Local group works to promote the arts in Weakley County
By Brandy Cochran
Special to The Press
Students involved with music and the arts are more than five times more likely to graduate from high school, according to national statistics. There are currently more than four million jobs in the arts market nationwide.
Currently, less than 50 percent of the Weakley County high schools have band, choir or orchestra available to their students. This seems to be an issue of concern after 83% of Weakley County parents polled expressed a desire for an increase to the arts within the local public school system.
The Arts Can Foundation of Weakley County, founded by University of Tennessee at Martin Music directors, Julie Hill, Katie Mantooth and Angela Ammerson, said they want to change the path the local school system is currently on. Since 2017, the organizers have been educating Weakley Countians about the lack of access to arts in schools. They are also striving to provide as many community art events as possible for any and all youth and their parents in order to gain the support the arts need locally.
As The Arts Can is a mixture of educators and parents, these women’s opinions of the state of affairs regarding the arts seems reflective of those of the parents, including Mantooth’s frustration with having to choose between being involved with athletics or practicing theater, art, band or choir. In order to raise children into well-rounded adults, it is equally important for sports, which have studies linking leadership and problem-solving skill development, to share the stage with music and the arts which have their own studies linking individuals’ involvement directly with literacy skills, according to research. Just like rowing a boat, both paddles are required; otherwise, the boat will row in circles, accomplishing little to nothing.
That is why The Arts Can’s main focus, according to the founders, is to gain funds for Weakley County Schools to give each student both paddles to row toward a shore to success. In order for the money raised to make its best impact, though, Ammerson says, “is to get parents involved who want to be advocates for the arts within their schools.”
The more vocal and direct the support, the more likely changes and progress will be made. One of those progressions is currently developing at Westview High School, where teacher Martin Kane has been in charge of directing an afterschool theater program that is open for all high schoolers in Weakley County. This year, he will be holding open auditions for roles in the Shakespearean play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” at the Westview High School auditorium. This project has gained positive attention from the Weakley County School Board, whose members are now showing interest in creating an option for middle-schoolers as well.
The Weakley Arts Can Foundation has been offering free art experiences lately, including an Arts in the Park in cooperation with Music in the Park Thursday evenings last month.
The Arts Can has a Facebook page and interested parents and community members are invited to “like” them on FB and share with their friends. Information about other upcoming community projects can be found on the page.
“Public art projects are concrete proof that our citizens support the arts,” Ammerman shared.
The Weakley Arts Can Foundation is asking those interested to get involved and help efforts to create more arts in education opportunities across the county.
