As the executive director of the Beaufort County Arts Council, I have a unique perspective on the arts community and the impact it has on our community. The recent proliferation of arts businesses is remarkable. Local arts organizations that have been part of the landscape for years (Beaufort County Choral Society, River City Ringers and Beaufort County Orchestra, among others) have been re-energized and are realizing the value that they bring to the residents of Beaufort County. Our rich visual art and music communities are becoming valued resources that make them front and center when it comes to downtown revitalization, economic development, and local tourism.

One of the cornerstones of this growing arts infrastructure is the Turnage Theater. So, it was with gratitude that I accepted a position on its board of directors when approached at the end of 2010. My only request was that my seat on the board be ex-officio.  By definition, this means the person serving as executive director of the arts council has a duty to serve on the Turnage board. I see this new role as an opportunity for the arts council’s leadership to bring a point of view to the Turnage leadership that is informed by experience and a certain institutional memory of the arts community.

Please don’t misunderstand. I do not claim to know it all when it comes to the arts community, nor do I claim to be an expert on specific issues as they relate to the way the Turnage does business. But I do have ideas regarding how the Turnage can grow into its potential role as a major community center for the performing arts. The willingness of the Turnage leadership to become more community-oriented is a positive step that should broaden its base and grow its audience, and this should translate into increased support, which is very important going forward.

We are fortunate to live in a community where our leaders have developed positive and ongoing working relationships. Whenever goals and objectives overlap, we are there for each other and willing to do whatever we can to see the other’s projects succeed. BCAC has worked in concert with the Turnage Theater, Washington Harbor District Alliance, Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce and Washington Tourism Development Authority, among others. These partnerships are valuable and important resources, and there are many communities across our state that wish they could claim such a level of cooperation.

About a year ago, BCAC applied for an Arts & Audience grant from the North Carolina Arts Council to support a music series called Countdown To The Music Festival that included three concerts (one a month in January, February and March) leading up to the annual music festival in April. Unfortunately, the grant was not approved.  However, with the cooperation of the Turnage Theater, we were able to salvage this series by combining our resources. BCAC and the Turnage co-presented the April Verch Band in January, which BCAC would not have been able to do on its own. BCAC was given the opportunity to “coat-tail” onto the Woods Tea Company concert already on the Turnage calendar for Feb. 18; and on March 18 at 8 p.m., BCAC will present perennial favorites Molasses Creek as the final concert (call 202 975-1191 or visit turnagetheater.com to get tickets) leading up to the Beaufort County Music Festival on April 16. This music series has survived because of the Turnage Theater’s cooperation, and BCAC and the Turnage will continue to seek partnership opportunities to better serve the residents of Beaufort County.

Joey Toler is executive director of the Beaufort County Arts Council and a new member of the Turnage Theaters Foundation’s Board of Directors.