Southern Heartland Arts honors founder, gallery director Elise Hammond Elise Hammond
Gallery Director Elise McCauley Hammond was honored by the Southern Heartland Arts (SHA) during its January meeting for her efforts in the creation and sustainment of the Newton County organization.
The board recognized Hammond’s many contributions to SHA from the formation of the organization one of the oldest art guilds in metro Atlanta started more than 35 years ago to Hammond’s petition to the Internal Revenue Service for its nonprofit standing in 1988, to the 17 years she chaired the Southern Heartland Art Festival held at Salem Campground, to her role in obtaining the lease of the Cohen building on the corner of Washington & Monticello Streets for a permanent home for Southern Heartland Arts, Inc., its art guild, gallery and exhibition space, to serving as gallery director from September 2004 til present day.