By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Chilton County Arts Council is welcoming visual artists and others who want to support arts in the community to join members.

The 2018 annual membership meeting will be held on Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. at the Arts Council building at 703 Second Avenue North. Refreshments will be served.

The meeting serves as an introduction to the council, a recap of the last year and announcement of long-term goals.

President Sue Anne Hoyt said individual memberships are $20 a year and $40 per family. Corporate memberships and high levels of financial support are also available.

Hoyt said membership is “a chance to support the arts … and be in the loop to participate, to have a voice at the annual meeting.”

“I think a lot of ideas that we have are good ideas, but there are a lot more voices out there that we would like to hear,” Hoyt said. “If you have an idea, be ready to participate.”

Members make suggestions to the board for activities and future plans. Members also vote on the board members.

The Arts Council has seen positive growth of its annual festivals in recent years and hopes to build on this success by growing its membership base.

Adding more workshops and classes is a goal for the Arts Council. Members receive a discount on these. Several classes will be offered at this year’s March Gourd Madness. The Council is also looking for artists that would be interested in holding workshops at other times throughout the year.

Annual events include March Gourd Madness, Another Man’s Treasure art show, CCAC Arts Festival and CCAC Fine Arts Show

Hoyt, who is a painter, first heard about the council from her son and became involved.

“I do see the arts as a very valuable building block to bringing more professionals and more money to the community,” Hoyt said.

While the council accepts members throughout the year, January is the best time to join because then the membership will be good for a full year.

For more information, visit chiltoncountyartscouncil.com.