Arts council accepting student members

By: 
Esther Noe

The mission of the Hill City Arts Council (HCAC) has always been “to nurture and support the arts and humanities in our community.” These values have been demonstrated and enacted through its four main events, including Live On Stage, Sculpture In The Hills, Hill City Quilt Show & Sale and Black Hills Plein Air Paint Out. Now the HCAC is making artistic experiences even more accessible to young people in the community.
In 2021 HCAC opened its doors to student members. This membership role is completely free and open to any middle or high school students interested in joining. As a result, students will have the opportunity to become a part of their community in a unique way while also being exposed to the arts. Along with the experiences to be gained, becoming a student member of the HCAC offers an opportunity for students to build up volunteer hours for scholarship or college applications.
According to HCAC office coordinator Twila Morris, student members can volunteer at any one of the four events. In the past, students have acted as greeters, passed out information or collected donations. Meanwhile, others have monitored silent auctions, run concession stands or even played background music for events.
In a small community, this kind of volunteer work is important. HCAC President Sherry Liddell shared that “as an organization, we depend a lot on our volunteers.” Thus, having young people eager to serve makes a difference.
“They’re the future of the Hill City Arts Council,” said Morris.
The first three students to join were Loren Rowe, Emma Euneau and Whitney Edwards. Euneau always enjoyed attending the HCAC events and was excited to become a student member, especially because of the opportunity to gain volunteer hours.
“Volunteering at the quilt show was really fun. I loved it. I’m definitely going to do it again,” Euneau said. It’s really cool being able to be a part of something that represents the arts in the Black Hills.”
Meanwhile, Edwards knew many of the ladies involved in the HCAC and enjoyed attending the various events.
“When I heard about the student opportunity, I thought it would be fun to join,” she said.
Since then Edwards volunteered at Live On Stage, Sculpture In The Hills and the Hill City Quilt Show & Sale.
Along with volunteer hours, the HCAC’s Live On Stage events provide students with opportunities to fundraise for organizations they represent. This year the Hill City High School Prom Committee, Hill City Young Life, Little White Church Youth Group and Little White Church Mission Trip Committee all benefited by providing food for the events.
“That gives them an opportunity to volunteer but yet earn money for whatever the organization is they represent,” said Liddell. Two thousand, five hundred dollars in high school senior scholarships was also raised during these events.
Attending the HCAC’s monthly meetings is another opportunity available. During one of the last meetings, a freshman from Hill City High School attended and approached them about some of the needs in the art department at the school. She saw a need and asked how she could help meet it. Now the HCAC is planning to partner with her to provide what they can for the school's art department.
Through student membership, the HCAC is seeking to help students gain firsthand knowledge of what an arts council does for a community and help them become involved in the bigger process. If they recognize a need, they can feel free to approach the Arts Council to see if anything can be done.
“I would encourage any student to be a part of it because it’s a good thing at the end of the day to help other people,” said Morris.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to get involved in what’s going on in the community, and it’s always good to volunteer,” Edwards said.
“I think other students should become members because it’s a really great opportunity, it’s a really great membership to have and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of,” Euneau
Anyone interested in becoming a member can simply go to hillcityarts.org and fill out the membership form.

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