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THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

A record number of area nonprofits are busy preparing in a big way for The Big Payback’s sixth annual, 24-hour online giving day.

A total of 964 Middle Tennessee nonprofits — including schools and religious institutions — from 35 counties will be participating in The Big Payback, an initiative of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, on Thursday, May 2.

The record total includes 118 organizations representing 23 counties that will be participating in The Big Payback for the first time. Categories include human services, education, community improvement, arts and culture, youth development, animal welfare, health, housing and shelter, and the environment.

The Big Payback is a community-wide online giving day designed to give the public the opportunity to pay back the nonprofits that make this a place we are proud to call home. Starting at midnight on May 2, there is 24 hours to make donations to a wide swath of participating local nonprofits at TheBigPayback.org.

In its first five events, The Big Payback has helped organizations raise more than $12.5 million in donations as well as foster an impressive 24,716 first-time gifts, making possible awareness of and solutions to pressing needs in our community.

Last year’s event raised a record of more than $3.1 million in donations, from 22,071 total gifts.

“The Big Payback’s slogan is ‘Live Here. Give Here’ and provides an easy and fun way for our community to show our local pride and give back,” said Ellen Lehman, president of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Please support the Arts Council of Williamson County. Every dollar doubles!

 

This Month’s New & Renewing Members
Our Members are the Best!
    
Charles Akin, Marcia Billig, Betsey Copley, Barbara Dwyer, Jane Falls, Leslie Fawcett, Montie Gillespie, Susan Harmon, Mike Ingram, Melanie Jackson,
Len Jagoda,  Linda McLaughlin, Laura Morris, Vanessa Multon, Francine Notariano,  
Norb Skalski, Dot Small, James Spearman Jr., and Wanda Wright    
 
Brown Bag Lunch Bunch
Elizabeth Sanford – Watercolor Sculptures    
 
Save the date: May 10     
   
Williamson County Public Library 
1314 Columbia Ave, Franklin
Main Meeting Room     
 
Friday, May 10
11:00 Meet & Greet                                            
11:30 Short business mtg
Noon – 1:00 Elizabeth Sanford presents Watercolor Sculptures
 
Join artist Elizabeth Sanford for a behind-the-scenes tour of her watercolor sculptures. Discover what inspires her work, learn more about her process, and enjoy the opportunity to take a closer look at some of her visual fairy tales. Have fun making a simple structure that transforms from 2 to 3 dimensions and back again.

Check our her website: www.elizabethsanford.com 
 
 
This is a free get-together with fellow artists and art lovers!
  
This presentation is open to the public – no membership required. Feel free to bring your lunch.
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Contact programs@artscouncilwc.org if you would like to apply to be a Lunch Bunch presenter. 
Grid Row: March – April
Featured Artist: Tifny Miller, Squash Blossom Fine Arts  
  
Williamson County Public Library
1314 Columbia Ave, Franklin
Main Room (new books section) 
 

Squash Blossom Fine Arts was created by Tifny Miller in April of 2016. Originally from Mississippi, Tifny had recently moved to Franklin, TN from Arizona. She started taking a painting class to meet friends now that all three of her daughters were attending school. The class rekindled the love she always had for art and re-established the confidence she had in her skills. Her painting remained a personal enjoyment until she & her oldest daughter decided to join a mission trip to Honduras. Tifny decided to try and sell some of her paintings to supplement the funds for their trip. Within a few months, she had sold enough of her work to pay for both trips in full. As commission requests continued to come in even after her goal had been met, she realized that God had not only provided a means for her fundraising, but He had set her on a new path.
 
Tifny has continued to grow as an artist over the last three years participating in events like Vines and Vintage at Rippavilla Plantation in Spring Hill, TN, Hunt The Fork in Liepers Fork, TN, and The Red Door Market in Hernando, MS. Tifny has also been a featured artist at the Franklin Art Crawl in Franklin, TN and the Beale Street Art Crawl in Memphis, TN. You can currently find Squash Blossom Fine Arts originals for purchase at the Java Café in Germantown, TN, as well. Tifny continues use her gift to give back by donating 10% of each purchase to local and international charities and often donates pieces to local charity auctions.
 
Tifny enjoys using acrylics and oils on canvas for most of her work. Though, if she finds an interesting material like an old roofing tin or tobacco basket, she enjoys giving it new purpose and life also. Tifny draws inspiration from her deep southern roots, years of moving around the country, world travels, and God’s beautiful creation all around her. When she is not painting, you can find Tifny spending time with her family and their pup, Ruthie, in their new home town of Germantown, Tn. All of her past and current work can be viewed on Instagram @squashblossomfinearts or on her Facebook page Squash Blossom Fine Arts.
   
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Contact programs@artscouncilwc.org if you would like to apply to exhibit as a Grid Row artist.  
Chairs Wanted  
New Chairperson(s) Position
The Arts Council has a recent opening for:
  • Artist-in-Residence Chairperson(s) to be the liaison between professional artists and Williamson County Schools (just 1 -2 times a year).
Artists are already lined up for 2019, so this would be a good time for an easy transition into the position.

Benefits: Besides the gratitude of serving your community, the Chairperson(s) will have the opportunity to apply for a Board of Director position if they wish. For a complete description of the position, email info@artscouncilwc.org.

We have great community based programs that have been highly regarded for over a decade now as well as, a lot of new and exciting things coming up.

Interested but not sure you want to do it alone? Invite a friend. This can be a Co-Chaired position.
Membership Changes
Membership Update  
 
As of March 2019, the Arts Council moved to an annual membership which all membership renewals will be due in March. However, membership is open to join at any time. 
 
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 Are you in our Member Directory? 
Not sure if your membership is current?