WATER BALLOON FIGHT!

*splash*

That’s how these things are supposed to start, right?

Especially when 99X and other partners come togehter Saturday at Masquerade Music Park to try to break the Guinness record for the world’s largest water balloon fight. It’s an all-ages event, but there will be a games, a DJ and a full bar.

They’ll need some 3,000 people to break the record, and they’re turning it into a fund-raiser — $5 admission fees will go to Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge.

This seems to be the kind of record that everyone wants to break, but as far as I can tell, it currently belongs to Microsoft, which gathered 2,849 people and 51,400 water balloons for a fight.

What does such a thing look like? Here’s a video from my beloved former workplace, the Lexington Herald-Leader. A photographer there shot a water balloon fight at University of Kentucky in 2008 that fell 100-some people short of the record, but still got pretty wet.

Want to go? Masquerade Music Park, 695 North Ave. …

Continue reading What would the world’s largest water balloon fight look like? Atlanta will try to find out at the Masquerade on August 22. »

The Georgia Theatre on June 30, within weeks of the fire. AJC/Jamie Gumbrecht

Georgia Theatre owner Wilmot Greene sent a list of (mostly) upbeat news about how the music venue is coming together since it was gutted by a fire in June.

The biggest news, he said, is that they can now accept donations through the non-profit Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, which means donations are tax deductible. Want to toss some cash in? Send your contribution to The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Attn: Kate Ryan, 1516 Peachtree St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30309. Write “The Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund” in the memo line. Online donation forms should be available online within the week, too.

UPDATE: The Georgia Trust often partners with groups trying to rehab certain buildings, but this is the first time it has partnered with a for-profit entity in this way, said Mark McDonald, the president and chief executive of the Trust. He told me Wednesday that Greene approached the …

Continue reading Georgia Theatre construction, fund-raising plans on the way »

Since we heard last month about money troubles that might force community arts non-profit Eyedrum to close down, organizers were busy with the usual calendar, plus a few benefit parties.

(Missed the rent trouble news? You can read more about it here and here.)

The first benefit rolls around Friday, when a live art auction will sell off work by about a 100 artists, plus items like High Museum and WonderRoot memberships, writing classes with Hollis Gillespie, recordings from Dust-to-Digital, yoga from Bikram Decatur, graphic design, interior design and art installation services and a guided historical tour of Ponce de Leon with Tom Zarrilli.

In case it wasn’t clear, we are talking about Eyedrum: “Costumes and dancing encouraged!”

But wait, there’s more!

A 24-hour dance-a-thon, silent auction and alley cat bicycle scavenger hunt to benefit Eyedrum will give another go at raising money next month. Pucker up: there will be a kissing booth.

Want to go? Eyedrum Benefit Art Auction, …

Continue reading Eyedrum benefits: live art auction Friday, dance-a-thon next »

Eyedrum, the non-profit Cabbagetown gallery and music venue that can’t afford to pay its rent, sent word tonight that it hasn’t gotten a decision yet from its landlord. For now, a benefit art auction is planned for Aug. 14.

The benefit will include live entertainment, a silent auction of work by local artists, a “live auction of art services,” Eyedrum merchandise, free hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Money raised will go toward Eyedrum operating costs and programming.

From the release:

After 10 successful years in Atlanta, funding and donations recently have waned, putting Eyedrum’s livelihood in jeopardy. The organization is still awaiting word from its landlord, Braden Fellman, on the terms of its lease and monthly rent. In addition, a committee is taking shape to address the long-term plans of the organization, including a possible move to a smaller location and a paid staffer. While the disbanding of the organization is a possibility, board members are encouraged by the …

Continue reading Short on cash, Eyedrum plans Aug. 14 benefit art auction »

Xi Lan was born Aug. 30, 2008. In this recent photo, he lounges in his favorite spot in Zoo Atlanta's panda enclosure. His big sister, Mei Lan, will soon head back to China. Vino Wong/AJC

For years now, the biggest draw to Zoo Atlanta has been its black-and-white fuzzballs, a pair of panda parents and their Atlanta-born offspring, Mei Lan and Xi Lan. This is no surprise. There are 13 captive pandas in the United States and we’ve got four of them. It’s incredibly special.

But now the Grant Park zoo is trying to raise $500,000 more to keep them, rather than sending them back to China when the lease ends. An AJC story, “Fund-raising lags to keep pandas in Atlanta,” says even the undisputed stars of the local animal kingdom aren’t a big moneymaker right now:

With $2 million already pledged from corporations and foundations, the zoo went public with its “Give So They Stay” campaign in mid-June, and has raised $59,000. That’s roughly a tenth of the goal, but no one seems …

Continue reading POLL: Are you over Zoo Atlanta’s pandas? »

UPDATE 7/22/09: Atlanta police Lt. Richard Smythe reported back that the WonderRoot burglary suspect was arrested on a traffic violation in Walton County. Three computers were found in his car, which was impounded. He was charged with theft by receiving in Walton County and there are warrants for him for burglary and criminal trespassing in Atlanta.

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Good news for local filmmakers: the community computers are back.

A suspect is in custody after a burglary at WonderRoot earlier this month that shut down the community arts center’s digital media lab, the non-profit’s executive director said Monday.

The AJC reported last week that five iMacs were stolen late July 10 or early July 11 when someone entered the Memorial Drive facility through a window with burglar bars. WonderRoot is used as a concert venue, recording studio and art gallery, but also as a dark room, video lab and education center for kids and adults. The digital media lab was used most often by graphic designers, …

Continue reading Arrest in WonderRoot burglary; arts center lab to reopen »

The news was posted online this week, unceremoniously mixed among calendars and announcements: “Eyedrum May Soon Call it Quits.” (PDF)

Cheatham

But news about the 11-year-old community arts organization’s financial trouble quickly picked up headlines on blogs and discussions on listservs. It’s not debt that finally spiraled out of control, Eyedrum executive director Robert Cheatham said, or personnel costs they can’t keep up — the organization is debt free, he said, and is run entirely by volunteers, who book about 280 events there every year. The trouble is that this summer of recession is even slower than usual, and with fewer acts and shows are on the books, audiences are smaller. That means less money coming in to pay about $5,000 a month for rent and utilities.

Cheatham met with a representative for Eyedrum’s landlord, Braden Fellman Group Ltd., Thursday morning to let them know they can’t afford the rent this month. It’s not the first time they’ve gone to their …

Continue reading INTERVIEW: Eyedrum executive director Robert Cheatham »

Eyedrum, a non-profit community arts space in Atlanta, faces financial trouble that could force it to move, close or drastically change the way it operates. A press release posted online Wednesday and headlined “Eyedrum May Soon Call it Quits” said:

Facing a heavy rent burden and ever-increasing operating expenses, Eyedrum’s board of
directors held an emergency meeting Sunday, July 11, to consider the survival of the longtime art and music organization.

The options are few. They include a significant decrease in rent, bringing on other Atlanta-based arts organizations to sublet part of the 6,0000-square-foot space, a move to a smaller space, or an end to the award-winning venue altogether.

The release (PDF) says the board will try to negotiate a rent reduction with its landlord later this week, and will meet to discuss it or proposals from other art organizations on July 26, if not earlier. Donations will go toward operating expenses, but the release says, “the urgency and …

Continue reading Eyedrum finances could force arts space to move, close »