UPCOMING EVENTS
PICKIN’ PARTY
Sep 2
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

PICKIN’ PARTY

This free gathering includes dinner and a live Bluegrass Jam featuring Doug Purdy and Four County Bluegrass Band. The Arts Center invites everyone to come enjoy dinner, tour our facility, learn about our programs, and enjoy a Bluegrass Jam.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Date Night Pottery
Sep 4
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Date Night Pottery

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Class date: FRIDAY
September 5, 7:00 - 8:00 PM

Have an adventure with your partner in crime for one price! In this class, each of you will create a one of a kind object on the pottery wheel! Students will collectively choose a glaze color for the instructor to finish.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Get your hands dirty - Build a Mug
Sep 5
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Get Your Hands Dirty - Build a Mug

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Class date: SATURDAY
September 6, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Get your hands dirty and learn how to make your very own pottery! This one-day class is perfect for those who have never made pottery and want to try hand building techniques, or are looking for a refresher.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Kids Pottery Wheel
Sep 10
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Kids Pottery Wheel

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Class dates: SATURDAYS
September 13 - October 25, 10:00 AM - NOON

Learn all about pottery throwing on the wheel! From centering and throwing, to glazing and decorating, this class is perfect for beginners, and those who want to try out the wheel.

The Arts Center
Interest Meeting for Now We Juke-ing!
Sep 10
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

INTEREST MEETING

Written and directed by Cynthia McCowan, “Now We Juke-ing!” tells real-life stories of how growing up in North Mississippi juke joints shaped the cultural perspective of a young Black girl.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Get your hands dirty - Pottery Wheel
Sep 12
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Get Your Hands Dirty - Pottery Wheel

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Class date: SATURDAY
September 13, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Get your hands dirty and learn how to make your very own pottery! This one-day class is perfect for those who have never made pottery and want to try hand building techniques, or are looking for a refresher.

The Arts Center
RECEPTION Trouble! at Coal Creek
Sep 12
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

RECEPTION Trouble! at Coal Creek

Trouble! at Coal Creek unpacks the true events of the Coal Creek War, showcases the art from the graphic novel by Austin Sauerbrei, and breaks down the artist’s creative process and what he learned along the way.

The Arts Center
SETH MULDER & MIDNIGHT RUN
Sep 12
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

Seth Mulder and Midnight Run

BUY TICKETS

This group’s tight style fuses bluegrass, classic country, and folk to resonate with traditionalists and new audiences alike.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Handbuilding Pottery
Sep 13
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Handbuilding Pottery

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Class dates: TUESDAYS
September 16 - October 28, 1:00 - 3:30 PM

This 7-week course includes techniques such as pinch pots, slab rolling, coil pots, and using patterns for the form. Learn decoration methods using texture tools and stencils. All finished pieces will be glazed and fired.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Pottery Wheel
Sep 15
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Pottery Wheel

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Class dates: THURSDAYS
September 18 - October 30, 5:30 - 8:00 PM

Learn to throw clay on a potter’s wheel! We’ll cover the foundations of wheel work, including wedging and centering clay, as well as forming cylinders, cups and bowls. Basic glazing information will help you finish your final forms. No prior clay experience necessary! Beginners and those looking for a refresher course in wheel-throwing are welcome!

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Date Night Pottery
Sep 18
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Date Night Pottery

REGISTER NOW

Class date: FRIDAY
September 19, 7:00 - 8:00 PM

Have an adventure with your partner in crime for one price! In this class, each of you will create a one of a kind object on the pottery wheel! Students will collectively choose a glaze color for the instructor to finish.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Get your hands dirty - Build a Mug
Sep 19
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Get Your Hands Dirty - Build a Mug

REGISTER NOW

Class date: SATURDAY
September 20, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Get your hands dirty and learn how to make your very own pottery! This one-day class is perfect for those who have never made pottery and want to try hand building techniques, or are looking for a refresher.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Get your hands dirty - Pottery Wheel
Sep 26
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Get Your Hands Dirty - Pottery Wheel

REGISTER NOW

Class date: SATURDAY
September 27, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Get your hands dirty and learn how to make your very own pottery! This one-day class is perfect for those who have never made pottery and want to try hand building techniques, or are looking for a refresher.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Beginning Watercolor
Sep 26
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Beginning Watercolor

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Class dates: MONDAYS
September 29 - November 3, 4:30 - 6:30 PM

In this 6‐week class, students will be introduced to the delight of watercolor. Each week the instructor covers new techniques to help beginners develop a set of skills. Soon, you’ll be creating your own unique watercolor paintings. All materials are provided.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: ARTSPLORATIONS Theatre Workshops
Oct 3
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Fall Break Artsplorations

Join us for a la carte theatre workshops during Fall Break (Oct 6-10) taught by local theatre directors and long time performers of ACT. You can sign up for single classes, or sign up for all of them!

The Arts Center
RECEPTION Open Exhibit
Oct 24
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

RECEPTION Open Exhibit

PROSPECTUS DEADLINE SEP 3

An annual competition and exhibit of for artists in McMinn and surrounding counties.

The Arts Center
RECEPTION for Retrospective
Oct 24
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

RECEPTION for Retrospective
Exhibit by Doug McCoy

Doug is a native of Chattanooga, TN who has been involved in various fields of art, theater and music in his hometown for several decades.

The Arts Center
The Mousetrap
Oct 24
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

TICKETS GO ON SALE SEP 12

Agatha Christie’s whodunit set in a snow-bound guest house is the longest-running play of all time and is riddled with mystery.

The Arts Center
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Watercolor Studio
Nov 3
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Watercolor Studio

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Class dates: THURSDAYS
November 6 - 13, 4:30 - 6:30 PM

Explore and develop your painting expertise during this 2 week watercolor class! The class emphasizes critique, compositional elements, and developing unity in a painting. Students should be prepared with supplies weekly.

The Arts Center
Auditions: Annie
Nov 9
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

AUDITIONS

Audition Form

This worldwide phenomenon and winner of seven Tonys including “Best Musical” is a triumphant story with beloved music and treasured characters.

The Arts Center
A Soulful Christmas
Dec 5
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

BUY TICKETS

A festive Christmas concert with the heart of Gospel and the groove of R&B; this is a celebration of love, community, and the soulful sounds of the season.

The Arts Center
MIC DROP: The Women Who Rule Music
Jan 9
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

BUY TICKETS

A diverse collection of songs spans genres and decades, and shares a defining trait: they were written or made popular by women.

The Arts Center
Auditions: Proof
Jan 11
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

AUDITIONS

AUDITION FORM will be available in December 2025

This Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play is an intelligent and compelling story about fathers and daughters, the nature of genius, and the power of love.

The Arts Center
Now We Juke-ing!
Jan 22
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

TICKETS GO ON SALE DEC 5

Written and directed by Cynthia McCowan, “Now We Juke-ing!” tells real-life stories of how growing up in North Mississippi juke joints shaped the cultural perspective of a young Black girl.

The Arts Center
SONGWRITER’S NIGHT WITH KYSHONA
Feb 6
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

Songwriter’s Night with Kyshona

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An intimate evening with singer-songwriters sharing original music, curated by Kyshona Armstrong.

The Arts Center
Seasons of Love - Our Three Tenors
Feb 13
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

BUY TICKETS

Our Three Tenors, Tim Frazier, Rusty Patterson, and Mike Simmons, perform their first full-length concert in more than five years, celebrating love in all its forms.

The Arts Center
Annie
Feb 19
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

TICKETS GO ON SALE DEC 5

This worldwide phenomenon and winner of seven Tonys including “Best Musical” is a triumphant story with beloved music and treasured characters.

The Arts Center

Upcoming Events

Athens Area Council for the Arts began in 1979 as an idea in a living room…

And quickly grew to an office in a closet on Tennessee Wesleyan College campus. As our organization expanded, we moved to an office in the historic Robert E. Lee Hotel in Downtown Athens and developed a strong arts in education program, children’s programming, the long-running “Arts in the Park,” and presented a touring performing arts series. In 2005, Athens Area Council for the Arts moved into “The Arts Center,” in the location of the former Harrod’s grocery store.

Image of a vintage grocery bag. The bag has the image of a sign that reads "Harrod's Thrift Market & Bakery" Below the sign is an arrow that reads, "Customer Parking." The sign is rooted in a brick planter with green foliage.

Our mission is to enrich the quality of life and make a difference for our community by providing opportunities for the expression and appreciation of the arts.

Once we had a home in The Arts Center, AACA grew from an organization of big ideas and vision to a premiere visual, educational, and performing arts organization in our region.

By 2019, AACA was quickly outgrowing The Arts Center, so we purchased the three adjacent buildings.

The expanded Arts Center will celebrate its grand opening in September 2024 thanks to the generous support of our Capital Campaign donors.

An architect's rendering of the remodeled facade of The Arts Center. The three purchased buildings have been transformed with newly painted brick (red, light gray, and dark gray), and you can just make out a mural on the side of the end building.