On Tuesday, March 11 at 5:30 p.m., the Old Town Bay Minette Arts Council will hold a general membership meeting upstairs in the Bay Minette Public Library program room. The meeting is open to anyone who wants to take an active role in the arts community in our area.

The original founding members are stepping down from the board, opening the way for new people to take a more prominent role in the organization.

“When we started the arts council three years ago, there was nothing that resembled an art community in Bay Minette,” said OTBMAC treasurer and founding member Judy Pimperl. “All of the individual artists were here, but we didn’t know one another and there was no real organized effort. We have awakened the art community, and it is now alive and thriving!

“Being a founding member of the OTBMAC has been a very rewarding experience for me. I’m proud of the fact that we were able to pull together a community of artists and crafters in Bay Minette and surrounding areas and really bring about a fresh appreciation for the arts, and there’s nothing more inspirational for an artist than to surround yourself with other creative people ... so I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

“Even though I am stepping down from my position on the board, I plan to stay engaged as a member to help the new leaders build on the foundation we’ve created.”

The board decided as a group not to carry on with the arts council but that decision was met with strong opposition from many who had been involved, directly and indirectly, in our efforts. The response was gratifying and gave us the idea of allowing others with an interest and enthusiasm for continuing the work to do so. Among those already expressing an interest are local artists Sherrie and Nancy Dean. They’ve thrown their hats in the ring to take on this task, but they can’t do it alone.

A firm foundation has been established for the arts council and arts community in our area. We will turn the organization over to those who step forward to take it on and will offer encouragement for whatever direction they want to take it in. They may even want to change the name.

“You can’t depend on just four people to do everything,” Pimperl stated. “That’s a guaranteed recipe for burn out.” She added that even if you aren’t interested in serving as a Board member, you can still lend your time and effort to this worthy cause. Pimperl elaborated that a lot goes in to planning and carrying out events. A prime example is Market Days in Blackburn Park, for which the OTBMAC has become known.

Someone needs to be in charge of advertising and publicity. Someone needs to put out the signs and banners and collect them when the event is over. One person needs to publicize their telephone number in conjunction with the event and field calls from vendors, customers and potential vendors. A person has to be responsible for reserving the park space each month. The day of the event, someone needs to coordinate and register vendors.

Additionally, we are always looking for new, fresh entertainment and artists to demonstrate their talents. An added element of unpredictability is always in play – Mother Nature. We can never be sure what produce will be available and when. It takes people with an active interest willing to engage themselves to make the worthwhile projects available for everyone.

During the first three years, we have learned a great deal and we will be ready to share that information with those who move the organization forward into its next stage of development. By way of example, when we started, we held Market Days in March but changed to an April and sometimes May kickoff depending on the weather. Much of what now lends itself to a reasonably easy process came by trial and error. Those early lessons will hopefully make things easier for the new board and members as they keep what works and expand in to new and exciting avenues for the arts in our area.

To wrap up our tenure, the arts council founders are planning a huge “Art Party” for March 29 in Blackburn Park. We will have free booth space for arts and crafts and food vendors, live entertainment and even a butterfly release – more on this in a future column!

In the meantime, if you interested in furthering the arts in Bay Minette, in becoming a part of an exciting tradition and its impact on our and surrounding communities, please join us for the general membership meeting on March 11. We hope to see you there!

Joanna Bailey is the director of the Bay Minette Public Library. She can be reached at baileyvolumes@gmail.com