During this time of year, our thoughts turn graciously to you, our artists, writers, activists, dreamers, historians, givers, storytellers, actors and actresses, photographers, painters, musicians, performers and everyone else who spreads love and arts through the community year round.

Today, we invite you to tell us a favorite autumn tradition or memory with us or simply share what you are grateful for. Next week, we'll celebrate Thanksgiving together, with you, our wonderful Creativity Crate community, by sharing the collection you've submitted.

Performances Now through November 29 • Live theatre returns – outdoors and with social distancing – at the Alliance! Reserve your square for the hilarious and touching production of Laundry and Bourbon by James McLure. The show focuses on the discontent and very funny gossip of three small-town wives whose marriages have turned out to be less than ideal.

Join us for dinner under the stars or lunch in the shade. Guests are required to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets and you can purchase delicious snack boxes from our partner, Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.

Saturday, November 28 • Our raffle winner, friend and artist Lisa Duritsch took one down and is now passing around the chance to win 98 Bottles of Beer (and Wine) and exclusive merchandise and gift cards from some of your favorite local breweries!

Wednesdays, December 2 - January 20 • Join artist, Marilyn Hedlund, for an outdoor, in-person, plein air abstract landscape painting class where nature will be your guide. Learn to use landscapes or seascapes as the basis for an abstract painting. Your paintings won’t be realistic but will still be identifiable, as opposed to typical abstract art where the subject matter is removed. Free up your expression and sense of confining boundaries by focusing on color combinations and painting from the heart.

Saturday, December 5 • This year’s Arts and Ends Holiday Sale is headed outdoors to our ArtsPark and GreenMarket grounds! Find one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts in pottery, polymer clay, lamp work glass, upcycled accessories, macramé and other fine crafts.

While the Alliance for the Arts continues to make ends meet with cost reductions and creative programming, we experienced $500,000 in revenue losses due directly to the pandemic. Put simply, ticket sales and class fees are not enough to sustain the organization.

We’re relying on you to help close the financial gap. To answer the call, two very amazing Alliance members have banded together to offer an end of year match challenge of $30,000. It’s an ambitious task, to say the least, but the Alliance is made up of people like you - people who believe, as we believe, that the arts have the power to transform lives and improve our community and that arts and culture are vital.

Any gift - from $1 to $30,000 - made between now and December 31st will be matched - dollar for dollar by the Bireley Family Foundation and Bruce & Janet Bunch. This is a big deal for the Alliance and we know we can do it with your help.

the @Alliance for the Arts and use the hashtag #CreativityCrate or encourage your friends to join by opting in to our emails at ArtInLee.org/CreativityCrate.