Wildlife and nature

Animal shelters and rescues

Theater and dance

Rivers, parks and trails

Hunger and food

Schools and learning

Housing and homelessness

Community health

Mental health

Mentoring and foster care

Legal help and rights

Jobs and money help

Atlanta

The Triangle

Everywhere

The Collective Workshop

Royal Animal Refuge

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta

Georgia Advancing Communities Together

Atlanta Writers Club

Cobb Collaborative

Bosleys Place

Jewish Fertility Foundation

CHERYL CHAMBLEEE

AMANDA MORAN

DAVID O’DELL

HEATHER O’SHAUGHNESSY

LYSANDRA WEBER

JODY CEDZIDLO

Koialina Gray

Programs

Long reads

About

Creative

It’s pretty special to see all those individual indigo squares come together. After months of community dyeing, stitching, sewing, and gathering, The Community Indigo Quilt is now hanging at the Chatham County Arts Center (@chathamcoparksandrecreation) At the heart of this community project was a simple idea: bring people together around a plant that has connected communities across continents and thousands of years. We gathered neighbors on a farm to dye their squares and brought community quilters together at the Arts Center to piece the quilt top. Many hands. Many squares. Many stories. One blue. We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make this project. You can see a list of all the contributors on display with the quilt. Now it’s your turn to come see what Chatham made together. The Community Indigo Quilt is on view at the Arts Center now through mid-November. Stop by and take a look. This Community Indigo Project was independently conceived and led by a local community engagement facilitator, with partial funding provided through the Chatham Arts Council’s Creative Placemaking Initiative, supported by Chatham County. #communityquilt #chathamcountync #pittsboronc #chathamcountyartscenter #chathamartscouncil

Meet Koialina Gray (AKA Makayla Graybeal), a homegrown Chatham creative with a background that spans music, theater, and dance. She is currently working as puppeteer and narrator for “The Wild Wisdom of the World” by @paperhandpuppet, currently running at Chapel Hill’s Forest Theater. In this conversation (listen to the full audio on our website), we connect with Koialina about everything from her experience as a young artistic person growing up in Chatham County, to her current work performing with Paper Hand Puppet Intervention, to what’s next. “I also have never done what I’m doing now. So it kind of tapped into something new, which I really love. And it was a little bit more of a challenge. I love memorizing lines. I love looking out into an audience and getting to see their face as they receive the words I’m speaking. Yeah, what I’m talking about also is something I’m very passionate about and it’s so easy when it feels true to you and I get to kind of make it my own.” So, take a look–or in this case, have a listen—and meet your very inspiring neighbor. https://www.chathamartscouncil.org/meet-this-artist-koialina-gray/ Heather O’Shaughnessy interviews Koialina Gray. The Chatham Arts Council is investing in artists through our Meet This Artist series, introducing you to Chatham County’s creative community one interview at a time. This Meet This Artist feature is made possible with support from VRC, Ltd.

Need something creative to do this September? We’ve got ideas! From musicals to a fiddlers’ convention, art show openings to a happy hour for artists and creatives…there’s plenty happening around Chatham! These are just a few of the events posted to our Community Arts Calendar by local organizations and arts groups. Head to the calendar on our website for all the details—and while you’re there, see what else is coming up. Go make some artsy plans this month! https://www.chathamartscouncil.org/calendar/ And if you’re hosting an arts-focused event be sure to list it on our calendar so we can help spread the word!

🎉 Guess who’s going back to school? Actually…a whole lot of incredible professional artists. For the second year in a row, the Chatham Arts Council is bringing professional artists to all 20 Chatham County district schools through our Artists-in-Schools Initiative. And this year’s lineup is going to be a lot of fun: 🎷 Jazz 💃 Flamenco 📝 Poetry 🎭 Theater 🥁 African drumming + kora 🎧 Beatmaking 🎶 Bilingual music 🎼 Lyric + music writing …and more! Over the course of the school year, students will write, dance, drum, make music, perform, ask questions, and work alongside some seriously talented professional artists. Because creativity doesn’t just happen in art class. It helps students think differently, solve problems, communicate, and imagine what’s possible—and that’s why we’re proud to nurture creative thinkers in classrooms across Chatham County. 20 schools. Incredible artists. One very creative county. Let’s go, Chatham! 🎨✨ Learn more about this year’s Artists-in-Schools season at the link in our bio or https://www.chathamartscouncil.org/announcing-the-2026-2027-artists-in-schools-season/

Chatham Arts Council Essentials

Artists in schools

Collective

Collections

Account

Creative

More collections