Art is more than just something pleasing to look at. It entertains us, but it is more than that too. It strengthens the communities we live in. Art brings culture to our communities. It brings diversity. And with that comes desirable places in which to live and relocate.

I moved to Greenville, SC, 13 years ago, and I came seeking a community strong in the arts. I double majored in Psychology and in Art. (And yes, most people hide their doodles from me for fear of my analysis!)  It was important for me to find a place to live that believed in the strength that art adds to a community. While Greenville was in the infant stages of building this, I saw their vision and I knew it would happen. And it did, thanks to a wonderful organization known as MAC, Metropolitan Arts Council.

MAC supports every discipline of art and “provides support to area arts organizations and many individual artists through its grants program, through its cultural planning process, by advocating on behalf of all artists and arts groups, and by providing cooperative marketing opportunities promoting arts groups that might not have resources available to them.”

This year, MAC kindly allowed us to coordinate our Art and Cultural Campaign kick-off meeting at a local theater, Centre Stage, that focuses on presenting local and regional talent with a program emphasis on “new works and established works of the modern repertoire.” At our kick-off meeting, we raffled off tickets to two different shows, Rock and Roll Heaven II, which ended up being Centre Stage’s most successful show ever, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which is currently playing.

The money we raised makes a difference not only to organizations like Centre Stage but to local artists as well. It also supports art events such as Artisphere, which last year was ranked in the top ten festivals in the country, and Open Art Studios, just to name a few.

The greatest result for me was not just the donations we collected and the difference I know it will make, but the inspiration it gave me to pick up a paint brush, something I have not done in over four years. It made my support of the arts a truly win-win situation.

By Amanda Serra