Well, here we are almost to May, 2009, and I realize that you haven’t heard from me in months, and I’m sorry! It’s been an eventful year so far, and I hope this letter finds you all enjoying 2009 to its fullest!

I have a lot to catch you up on! We’ve made so many changes this year, I hope you can all find time to come and visit us soon, and often! We’re certainly working hard to make it worth your while to keep tabs on our progress! We have a few exciting announcements to make, so let’s take a look at the changes we’ve made so far.

We’re so excited to announce that Frog Hollow Photography has joined us at 100 North Public Square. Kenny and Cindy Simmons have had their photography studio on the Square in Dahlonega for 5 years. Almost 20 years ago, when Kenny was just getting started in photography, he was one of Hummingbird Lane’s first artists, and we’re excited to welcome him back. He and Cindy have created a wonderful photography experience with their Sunday Model project, wedding sessions, and photography workshops. You can visit Froghollow Photography’s website at www.thefroghollowcompany.com. Stop by any Sunday afternoon for their Sunday model project – you’ll be happy you did!

To accommodate Froghollow, we made a few more changes within the gallery. I now have a pottery studio, and we’ve already enjoyed having Robin Smith throwing pots during Bear on the Square. I’ve enjoyed being able to throw and hand build so much that we’ve decided to add pottery workshops to our schedule of events. We will be publishing our schedule for summer workshops in pottery, painting, music, photography and more by the second week in May, so stay tuned for this exciting announcement!

Margret Von Keiser has also joined us in the gallery, and will be in the gallery during the week and on weekends. Margret has a great following for her abstract and spiritual content in her original oil paintings. She has also added a line of new jewelry and is constantly working on new pieces. You can see a sample of her art work on our website in the gallery section.

We have a few more announcements to make, as we have come up with a new plan to allow our customers the opportunity to celebrate “Art in Action,” which is our new mode of operation. In these hard times, we’ve found that people are seeking the opportunity to do and see more for themselves, and are looking for ways to experience life rather than simply moving through it. Our new business model will help you tap into your creative spirit, enjoy the creativity of others, and have a new appreciation for all mediums of art and music.

I do have some sad news. Earlier this year, we received the news that two of our dear friends here in Dahlonega were killed in an automobile accident. Tony and Ann Iannuario, known also as Mother and Father Christmas, were two people who had made a tremendous impact on us here at the gallery and in our lives, and I miss them terribly. I’ve had trouble finding words, and this is the main reason you haven’t heard from us lately. We were so fortunate to have them in our lives for the past three years, and between us all here in Dahlonega, we’re working through our grief. Both Tony and Ann held such wonderful positions in our community that it is difficult to experience their absence, much less make sense of it. We met them within a month of purchasing the gallery, at our first Bear on the Square festival. They became our friends immediately, and just as quickly were taken from us. While it is true that life goes on, I have found that my coping skills met their match on this one, and I’ve yet to bounce back quickly.

On a lighter note, we’re having a lot of fun planning for our new festival in Dahlonega! We’re celebrating our 175th birthday September 19-20, and will be having an antique festival! We’re going to have historical tours of Dahlonega, gold mining demonstrations, event re-creations, and a birthday party! Click here to see a video invitation to Heritage Days in Dahlonega! For more information, visit us at www.dahlonegamerchants.org and click on “Heritage Days!” We’re also getting ready for Mountain Flower Festival, which is coming up in a few short weeks! May 16-17 marks the 21st annual fine arts festival in Dahlonega, and Hummingbird Lane is proud to present the works of Amy Strickland (me:>), Cindy Simmons, and Margret Von Keiser. We’ll be having on site pottery demonstrations, a Master Gardners show in Hancock Park, and over 60 artists will be setting up on the Square to celebrate Spring and the wonderful work they’ve been producing throughout the year. We’d love to have you join us for the weekend, so plan on coming to Dahlonega for Mountain Flower Festival, sponsored by the Dahlonega Merchants Association and the Dahlonega Council for the Arts.

Finally, I am proud to say that I had the great honor and privilege to make a delivery of service for 12 to Kim and Tom Lindstrom. Kim and Tom were married March 29, 2009. They came to Dahlonega in September of 2008, and registered at Hummingbird Lane for their dinner dishes. I couldn’t believe it when they chose my pottery for their dinner ware as newlyweds! Kim and Tom have a wonderful flower and gift shop in Guntersville, AL. I took a road trip last week and got to see first hand that wonderful little community on the river! Check out their website at www.rockhouseflowers.com. I have to admit I was very nervous about this commission. I had made one set, but only a complete set for four, and it took me the entire winter to make it, but here are the results:

In addition to all of these things, we’re just happy to see the winter months behind us yet again, and the Spring flowers blooming their little hearts out all over the mountains of North Georgia. Winter can be a hard time for the creative types, and then the Spring shows get started and we’re all propelled into action. We used our time wisely though this winter, and are proudly presenting a new experience for artists and art lovers alike! We have a few more surprises planned this year, and hope we’ll see you soon! Keep a close eye on our website – we have a new intern starting in June who is going to dedicate her time to making sure you’re informed of all that’s going on with us, and hopefully you’ll be tempted to make your way to Dahlonega and share an afternoon with us at Hummingbird Lane!

Ya'll Come See Us!

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