Mentone Area Arts Council

2011 MAAC Report to the Community

2011 Annual Meeting

Mentone Area Arts Council

Report to the Membership

October 26, 2011

The Mentone Area Arts Council continues the mission of the founders of our group in 2004. Since our incorporation in 2006 and our designation as a private, non-profit organization in 2007, we have continued to grow. We have over 150 members.

The arts council’s overall objective is to stimulate and coordinate the development of visual, literary, performing and folk arts. This will encourage the widespread appreciation of art; and foster support for and involvement in the arts. We want to include artists, writers, musicians and all forms of art from Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. We encourage and support art shows, concerts, lectures and events relating to art in the surrounding area.

This year one of our missions was to partner with other organizations in order to expand and strengthen our cultural resources. We also did an outreach to artists in neighboring communities, such as Summerville, Georgia. We will continue to stress the “area” component of our name by reaching out to Chattanooga, Guntersville and Ft Payne artists next year. Our efforts will benefit the businesses, citizens and visitors to Mentone and the surrounding areas.

For decades Lookout Mountain has been a magnet for creative spirits. The mountain environs have lured generations of musicians, dancers, potters, woodworkers and visual artists to the area. Many crafts of earlier times are still created by local folks. Within our group we have Windsor chairs, pottery, quilts, furniture, ironwork and visual art being created with methods and skills that have been around for centuries.

The four seasons and crisp healthy air of the mountain call to the artist spirit. Each season provides color that is ever changing. Springtime with its multi-hued greens and pastels of native flowers: summer’s golden bright colors and autumn’s brilliant red, yellow and orange foliage of sugar maples, hickory, poplar and white oaks are inspiring. After the leaves have fallen, winter becomes gray with streaks of purple and beige of winter grasses. On occasion we are blanketed with white sparkly snow and crystal ice. Is it a wonder that artists come alive in our mountaintop town?

The fall Colorfest held on October 14-16, 2011 is an example of what can be accomplished when partnering with other groups. We partnered with the Mentone Area Preservation Association to sponsor, plan and coordinate the festival, which is twenty-eight years old. MAPA was formed in 1982; and therefore is well established and well known. Their mission is to preserve the history and uniqueness of Mentone. MAAC is a younger organization whose strengths lie in its relationship with local and regional artists, its organizational and marketing abilities, and its large volunteer base.

Our missions are different; but we share a common goal of enriching the quality of life in the community and provide an economic boost to the area. Our strengths complimented the other. The Festival Steering Committee was formed with four members from each organization. The festival experienced an increase in traffic, and visitors raved about the quality of the art. They also loved the fact we had many venues. It literally covered the entire town. There was a children’s festival, business venue, two “headliner” music events and many other well-known local artists throughout the weekend. The music was great. We also had trout fishing for the children, a play area with “hamster ball”, slides and fun games. Dancers, equestrian teams, banjo players, guitarist, well known fiddler Gene Ivey and our special troubadour Tony Goggans, made for the best festival ever in many opinions we heard.

If we can partner for future festivals such as Rhododendron Festival in the spring, we can assure premier festivals in the future.

MAAC applied for a grant through the Alabama State Council of the Arts. We requested @ $6,000 for marketing, funds for flags and banners, and judges for awards. We have a meeting in Montgomery, Alabama on November 8, 2011 to present our mission to the committee.

In addition to the grant request that we requested from the ASCA, we submitted a request for a grant from the Alabama Tourist Association in Montgomery. This grant request is for $22,000. It is to be used for marketing, programs for education and furthering our mission to enhance the cultural well being of our area. The economic impact is often overlooked; but one of our goals is to present opportunities for artists to show and sell their work. We have 250 artists in our surrounding area. We hope to reach them and have them join our efforts.

A video was made of Lucy Mitchell as a trial project for “You Tube.” We need input regarding further interest.

Other 2011 Events:

February 5: Speaker series. Dr. Don Noble host of PBS “Bookmarks” series gave a presentation and video of his favorite interviews with authors over his thirty-year career. The program was held at Crystal Lake Lodge.

April 23: We co sponsored “Earth Day” celebration with “One World Adventure” at the Brow Park in Mentone.

April 26: Harriett O’Rear presented a Spring Gardening Celebration at Moon Lake Library.

April 26: We held our meeting at Summerville Depot in Summerville, Georgia. Fifteen of the area artists attended the reception, and we gained new members and created interest.

May 7 & 8: "Spring Fling Art Show” was held on the town square (inn and hotel). We had cancellations due to the tornado that devastated Alabama on April 27; but the show had twelve exhibitors and good weather.

July 1: Still Kickin Concert at Mentone Inn Pavilion.

July 2 & 3: “Mid Summer in Mentone” art show with 25 exhibitors on the town square.

August 4 – 7: World’s Longest Yard Sale on the Padgett yard. With donations from MAPA and MAAC we raised $3,700 to benefit the Colorfest activities.

August 13: John Wubbenhorst, bansuri flutist concert at Mentone Inn Pavilion.

September 2: “Uptown Lowmen” concert at Mason Park.

September 3 &4: “Splendor in September” art show (Labor day weekend). 36 artists at Mason Park.

Upcoming events are:

October 29 &30: Tour of Homes and Silent Auction

November 5 & 6: Rattling Gourd Art Show Summerville, GA

November 24 –January 1: Victorian Christmas Tour

December 3: Christmas on the Mountain

Next year our first event is very exciting! We are bringing Shakespeare to Moon Lake School. We are partnering with Big Will Arts Council to bring the Alabama Shakespeare Theatre to Mentone for a one hour workshop and a presentation of Mid Summer Night’s Dream” to the students at Moon Lake School. This will occur on February 29, 2012.

Mentone Area Arts Council cannot always rely on support from grants; but we count on our dedicated members, volunteers and contributors who are committed to our mission. We heartily thank our membership for their continued support. It is most generous.

This Report to the Membership of the Mentone Area Arts Council is respectfully submitted on this the 26th day of October 2011.

Sandra Padgett

President

Randy Cochran

Vice President

Neal Whitt

Secretary

Tammy Beane

Treasurer

Board Members: Hank Willett, Fran Myers, Jerome Stephens, Rhonda Howell, Cynthia Stinson, Harriett O’Rear.

We thank Chuck Peters our outgoing board member who has served tirelessly for two terms. He has shared his creativity, vision, muscle, common sense and understanding heart with the council. He will be missed on the board.