MIDWAY – Live blues, Southern picnics and one of Liberty County's most significant historic places will come together this fall for Picnic at Dorchester Academy, Sunday, October 18, from 3-6 p.m. at historic Dorchester Academy in Midway. This event is sponsored by Explore Liberty and the Hinesville Area Arts Council.

Guests are invited to bring a chair or blanket, pack their favorite picnic and spend the afternoon on the grounds of Dorchester Academy while enjoying a live performance by Grammy-nominated Georgia blues musician Jontavious Willis.

Founded after the Civil War to educate formerly enslaved African Americans, Dorchester Academy played a significant role in the American Civil Rights Movement. During the 1960s, the campus became a center for citizenship education and leadership training, helping prepare people to participate more fully in civic life and the growing movement for equality.

Today, the Dorchester Academy Boys' Dormitory is an official site on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, placing Midway alongside destinations throughout the South where visitors can experience the places that helped shape the Civil Rights Movement. The U.S. Civil Rights Trail specifically recognizes Midway for the education and leadership workshops held there to train a new generation of civil rights leaders.

That history makes the selection of blues music for the afternoon especially meaningful.

Born and raised in rural Georgia, Jontavious Willis has emerged as one of the leading young voices carrying traditional blues music into a new generation. His music draws from Delta, Piedmont, Texas and Gospel blues while remaining deeply connected to his own Georgia roots.

Willis grew up singing gospel music at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather before discovering the blues as a teenager. His career received an early boost when legendary musician Taj Mahal invited him to perform onstage in 2015 and later described Willis as an important new voice in 21st-century acoustic blues. Willis subsequently opened for Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' on their TajMo tour.

His debut album, Blue Metamorphosis, earned the Blues Foundation's 2018 International Blues Challenge award for Best Self-Produced CD. His follow-up album, Spectacular Class, earned Willis a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

The connection between Willis's music and Dorchester Academy is particularly fitting. Willis describes the blues as part of his heritage and a way of connecting with the generations who came before him — making an afternoon of blues on the grounds of a landmark of African American education and the Civil Rights Movement more than simply a concert.

Guests are encouraged to make the afternoon their own by packing a picnic and settling in on the historic grounds. Those who want to take their picnic to another level can enter the picnic contest, where prizes will be awarded for the best picnic setups. Participants can incorporate creative tablescapes, blankets, baskets, flowers, dishes, décor and other elements into their displays.

Advance registration is required for the picnic contest, and space is limited. Participants must register by October 10. Contest participants will provide their own food, seating, tables if desired, decorations and supplies. To register for the picnic contest, email director@libertycounty.org for registration information.

The afternoon will include a dessert auction, featuring homemade cakes, pies and other sweet treats available for bidding. All proceeds from the dessert auction will benefit Dorchester Academy, providing attendees another opportunity to directly support the preservation and continued work of this historic Liberty County landmark.

Guests do not have to participate in either the picnic contest or dessert auction to attend. The community is encouraged to simply bring a picnic, find a comfortable place on the grounds and enjoy an afternoon of music, fellowship and history.

Picnic at Dorchester Academy is intended to give residents and visitors another way to experience a site whose story extends far beyond Liberty County. Rather than simply touring a historic property, guests will have an opportunity to spend an afternoon there —sharing food, listening to an artist whose music is rooted in Georgia's African American musical traditions and experiencing the setting where generations gathered for education, leadership and change.