Support -The Word
with Heather René Dunaway
August 2023
Support, pfft who needs it?
All of us. All the time.
As a community it is super important to lift one another up. The arts community is small, but powerful in all that we do to help Augusta grow. Lending your support, even in the smallest of ways, is beneficial to all.
It’s like those memes you see floating around on social media about “support local, even if you cant shop local.” If you haven’t seen them… I don’t know what rock you’re living under, but I hope it’s a pretty one like Jasper or maybe an Opal (though that’s technically a mineraloid).
Say your friend is performing a concert but you are broke and can’t afford tickets. Share their event on your social media to help promote the show, give their band a good review online, volunteer to sell merch or tickets at the door, nominate them for an award at the Augusta Annual Arts Awards. There is a million ways to show you care about the arts in Augusta.
In turn, it’s always good to ask for support. Not everyone is going to know everything that is going on in Augusta all the time. Heck, it’s kind of my job and I still don’t know everything. So, share, ask, repeat. The fear of rejection is real, but you don’t have anything to lose, really. Even if they say “no I can’t” or “I don’t have the time” or “my brain is goop from the work week, and I just need to be for a while” that is one more person who knows about you, your art and your event.
Where can you go to find support?
Well, the Arts Council is always here. Duh, me. But we also have resources to find each other, like the Artist Directory, our gallery page to find local galleries, our resource scrolladex which has everything from market applications to grants, and coming soon – a venue directory where you can find local venues that support local arts.
The Arts Council has also been hosting monthly Creative Conversations. Which are intimate, casual conversations with arts professionals. We’ve been getting professional artists, muralists, department heads, marketeers and lawyers to come lead a discussion on a topic pertinent to all forms of art. The last being “Copyright Q&A” with lawyer Sincerai Stallings. It’s free for Arts Council members at any level of $10 for not-yet members. You can find this event, and others on our events page.
Whatever support means to you, your support means everything to your community. So, thank you for all that you do to help keep the vibes flowing. Continue to do what you can and give yourself a pat on the back. You’re doing a great job.
Well, that’s The Word.
-Heather
