To freshman Grace Polaneczky, the fellowship of the Athens area is a very positive environment for the arts. Cartoon by Audrey Hinkle
By GRACE POLANECZKY – Staff Writer
As teenagers, we’re almost obligated to feel angsty and bored with the town we grow up in, yearning for a change of scenery or coveting others’ lives that we perceive
as being better than our own. This wanderlust and anticipation of independence comes oh-so naturally to us as young adults and is a big part of how youth is portrayed in film and literature. For those of us who aren’t living in big, exciting cities, we might blame our restlessness on being “confined” to a small town. But as we’re growing older, I think more of us are discovering how grateful we are to call Athens home.
Athens is a melting pot of college students, young professionals, artists artisans, entrepreneurs and simply intriguing individuals. I find myself admiring a lot of the creative people in this town not only for the fierce dedication they have to their craft, but also for their enthusiasm about teaching others, youth in particular, about the wonders of the art and music world.
Projects like Nuçi’s Space’s “Camp Amped” provide young people with the opportunity to work directly with local musicians and learn the benefits of self- expression through music. It also helps teens build confidence outside of just realm of performance art.
This opportunity for aspiring young artists to surround themselves with likeminded adults is really important in that it gives them an idea of how other creative types manifest their talents as well as giving them good role models. This sort of coexistence with such “local celebrities” is something that I cherish about Athens.
Even for those living in places like New York City where celebrities are in abundance, there always seems to be an invisible barrier between the rich and famous and everyone else. Here we live in a community where the guy you watched pour his heart out on stage the night before is the same guy who pours you coffee the morning after.
The feeling of togetherness is one thing that makes our community really exceptional. The general sense of reciprocity within the locality of artists as well as in the broader context of the artisan and consumer- displays the amount of respect and fervent spirit that manifests here.
This is something that appears to be rubbing off on our next generation of Athenians already, as is evident in the collaborative and inclusive nature of the collective of young artists here at Clarke Central High School. I anticipate seeing these students carry on with the values that make Athens the unique place that it is.
