The 2018 AthFest Music and Arts Festival gets underway this weekend and supporters of AthFest Educates have a unique opportunity to support the nonprofit’s efforts to support music and arts education for area youth. Jill Helme is Executive Director of the organization. She says they’re auctioning off a guitar painted by a renowned Athens artist.
“Typically we have a band sign it and then we auction it off with the band’s signature,” Helme said. “But this year we wanted to have more of an intersection between music and art and we wanted to have an artist paint it. When we started thinking about who is that iconic Athens artist, we immediately went to David Hale of course.”
It’s not the first time the organization has worked with Hale.
“He did the 20th anniversary AthFest mural as well. I asked if he’d be willing to paint this Gretsch guitar for us which he did and it’s incredible.”
Helme says AthFest Educates has made significant financial contributions to the community.
“So we give out grants to local nonprofits, to schools to government programs. Folks who are doing interesting and creative things with music and art and to get kids engaged in music and art. To date we’ve awarded just over $330,000 in grants. It’s definitely something we’re very proud of. “
The bidding for the on-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia is underway at BiddingOwl.com.
The festival kicks off Friday, June 22nd, affiliated events start June 20th. Bidding will go until the last day of this year’s festival, Sunday June 24th at 11 pm.
For more information: athfest.com.