Three Snellville Residents Appointed to Public Arts Commission

Three Snellville residents were appointed to the Public Arts Commission on Feb. 25, gaining unanimous approval from Mayor and council. 

Alisa Boykin, Judy Leavell and Shannon Foster will now serve alongside three others -- Deborah Kepes (chair), John Duke (Vice Chair), and Nedra Bailey -- to encourage the arts in Snellville. 

Lonnie Boykin, Alisa's husband, was originally going to be nominated to serve on the board, but his nomination was withdrawn prior to the meeting. The couple co-owns Time2Inspire Entertainment, originally in Snellville but now at Northlake Mall.

Alisa is also an author, songwriter, playwright, former model and actress. 

"I would like to be a member of the Public Arts Commission because I believe in the impact that the arts can make in our own community," she wrote in her application for the position. "I want to be a part of an empowering movement to inspire youth and encourage citizenship."

Judy Leavell is a 28-year Snellville resident, former drama teacher and working actor.

"As a working actor and former drama teacher at South Gwinnett," she wrote on her application, "I would like to see the arts more visible here in Snellville."

Shannon Foster is the youngest nominee of the group and is a current college student at Georgia Gwinnett College. While at college, she founded an arts council designed to unite fellow student artists. 

During the meeting, Mayor Kelly Kautz also discussed her dream of building a cultural arts center on city-owned property off Wisteria Drive. Patch will provide more details on that soon, including potential methods of funding.