Suwanee Performing Arts
Our History
In 2003, Berneta Bock Davis and Patty Etherton opened the doors to a local arts academy with the purpose of giving young artists a loving and nurturing place to study. Bock and Etherton, both performers for more than 25 years, knew firsthand how valuable the arts are to a community. Shortly after opening the doors to the Suwanee Academy of the Arts, it became apparent to Bock and Etherton that teaching an artistic discipline and nurturing talent in the classroom were only part of the total arts experience. The community offered few to no opportunities for live performance, thus Suwanee Performing Arts was founded and established as a 501(c)3 in 2007. Since that time, six artistic divisions of Suwanee Performing Arts have developed:
- Suwanee Youth Ballet
- Sounds of Suwanee Jazz Ensemble
- Broadway in the Park
- Page-2-Stage
- Artistic Multi- Cultural Exchange, free dance weekends and needs based scholarships.
- Community Art Players of Suwanee
Who We Are Today: Building Community and Character
Each year Suwanee Performing Arts auditions dozens of young artists who wish to perform in one or more of SPA’ s performance groups. The organization provides much needed scholarships for many young artists in the community who, without financial assistance, would not be able to pursue their dreams. In addition to scholarships, Suwanee Performing Arts:
- Nurtures artists dreams and interests
- Ignites a passion for the arts
- Inspires confidence
- Encourages creativity
In addition to the more than one hundred active artists involved with Suwanee Performing Arts, there will be nearly as many volunteers and thousands of audience members touched in 2011.
If you wish to learn more about Suwanee Performing Arts and become active in our programs, please download our brochure.
Our Goals for the Future:
In addition to continuing to provide artists scholarships, Suwanee
Performing Art’s greatest vision is to bring to life a theatre, nestled
close to the Town Center area, that would provide an indoor facility for
community use and theatrical events. With a
community so rich in talent, there is no better place for a “Main Street
Theatre” where residents and visitors alike can come together and celebrate
Bringing Art to Life.