Our Town. Our History. Our Story. 

 We’ve got a story to tell...

 Like most small towns in rural America, Colquitt has been dependent on agriculture for its livelihood. And like most small towns, Colquitt was facing a slow demise due to the change in the global markets. In 1991, a new concept was introduced, and Colquitt became the center of a cultural tourism industry based on storytelling. Swamp Gravy, a community performance based on the stories of local citizens has been produced for the past 16 years. Through the process of collecting, documenting and re-telling the stories of residents, the town’s heritage is being preserved and celebrated. During this time, Colquitt has become a national and international model for community development through the arts and culture.
Storytelling is an art that Southerners have enjoyed for many years. In Colquitt, we have brought it to a new level. Throughout this conference, we will share our stories and hear some of yours. Through this experience we will tell you how our small community became an international model for economic development through arts and culture. We hope to educate about our mural planning process and production while you visit the public art of Colquitt and surrounding “mural towns." You will see how we have built a tourism industry on the culture we have celebrated for years. We hope to encourage you to go back to your town and allow your cultural heritage to have a positive impact on your local economy. Through our 15 murals, you will also see the stories told by community members. These murals are steeped in Southern tradition, yet are universal in appeal. Colquitt’s murals tell stories of old and young, about life and death, about family and community. These stories will come to life on the stage when you see the official folklife play of Georgia, Swamp Gravy, performed in a cotton warehouse which has been restored into a state-of-the-art theater.

You will have the opportunity to see the rural art of farming and cultivation that has sustained out community for hundreds of years. Visitors will have the option to tour and see the production of cotton, peanuts, and various grains.

For the outdoor lover, Spring Creek Park offers a peaceful location to meander through cypress and wetland hardwoods, watch native birds in their habitat, or just relax at the sitting area and admire the beauty of this region.

Another option for visitors is to tour the JoKaRa Film Studio. This is the largest sound stage in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.
Through your visit to Colquitt and the 2010 Global Mural Conference, you will experience Southern hospitality and see how the power of murals has transformed the values, heritage, and culture of out community. In 2000, Colquitt was chosen to receive a prestigious award from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. The community chose to use the award to further the use of storytelling and create public art based on the stories from the various plays. Thus, the Millennium Mural Project was born. 

The Millennium Mural Project is a continuation of Colquitt’s dream of preserving the town’s heritage through the art of storytelling. Each of the murals tells stories from a specific play highlighting the universal aspects of the common life of rural communities around the world. The murals depict the natural environment, include a variety of styles and are painted by artist from all over the country with input from the citizens. They are unique in that they, like the play Swamp Gravy, cross racial, economic, and social boundaries. They unite the citizens of Colquitt, revitalize buildings, and provide another cultural heritage venue. The first Murals, “We’ve Got a Story to Tell” and “The Peace Wall” were completed in 2000. The Colquitt/Miller Arts Council has completed 14 murals and is in the process of completing their fifteenth. The public are project has transformed our downtown and created a beautiful walking tour for visitors. The citizens are impacted daily with scenes depicting the values that neighborliness, volunteerism, risk taking, sharing, and celebration that are dear to rural communities. Hundreds of citizens, both children and adults, have been involved in the process of making Colquitt “Georgia’s First Mural City.”