By Sara Heiser
Arts Council President

Fall 2005 will be a season of change for the Cabarrus Arts Council.  The most exciting development will be our move to the historic Cabarrus courthouse.  As I write this, we are making plans to relocate our offices to the first floor of this fine building.  Yes, there will be the usual commotion associated with any move.  There will be boxes to pack and then unpack.  There will be office equipment that must be carefully prepared for shipping.  The reproductions of works of art from our art enrichment collection will be tenderly loaded into volunteers’ vehicles to make their way across town.  Nevertheless, you can rest assured that business will be back to normal as soon as possible.  The wonderful ladies on our staff are relocation specialists!

It will be hard to say good-bye to our many friends at the Glenn Center.  We are deeply indebted to Cabarrus County Schools for providing us with office space for the last five years.  Dr. Winkler and- his staff have given us the gift of having a stable home base.

Because of their magnanimity we have been able to grow and thrive.

We will continue to grow in our new location.  We are already making plans for an art gallery that will showcase both local and national artists.  It is our dream to schedule performances in the beautifully renovated theater on the second floor of the historic courthouse.  Can you imagine more performing arts taking place in downtown Concord?  We will be working to make it happen! 

We are thrilled to be sharing space with Historic Cabarrus in the courthouse.  Were it not for the individuals that make up this dynamic group, the courthouse would have been destroyed years ago.  Their efforts saved this distinctive building from being razed to make room for a parking lot.  Their dedication was instrumental in beginning much-needed renovations.  Now the county maintains this historic treasure and has generously offered us office and gallery space.  We are especially grateful to our county commissioners, Mike Downs and John Day for making it all possible.

We are challenged and encouraged by the hope of the future.  However, we would never have made it to this point without the help of many devoted individuals.  Chief among them is our past president, Jim Greene.  He worked tirelessly for this arts council and provided invaluable leadership.  Thank you, Jim, for everything.  Thank you, also, to our retiring board members:  Cathy Floyd, Anne Forrest, Bob Prescott, and Glenda Thomas.  You are the best of the best, and you will be missed.  Special thanks to Cathy whose vision and expertise were vital to the continuation and success of our organization.  We absolutely would not be here today were it not for you.          

In this season of change for the arts council, one thing will remain constant:  our commitment to “engage, enlighten and enrich our community through the arts.”  Join with us as we make this mission statement a reality!