Our Mission Statement - What does it mean

Several years ago the JC Arts board reworked a cumbersome mission statement that no one could recite much less explain what it meant. That board spent a lot of time discussing every single word that went into it and those that were taken out.

That group of board members did a really job, I know that because while so many organizations struggle over their mission statement, many to the point that they just ignore it, ours remains relevant and a solid basis to what we do.

Cultivating the Arts and Encouraging Creativity; it seems simple enough but what does it really mean?

Cultivating the Arts—This means that we promote and host activities and events that bring arts alive in the community. The arts are a proven economic driver and communities that support the arts benefit intrinsically and directly.

Cultivating the Arts also means that we assist those who can succeed in the growing Creative Industry employment sector. We do this through the promotion of artists, and assist those on a path to a creative career.

Encourage Creativity—The Creative Industry has, for several years, been the number one industry for employment growth.

We also know that creativity is frequently mentioned as the number one trait that business and industry say is lacking in prospective employees. When we stifle creativity, it is not just the individual who loses.

When we encourage creativity, we are encouraging a generation who will succeed because they have experienced what’s necessary to succeed in a workforce that is becoming more and more reliant on those who have a firm grasp of their own creativity, who are not afraid to express themselves, and who have learned to think creatively to solve problems.

Wish List

Dick Blick, one of the country’s leading suppliers of art supplies has a great program called Art Room Aid. This program allows art organizations to create an on-line wish list of supplies for projects.

Following more than a year of success with the wish list that runs frequently in this column I signed on and listed out the materials we need to expand our Saturday Elementary Art Class. Please take a look and see how you can help.

Please visit http://www.dickblick.com/artroomaid/ where you’ll find our wish list. Most of the items on the list range in price from $2.70 to $13.65 people may donate one item or everything on the list.