Goodwill’s Forsyth Road store in Macon will celebrate a new partnership with Wesleyan College and welcome its first featured artist of the month with a reception in the store’s new art space at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 23. Media coverage is invited.  

The Wesleyan Station retail store, which offers freshly donated clothing for men, women and children in an inviting, upscale atmosphere, is located adjacent to Kroger at 4650 Forsyth Road. In coordination with Wesleyan College and its Art Department, the store now features monthly rotating art displays in newly remodeled space designed for public viewing and purchase to enhance the shopping experience.
“The Art of Weaving,” featuring creations from artist and weaver Jessica Pitts, opens the new gallery in the Wesleyan Station store. Pitts’ work celebrates sustainability as she repurposes textile material from Goodwill to weave mesmerizing hanging displays. Inspired by modern art paintings, Pitts helped students in Wesleyan Assistant Professor of Art Alexis Gregg’s 3-D Design course weave additional displays from donated Goodwill materials.

The reception to celebrate the gallery opening will include remarks from Ruth Knox, President of Wesleyan College and a member of the Goodwill Board of Directors who helped facilitate the partnership; and James K. Stiff, President of Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia.

“Since its opening last March, the Wesleyan Station Goodwill retail store has become a popular destination for shoppers lured to great deals on fashion finds, and for donors seeking a convenient opportunity to support Goodwill’s mission,” said Stiff. “This exciting new partnership with Wesleyan College provided students an opportunity to recycle donated clothing into art, thanks to the community’s generous visits to the convenient Goodwill donation drive-through, and the monthly featured artists in the gallery space will provide new reasons to shop at the Wesleyan Station Goodwill store.”

The opening celebration will include wine and light refreshments provided by Edgar’s Catering until 7 p.m. The new artist space will be open during regular store hours, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Pitts’ art will be displayed through April 30, with new area artists featured in the months ahead.