The Petal Arts Council was reinstated about a year and a half ago – in October 2017 – and over that time, members have worked to promote the arts and institute a vibrant artistic community in the Friendly City.
That work still continues, as arts council officials are asking for about 20 donations of art – including painting, pottery, jewelry, woodwork and metalwork – for an upcoming silent auction to raise money for events and an arts scholarship at Petal High School.
“We’re a nonprofit that operates on donations, so we’ll be asking for donations from the community,” arts council president Libby Everett said.
“We’d like use that as an incentive to give a donation to individuals, because they can claim it on their income taxes as donations.”
The silent auction will be held March 28 at Hancock Whitney Bank, 535 East Central Ave. in Petal, during a general membership meeting to which the public is invited. Anyone who is interested in donating a work of art for the silent auction is encouraged to send an email to petalartscouncil@gmail.com to set up specifics for the transaction.
“(During the meeting), we can tell the public about what we’ve been doing at the arts council, solicit memberships for the arts council, and get input as to what the community might like to see the arts council sponsor,” Everett said.
An arts council was active in the Petal area in the 2000s, but eventually lost its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation, which officials are working to restore.
“I’m sure that (designation) has expired, because we have different leadership,” Everett said. “We’ve recently reinstated the Petal Arts Council, so we have a whole new group of officers and board members, so I’m sure that previous designation is no longer valid.
“We have someone coming and working on the paperwork for that, and when it’s complete and we have all the information, it’ll be submitted to the federal government.”
