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Art lovers will be pleasantly surprised when they visit the historic Olde Cannery Arts Center this summer in Dahlonega, Georgia. The Olde Cannery Arts Center promotes original art at reasonable prices that cannot be beat.    

The Arts Center is just two blocks off the square next to the Historic Jail House, at 61 Enota Street. You will recognize it by the bright sunflower painted on the face of the stone and yellow building.  

The building originally served as the community's cannery in the 1940s before it housed a thrift store for many years. In 2003, the Dahlonega Arts Council (DAC) took possession of the building and began its restoration in association with the Lumpkin County Historical Society and Lumpkin County Commissioner's office.  

The DAC is a 501 (C) nonprofit organization. The stated mission is "to create and nurture an environment supportive of the arts through education..." The proceeds from many art shows throughout the year support the mission. 

The shows feature works from local area artists working in a variety of media: clay pottery, wood, stain glass, beads, baskets, photographs, mixed-media, and oil, acrylic, and water paints. Both professional and beginning artists submit their work for themed presentations.  

The Arts Center's current show, "Plein Air Show and Sale," features outdoor landscapes and runs through July 12. Joe Brown, a woodworking artist, fashioned six woods--popular, walnut, American Mahogany, African mahogany, Birch, and African Cherry-- into a coffee table with a checkerboard in the center. At $260, this handcrafted piece is a bargain.

Another artist, Leigh Ann Adams, brushed acrylic paints--orange, burgundy, and burnt sienna--on canvas for an autumn peek through Appalachia's dense woods. The profusion of leaves creates the outline of a home in the deep forest. The work is called "Fall '07" for $200.

Teal-blue and fuchsias work together in Debbie Dowdy's vision of tall cups, bowls, and plates that run from $10 to $18. Each piece is unique, and there are many other local artists participating in the show.  

The Arts Center has planned events through the rest of this year. An "Animal Show and Sale" will run from July 18 through Sept 13. An opening-reception will be held on Friday, July 17 at 6pm-8pm and will feature an animal adoption event outside.

This autumn, the arts center will host the "Eleventh Annual Fall Art Show & Sale."  During the Christmas season, they sponsor "The Holiday Show and Sale" that starts on November 21.  

In addition to art shows, they offer another platform for local artists at the "Dahlonega Artist Marketplace" hosted at Hancock Park the first Saturday of each month from 7am to 3 pm. Local artists set up booths and sell their own artwork. 

The Center open Saturday and Sunday from 11-5pm. For more information, visit www.dahlonegaarts.org.

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