STATESBORO — With summer in full swing the Averitt Center for the Arts brings you some of the best performances and exhibits to date. Join the ACA today for its First Friday festivities, as it offers a great way to kick off the July 4th weekend.  

Visual Art
This first Friday make your way to the ACA’s Legends Gallery for the opening of a new exhibit by Debi Slone. Slone is an artist who does work with mixed media and will showcase a blend of two-dimensional and three-dimensional artwork. This is her first time exhibiting her work, and she says the majority of her inspiration comes from her “experiences as a teacher.”

Live Music
“I have never heard anything like that” were the words Chris Mitchell, of Pladd Dot Music, used to describe lead vocalist Jess Baldwin, of the local band the chester project. The chester project, formed three years ago, is a soulful blend of up-tempo and inspirational music. Led by Steve Chester, this genre-bending group has a great balance of intense vocals and clever arrangements that are a definite crowd pleaser. Their performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Emma Kelly, and tickets are $5 for general admission.  

Performing Arts
The International Arts Academy, in conjunction with Georgia Southern University, will feature its final performances this Friday at the Performing Arts Center on the GSU campus. The students from Great Britain put together a completely original performance that is derived from the theme of Numbers. Sure to be an interesting and thought provoking alternative, their performance begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free to the public.

Make this 4th of July celebration one to remember by celebrating with the Averitt Center today starting at 6 p.m.

For any and all questions regarding First Friday these events at the Averitt Center, call us at (912) 212-ARTS or visit them on the Web at www.averittcenterforthearts.org.