When UNG hits the road to map the future of fine arts in Georgia, it’s about more than just meetings. It's about momentum.

From June 2-4, leaders from the University of North Georgia (UNG) took their bold vision for arts and entertainment directly into the heart of Georgia’s creative economy during the latest stop on the Nighthawk Impact Tour. The goal was to activate the university’s strategic big bet to "accelerate the fine arts and entertainment" through deeper partnerships, immersive learning, and purpose-driven pathways.

"We weren't just visiting studios and theaters. We were aligning our vision with the energy of Georgia's creative economy,” UNG President Michael Shannon said. "We see the arts not as enrichment, but as infrastructure, and UNG is positioned to lead. This is movement with purpose."

Over three days, UNG leaders connected with industry innovators, alumni and students across White, Hall and Fulton counties. From local studios to global brands, each stop offered insight into how UNG can prepare students to thrive in the evolving landscape of creative careers.

Stops included:

• 460 Sound Studio and the Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center, where local talent shapes cultural identity.
• A roundtable with the Greater Hall Chamber’s Vision 2030 Public Art Committee and The Arts Council, emphasizing the civic role of creative expression.
• Tours of Georgia Public Broadcasting, Alliance Theatre, The Coca-Cola Company’s Creative Studios, and The Goat Farm Arts Complex, where innovation and storytelling intersect daily.
• A visit to the Resurgens Center, home to esports and gaming media companies like Skillshot and Ghost Gaming — anchoring UNG’s belief that creativity is both analog and digital.

For Dr. Jeff Marker, director of UNG’s School of Communication, Film & Theatre, the tour served as both a listening session and a launchpad.

"Our academic programs are designed around project-based and experiential learning. The conversations we had during the Impact Tour with industry leaders reaffirmed that we're doing things the right way, but in the arts we have to constantly update what we do to continue preparing our students for current and emerging career pathways," Marker said. "The Impact Tour was a great vehicle for doing that. We also forged new connections and reconnected with innovative creators and companies. These conversations will yield new partnerships, new opportunities for students and new collaborations."

Those opportunities are already here for students like Luiza Parodia Penha, a senior from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre arts, now in her second summer interning with Alliance Theatre.

"I have made the most of all my academic experiences. It's really great when you have a big win and you accomplish what you want," Parodia Penha said. "But learning how to move on from not accomplishing what you want and turning that into a positive has been a great thing I've learned at the University of North Georgia."

And for alumni like Jayson Waddell, now camps manager at Alliance Theatre, the connection to UNG still resonates.

"What I learned the most at UNG is how to really collaborate and build my community, which ultimately set me up for success right out of college," Waddell said. "I landed a job at the Alliance Theatre, where I've been for the last 17 years. My work at UNG really sky-rocketed me into my career in a way I don't think would have happened if I went somewhere else."

The tour reinforced a simple truth: UNG doesn't just want to participate in Georgia's arts future — it wants to help shape it. That vision includes:

• Deepening partnerships with leading arts organizations.
• Embedding students in real-world creative ecosystems.
• Elevating the Gainesville Campus as an arts and entertainment hub.
• Launching new programs that prepare students to thrive where art meets economy.

Dr. Martha Nesbitt, who served from 1997-2012 as president of what was then Gainesville State College and is now UNG’s Gainesville Campus, said it best: "We're in a community that embraces the arts. The foundation is already here — and with President Shannon's vision for turning UNG into the premier arts hub in the Southeastern U.S., the momentum is real."