ColquittMiller Arts Council

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Colquitt, Georgia Rural America
Youve got a story. Ive got a story. Weve all
got a story to tell.
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Georgias Official Folk Life Play
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Colquitt/Miller Arts Council

• Weve All Got A Story to Tell

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Swamp Gravy Successes

• Proclaimed as Georgias Folk Life Play, March
  1994, by General Assembly.
• 150,000 people have seen Swamp Gravy in 15 years.
• 75 to 80 of Swamp Gravy Patrons are out of town
  visitors who inject new dollars into the local
  economy.
• A Cultural Olympiad Award winner of the 1996
  Atlanta Olympics
• Performed at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.,
  The Georgia Governors Mansion, and Centennial
  Park, Atlanta, as part of the Cultural Olympiad.
• Swamp Gravy cast and other volunteers have logged
  over 150,000 volunteer hours.

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Murals
11 murals completed. Colquitt proclaimed
Georgias First Mural City, and member of the
Global Mural and Cultural Tourism Association.
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Summer in the Swamp
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Walls before the murals
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2010 Global Mural ConferenceHosted by Colquitt,
Georgia

• October 26-29, 2010
• Visit Georgias First Mural City
• See Swamp Gravy, Georgias Folk Life Play
• Meet people from all over the world
• For more information, visit http//www.globalart
  sandtourism.net

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Historic Cotton Hall Home of Swamp Gravy and The
Storytelling Museum
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• Mini Mall concept with 20 vendors
• Vendors pay rental fee plus sales commission
• CMAC provides staffing
• Offer wide variety of products
• Antiques
• Arts
• Crafts
• and other Fine Things
• Serves as small business incubator
• Test market for small businesses
• Fostered a cooperative community spirit

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• Victorian Inn and Restaurant
• Built in 1905 and restored in 1994
• 18 individually decorated rooms with private
  baths
• Listed on the National Historic Register
• Winner of Georgia Trust Award for renovation
• Great Southern Cuisine
• Chartered originally as a museum because of the
  historic significance of the building and quality
  of the antiques.

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Tarrer Inn Before
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• New Life Learning Center
• 21st Century Learning Center Grant Program
• The Paint A Piece Pottery Studio
• After-school Art Enrichment
• Summer Art Programs

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Additional Cultural Tourism Products
Cotton Hall Christmas
Gospel of the Rock
June 8-27, 2006
November 25 December 18, 2006
Both performed by Professional Actors
Original Script Original and traditional
music 27 performances Evening and Matinee
performances
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Proceeds from the May-Haw Show will benefit the
Millennium Mural Project. We are currently
painting our 11th mural. January
18-19,25-26 April 17-19, 25-26 Show times Friday
730 pm Saturday 230 pm 730 pm
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Swamp Gravy Institute
SGI began in 1998. SGI has trained consultants to
work in other communities to develop oral history
based projects. Swamp Gravy has been replicated
in ten states and Brazil. Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, Texas, and
Illinois
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Direct Results from Swamp Gravy

• Budget has gone from 2,000 in 1989 to over 2.5M
  in 2007-2008
• Employs over 60 people
• Fifth largest employer in Miller County
• Five historic buildings have been renovated
• Averaged Generating 15M in actual cash over the
  past 15 years in building renovations, earned
  income, grants and donations
• Assets increased from 0 to 4.5 M

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• Our Mission
• To involve as many people as possible in
  artistic and cultural projects in order to
  empower individuals, bond the community,
  stimulate the economy while crossing the
  boundaries of race, social class, age and gender.

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Other projects in Colquitt and Miller County
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Community Development Corporation of Southwest
Georgia
P.O. Box 582 Colquitt, Georgia 39837 229/758-9633
Purpose -To sponsor and facilitate the design,
implementation, and evaluation of housing and
economic development projects and programs that
will assist in improving the quality of life for
present and future residents within the
community. -To foster the collaborative efforts
of the public, private, and non-profit sectors
and resources of the community to envision and
accomplish social, economic, and environmental
vitality for the whole community.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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• The Conference you dont want to miss!!!
• Building Creative Communities
• February 8,9,10, 2009
• Colquitt, Georgia
• Story gathering to reclaim
• Storytelling Circles and Cabaret
• Mural Creation for Social Change
• Performance of Swamp Gravy
• For more information contact
• Debra Atkinson
• 229.758.9633
• debraatkinson_at_cdcswga.org

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Southwest Georgia Film Commission Office
Ralph Wilcox, Director
P.O. Box 563 Colquitt, GA 39837 Web site
www.swgafilms.com [phone]
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GOAL OF SOUTHWEST GEORGIA FILM COMMISSION
To use the show business industry as a vehicle
for economic development
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Active Steps to Achieve Goal

• Identify and market the regions attractions to
  the entertainment industry (DVD Project)
• Create jobs by training young people and adults
  in the disciplines of the film and television
  industry via Henny Penny Video/T.V. Production
  Company, a 501 (C-3) non-profit organization)

• Develop and create financing and regional
  incentives
• Create an investment community in Southwest
  Georgia inspiring local and regional
  investors---bankers and entrepreneurs---to invest
  in low-budget movie projects

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First Feature Film Completed 2007

• The Lena Baker Story starring Tichina Arnold and
  Peter Coyote.
• World Premier April 10, 2008, Atlanta Film
  Festival.
• To see the movie trailer visit
  http//lenabakerthemovie.com/Main.html

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Open for BusinessLargest Sound Stage in
Georgia, Florida Alabama
JOKARA FILM VIDEO TELEVISION MUSIC
PRODUCTION STUDIO 22,000 SQ. FT. 30 FT. GREEN
SCREEN STATE OF THE ARTS HD EDITING SUITE
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Southwest Georgia Film Commission Office and
Constituents to host Faith Based Film
FestivalSeptember 1, 2, 3 of 2008