UPCOMING EVENTS
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

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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: 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
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Pottery Wheel
Oct 5
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Pottery Wheel

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Class dates: WEDNESDAYS
October 8 - November 19, 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: Intuitive Painting
Oct 11
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Intuitive Painting

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Class dates: TUESDAYS
October 14 - 28, 5:30 - 7:30 PM

Enjoy a creative and soulful art practice enhanced by centering relaxation methods and the use of multiple art-making media. Explore your inner landscape and creativity in a serene and relaxed setting.

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 A Retrospective
Oct 24
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

RECEPTION for A Retrospective
Exhibit by Doug McCoy

A Retrospective features a sampling of recent work by artist Doug McCoy. Expect to see a mix of his rich imagination and unique perspective. From Doug’s colorful pop referential figuring to his inextricable detail work with pen, watercolor and acrylic, A Retrospective walks you through the process of this evolving artist.

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

BUY TICKETS

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
Table Read: The Crucible
Oct 28
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

The Crucible

According to the playwright, Arthur Miller, The Crucible depicts “the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history.” Based on historical people and real events, Miller’s drama is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria.

The Arts Center
Take the Stage
Nov 1
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

TAKE THE STAGE

Auditions Workshop

Make an impression at YOUR next audition. ACT director Melonie Carideo gives you lots of tips and tricks for standing out at auditions.

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
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Loom Weaving
Nov 7
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Loom Weaving

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Class date: SATURDAY
November 8, 1:00 - 4:00 PM

With various yarns and fabrics, create your own wall art using a loom! This workshop is open to all ages but please accompany younger children. This workshop is a good opportunity to make a gift for someone special for the holidays!

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

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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

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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

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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
Auditions: Steel Magnolias
Feb 23
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

AUDITIONS

AUDITION FORM will be available in December 2025

Part comedy and part drama, Robert Harling’s classic examines the bond between six women in a small southern town.

The Arts Center
Proof
Mar 26
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

TICKETS GO ON SALE FEB 13

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
Steel Magnolias
Apr 17
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

TICKETS GO ON SALE MAR 6

Steel Magnolias is alternately hilarious and touching—and, in the end, deeply revealing of the strength and purposefulness which underlies the antic banter of its characters.

The Arts Center
Evening with the Stars
May 8
The Arts Center
The Arts Center

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This perennial favorite auditioned variety show is back—for all ages—by popular demand.

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.