american roads writers, contributors, photographers

home page of American Roads Travel Magazine

Georgias Ghostly Getaways

Man Hunt

Sarahs Story

Tax Sale Tactics

Last Step

Kudzu

Georgia

Thomson-McDuffie CVB Fall Events
Welcome!

Fall is just getting started and McDuffie County has lots of wonderful events to get you ready, and to enjoy some time outdoors!

Pine Top Round Up

Get a taste of the old west at Pine Top Farm's Round-up for MANNA, wagon train, cattle drive and cookout. This year's Round-up will be held Oct. 18.

Wagon Train pulls out at 4:30 for a real cattle round-up with cows, horses and cowboys! The cowboys will herd the cows up to the wagons for feeding and petting, and then move the 160 head of cattle to new pastures in a western-style cattle drive.

About halfway to the new pastures, the wagons will stop at the Circle G party shed, and a burgers and beans supper will be served, followed by dessert and live entertainment.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children. To purchase tickets, please call 706-595-3138.

An A-maize-ing Journey!

It is that time of year again! The annual Corn Maze at The Old Frontier is now open every Saturday thru Nomber 15th, from 10-5. We also have the Gem Mine, swing set, sand piles and hay rides.

They also take groups during the week, by reservation only. If you want to make a reservation, call 1-706-533-2544. This is also a great outing for church groups , class field trips, birthday parties, family reunions, youth groups, or an office get away. All large groups need to call for an appointment.

The prices this year:
Corn Maze - $3.00 per person
Gem Mine - $5.00 per bucket (every bucket has gems stones)
Popcorn - $1.00
Snow Cones - $1.00
October 25th we will be having our Fall Festival, so bring your family and friends out for a fun day in the country.

For more information and directions, please visit www.theoldfrontier.com.

Belle Meade Hunt Opening Meet

Hunt season opens November 1st with the Blessing of Hounds at 1pm. Belle Meade hosts what is likely the largest opening day meet of any fox hunt in the world. A hundred or so riders from more than fifteen states converge with more than five hundred on-lookers to create a uniquely Southern version of opening day for a sport that started in England some four hundred years ago.

Ride along on a Tally-ho wagon through historic sites and the beautiful rolling countryside of McDuffie County, following hunters and hounds on a simulated fox hunt. This is truly an unforgettable McDuffie County tradition!

For ticket information, please call 706-595-2525.

October - and we have lots of news for you!

Big Breaking News: The gallery is very honored and excited to be invited to show at the Ritz-Carlton, Reynolds Plantation in the Spa Cafe. The artists will be changed out monthly, so don't delay seeing this exhibit. There will be a "Meet the Artists" reception at the Ritz Spa Cafe on Tuesday, Oct. 7 from 5-7 pm for the October show of Anne Jenkins, David Siffert and Carole Connely. Hope to see you there.!

New Show: The gallery's fall art show and sale, “Rural Georgia & the Vanishing South,” opens on Thursday, October 9. There will be a ‘Meet the Artists” reception at the gallery, please do come, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. with wine and light nibbles served. The show runs through November 8. This is a stunning show - the featured artists are new works by well-known egg tempura artist Peter Muzyka of Madison, atmospheric oils from Robert Battle of Milledgeville, en plein aire paintings from Nan McGarity of McDonough & Greensboro, Laura Sleighter of Washington and additionally, Ronald Moore, David Siffert, Jan Whyllson, Will Eskridge, Leonard Jones and myself. These artists have won numerous awards at shows throughout the South. So many of you have requested works on rural scenes of Georgia or the South, I hope you’ll support the artists efforts!

More Big Breaking News: I am delighted to tell you I have teamed up with Washington Wilkes Ventures, llc., to manage the Art Gallery La Place on the historic square of beautiful Washington, Georgia. I am extremely honored they asked me! The gallery was run by Debbie Wells, who is moving on to pursue other interests, so I have big shoes to fill! I’m grateful I will be ably assisted by Janice McAvoy, who will be at the gallery to help you, it’s open every Thursday - Saturday from 11-6 pm. But I will be there often as well. La Place is located at 7 East Square next to the Jockey Club , a yummy restaurant and bar where all the locals meet. I’ll probably be combining the newsletter for both galleries as I promised I wouldn’t fill up your mail boxes! For October we’ll be settling in and trying some new things. Washington is the quintessential charming Southern town. It’s beautiful, chock full of friendly locals and intriguing history - definitely worth many visits. There’s an interesting historic reason for the name of the gallery - you’ll just have to visit to find out what it is! Bring family and friends for a great day outing. Do come by and see us!

Art Gallery La Place is joining The Point of Art Gallery, Hampton Fine Art Gallery, Genuine Georgia and the Historic Mill Studio of the Art Ramble, and our first big splash is the special open house weekend event, the 1^st Holiday Art Ramble, November 14-16. Each gallery will have artists demonstrations, special events, blue tag sales, special offers, mulled wine or maybe hot chocolate. It’s going to be a grand occasion - more details in November’s newsletter. Be sure to mark your calendar and invite friends to join you on the art ramble‘s spectacular event. Check out www.artramble.com

There’s so much exciting news this month! Join us and have a good time - cheer away those gas price/lack of gas blues with a short local trip to Union Point and Washington. You’ll be glad you did!

Be sure to visit both galleries - we're open every Thursday - Saturday or by appointment any other day. Just call (706) 486-6808.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EXHIBITION featuring work of Leonardo da Vinci TO OPEN AT HIGH MUSEUM IN ATLANTA October 2009

First Exhibition to Explore Leonardo’s Significant Role in Renaissance Sculpture; Many Works Traveling to U.S. For First Time

ATLANTA, October 3, 2008—The first exhibition to explore Leonardo da Vinci’s profound interest in and influence on sculpture will premiere at the High Museum of Art in October 2009. “Leonardo da Vinci and the Art of Sculpture: Inspiration and Invention,” will feature over 50 works, including more than 25 sketches and studies by Leonardo, some of which will be on view in the United States for the first time. The exhibition will also feature work by Donatello, Verrocchio, and Rustici—including Rustici’s three monumental bronzes from the façade of the Baptistery in Florence that comprise “John the Baptist Preaching to a Levite and a Pharisee,” which was recently restored and has never left Florence.

Through an examination of the sculpture that Leonardo da Vinci studied, the sketches and studies he created for his own sculptural projects (the majority of which were never realized), and his interactions with other Renaissance sculptors, the exhibition will shed new light on Leonardo’s seminal role in the development of Renaissance sculpture and the work of artists who followed him. Organized by the High Museum of Art, “Leonardo da Vinci and the Art of Sculpture” will premiere in Atlanta October 3, 2009, through February 21, 2010. A slightly modified version of the exhibition will subsequently travel to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles (March 23 through June 20, 2010).

“Though Leonardo was only able to create a small number of sculptures and few of them survive, this exhibition will reveal the enormous impact that Leonardo had on the field of sculpture, and how his study of ancient and Renaissance sculpture influenced future generations,” said Michael E. Shapiro, Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Director of the High Museum of Art. “Following in the tradition of Verrocchio’s ‘David’ and Ghiberti’s ‘The Gates of Paradise,’ this exhibition underscores the High’s commitment to collaborative partnerships that promote new research, advance scholarship, and bring great works of art to Atlanta and other major U.S. cities.”

Leonardo, Student of Sculpture

The exhibition will begin with a look at Leonardo’s wide ranging interest in sculpture, including an examination of those sculptors whose influence can be seen in his work. “Leonardo, Student of Sculpture” will pair Leonardo’s drawings with the works of ancient and early Renaissance sculpture that inspired him, illustrating the process of his three-dimensional drawings. A life-sized bearded prophet by Donatello from the Florence Campanile (ca. 1418–1420), the model for the standing figure in Leonardo’s unfinished “Adoration of the Magi,” has never been seen outside of Florence, Italy, and is being restored in preparation for this exhibition.

The exhibition will also look specifically at the relationship between Leonardo and his master, Andrea del Verrocchio, to demonstrate the influence of earlier generations of sculptors on Leonardo.

Leonardo, Sculptor

The second section of the exhibition, “Leonardo, Sculptor,” will feature drawings associated with Leonardo’s plans for other works of sculpture, including an in-depth examination of Leonardo’s plans to create the world’s largest and most technically complex statue, a work which was to depict Duke Francesco Sforza mounted on horseback. By November of 1493, Leonardo had completed a 24-foot tall clay model of the horse alone. Unfortunately, when war interrupted his work the planned bronze casting was discontinued and the clay model was subsequently destroyed.

In addition to the Sforza monument, two of Leonardo’s other equestrian projects for Gian Giacomo Trivulzio and King Francis I of France will be examined through the artists’ compositional and anatomical studies as well as drawings for proportioning, modeling, and casting the enormous Sforza monument.

Leonardo, Model and Mentor

The exhibition will conclude with a look at Leonardo’s influence on a younger generation of sculptors. “Leonardo, Model and Mentor” will examine artists such as Giovanni Francesco Rustici who created works in response to Leonardo’s monumental “Battle of Anghiari” fresco in the Palazzo Vecchio, which has since been painted over. Additional small bronze horses and warriors inspired both by the “Battle of Anghiari” and Leonardo’s equestrian projects will demonstrate the range and depth of Leonardo’s influence.

The final section of the exhibition will also feature Giovanni Francesco Rustici’s three larger-than-life-sized bronze figures that comprise “John the Baptist Preaching to a Levite and a Pharisee,” which has been recently restored and will be shown in the United States for the first time. Leonardo has long been credited with greatly influencing the work, as much of the group was modeled between March and September 1508 while Leonardo and Rustici were sharing living quarters. Artist and biographer Giorgio Vasari acknowledged Leonardo’s involvement in the project:

“[Leonardo] proved himself in sculpture with the three bronze figures over the north door of San Giovanni which were executed by Giovanni Francesco Rustici but finished with Leonardo’s advice; they are the most beautiful casts both for their design and for their perfection that have yet been seen in the modern age.”

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) is widely recognized as a scientist, inventor, philosopher, writer, designer, sculptor, architect, and painter. His artistic apprenticeship took place in Florence in the workshop of painter and sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio. In 1482, he left Florence for the court of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, where he was to spend much of his career. During his early Milanese period he painted his iconic Last Supper. He fled Milan after the French invasion of the city in 1499 and returned to Florence, where he painted the Mona Lisa, and continued his technological, geographical, and scientific studies. He returned to Milan in 1506, and after spending some time at the Papal Court in Rome, accepted an invitation from Francis I, King of France, to work at his court, where he remained until his death.

Exhibition Organization and Support

“Leonardo da Vinci and the Art of Sculpture: Inspiration and Invention” is organized by the High Museum of Art in collaboration with the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, Italy, and the J. Paul Getty Museum, L.A. The exhibition is curated by Gary M. Radke, Dean’s Professor of the Humanities at Syracuse University and guest curator of the High Museum of Art. Restoration of Rustici’s “John the Baptist Preaching to a Levite and a Pharisee” from the façade of the Baptistery in Florence was sponsored by the Friends of Florence, a non-profit international foundation based in the United States. Friends of Florence also contributed to the restoration of Lorenzo Ghiberti's “Gates of Paradise,” which were recently featured in another exhibition organized by the High."

High Museum of Art

The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. With more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High Museum of Art has an extensive anthology of 19^th- and 20^th-century American art; significant holdings of European paintings and decorative art; a growing collection of African American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography and African art. The High is also dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists and is distinguished as the only major museum in North America to have a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of folk and self-taught art. The High’s Media Arts department produces acclaimed annual film series and festivals of foreign, independent and classic cinema. In November 2005 the High opened three new buildings by architect Renzo Piano that more than doubled the Museum’s size, creating a vibrant “village for the arts” at the Woodruff Arts Center in midtown Atlanta. For more information about the High, please visit www.High.org.

The Woodruff Arts Center

The Woodruff Arts Center is ranked among the top four arts centers in the nation. A not-for-profit center for performing and visual arts, its campus comprises the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta College of Art, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14^th Street Playhouse.

The J. Paul Getty Museum
The J. Paul Getty Museum collects in seven distinct areas, including Greek and Roman antiquities, European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts, and European and American photographs. The Museum's mission is to make the collection meaningful and attractive to a broad audience by presenting and interpreting the works of art through educational programs, special exhibitions, publications, conservation, and research.

# # #

Media contacts:

Cassandra Champion Streich Senior Manager of Public Relations, Tel: 404-733-4436/Fax: 404-733-4529

E-mail: cassandra.streich@woodruffcenter.org

Media outside the Southeastern United States please contact:

Ilana B. Simon/Kira Garcia Resnicow Schroeder Associates

Tel: 212-671-5176/5169 Fax: 212-595-8354

E-mail: isimon@resnicowschroeder.com/ kgarcia@resnicowschroeder.com

MEDIA RELEASE TOWNS, UNION, FANNIN COUNTIES

Craft in Appalachia

1310 Young Harris Highway

Blairsville GA 30512

706-745-8660 706-897-3378

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, August 22, 2008

Blairsville, Georgia

706-745-8660

C.R.A.F.T. IN APPALACHIA

OPENING BLAIRSVILLE STORE

Janice Taylor has had a vision – and finally that vision is coming to fruition. This weekend, in conjunction with the opening of the Sorghum festival, she will be opening a retail outlet 2 miles east of Blairsville, 1310 Young Harris Highway, across from Mountain Building Supply. C.R.A.F.T. in Appalachia stands for Crafters, Regional Artisans, and Fine Tradesman in Appalachia. The store will be following the Governors vision to promote “GEORGIA MADE, GEORGIA GROWN”, along with the Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and numerous other state and local organizations that are starting to realize the value of promoting Georgia tourism as a sustainable industry.

For the past few years we have seen symposiums and conferences all across the state of Georgia to determine what crafters, farmers, and artisans need to promote their business. Although retail outlets are only a part of what the conferences pointed out, they are vital as they are the last step before the end-user customer has an opportunity to experience the “talents of Georgia hands”.

C.R.A.F.T. in Appalachia would like to invite any Georgia Crafter. Artist, Farmer, or Tradesman that produces Georgia Grown or Georgia Made products to contact the store to receive information on having their products included in the retail outlet. Store hours will be Wednesday through Saturday (and some Sundays) now through Christmas. For more information please email Janice Taylor at janice@appalachiankitchens.com or call the store telephone number 706-745-8660 or 706-897-3378.

2008–2009 ADVANCE EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

Information is subject to change. To confirm scheduling and dates, contact the Press Office.

404-733-4437 | prinfo@woodruffcenter.org

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army
November 16, 2008–April 19, 2009

The High Museum of Art will present “The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army,” an exhibition inspired by one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20^th century. Featuring 100 works, including approximately 15 complete terracotta figures, the exhibition represents one of the largest groups of important works relating to the First Emperor ever to be loaned to the U.S. by the Museum of the Terracotta Army and the Cultural Relics Bureau of Shaanxi Province in Xi’an, China. The exhibition will provide insight into the legacy of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, who reigned from 221–210 BC, and will display the iconic terracotta figures alongside recent significant finds that have rarely been seen outside of China. Designed to administer to or entertain the Emperor in his afterlife, these objects underscore the Emperor’s attempts to control the world even after his death.

The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army” is made possible by Lead Sponsor GE, Presenting Sponsor Portman, and Official Global Delivery Partner UPS, Official Airline Partner Delta Air Lines, and Official Media Partner Turner Broadcasting. Generous support is provided by The Henry Luce Foundation. Additional support provided by The E. Rhodes and Leona Carpenter Foundation and The Blakemore Foundation. This exhibition is presented in association with the British Museum with support from Morgan Stanley.

The Treasure of Ulysses Davis

December 6, 2008–April 5, 2009

Ulysses Davis was a Savannah barber who created a body of highly refined sculpture that reflects his deep faith, humor and dignity. “The Treasure of Ulysses Davis” will include approximately 125 pieces from the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation in Savannah, the High Museum and other public and private collections. Much admired but rarely seen outside Savannah, Davis’s carvings include portraits of U.S. and African leaders; religious images; patriotic symbols; works influenced by African forms; fantasy; flora and fauna; love; humor; abstract decorations; and furniture. “The Treasure of Ulysses Davis” will also include a group regarded as Davis’s masterwork: a series of forty carved busts of all the U.S. Presidents through George H. W. Bush.

“The Treasure of Ulysses Davis” is organized by High Museum of Art in collaboration with the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation of Savannah, Georgia. This exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts as part of American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius and generous support from The Henry Luce Foundation with additional support provided by The Judith Rothschild Foundation.

Evolution: Five Decades of Printmaking by David C. Driskell

April 21–August 2, 2009

One of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of African American art, Professor David C. Driskell has made invaluable contributions to scholarship in the history of art and the role of the African American artist in American society. “Evolution” is presented in conjunction with the fifth anniversary of the High’s David C. Driskell Prize, and will feature 80 prints that will provide insight into Driskell’s artistic process and development. Organized by the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland, College Park, the exhibition premiered at the Driskell Center’s new gallery and will travel to the Wichita Art Museum (August 1 through November 15, 2008), the High Museum of Art (April 21 through August 2, 2009) and the Portland Museum of Art (October 27, 2009, through January 17, 2010).

This exhibition is organized by the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Richard Misrach: On the Beach

June 6–August 30, 2009

The High will host a nationally touring exhibition of approximately 20 large-scale photographs by Richard Misrach (b. 1949), a recognized pioneer of large-scale color photography. Most known for his images of the American Desert, five years ago he turned to a new subject–the beach, instead capturing monumental images of the ocean, sunbathers and swimmers. This exhibition marks the largest exhibition of works from the series ever to be on view together. Begun immediately after the attacks of September 11, 2001, “On the Beach”–made over a five year period–speaks to the sense of physical and psychological vulnerability that has pervaded the nation’s consciousness since that time. The exhibition was organized and debuted at the Art Institute of Chicago in September 2007, subsequently traveling to The Contemporary Art Museum, Honolulu (December 15, 2007 through March 9, 2008), the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (May 25 through September 1, 2008), the Henry Art Gallery, Seattle (October 11, 2008 through January 18, 2009), and will be on view at the High from June 6 through August 30, 2009. “Richard Misrach: On the Beach” was organized by The Art Institute of Chicago.

Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power

June 6–August 30, 2009

The High will host an unprecedented exhibition of more than 200 photographs by Richard Avedon (1923–2004), known as America’s pre-eminent editorial portraitist and fashion photographer. Bringing together Avedon’s political portraits of the country’s power elite for the first time, the exhibition includes many rarely-seen and some never-before-exhibited or published photographs. On assignment for such magazines as “Harper’s Bazaar,” “Vogue,” “Egoiste,” and “The New Yorker,” Avedon made portraits of important political figures from the late 1950s through the months leading up to his death in 2004. Juxtaposing images of elite government, media, and labor officials with counter-cultural activists, popular figures in culture and ordinary citizens caught up in national debates, “Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power” explores a five-decade catalogue of politics and power by one of the country’s best-known artists. “Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power” was organized by The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it premiered in September 2008. The exhibition is organized with the cooperation of The Richard Avedon Foundation, New York, and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco. A catalogue accompanies the exhibition.

“Leonardo da Vinci and the Art of Sculpture: Inspiration and Invention”

October 3, 2009–February 21, 2010

The first exhibition to explore Leonardo da Vinci’s profound interest in and influence on Renaissance sculpture will premiere at the High Museum of Art in October 2009. The exhibition will feature over 50 works, including more than 25 sketches and studies by Leonardo, some of which will be on view in the United States for the first time. The exhibition will also feature work by Donatello, Verrocchio, and Rustici—including Rustici’s three monumental bronzes from the façade of the Baptistery in Florence that comprise “John the Baptist Preaching to a Levite and a Pharisee,” which was recently restored and has never left Florence. Through an examination of the sculpture that Leonardo da Vinci studied, the sketches and studies he created for his own sculptural projects (the majority of which were never realized), and his interactions with other Renaissance sculptors, the exhibition will shed new light on Leonardo’s seminal role in the development of Renaissance sculpture and the work of artists who followed him.

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS

Louvre Atlanta: The Louvre and the Masterpiece

Through September 6, 2009

In the final year of “Louvre Atlanta,” this exhibition explores how the definition of a “masterpiece,” as well as taste and connoisseurship, has changed over time. The exhibition features ninety-one works of art drawn from all eight of the Musée du Louvre’s collection areas, spanning 4,000 years. Paintings, sculpture, decorative arts and drawings reflect three major themes: the changing historical and cultural definitions of a masterpiece, authenticity and connoisseurship, and the evolution of taste and scholarship. Highlights include Jan Vermeer’s “The Astronomer” and George de la Tour’s “Card Sharp,” as well as drawings and prints by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Dürer. In addition, several themes are explored through an in-depth examination of one significant object: French sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye’s bronze “Lion Crushing a Serpent.” These include the significance of technical mastery and the creative process and the impact of the artist’s reputation. In addition to text labels, audio guides and docent tours, the exhibitions are enhanced by interactive tools organized by the High, together with MuseumLab, an international alliance initiated by the Louvre for which the High serves as the only U.S. partner.

Lead patronage for the project has been provided by longtime Board Member Anne Cox Chambers. Accenture is the Presenting Partner. UPS, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., the Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines and AXA Art Insurance are Lead Corporate Partners for “Louvre Atlanta.” The Foundation Partner is The Sara Giles Moore Foundation. Additional support has been provided by Forward Arts Foundation, Frances B. Bunzl and Tull Charitable Foundation. The Rich Foundation serves as Planning Partner for the project. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Medieval and Renaissance Treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum

Through January 4, 2009

The Victoria and Albert Museum has one of the world’s greatest collections of medieval and Renaissance works of art, ranging in date from 300 to 1600 AD and in scale from the miniature to the monumental. The 44 masterpieces shown here focus on the “Treasury Arts” and provide insight into artistic production across this vast period, highlighting both continuity and change. The exhibition includes carved ivories, bronze sculpture, jeweled metalwork, stained glass and a rare notebook by Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. Whether designed for church or palace, these works not only were admired for their beauty and workmanship, they also tell a variety of stories about their makers and owners. The exhibition features treasures from the collection that are rarely lent, including the Carolingian ivory cover of the Lorsch Gospels, an ivory statuette of the crucified Christ by Giovanni Pisano, Donatello’s bronze “Putto with Fish” and a pair of gilt-bronze statuettes of prophets by Hubert Gerhard. This exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see these works together before they are installed in a new suite of galleries devoted to medieval and Renaissance Europe at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2009.

Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, “Medieval and Renaissance Treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum” will travel to the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach; Speed Art Museum, Louisville; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. This exhibition is supported by The Buckhead Community Bank and by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Greene Family Learning Gallery

Ongoing

The inaugural installation of the Greene Family Learning Gallery comprises five hands-on activity areas: Building Buildings, Transforming Treasure, Making a Mark, Sculpting Spaces and Telling Stories. These discovery activity areas are inspired by some of the most popular objects in the Museum’s collection. Located on the first floor of the Stent Family Wing, the Greene Family Learning Gallery is designed to serve children from pre-school through age ten and their families and caregivers through exhibitions that will change periodically in connection with the Museum’s exhibitions and programs.

GENERAL VISITOR INFORMATION

Museum Hours

Monday Closed

Tuesday & Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday 12 noon to 5 p.m.

*Friday Jazz (third Friday of every month), 5 to 10 p.m.

Closed January 1, July 4, Thanksgiving and December 25.

Ticket Information

Tickets are available online at www.High.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the High Museum admissions desk, the Woodruff Arts Center box office or by phone at 404-733-5000 (404-733-5386 TTD). All ticket orders placed via phone will incur a $3.00/ticket service charge.

General admission:

Adult $18

Senior citizens and college students with ID $15

Children ages 6 to 17 $11

Children under age 6 and Members Free

Groups of 10 or more receive discounts:

Adult Group $15

Senior or College Group $13

Student Group $6/person

Groups receive added benefits:

10% discount in the Museum Shop

Free bus parking

Vouchers for discounted car parking

Advanced reservation privileges

Contact Group Sales at 404-733-4550 or groupsales@woodruffcenter.org.

Audio Guides

An audio guide including both “The First Emperor” and “The Louvre and the Masterpiece” will be available for purchase—$5 for general public; $3 for Members, complete group bookings, and ages 17 and under. The audio guide will be included for school group admission.

CityPass Tickets

Includes admission to 6 Atlanta attractions. $69 for adults (a $119 value) and $49 for children 3–12 (an $89 value).

For more information on CityPass, please visit www.citypass.com/city/atlanta.

Services for Persons with Special Needs

The High offers guided tours to groups with sight, hearing or physical disabilities. For additional information or to request a tour, call the Museum’s Education Department at 404-733-4468 at least three weeks in advance. The TTD number is 404-733-4465.

Membership at the High:

All General Member Levels Enjoy:

Unlimited free admission to the Museum collections, special exhibitions and Friday Jazz

Invitations to members-only previews and events

Special discounts on Museum lectures and programs and selected Alliance Theatre and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performances and discounts in the Museum Shop, Café and Table 1280 Restaurant & Tapas Lounge.

For more information on membership at the High, visit www.High.org/join/membership or contact Member Services at 404-733-4575 or hmamem@woodruffcenter.org.

PRESS RELEASE
June 14, 2008

For more information:
Contact McCall Mastroianni at
Melissa Libby & Associates,
404-816-3068 or
mccall@melissalibbypr.com

"POP!" GOES WOLF MOUNTAIN: LOCAL WINERY RELEASES NEW SPARKLING WINE
First Winery in Georgia to Use the Traditional "Methode Champenoise" for Production

ATLANTA (May 23, 2008) - On June 14, Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery in Dahlonega, Georgia, will release three new sparkling wines that are created using the traditional Methode Champenoise, which is the "French Method" used in Champagne and involves several distinct steps. The winery, the first in Georgia to use this method in fine sparkling wine production, is also proud to announce that every aspect of the manufacturing process is done by hand, which will keep production very limited; 50 cases each of the Brut Rose and Sparkling Demi-Sec (both $23.95 per bottle) and 150 cases of the Blanc de Blancs Brut, the winery's flagship sparkling wine ($19.95), will be released this year. This first release of sparkling wines will only be available at the Winery.

"Because I enjoy sparkling wine so much, I was curious to learn more about the details of the traditional Champagne Method, then it became a challenge," says Karl Boegner, owner and winemaker of Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery. "We began the hand process a year and a half ago, and I wouldn't do it any other way. Wolf Mountain is about quality and handcrafted wines."

Karl began the research process by visiting Champagne houses in California as well as in Epernay and Reims, France. He studied the styles and techniques of these estates in order to incorporate the same exceptional methods into Wolf Mountain's production to achieve the quality of prestigious producers while still maintaining a local, distinctive character.

The process begins by creating a still wine with low alcohol, delicate flavors and lots of acidity - creating the cuvée. Then yeast and nutrients are added to cause fermentation in the bottle. This mixture is then bottled and sealed. When fermentation is complete and the yeast settles after several months, known as the tirage, the winemaker gets the dead yeast cells to collect in the neck of the bottle by placing the bottles upside down in a rack and turning each bottle by hand one quarter turn every day for two months (a process known as riddling). The sediment is frozen in the neck and then popped out of the bottle when the cap is removed with a small tool; this step is called disgorging. From here, dosage trials are used to adjust the sweetness and acidity. Once the right flavor is achieved, the Winery uses the dosage machine, which was imported from Spain, in order to get the correct flavors precisely added. The sparkling wine is then capped. Wolf Mountain uses a crown cap method instead of a cork, following in the footsteps of Domaine Chandon's Étoile flagship sparkling wine. The crown cap is then dipped in black wax, giving the bottle an elegant and mysterious appearance.

"I think it brings to the winery a certain elegance to produce sparkling wine," says Brannon Boegner, Karl's son and vineyard manager and assistant winemaker at Wolf Mountain. "It completes our family of wines and gives guests and consumers the full experience."

Karl and Brannon spent most of their research and production time on dosage trials, doing about 15 per sparkling wine. On May 19, Karl guided local food and wine professionals through a tour of the facility and a tasting of Blanc de Blancs, Brut, Brut Rose, and Sparkling Demi-Sec. This select panel assisted in identifying the final dosage options for Georgia's first sparkling wine.

"Winemaking is an art form," says Brannon. "We established ourselves in 1999, and now, nine years later, we've become much more refined. "I'm excited to see our sparkling wine evolve in the same way as we continue to refine the production process."

Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery will offer their new sparkling wines as part of their winery tasting experience. Guests will be given the option of tasting the Winery's sparkling wines for $10 per person, a flight of red and wine award winning still wines for $10 per person, or $15 for those who would like to try flights of all three. Winery Tastings are available Thursday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Come August, the Winery will also celebrate the signing of Georgia's direct shipping law, which goes into effect on July 1, 2008 and allows Georgia wineries to ship their products to Georgia residents of legal drinking age, by offering the first shipment of the state's premiere sparkling wine made in the traditional method to its Wine Club members along with other exclusive benefits. For more information about the Wine Club or to sign up, visit www.wolfmountainvineyards.com.

Wolf Mountain's philosophy of winemaking is more European than Californian, incorporating French oak aging with an emphasis on blending grape varietals to achieve more complexity. Wolf Mountain wines are produced at the 1,800-foot elevation of the Dahlonega Plateau.

The Boegner family's pastoral hillside vineyards, fieldstone-encased winery and hospitality facilities overlook the foothills of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and offer a wine and food pairing lunch Monday through Saturday followed by an elegant Sunday brunch.

The Vineyard and Winery provides the perfect setting for the enjoyment of award-winning handcrafted wines, vineyard weddings, Sunday brunch, cafe lunch and gourmet dinners. Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery is located at 180 Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega, Georgia.

For more information or to make reservations, call 706-867-9862 or visit www.wolfmountainvineyards.com. Visit the Winery's Facebook product page at www.facebook.com/pages/Wolf-Mountain-Vineyards-Winery/26198040303.

Around Back at Rocky's Place announces the 3rd Annual "Folk Art Family Reunion," featuring works by 200+ folk artists, potters, wood carvers, and metal sculptors!

Come meet Cher Shaffer, Cornbread, Billy Roper, Blacktop, Cuz, and Bird just to name a few on Saturday, June 28th and Sunday, June 29th, 2008 10a.m. till 6p.m.

Rain or Shine! At 3631 Hwy 53 East at Etowah River Road, Dawsonville, GA 30534 706-265-6030

For more information and directions www.aroundbackatrockysplace.com

ADOPT-A-RAPTOR AT CALLAWAY GARDENS^®

A unique way for an individual or organization to make a difference!

PINE MOUNTAIN, GA (6/25/08) – Dedicated to reconnecting man and nature, Callaway Gardens^®offers the Adopt-A-Raptor program to provide support for the survival of our feathered friends.

Participants can sponsor the food, training, husbandry and housing of one of our resident raptors. Help support the care of Woodward the bald eagle, a crowd favorite at the Birds of Prey show whose beak deformity prevents him from eating properly in the wild. Also available for adoption are Winston, the eastern screech owl, Vinnie the black vulture and many more raptor ambassadors.

While our eleven resident raptors cannot survive in the wild, the Birds of Prey show at Callaway Gardens allow nature’s feathered ambassadors to provide priceless contributions by teaching visitors the importance of preserving our environment. The Birds of Prey show is available to guests three times each day (depending upon the weather) with the cost of regular garden admission. All of Callaway Gardens’ raptors are presented with the permission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Adoption fees range from $50 to $500 per year. Each adoption package includes a certificate of adoption as well as a photo of the sponsored bird and its life history. Adoptions also make unique gifts and are an exciting way for a business or organization to make a difference.

To complete an adoption simply visit www.callawaygardens.org. For additional information, call 706-663-5096, 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) ext. 5096 or email development@callawaygardens.org. Begin supporting a Callaway Gardens bird of prey today!

Callaway Gardens^®, a premier travel and meeting destination in the South, is owned by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation™ (ICCF). Within the 13,000 acres of Callaway Gardens is a resort, nature preserve, residential community, almost 100,000 square feet of meeting space, 931 guest rooms, restaurants, shops, golf, tennis, fishing, shooting club, gardens, butterfly conservatory, horticultural center, chapel, inland beach, nature trails, and many more exciting attractions. For more than 50 years Callaway Gardens has provided “a place of relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world” for millions of visitors. Callaway Gardens is committed to its mission of environmental education and land stewardship for the benefit of future generations.

Callaway Gardens^® is in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus. To experience Mother Nature at its finest, call 1-800-CALLAWAY or visit www.callawaygardens.com.

###

Rachel M. Crumbley, Media & Public Relations

Callaway Gardens

706-663-5187 (desk)

706-663-5068 (fax)

rcrumbley@callawaygardens.com

www.callawaygardens.com (Includes Media Room with Image Gallery)

Mailing Address: PO Box 2000, Pine Mountain, GA 31822-2000

Shipping Address: 205 North Cherry Avenue, Pine Mountain, GA 31822

PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITIONS

August 2008

Please note that information in this calendar is the most accurate to date.

Information can be changed or added at the Museum’s discretion.

To confirm information, please call 404-733-4437 or email prinfo@woodruffcenter.org.

CALENDAR INFORMATION

Special Exhibitions
Special Events & Lectures
Family Programming
General Visitor Information

MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS

Exhibition Closing: “Young Americans: Photographs by Sheila Pree Bright” August 10

Exhibition Closing: “Street Life: American Photographs from the 1960s and ’70s” August 10

Talk & Talk Back Gallery Discussions, Thursday, August 7, 6:30 p.m.,

Second Sundays Family Performances, August 10– “The Education of a Harvard Guy” by John Perdew, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.,

This one-man play, with songs performed by members of the Albany Freedom Singers, pays tribute to what he and thousands of unsung heroes have done to fight for democracy in America.

Friday Jazz: Victor Goines Quartet, Friday August 15, 5 to 10 p.m.

Talk & Talk Back Gallery Discussions, Thursday, August 21, 6:30 p.m., Special Exhibition Galleries, Wieland Pavilion

Join Nadine Robinson, one of the “After 1968” artists, for a gallery discussion focusing on her use of minimalist aesthetics, sound, and scale in her powerful large-scale installation work.

Special EXHIBITIONS

Young Americans: Photographs by Sheila Pree Bright

Through August 10, 2008

This dynamic new body of work by Atlanta-based photographer Sheila Pree Bright will debut at the High Museum of Art in May 2008. “Young Americans” is a portraiture project exploring the attitudes and opinions of young Americans (18–25 years old) toward their nation and their identity as Americans. Individual relationships to the nation as a whole are of increasing relevance as political engagement comes to the foreground in the 2008 election year. The themes explored in “Young Americans” also echo those of the Civil Rights Era, as examined in “Road to Freedom: 1956–1968” and “After 1968: Contemporary Artists and the Civil Rights Legacy,” which will be on view simultaneously beginning June 7.

“Young Americans: Photographs by Sheila Pree Bright” is organized by the High Museum of Art with generous support from the AETNA Foundation

Street Life: American Photographs from the 1960s and ’70s

Through August 10, 2008

This permanent collection exhibition features photographs by Garry Winogrand, Danny Lyon, Susan Meiselas and Dennis Carlyle Darling made in America in the 1960s and 1970s. The exhibition comprises three well-known photographic essays created between the years of 1963 and 1975—Winogrand’s Women Are Beautiful, Lyon’s The Bikeriders and Meiselas’s Carnival Strippers—as well as a series of portraits of Chicago motorcycle gangs by Dennis Carlyle Darling never before displayed at the High. Each body of work examines social groups living on the fringes of mainstream culture during the critical decades in American history that witnessed the Women’s Liberation Movement, anti–Vietnam War demonstrations and the emergence of the American counterculture.

“Street Life: American Photographs from the 1960s and ’70s” is organized by the High Museum of Art. This exhibition is made possible with generous support from W Atlanta Midtown.

Louvre Atlanta: Houdon at the Louvre: Masterworks of the Enlightenment

Through September 7, 2008

“Houdon at the Louvre: Masterworks of the Enlightenment” will present the work of Jean-Antoine Houdon, a major artist of the French Enlightenment whose portraiture depicted some of the prominent intellectual and political figures of the time. The exhibition will feature approximately 20 works portraying intellectual and political leaders, including famous busts of Denis Diderot and François-Marie Arouet Voltaire, portraits of American Founding Fathers George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and well-known portraits of Houdon’s wife and children. The Louvre Museum possesses the largest and most important collection of the works of Jean-Antoine Houdon, and this presentation in Atlanta will enable the first-time publication of a complete catalogue, in both French and English versions, of the Louvre’s unequalled holdings of Houdon.

Lead patronage for the project has been provided by longtime Board Member Anne Cox Chambers. Accenture is the Presenting Partner. UPS, Turner Broadcasting Corporation, the Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines and AXA Art Insurance are Lead Corporate Partners for “Louvre Atlanta.” The Foundation Partner is The Sara Giles Moore Foundation. Additional support has been provided by Forward Arts Foundation, Frances B. Bunzl and Tull Charitable Foundation. The Rich Foundation serves as Planning Partner for the project. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Louvre Atlanta: The Louvre and the Ancient World

Through September 7, 2008

This exhibition features masterpieces from the founding cultures of Western civilization and includes more than 70 works from the Louvre’s unparalleled Egyptian, Near Eastern and Greco-Roman antiquities collections. Showcasing works dating from the third millennium BC through the third century AD, the exhibition examines the rise of the museum and its collections of antiquities under Napoleon, the discoveries and decipherment of hieroglyphs and cuneiform and the Louvre’s leading role in excavating the cradle of civilization at the end of the 19th century and during the 20th century. A special installation showcases the colossal ten-foot-long “Tiber”—one of the largest sculptures in the Louvre’s collections. The statue, which has not left the museum since it was acquired in 1804, personifies the river Tiber, Rome’s main trade artery.

Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956–1968

Through October 5, 2008
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, “Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956–1968” is the most significant art museum exhibition devoted to the photography of the Civil Rights Movement in more than two decades. Comprising approximately 200 photographs, many of which have never been on public display, “Road to Freedom” will be drawn primarily from the High’s permanent collection, which contains one of the most comprehensive holdings of Civil Rights–era photography in the country. “Road to Freedom” includes unforgettable images that changed a nation, increasing the momentum of the nonviolent movement by raising awareness of injustice and the struggle for equality in the United States.

“Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956–1968” is organized by the High Museum of Art. This exhibition is supported by Sandra Anderson Baccus, The Atlanta Foundation, The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, Toyota, American Express, Turner Broadcasting and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

After 1968: Contemporary Artists and the Civil Rights Legacy

Through October 5, 2008

The High Museum of Art will premiere newly commissioned and recent works inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and its ongoing relevance from seven emerging artists and collectives. “After 1968: Contemporary Artists and the Civil Rights Legacy” will present painting, sculpture, photography, video, sound and light works by Deborah Grant, Leslie Hewitt, Adam Pendleton, Jefferson Pinder, Nadine Robinson, Hank Willis Thomas and Otabenga Jones & Associates. The exhibition will examine the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement while exploring the continuing relevance of progressive social change. Some of the work included in “After 1968” will be acquired by the High Museum of Art for its collection.

“After 1968: Contemporary Artists and the Civil Rights Legacy” is organized by the High Museum of Art. This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, American Express and Turner Broadcasting.

SPECIAL EVENTS & LECTURES

Fulton County Free Saturday

Saturday, August 2

On the first Saturday of every month, the High Museum of Art welcomes Fulton County residents to the Museum for free. Fulton County residents who show proof of residency may view our current exhibitions as well as the Permanent Collection.

Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of Fulton County Arts Council.

Talk & Talk Back Gallery Discussion: Tanya Mitchell

Thursday, August 7, 6:30 p.m., Special Exhibition Galleries, Wieland Pavilion

Join community activist and spoken word poet Tanya Cecelia Mitchell as she shares the voices of some of her favorite African American poets including Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Kahlil Gibran and others. Miss Mitchell is active in the Atlanta community, founder of the Southside African American Cultural Awareness Center, and spoken word poet. She has performed for a variety of groups including the City of Atlanta; Georgia State University during the Photographic Essay of the Civil Rights Era, photographed by Dr. Doris Derby; the studio of world-renowned designer, Jimi King; Mount Vernon Baptist Church’s Women’s Day Tea; Studio 281; the Lounge in Stone Mountain and the Renaissance Concourse Hotel in College Park, Georgia.

Free with museum admission and free to members

Talk & Talk Back Gallery Discussion: Nadine Robinson

Thursday, August 21, 6:30 p.m., Special Exhibition Galleries, Wieland Pavilion

Join Nadine Robinson for a gallery discussion focusing on her use of minimalist aesthetics, sound, and scale in her powerful large-scale installation work.

Nadine Robinson, born 1968 presents artwork situated at the crossroads of the white modernist canon (her personal icons include Robert Ryman, painter of manifestly “white” canvasses) and the African American contemporary aesthetic. She works in a sleek, minimalist vocabulary, combining appropriated music and sounds, DJ equipment and unconventional materials. Her large-scale installations reflect social, cultural and historical politics and are informed by an array of influences from Christianity to Rastafarians to hip-hop culture. Her work often speaks to the disconnection between Western and non-Western culture, the past and the present, and art and popular culture.

Free with museum admission and free to members

Art in the City: Thursday Nights at the High

August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; 5 to 8 p.m.

Relax and rejuvenate at the High after work! The Museum offers extended hours every Thursday until 8 p.m. including events such as guided tours, lectures, gallery talks, music, wine-tastings, book-signings, and more. This is a great way to see special exhibitions and avoid the weekend crowds. A guided tour of Permanent Collection highlights is offered at 6:30 p.m.

Free with museum admission and free to members

Friday Jazz: Victor Goines Quartet

Friday August 15, 5 to 10 p.m.

The Victor Goines Quartet joins the High for August’s Friday Jazz. Clarinetist, saxophonist and educator, Victor L. Goines is Juilliard’s first Director of Jazz Studies, and conductor of the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. Mr. Goines has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Septet since 1993. He is an acclaimed solo artist and leads his own quartet and quintet. Held on the third Friday of every month, Friday Jazz includes live musical performances, art-making activities and gallery tours. During Friday Jazz, a live model—in costume—will be positioned in the galleries for patrons and visitors to see and capture with pencil and paper. The model will be positioned for short-term poses, ideal for gesture drawing and quick sketches. Pencils, paper and drawing boards will be provided.

Media partner is WJZZ Smooth Jazz 107.5.

Free with museum admission and free to members. Food and drink available for purchase.

HIGHlights Tour

Tuesday–Sunday, 1 p.m.; Thursday 6:30 p.m.

Get to know the new High! All tours are guided. Meet in the Wieland Pavilion Lobby.

No registration required. Free with museum admission and free to members.

FAMILY PROGRAMMING

Toddler Thursdays

August 7, 14, 21, 28; Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Greene Family Education Center

Experience this popular pre-school art education program! Parents and their children ages 2 to 4 are encouraged to look at works of art within the Museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collections as well as to create a masterpiece to take home. Drop by any time and stay as long as you like. A treat for parents and toddlers! No registration required.

ANNUAL FLY FISHING SHOW RETURNS TO CALLAWAY GARDENS

Great Opportunity to Learn the Sport of Fly Fishing Regardless of Skill Level

PINE MOUNTAIN, GA (3/3/08) – For those who’ve pondered fly fishing in Georgia with questions like, “Would I like it?” “Could I even do it?” and “How in the world would I get started?” Callaway Gardens will offer the perfect time and place to try it out. For the fourth year in a row, Callaway is hosting one of the nation’s premier fly fishing events as the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) Southeastern Council Conclave returns May 29-31, 2008.

Promising to be bigger and better than ever, this event offers the perfect environment for aspiring, novice and expert fly fishers to learn the basics or expand their knowledge of the sport at an affordable cost. Attendees need not be members of the FFF. In fact, non-members are encouraged to attend. Registration for the entire weekend is only $20 per person. Some programs will carry additional fees – you won’t want to miss this exciting fly fishing event!

Participate in free casting clinics conducted by FFF certified fly fishing instructors. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced caster, skills can be honed while having fun. There will be workshops and programs taught by regionally, nationally and internationally known experts who are passionate about their sport and the outdoors, including “celebrities” of the sport like Lefty Kreh and Steve Rajeff. There also will be exhibits by manufacturers, fly shops, and artists; fly tying demos, and a lot of participants who just enjoy sharing their love of fly fishing in Georgia. The Friday night barbecue is reason enough to attend (not included in registration fee).

Featuring some of the best Southeast fly fishing locations for largemouth bass and bluegill, Callaway Gardens is the perfect place for this event. Conclave registration includes opportunities for both free and discounted fishing on select private Callaway lakes at specific times as well as special boat rental rates on Mountain Creek Lake. In addition, a limited number of special conclave priced semi-guided fishing trips will be available on Callaway’s private lakes (Thursday 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.; and Sunday 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.). The cost is $40 per angler; groups are limited to five anglers. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

Besides fishing, there are many other wonderful activities and events that the whole family can enjoy, including special daily programs and clinics about wildlife, trail hiking, ecology, tennis, golf and more.

Participants also can stay overnight at discounted rates. Simply mention the Federation of Fly Fishers Conclave when making a reservation at www.callawaygardens.com or 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292).

For more information about the conclave visit www.fffsec.org or contact Callaway Gardens fishing operations manager and show chair, Carl Warmouth, at 1-800-CALLAWAY (ext. 5142) or email fishing@callawaygardens.com.

Callaway Gardens^®, a premier luxury travel and meeting destination in the South, is owned by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation™ (ICCF). Within the 13,000 acres of Callaway Gardens is a luxury Georgia resort and preserve, featuring almost 100,000 square feet of meeting space, 931 guest rooms, restaurants, shops, golf, tennis, fishing, shooting club, gardens, butterfly conservatory, horticultural center, chapel, inland beach, nature trails, and additional attractions. For more than 50 years Callaway Gardens has provided “a place of relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world” for millions of visitors. Callaway Gardens is committed to its mission of environmental education and land stewardship for the benefit of future generations.

Callaway Gardens^®, is in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus. For additional information, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or visit www.callawaygardens.com .

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CELEBRATE SPRING AMONGST ROYALTY AT CALLAWAY GARDENS® WITH “REJUVENATE WITH NATURE” SPA PACKAGE

PINE MOUNTAIN, GA – Now’s the time to visit what Southern Living readers once again voted the top public garden as guests at Callaway Gardens can join the blossoming tulips, azaleas and pansies in renewal with the “Rejuvenate With Nature” Spa Package starting at $417, from March 14 through May 31. The last week in March into the first two weeks in April is the exclusive time where visitors can witness the thousands of blooming azaleas – also known as the “royalty of the garden” – splash the 13,000 acres of Callaway Gardens with scarlet, purple and fuchsia, marking the beginning of Spring Celebration. Guests enjoy a series of activities, workshops, seminars and events surrounded by the sights and sounds of spring, from 20,000 vibrant azaleas in the azalea gardens to the fluttering wings of 1,000 butterflies at the Day Butterfly Center. With balconies overlooking beds of the season’s flora, guests enjoy the luxuries of the Lodge and Spa with the simple touches of Mother Nature and celebrate spring in ultimate comfort.

“Rejuvenate With Nature” Spa Package

March 14 Through May 31, 2008

Starting at $417/room/night

*Accommodations at the luxury Lodge and Spa

* 20% off recreation*

* $200 Spa Credit

* Gardens admission including Day Butterfly Center, Sibley Horticultural Center, Birds of Prey Show

* Use of the Lodge and Spa Fitness Center including the sauna, steam room, all-season outdoor pool and whirlpool spas

(Recreation includes hourly bike rentals, tennis court fees, fishing boat, canoe rental, equipment rentals, targets for skeet, trap, 5-stand and sporting clays.

Based upon availability. Other restrictions and black out dates may apply. Taxes and gratuities not included. No cash value on Spa Credit and Recreation.)

“Spring Celebration” Package

March 22 Through April 20, 2008

Starting at $139/room/night

* Accommodations**

* Breakfast for two adults per night of stay

* Gardens admission including Day Butterfly Center, Sibley Horticultural Center, Birds of Prey Show

* Use of Mountain Creek Inn Fitness Center

(Based upon availability. Other restrictions and black out dates may apply. Taxes and gratuities not included.)

Callaway Gardens is the perfect place to soak up the colors of spring by hiking or biking through the 14 miles of nature and discovery trails accented with serpentine bridges over meandering creeks to walking amidst the world’s largest concentration of azaleas in the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl. Inspiration seekers are welcomed by Callaway’s finest horticulturists available for answering questions about the more than 20,000 azaleas blooming while butterfly experts at the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center help inquisitive minds unravel the mystery of the butterfly’s transformation.

Guests “ring in the spring” with rejuvenation at Spa Prunifolia by experiencing custom-prepared spa treatments crafted from flowers, plants, fruits, herbs and other minerals signature to the season.

Spring Celebration activities begin March 22 and continue for five sensational themed-weekends. The unveiling of the Sibley Horticultural Center’s annual Easter topiary display and the search for colorful candy eggs during the Easter Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt kick off the celebration Easter weekend. Gardening earns the spotlight March 27-April 4 during the All About Gardening Week, featuring nurserymen from around the Southeast offering plants for the home landscape unique to the South and renowned experts providing the latest tips for gardening success. Geo-cachers discover hidden tokens during the third weekend’s Explore the Gardens, highlighting the increasingly popular sport of Geo-caching, an outdoor treasure-hunting game where participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek “caches” in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Guests visiting the fourth weekend enjoy Music in the Gardens as each attraction experience is enhanced with the sounds of nature and musicians performing throughout the Gardens. Earth takes the stage the following weekend during Earth Day Everyday with festivities concluding by honoring Arbor Day as visitors reflect on the beauty of and their appreciation for the surrounding trees while playing golf on the two golf courses or the new Twin Oaks Golf Complex or hiking the nature trails.

During this “Spring Celebration” season, Callaway Gardens unlocks the gate to an innocent world blooming with year-round gardens, untouched nature trails, butterfly habitats and childhood dreams. To experience Mother Nature at its finest call 1-800-CALLAWAY or visit www.callawaygardens.com.

###

**Starting rate is for the Mountain Creek Inn, but guests can choose to stay at the comfortable cottages or the accommodating villas nestled in the woodlands. Additionally, visitors now have the option to stay in the recently opened Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens. This 150-room facility adds a new era of luxury to Callaway Gardens and offers the full-service Spa Prunifolia.

In January 2005, Noble Investment Group (Noble) was selected by the ICCF to use their management expertise to oversee the day-to-day operations of Callaway. Noble Investment Group sponsors a series of private equity real estate funds and is an integrated operating and development organization that specializes in making value-added investments in hotels and resorts throughout North America.

An award winning operator of more than 8,000 hotel and resort guest rooms, convention and conference centers with approximately 1,000,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, as well as championship golf, day and resort spa’s, upscale restaurants, and branded retail coffee stores, Noble and its predecessors have realized superior risk-adjusted returns while acquiring and developing nearly $2 billion in lodging and hospitality assets.

Noble’s current discretionary private equity fund represents $310 million of equity commitments and the organization expects to invest more than $1 billion in assets during the next two years. www.nobleinvestment.com.

For More Media Information:

Jamie Myette/Kerry Anne Watson

The Zimmerman Agency

850.668.2222

jmyette@zimmerman.com

On-Property Media Contact:

Rachel Crumbley

Callaway Gardens

706.663.5187

rcrumbley@callawaygardens.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIGH MUSEUM ATLANTA WINE AUCTION RANKED NUMBER FIVE NATIONALLY BY WINE SPECTATOR

Top 10 U.S. Charity Wine Auctions Announced in March 31 Issue

ATLANTA, March 10, 2008 – The High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction has been named fifth in a national ranking of the Top 10 charity wine auctions in the United States by

Wine Spectator Magazine in its March 31, 2008, issue. Each year,

Wine Spectator gathers information on charity auctions throughout the country and ranks its Top 10. In 2007, the results of 40 charity wine auctions were tracked to compile the rankings.

The 2007 High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction set records as the most successful live auction in its 15-year history, bringing in revenues of more than $1.8 million. Combined with silent auction proceeds, a Paddle Raise in support of youth education at the High and record-breaking support from donors, benefactors and corporate sponsors, total event revenues rose to more than $2.2 million (a 27% increase from 2006).

When speaking on the 2007 ranking, Woodie Wisebram, Wine Auction Manager, noted that: “In addition to our number five ranking in the Top 10, our Auction is also the largest charity wine auction in the country that specifically benefits the arts.”

High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction

The High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction kicks off its 16th year, celebrating its anniversary in 2008 with the theme “The Sensational Sixteenth High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction: How Sweet It Is!” Beginning Thursday, March 27, and continuing through Saturday, March 29, 2008, the auction will again raise its trademark big-top tents in Atlantic Station.

The centerpiece of the Auction weekend is the Live Auction, where more than 85 auction lots will be sold this year, including rare and collectible wines, exclusive wine-related trips and dining events and works of art. This year’s auction catalogue can be previewed online at www.atlanta-wineauction.org, which also includes information on sealed and telephone bidding

The 2008 Wine Auction events are organized by co-chairs Liz Lazarus and Joan Marmo. A Trade Tasting and 16 Winemakers Dinners will be held on Thursday, March 27. Events on Friday, March 28, include Premier Tasting Seminars and a Gala Dinner Dance. Saturday, March 29, features the Vintners’ Reception and Live Auction and concludes with The Big Finish event, a wine weekend finale for the next generation co-sponsored by the Museum’s volunteer organization Art Partners.

Founded in 1993, the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction is the largest fundraising event for the High and ranks as the top charity wine auction in the country benefiting the arts, drawing prominent winemakers from the U.S. and around the world. The funds generated by the Wine Auction, which amount to more than $12 million over the last 15 years and $2.2 million in 2007 alone, are a significant contribution to the Museum’s acquisitions, exhibitions and educational programming.

Wine Auction Special Guests

The 2008 High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction Special Guests of Honor are celebrated Burgundy vintner Alex Gambal and California Central Coast winemaker Joseph Davis. Special Guest Chefs for the Gala Dinner include world-renowned Southern Star chefs Gerry Klaskala and Kathryn King of Atlanta’s Aria with Hugh Acheson of Five & Ten and The National in Athens, Georgia; Mike Lata of FIG in Charleston, South Carolina; and Todd Richards of The Oakroom in Louisville, Kentucky. Members of the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA), these chefs exemplify the SFA mission to document and celebrate the diverse food cultures of the American South. Austin Hope, winemaker for his family’s Treana Winery and for his own Austin Hope Winery, will serve as Special Guest for The Big Finish.

Wine Auction Support

The 2008 High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction is made possible through the generous support of the exclusive Presenting Sponsor, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Premier Corporate Sponsors include

Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles magazine, Geographics, Wachovia Wealth Management, KPMG, Montaluce and The Streets of Buckhead/Ben Carter Properties. Delta Air Lines is the official airline. Atlanta Area Lexus Dealers are the automobile sponsor. Media partners include

Flavors,

Restaurant Forum,

and

Skirt! magazines. Atlantic Station is the Site Sponsor.

High Museum of Art

The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. With more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High Museum of Art has an extensive anthology of 19^th- and 20^th-century American art; significant holdings of European paintings and decorative art; a growing collection of African American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography and African art. The High is also dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists and is distinguished as the only major museum in North America to have a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of folk and self-taught art. The High’s Media Arts department produces acclaimed annual film series and festivals of foreign, independent and classic cinema. In November 2005, the High opened three new buildings by architect Renzo Piano that more than doubled the Museum’s size, creating a vibrant “village for the arts” at the Woodruff Arts Center in midtown Atlanta.

For more information about the High, please visit www.High.org.

The Woodruff Arts Center

The Woodruff Arts Center is the largest arts center in the Southeast as well as one of the four largest in the nation. The Woodruff is unique in that it combines five visual and performing arts divisions on one campus as one not-for-profit organization. Founded in 1968, the Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14^th Street Playhouse.

# # #

Take a Hip Road Trip to Athens, Georgia this Spring.

Athens, Georgia (March 17, 2008) --- Athens is preparing for the year's largest annual events and festivals. Each weekend between March 28 and May 4 will feature a slate of exciting happenings, starting with performing and visual arts throughout town during Arts Unleashed. Bulldog fans will be out in force April 5 for G - Day spring football, and the UGA International Street Festival follows on April 12. Robert Osborne and special guests take center stage during four days of classic films April 10-13. More sports are in store in April as the Nationwide Golf Tour hits town April 14-20, followed by top professional cycling teams for the Athens Twilight Criterium April 25-26. Special events continue into May, with the Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation's Spring Tour of Homes (May 2-4) and the Athens Human Rights Festival (May 3-4). Complete travel and events information, plus special offers and
online hotel reservations are all available at the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau's (CVB) website,

VisitAthensGA.com/spring.
Or contact the CVB at 706.357.4430, toll free 800.653.0603.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL FILM SERIES BRING ITALIAN FILMMAKING, FRENCH CLASSICS TO THE HIGH

April 3–6: Italian Film Festival

April 10–24: French Film Yesterday and Today

ATLANTA, March 17, 2008 – Two upcoming film series are bringing the best of western European cinema to the High in April—the Italian Film Festival and French Film Yesterday and Today. Eleven films make up the two series. Many have won international awards, and some have never before been shown in Atlanta. Running concurrently with the Italian Film Festival is a small exhibition of landscape photographs by Italian Ambassador Marco Rocca. About 20 photographs will be on view in Gallery 100, directly across from the Rich Theatre in the Memorial Arts Building.

“It has been increasingly difficult for lovers of Italian cinema to see new movies, as fewer and fewer films receive theatrical distribution in the U.S. Through this partnership with Miami’s Italian Film Festival, Atlanta audiences will be able to get a taste of some of the newest and best-received films coming out of Italy right now,” said Linda Dubler, the High’s curator of Media Arts. “It’s a great opportunity to share these films in addition to the acclaimed French films we would also present during these two April series.”

Italian Film Festival

The series begins on Thursday, April 3, with “The Days of Abandonment.” Olga, played by four-time Davide di Donatello–winner Margherita Buy, hits rock bottom when her professor husband leaves her for one of his students. “Days” follows Olga as she swims through her depression. Deborah Young praised the lead actress in her “Variety” review of the film, saying “this is more or less a one-woman show, and Buy rises to the occasion with surprising force.”

On Friday, April 4, at 7 p.m., the Italian Film Festival brings “One Out of Two” to the screen, a film in which an unlikely pair, upscale lawyer Lorenzo and truck-driver Giovanni, search for authentic life. When Lorenzo finds out he may have a malignant brain tumor, he is too nervous to sit idly in his hospital bed and await the results of his biopsy. Instead, he embarks on a journey to Umbria in search of Giovanni’s estranged daughter, hoping to bring the two back together.

“Manual of Love 2,” on Friday, April 4, at 9 p.m., is Giovanni Veronesi’s sequel to his first “Manual of Love,” which presents four new episodes of love lost, found and frustrated. Monica Bellucci stars in the first segment as a physical therapist on whom patient Nicola develops a crush. Additional segments follow a couple seeking infertility treatment, a gay couple trying to marry and an older married man who falls for his maid.

“Sorry You Can’t Get Through” will be shown on Saturday, April 5, at 6 p.m. Walter, an elderly trickster, reads that for every retired person, there is another person toiling away in the workforce. He decides that this means he must find his counterpart and become a sort of guardian angel. With the help of his friend Sara, he befriends the shy Piero and teaches him how to live.

At 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, “The Fever” focuses on Mario, a bored accountant who dreams of opening a nightclub. When he takes a well-paying position in the mayor’s office, he realizes that he needs to make a decision about whether he would rather fulfill his obligations or his hopes and dreams. This film about self-discovery features what Duane Byrge of the “Hollywood Reporter” called “smartly scoped compositions” and “flavorful” art direction.

The final day of the festival, Sunday, April 6, brings “What Will Become of Us,” a coming-of-age story about Matteo, Manuel and Paolo. They have just finished their high-school exams and are walking the line between childhood and adulthood, spending their final summer vacation in Greece. The film won awards in Italy, Egypt and Denmark in 2004 and 2005.

The Italian Film Festival closes on Sunday, April 6, at 7 p.m. with “Letters from the Sahara.” The film won the Award of Rome for Best Film at the 2006 Venice Film Festival and was subsequently shown at festivals from São Paolo to Jerusalem. “Letters” follows Assane on his journey from Senegal to Italy, where he faces hardships that are lessened when he meets and falls in love with a social worker named Caterina.

For additional information including film descriptions and running times please visit www.cinemaitaly.com

French Film Yesterday and Today begins on Thursday, April 10, with “La Moustache,” in which a successful architect loses his grasp on reality as result of a triviality: he shaves his mustache, but his wife doesn’t perceive a difference. Kevin Thomas of the “L.A. Times” called this witty psychological mystery “a deliciously unsettling, beautifully sustained film of much beauty and flawless performances.”

The second film in the series is “Forever,” showing on Friday, April 11. This documentary centers on Paris’s Père Lachaise cemetery, where Jim Morrison, Proust, Modigliani, Chopin and other famed artists are interred. With generosity and warmth, Dutch director Heddy Honigmann records her encounters with pilgrims to the famed resting place and locals who tend the plots of their loved ones.

“Gabrielle,” an elegant, chilly chamber drama, will be shown on Friday, April 18. Directed by Patrice Chereau and starring Isabelle Huppert, the film takes place in 1912 Paris at the home of a seemingly perfect couple. Despite their wealth, sophistication and famous weekly salon, Jean and Gabrielle’s marriage is empty due to Jean’s iciness and distaste for emotion. When Gabrielle inevitably strays, he discovers that while he never believed in love, he may not be able to live without it.

The series closes on Thursday, April 24, with a new print of François Truffaut’s 1962 film “Jules and Jim.” Set between the First and Second World Wars, the film follows two artist friends who are in love with the same woman—the wild and ravishing Catherine (Jeanne Moreau). As their lives go on, their relationships change, but their friendships remain strong. The film garnered best director and best film awards at multiple festivals.

Film Series Schedule

All films are screened in the Richard H. Rich Theatre, located in the Memorial Arts Building, adjacent to the High at Peachtree and 15^th Streets in midtown Atlanta. All Italian Film Festival features are in Italian with English subtitles. French Film Yesterday and Today films will be shown in French with English subtitles unless otherwise noted.

Italian Film Festival

“The Days of Abandonment”

Thursday, April 3

7:30 p.m., Rich Theatre

(Italy, 2005, 96 minutes)

“One of Two”

Friday, April 4

7 p.m., Rich Theatre

(Italy, 2006, 100 minutes)

“Manual of Love 2”

Friday, April 4

9 p.m., Rich Theatre

(Italy, 2007, 105 minutes)

“Sorry You Can’t Get Through”

Saturday, April 5

6 p.m., Rich Theatre

(Italy, 2005, 98 minutes)

“The Fever”

Saturday, April 5

8 p.m., Rich Theatre
(Italy, 2005, 108 minutes)

“What Will Become of Us”

Sunday, April 6

5 p.m., Rich Theatre

(Italy, 2004, 100 minutes)

“Letters from the Sahara”

Sunday, April 6

7 p.m., Rich Theatre

(Italy, 2006, 100 minutes)

French Film Yesterday and Today

“La Moustache”

Thursday, April 10, and Saturday, April 12

8 p.m., Rich Theatre

(France, 2005, 87 minutes)

In French, English and Cantonese with subtitles.

“Forever”

Friday, April 11

8 p.m., Rich Theatre

(Netherlands, 2006, 95 minutes)

“Gabrielle”

Friday, April 18

8 p.m., Rich Theatre

(France, Germany, Italy, 2005, 90 minutes)

“Jules and Jim”

Thursday, April 24, and Saturday, April 26

8 p.m., Rich Theatre

(France, 1962, 105 minutes)

In French, German and English with subtitles.

Support

The Italian Film Festival at the High Museum of Art is presented in conjunction with the Miami-based Italian Film Festival. French Film Yesterday and Today is an annual program made possible with support from the Embassy of France Cultural Services and the Consulate of France in Atlanta. 35mm projection facilities in the Rich Auditorium were provided by a gift from George Lefont.

Tickets

$5 for the public and $4 for Museum members, students and seniors. Patron-level members enter free. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at

www.High.org, by visiting the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office or by calling 404-733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the door on the night of the screening. Phone and internet orders will incur a $1-per-ticket service fee.

The public may call the High’s film hotline at 404-733-4570 for up-to-the-minute information about visiting directors, receptions, changes or cancellations and for a free subscription to the quarterly film calendar. The Museum’s website is

www.High.org.

Special Ticketing for Italian Film Festival

Additional information can be found at www.cinemaitaly.com. Tickets for each film during this special event are $10 general admission; $8 students, seniors and Museum members, including Patron-level members.

High Museum of Art

The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. With more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High Museum of Art has an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American and decorative art; significant holdings of European paintings; a growing collection of African American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography and African art. The High is also dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists and is distinguished as the only major museum in North America to have a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of folk and self-taught art. The High’s Media Arts department produces acclaimed annual film series and festivals of foreign, independent and classic cinema. In November 2005, the High opened three new buildings by architect Renzo Piano that more than doubled the Museum’s size, creating a vibrant “village for the arts” at the Woodruff Arts Center in midtown Atlanta. In October 2006, the High launched an unprecedented three-year partnership with the Musée du Louvre in Paris to bring hundreds of works of art to Atlanta.

For more information about the High, please visit www.High.org.

The Woodruff Arts Center

# # #

MEDIA ALERT

The High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction will offer 6 vintage photographs for bid – 4 by Ansel Adams and 2 by Pirkle Jones – from

The Story of a Winery series.

Highlights:

In 1963, photographers Ansel Adams and Pirkle Jones made a series of photographs following all aspects wine production called
The Story of a Winery.
This series was part of a Smithsonian Institution exhibition in 1963.
24 of these photographs are on view at the offices of Arnall Golden Gregory, LLP in Atlantic Station, as part of the High’s Wine Auction.
The Wine Auction will offer 6 of these vintage photographs for bid at 2 of its events – the Gala Silent Auction on March 28, and the Live Auction and Silent Auction on March 29
Absentee bidding is available for the 6 photographs up for bid during the live and silent auctions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Atlanta, March 18, 2008 - The High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction will offer 6 vintage photographs for bid – 4 by Ansel Adams and 2 by Pirkle Jones – from

The Story of a Winery series during several events throughout Auction weekend (March 26 – 29, 2008). The exhibition, including these photos, is on view through April 14, 2008, at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP located at 171 17th Street NW, Suite 2100, in Atlantic Station.

In 1963, Pirkle Jones, who for over 60 years chronicled the landscape and people of California, and Ansel Adams, one of the last century’s giants of photography and environmentalism, were invited to make a series of photographs of all aspects of the production of wine as an interpretive picture essay. It was felt that the blend of the old winery and beautiful Saratoga, California, vineyards would provide an excellent presentation of the steps involved in winemaking. The series was first shown by the Smithsonian Institution in 1962. Photographs from this exhibition have been donated to the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction for exhibition and auction, courtesy of Pirkle Jones and Robert Yellowlees with arrangements by Lumiere Gallery.

A selection of twenty-four photographs from the series is on view in Atlantic Station at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, as part of the Wine Auction. Three of the photographs will be up for bid in the Live Auction on the 29^th, one will be offered at the Gala Silent Auction on the 28^th, and two will be up for bid in the Silent Auction on the 29^th. Absentee bidding is available; for details, please visit www.atlanta-wineauction.org.

Pirkle Jones and Ansel Adams

For more than 60 years, photographer Pirkle Jones chronicled the landscape and people of California. His collaborations included major projects with Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, and Minor White as well as his wife, Ruth-Marion Baruch. Jones was one of the first students at the California School of Fine Arts’ photography program initiated by Adams. Jones was a long time friend of Adams, one of the last century’s giants of photography. As one of the most honored photographers in history, Adams received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Both Adams’ and Jones’ work has been exhibited in many of the world’s leading museums and both are the subject of numerous books and scholarly works. Photographed between 1958 and 1962, the images in

The Story of a Winery series represent a collaborative effort between these two master photographers, utilizing a blend of the old winery and beautiful vineyards to provide an excellent presentation of the steps involved in winemaking.

Last November, the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction Co-chairs and select committee members had the honor to visit Pirkle Jones in his striking redwood home in Mill Valley, California. Jones, at the age of 94, is still active in support of the medium to which he has dedicated his life’s work. In California, the group reviewed many of the images in the original series while Jones explained their details and the stories behind them.

High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction

The High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction celebrates its 16^th anniversary with the theme “The Sensational Sixteenth High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction: How Sweet It Is!” Beginning Thursday, March 27, and continuing through Saturday, March 29, 2008, the auction will again raise its trademark big-top tents in Atlantic Station.

Wine Auction Special Guests

Wine Auction Support

The 2008 High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction is made possible through the generous support of the exclusive Presenting Sponsor, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Premier Corporate Sponsors include

Flavors,

Restaurant Forum,

and

Skirt! magazines. Atlantic Station is the Site Sponsor.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Turning Gold into Bronze Is a Golden Opportunity

“Legend of The Smith House Mine”

Awarded 29^th Annual Telly Awards

Dahlonega, GA - 17 March 2008: Competing with over 14,000 national and international entries, the “Legend of The Smith House Mine” DVD video was awarded two bronze Telly Awards this month in both the TV Documentary and Low Budget categories.

Since 1978, The Telly Awards mission has been to strengthen the national and international visual arts community by inspiring, promoting and supporting creativity. The Awards were created to honor the very best local, regional and cable television commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions and work created for the Web.

The winning video was produced by Scott Gray, producer and partner at Video Craft Productions, in Cumming, Ga. “The Legend of The Smith House Mine” documentary DVD features the legend and reality of the gold mine beneath Georgia’s premier family-style restaurant and luxury inn, The Smith House Inn, in Dahlonega, Ga. Dahlonega is the site of the 1828 Gold Rush that brought 15,000 miners to the area.

Contractors for The Smith House discovered the 30-foot-gold mine shaft while making renovations in the dining room two years ago. The mine had apparently been sealed and covered underneath the original house, owned by Capt. Frank Hall, around 1899. The story goes that the city would not allow Hall to dig for gold there for two reasons: the land was too close to the downtown square and Hall was “a Yankee.” It seems that Hall may have been secretively mining for gold in his basement without anyone knowing.

Hall died of typhoid fever in 1901. His widow sold the property in 1916 and after a succession of different ownership, Henry and Bessie Smith purchased the residence in 1922 and converted it to an Inn. In 1942, Mr. Smith sold The Smith House to a prominent attorney from Atlanta named Will Smith. In 1946 the property was purchased by Mr. W.B. Fry. Before Mr. Fry completed his purchase of The Smith House, he sought out Fred and Thelma Welch to operate the restaurant. After 24 years of operating the restaurant, The Welch family purchased the property from the Fry family. Today the Welch family, in their third generation, is credited with developing The Smith House into a Georgia landmark.

The Welch’s have verified that the mine still has valuable unearthed gold ore. Samples removed from the site have been archived and are on display in an area near the mine shaft for all to see. For now, they are content to “make gold” out of the historical significance of their find. In addition to The Smith House, one of Dahlonega’s main attractions continues to be its link to the 1828 Gold Rush that originally put the town “on the map.” Tourists still enjoy visiting the city’s Gold Museum, panning for gold and attending the city’s many annual festivals, especially the Gold Rush Festival in October.

The Smith House family-style diners seem to enjoy knowing that they are seated over one of the abandoned mines once operated in and around the picturesque town square.

To see a trailer of the “Legend of The Smith House Mine” video, visit the link at www.smithhouse.com.

***

FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR AN INTERVIEW, CONTACT:

Chris Welch 706.867.7000 - PH

The Smith House MGT Co. 706.864.3070 - FAX

84 South Chestatee Street chrisw@smithhouse.com

Dahlonega GA 30533 www.smithhouse.com

Please join us for our

“Turning & Burning” Kiln Opening

Crocker Pottery

6345 W. County Line Road, Lula GA 30554

Saturday, October 6th, 2007

Pottery sale begins at 11:00 a.m.

(Open hours 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)

Back by popular demand, “Pigs” will be the special feature!

Fresh out of the kiln will be various Flint glazed, Tobacco Spit (Wood Ash) & new Bristol glazed wares. Choose from whimsical face jugs, grape decorated pots, buggy jugs, verse pots, jars, churns, miniatures & much more... Also on hand for sale on this special occasion will be - antique Georgia pottery, Meaders Pottery, Ferguson, Gordy and other area potter’s wares.

Come as you are and bring a friend - We look forward to seeing you!

770-869-3160

folkpots@bellsouth.net

Media Contacts and Photography:
Kim Hatcher

Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites
(404) 657-9855 and kimh@dnr.state.ga.us

Colleen Philbrick
TedCo Worldwide
(912) 604-1950 and colleen@tedcoworldwide.com

****************************

MUSEUM WINE AUCTION KICKS-OFF 16^TH YEAR

The Sensational Sixteenth High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction: How Sweet It Is!

March 27–29, 2008

ATLANTA, September 27, 2007 – The High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction kicks off its 16^th year, celebrating its anniversary in 2008 with the theme “The Sensational Sixteenth High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction: How Sweet It Is!” Beginning Thursday, March 27 and continuing through Saturday, March 29, 2008, the auction will again raise its trademark big-top tents in Atlantic Station. The Wine Auction is the largest fundraising event for the High Museum, and proceeds from the Auction are a vital part of the Museum’s acquisition, exhibition and education plan.

“We are proud to be the largest charity wine auction in the country benefiting the arts, bringing international awareness to the Museum and helping to make possible special exhibitions as well as dynamic youth education programs at the High,” says Woodie Wisebram, Wine Auction Manager. “With prominent winemakers and chefs once again onboard, we look forward to offering our bidders an amazing array of wines, art, and exclusive trips and dining events at Atlanta’s favorite wine-and-food fête.”

The 2008 Wine Auction events will be organized by co-chairs Liz Lazarus and Joan Marmo. A Trade Tasting and 16 Winemakers Dinners will be held on Thursday, March 27. Events on Friday, March 28, include Premier Tasting Seminars and a Gala Dinner Dance. Saturday, March 29, features the Vintners’ Reception and Live Auction and concludes with The Big Finish event, a wine weekend finale for the next generation co-sponsored by the Museum’s volunteer organization Art Partners. For more information about specific events, please visit www.atlanta-wineauction.org.

The 2007 High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction set records as the most successful Live Auction in its 15-year history, bringing in revenues of more than $1.8 million. Combined with silent auction proceeds, a Paddle Raise in support of youth education at the High and record-breaking support from donors, benefactors and corporate sponsors, total event revenues rose to more than $2.2 million (a 27% increase from 2006). Last year also marked the Wine Auction’s second time in the Atlantic Station neighborhood, the heart of Atlanta’s cosmopolitan west side and the city’s newest location for community events. The largest fundraising event for the High, the Wine Auction ranks as the top charity wine auction in the country benefiting the arts, drawing prominent winemakers from the U.S. and around the world.

Wine Auction Support

The 2008 High Museum of Art Wine Auction is made possible through the generous support of the exclusive Presenting Sponsor, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Premier Corporate Sponsors for the Wine Auction include “Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles” Magazine, Geographics, Montaluce and Wachovia Wealth Management. Atlantic Station is the Site Sponsor.

High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction

Founded in 1993, the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction is the single largest fundraising event for the High Museum of Art. Year in and year out, it is one of the top charity fundraising events in Atlanta and continues to remain within the top five charity wine auctions in the United States. The funds generated by the Wine Auction, which amount to more than $12 million over the last 15 years and $2.2 million in 2007 alone, are a significant contribution to the Museum’s acquisitions, exhibitions and educational programming.

High Museum of Art

The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. With more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High Museum of Art has an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American and decorative art; significant holdings of European paintings; a growing collection of African American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography and African art. The High is also dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists and is distinguished as the only major museum in North America to have a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of folk and self-taught art. The High’s Media Arts department produces acclaimed annual film series and festivals of foreign, independent and classic cinema. In November 2005 the High opened three new buildings by architect Renzo Piano that more than doubled the Museum’s size, creating a vibrant “village for the arts” at the Woodruff Arts Center in midtown Atlanta. For more information about the High, please visit www.High.org.

The Woodruff Arts Center

The Woodruff Arts Center is the largest arts center in the Southeast as well as one of the four largest in the nation. The Woodruff is unique in that it combines five visual and performing-arts divisions on one campus as one not-for-profit organization. Opened in 1968, the Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14th Street Playhouse.

# # #

Leaf Watch 2007 Coming Soon
Beginning October 1, check www.GeorgiaStateParks.org for weekly fall color updates from Georgia State Park rangers.

*****************************

NORTHERN GEORGIA

Fall Friday Hikes
Fridays, October 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2 - 4 p.m.
Smithgall Woods Conservation Area and Lodge - Helen Van rides to hiking trails make it easy to enjoy hikes in the conservation area. Enjoy a leisurely pace and stops at points of interest on these guided hikes through fall foliage. Register in advance. $3 parking. (706) 878-3087.

Southern Appalachian Mushrooms
Saturday, October 6, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. & 2 - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 27, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. & 2 - 4:30 p.m.
Smithgall Woods Conservation Area and Lodge - Helen Join an educational lecture and slide program on the role of fungi in the environment, basic ID techniques and safety. A guided hike will follow the lecture. Register in advance. $3 parking. (706) 878-3087.

Women's Backpacking Weekend
Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14 Tallulah Gorge State Park - Tallulah Falls Participate in ranger-led activities including outdoor cooking, learning about edible and medicinal plants, and hiking four miles to the campsite. Bring you own backpacking gear, but meals are included.
Register by October 1. Event begins at 10 a.m. on the October 13 and ends at noon on the 14. $40 plus $4 parking. (706) 754-7981.

Quilting Bee Fundraiser
Saturday, October 13, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Unicoi State Park and Lodge - Helen
Quilting demonstrators will show their beautiful works of art, and pieces will be put together for a "Unicoi quilt" donated by Friends of Unicoi to be raffled at the White County Relay for Life 2008. $3 parking. (800) 573-9659 ext. 305.

Fall Celebration
Saturday, October 20, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Smithgall Woods Conservation Area and Lodge - Helen Enjoy the natural beauty of the season with a full day of mountain music, pioneer skill exhibits, traditional craft vendors, hayrides through the park, and apple cider from a hand-cranked press. $3 parking. (706) 878-3087.

Fall Hoedown

Saturday, October 20, 2 - 9 p.m.

Vogel State Park - Blairsville
Celebrate autumn’s arrival with a 2 p.m. cakewalk, 4:30 p.m.
hayrides, 5 p.m. chili and drinks, 6:30 p.m. campfire and dancing, and finally at 8 p.m. a professional storyteller around a bonfire. $3 parking. (706) 745-2628.

Full Moon Suspension Bridge Hike
Thursday, October 25, 6 - 8 p.m.

Tallulah Gorge State Park - Tallulah Falls Enjoy the gorge in the magical, shimmering light of the full moon.
This strenuous hike consists of about 700 steps, and pets are not allowed. Hike will be cancelled if it is raining but not if it cloudy.
Register in advance. $4 parking. (706) 754-7981.

"Wails To Trails" Haunted Hike
Friday, October 26, 7:30 - 9 p.m.

Tallulah Gorge State Park - Tallulah Falls A "spirited" stroll along the Tallulah Falls Railroad bed brings visitors close to characters who were part of this area's history.
Register in advance. $4 parking. (706) 754-7981.
Harvest Happenings
Saturday, October 27, 7 - 9 p.m.

Tugaloo State Park - Lavonia
Come to this lakeside park for a hayride, campfire and storytelling.
$3 parking. (706) 356-4362.
Unicoi Fall Festival
Saturday, October 27, 5 - 9 p.m.

Unicoi State Park and Lodge - Helen
Celebrate fall with hayrides, face painting, costume contests, an Appalachian concert, a costume parade and more. $3 parking. (800)
573-9659 ext. 305.

Cheryl Smith

Regional Tourism Rep, Northeast Georgia Mountains

GA Department of Economic Development

PO Box 3116 * Gainesville, GA 30503

office | 770-535-5757

cell | 678-640-4355

email | csmith@georgia.org

Visit the Northeast Georgia Mountains

www.georgiamountains.org

Put Your Dreams in Motion

www.Georgia.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Stefanie Paupeck

Georgia Department of Economic Development

404-962-4075

spaupeck@georgia.org

October in Georgia is full of Fall foliage, pumpkin patches and corn mazes

A variety of festivals and events for the whole family

ATLANTA, September 19, 2007 – This fall, discover nature’s beauty in Georgia’s cinnamon-colored leaves, blue skies, still black waters and earthy scents. Georgia offers a rare blend of outdoor activities and adventures in picturesque settings that will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. From pristine beaches and world-renown golf courses to mystic mountains and fertile farmlands, Georgia’s diverse and beautiful landscapes offer a world of adventure, history and culture. Visit our historical museums or enjoy unique festivals, pumpkin patches and corn mazes complimented by Georgia’s mild climate and crisp autumn air. Georgia is a getaway rich with experiences and images you will long remember.

You will find a sample of some of Georgia’s most popular October festivals below. Visit www.georgia.org for more information on these festivals and many more happening around the entire state.

Visit Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain for Autumfest at Callaway Gardens to take place October 1 through November 4. Celebrate the beauty and cooling temperatures of the Fall. The autumnal color of the trees, annual beauty of seasonal flowers and the bountiful fall harvest are just a few of the reasons to visit. In addition, each weekend will feature special programs and activities such as hay bale and corn mazes; wagon rides; pioneer crafts; mum displays in many colors; demonstrations; steeplechase race and more. www.callawaygardens.com

What started as a local wager on who cooked the best barbecue has grown to draw over 120 cooking teams with entries of hogs, shoulders, ribs, plus kettles of Brunswick stew, barbecue sauce and barbecued chicken. Spend October 5 and 6 in Vienna at the Annual Big Pig Jig. www.bigpigjig.com

What better way to enjoy fall in Atlanta’s DeKalb County than at Stone Mountain Park’s 5th Annual Pumpkin Festival. The event will take place every weekend in October. In addition to the great fall decorations, the festival will include the Pumpkin Express Train Ride, PumpkinPalooza Live Show, the South’s Largest Talking Pumpkin Tree, Pumpkin Patch, Pumpkin Pie Eating Contests, arts and craft activities and great live entertainment. www.stonemountainpark.com

Oliver Hardy was born in Harlem, Georgia and the city celebrates this hometown comic each year by hosting the Annual Oliver Hardy Festival on October 6. The festival features more than 250 crafters, food vendors, a parade, look-a-like contest and the old Laurel and hardy movies are shown in the theatre inside the Laurel and Hardy Museum in downtown Harlem. www.harlemga.org

Showcasing Georgia's best in country music, zydeco, bluegrass, Latin jazz, and classic rock as well as events such as hot air balloons, wine tasting, micro-cars, boating, paragliding, a "Kids Universe," local cuisine, and auctions make sure to visit the 4th Annual Lake Oconee Music Festival in Madison on October 13 and 14. www.lakeoconeefestivals.com

With its mild temperatures and beautiful scenery there is no better place to be than the North Georgia Mountains in the fall. Each October, the 10-day Georgia Mountain Fall Festival features exciting musical performances, educational demonstrations, a flower show and the ever-popular Georgia’s Official State Fiddlers' Convention. This year the event will take place October 12 through 21. www.georgia-mountain-fair.com

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.

For more information, visit www.georgia.org or call (404) 962-4075

# # #

Stefanie Paupeck

Communications Specialist

Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD)

Work: 404-962-4075

Cell: 404-290-3558

spaupeck@georgia.org

www.georgia.org

Dahlonega Convention and Visitors Bureau Announces

PLENTY OF "HO, HO, HO!" HIGHLIGHTS THE HOLIDAY SEASON

DAHLONEGA, GA

Sep 25, 2007 October, 2007 - Just in time for the holiday season, here comes Santa Claus - along with frosty snowmen, red-nosed reindeer, merry gentlemen, little elves, herald angels, and even jingle bells - and they all transform North Georgia's "Hospitality Highway," the verdant, tree-lined Georgia 400 corridor that winds it way from Sandy Springs to Dahlonega, into a winter wonderland of endless Christmas and Hanukkah festivities and shopping opportunities. Each community along the Hospitality Highway, which includes Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Cumming, Dawsonville, and Dahlonega, will be jam-packed with myriad exciting activities during the upcoming holidays. While a few samples of holiday-themed festivities are listed here, visit www.hospitalityhighway.com and the individual community websites for an entire parade of endeavors and amusements during this season of warmth and giving.

Silver bells and jingle bells ring and ting-a-ling in the North Fulton city of Sandy Springs, the closest community to Atlanta along the Hospitality Highway. Brimming with glittering lights and lots of glamour during the holidays, this side of Sandy Springs is balanced by a visit to the circa-1869 Williams-Payne House, a homespun and historic restored farmhouse and community center that is the heartbeat of the city. Sandy Springs, with both cosmopolitan and natural components, encompasses part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area for plenty of outdoor activities; yet it also offers just about everything from gourmet dining to finger-lickin' good barbecue and from specialty shops and boutiques to bustling department stores. For a look at all that Sandy Springs has to explore during the holidays or any time of the year, visit www.visitsandysprings.org or call toll-free 1.866.511.7742. Sleigh bells ring during Christmas in historic and charming Roswell with a long wish list of things to do during its month-long celebration, Christmas in Roswell that simmers with the magic and wonder of the season. Amidst this place of red brick, white columns, small town charm, crisp winter skies, and the glow of candlelight, visitors can enjoy strolling the beautifully decorated Roswell Historic District, attending musical performances and theater productions including a reenactment of Mittie Bulloch's 1853 Christmas-time wedding to Theodore Roosevelt, and touring notable history-laden homes like Barrington Hall, Smith Plantation Home, and Bulloch Hall, all decked out in the splendor of the season. Roswell's many galleries, boutiques, antique shops and restaurants all celebrate the holidays with true Southern hospitality; offering shoppers warm greetings and treasures galore. For more information, contact the Roswell Convention & Visitors Bureau at www.cvb.roswell.ga.us or telephone 1.770640.3253; toll-free 1.800.776.77935.

Visitors celebrate the holiday season in style along Georgia 400, Georgia's "Hospitality Highway," with a plethora of opportunities for shopping, romance, history, music, nostalgia, and family festivities

Tis the season to celebrate even more with a visit to Alpharetta, a holiday shopper's paradise (or any time of the year, for that matter!) with seven distinct shopping districts including antiques at Queen of Hearts, folk art at Matilda's, and culinary delights at Harry's Farmers Market. Into the shopping mix, add the town's 30th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Milton Avenue and Main Street on December 2 at five o'clock in the afternoon. Named a "Top 20 Event in the Southeast" by the Southeast Tourism Society, the ceremony commences an evening of music, dance, and children's activities. Additionally, Alpharetta's annual hometown holiday celebration, now in its second year, is a blend of trendy and traditional festivities, all beginning on November 1 when visitors can log on to www.AwesomeAlpharetta.com and register for a "Holiday Gift Extravaganza" for a chance to win gift certificates and merchandise valued at more than $1,500. Alpharetta is more than shopping, though! With gourmet dining, top-of-the-line spas, and hotels galore, Alpharetta adds sparkle and shine to the holidays. For more holiday details, visit the website or call the Alpharetta Welcome Center at 1.678.297.0102 or call toll free 1.800.294.0923. Jingle all the way to Cumming and Forsyth County, where the stage is set for their annual Christmas Parade and Festival, followed by the Celebration of Lights on Saturday, December 1, beginning at 3:30 p.m., on Marketplace Boulevard. Reminiscent of small-town pageantry and complete with marching bands, floats, and Santa Claus riding in on his sleigh, the parade ends on the campus of Northside Hospital-Forsyth, where the spectacular Celebration of Lights begins and the pinnacle event is the lighting of the magnificent tree perched atop the hospital. Visitors can also catch a few falling stars from November 23 through December 21 at the Cumming Playhouse (www.playhousecumming.com) for concerts, festivals, and productions including the time-honored "A Christmas Carol." Located in the historic and beautiful Old School House, visits to the Playhouse are complemented by meals at Tam's Backstage Restaurant (located at the Old School House). For more information on Christmas in Cumming, visit www.cummingforsythchamber.org or call 1.770.887.6461. For a "most wonderful time of the year", visit downtown Dawsonville during the holidays. There is more to Dawsonville than its being the home of the North Georgia Premium Outlets, one of the finest shopping experiences in Georgia, and the inspiring-yet-fascinating Kangaroo Conservation Center. Come December, visitors can get into a hoppin' good spirit of the season with the "Ye Ole Fashioned Christmas" and tree lighting ceremony, which kicks off Christmas in Dawsonville on December . Moreover, from December 1-21, visit the Bowen Center for the Arts for the "Home for the Holidays National Fine Art Exhibit." Since its inception more than a dozen years ago, the event, a mixed-media art exhibit containing juried artwork from local and national artists, has drawn guests from across the world and has helped make Dawsonville a cultural focal point for North Georgia. Contact the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1.706.265.6278; toll-free 1.877.302.9271 or visit www.dawson.org.

Dance into Dahlonega with the sugarplum fairies for their month-long Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration. The mountain town truly lights up for the holidays on Saturday, December 1 with the enchanting Lighting of the Square celebration and a real hometown Christmas parade. Festivities continue almost daily through New Year's with lively venues including caroling, music and entertainment, wine tastings from area wineries, holiday readings by Mrs. Claus, and visits by Old St. Nick himself. Of special note, Hancock Park is transformed into an outdoor ice-skating rink where visitors can try a pirouette or two. . For an added touch of nostalgia, the historic Holly Theater will have a live performance of Annie November 30th - December 16th; and Celtic Christmas, a Celebration of the Season with Song, Music, Dance and Poetry, December 22nd at 8:00 p.m. www.hollytheatre.com. A more detailed schedule of holiday events and information on packages offered by local innkeepers are easily found at www.dahlonega.org or by calling the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1.706.864.3513 or toll-free 1.800.231.5543.

Learn more...

About the Hospitality Highway

Georgia's Hospitality Highway, a stretch of Georgia 400, that meanders from Fulton County to Lumpkin County and includes the communities of Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Dawsonville, Dahlonega, and Sandy Springs, contains a fusion of restaurants, shopping, historic sites, outdoor activities, and much more, all amidst some of the most dazzling scenery in all of the state. For more information, including links to additional websites and photography, visit

Website: http://www.hospitaityhighway.com

Dahlonega Convention and Visitors Bureau

Hal Williams,

CVB Director

email: halwilliams@dahlonega.org

phone: 706-864-3711

Dotty Etris

Historic Roswell CVB

email: info@cvb.roswell.ga.us

phone: 1.770.640.3253; 1.800.776.7935

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE......September 28, 2007

Contact:

Robyn Jarrett, Director of Communications & Development

Phone: (706) 724-4443 (888) 874-4443

Fax: (706) 724-4428

rjarrett@gghf.org

Complete Media Kit with Bios and Pictures Available at www.gghf.org

Georgia Golf Hall of Fame

Announces 2008 Inductees

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Georgia Golf Hall of Fame is proud to announce that George “Bunky” Henry (Eatonton), of Reynolds Plantation; Jack Lumpkin (St. Simons), of Sea Island Golf Club; and Spencer Sappington ( Milton), of Polo Golf and Country Club have been selected for induction into the Hall of Fame. These three distinguished Georgians will be forever enshrined during the 20^th Annual Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, January 12, 2008.

To be eligible for induction into the GGHF, an individual must meet the following criteria:

Born in Georgia and lived here for a reasonable period of time, or
participated in a golf activity in Georgia, or
born a citizen of Georgia and brought honor to the state through his/her golf endeavors, and
participated in the sport for 20 years or have been inactive for five years.

To date the GGHF has inducted 75 members, including such greats as Tommy Aaron, Jim Dent, Nancy Lopez, Larry Mize, Larry Nelson, Doug Sanders, Tom Cousins, and of course, the incomparable Bob Jones.

Join hundreds of distinguished guests, current Hall of Fame members, board members and golf enthusiasts for a Silent Auction Reception beginning at 5:30 p.m.at the MarriottAugustaHotel.

Reservations for the ceremony are required. To make your reservation or for more information, please call 888-874-4443, or visit the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame website at www.gghf.org. Complete Media Kit with Bios and Pictures Available at www.gghf.org

DATE: Saturday, January 12, 2008

LOCATION: The Marriott Augusta Hotel

TICKETS: Tickets are $100 per person or $900 for a table of ten

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Georgia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Stefanie Paupeck

Georgia Department of Economic Development

404-962-4075

spaupeck@georgia.org

Reward yourself this summer with the new Georgia Dream Pass

Tourism program tees off with golf; attractions and accommodations to follow

ATLANTA, June 6, 2007 – The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is proud to unveil the Georgia Dream Pass, a new marketing initiative that is designed to pique the traveler’s interest. The Georgia Dream Pass is a free consumer “membership rewards” affinity program that gives members access to special offers and benefits that are exclusive to cardholders.

“The goal of the program is to increase the number of visitors to Georgia, while encouraging residents to discover what is in their own backyard,” said GDEcD's Deputy Commissioner for Tourism and Marketing, Charlie Gatlin. “We are the first state to develop a membership rewards program of this scope that will in turn provide us measurable results.”

The program has already seen success beginning with the launch of its first phase, “Georgia is Big on Golf,” in March 2007. The wallet-sized card is currently offering rewards and incentives at more than 35 participating golf courses and resorts, including Cuscowilla, Barnsley Gardens and Callaway Gardens, to name just a few. To date, more than 5,000 members are taking advantage of rewards that include special member rates on green fees, additional nights at golf resorts, priority tee times and many other exceptional offers.

As a state that is home to the Masters tournament, golf legend Bobby Jones, and more than 300 public and semi-private golf courses and resorts, Georgia has launched the Dream Pass program as an opportunity to showcase the history and heritage of the great game of golf. The program will expand later this year to include rewards and special offers the state’s most popular tourist attractions and accommodations.

With an array of golf courses, attractions, historical landmarks and accommodations, GDEcD designed the Georgia Dream Pass to increase visibility, tourism spending and offer measurable results for Georgia’s tourism industry. The Georgia Dream Pass encourages visitors to stay an extra day, play an extra round, spend the extra dollar and to come back for another visit.

To learn more about the Georgia Dream Pass program, become a member or participating partner, visit www.GAdreampass.com.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.

For more information, visit www.georgia.org or call (404) 962-4075

# # #

Stefanie Paupeck

Communications Specialist

Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD)

Work: 404-962-4075

Cell: 404-290-3558

spaupeck@georgia.org

www.georgia.org

ATHENS MUSIC NOTES:
40 Watt Club, Melting Point among America's 40 Best Music Venues
AthFest is June 20-24, book your hotel packages NOW

If anyone needed any further evidence of the continued vibe and energy of Athens' live music scene, look no further than the current edition of Paste magazine, which has named not one, but TWO Athens music venues to their list of America's 40 Best Music Venues. Paste readers nominated more than 500 different venues; 10 were chosen from each of four regions.

Here's what Paste said about the 40 Watt Club:
Best place to host the low-lit indie-rock prom you wished you'd had: Legendary for its sweat-soaked late-night shows, the 40 Watt has been the innovative and unconventional Athens music scene"s Ground Zero for the last three decades. Recently, the club held two epic â??prom" nights, with My Morning Jacket as the white-suited, faux-pompadoured house band.
Introduced the world to: R.E.M., Vic Chesnutt, Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Drive-By Truckers, Of Montreal
285 W. Washington St., 40Watt.com

Here's what Paste said about The Melting Point:
Best place to turn a concert into an Athens vacation: Check in at the Foundry Park Inn & Spa, treat yourself to a relaxing massage, then mosey across the parking lot for a cold beer and some lunch at the Athens Steam Company Pub. Close out your day at The Melting Point with an intimate performance from an artist like Aimee Mann, Gillian Welch or Todd Snider.
Introducing a college town to: The joys of adulthood
295 E. Doughtery St., MeltingPointAthens.com

Read the full list at http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/4222/americas_40_best_music_venues?page=4

Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau ** 300 N. Thomas St. ** Athens, GA 30601 ** 706-357-4430 800-653-0603 http://www.VisitAthensGa.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE………..Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Contact: Robyn Jarrett

Phone: 706-724-4443

Email: rjarrett@gghf.org

The Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Authority Board of Directors is deeply saddened that despite the tremendous improvements, accomplishments and progress made during the past two years; the Botanical Gardens and Signature Putting Course will be closing on June 30, 2007 due to a lack of operational funds.

The Georgia Golf Hall of Fame will continue to support and perpetuate its mission: to preserve and promote Georgia’s golf traditions, heritage, achievements, and excellence. The operations of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame will be temporarily relocated to the home of the Executive Director.

The Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Team would like to thank all sponsors, contributors, Official Friends, and volunteers for their past efforts. We look forward to your continued support of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame during these changing times. The 2008 Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be hosted on Saturday, January 12, 2008 at the Marriott Augusta Hotel. We hope to see you there!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Stefanie Paupeck

Georgia Department of Economic Development

404-962-4075

spaupeck@georgia.org

Reward yourself this summer with the new Georgia Dream Pass

Tourism program tees off with golf; attractions and accommodations to follow

To learn more about the Georgia Dream Pass program, become a member or participating partner, visit www.GAdreampass.com.

For more information, visit www.georgia.org or call (404) 962-4075

# # #

Stefanie Paupeck

Communications Specialist

Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD)

Work: 404-962-4075

Cell: 404-290-3558

spaupeck@georgia.org

www.georgia.org

ATHENS MUSIC NOTES:
40 Watt Club, Melting Point among America's 40 Best Music Venues
AthFest is June 20-24, book your hotel packages NOW

Read the full list at http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/4222/americas_40_best_music_venues?page=4

What's the best time to check out Athens' music scene? AthFest, June 20-24.
Hotel Packages and Wristbands Available NOW!
http://www.athfest.com

Catch over 150 bands playing on 2 FREE outdoor stages plus 19 other venues. Special events include RockDocs music films at Cine, The Earth Will Swallow You Widespread Panic art exhibit, Athens Music History Tour, KidsFest activities, and a Juried Artisan Market.Â The 11th annual celebration of LOCAL music and arts has again been named a Top 20 Event for June by the Southeast Tourism Society.

Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau ** 300 N. Thomas St. ** Athens, GA 30601 ** 706-357-4430 800-653-0603 http://www.VisitAthensGa.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE………..Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Contact: Robyn Jarrett

Phone: 706-724-4443

Email: rjarrett@gghf.org