By: Angel Sarris

In the heart of Shelby County there is an organization committed to supporting, nurturing, and promoting the arts and cultural opportunities within the community.

The Shelby County Arts Council is located in Columbiana. It offers a multitude of classes for music and the arts.

There are classes for beginners and experienced artists on painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, stained glass, and more. Music classes are also offered, ranging from piano and guitar lessons to voice lessons.

There is also a black box theater where performances and concerts are hosted throughout the year.

“I tell strangers on the street about how wonderful this place is. It offers so many opportunities for every kind of art,” says painting student Linda Merrell.

The EBSCO Fine Art Gallery holds five showcases a year. The current showcase is a juried high school art show. It gives young artists a professional opportunity to win awards and cash prizes for their artwork.

The council provides other services aside from classes and performances. It provides art and music therapy for the juvenile detention center and a creative writing program for at risk middle schools called “Writing Our Stories”. A poet provided by the Alabama Writers’ Forum teaches students how to write poetry. Students then become published poets at the end of the program.

“We provide an incentive for good behavior and open the imagination of the young people that are incarcerated for whatever reason and try to open their minds.” says executive director Bruce Andrews on the partnership with the juvenile detention center.

The council strives to give opportunities to artists that might not be possible elsewhere, but this isn’t an easy task. The center is a nonprofit, meaning there is no steady stream of income for funding. It relies on donations and the fees from classes and tickets purchased for performances to fund the opportunities it provides.

To become a volunteer, look at the calendar of upcoming events, or to donate visit their website at shelbycountyartscouncil.com.