Community

Athens is an affordable college town rich in culture and artistic community. Here are just a few of the wonderful resources available!

40 WATT: 40watt.com

Famous and iconic music venue that helped launch American punk and new wave music. In addition to national acts, the club has served as a music home base for many of Athens’ most beloved bands over the last 35 years, including R.E.M., the B-52’s, Pylon, Love Tractor, Vic Chesnutt, Olivia Tremor Control, Five Eight, Neutral Milk Hotel, Jucifer, Drive-By Truckers, of Montreal, The Whigs, Maserati, and more.

ATHFEST: athfest.com



AthFest Music & Arts Festival is a summer music festival produced by local non-profit AthFest Educates. Since 2009, AthFest Educates has contributed more than $125,000 to music and arts education programs for Athens-Clarke County children.

ATHICA: athica.org



Athens Institute for Contemporary Art is an independent, non-profit gallery promoting and supporting innovative contemporary art and artists through exhibitions, education, and events. Conceived as an alternative art space, ATHICA is a gallery dedicated to exhibiting challenging and innovative contemporary art in a non-commercial space. ATHICA is located in the Chase Park warehouses, an area that has emerged as a new urban arts district, with recording studios, internet businesses and numerous artists’ studios, all just a little over a mile from downtown.

AUX: auxfestival.com



AUX organizes festivals, workshops, and publishes interdisciplinary art and sound pieces. AUX is an event and publication series devoted to experimental art in all forms. AUX is supported by Ideas for Creative Exploration.

AVID BOOKSHOP: avidbookshop.com



Aside from being a carefully curated, locally owned, and independent bookshop, Avid hosts many of the CWP and CWP related readings as well as lots of other local literary events. Avid sells new and used books, coffee, tea, magazines, gifts, and more. The staff is happy to quickly special order virtually anything in print!

CALEDONIA LOUNGE: caledonialounge.com

Another great Athens music venue. Small, intimite space with full-service bar and outdoor patio.

CANOPY STUDIO: canopystudio.org

Canopy Studio is a community arts center dedicated to enriching the culture of our community and the lives of individuals through flying dance trapeze, movement education and performance arts.

CINÉ: athenscine.com



Ciné is a local, independent movie theater (and bar and café) that hosts readings and other art events. Located in downtown Athens, Ciné screens a variety of intriguing films from a broad spectrum of countries and cultures. The selection includes well known crossover independent films and small budget films, discoveries from festivals, and local productions.

CIRCLE ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY: circleensembletheatre.com

Professional non-profit theater company that showcases new playwrights.

DOUBLE DUTCH PRESS: doubledutchpress.com



Double Dutch Press is a fine art printmaking studio. The studio offers Workshops, 1on1 Instruction, Press Rental, Screen Services, Custom Design & Print Services. Double Dutch Press’s facilities accommodate relief, etching, and fine art screen printing.

THE FOUNDRY (formerly The Melting Point): meltingpointathens.com

Local music venue, bar, and restaurant. Dramatic and intimate venue that showcases Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, and Country.

GEORGIA THEATRE: georgiatheater.com

Large music venue in beautiful historic theater with rooftop restaurant and bar.

GOOD DIRT CLAY STUDIO: gooddirt.net

Established in 1997, Good Dirt is a community clay studio..

HENDERSHOT'S COFFEE: hendershotscoffee.com

Local coffee shop, bar, and music venue. Great for studying or writing.

IDEAS FOR CREATIVE EXPLORATION (ICE): ideasforcreativeexploration.com



ICE is an interdisciplinary initiative for advanced research in the arts at the University of Georgia. ICE provides grants and funding for interdisciplinary creative projects, advanced research and critical discourse in the arts, and for creative applications of technologies, concepts, and practices found across disciplines. It is a collaborative network of faculty, students, and community members from all disciplines of the visual and performing arts in addition to other disciplines in the humanities and sciences. Joining ICE’s listserv is a great way to get connected to a variety of events on campus.

LYNDON HOUSE ART CENTER: https://www.athensclarkecounty.com/2767/Lyndon-House-Arts-Center



Lyndon House Arts Center is operated by ACC Leisure Services as a center of excellence for the benefit and cultural enrichment of youth and adults. The gallery exhibitions, historic house museum, festivals, workshops, art meetings, special events, and art classes provide area citizens with a positive experience in the visual arts, enrichment through the arts for our community, encouraging all to foster appreciation and to include the arts in every day life.

MORTON THEATRE: mortontheatre.com

One of the first, and the oldest surviving, African-American built, owned, and operated vaudeville theatres in the United States, the Morton Theatre opened in 1910 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.It has been restored and adapted as a contemporary performing arts space.

NEW TOWN REVUE: newtownrevue.wordpress.com



Another great reading series hosted at Avid Bookshop. New Town Revue is a bi-monthly reading and music series showcasing Athens literary and music talent: fiction, poetry, essays, storytelling, and songwriting. Each New Town Revue event features both writers and musicians.

NUÇI'S SPACE: nuci.org

Non-profit health and music resource center. The aim of the organization is to prevent suicide by providing obstacle free treatment for musicians suffering from depression and other such disorders as well as to assist in the emotional, physical and professional well-being of musicians. Provides rehearsal space and health care for local musicians.

ROSE OF ATHENS THEATRE: roseofathens.wordpress.com

Local non-profit theater with classes, camps, and performances.

SLINGSHOT FESTIVAL: slingshotathens.com

Spread over five city blocks and dozens of venues, SLINGSHOT Festival spotlights international, national, and local acts on stage, boundary pushing artworks throughout the urban environment, and tech talks with leading innovators. SLINGSHOT also hosts a dedicated comedy night and film screenings.

TOWN AND GOWN PLAYERS: townandgownplayers.org

Local theater company producing live theater since 1953.

WILLSON CENTER FOR HUMANITIES AND ART: willson.uga.edu

The Willson Center (UGA) hosts events and speakers in all areas of the arts and humanities from international authors and visual artists to human rights symposiums. The mission of the Willson Center is to promote research and creativity in the humanities and arts. It supports faculty through research grants, lectures, symposia, publications, visiting scholars, visiting artists, collaborative instruction, public conferences, exhibitions, and performances.

OTHER CULTURAL GEMS:

Athens is known as a music town with countless venues, cheap drinks, and good food. We have a great co-op, Daily Groceries, several farmer’s markets that sell local food almost all year round, and an à la carte local food ordering service, Athens Locally Grown. The Lamar Dodd School of Art has a vibrant and large MFA in Visual Arts program and hosts interdisciplinary events year round.