THOMASVILLE — Summer is bursting with creative programs at Thomasville Center for the Arts, many of which are new.

“Summer is a great time to visit the Center and attend one of our programs. I think the community is going to enjoy the variety of opportunities they can experience,” said Executive Director, Erin Wolfe Bell.

Three new Artists in Residence will host free events this summer during their residencies at the Center.

Katie Deits of Palm Beach, Fla., will instruct a free “Plein Air Painting” workshop, Wednesday, July 2 at 9 a.m. Deits is a renowned artist whose work has been extensively exhibited in the Southeast. Participants must register in advance for this free workshop. She will host an additional “Artist Talk” on Wednesday, July 9 at 12 p.m. at the Thomasville Center for the Arts.

Ross Everett is a Tallahassee based painter and sculptor whose work explores themes of play, resilience, and connection. As an Artist in Residence, he will instruct a free sculpture class titled “Miniature Terrain” on Wednesday, July 16 at 12 p.m. and an “Artist Talk” Wednesday, July 23 at 12 p.m. Both classes are free and held at the Center.

Natalie Barfield, the Center’s final artist in residence of the season, is an artist whose figurative and photographic work seeks to explore the beauty and comedy in the mundane. She will host a free photography class on Wednesday, July 30 at 12 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend. More information about programming can be found at www.thomasvillearts.org.

Summer adult classes at the Center are open to the public, ages 13 and older. Attendees can partake in a variety of classes including drawing and paper mache sculpting with David Junker, “Tissue Art for Seniors” with Dixie Lee Hedrington and “Paint and Sip” with local artist, Hillery Allen Barrow. A more extensive class schedule can be found at www.thomasvillearts.org.

The Center’s Free 2nd  Saturday series will pause for the month of July and resume on Saturday, August 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To commemorate American Artist Appreciation Month, the Center’s August 9th event will include multiple interactive stations to create art in the style of Georgia O’Keeffe, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol.

In July, the Center’s monthly creative writing program, Ink Portal, will offer a three-day summer intensive July 16-18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Through carefully selected prompts, readings and detailed workshops, this summer intensive will inspire writing and cultivate a sense of community with other local writers.

Gracie LaRue, Programs Coordinator at Thomasville Center for the Arts and former Ink Portal participant said of her experience, “Although I would never have considered myself an established writer, I quickly learned through this program to confidently embrace my abilities, while always striving to learn and grow. Ink Portal has helped me find hope in the community, but more importantly, find my voice as an artist.”

Registration is $65 for members and $75 for non-members and includes light refreshments and resources to take home.

Currently on view at the Center is the 2025 THOM Collective exhibition. This showcase of over 50 local and regional artists-both established and emerging, features over 160 works of art. The exhibition’s theme, Edges in Art, showcases unique perspectives of the word “edge.”

The THOM Collective exhibition is free and open to the public, Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Most pieces from the exhibition are available for purchase, either in-person or through the Center for the Arts website at www.thomasvillearts.org.