Fire & Ice Show promises art, shopping and family fun in Macon for the holiday season

It’s again time for ceramic and glass artwork and artists to take center stage in the Round Building at Carolyn Crayton Park.

Macon Arts Alliance’s Fire & Ice show and holiday sale begins Friday and runs for nine days until Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. except Saturday, Nov. 16, when hours are noon until 4 p.m.

It’s free to view works by the 35 participating artists and to see and participate in the show’s special events.

“We have thousands of pieces at Fire & Ice, making it one of Macon’s favorite exhibits of ceramic and glass works and one of the largest glass and ceramic festivals in Georgia,” said Julie Wilkerson, the Alliance’s executive director. “We have very popular creators bringing their wares back again and some new ones as well.”

Wilkerson said the fall Fire & Ice show differs from the spring Fired Works ceramics show through the addition of glass works plus selections of items priced well for holiday gift-giving. Proceeds the Alliance gains from the show go toward its work advancing the arts and culture in Middle Georgia.

While Fired Works is nearing its 20th year, this year is Fire & Ice’s sixth.

“Fire & Ice is being able to see your favorite ceramicists in one place without having to travel far and wide to their studios,” Wilkerson said. “You can get holiday shopping done and pick up things you love yourself. A great thing about Fire & Ice is that it’s very roomy and easy to walk around and you can take your time looking things over. I know I see something new every time I walk through. If you’re unsure of something you can always come back later for it – you just have to make sure you get it before it’s gone.”

In addition to ceramicists, Fire & Ice features about a half dozen glass artists.

“As with ceramic artists, we get glass artists who represent different techniques and styles, who work with different kinds of glass, who work with it in different ways from blown glass to stained glass.

Fire & Ice special events include:

— A free glassblowing demonstration on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with Bryan Beck of Blazing Paddles Studio and stARTup Studios. 

— A free Children’s Ornament Workshop on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. where kids can paint an ornament to take home with ceramic artist Sheridan Nadeau.

“It’s not a bad idea to call us at the Arts Alliance and make reservations for the children’s ornament painting workshop,” Wilkerson said. “They’re not necessary but we only have room and supplies for a limited number of children. The children’s workshops have proven very popular in the past and we love doing them.”

Unlike Fired Works, there is no featured artist at Fire & Ice. Instead, Wilkerson said the glass artists are all featured in the center of the park’s Round Building.

But like Fired Works, a select number of Fire & Ice works will be viewable and on sale on the Art Alliance’s website at www.maconartsalliance.org. Call (478) 743-6940 to secure a spot in the children’s workshop.

“Fire & Ice gets better and better each year,” Wilkerson said. “We hope everyone will come down and see the work of these amazing artists and get some shopping done for Christmas at the same time.” 

Cherry Blossom Festival Veteran’s Day Activities

Veterans Day is Monday, and the Cherry Blossom Festival has added a 5K to its weekend of veteran-honoring festivities. 

The Festival’s first-ever Veterans Day 5K is Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at Middle Georgia State University. A portion of proceeds from the 5K will benefit the Georgia Veterans Services Foundation, which works to meet the needs of veterans statewide by identifying trustworthy resources and financial support organizations directly serving veterans across the state.

The Veterans Day Parade is downtown Sunday from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. celebrating Macon-Bibb County’s Veterans through patriotic-themed floats, military units, marching bands and all the fanfare and fun as the community honors hometown heroes.

On Monday, Veterans Day proper, is the Cherry Blossom Veterans Day Golf Tournament from noon to 6 p.m. The tournament, the second such Veterans Day tournament, is hosted by Gen. Robert and Hope McMahon on Monday at River North Country Club to honor the country’s heroes.  A portion of the proceeds from the tournament will also benefit the Georgia Veterans Services Foundation.

Other Highlights

The Macon Film Guild presents “Exhibiting Forgiveness” on Sunday at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Douglass Theatre, 355 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Cost is $5. Directed by experimental visual artist Titus Kaphar, “Exhibiting Forgiveness” explores a range of human emotions and complexities as a successful young artist must face his troubling youth and estranged father. A discussion of the film follows the 2 p.m. showing.
maconfilmguild.org

Arts at Vineville presents Cameron “Cam” Cody in concert on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Vineville UMC, 2045 Vineville Ave. An internationally recognized concert artist, conductor, pianist and organist who is also a Warner Robins native, Cody is currently director of music and principal organist at the 7,000-member Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas. The concert is free.
vinevillemethodist.com/music-and-the-arts

On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., Mercer University and the McDuffie Center for Strings presents a concert in its Fabian Chamber Music Concert Series featuring Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin, Matthew Lipman, viola, Brannon Cho, cello, and Sydney Lee, cello. It is in Fickling Hall in the McCorkle Music Building, 1329 Adams St. Tickets are $20 for adults and free with any student ID.
mcduffie.mercer.edu/concerts.

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Find him on Instagram at michael_w_pannell.