Arts council needs young volunteers

To the editor:

I am a member of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri board, the Visual Arts Cooperative and an artist. Matt Sanders' comments brought up some good points that the young artists and 20-somethings of the community fail to become involved in arts council membership. However, his demeaning comments based on his personal comfort level interacting with anyone over 30 has nothing to do with arts council members, policies, functions or programs.

The most disturbing part of Matt's column was that it did nothing to improve the involvement of young people. In fact, it broadened the gap. The older you get the more you learn and experience and the more comfortable you become with all ages of people. Two minutes at a First Friday opening means Matt didn't view the art, introduce himself or meet the artists. What a shame.

James Thurman and Hannah Hart were only two of the four younger members added to the Visual Arts Cooperative this year. Nathan Elder and Holly Dirnberger, the other two, were juried in by a committee of five, not one individual. Jake Wells was offered a position and declined.

The arts council is having its annual Christmas arts and crafts extravaganza Nov. 18 and 19 and is in need of volunteers. We will save a shift for Matt and any of his friends to work if he is willing to share his interests in the arts. Come see how hard the elite work. Just call the arts council to become involved.

VICKI OUTMAN, Jackson