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Community Heroes Series
From the
February 2006 issue of Alabama Living magazine
Article
by Kay Marshall
What
does the phrase “the Arts” mean? What does it mean to
a community? How can “the Arts” change, enhance, and motivate
an individual?
When people talk about the Arts, they are speaking about the most
common creative outlets known to us, such as dance, music, writing,
theatre, sculpting, and all forms of painting. These creative expressions
are known as visual or performing arts.
Visual arts cover such disciplines as painting, sculpting, pottery,
photography, and design, while the performing arts include dance,
theatre, and all types of musical expression - from rock to Bach.
ART Fact: Reference.com’s
encyclopedia defines art as the expression of creativity or imagination,
or both. Most individuals know what they consider to be art, and
what they believe is not art. The arts seem to be almost universal
throughout the human race — integral to the human condition.
There are no cultures that do not participate in it to some extent,
and child art is created by all from about the first birthday.
ART
Fact: Did you know that our government considers
the arts so important to human development that some form of art
is required at almost every educational level? The Arts are considered
to be core academic subjects in both elementary and secondary education.
Additionally, to help schools afford to offer visual and performing
art studies, federal grants are made available. These grant opportunities
extend to local art councils, non-profits interested in art education,
municipal entities, and any artist who makes a grant application.
While not every grant is - well, granted - they are available through
state art councils such as the Alabama State Council on the Arts,
in Montgomery. But what can the Arts do for a community, or an individual?
...Plenty.
Research shows that access to the arts can benefit all types of
audiences. Studies conducted by Harvard Medical School indicate
that “social and cognitive stimulation can improve the quality
of life for the elderly and also extend life longevity.”
A University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work study found that
“successful arts programming for at-risk youth reduces the
number of court referrals, helps children increase their communications
skills, improves their ability to complete a task successfully,
and decreases delinquent behavior. In low-income neighborhoods,
those with cultural participation were five times more likely to
have very low levels of delinquency, and three times more likely
to have very low rates of truancy.”
The Arts can
also aid in the recruitment of potential industries or economic
development into areas that offer visual and performing arts. A
community with established cultural events and activities is much
more enticing than one without.Economically, the arts can provide
smaller communities with a way to encourage visitors to their cities
through cultural events, performances, and festivals. These can
bring a financial boom to a communities coffers through the sale
of gas, lodging, eats, and purchases made at the events by visitors
and by the artists.
ART
Fact: When the arts are included in a community,
we all win.
Did you know
that almost every city in Marion and Lamar has a festival to celebrate
their community? There is Neighbor Day and Coalfest in Hackleburg,
Mayfest, in Guin, Old-Fashioned Day, in Sulligent, Fall Fest and
the JBAF, in Hamilton, the highly successful Mule Day, in Winfield,
among others.
And, Bevill State Community College, in Hamilton, has developed
a widely followed theatre program with a drama department that draws
in participants from area schools and communities, welcoming participation
by all ages! This shows that an interest in the arts is alive in
our area.
Currently Marion
County has two primary organizations for the promotion of cultural
events, of both visual and performing arts. They are the Pastime
Theatre, in Winfield, a division of the Main Street program, and
the Northwest Alabama Arts Council, Inc., based in Hamilton but
serving Franklin, Lamar, Marion, and Winston counties. Public support
is crucial, if our communities continue to have the cultural and
art educational opportunities that these organizations bring.
Within Alabama,
the Northwest part of the state is the least represented by the
Arts, or events deemed as “cultural”. It is certainly
not due to a lack of historic places, talent, and artists!With a
nationally known indigenous artist, like Jerry Brown residing in
Hamilton, it only seemed logical to promote our areas cultural heritage,
and attempt to reintroduce art to the children of our counties.
With that goal in mind, in early 2004 the Northwest
Alabama Arts Council, Inc. was conceived and established by
a small group of dedicated individuals. The long-term goal is to
promote the arts and art education in Northwest Alabama counties.
In early 2005 the NWAAC
became an officially recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
With the hard work of establishment completed, the NWAAC is now
actively recruiting volunteers. Could that be you?
Support comes
in many ways. All non-profits run off of public donation and grants.
The Alabama State Council on the Arts, in Montgomery, reviews and
approves grant applications yearly, and the NWAAC has successfully
applied for, and received grants for activities since their inception.
While donations and grants are the veins, volunteers and public
support are the life-blood. Without staff, and enough public interest,
newly formed organizations, like the NWAAC, may fail.
Why not make
2006 a time to consider becoming involved with an arts organization?
Pledge to attend an event at the Pastime Theatre, and plan to visit
the artists at the Jerry Brown Arts Festival (JBAF) on March 4th
and 5th, at the E.T. Sims Recreational Facility, in Hamilton. The
JBAF - now in its 4th year - is unique in its combination of art
exhibits and art education. It now attracts high-end visual artists
from across the country who exhibit. Artist are juried, and must
create original works of art. All JBAF artists are encouraged to
demonstrate and discuss how they create their art during the two-day
event. An art education-station is provided for kids of all ages
to experience several easy take-home projects. Additionally, the
JBAF has established a Visiting Artist Program (VAP) in which an
exhibiting artist hosts a lecture and art demonstration at a local
elementary or high school.
Art promoting
organizations, and colleges like Bevill State, that attempt to offer
quality entertainment and cultural experiences need your interest
and your time! As with the Pastime Theatre, and the NWAAC, both
are volunteer-run non-profits. While these organizations have come
a long way, their success depends upon local support.
ART
Fact: In a survey conducted by the National Endowment
for the Arts, 63% of American adults wanted to attend more concerts,
museums, theater, ballet and opera performances, but could not due
to issues of inaccessibility.
Please note that organizations, like the Pastime Theatre and the
NWAAC, do not require a volunteer to be an artist. The only thing
asked of volunteers is their time and interest in making their community
a more appealing place in which to live! A passion for the arts
helps, but what they most need is you.
For information
and event schedules for the Pastime Theatre, or to join the NWAAC
and participate with the JBAF,
please email or phone the following people.
For Bevill State theatre events phone 205.921.3177.
Contact information:
PASTIME THEATRE
Phone: 205.487.8841
Contact: Cherie Weeks
Email: mainstreet@dlis.net
NWAAC & JBAF
Phone: 205.921.0300
Email: staff@nwaarts.org
Websites:www.nwaarts.org
www.jbaf.org
Contacts: Marla Minter - Marketing
205.921.3632
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Annually the FIRST WEEKEND IN MARCH: Jerry Brown
Arts Festival
Hamilton Rec Center
Setup Date: Friday
Show Dates:
Sat. 9-5; Sun. 10-3
Kay
Marshall is the Internet Projects Coordinator and Editor for TEC |
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