Our Town and Beyond: Works by Early Members of the Athens Art Association

This exhibition celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Athens Art Association and served as a companion to the Lyndon House Arts Center’s exhibition of works by the later members. Chartered in 1919 with some 20 members, the association continues to flourish, with its members active in the physical creation of art as well as in proselytizing art’s life-changing qualities. The Georgia Museum of Art featured works primarily from its collection by some of the earlier members of the association, including the founder, Laura Blackshear; charter members Annie May Holliday and Lucy May Stanton; and the man who helped propel the group after the 1930s, Lamar Dodd, by aligning it with the students’ art association he established at the University of Georgia. From its earliest days, the Athens Art Association welcomed men as well as women, in couples or as individual members. We jointly mark and salute these women and men whose heritage continues to define us, encourages us to honor and preserve the objects of our shared past, and reminds us that our responsibility remains the support of the arts and humanities in fostering an educated and enlightened citizenry.