Pulling Support for the YAC

For the second year in a row, Tom’s of Maine is giving away $100,000 in its “50 States of Good” charity program, and this year, Oxford’s own arts council is in the running.  

After preliminary judging, 41 non-profit finalists were chosen for online, public voting. The public support generated during this phase of the competition will be the deciding factor of which five organizations win $20,000 each. Hopefully, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council will be one of these five. 

“We received a call from ‘50 States of Good’ telling us we had been selected (as a finalist),” Wayne Andrews, director of the YAC, said. “The team explained the final voting phase and the purpose of the program, which is to raise awareness for the finalists and hopefully build support for their programs.

The YAC earns distinction by being the only organization from Mississippi to make it this far in the competition and the only arts group in the entire program.  

“I think it was because our program was not a one-time art event or experience but related to making a long term investment in the community,” Andrews said.

When applying for the grant, the YAC had to explain what they were planning on doing with the money if they won. According to Andrews, a good majority of the money would go to completing a public sculpture garden. 

“The committee saw that we have engaged the community with the process, would provide a long term benefit to the community, and that their contribution of $20,000 would have a major impact in completing that project,” Andrews said.  

Once finished, the garden will “provide access to the arts for every member of the community, offer artists a space to be showcased and offer a public space for outdoor classes.”  

Online voting ends September 10, and to get the Oxford community involved, WOXD 95.5’s new morning show “The Big Hot Sho” is hosting a radio-thon for the YAC.  

“We really feel that the Arts Council is such an important part of life in Oxford,” Blake Buck, co-host of “The Big Hot Sho”, said. “It really makes this town stand out and set us apart from other Mississippi towns. We would love to do whatever we can to help.” 

The radio-thon, which will last from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. every day this week, will encourage listeners to get online and vote for the arts council, as well as auction off goods with proceeds going straight to the YAC.  

The money from the auction will be used to renovate the Powerhouse, but the excitement generated for the “50 States of Good” grant is what is really important.

With only one week of voting left, the arts council needs all of the support it can get. Andrews is urging students to get involved with the process, noting that the Internet is where students live anyways.

You can show your support by visiting oxfordarts.com and clicking on the link to vote for the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.