The 11th annual ArtHealthy Festival was held April 12 on Georgia College’s front campus by the Center for Recreation Education Arts Technology and Enterprise (CREATE)., a non-profit in Baldwin that works to provide holistic and transformative opportunities to in-school youth ages five to 18 in middle Georgia.
It was free and open to the public due to sponsors like Atrium Health Navicent, the City of Milledgeville, Baldwin County Schools and Oconee Outfitters. Vendors from out-of-town and locals brought their artwork and health knowledge to Milledgeville.
Locals were able to get free health screenings from Georgia College’s Mobile Health Unit and nursing students.
“It [Art Healthy] gives access to things that some people may not have access to,” said Mackenzie Dove, a senior nursing major. “There are health screenings here so they can catch things, primary prevention. It allows people to know how they are doing when they may otherwise not be able to afford to do so.”
Healthcare providers like Pure Chiropractic were in attendance, offering $20 chiropractic visits for those at the festival, and Pruitt Health Hospice was there to inform people about the end-of-life care they provide.
Attendees also spent time learning the proper techniques of Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defense system, to protect themselves and their kids. Kids were able to release energy in the bouncy houses, by riding bikes, participating in a science lesson from the Georgia College Science Education Center and getting Kona Ice.
There were also educational opportunities throughout the day.
Attendees spent their time identifying different minerals, learning about mental illness from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, and learning how to administer Narcan in case of an emergency.
“It’s important to learn how to administer Narcan because if you’re ever in a public area and someone happens to be having an overdose and becomes unconscious, then you can administer it to them and it can reverse those symptoms and bring them back to life,” said Olivia Woodard, a senior management information systems major.
The Department of Public Health was also on-site doing surveys to find out how the people of Milledgeville get around and what they hope to see that could improve the neighborhood.
Vendors were on site to connect the community with small business owners, like Chiquita Shorter who owns Teen Attack, a business geared towards educating, motivating, and empowering the youth all across Georgia.
Courtney Hitchcock, a local painter, and Jessica Whitehead, an author and photographer, were also in attendance, selling their work and meeting other artists.
“It’s a great way to connect with a community and get to know people and to see what people who live here create and support them,” Hitchcock said. “So it’s just a great way to hang out together.”
ArtHealthy encouraged the community to come together to learn how to keep themselves healthy and active for a better future and life.