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Peruse the diverse collection at the Georgia Museum of Art.
(Photo: Terry Allen) |
Absorb Athens’s aesthetically inclined side at the Georgia Museum of Art (free). You can’t miss the entrance, marked by Beverly Pepper’s Ascension, a towering steel sculpture. Head right for the outdoor, tri-level sculpture garden, installed as part of a $20 million renovation unveiled in 2011; Patricia Leighton’s �Terra Verte� exhibition, which features six steel cages overflowing with foliage, is scheduled to run through July 1. Inside, the free 45-minute Highlights of the Permanent Collection tour offers an efficient way to see the standouts among thousands of pieces. On the way out, stop by the better-than-usual museum shop, which sells handcrafted jewelry by Athens artists and art books published by the museum itself.
Forget frat parties in favor of more civilized tastings at Athens’s beloved breweries. Beer geeks are buzzing over the newest kid on the block, the year-old Creature Comforts, located in a warehouse that once housed a tire store and car dealership. A souvenir glass ($10) comes with four pours and a tour of the on-site brewing area where beers like the Tropicalia, a fruit-flavored IPA, are created; afterward, discuss tasting notes with locals at communal tables. Then stop by the brand-new 6,000-square-foot tasting room at Terrapin Beer Company. Take a free tour of its 40,000-square-foot facility and try out the only-sold-in-Georgia Golden Ale ($10 for tastings) while listening to live performances from Athens and southern bands on its newly added stage.
Snag a luxury bag with a backstory at Agora Vintage, which stocks an enticing selection of accessories, dresses, and jewelry from upscale brands like Chanel, Céline, and Bottega Veneta. The shop doesn’t have a prominent sign�look out for the window stocked with �50s and �60s furniture, bags, and shoes curated by owner Airee Edwards. Opened in fall 2013, the shop is a reinvention of Edwards’s original co-op, which is now Atomic Athens. Under new ownership, Atomic remains a treasure chest of retro gems, including 1960s-era floral-print dresses and mid-century modern furniture like a Danish chest of drawers ($200). For on-trend women’s styles that look far more expensive than they are, head to Fab’rik , whose chic floral blouses, cozy cardigans, and hip accessories are for the most part priced under $100.