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Heritage Art Loop to bring art tourists to Wilkes area Recently, a brochure highlighting all the businesses on the Heritage Art Loop was released to visitor's centers and chambers of commerce across the state. The self-guided driving tour spotlights artistic and state-based restaurants, galleries, and studios near Comer, Lexington, Union Point, Greensboro, Bishop, and Watkinsville. The loop is the first of its kind in Georgia, and is part of the Georgia Art By the Mile initiative spearheaded by Camille Ronay of "The Real" Buckhead, Kathy Chappelle of Watkinsville, and Tina McCullough of Comer. After the initial success of the Heritage Art Loop, which currently has over thirty businesses involved and an accompanying website at www.heritageartloop.com, a brainstorming meeting was held in July to discuss the formation of a similar regional tourism trail in the Broad River area. The ultimate goal of Georgia Art By the Mile is to have loops all over the state that feature artistic, creative, and agricultural businesses are owned, operated, and based in Georgia. On Monday, August 28, from 6-8 p.m. there will be a follow-up organizational meeting at the Elberton Civic Center for all those interested in being a part of the Broad River Craft, Farm, and Garden Trail. Anna Grant Jones, Executive Director of the Economic Development Authority of Elbert County, said the trail is in the beginning stages. Several businesses have already signed up to be a part of it. The trail will span many counties where the Broad River flows. Those that have expressed interest or have already signed up include Oglethorpe, Elbert, Wilkes, Hart, Madison, and Lincoln counties. Artists and craft makers have signed up; and interestingly, so have businesses concerned with agritourism. The brochure and website for this particular trail will feature creative businesses in the Broad River service area and include working studios, local galleries and shops that carry Georgia art, restaurants, garden centers, farms, equestrian centers, and area lodging. The brochure will be distributed to welcome centers, convention centers, chambers of commerce, resorts, lodging lobbies, studios, galleries, and restaurants, much like the Heritage Art Loop brochure. In addition to establishing trails all across the state, Georgia Art By the Mile hopes to come out with a guidebook very soon that provides information about creative businesspeople all over the State of Georgia. At the meeting on August 28, Ronay will explain to those in attendance how the tourism effort works in conjunction with the proposed trail. In addition, Kent Wolfe from UGA will be present to discuss the economics of art and agri-tourism. Jones said, "Kent is an expert on agri-tourism and has done a lot of research on the benefits of it to agricultural areas." Each business featured on the trail will be listed in the brochure and on the website with descriptive text, an image or logo, and contact information. The fee to be a part of the brochure and website is $150 per entry and brochure printing. At least 15,000 brochures will be printed initially. Between brochure printings, businesses can be added to the website for $75 per entry. Although there is not a definitive name for the trail yet, it will be finalized before the brochure is printed. Jones said "Broad River" will definitely be a part of the name. She said, "The purpose of the trail is to promote entrepreneurship and small business development to give artists, craft makers and agri-tourism businesses an outlet for promoting themselves. When it's done as a group or region, businesses get much farther than attempting to do it on their own."
Anyone who would like more information or who has questions about the trail or Georgia Art By the Mile is urged to contact Jones at 706-213-7600 or email her at ecdev@elberton.net.
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