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  A Brief History: Though a gleam in our Director's eye for many years, thanks to the generosity and vision of FiveArt, Inc., a group of local developers and arts boosters, a 2,200 square foot space in a warehouse that is jointly owned by the Chase Street Park Condominium Association was renovated in winter of 2001. It was leased by Five Art to ATHICA for $1 a year for the initial three years, and reduced rent thereafter. Conceived as an alternative art space, this gallery is dedicated to exhibiting challenging, provocative and innovative contemporary art in a non-commercial space. Our space is in a warehouse district that has emerged as a new urban arts district, with recording studos, internet businesses and numerous artists' studios, all just a little over a mile from our thriving downtown. It also houses our non-profit neighbor Canopy Flying Aerial Dance Trapeze, as well as Trace Gallery, Floorspace and Whole, Eo Studios, Balance Pilates. ATHICA registered as a non-profit organization in the state of Georgia in November 2001. We achieved our advance ruling of Federal tax-exempt status, that is our status as a 501 (c)(3) organization in July 2002 and our permanent confirmation after the 5-year period in 2006. Our board, made up of local artists, arts professionals and arts supporters, all helped to achieve our founding and continuance. We opened in March 2002 with our first exhibit, Raw Womyn (please see All Exhibits for an historical list and archive of past exhibits). Since our inception our opening receptions have attracted from 160 to 330 people, with 50 or more attending affiliated events such as performance art, lectures, panel discussions, film screenings and music. An average of 800 attend each 6-8 week run, with over 3,000 art fans visiting from around the region and beyond every year. In summer 2008 we were awarded a prestigious three-year grant of $45,000 from The Andy Warhol Foundation for Contemporary Art. This has allowed us to provide stipends for artists, curators and our Artistic Director who serves as senior curator on all exhibits. In 2010 we were awarded an equally prestigious one-year grant from The Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation in support of the production of color catalogs (which aredownloadable form each exhibit's main page.) We are also supported by numerous local businesses and individuals as well as other foundations and grants. To make a donation that will be used well to enrich the culture of Northeast Georgia, please click here. Click here for a list of our ongoing supporters. Our visiting hours are staffed by an ever growing group of dedicated area volunteers--many of whom are University of Georgia students and faculty as well as local artists--as well as volunteers fulfilling community service hours. We are grateful to the efforts of our Volunteer Coordinator who schedules our gallery attendees. Interns from the University of Georgia and community individuals also help us enormously with exhibition installation and deinstallation, as well as other specialized tasks, such as photographic documentation or computer support. Please see our Volunteer page for more.  We would like
to appreciate and remember Donald Keyes who passed away on May 19,
2007. He was a founding member of FiveArt, Inc., the group who
spearheaded the development of the ATHICA space. For an lovely article on him by his friend John English, you can link here to Flagpole Magazine. Here is a link to the Athens Banner Herald obituary. We are grateful that he named ATHICA and Nuci's space as local beneficiaries. |
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