Fall is in the air and October is National Arts & Humanities Month. This was established in 1993 to “encourage Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of participation in the arts and humanities.” What better time to consider adding more arts to your life?

I made a list of ways you can connect to and support the arts in Sedona below. I hope you take advantage of one or more incredible offerings available to you in our wonderful community.

• Take an art class. Sedona Arts Center offers an incredible array of workshops and classes that cater to all levels of arts enthusiast. We continue to add new workshops and classes to the roster and we will be adding increasingly varied art forms and offerings. So be sure to sign up for our emails to find out what is coming up.
• Buy art. By purchasing a piece of art, you are directly supporting a local or regional artist. Many, if not most, of the artists in the Sedona Arts Center Gallery make their living or a significant portion of it through the creation and sale of their work. Artists have been significantly impacted by COVID-19 — like everyone — and by adding one of their pieces to your home, you are helping them and making your home a more beautiful place to be. The Sedona Plein Air Festival — taking place throughout the area Saturday through Saturday, Oct. 23 through 30 — is another place to buy great art. We will be hosting 23 artists from across the country throughout the week at Paint Outs and events. We will also be debuting our newly renovated Special Exhibit Gallery. So check out our website for what is happening and when and come see us.
• Go to a performance, festival or film. COVID-19 impacted the performing arts more than any other art form. They were the first to close their doors and some performing arts institutions are still struggling with exactly how to reopen. Gathering indoors has been strained and strange, to say the least. So now that some performing arts doors are back open — with COVID-19 protocols in place — it is time to go see a show.
• The Sedona International Film Festival, Red Rocks Chamber Music Festival, Sedona Chamber Music Society, Sedona Poetry Slam and others are offering regular performances. And, we at Sedona Arts Center are offering performances outdoors at Celebrate Sedona the first Wednesday of every other month. We will also be holding a jazz brunch on Feb. 13 and an African Drumming workshop and drum circle in February. So be sure to check those out as well.
• De-stress. It goes without saying that doing any one of the above will help you de-stress. So many people turned to the arts during COVID-19 through online workshops, performances and more to help them deal with the isolation and anxiety brought on by the pandemic. Luckily, artists and arts organizations are creative entities that developed many alternative ways that we can all access the arts. I discovered art journaling, which has opened up a whole new world for me. Sedona Arts Center is offering a few brand new art journaling workshops next spring. I encourage you to check them out.
• Advocate. It is essential that our elected officials, at all levels of government, hear from you about supporting government funding for the arts. Without the National Endowment for the Arts, the AZ Commission on the Arts and the funding the city of Sedona provides arts organizations here, none of us would be able to do what we do. I encourage you to sign up for alerts through Americans for the Arts’ Arts Action Fund at artsactionfund.org at the federal level; and through Arizona Citizens for the Arts at azcitizensforthearts.org at the state level. Both these organizations do great work on behalf of the arts in our state.
• Volunteer. Volunteers are the heartbeat of most nonprofits, and that is critically true for Sedona Arts Center. We are always looking for volunteers to help set up events, take down events, plan events, work at events … you get the picture. Another way to volunteer is by serving on the board of directors for an arts organization. While this involves a financial commitment, we are always looking for dedicated people to help govern the organization. If you are interested in serving, specifically, on the Arts Center Board, please reach out to me directly.
• Donate. Without adequate resources, no nonprofit is going to thrive. If you believe in the mission and work of the organization, donate. It makes a huge difference for the organization and makes you feel good in return.

That is my easy seven-step guide to getting more involved with the arts. I hope you take advantage of at least one of these opportunities this month. Check out sedonaartscenter.org and I hope to see you at Sedona Arts Center.

Arts & Culture, written this week by Julie Richard, executive director of the Sedona Arts Center, appears in The Scene.