STONE MOUNTAIN ART CENTER ANNIVERSARY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Its our second annual appeal campaign as we get ready to celebrate our “gulp” third anniversary with Miss Mary Chapin Carpenter. I thought I would share with you another chapter from our SMAC memoirs before we tell you how you can help. I think it sums up what is so special about this place, and hopefully it will remind you of the unique world we have created in this precious neck of the woods:

                   “Where did you people come from?” by Carol Noonan

“Where did you people come from?” That was a good question posed by Miss Patty Loveless back in July with a gleam in her eye and a song in her heart. As she sang an old George Jones chestnut I had to pinch myself to think that this country legend was in my backyard. I am well bruised from the many times I have tweaked my arm in disbelief of who has toured down this country road of ours in little Brownfield Maine.

Nanci Griffith dedicated a song to me, Mavis Staples invited me on stage to sing with her, Jerry Douglas shared youtube spoofs with me while his tour manager asked for my corn chowder recipe, and Marty Stuart ....”Our Marty” walked into this humble barn for the fourth time in three years and raised his hands to the great wooden ceiling and said, “I’m home!”

But I am sidetracked by fond memories and want to get back to Miss Patty’s frequently asked question. I too have wondered many times the why, the where and how we have got all these people to drive hours, get lost, wait in the rain, get stuck in the snow, and any of the numbers of challenges you might face coming to a show here at SMAC. But luckily most of you tell me why ....when you call on the phone or email me or thank me on the way out the door for doing what we do. That always surprises me. You are thanking me!!??

I guess our dream was not so crazy, and I guess dreamers are the ones who come here the most.  I always say, that people in the country create their own worlds, and we have all certainly created one unique one here. This was a train that quickly went on without us, picking up many passengers along the way. And it makes many stops all year long. The folks on the train come from different places, have different tastes and pocketbooks, but all have something in common. I imagine they are THE folks who take a Sunday drive to catch a glimpse of a moose at dusk, or venture into a diner that has a chocolate cream pie in the window. Like the guy who reads a book to learn how to build a porch on his house, or the gal who nurtures her heirloom tomatoes. The grandmother who likes to dance to cajun music or my friend who still has a rotary phone for the feel of it. These are our customers. People who won't settle for ordinary....who demand extraordinary moments in their lives, and I would humbly say we have and will create many of those moments.

So here’s to the dreamers, the inventors, the risk takers, the ones who walk the road less traveled and  climb the rockier trail. They are the ones that give me goose bumps and keep me up at night, thinking of ways to wow them....that inspire me to work hard and live life to the fullest. I was trying to think of a great lyric that summed up that mission statement, and my Jeff came to the rescue:

 “There’ll be two dates on your tombstone and all your friends will readem,
  But all that really matters is that little dash between’em”

Live the "dash" my friends,
xoxoxoxo Carol Noonan

Here are just a few of the performers that have appeared on our stage...
 
  The Neville Brothers
   Lucinda Williams
   Mary Chapin Carpenter
   Judy Collins
   Tom Rush
   Marty Stuart
   Ricky Skaggs
   Mavis Staples
   Richie Havens
   Indigo Girls
   Paula Poundstone

To see the complete list,
click here.

Okay that's the dream..now for the reality....
We are about to kick off our annual appeal campaign by celebrating our “gulp” third anniversary with Miss Mary Chapin Carpenter. Who would have thought three years ago, that she would even come here, never mind share a stage with us. We have come along way since 2006. Some said we were crazy, and some said we would never make it. Each year we face the year with the usual challenges as winter approaches. If you did or didn't know, we are set up as a for profit business, but for all practical purposes we function as a nonprofit. Our decision to not acquire a 501 non profit status in the beginning or in the future was for a number of reasons. Our decision to not acquire a 501 non profit status in the beginning or in the future was for a number of reasons:

The first one, is that there is so little funding left to go around for the arts that we feel it should be left for the programs that need it the most, especially education. We don't HAVE to have an arts center in Brownfield, but we really HAVE to keep arts alive in our schools and other educational programs.

The second one, is the fact that this arts center is also our home....that complicates it a bit.

And lastly...control and artistic freedom....Jeff and I have a vision and a dream for this place that we choose to manage ourselves and see that dream fulfilled the way we intended. I see it all the time with other arts centers...the more people involved in the decision making, though with the best of intentions, can really muddy and sometimes even strangle that vision. And I would humbly say I think its that vision that has made this place so special.

The downside to this, is that we don't get any of the benefits from that 501 status, like nonprofit arts centers do. We depend on the small profit we get from our restaurant to sustain us, along with advertising sponsors and gifts. Jeff and I never expect to get rich doing this, but we hope to continue to live simply up on Dugway Road (except for the occasional nights when someone like the Neville Brothers are parked in our back yard!!!). In fact unlike the 501's, we employ an unpaid artistic director, maintenance man, cook, manager and even performer....Jeff and I! In fact the only benefit we can hope and expect, is to pay our bills and eat leftover pizza. And you know what.....that is awesome!...cuz we get to live here in this beautiful place and get to hear equally beautiful music in our own back yard! And I even get to sing on this now famous stage once in a while.

Anyway, most of you know how hard we work, and many of you have repeatedly asked how you can contribute in some way, big or small, to ensure that we will always be here. We never feel comfortable asking for help, so we think that having an annual capital campaign as many arts centers do, would be the best approach.

Sooooooo here it is...our second annual SMAC Anniversary Capital Campaign which we will jumpstart on our anniversary every year in August, and also make available throughout the year for those newcomers who may feel the same desire to support us.

A secure online page has been set up for you to make a gift to SMAC to help ensure our survival each year. Any amount you can give will help. Please remember your gift will not be tax deductible. SMAC will have to pay taxes on it, as income.

The irony is, we run benefit shows for non profits all the time, while we wrestle the same beasts that they do, but just don't have the legal status of a 501. So please consider what we have given to the community as any other arts center does, how we have impacted the artistic lives of those of us who live here. When you think of the Neville Brothers and Patty Loveless and Paula Poundstone, and Lucinda Williams and the Indigo Girls and Judy Collins and Mary Chapin Carpenter and Mavis Staples, think of us, and help us to keep doing what we do best. Can you imagine if just a quarter of you gave us 100.oo a year? (that's our goal by the way). We know its a lot, and we wouldn't ask if we didn't need to. It's the worst part about this job, and the hat we hate to wear the most.

 So if you are ready to help, click here....and if you are not in the position to, we still thank you for all your support. You are why we do this.

Many humble thanks,
Carol, Jeff and the crew