Delegate and Celebrate

Delegate and Celebrate (column for Iron County Today)

By Sara Penny, CCAC Vice President 

It is impossible for one person to do it all. Learning to delegate and engage others is valuable in the arts, as well as in business. Not only can we accomplish more, we are training others to propel our organizations forward. I am all about collaboration in my projects and with my students. When we work together and build each other up, it is good for everyone.

Building an arts organization takes lots of teamwork. Learning to delegate is essential so the project continues. The tricky bit is finding the right people and giving them the freedom and support to excel. That is when everyone can celebrate and show appreciation. If you are waiting to be found, there are countless opportunities to get involved in our arts community. 

The dance and theater groups require sets, props, and costumes. That means teams to build and sew. For example, the costumes for the recent Cedar City Junior Ballet production of Cinderella were particularly lovely. 

Every arts group needs publicity and grant writers to get an audience and have the funds to operate. Our local groups try to keep ticket prices much lower than in a metropolitan area, but there are significant costs involved. 

When you see an audition announcement, that is an invitation to participate. It is fun to get involved, whether onstage, backstage, or part of the production team. 

A good treasurer is essential. We are lucky to have Bruce Hughes helping our Arts Council, and he helps several other organizations. 

Years ago, we had a violist in the Orchestra of Southern Utah who was an accounting major at SUU.  He served as our treasurer. The experience helped him get a full-time job. Now we are fortunate to have Diane Shirley helping us. 

If you like to envision new projects, you might enjoy serving on a Board of Directors. This team helps plan future projects and directs operations. At a workshop with the Utah Arts Council they said the qualities of a balanced board are a mix of “Wisdom, Wit, and Wealth”.  The Board needs people with different perspectives and talents to help the organization succeed. 

Another skill set that is valuable is graphic design. A good poster can help attract an audience. We also use the posters for our monthly arts newsletters and on social media.

Actually, that is another essential position. Someone needs to share production notices on social media because that is where many art patrons get information. One of our ongoing quests is to increase our communication so you won’t miss something you would have liked to attend. 

We have a database of local arts groups on our website at cedarcityartscouncil.org. There is also a listing of opportunities designed for children. Let us know what we are missing and give us updates. We hope you have a great week enjoying our arts community.