Celebrate! Arts in the Park

Art in a variety of forms will be celebrated, demonstrated, exhibited, performed, and savored at the Arts in the Park festival at Suwanee's Town Center Park Saturday, May 19. The annual arts festival will feature more than 50 fine artists, an upscale circus-themed entertainment line-up, and the official unveiling of the City of Suwanee's 2012 SculpTour exhibit. Admission to the festival, held from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., is free.

Hosted by the North Gwinnett Arts Association (NGAA), Arts in the Park aims to be a "serious" arts festival. "We don't want to replicate Suwanee Day and we don't want to be a craft festival," says NGAA President Vickie Johnson. "We want to be a serious arts festival like the ones at Piedmont Park, something that is really all about the arts."

In this case, "serious about the arts" doesn't translate into stodgy, boring, or static. Many of the exhibiting artists will be demonstrating and creating their art on site, and the eclectic entertainment line-up includes a roving magician, women's a capella barbershop-style group, contemporary circus performers, and performances of "operatizers." See full entertainment schedule below.

Johnson adds: "There's a lot of focus with this event on education. So this is a great opportunity to bring your children and let them learn about the arts."

Town Center Park is located at Buford Highway and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road. Limited parking is available at Town Center and along Main Street; look for the yellow and black "Event Parking" signs.

Arts in the Park Entertainment Schedule

Arts in the Park officially begins at 11 a.m., but entertainment will begin an hour earlier.

Merritt Ambrose Atlanta Magician of the Year for 2011	Performing throughout the festival
Atlanta Harmony Celebration! Women's a capella barbershop-style group	10 am
Imperial OPA Circus Performers include jugglers, unicyclists, fire eater, tumbler, stilt walker, ballet dancer	10:30 am
Sonny Cheatham Guitarist/songwriter	10:45 am
Zephyr Music Fifteen-piece orchestra	11 am
Imperial OPA Circus More circus performers…	12:15 pm
Peach State Opera Performing "operatizers"	1-2 pm
Zumba Flashmob	2:15 pm
Imperial OPA Circus Performers include jugglers, unicyclists, fire eater, tumbler, stilt walker, ballet dancer	2:20 pm
Imperial OPA Circus Aerial rig performers	3:15 pm

Perennial park perks

It's a bud? It's a mug? It's Art on a Limb!

As has become tradition in Suwanee, art will be blossoming along the Suwanee Creek Greenway and other trails during the month of May. Through its Art on a Limb program, the City of Suwanee "hides" two pieces of original artwork daily along trails throughout the City; those who find an art piece get to keep it. This annual "finders keepers" program is designed to promote an appreciation for art and nature.

This year's Art on a Limb pieces are mugs created by Dacula-based artist Sandra Nissen. Like many of the tiles she created for the 2007 Art on a Limb program, this year's mugs, which are in an assortment of glaze colors, include impressions of leaves picked up on Nissen's walks along the Suwanee Creek Greenway.

Be on the lookout for Nissen's mugs to blossom along the Suwanee Creek Greenway (but not the section from Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road to Suwanee Elementary, which is closed for rehabilitation) as well as the trails at Sims Lake Park and White Street Park. Nissen also will be featured at this year's Arts in the Park festival on May 19.

Click on the image to enlarge a photo.

One more opportunity to provide input

The draft of the Suwanee 20/20 Vision strategic plan was released April 29 at a communitywide picnic. Thanks to the folks at Suwanee Music Barn for being such welcoming hosts!

Approximately 150 people came to the picnic to enjoy BBQ, bluegrass music, and an opportunity to mingle with neighbors. And, of course, they also were invited to provide feedback on the draft policy statements and goals developed through the strategic planning process.

You're invited to offer feedback as well! Please review the strategic plan drafts:
2020 Vision Executive Summary DRAFT
2020 Vision Strategic Plan DRAFT

Then, let us know what you think by sending your comments via the "Drop Us a Line" section of the Suwanee2020 webpage.

Over the past 10 months, the City of Suwanee has worked to engage area residents in crafting a vision for the kind of community Suwanee should be in the next decade, some 435 people participated in 10 different activities at the strategic plan open house last July; six community focus groups discussed issues related to their particular demographic; and through the fall and winter 100 conversations were held by 25 roundtable groups.

Got fresh?

For those longing for fresh produce, better-than-homemade baked goods, and natural products, there's good news: The Suwanee Farmers Market will open at Town Center Park two times each week beginning May 1.

The popular market is open from 4-7 pm Tuesdays (through August 7) and 8 am-noon Saturdays (through October 6 and with the exception of Suwanee Day, September 15).

About 20-25 vendors will be at each market offering fresh, in-season produce, salsa, jellies, sauces, bread, eggs, meat, baked goods, and other natural products.

"It's so nice to shake hands with the folks who grow your food," says Events Manager Amy Doherty. "Other than the highly prized tomatoes that don't come in until late June, some of the most popular items at the Suwanee Farmers Market include local honey, seasonal vegetables, farm fresh eggs, strawberries, and Georgia peaches."

Vendor spaces are no longer available for this season.

2012 SculpTour unveiled

What stands 4-foot to 10-foot tall, weighs more than 4,600 pounds cumulatively, and is made mostly of steel, but also aluminum, wood, and bronze? It's the 15 public art pieces that comprise the 2012 Suwanee SculpTour.

Click on the image
to enlarge a photo.

Presented this year by QuikTrip, SculpTour is Suwanee's walkable outdoor exhibit of original sculptures. Displayed nearly year-round in and around downtown Suwanee, SculpTour is designed to be a public art encounter that serves as a quality of life enhancer, economic development tool, and community identifier. The exhibit will be installed in time for the May 19 Arts in the Park festival. More information about 2012 SculpTour and the 2011 "People's Choice" winner.

What do those flashing red lights mean?

While the HAWK (High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk) signal at Buford Highway and Town Center Avenue has worked well for pedestrians since being installed nearly three years ago, it seems that drivers still are having a little trouble figuring out what the different light sequences mean.

"Mostly," notes Capt. Cass Mooney, "drivers don't seem to understand the flashing red lights, which are activsated near the end of the HAWK cycle as the pedestrian has finished crossing Buford Highway. Once the lights change from solid red to flashing red, vehicles may proceed as long as the pedestrian has cleared the crosswalk. The main thing to remember is that you can never drive through the crosswalk if there is a pedestrian crossing, no matter where they are in the crosswalk."

Here are directions for how to navigate the HAWK-enhanced crosswalk if you are driving a vehicle:

• No lights: This is the system's "default" state. When no lights are lit or flashing, proceed through the Buford Highway/Town Center Avenue intersection normally.
• Flashing/solid yellow lights: The signal has been activated by a pedestrian who wishes to cross Buford Highway. Prepare to stop.
• Solid red lights: All vehicles in the vicinity of the intersection are required to stop, including those turning right onto Buford Highway from Town Center Avenue. The pedestrian is entering the crosswalk and crossing Buford Highway. Vehicles on Town Center Avenue that wish to turn left onto Buford Highway may do so.
• Flashing red lights: The pedestrian crossing cycle is coming to an end. Vehicles MAY PROCEED cautiously after stopping at the stop bar as long as the pedestrian has finished crossing Buford Highway and exited the crosswalk. A flashing red light is to be treated the same as a stop sign.

Let Suwanee Day be your muse

Suwanee Day + your creativity could = $500 cash!

The Suwanee Day festival is bringing back its popular logo design competition. This year's winning design will serve as the official logo for the 2012 "celebration of community" and will be imprinted on festival t-shirts and promotional materials; the winning artist will receive $500 cash. Submissions will be accepted through May 31.

Digitally created designs as well as original artwork – including paintings, drawings, and photographs – will be accepted. Completed applications must accompany submissions, which should be printed and mounted on foam board. Digital copies of the submissions, in jpeg or pdf formats, also are requested. Click here for guidelines and application.

Designs may incorporate any, all, or none of the following:

• Suwanee Day 2012
• September 15, 2012
• Town Center Park
• A Celebration of Community

Last year, approximately 55,000 attended the Suwanee Day festival at Town Center Park. This year's celebration will be September 15. Find more information about the annual Suwanee Day festival at www.suwaneeday.com.