10/18/2026
🎨💜 CELEBRATING THE ART AND LEGACY OF J. ALAN GIBSON | JAOR 2026 FEATURED ARTIST 🎷🎶
As we count down the final days to the 23rd Annual Jazz and Arts on Riverdale, the Jazz Association of Macon (JAM) is proud to celebrate the life, artistry, and colorful spirit of our 2026 featured artist, J. Alan Gibson (1963–2022).
And when we say colorful, we mean that in every sense of the word! 💜💙🎨
Alan was truly one of a kind. Born in Tift County and raised in Chula, Georgia, he spent much of his adult life in Middle Georgia, where he made a lasting impression as a painter, potter, graphic artist, and larger-than-life personality.
His artistic talents took him far beyond Georgia. His work found homes across the United States and Europe, while his career as a graphic designer included contributions to The Union-Recorder, Macon Magazine, and The Macon Telegraph, along with newspaper redesign projects across the country.
But perhaps Alan’s greatest masterpiece was the life he lived and the friendships he made along the way.
His obituary described him as gregarious, flamboyant, and someone who made friends everywhere he went. One friend summed it up beautifully:
“Everyone who met Alan fell in love with him on the spot.” ❤️💜💙
The wonderful self-portrait we’re sharing here captures so much of that personality.
Alan passed away on December 17, 2022, at the age of 59, following a courageous battle with cancer. But his creativity, his friendships, and his unmistakable spirit continue to inspire.
At JAM, we’ve always believed that jazz and the visual arts belong together. Both celebrate imagination, individuality, improvisation, and the freedom to express ourselves. Alan embodied those qualities beautifully.
🎷🎨 Join us THIS SATURDAY, October 24, from noon until 6 PM, for the 23rd Annual Jazz and Arts on Riverdale, on the 200 block of Riverdale Drive in Macon, as we celebrate great music, visual art, community, and the creative spirit that makes Middle Georgia such a special place.
This year’s festival is especially meaningful as we celebrate 40 YEARS of the Jazz Association of Macon!
💜 Here’s to J. Alan Gibson, an artist who lived his life in vivid color and left the world a little brighter because of it.
Keep creating. Keep celebrating. And keep living in COLOR, y’all! 🎨🎹🎷💜
🌐 www.maconjazz.org
