Piedmont Arts Association Involves Residents in Creative Ways
arts, creative ways, culture, piedmont arts association, residents,
Small towns and fine arts aren’t always thought of as going hand-in-hand‚ but for the Piedmont Arts Association‚ being part of a small community is at the heart of its success.
“In a large city‚ you have lots of people used to going to museums‚” says Barbara Parker‚ director of programs for the 17‚000-square-foot visual- and performing-arts center. “We don’t have that luxury‚ and we don’t have tourist traffic‚ so we have to reach out to our community in more creative ways to draw them in.”
With that in mind‚ the organization looks for ways to make each show an interactive‚ multidisciplinary experience – weaving together a visual-arts exhibit and a related musical performance‚ for instance‚ or tying in a national show with programming from local contributors.
“Our goal is to offer every individual in our area the opportunity to experience the arts in some way‚” says Anne Frazier‚ assistant director and director of exhibitions.
The association is particularly proud of its educational programs‚ including the hugely popular “Treasure Chests” kits that teachers can check out to let students experience art firsthand and tie it into other subjects in a meaningful and interesting way. The Ancient Egypt treasure chest includes posters‚ maps‚ books like Kids in Ancient Egypt‚ a “Make a Mummy” kit‚ and replicas of various artifacts including a scarab‚ the Rosetta Stone and papyrus.
More kits are being developed to tie in with specific exhibits. For example‚ a Shakespeare chest was created to coordinate with a stage performance of Twelfth Night‚ along with an exhibit of Shakespearean-era costumes and a reading of the classic masterpiece in Martinsville High School’s 12th-grade honors English classes.
The center also gives local residents an opportunity to showcase their talents. One of the most popular events is the annual “Expressions” exhibit‚ made up entirely of works by local artists‚ with more than 130 submissions in six categories. Frazier says only about 15 percent of participants would consider themselves professional artists. “For most of them‚ art is not their job‚ but it is their passion‚ and this gives them a chance to express that‚” she says.
The Piedmont Arts staff’s effort has paid off‚ earning the center strong support from the community and corporate sponsors. “They do an incredible job in coming up with ways to make art interesting‚” says Lee Lester‚ who serves on the organization’s board. “Martinsville is very fortunate to have them‚ and we know it.”
Story by Anna America
Photo by Wes Aldridge
