Last Thursday was an exciting memory for the Athens County area, as the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) held a panel at Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville.
Each year, the NEA holds a meeting somewhere in the U.S. that is outside of Washington D.C. to help experience the impact their work has throughout the country, Maria Rosario Jackson, the NEA chairwoman, said. The location changes annually, allowing the group to experience a huge variety of art and artistic practices, with this year’s meeting taking place in Columbus.
“Our mission is to make sure that all people in our country have access to the arts and opportunities to experience artful lives,” Jackson said. “And we need to understand how we can help do that to our best ability as a federal agency and being.”
With their mission in mind, Jackson chose to conduct a visit to the city of Athens on Thursday to fully experience the artistic aspects the area has to offer before the community panel that evening.
As she made her way through Passion Works Studio and the Mount Zion Black Cultural Center, Jackson found herself impressed with each location’s unique aspects, she said. She highlighted the inclusive nature of Passion Works, and stated she was inspired by the inclusivity for both differently-abled citizens as well as anyone else.
“Going there listening to the leader talk about the origins of the organization and also seeing the participants in the space using the space and being so proud of what they were making and wanting to share it with the out-of-town guests in very organic ways — that was really inspiring and beautiful,” Jackson said.
She had similar thoughts when it came to Mt. Zion, as she emphasized the importance of sharing the unique black history stemming from the Athens area.
“There was evidence of this earnest, unwavering leadership and commitment to making sure that the full history of this region is told,” Jackson said. “And to see the physical spaces actually begin to come to life and see the vision that these leaders have had begin to come to fruition is really inspiring and it’s wonderful to know, as a federal agency that supports the arts, that we have been able to be helpful with that.”
Finishing off her day, Jackson gathered together with Ohio State Representative Jay Edwards, Ohio Arts Council Executive Director Donna S. Collins, Artist and Entrepreneur Brandon Thompson and Executive Director of Stuart’s Opera House Melissa Wales to conduct a panel discussion on arts in the area.
The discussion featured a wide variety of topics, with a distinct focus on the benefits arts have on people’s health and wellbeing. As the speakers went on, each shared their personal experiences both within the arts and outside of them, emphasizing their necessity to society.
“We’re proud to support rural communities through these and other programs and I’m looking forward to learning more about the work underway here and how we can better serve,” Jackson said.
The panel was live streamed and is available for viewing at https://www.arts.gov/about/leadership-staff/national-council-arts/nea-in-ohio#:~:text=On%20the%20evening%20of%20Thursday,its%20impact%20on%20our%20communities.
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