Liberty County Leaders Name December 1st Art & Music Day

Liberty County is recognizing the importance of art and music through the signing of a proclamation.

Monday county leaders will hold a ceremony on the steps of the courthouse officially naming December 1 Art and Music Day.

The event starts at noon.

Release from Hinesville Area Arts Council:

Perhaps it is the huge benefits to education that the arts has to offer, or the financial perks of a community rich in the arts. Either way, they all came forward within the month of November in a unified effort to recognize the importance of art and music within their community. The “they”, quite simply are the elected bodies and school officials of Liberty County, Georgia, and the effort was encouraged through the Hinesville Area Arts Council.

Throughout the month, the Council coordinated the signing of Art and Music Proclamations with the County Commission, the Cities of Hinesville, Midway, Riceboro, Flemington, Walthourville and Allenhurst, and the Boards of the Liberty County Board of Education and First Presbyterian Christian Academy.

“Every group graciously embraced the initiative and was willing to have a proclamation issued in their November session,” says Tom Hickey, Chairman of the Hinesville Area Arts Council. “We’re both enlightened and impressed at how the importance of art and music is viewed by our elected officials.”  Hickey reports that there was not a single instance of resistance in participating with the initiative, and rightly so, as significant research demonstrates the educational and financial benefits to communities rich in art and music programs.

Hickey points out that figures have shown the arts industry generates $134 billion annually in economic activity, supports 4.9 million jobs, and returns more than $24 billion in total government revenue. It is a magnet for tourism dollars- today’s fastest growing economic market in the country. In fact, sixty-five percent of U.S. travelers include cultural events on their trips.

From an educational perspective students involved in the arts and music generally outperform their peers who are not involved in the same types of programs. Music performance, in particular creates a marked difference in brain development in the younger years, and by the time they graduate, students who have been active in music performance outpace their peers in crucial tests such as the SAT, ACT and Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT).

The Hinesville Area Arts Council would like to thank all those who participated for their support and encourages all citizens of Liberty County and beyond to become actively involved in building a community rich in art and music.

The Hinesville Area Arts Council is a non-profit organization whose mission it is to bring art and music to every member of Liberty County, Georgia. Any persons interested in participating in the Council may contact Tom Hickey at tandshickey@earthlink.net.

THE PROCLAMATION:

WHEREAS, arts and music are an important part of cultural identification, and

WHEREAS, the education of arts and music has resulted in improved educational value for ALL students of Liberty County, Georgia, and

WHEREAS, the incorporation of arts and music into our community fosters an important identity of progressiveness, and

WHEREAS, the members of this Council/Board support in spirit a community rich in arts and music,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT, we hereby recognize the date of December 1st as Arts and Music day.