DUANE SHERRILLEditor

Reaching a crescendo with the record-setting Tullahoma Downtown Arts Crawl this past week, the month of October has been, as proclaimed by the Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen, National Arts and Humanities Month.

“The arts and humanities play a unique role in the lives of our families, our communities and our country,” said Mayor Lynn Sebourn in reading the proclamation at a recent meeting of the board of mayor and aldermen. “The arts and humanities embody much of the accumulated wisdom, intellect and imagination of humankind.”

The proclamation points out art and culture industries generate $141.7 billion annually and $29 billion in government revenue and support five million jobs nationally.

Greg Gressel of the local arts council thanked the city for the proclamation.

“We live in a city that is very blessed in the arts,” Gressel said, noting that Oct. 1 means holiday season at South Jackson Performing Arts Center – something that will keep he and the art community busy through the holidays.

He encouraged the whole community to take part in the arts. “Get involved and come be part of things,” he said, noting the fine arts center is also in need of help. “We encourage you that if you haven’t given yet to give. We are about halfway to go to get things open but we have done a lot toward securing the building to make things ready to be open.”

Gressel said he plans to see the Tullahoma Fine Arts Center, located across Jackson from South Jackson and recently adopted by South Jackson, to be open before Christmas.

“We have some big plans for Christmas and some workshops leading up to that time,” he revealed.