Public Art

IN THE OPEN

A collection of over fifty curated photographs displayed outdoors at The Ritz Amphitheater, illustrating 135 years of musical history in Thomasville and Thomas County."

14 Decades of Music in Thomasville
April 5 – Sep 1, 2025 | The Ritz Amphitheater

Go to any live music event today anywhere in the world, and you will see the same thing: dozens, hundreds, or thousands of smartphones held up, recording not just music but the musicians, stagecraft, and everything that goes along with it. The impulse to visually capture music performances and musicians has evolved with the music itself, from cave drawings to oil paintings to the seas of vertical screens you find today.

Thomasville, as the hub of arts, culture, and music in southwest Georgia from its heyday as an internationally endorsed wellness resort through the present, has a long and documented history of producing exceptional musical talent to send into the world, attracting virtuosos and superstars to play here, and of capturing it all in still pictures from the days of glass-plate negatives in the 1890s through those rolls of 35mm film in the mid-to-late twentieth century to digital pictures which have dominated the last twenty years.

Thomasville Center for the Arts invites you to explore the more than fifty images curated and displayed to illustrate 135 years of music in Thomasville and Thomas County. They come from our photographers, partner institutions like Jack Hadley’s Black History Museum, the Thomasville History Center, the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation, the City of Thomasville, and even some artists themselves! We explore every stage and style of music possible, from marching bands performing in the streets to music classes sitting politely for a class picture to concerts, symphonies, and glossy promotional glamor shots. They were taken by professionals and amateurs in studios and live settings. They are an enduring monument and visual testimonial to our love of music and the people who create it.

A special acknowledgment goes to the custom mural created by Clay Byars, inspired by a historical image of “The Ritz,” an entertainment venue that once existed in The Sandy Bottom District.

This is a photo of a flyer for the pine woods hotel band. Depicted are the 4 band members sitting on a curvy tree

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PURCHASE POSTCARD BOOK

Art Walk Map (PDF)

An Image of a pin tree that is wrapped in bright orange yarn anf has multi color yarn balls hanging from its limbs.

Artists painting vibrant crosswalk murals near the corner of Remington Avenue and Stevens Street, a collaborative public art project aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety and community engagement

Thomasville Center for the Arts takes art in the open in order to empower artists and transform our community – it is installed or staged in public spaces and drives economic development. Art in the Open brings our community tribes together, elevates their talent and generates a sense of excitement in our downtown.

Art in the Open is presented in three ways: During our fall Wildlife Arts Festival – a community-driven contemporary twist on the wildlife sporting culture; during our spring DUE SOUTH – a month-long exhibition of public art tribes in the historic downtown Creative District; and during special projects – using a public art installation to appeal to an unconventional or unique audience, held in “other” spaces.

This Spring, Thomasville Center for the Arts, under the direction of Public Art Director, Darlene Crosby Taylor, in partnership with the City of Thomasville and Thomasville City Schools will provide crosswalk murals in two locations where students are in danger of being harmed due to high traffic and heavy parking obstructing views. These locations include the corner of Remington Avenue and Stevens Street – adjacent to the Ritz Amphitheater, in partnership with the City of Thomasville, and the corner of Washington Street and Glenwood Avenue – adjacent to McIntyre Park, in partnership with Thomasville City Schools and the City of Thomasville.