PRESS RELEASE
03/20/2024
For Immediate Release
Conyers, Ga – Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts (CRCA) is delighted to announce that the Conyers Civic League has selected CRCA as a recipient of the 2023 Irene Irwin Fund Grant to create a unique ecological art project at the Big Haynes Creek Nature Center (BHCNC). The award was announced officially at the January 2024 monthly meeting of the Conyers Civic League and the check was presented to Executive Director Shelli Siebert.
The Conyers Civic League awards the Irene Irwin Fund Grants once a year in support of one of their two stated purposes – to provide services to the Rockdale County Libraries or to encourage and promote development of the Arts in the City of Conyers and Rockdale County.
CRCA will be working with Big Haynes Creek Nature Center and The Sketching Pad to create a unique and interactive public art installation at a bird blind overlooking the wetlands on the Purple Trail in the nature preserve. The project, entitled “Spread Your Wings & Fly,” will clear out a large amount of overgrowth in the area, repair the current bird blind structure, and then local artists from The Sketching Pad will design and paint the bird blind with a colorful set of Great Blue Heron wings.
“The “Spread Your Wings & Fly” project is an incredible partnership between four Rockdale County organizations to create a striking piece of public art,” shared CRCA Executive Director Shelli Siebert. “It represents an example of the implementation of every aspect of CRCA’s mission at once.”
“Spread Your Wings & Fly” will not only rejuvenate the wetlands area around the bird blind and aid conservation efforts at Big Haynes Creek Nature Center, but it will also allow bird watchers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts to enjoy an unobstructed view of the wetlands and its stunning inhabitants once again. Visitors will be able to pose as the Great Blue Heron and take distinctive pictures home from their visit. The intent is to not only illustrate the grandeur of one of the most beautiful wading birds in the wetland ecosystem, but the beauty of each visitor, evoking positivity, and inspiration through the world of art and nature.
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About Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts
The Conyers Rockdale Council for the Arts is the only source of high quality, diverse performing and visual art programs for the general public in Rockdale County. CRCA’s mission is to connect neighbors, cultivate artistic expression, and celebrate our community’s stories through the power of creativity and the arts. For more information on CRCA, visit https://conyersarts.org, connect on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or call 770-922-3143.
For More Information:
Shelli Siebert, Executive Director
770-922-3143
About the Conyers Civic League
The Conyers Civic League was founded in 1904 by Mrs. J. A. Guinn and Mrs. T. A. Elliot. The organization’s main purpose was to be a civic improvement league. After the school burned in 1915, the main purpose became the support of the library. Since then, the Conyers Civic League has been integral to the development, evolution, and creation of the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library in Conyers today. The Conyers Civic League continues to provide services to the library and to encourage and promote the development of the arts in Conyers and Rockdale County.
For more information about Big Haynes Creek Nature Center and updates/photos for this project, please contact Dawn Tanner at dawn.tanner@conyersga.gov or visit https://www.georgiahorsepark.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/BigHaynesCreekNatureCenter.