This year’s season of Arts & Culture events at ABAC are dedicated to the memory of Syd Blackmarr, the founder of ABAC’s Arts Experiment Station, now called Arts Connection, in 1976. Syd was a tireless and formidable force for the arts, not only in South Georgia, but also at the state and national level as well. She truly believed in “the transformative power of the arts,” and made it her mission to ensure that the arts in the area was “available, accessible, and affordable” to all. Through her efforts and those of the people she mentored, the arts continue to thrive in our communities.