Update and Reflection

Central Georgia has experienced a monsoon season this summer, but the much-needed precipitation has not dampened progress at Tattnall Square Center for the Arts. Almost daily rains have sparked new growth in the lawn and landscape around the building, and while the rainfall caused delays with the stripping of paint on the exterior of the former Tattnall Square Presbyterian Church, progress in excavating and repaving the parking lot and updating some exterior utilities has continued. Parking cones, caution tape and piles of gravel speak to the fact that progress is being made.

Grass isn’t the only thing that has grown for this project. Building on the momentum of the ArtPlace America grant, Mercer has grown in its fundraising efforts toward the completion of this project. The latest gift from the James Hyde Porter Charitable Trust adds to a growing, diverse list of funding collaborators for the Center.

Recent Wins

“In addition to ArtPlace America, there are several other key individuals and organizations whose generosity is helping us create this new arts hub in the College Hill Corridor,” said William D. Underwood, president of Mercer University. “The Flint River Presbytery donated this property to Mercer in 2010 and began Mercer’s creative process as we imagined how the space could be used to benefit the university and the community. Gifts from The Dorothy and Logan Lewis Foundation; E.J. Grassmann Trust; from John Robert and Faye Brewer in memory of their daughter, Celia Brewer, a 1983 Mercer graduate who majored in theatre; and from Dr. and Mrs. Paul Cosenza, whose son is a current Mercer student who often participates in Mercer Theatre productions, have moved us much closer to our goal of completion of this project.”

Insight/Provocation

The array of funders for this project is as diverse as the arts and cultural organizations that will use the facility and the community who will benefit from it. By actively involving the community in the planning of Tattnall Square Center for the Arts, we built a grassroots community of supporters who are enthusiastic about the Center and its potential uses.

Mother nature can sometimes be the enemy of progress – particularly when it comes to construction. By maintaining excellent communication with our development partners, we have been able to move forward in spite of an abundance of rain.