Creative energy lives in all of us. It's up to us to decide to let its power fuel our inspiration, transform our moments, and spark the courage to share its gifts with others. It is true some people choose to embrace art as a lifestyle. It is also true that still more people quietly tap their creative passions if only to satisfy the very real need to feed their souls with the nourishment only art can provide. 

This is why art matters.  

This is why art needs to become a higher priority in the development of our community. And this is why Arts of Clark County, an all-volunteer nonprofit, has joined Give More 24, a Community Foundation for Southwest Washington fundraising campaign. We want to get everyone as excited as we are about the value art brings as a public good to a community. 

Dedicated to boosting arts in the region, Arts of Clark County celebrates the vision and creativity of not just artists in all mediums -- but all people. Art is inclusive and connects all of us on a local, national, and global level. We believe art matters greatly to the human spirit. It is a need that when met enhances our quality of life. We know the stronger the foundation art has in a city, the greater the livability is. 

We are proud of our many good works, including the annual Clark County Open Studios tour and Poetry Moves, a collaborative effort to feature the words of local poets on C-Tran buses. Both of these programs have already demonstrated the power of art in our lives, the power art has to connect and transform us, and the power art has to fuel the economy.  

Our immediate vision includes building greater art awareness, rewarding creative excellence, and expanding art accessibility. We also are striving to facilitate long-term arts development for Southwest Washington. We envision a stronger arts infrastructure that includes an art center and a performing arts facility with the potential to attract visitors from Portland and beyond. A stronger foundation for art creates the possibility for our community to become a vibrant arts hub. Public support will help to make this vision a reality. Public support means our vision becomes a collective investment in our quality of life.

Boomerang is hosting the estate works of architect and artist John Dean Wyckoff throughout September. The exciting portrayals include over 20 newly discovered works that are in various states of near completion. The reception runs Sept. 2 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Watercolorist April Van Dyke and artist Tom Relth's works also are featured. Expect live music and light refreshments.

808 Main St., Vancouver

Portland contemporary artist Una Kim will have her works on display at North Bank Artists Gallery. The one-woman show runs Sept. 2 through Sept. 24. Kim's unique style has made her famous for her paintings and drawings. And she has graced Portland with much needed life through her eye-grabbing murals. The artist has exhibited all over the world with her most recent international exhibition drawing rave reviews at the Ningbo People's Museum in China. Opening reception is 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 2.

1005 Main St., Vancouver

Celebrate the Northwest landscape with artist Oleg Ulitskiy's collection of oil paintings at Art on the Boulevard Sept. 2 through Oct. 29. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Ulitskiy moved to Southwest Washington a decade ago. He is classically trained and has worked as a restoration oil painter at the Odessa Restoration of Fine Arts. A dedicated plein (French for "open") air artist, Ulitskiy prefers to work outside in the elements painting at times for hours on end to capture the light and atmosphere of his subjects. Expect light refreshments at the reception Sept. 2 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

210 W. Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver

Charlie Chaplin and The Kid, one of the greatest films of the silent era, are coming to the Kiggins screen to kick off the Vancouver Symphony's Chamber Series season on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. The Kid will be presented with score conducted by pianist Rodney Sauer, who also arranged the music. The Kid was written, produced, and directed by the world famous Charlie Chaplin, who also stars in the movie. The Kid also features Jackie Coogan, known on TV as Uncle Fester on the Addams Family, as his adopted son and sidekick. Hugely successful, The Kid was Chaplin's first full-length film as a director ranking the second highest grossing film in 1921 right behind The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Library of Congress recognized The Kid as being culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant in 2011.

Kiggins Theatre

1011 Main St, Vancouver

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra launches its 38th concert season with Moonstruck in Vienna, the 2016 Annual Gala and Fundraiser at the Clark County Event Center on Sept. 24 at 5:30 p.m. 

This year's dinner and exciting fundraising Gala event will showcase the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's cultural impact as the premiere musical arts organization in Southwest Washington. Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be All Classical Portland's Suzanne Nance. Cocktails and a silent auction are at 5:30 with dinner and festivities starting at 7 p.m. Ballroom dancing and a performance by Lauren Yoon, one of the three Gold Medalists in this year's Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's Young Artists Competition, are among the fun happenings.

The City of Vancouver is seeking applicants interested in volunteering to serve as the City's representative on the Clark County Arts Commission. The City must receive completed applications by 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26. 

Applicants for the position must live within the city limits and represent one of the following art disciplines: architecture, dance, digital, heritage or cultural, literary, music, theater or visual arts. The candidate appointed to fill this position will begin serving immediately, and the term expires in December 2018.

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