Serving Edom, Van, Ben Wheeler, and Van ISD
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"Christmas in a Boot" by Sannie Duran, 10th grade, Van ISD. Sannie is one of the winners of the Sharon Gilchrist Foundation for the Arts annual Christmas Card contest. See more below.
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It's Officially the Holiday Season
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From concerts, jams, and the Art Prom in Edom, to live music and bus loads of diners arriving at The Forge, to the Holly Berry Christmas Bazaar in Van, it's clear the holiday season in the
Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District
(VZACD) got of to a glittering start in November.
It's great to see all three of our towns jump on the Shop Small Saturday band wagon to entice buyers during the mega-shopping weekend after Thanksgiving. The VZACD Tourism Committee is looking forward to some coordinated advance marketing for the district for this event next year and working together to keep people shopping here throughout the year.
That's just one of the ways the foundation board and committees work for our district. These past couple of years the foundation's "birthing" board of directors got a 501(c)3 non-profit designation; set up a website, social media, and newsletters; produced two school programs with more than 30 artists and organizations volunteering to provide arts and cultural projects to kids of Van ISD; and produced two Young Artists Art Exhibitions for junior and senior high students taking place amongst professional artists at the Edom Arts Festival and the new Van Go Arts Fair. The board identified approximately 80 tourism businesses in the district and held several networking meetings where the shopkeepers found ways they can work together to build local economy through tourism efforts.
The VZACD Foundation board of directors produced the afore-mentioned first annual Van Go Art Fair to complete the "three-legged stool" so each town in the district now has an annual arts fair. They are well into plans for the second annual taking place April 11, 2020. Foundation members helped with the Junebug Summer Fair in Ben Wheeler, and were the recipient of proceeds from their first Farm to Table dinner that kicked off the weekend. They helped produce the first annual Tribute to Townes Van Zandt at The Forge in Ben Wheeler also, and continue to support events all over the district.
Many, many thanks go out to this start-up board of directors for their service over the last two years — P.A. Geddie, Georgia Christensen, Don Gilchrist, Bill Hullum, LeAnn Sellers, Jill Dutton, Kerian Massey, Samantha Owens, and Beth Brown. Most of them have graciously agreed to either continue as board directors or serve on committees.
This group recently appointed the 2020-2021 board of directors and it's a dedicated and talented team ready to take the foundation mission to the next level. Look for more information on this team and future plans in the January newsletter.
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Connecting With State Officials
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The VZACD Foundation was represented in a meeting with state officials during the Texas Downtown Association's annual conference in Georgetown at the end of October. Representatives with the Texas Historical Commission, Texas Parks & Wildlife, Texas Film Association, and Texas Music Office had great advice for several project possibilities in the Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District.
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Van Zandt County Leadership Tour
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Historians, town leaders, and students in the Leadership Van Zandt County program visited Ben Wheeler, Edom, and Van on November 14.
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Please Join Us
The mission of the Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District Foundation is to help create thriving communities in the southeast corner of Van Zandt County that we can all enjoy and keep fun and healthy for generations to come. We do this through two initiatives: economic development through tourism, and arts education for our children in Van ISD. The three towns of Edom, Van, and Ben Wheeler already share the school district -- pooling their fun things-to-do attracts many more tourists and that means more success for all in the district.
Membership in the Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District Foundation makes you a part of strategic efforts to improve our district. THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS. WE LOVE BEING ON THIS TEAM WITH YOU.
If you are not yet a member, please join others like
Door Controls USA, Moore's Store, The Forge, County Line Magazine, Tankersley Real Estate, Allyson & Mike DeCanio, Randy & Sherrie Martin, Edom Art Emporium, P.A. Geddie, Jim & Alexandra Prevratil, Don Gilchrist, Dragonhead Retreat, Georgia Christensen, LeAnn Sellers, Glenda Mae's Daylily Farm, Thoughts•Words•Images, Arbor Castle Birdhouses, Wood Haven Cabins, Mariposa Cabin, Potters Brown, Bill Hullum CPA,
East Texas Sip & Shop, 4B Products, The Old Firehouse in Edom, Kerian Massey, Cabin in the Woods, Marilyn Pippin, Country Charm Bed & Breakfast, Bill & Linda Ayers, The Palate Dining Room, Melinda Wacaser,
and numerous others committed to making our district the best place to live, work, and play.
Tax-exempt dues start as low as $50 per year.
PLEASE
BECOME A MEMBER
TODAY.
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November Meet & Greet
Twenty-five people showed up at the November Meet & Greet hosted by Fairfied Inn by Marriott including three very young, but committed, entrepreneurs from 4B Products. The great thing about these meetings is the connections the businesses make and ideas and actions that occur that make everyone's bottom line increase. Chef Michael "Hobbles" Smith signed up to host the next meeting at The Palate Dining Room in downtown Edom from 5-7 p.m. February 4. Hope to see you there.
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"Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."
— Vince Lombardi
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SHARON GILCHRIST CHRISTMAS CARD PROJECT
Pictured above are winners in the 2019 Sharon Gilchrist Christmas Card contest hosted by Door Controls USA. First Place "Merry Christmas With Old Truck" goes to 12-year-old Olivia Ryan. Second Place for "Howdy Partner!" goes to 15-year-old Cambrie Bryant. Third place for "Egg-Nog Cow" goes to 12-year-old Rebecca Brown.
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YOUNG ARTISTS EXHIBITION -- VAN GO ART FAIR 2020
Attention Junior High and High School Teachers & Van ISD staff -- Help your kids get ready for the Van Go Art Fair Young Artists Exhibition taking place April 11, 2020. Get all the details in the VZACD 2019-2020 Arts Program Guide or online
HERE
or call (903) 312-9556 for assistance. Application form is now available to download.
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Van Go Arts Club needs a coordinator.
They will arrange for monthly or quarterly meetings and help plan events and activities for kids. They will work with volunteers at festivals and other events. Please call (903) 312-9556 or email info@VanZandtACD.com if interested.
Join Facebook group
Van Go Arts Club
to keep up with topics relating to Van ISD communities, kids, and arts education.
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December 7.
Luminations.
Blue Moon Gardens. Edom
December 7
.
American Dreamer.
The Old Firehouse. Edom
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READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Recipes from Red Moon Farm, Potters Brown,
and Ideas You Can Share With Visitors
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About the Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District Foundation
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The Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting tourism and education opportunities in the southeast corner of Van Zandt County — a distinctive arts and cultural sector of the county that includes
Edom, Van,
and
Ben Wheeler,
as well as the
Van school district
.
Our mission is to enhance and promote the value of the district’s creative and economic life by engaging artistic, cultural, educational, and commercial neighbors through programs, events, and initiatives. More tourism opportunities and arts education means better communities for residents and future generations.
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Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District Foundation
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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