New Year’s Resolution: Support the Arts
The New Year brings with it all kinds of possibilities, promises and potential. As you are dreaming of amazing new adventures, add art to your list. In fact, one of the best New Year’s resolutions you can gift yourself is a promise to support the arts.
Support the Arts All Year
We’ve put together an easy list for supporting the arts in 2024. Pick one or two, or challenge yourself to complete the entire list!
1. Discover Public Art
If you’ve driven around any part of Huntsville lately, you may have noticed a piece or two of public art. From large scale art sculptures to colorful murals and other outdoor art displays, Huntsville’s public art scene is strong and will only get stronger in the new year.
Check out Arts Huntsville Public Art resources and find your own favorite pieces around town!
2. Shop Local Artists
If there’s one thing you can take away from this list, it’s how to support local artists! Arts Huntsville has several resources for just this:
- Local Art Shopping Guide – A starting point for you to explore local artists and studios, discover new art mediums and styles, and find pieces of art that speak to you and inspire your space!
- Arts Huntsville Directory – Here you can search through Huntsville’s artists, musicians, venues, and more.
In addition to hitting galleries and shops through the year, remember that local art festivals, farmer’s markets, and art strolls bring out a variety of local artists. You can keep an eye on the local events calendar, or follow your favorite local “in the know” resources like We Are Huntsville, Rocket City Mom and the Huntsville Madison County Conventions and Visitor’s Bureau.
3. Support Arts Education
There many ways to support arts education at a local level. Luckily, we’ve done the hard work and created a Classroom Arts Mission Manual as part of our Creative Launchpad initiative. Check it out to see what opportunities are available for this school year.
4. Be a Patron of the Performing Arts
Being a patron of the local performing arts scene is SO EASY! It’s as easy as buying a ticket to a show. There are several local performing arts groups in town, from ballet to the symphony. Keep an eye out for upcoming shows by checking our local arts events calendar.
5. Create Art
If you long to create art, you are in for a treat… Huntsville has an abundance of art-making opportunities for all ages. Here are a few opportunities to seek out in the new year:
- Burritt Folk School
- Huntsville Museum Academy
- Design by Hart Pottery Studio
- Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
- The Vessel Community Ceramic Studio
- Pinot’s Palette
- Huntsville’s Public Libraries
- Color Me Mine Pottery Studio
6. Get Involved or Volunteer
Volunteering in the arts is rewarding in more ways than one! Not only do you serve your community in a valuable way, but you also get to see some fun shows or behind the scenes activities.
A few ways to get involved in the local arts scene include:
- Volunteer usher or set-builder for a performing arts group
- Festival volunteer at Panoply Arts Festival (or another Arts Huntsville event)
- Become a volunteer docent at Huntsville Museum of Art or the Historic Lowry House
- Volunteer as a docent or in support of educational endeavors for Burritt on the Mountain
7. Visit Museums and Galleries
Huntsville has plenty of museums and galleries, and visiting them, buying memberships, or purchasing something from their store is an easy way to support this important cultural offering. Here are a few of the local museums and galleries you can enjoy this year: