Allied Arts is hosting its permanent collection this month featuring art from its beginnings through recent additions, serving as a reminder of the organization’s history.
Allied Arts was established in 1977 as a GCA Community Cultural Development. Executive Director Rebekah Tobar stated the initial goal was to help art organizations in the area and support local artists. In 1988, leaders saw a need for a full art organization and established Allied Arts as a nonprofit.
“Betty Snyder was the first executive director and founding member of the organization. She worked with the mayor’s wife at the time, BeeGee Baugh, to procure the Marlor House and Cottage and Allen’s Market for the organization,” said Tobar. “Through her hard work and grant funding, she was able to restore these buildings that are still used today.
Though Allied Arts began as a support organization, over the years it transformed to offer its own programs and support for local arts and artists from surrounding communities .
“Betty Snyder began taking art to the classrooms and bringing it into these buildings. Over the years, Allied Arts transformed to offer its own programs, camps, exhibits, and classes,” said Tobar. “We all see a need for an art presence in Milledgeville and partnering with our surrounding communities to support small-town artists.”
Snyder lived in Milledgeville for 51 years before she passed in December 2018. An exhibit focused on her, through a partnership with her children, in June 2024.
“As executive director, Betty was not allowed to submit her own art to the organization, so while we do not have any of her pieces, we did honor her through an exhibit last year,” said Tobar. “However, we do have art from many impactful artists to our history, like BeeGee Baugh, and newer artists featured in recent galleries, like Andrzej Sikorski.”
Tobar hopes that visitors to this month's permanent collection will explore the organization's history and take a moment to see the hearts it has touched over the years.