Georgia Magazine - March 2024 - 22

Left: Magician Brian Robert of Newnan
performs a card trick for the audience of librarians at the showcase event in Fayetteville.
Above: Jerry G. White engages audience members in his show " The Planets: A Universe
of Friends " at the Laurens County Library in Dublin in 2019.
" We have a history with Southeastern Reptile Rescue. They are great
with the kids and the parents. Families always leave a program learning
something that they did not know before they came, " she says.
The educational element within the fun of the program is important,
Anderson notes.
" Programmers, including library staff, entertain, but they also educate.
Families are always so grateful to have something to bring their family to
that is wholesome [and] free, and their kids learn a little bit, too, " she says.
" Some of our families have been coming for many years. We have basically
watched them grow up. "
Something for everyone
Jerry G. White of Atlanta-based A Performance Method has been
a library performer for about 15 years and incorporates storytelling,
percussion and music.
" I even became a first-time published author because of library shows, "
he says. " My debut book, 'Anansi and the Colorful Kente Cloth,' started as a
program. "
He says that words have beats, and this year his show envisions him
as a cowboy who imagines words as cows that need to be brought into the
pasture. His shows are interactive, with the audience playing drums and
even square dancing.
Atlantan Lee Bryan, also known as " That Puppet Guy, " has been a
puppeteer for 30 years and has performed shows at the Center for Puppetry
Arts in Atlanta. He says that he knows not everyone can attend shows in
Atlanta and likes that library programs are accessible to so many people
throughout the state and give them the opportunity " to be an audience
member for the very first time. "
Bryan, who says he learned about puppets from library books when he
was starting out, uses his puppets from North America, China and India to
teach audiences to be honest and not to be bullies.
" Mountain " Sam Wheelock of McDonough performs a one-man show
about life as a child in the Appalachian Mountains.
" The performing arts are evolutionary, " he says. " Our mission is to take
the arts to the people. "
22 Georgia Magazine March 2024
'Bustling community hub'
During the summer, when children are not in
school, educational opportunities are welcome,
especially in areas where they may be tougher to find,
says Evan Michael Bush, director of youth services for
the Atlanta-based Georgia Public Library Service.
" The summer reading program is one of
the most cherished and vital summer programs in
communities all across Georgia, but even more so in
rural areas, " he says. " In many smaller towns, the
local library is the place to be when school is out. It
is a bustling community hub providing engaging
programs, summer meals, access to technology,
books, STEAM [science, technology, engineering,
arts and mathematics] activities, opportunities to
connect and so much more.
" For many families it is one of the few free ways
to engage children during the summer months. "
This summer, go on an adventure at your local
library and learn a little while having a great time.
Carlin Breinig is a retired library performer (with
cooking programs for children), personal chef and
cooking instructor. She lives in Johns Creek.
Learn more
Check your local library's website or stop by to fi nd
out more about the summer programs that are planned.
The performances are free, but some require registration
because of space limitations.
For more information about the performers and
speakers mentioned in this story, visit their websites:
* Southeastern Reptile Rescue, snakesareus.com
* A Performance Method, aperformancemethod.com
* Lee Bryan, puppetguy.com
* " Mountain " Sam Wheelock, samwheelockmusic.com
PHIL SKINNER PHOTOGRAPHY
COURTESY JERRY G. WHITE

http://www.snakesareus.com http://www.aperformancemethod.com http://www.puppetguy.com http://www.samwheelockmusic.com

Georgia Magazine - March 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - March 2024