Authored By Sean Phipps
It started with a series of mysterious, cryptic messages from an anonymous Dalton, Georgia Instagram account:
The message — like the “ubiquitous” billboards of 2016 — hinted at a much deeper meaning and the delivery of a major announcement. Some Dalton residents believed the posts were about a new Target, Olive Garden or Old Navy coming to the area. Officials with Dalton’s Creative Arts Guild have finally let the cat out of the bag. The “Are You With Us?” campaign was a targeted way to hype an upcoming art exhibition celebrating Dalton’s “unique history and innovative spirit. Established in 1847, our community is one entrenched in rich tradition and history.” “Are You With Us?” will be a juried exhibit running from Nov. 2 to Dec. 1 featuring a selection of wall-mounted artwork inspired by Dalton. Artists are encouraged to submit artwork for the consideration. Digital entries must be made by Sept. 21 to be considered. All mediums are encouraged as long as the piece is ready to hang upon drop-off. More information is here. The “Are You With Us?” gallery opening and artist reception will be Nov. 2. On Nov. 7, an event called “Tell Your Friends” will coincide with the gallery. It will be one-night-only art experience that will “question and awaken our collective notions of art while also celebrating our community’s spirit and ability to innovate and challenge.” “For young professionals, how they feel about Dalton is at an all-time high,” CAG’s gallery director Savannah Thomas said. “There’s just a lot of positive momentum in the city. There’s really been this kind of nice moment happening in Dalton ... people celebrating what they love about the city.” Thomas reached out to the creators of the satirical Dalton Things Instagram account to ask how the CAG — the oldest multidisciplinary community arts center in Georgia — could reach a younger audience. A partnership was formed and the result was a series of mysterious Instagram posts in the style of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and, for those old enough to remember, the 1987 “Max Headroom” signal interruption. “The only guidelines are that we want the work to be inspired by Dalton whatever your medium is,” Thomas said. “It should reflect Dalton’s history, its spirit and not just its reputation. We want to envision what the future might be for Dalton.” The first Dalton Things post:
“They made some cracks about us, but I took it as an opportunity to reach out,” Thomas said. “A lot of people in Dalton have a preconceived notion about [CAG] and they made some cracks about us, but over a few months, we daydreamed about what a collaboration could look like. We think this idea really encapsulates where Dalton is.” This exhibition — and other events planned for 2019 — will seek to engage with a new audience in ways the CAG hasn’t before.
