VALDOSTA — The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will launch a Digital Arts, Technology, Animation and Media (DATAM) program for area middle and high school students. Funded by a National Endowment for the Arts grant and a matching grant from the Loyce & Annette Turner Foundation, Inc., the new program seeks to expose students to technical arts and potential career fields, the arts center said in a press release.

Introductory classes in the fields of graphic design, photography, videography, and 2D animation will be offered by instructors McKenzie Simpson, Lydia Bell, Steven Heddon, and Brandon Wiggins at no cost to the students. Five students accepted for each of the four disciplines will receive two hours of instruction weekly for 10 weeks.

“The Turner Center is proud to expand our art education offerings to meet the digital demands and interests of our young people,” said Turner Center Executive Director Sementha Mathews. “With the same mindset that is going into the building of the Meta Shaw Coleman Children’s Imagination Station, our focus is how to creatively inspire our young people through local experts in ways that prepare our youth for future career opportunities.”

All classes will take place at the upgraded Guardian Bank Studio, located on the second floor of the Turner Center, at 527 N. Patterson St. Instruction may also take place in other facilities on the campus.

Applications will be accepted through Jan. 15, 2024. Graduates from each class will receive a certificate of completion and will be encouraged to submit completed works to local programs and competitions as applicable; for example, students in videography class will submit short works to the South Georgia Film Festival.

The Turner Center said it continually seeks to introduce the potential career possibilities through the various art mediums available on its campus and to support local artists in their pursuits.

To learn more about the DATAM program and to submit an application, visit turnercenter.org/classes. Contact Art Education Administrator Hailey Rathmann at (229) 247-2787 for additional information or assistance.