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Council District three
Crestwood South, East Avondale, Five Points South, Forest Park/South Avondale, Glen Iris, Highland Park, Redmont Park
Valerie A. Abbott
Birmingham City Councilor Valerie A. Abbott is Chair of the Planning and Zoning Committee, and a member of the Budget and Finance and Community Development Committees.
Contact Me
Biography
With the future of the City of Birmingham at the forefront, Councilor Abbott has been a champion of The Comprehensive Plan. The plan will set out a 20-year policy and strategic framework for the City of Birmingham.
Her seemingly endless schedule of neighborhood meetings and community events is her way of learning about the needs and concerns of citizens throughout Birmingham and ensures that she is knowledgeable when issues affecting various neighborhoods come before the City Council.
Councilor Abbott serves on the boards of the Birmingham Planning Commission, Birmingham Tree Commission, Birmingham Historical Society, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and has served as Chairman of the Board of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham.
She has collaborated with her fellow councilors and city staff to revise ordinances regulating noise, smoking, and fences. An avid gardener and nature enthusiast, her pursuit of neighborhood health and revitalization has resulted in two community gardens, including a national award-winning project in East Avondale. She is a proponent of all things green, including Birmingham’s recycling program, which is experiencing a rebirth.
Her credentials include a Bachelor’s Degree from the School of Architecture and Fine Arts at Auburn University and a Masters Degree in Public and Private Management from Birmingham Southern College. As an employee of AT&T Services, Inc. for the past 44 years, Councilor Abbott has deep roots in the community’s business sector as well as within its neighborhoods. The recipient of numerous volunteer awards from groups ranging from the Civitan Club to the Birmingham Tree Commission, Councilor Abbott was named Birmingham’s “Unsung Hero” in 1993.
District Contact Info
For District Schools
MARY BOEHM, BOARD MEMBER, DISTRICT 3
SCHOOLS:
Avondale Elementary
Glen Iris Elementary
WebsiteCommittee Links
District Related NEWS
District Related Events
Birmingham 365 Events
"Art on the Inside" Exhibition
02-07-2025
04-25-2025
Presented by Birmingham Public Library at The Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham
Mon, Mar 31 @ 12:00 am Tue, Apr 01 @ 12:00 am Wed, Apr 02 @ 12:00 am Thu, Apr 03 @ 12:00 am Fri, Apr 04 @ 12:00 am Sat, Apr 05 @ 12:00 am Mon, Apr 07 @ 12:00 am Tue, Apr 08 @ 12:00 am Wed, Apr 09 @ 12:00 am Thu, Apr 10 @ 12:00 am Fri, Apr 11 @ 12:00 am Sat, Apr 12 @ 12:00 am Mon, Apr 14 @ 12:00 am Tue, Apr 15 @ 12:00 am Wed, Apr 16 @ 12:00 am Thu, Apr 17 @ 12:00 am Fri, Apr 18 @ 12:00 am Sat, Apr 19 @ 12:00 am Mon, Apr 21 @ 12:00 am Tue, Apr 22 @ 12:00 am Wed, Apr 23 @ 12:00 am Thu, Apr 24 @ 12:00 am Fri, Apr 25 @ 12:00 am - less dates and times
On view in the First Floor Gallery, "Art on the Inside" features works in an array of media, including watercolor, pencil, pastel, mixed-media collage, and handmade paper. The largest work in the show is an eye-catching collaboration among APAEP...
[more+]On view in the First Floor Gallery, "Art on the Inside" features works in an array of media, including watercolor, pencil, pastel, mixed-media collage, and handmade paper. The largest work in the show is an eye-catching collaboration among APAEP artists, nationally renowned artist Tameca Cole, and New Orleans-based Brendon Palmer-Angell. The present exhibition marks the unveiling of the mural, which is titled "Can You See You?".
Based at Auburn University, the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project works to create spaces where currently and formerly incarcerated individuals can practice meaningful engagement with the arts and develop their own artistic voices. Founded with the knowledge that creativity is an essential trait of humanity, the program has grown from one poet teaching one class in one facility to hundreds of classes that have reached thousands of students at over 12 facilities. This exhibition is made possible by a grant awarded to the Friends Foundation of BPL by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
[less-]Tags: Libraries, Visual Arts, Art + Stage
"Issues: New Paintings by Jourdan Truth McGowan"
01-13-2025
04-25-2025
Presented by Birmingham Public Library at The Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham
Mon, Mar 31 @ 9:00 am Tue, Apr 01 @ 9:00 am Wed, Apr 02 @ 9:00 am Thu, Apr 03 @ 9:00 am Fri, Apr 04 @ 9:00 am Sat, Apr 05 @ 9:00 am Mon, Apr 07 @ 9:00 am Tue, Apr 08 @ 9:00 am Wed, Apr 09 @ 9:00 am Thu, Apr 10 @ 9:00 am Fri, Apr 11 @ 9:00 am Sat, Apr 12 @ 9:00 am Mon, Apr 14 @ 9:00 am Tue, Apr 15 @ 9:00 am Wed, Apr 16 @ 9:00 am Thu, Apr 17 @ 9:00 am Fri, Apr 18 @ 9:00 am Sat, Apr 19 @ 9:00 am Mon, Apr 21 @ 9:00 am Tue, Apr 22 @ 9:00 am Wed, Apr 23 @ 9:00 am Thu, Apr 24 @ 9:00 am Fri, Apr 25 @ 9:00 am - less dates and times
"Issues" is a series of new canvases by local artist Jourdan Truth McGowan. The featured paintings are imagined covers of iconic magazines, in which McGowan makes bold commentaries on culture, politics, religion, and other topics. The paintings...
[more+]"Issues" is a series of new canvases by local artist Jourdan Truth McGowan. The featured paintings are imagined covers of iconic magazines, in which McGowan makes bold commentaries on culture, politics, religion, and other topics. The paintings invite viewers to engage in meaningful reflection and dialogue on the pressing challenges of our time.
Jourdan Truth McGowan is a full-time artist from Enterprise, Alabama, who brings his own experiences and cultural heritage into every brushstroke of his paintings. By telling stories that are both inspirational and deeply human, his art speaks to people of all backgrounds, transcending barriers to connect on a universal level. For more information about McGowan, www.artoftruth.guru.
This exhibition is made possible by a grant awarded to the Friends Foundation of BPL by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
[less-]Tags: Libraries, Visual Arts, Art + Stage
Building With Bricks
03-25-2025
03-29-2025
Presented by Alabama Center for Architecture at Alabama Center for Architechure, BirminghamBuilding With Bricks is a program offered by the Alabama Center for Architecture in partnership with the Structural Engineers Association of Alabama. We provide a week long program during Birmingham City Schools spring break a place for parents...
[more+]Building With Bricks is a program offered by the Alabama Center for Architecture in partnership with the Structural Engineers Association of Alabama. We provide a week long program during Birmingham City Schools spring break a place for parents to take their children and build LEGO structures with Architects and Engineers. Kids can test their builds on a seismic shake table to see if the build could withstand our earthquake simmulator or place it on our cityscape window display for everyone to see. There will also be architectural builds, Lego builds, and models for kids to look at and learn about.
[less-]Tags: Crafts + Makers, Design, Elementary, Family + Camps, Great for Families, Pre-K, Art + Stage
Art Class "Painting Acrylic Abstracts" with Madison Faile
03-06-2025
03-27-2025
Presented by Forstall Art Center at Forstall Art Center, BirminghamDo you want to learn techniques to create enticing works of art with confidence? Join Madison Faile for his new Abstract Acrylic class. Explore how to intentionally use colors and values, how to create emotion-evoking compositions and more....
[more+]Do you want to learn techniques to create enticing works of art with confidence? Join Madison Faile for his new Abstract Acrylic class. Explore how to intentionally use colors and values, how to create emotion-evoking compositions and more. Madison will demonstrate his painting style and offer one on one guidance. Supply List Acrylic Paints (Sennelier Abstract or Amsterdam) Venetian Pink Payne?s Gray Ivory Black Titanium White Yellow Ochre Sap Green Titan Buff Raw Sienna Burnt Umber Ultramarine Blue Vermillion or Cadmium Red Cadmium Yellow Lemon Hue Bristles paint brushes Royal Langnickel 3 Brush Value Pack (White Natural Bristle) Any brushes that you already have OR Princeton Real Value Set #9148 Palette knife (RGM #6) A pad of drawing paper, Strathmore 80 lb, white, 18? x 24? Charcoal, compressed sticks Paper towels Disposable palette (Grey Matters) Water cup Spray bottle Canvas sizes, no smaller than 10? x 10?, preferably square Golden Light Modeling Paste Golden Retarder (Acrylic Medium) An open mind and a sense of humor
[less-]Tags: Visual Arts, Classes + Workshop
Filmmaker Focus - Sofia Coppola: Marie Antoinette (2006) sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank
03-22-2025
03-27-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, BirminghamPart of our Women in Film Month Filmmaker Focus on Sofia Coppola sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank.
An Austrian teenager (Kirsten Dunst) marries the Dauphin (Jason Schwartzman) of France and becomes that country's queen following the death of...
[more+]Part of our Women in Film Month Filmmaker Focus on Sofia Coppola sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank.
An Austrian teenager (Kirsten Dunst) marries the Dauphin (Jason Schwartzman) of France and becomes that country's queen following the death of King Louis XV (Judy Davis) in 1774. Years later, after a life of luxury and privilege, Marie Antoinette loses her head during the French Revolution.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl
03-21-2025
04-03-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Thu, Mar 27 @ 9:00 pm Fri, Mar 28 @ 2:15 pm Fri, Mar 28 @ 4:30 pm Fri, Mar 28 @ 6:45 pm Fri, Mar 28 @ 9:00 pm Sat, Mar 29 @ 10:45 am Sat, Mar 29 @ 1:00 pm Sat, Mar 29 @ 3:15 pm Sat, Mar 29 @ 5:30 pm Sat, Mar 29 @ 7:45 pm Sun, Mar 30 @ 10:45 am Sun, Mar 30 @ 1:00 pm Sun, Mar 30 @ 3:15 pm Sun, Mar 30 @ 5:30 pm Sun, Mar 30 @ 7:45 pm Thu, Apr 03 @ 2:15 pm Thu, Apr 03 @ 4:30 pm Thu, Apr 03 @ 6:45 pm Thu, Apr 03 @ 9:00 pm - less dates and times
On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family, in filmmaker Rungano...
[more+]On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family, in filmmaker Rungano Nyoni’s surreal and vibrant reckoning with the lies we tell ourselves.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
Dino Camp!
03-27-2025
03-27-2025
Presented by Homewood Public Library at Homewood Public Library, Homewood(K-5th Grade) Dig around for some dino bones and other fossils with our friends from the Alabama Museum of Natural History! Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.
(K-5th Grade) Dig around for some dino bones and other fossils with our friends from the Alabama Museum of Natural History! Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.
[less-]Tags: Family + Camps, Libraries, Elementary
Filmmaker Focus - Sofia Coppola: The Bling Ring (2013) sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank
03-22-2025
03-27-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, BirminghamPart of our Women in Film Month Filmmaker Focus on Sofia Coppola sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank.
Inspired by dramatic real-life events, a teenager and his gang of fame-obsessed youths use the Internet to track the whereabouts of famous...
[more+]Part of our Women in Film Month Filmmaker Focus on Sofia Coppola sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank.
Inspired by dramatic real-life events, a teenager and his gang of fame-obsessed youths use the Internet to track the whereabouts of famous celebrities, then rob their homes of riches.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
"Art on the Inside" Exhibition
02-07-2025
04-25-2025
Presented by Birmingham Public Library at The Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham
Mon, Mar 31 @ 12:00 am Tue, Apr 01 @ 12:00 am Wed, Apr 02 @ 12:00 am Thu, Apr 03 @ 12:00 am Fri, Apr 04 @ 12:00 am Sat, Apr 05 @ 12:00 am Mon, Apr 07 @ 12:00 am Tue, Apr 08 @ 12:00 am Wed, Apr 09 @ 12:00 am Thu, Apr 10 @ 12:00 am Fri, Apr 11 @ 12:00 am Sat, Apr 12 @ 12:00 am Mon, Apr 14 @ 12:00 am Tue, Apr 15 @ 12:00 am Wed, Apr 16 @ 12:00 am Thu, Apr 17 @ 12:00 am Fri, Apr 18 @ 12:00 am Sat, Apr 19 @ 12:00 am Mon, Apr 21 @ 12:00 am Tue, Apr 22 @ 12:00 am Wed, Apr 23 @ 12:00 am Thu, Apr 24 @ 12:00 am Fri, Apr 25 @ 12:00 am - less dates and times
On view in the First Floor Gallery, "Art on the Inside" features works in an array of media, including watercolor, pencil, pastel, mixed-media collage, and handmade paper. The largest work in the show is an eye-catching collaboration among APAEP...
[more+]On view in the First Floor Gallery, "Art on the Inside" features works in an array of media, including watercolor, pencil, pastel, mixed-media collage, and handmade paper. The largest work in the show is an eye-catching collaboration among APAEP artists, nationally renowned artist Tameca Cole, and New Orleans-based Brendon Palmer-Angell. The present exhibition marks the unveiling of the mural, which is titled "Can You See You?".
Based at Auburn University, the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project works to create spaces where currently and formerly incarcerated individuals can practice meaningful engagement with the arts and develop their own artistic voices. Founded with the knowledge that creativity is an essential trait of humanity, the program has grown from one poet teaching one class in one facility to hundreds of classes that have reached thousands of students at over 12 facilities. This exhibition is made possible by a grant awarded to the Friends Foundation of BPL by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
[less-]Tags: Libraries, Visual Arts, Art + Stage
"Issues: New Paintings by Jourdan Truth McGowan"
01-13-2025
04-25-2025
Presented by Birmingham Public Library at The Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham
Mon, Mar 31 @ 9:00 am Tue, Apr 01 @ 9:00 am Wed, Apr 02 @ 9:00 am Thu, Apr 03 @ 9:00 am Fri, Apr 04 @ 9:00 am Sat, Apr 05 @ 9:00 am Mon, Apr 07 @ 9:00 am Tue, Apr 08 @ 9:00 am Wed, Apr 09 @ 9:00 am Thu, Apr 10 @ 9:00 am Fri, Apr 11 @ 9:00 am Sat, Apr 12 @ 9:00 am Mon, Apr 14 @ 9:00 am Tue, Apr 15 @ 9:00 am Wed, Apr 16 @ 9:00 am Thu, Apr 17 @ 9:00 am Fri, Apr 18 @ 9:00 am Sat, Apr 19 @ 9:00 am Mon, Apr 21 @ 9:00 am Tue, Apr 22 @ 9:00 am Wed, Apr 23 @ 9:00 am Thu, Apr 24 @ 9:00 am Fri, Apr 25 @ 9:00 am - less dates and times
"Issues" is a series of new canvases by local artist Jourdan Truth McGowan. The featured paintings are imagined covers of iconic magazines, in which McGowan makes bold commentaries on culture, politics, religion, and other topics. The paintings...
[more+]"Issues" is a series of new canvases by local artist Jourdan Truth McGowan. The featured paintings are imagined covers of iconic magazines, in which McGowan makes bold commentaries on culture, politics, religion, and other topics. The paintings invite viewers to engage in meaningful reflection and dialogue on the pressing challenges of our time.
Jourdan Truth McGowan is a full-time artist from Enterprise, Alabama, who brings his own experiences and cultural heritage into every brushstroke of his paintings. By telling stories that are both inspirational and deeply human, his art speaks to people of all backgrounds, transcending barriers to connect on a universal level. For more information about McGowan, www.artoftruth.guru.
This exhibition is made possible by a grant awarded to the Friends Foundation of BPL by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
[less-]Tags: Libraries, Visual Arts, Art + Stage
Building With Bricks
03-25-2025
03-29-2025
Presented by Alabama Center for Architecture at Alabama Center for Architechure, BirminghamBuilding With Bricks is a program offered by the Alabama Center for Architecture in partnership with the Structural Engineers Association of Alabama. We provide a week long program during Birmingham City Schools spring break a place for parents...
[more+]Building With Bricks is a program offered by the Alabama Center for Architecture in partnership with the Structural Engineers Association of Alabama. We provide a week long program during Birmingham City Schools spring break a place for parents to take their children and build LEGO structures with Architects and Engineers. Kids can test their builds on a seismic shake table to see if the build could withstand our earthquake simmulator or place it on our cityscape window display for everyone to see. There will also be architectural builds, Lego builds, and models for kids to look at and learn about.
[less-]Tags: Crafts + Makers, Design, Elementary, Family + Camps, Great for Families, Pre-K, Art + Stage
Art Class "Painting Acrylic Abstracts" with Madison Faile
03-06-2025
03-27-2025
Presented by Forstall Art Center at Forstall Art Center, BirminghamDo you want to learn techniques to create enticing works of art with confidence? Join Madison Faile for his new Abstract Acrylic class. Explore how to intentionally use colors and values, how to create emotion-evoking compositions and more....
[more+]Do you want to learn techniques to create enticing works of art with confidence? Join Madison Faile for his new Abstract Acrylic class. Explore how to intentionally use colors and values, how to create emotion-evoking compositions and more. Madison will demonstrate his painting style and offer one on one guidance. Supply List Acrylic Paints (Sennelier Abstract or Amsterdam) Venetian Pink Payne?s Gray Ivory Black Titanium White Yellow Ochre Sap Green Titan Buff Raw Sienna Burnt Umber Ultramarine Blue Vermillion or Cadmium Red Cadmium Yellow Lemon Hue Bristles paint brushes Royal Langnickel 3 Brush Value Pack (White Natural Bristle) Any brushes that you already have OR Princeton Real Value Set #9148 Palette knife (RGM #6) A pad of drawing paper, Strathmore 80 lb, white, 18? x 24? Charcoal, compressed sticks Paper towels Disposable palette (Grey Matters) Water cup Spray bottle Canvas sizes, no smaller than 10? x 10?, preferably square Golden Light Modeling Paste Golden Retarder (Acrylic Medium) An open mind and a sense of humor
[less-]Tags: Visual Arts, Classes + Workshop
Filmmaker Focus - Sofia Coppola: Marie Antoinette (2006) sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank
03-22-2025
03-27-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, BirminghamPart of our Women in Film Month Filmmaker Focus on Sofia Coppola sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank.
An Austrian teenager (Kirsten Dunst) marries the Dauphin (Jason Schwartzman) of France and becomes that country's queen following the death of...
[more+]Part of our Women in Film Month Filmmaker Focus on Sofia Coppola sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank.
An Austrian teenager (Kirsten Dunst) marries the Dauphin (Jason Schwartzman) of France and becomes that country's queen following the death of King Louis XV (Judy Davis) in 1774. Years later, after a life of luxury and privilege, Marie Antoinette loses her head during the French Revolution.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl
03-21-2025
04-03-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, Birmingham
Thu, Mar 27 @ 9:00 pm Fri, Mar 28 @ 2:15 pm Fri, Mar 28 @ 4:30 pm Fri, Mar 28 @ 6:45 pm Fri, Mar 28 @ 9:00 pm Sat, Mar 29 @ 10:45 am Sat, Mar 29 @ 1:00 pm Sat, Mar 29 @ 3:15 pm Sat, Mar 29 @ 5:30 pm Sat, Mar 29 @ 7:45 pm Sun, Mar 30 @ 10:45 am Sun, Mar 30 @ 1:00 pm Sun, Mar 30 @ 3:15 pm Sun, Mar 30 @ 5:30 pm Sun, Mar 30 @ 7:45 pm Thu, Apr 03 @ 2:15 pm Thu, Apr 03 @ 4:30 pm Thu, Apr 03 @ 6:45 pm Thu, Apr 03 @ 9:00 pm - less dates and times
On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family, in filmmaker Rungano...
[more+]On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family, in filmmaker Rungano Nyoni’s surreal and vibrant reckoning with the lies we tell ourselves.
[less-]Tags: Film, Books + Film
Dino Camp!
03-27-2025
03-27-2025
Presented by Homewood Public Library at Homewood Public Library, Homewood(K-5th Grade) Dig around for some dino bones and other fossils with our friends from the Alabama Museum of Natural History! Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.
(K-5th Grade) Dig around for some dino bones and other fossils with our friends from the Alabama Museum of Natural History! Register online at homewoodpubliclibrary.org.
[less-]Tags: Family + Camps, Libraries, Elementary
Filmmaker Focus - Sofia Coppola: The Bling Ring (2013) sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank
03-22-2025
03-27-2025
Presented by Sidewalk Film Festival + Center at Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, BirminghamPart of our Women in Film Month Filmmaker Focus on Sofia Coppola sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank.
Inspired by dramatic real-life events, a teenager and his gang of fame-obsessed youths use the Internet to track the whereabouts of famous...
[more+]Part of our Women in Film Month Filmmaker Focus on Sofia Coppola sponsored by WBHM & SouthState Bank.
Inspired by dramatic real-life events, a teenager and his gang of fame-obsessed youths use the Internet to track the whereabouts of famous celebrities, then rob their homes of riches.
[less-]