The Heart of Albany Festival is Saturday, Nov 15, at the Albany Museum of Art
The Free Fall Event Will Be Filled with Art, Music, Performances, Games, Food Trucks, and Vendors
ALBANY, Ga. ─The 8th annual Heart of Albany Festival at the Albany Museum of Art is just over a week away! The free event will take place from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, Nov 15, on the museum grounds at 311 Meadowlark Drive.
“The early forecast could not be more promising,” AMA Executive Director Andrew James Wulf, Ph.D., said. “It’s shaping up to be another beautiful autumn day filled with art, entertainment, family-oriented games and activities, food trucks, and a bevy of vendors.”
The outdoor event features professional chalk artists who create bigger-than-life images on pavement during the day. Amateur and school chalk artists also create on pavement, and artists in other disciplines will demonstrate their work at the festival. The Albany debut of the Pylon Reenactment Society will highlight entertainment on the main stage. The AMAzing Activities area will be packed with fun for kids and families. In addition, there will be food trucks, a Vendor Village, and a libations station for adults.
Inside the AMA, all exhibitions will be open during the festival. In addition to Echoes of the Past, a multi-gallery survey of African art, and A Legacy Built with Nature, which celebrates the 130th anniversary of the birth of Athos Menaboni, the 2nd annual Juried Southwest Georgia Student Art Exhibition will open that morning in the West Gallery.
The festival and activities are free to the public thanks to presenting sponsor The James M. Barnett, Jr. Foundation; AMAzing Activities sponsor Vine Vision; community artists sponsor WebstaurantStore; school chalk blocks sponsor Georgia’s Own Credit Union; volunteer sponsors Adams Exterminators, Phoebe, and Flint Community Bank; professional chalk artist block sponsors Albany Internal Medicine, F&W Forestry, Love’s Travel Stops, Wawa, Underwood Law LLC, and U-Save-It Pharmacy; and helper sponsor Southland Pediatric Dentistry. In-kind partners are Blick Art Supplies, Eddie’s Signs, Southwest Georgia Living Magazine, and the City of Albany.
“These generous sponsors make it possible for the Albany Museum of Art to present this annual gift of art, music, and performance to our wonderful, supportive community,” Wulf said. “We invite everyone to come out and celebrate the arts and our city and region.”
The professional chalk artists will compete for the Best of Show cash prize, and the best works by amateur chalk artists will be recognized. Previous champion artist Jessi Queen will create a 3D chalk art piece that will be the perfect spot for festival-goers to take a photo. Festival-goers are encouraged to use hashtags #AMAHeartFest and #BestFestAllFall when posting on social media.
Festival-goers will also be able to see artists in other disciplines at work during the day, including the Hot Glass Academy. The Americus-based group has a mobilized glassblowing studio with professional, dedicated glass artists employed from all over the country.
In the stage area, DJ Planet X will kick off The Heart of Albany Festival’s soundtrack and fill in between performers. The Monroe High School Golden Tornado Band will perform during the morning. Ballet Theatre South will take the stage at 11 am to present previews of scenes from their upcoming The Nutcracker performances. Singer-songwriters Hannah and Jansen Barnes will follow at 12:30 pm.
Pylon Reenactment Society will be the featured entertainers at 2 pm. The Athens-based alt-rock band has in its DNA the post-punk band Pylon, which was a contemporary of The B-52s and R.E.M. PRS—comprising Vanessa Briscoe Hay, who was a member of Pylon, guitarist Jason NeSmith, bassist Kay Stanton, and drummer Gregory Sanders—will mix its original work with its versions of Pylon songs.
Students with artwork in the Juried Southwest Georgia Student Art Exhibition will vie for first- and second-place and honorable mention in four categories. Winners will be recognized in both the middle school and high school divisions. In addition to certificates, the first- and second-place winners in the high school division will receive cash awards.
Festival-goers can also have a say in recognizing the student artists. They can use their smartphones to vote for their favorite artwork. The student whose artwork receives the most votes before the poll closes at 3:30 pm will earn the People’s Choice Award and a cash prize.
“We hope everyone will come out to enjoy the creative art, experience the music and performances, grab a bite to eat, shop for holiday gifts, play with the kids in the cool fall weather, and vote for their favorite student artwork,” Wulf said.
Information about The Heart of Albany festival can be found at www.albanymuseum.com/events/heartfest/.
- Echoes of the Past is Sept 4, 2025-Jan 3, 2026 in the Haley, East, and Hodges Galleries.
- A Legacy Built with Nature: Menaboni at 130 is Sept 4, 2025-Jan 3, 2026 in the McCormack Gallery.
- 2nd annual Juried Southwest Georgia Student Art Exhibition is Nov 15, 2025-Jan 3, 2026, in the West Gallery.
About The Albany Museum of Art
The Albany Museum of Art is located at 311 Meadowlark Drive in Albany, Ga., adjacent to Albany State University West Campus, just off Gillionville Road. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Albany Museum of Art is open to the public 10 am-5 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is free.
For more information about the AMA please visit our website, www.albanymuseum.com, or call 229.439.8400. Be sure to follow AlbanyMuseumOfArt on Facebook and AlbanyMuseum on Instagram.
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