It's a good time to flip through my writer's notebook and pick some things coming in the next few weeks, and down the road, that are worth securing tickets for or marking on your calendar.
Here we go:
—The McEachern Art Center opens its Summer Georgia Artist Exhibition, highlighting the work of eight Georgia-based artists, on June 5, the next First Friday. The opening reception at 6 p.m. offers the chance to see the work of familiar artists as well as other creatives who may be altogether new to you.
Artists include Hannah Mock, Craig Coleman, Jeff Schmuki, Wendy DesChene, Jenni Horne, Isabel Neely, Meredith Ochoa and Reed Gallo. Works include both two- and three-dimensional pieces in a variety of styles and media. From a sampling I've seen, all are immensely interesting, well-crafted pieces that will both delight and intrigue.
Aside from the First Friday opening reception, summer hours at the McEachern are Thursdays from 4-8 p.m., Fridays from 4-8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. The MAC is at 332 Second St. and online at macmacon.com.
—On June 6 at 3 p.m., Kali Dance Studio for the Arts, 438 Second St., presents A Tribute to the King of Pop at the Piedmont Grand Opera House, 651 Mulberry St. The recital performance is an opportunity to catch one of Macon's most vibrant dance-studio communities, where artistic expression and learning have flourished for two decades under the guidance of founder Terra Hitchcock. You've likely seen Kali students — kids and adults — perform at community events across Macon; this is a chance to see them in full-performance-mode.
Tickets are available through The Grand: $25 for adults and $20 for kids. The Kali studio is online at kalidancestudio.com.
—What else is coming to The Grand? “Girls Night: The Musical†is on for June 13, and “Toast: The Ultimate Bread Experience†is set for June 22. And yes, John Berry will be back for his annual Macon Christmas show on Dec. 19.
But before all that is the Macon premiere on June 11 of “Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul.†Special guest Chuck Leavell will be on hand, as will filmmakers. Leavell was The Allman Brothers Band's pianist and is currently the Rolling Stones' piano player and musical director — as well as studio player for basically any band that wants the best guy at the keys around. The new documentary explores the life and times of Gregg Allman with interviews and archival footage. It hits theaters June 17, when there will be another screening at The Grand.
—And how about the Macon Centreplex venues? It's a toss-up as to what to highlight, but to cover the range of great shows ahead, how about “Disney on Ice: Magic of Family,†beginning a run at the Macon Coliseum on Oct. 20? The Goo Goo Dolls at Atrium Health Amphitheater on Aug. 27? Or Travis Tritt at the Macon Auditorium on Sept. 25? Considering these and others you can find at maconcentreplex.org, when has Macon had such a lineup of the best-of-the-best musical artists coming to town as are in store this summer and beyond?
—Bragg Jam's 2026 Concert Crawl is July 25. The concert crawl lineup was revealed at a co-event with Tanglewood Art Studios in April in conjunction with a Bragg Jam-related art exhibit at Tanglewood. Along with music, a hallmark of Bragg Jam is its community-building, which is only natural given the whole event began when a bunch of friends came together to remember the Bragg brothers.Â
If you can't wait until late July to get Bragg Jam connected, take them up on other events in June like their Second Sunday free live music on Coleman Hill, First Friday Soul Spots and whatever secret shows they may have planned that aren't announced until just before they pop up somewhere. Find more on all this on the Bragg Jam site and their socials, braggjam.org.
—Turn your calendar to August and mark down Aug. 20–23 for the Macon Film Festival. Festival volunteers are busy right now making final selections for films and guests while also preparing workshops, their website and app, and the ticketing system. Everything good about past festivals will be repeated this year, including partnering with the Museum of Arts and Sciences for the Full Dome Festival and the continuation of bringing Indigenous films and filmmakers to Macon for the Fire Starters Festival.
Macon's growing creative scene
Now is also a good time to acknowledge how Macon's cultural life and offerings are expanding with new young groups of creatives becoming increasingly active, doing unique and different things as well as taking up the torch to carry Macon's artful, cultural traditions forward — and I'll be doing a lot of that in the future. Think creative co-ops like Court of Miracles and the Belltower Collective.
Not to leave behind Macon's longtime creative forces and talents, I've got in my notebook a list of those artists and artful doers to write about. I want to push the boundaries of what we normally think of as art to include the work of some of Macon's most talented people who can't hang their work on a wall or building side, place it on a street corner or perform it from a stage.
I can never promise what I will or won't write about, but to do all this, I issue a plea that you help me out: who do you know of that you'd like to see me explore this summer and in the coming months? Use my email below or stop me as I'm out and about. I do look a little like the picture — but maybe with a ball cap.
Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. Find him on Instagram at michael_w_pannell.
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