Arts ambition painted green

There will never be a shortage in any community of people who want someone else to give them money. In fact, the newspaper is usually one of the first stops for those looking for a donation, for publicity that will help them find donations, or both.

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As a result, we see a steady stream of charities and the needy come through. And I'm amazed at how they all seem to find at least some measure of success, even though it generally appears the supply of money can't possibly match the demand for goodwill.

One of the more ambitious fund-raising plans these days is from a previously very quiet source: Columbia County Arts, Inc.

This non-profit organization got its start 10 years ago when some in Columbia County saw a need to refocus arts efforts in the county, without having to rely so heavily on handouts from the Greater Augusta Arts Council.

They ran into resistance at first, because the Arts Council worried that Columbia County's organization would be competing for funding - which, to some extent, it does.

That competition just ramped up a little bit. Gordon Renshaw, the former director of the county's chamber of commerce, has come on board with CCA as this year's president-elect. Along with other CCA members, including current president Ron Jones, he's recruiting a core of "cornerstone" businesses to provide a strong funding foundation for CCA.

CCA volunteers also have been blitzing county businesses for membership. Once enough business members are on board, the organization plans to hire an executive director.

All that ambition will come in handy. Members of the arts community are planning ArtSplash, a series of loosely connected arts events next spring that could be spread over a roughly two-week period.

Coincidentally, it would occur in the same year as the Arts Council's Westobou Festival, a 10-day event conceived as an expansion of Arts in the Heart of Augusta in the fall.

This town is obviously big enough for all these events. Whether all of them can hunt up enough funding is a different question.

No amateurs

Speaking of arts events, the Columbia County Artists Guild is making plans for Art After Dark, an all-around-fun fund-raising event Nov. 30. The program last year included a "celebrity" art auction, in which local, um, talents put paint to canvas to raise money for the guild.

The auction was so successful that this year the guild decided to dump the celebrities and instead recruit real artists to supply works for auction. Artists interested in participating can go to the guild's Web site for information: www.artistguildCC.org.

Italian Renaissance

Since we're so artsy today, the next big thing is the county's Renaissance Festival planned for Oct. 12-13. This year's event is tarted up with all sorts of new features, including a medieval-themed outdoor dinner theater being planned by the Greenbrier High School drama department (which is raising money for some other big performances).

Hidden away in the plans for the festival is that Augusta's Italian-American Society is taking part this year after having pulled out of Arts in the Heart. Their participation in the Renaissance Festival is timed to coincide with the biggest Italian-American holiday of the year: Columbus Day.

It takes on additional meaning now with the celebration being held in Columbia County, named for the famed Italian explorer.

Correction

My column Sunday listing the contenders for Grovetown City Council incorrectly abbreviated one of their names. The candidate is Robert Newman.

Barry L. Paschal is publisher of The Columbia County News-Times. E-mail comments to barry.paschal at newstimesonline.com.