The Otis Redding Foundation announces new two-story center for arts in downtown Macon

The Otis Redding Foundation announced Tuesday that a new center will be coming to downtown Macon as soon as next summer.

“This center will change the face of downtown. But most importantly, it will change the kids’ lives forever,” said Karla Redding-Andrews, vice president and executive director of The Otis Redding Foundation.

The foundation hopes the two-story, 9,000-square-foot space at 36 Cotton Avenue will become a destination for music and arts programs for children ages 4 to 18. The new Otis Redding Center for the Arts, which according to Andrews will be a safe space for creativity, will create job opportunities for musicians and artists.

“The Otis Redding Foundation has taken up the charge to keep Macon in the forefront by igniting the minds of our youth to create not only music but art, dance, film, photography. I’ve seen first hand how this foundation can help our youth and will continue to make a difference in the lives of young people they touch,” said Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller.

The Knight Foundation provided the Otis Redding Foundation a grant to search for a location and devise a plan for the new center, according to the foundation. Zelma Redding made a gift of $1 million to purchase the property. That gift and a donation from the Griffith Foundation jump-started fundraising for the center.

The effort also raised funds for scholarships for students from underserved areas of the community to participate in programs at the center. In addition, the center will give young talent a chance to perform for their community and peers.

“There’s a wonderful spirit of collaboration and kinship that runs through all the programs we offer,” said Andrews. “We’ve done this long enough to see students participate in foundation programs for the entirety of their grade school education, then come back to participate as coaches and counselors in those same programs.

“Those long-term relationships and personal investments are essential to developing and sustaining a music and arts scene. We can’t wait to see what comes with the expansion to the new center.”

Since 2007, the foundation has offered programs centered around music and the arts after school and on weekends. The goal of the program is to teach the importance of self expression, civic responsibility, and lifelong social skills.

“Students of all abilities and disabilities should and will have the opportunity to pick up a guitar to put pen to paper to express pent up feelings and emotions. They will learn how the classical music world aligns directly with the rap music world and create art pieces that are color coded to music. This is a space to empower and motivate and create while taking their minds off the stresses of day to day life,” Andrews said.

The Foundation’s new center will host existing programs like group and private lessons, Beyond the Notes, Music Makers Workshop, Otis Music Camp, Camp DREAM, We Write the Songs and the DREAM Team performance group to expand to allow more young people to participate. No musical or artistic experience is required.

A board member of the Otis Redding Foundation and a parent of a participant of the program gave his testimony to how the program has helped his family. His son began the annual summer music camp in middle school and is now an accredited songwriter and musician and has performed with artists such as Scarface, SWV, Keith Sweat and Lil Baby.

“He would have never had that confidence and skills without the oldest writing foundation,” said Kevin B. Williamson, assistant professor at Mercer University. “I know what it did for my son. And I know what he has done for our community. This is why I believe that it will touch the lives of our kids, it will create great leadership skills, music skills, and art skills that will be everlasting and will impact us all.”

During his life, Macon native Otis Redding led philanthropic efforts in the Middle Georgia community through scholarships and financial opportunities for disadvantaged youth, according to the foundation. Killed at age 26 in a plane crash, Redding’s legacy is carried on by the foundation, established by his widow Zelma Redding in 2007.

To learn more on how to join the foundation, visit otisreddingfoundation.org/donate or call 478-742-5737.