January 2024 | Page 19

Left to right : Marketing and Communications Director April
Norton , Public Art Director Darlene Taylor and Main Street Manager Brandy Avery at the unveiling of the “ Take Root ” installation .
“ Take Root ” will serve as a visual metaphor for deep community roots and as a physical reminder of the importance of protecting and sustaining the flora and fauna of the Red Hills region .
The seed for the sculpture was planted when the Georgia Council for the Arts and Georgia Municipal Association visited earlier in the year .
“ They reached out to us and said they would like to host the very first More than Murals conference in Thomasville ,” said Marketing and Communications Director for the City of Thomasville , April Norton . “ We had 12 communities come to Thomasville and see what we are doing firsthand and breathe in the art and experiences we get to be a part of every day .”
Throughout the conference , cities got to design initiatives they would like to bring back and showcase in their own communities .
“ We knew that each one of those communities would be receiving grant funding to make their projects come to life and that was a secret we were holding onto , but we did not know that we would also be receiving funding from the Georgia Council for the Arts ,” Norton said . “ It was a huge surprise to us .”
Through the help of the Georgia Council for the Arts , the City of Thomasville was able to continue its partnership with the Center for the Arts .
Thomasville Scene | January 2024 19