Athens, Ga. – The Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art, the membership program of the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia, have organized “A Soulful Celebration,” a dinner and concert event to be held Feb. 24, in celebration of Black History Month and honoring Louis and Mae Castenell.
The dinner will include an art exhibition featuring works by local African-American artists John Ahee, Harold Rittenberry and Yvonne Studevan. The dinner and exhibition begin at 6 p.m. at the UGA Visual Arts Building on Jackson Street and cost $40 per person.
A gospel concert by Ebenezer Baptist Church West Choir will follow at the UGA Chapel on North Campus at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.
Louis Castenell was the first African-American dean at UGA and served as dean of the College of Education for eight years. During his time at the university, he has worked hard to increase diversity awareness on campus. His wife, Mae, is a founding and active member of the Athens Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.
“A Soulful Celebration” is sponsored by Athens First Bank and Trust; Athens Chapter of The Links, Incorporated; Todd Emily; David S. and Rebecca Lockman; Christine Albright; and Peter Appel.
Those interested in attending the dinner and art exhibition should R.S.V.P. to 706/542-0830 by Friday, Feb. 19. For more information see the GMOA Web site at http://www.uga.edu/gamuseum or call 706/542-4662.
Museum Information
Partial support for the exhibitions and programs at the Georgia Museum of Art is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The council is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Individuals, foundations and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the Arch Foundation and the University of Georgia Foundation. The Georgia Museum of Art is located in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex on the East Campus of the University of Georgia. The address is 90 Carlton
Street, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602. The museum’s galleries and shop are now closed for construction of the museum’s expansion. Events and programming are continuing while the museum is under construction as part of “GMOA on the Move,” a series of off-site events and exhibitions.