Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Hamilton.
Patrick, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
While studying music at Mercer University, I began working as a Box Office Clerk for the Grand Opera House in Macon, GA. I quickly realized that, I was not cut out as a music Major and decided to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Georgia College. While at Georgia College, I was promoted to assist the Director of Operations of the Grand Opera House. This promotion put me in contact with others within the industry and I began working as a professional theatre technician for programs throughout the community. Due to the professional experience that I gained from these gigs, I was offered an Interim position at Wesleyan College, building scenery and instructing a class on proper scenic elements, theatrical lighting, and the basics of audio engineering. Once this Interim position ended, I returned to the Grand Opera House and my position evolved into a Senior Technical staff role. In this position, I assisted in the management of local crews loading in and out technical aspects for touring Broadway productions. In February of 2017, I was offered a position at the brand new Monroe County Fine Arts Center in an Arts Administration role.
Has it been a smooth road?
There were definitely some struggles along the way. After attempting to study music at Mercer University, the rigorous schedule completely burned me out. I knew that I was not cut out to be a music major, but I literally had no idea where to go from here. I dropped out after my sophomore year and decided to pursue something entirely out of the arts, firefighting. I applied and went through physical training/ exams for departments all over the state of Georgia. I would always make it to one of the final rounds, but I could never seem to make the cut. I continued the process for about a year and a half. In the meantime, I opened up a Handyman business as a side job. This business actually pushed me back into arts. I took a gig building scenery at Macon Little Theatre, then a gig wiring lighting at Theatre Macon, and finally I realized that technical theatre truly was my passion. This is when I decided to finish my Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with a technical focus at Georgia College.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the The Monroe County Fine Arts Center story. Tell us more about the business.
I manage the Monroe County Fine Arts Center, which officially opened December of 2016. We are a 1200-seat state of the art theatre fully equipped with LED stage lighting and a digital Bose audio system. We also have a large natural lighted lobby that functions as an art gallery and conference hall, depending on the event. We are entirely run by the Monroe County Board of Education. We function as a performance and visual arts facility for the entire Monroe County School system. In between school functions, we book outside touring productions as entertainment for our community. Through these professional productions, we give students a hands-on approach to arts education as they are given the opportunity to work and perform next to leading professionals within the industry. Our goal is to promote arts education while providing exceptional entertainment to our community. In this past year, we have hosted performers such as Peter Noone from Herman’s Hermits, American Idol’s Taylor Hicks, Grammy Award Winner Jason Crabb and the internationally acclaimed vocal group The TEN Tenors. We are located a mile off of I-75 right in between Macon and Atlanta. This location makes us a prime stop for touring artists and musicians. I am extremely proud of the opportunities that we are able to provide to our student body and the experience that we are able to provide to our patrons. It truly is a complete honor to work at such an advanced, up and coming arts facility. I work for some of the finest administrators in the education business and I cannot begin to describe how fulfilling it is to be a part of a program that promotes the arts in its entirety.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The entertainment industry is a tricky business to predict. As entertainment is not considered a necessity, often times the success of the industry directly relates to the economic success of the serving community. Luckily, in our case, we are ultimately in the education business. As other communities and school systems are making cuts, starting with the arts, the Monroe County School System is investing in the arts. We understand the importance of this exposure to both our student body and surrounding communities. Due to the emphases placed upon education, I have no doubt that we will grow tremendously in years to come. With every school production and professional touring production that we host, our patrons grow consistently. The facility is absolutely gorgeous; it is built to last, and it is built for tremendous productions. Once patrons enter through our doors, they’re hooked!
Contact Info:
- Address: 27 Brooklyn Ave.
Forsyth, GA 31029 - Website: monroefinearts.org
- Phone: 478-994-2031
- Email: monroe.arts@mcschools.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcsfinearts/
- Twitter: @mcsfinearts
Image Credit:
Jackson Daniel
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