Melanie Stokes
How important are the arts to Melanie Stokes? So important, that when she and her pastor husband were considering communities in which to relocate, she hoped for a place where she could find the cultural atmosphere which artists bring to a community. Via the internet, Mrs. Stokes found MAC when the possibility of a move to Thomson came up. She was excited that the small town in which her family had once lived now had an organization to celebrate the arts. That fact helped solidify their decision to move back to the area.
She comes to the Council from Ludowici, Georgia, where she was an active member of the Wayne County Arts Council. While in Ludowici she designed and directed the creation of a building mural that depictes a historical timeline of the area.
Melanie taught art for thirteen years at the elementary level in south Georgia. She is now the K-8 Visual Arts Teacher for three Washington-Wilkes schools. She has earned her Masters Degree in Art Education from GSU and is a strong supporter of school arts programs.
Her work has been part of a local artists exhibition at the McDuffie County Museum, and has been displayed in the office of the Georgia Secretary of State in Atlanta.
Melanie's husband, Steve, is the pastor at Pine Grove Baptist Church in Thomson.
MAC is pleased to have the support of a strong proponent of the arts like Melanie.