Today we’d like to introduce you to Ric Geyer.
Hi Ric, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I bought an old industrial site in Atlanta called 787 Windsor in 2015, and sold that property four years later after having been named event venue of the year by Creative Loafing magazine. I decided to find another site and leverage what we had built, and happen to find a 4-acre site with five buildings in an old industrial area in Macon, located about 50 miles south of Atlanta. Making is a historic town for many reasons, not the least of which is its incredible music heritage. It seems to have more than its share of artistic innovators, and I wanted to tap into that. So I purchased an old industrial site and formed Triangle Arts Macon. We are known for the 14 artist studios and workshops that fill our spaces, and for the number of festivals and events that are held here. Our calling card is that we welcome everyone, regardless of age, race, background, or preference. We find that “diversity drives creativity”.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Our struggles are similar to anyone is trying to start a new business. In a word, no one gives you credibility, unless you’re established, and you can’t get credibility until you are established. The planning department down here in Macon has been especially challenging, a problem, we overcame, thanks to direct intervention by our mayor, Lester Miller, who has been a very positive force in our growth. Other problems? Cash flow, broken promises, and sometimes people with good intent, but not with so much capability. Still, we continue to help folks move forward, and in so doing, our building our own sustainability.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Forbes magazine recently highlighted us and said “Triangle Arts is a creative hub like no other. Located in the Tybee neighborhood of Macon this multicultural facility champions diversity and includes the largest example of street art in middle Georgia.” We continue to be visited by artists from all over the country and our walls reflect their talent and experience.
Personally, I run a furniture shop at Triangle Arts Macon called Valkill Furniture. Eleanor Roosevelt founded Valkill in 1926 in order to assist unemployable people get hired. We follow the same philosophy at Triangle by hiring people from the street to help us. It is a difficult balancing process, but one that sets us apart from many other pure, for-profit operations. We also spend a great deal of time working in the community. One example is a program called “Board Works” which we founded here in Macon about two years ago. The program assists people who might not have otherwise have a chance to participate in board membership. So we train individuals and then at the conclusion of the program, we find them available board seats. It’s a way to bring diverse voices to the table to help make the decisions that affect us all. The program is sponsored by the Knight Foundation and is hosted by the Middle Georgia Regional Library.
Finally, one of our other characteristics is that we partner with everybody. These partnerships enable us to impact a large number of people that we might not otherwise reach. They also help us to overcome some of the obstacles that we discussed earlier.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Macon is a city of history. It is filled with architecture, with musical heritage, with innovative, creative people, but most of all, it is filled with interesting stories. We are clearly outside the perimeter, but we are close enough that we see people from Atlanta all the time and people from Macon frequently go to Atlanta. Our greatest dislike is the lack of attention paid to the river. It is an idyllic place to spend an afternoon tubing or kayaking, but we have yet to have one business establishment on the banks of this river. It is an incredible opportunity that we are not taking advantage of.
Pricing:
- There is no admission to visit the grounds and view the artwork, though donations are accepted.
- We do rent studios and workshops ranging from 250 to 1750 per month.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.triangleartsmacon.com
- Instagram: Triangleartsmacon
Image Credits
Ernest Mitchell
