Arts Council Membership Picnic Kicks Off Movies & Music Series

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council will host its annual picnic on Friday, May 16, at Avent Park starting at 6 p.m. The annual event kicks off the summer season of arts programming for YAC.
“It is our chance to invite everyone in the community to be part of the arts,” says Wayne Andrews, executive director of YAC, which supports local artists and performing arts groups, and it provides cultural and community programs covering 320 days each year. “Our mission is twofold. First, we strive to provide everyone in the community with the opportunity to be part of the arts. Second, we work to enhance our local economy by supporting local artists and arts groups, which helps to make Lafayette County a destination for art supporters.”
This year, the membership picnic will kick off the Movies & Music series. This annual summer program, a partnership between YAC and the Oxford Park Commission, features free concerts and movies during the summer.
“Our membership picnic has always been about inviting people to get involved with the arts,” Andrews says. “We thought this was a chance to highlight one of our unique programs.” The picnic will feature live music from the McLeod-Guyer Band, screenings of films from the Oxford Film Festival including the community film Killer Kudzu a visit from the Art-To-Go mobile art studio, Frisbee golf, games, and free ice cream from Taylor Grocery.
The goal of the annual picnic is to invite the community to be part of the Arts Council.
“We offer such a diverse array of programs, events, workshops, and classes during the year that hosting a community event seems to be the best way to introduce residents to all the opportunities available through the Arts Council,” says Andrews. YAC, a non-profit organization, is supported through grants, donations, memberships, and ticket sales to events held at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center.
The picnic is free and open to the public serving as both a kickoff event for YAC’s summer art programs and its membership drive.
“Members are key to the Arts Council,” says Andrews. YAC is starting the summer movies series with this picnic to highlight how membership donations impact the community. “When you make a donation to the Arts Council, you see the results directly in your community. It is due to our members that we are able to offer a diverse range of programs from free art classes through Art-To-Go, to free monthly events such as the Art Crawl, to family events such as the Sunset Concert Series and Movies & Music.”
Membership in the Arts Council starts at $20 for individuals.
To learn more or become a member, visit www.oxfordarts.com.