How Can YOU Help YAC?

All of the responses on facebook have really overwhelmed me with extreme gratitude, appreciation, and with honor. I am so thankful for my position at the Arts Council, and that I get to live in this community. Furthermore, it has come to my attention that we all want to help YAC, and you may be asking yourself- How can I help?

How You Can Help YAC:

1) Become a member of the Arts Council. Supporting the arts in Lafayette County ensures you have access to the arts visual art exhibits, community events, workshops for children, and live productions. Your donation provides the Arts Council with the ability to support new arts projects. Through the Powerhouse Community Arts Center and your donations, the Arts Council fosters new art groups like: Art to Go, a service that provides art classes for both the young and adult; Hinge a new modern dance company whose first production sold out; Oxford Fiber Arts Festival, Mississippi's first and only fiber art festival, which drew over 500 visitors; and of course many, many more.

Andi Bedsworth with Art to Go working with kids in the "We Create" class

If you aren't a member of the Arts Council, but are a frequent visitor to arts events in the Oxford/Lafayette County community, I encourage you to become one today. Your membership and involvement with the arts is what makes our city thrive. Become a Member of the Arts Council


2) Make a donation to YAC's Endowment Fund. The endowment fund was created to ensure the Arts Council will always have sustainable funding and will be able to maintain the support of the arts in Oxford and Lafayette County.

To make a donation to YAC's Endowment Fund:

*Please specify that your donation is for the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council 

Please make checks payable to:

Create Foundation

P.O. Box 1053

Tupelo, MS 38802

3) Attend Arts Events. Attendance is one of the best ways you can show your support. The Oxford Art Crawl is a free event on the 4th Tuesday of every month. It provides transportation to each location and it's always from 7-9 p.m. Art shows are always free admission and the Powerhouse is open Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. if you'd like to take a look around our gallery. Please do not limit yourself to just the Powerhouse: Southside Gallery, University Museum, and Bozarts Gallery in Water Valley are other wonderful facilities that deserve your support as well.

YAC's Holiday Ornament Auction is free to members of the arts council. Last year's ornament auction we had over 30 artists donate ornaments to support the Arts Council, and Jere Allen donated one of his works that we were able to raffle off! This year's Ornament Auction is Thursday, December 8, 2011- make plans to attend now!

FREE Movies and Concerts event at Avent Park - Summer 2011

4) Sign up for YAC's E-newsletter. This newsletter is more than a list of events being put on by the Arts Council, or events that are at the Powerhouse; we keep up with all arts events in the Lafayette County area. That means: art openings and receptions, art classes, dance classes, performances at the Ford Center, Theatre Oxford performances, community events, choral performances, Oxford Film Festival, and etc., etc. To get an idea of who else YAC supports-- click here.

To sign up for the Art Council's E-newsletter email me, Beth, at yacoperations@gmail.com.

Healthy Halloween, October 31, 2010

5) Get involved. Become a volunteer for the Arts Council. By helping YAC with one of our events- whether it's taking tickets at the door, setting up for an event, or helping with the Double Decker Arts Festival- it ALL makes a difference! And there are other wonderful arts organizations that you can get involved with too: Theatre Oxford, Oxford Artist's Guild, and Vox press... to name a few.

To become a volunteer for YAC, email: yacoperations@gmail.com

Dave Woolworth at Vox's event "Noise"

6) Talk. If there's something you think the Arts Council is doing that you love- tell someone about it. Tell a friend, a neighbor, and encourage your community members to be involved. I would argue that one of the best ways to make friends in this town is by attending any social art event.


Thanks again for all the continuous support you've given the arts council. My final thought was inspired by Gandhi's quote: "Be the change you want to see in the world." Remember that if you want something to change, you are the only person that can make it happen. 

Square Table Recipe is a Finalist in Tailgate Cook-off Competition

College football is competitive both on and off the field.  Nowhere is this truer than in the SEC. Every ounce of energy expended by football players on the field is matched off the field by fans with tailgate parties that are legendary.  Tony Chachere is looking for the best tailgating recipe from the SEC schools. Representing the University of Mississippi is a recipe from Oxford’s most recognized restaurant found in Oxford’s most popular cookbook; Square Table: A Collection of Recipes from Oxford, MS.

Square Table Cookbook has recently been recognized for one of their recipes becoming a top 12 finalist in the 2011 Tony Chachere’s Tailgating Cook-off Competition. So I heard about the competition from my boss and just thought, why not send in a recipe? 

I wanted to submit a recipe that represented the restaurants in town, but also highlight how serious tailgating is during Ole Miss Football season. The recipe is found in the Square Table cookbook, a collection that highlights both traditional tailgating fare and recipes from the restaurants in Oxford. 

Ole Miss Groving at its finest

The Catfish and Tasso Savory Cheesecake from City Grocery’s appetizer menu has the honor of being one of the best recipes in the SEC. The contest, put on by Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast and sponsored by Tony’s Chachere seasoning, commenced April 1, 2011 and recipe submissions ended June 15.

The twelve finalist recipes will be displayed at www.css-sports.com from 5 pm CST on August 19 through Friday, November 11. During the final judging period, the general public will have the opportunity to view and vote on their favorite finalist. At the conclusion of the Final Judging Period, the top three finalists with the highest number of votes will be declared the “Cook-off Champions”. The Grand Prize Winner and Cook-off Champion with the most votes will be announced November 18. The three Cook-off Champion recipes will be featured in SportsNite this November or December (the “Cook-off Feature”).

So if you get a second, take a moment to vote for the recipe that serves Oxford best; vote because it goes to supporting City Grocery & the Arts Council. VOTING STARTS AUGUST 19th! (Don't worry I'll remind you.) 

Check out their website-- this is also where you'll be able to vote: http://www.css-sports.com/pages/tony_chacheres_tailgating_cookoff_vote_here

If you would like to get a copy of this recipe and the other great recipes found in Square Table you can order the book through the Ole Miss Alumni office or directly from the Arts Council online at www.oxfordarts.com

My best friend, Christine & I supporting our Rebels during a football game