Joel Chandler Harris Association

THE WREN'S NEST IS A MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER THAT PRESERVES STORYTELLING TRADITIONS, CULTIVATES A LOVE OF STORIES AND STORYTELLING, AND CELEBRATES SELF-EXPRESSION.

TOURS & STORYTELLINGDURING 2021, THE WREN'S NEST OFFERED BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL TOURS OF THE HOME AND WAS OPEN ONE DAY A WEEK AND BY APPOINTMENT BEGINNING IN MAY 2021, FOLLOWING A FACILITY CLOSURE BEGINNING MARCH 2020 DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. ADDITIONALLY, OUR WREN'S NEST RAMBLERS,A PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLING TROUPE PERFORMED THE BRER RABBIT STORIES FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES DURING THE FIRST PART OF THE YEAR, SHIFTING FROM VIRTUAL STORYTELLING BACK TO IN-PERSON STORYTELLING IN MAY 2021. THE STORYTELLERS WERE NOT ABLE TO PERFORM OUTSIDE OF THE WREN'S NEST DUE TO THE COVID-19 RELATED LOCKDOWN. THE WREN'S NEST ALSO PARTICIPATED IN PHOENIX FLIES, A CITYWIDE CELEBRATION OF HISTORIC SITES COORDINATED BY THE ATLANTA PRESERVATION CENTER, WHERE TOURS AND STORYTELLING WERE OFFERED FREE TO THE PUBLIC.

EVENTSTHE WREN'S NEST HOSTED A SPECIAL CELEBRATION OF JUNETEENTH THAT FEATURED TWO GUEST STORYTELLERS. IN JULY, AN AUTHOR EVENT FOR A CHILDREN'S BOOK, ANANSI AND THE COLORFUL KENTE CLOTH, FEATURING AUTHOR JERRY G. WHITE, WAS HELD IN-PERSON. IN THE SUMMER WE FACILITATED A WEEKLONG WRITING CAMP FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WRITOPIA ATLANTA. IN THE FALL, WE HOSTED TWO FRIDAY NIGHT GHOST HUNTING PROGRAMS AND TWO WEEKENDS OF A NEW SEANCE STORYTELLING PROGRAM. WE CONCLUDED THE YEAR WITH A SPECIAL FINE ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT BY ARTIST TOKIE ROME-TAYLOR, ON DISPLAY IN THE HOUSE DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, BEGINNING WITH AN OPENING RECEPTION ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO REOPENING THE WREN'S NEST'S BACKYARD FOR 2022 COMMUNITY EVENTS, SUCH AS THE ANNUAL WEST END NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CONCERT AND A SERIES OF CONCERTS PRODUCED BY THE MUSIC NONPROFIT JAZZ MATTERS, WHICH ATTRACTED MORE THAN 2,500 SPECTATORS.

FREE BOOK PROGRAMSIN 2020, THE WREN'S NEST WORKED TO AFFILIATE WITH DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY, A PROGRAM THAT WAS FULLY UNDERWAY IN 2021 IN THE 30310 AND 30315 ZIP CODES. AS A PARTNER OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA'S "MAYOR'S SUMMER READING CLUB" PROGRAM, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE FREE BOOKS TO CHILDREN DURING OUR SUMMER STORYTELLING PERFORMANCES.

UPCOMING ADDITIONSWE ARE WORKING WITH THE ATLANTA UNIVERSITY CENTER SCHOOLS TO DEVELOP AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND HOPE TO RESUME OUR SCRIBES YOUTH WRITING PROGRAM AS A SERIES OF GENRE-BASED WRITING WORKSHOPS.