How The Arts For All Festival Supports Local Art Organizations

This weekend is Lawton's annual Arts for All Festival, and it's the one time a year a majority of Lawton's arts organizations come together to celebrate the local arts. Attending the festival is one of the easiest ways to support Lawton's arts organizations, but there are other opportunities to support local arts nonprofits year round.

The Arts for All Festival is one of three fundraisers Arts for All, Inc. hosts to raise money for its member organizations, which includes Lawton Community Theatre, Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, Lawton Fort Sill Art Council, Wichita Mountains Wildlight Photographic Society and Lawton Pro Musica.

Visiting the festival, purchasing art or enjoying a meal from the food vendors, is a fun and easy way to support Lawton's arts organizations this weekend. The festival is also a good opportunity to learn about ways to support local art organizations throughout the year.

Lawton's arts organizations will host information booths at the Arts for All Festival.

Ever year, Arts for All's member groups host their own booths at the festival. This gives festival goers an opportunity to meet with representatives from local arts organizations to learn about the organizations, like what opportunities or activities they provide, and how people can get involved.

Most people think supporting a local art organization is all monetary, but one of the best ways to actually support a local art organization, especially if you're not in the position to donate money, is by getting involved. Lawton's local art organizations are always looking for volunteers, potential board members, or new patrons.

Most of Lawton's art organizations are ran by volunteers.

I served as the Board President for Lawton Community Theatre for six years, and aside from one paid staff member, the theater is completely ran by volunteers. From front of house, to backstage and on stage, Lawton Community Theatre relies heavily on volunteers.

I also served on the board for the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, and the board was also made up of patrons and volunteers. The orchestra has a few paid staff, including the director and conductor, and the musicians are all union musicians from either Lawton or Oklahoma City. But every concert the orchestra puts on relies heavily on volunteers to help prepare before the concert and to help during each concert.

So, if you're not able to donate or purchase season tickets to Lawton's arts organizations, you can still make an impact in the local arts community by volunteering. While you're at the Arts for All Festival this weekend, be sure to stop by one of the arts organization booths and see how you can get involved. You might even find that volunteering with a local arts organization benefits you, too.