SCAA President Urges South Cobb Residents to Act Now

In an email to members and supporters of the South Cobb Arts Alliance, the organization's president Lorien Trapani wrote the following:

When was the last time you attended a free concert at Chastain Amphitheatre?  How about taking your whole family to a live theatre performance for less than $20.00?  It costs more than a day's pay to get your family into Stone Mountain Park to see historical homes and visit their festivals.  Did you know that you can enjoy the same history and crafts and fun right here in Mableton at the Children's Storytelling Festival for free!  Have you ever looked into the cost of taking art classes at SCAD?  

Take a moment to calculate what you would have to pay to continue to attend events and art programs if there were no Mable House Arts Center, South Cobb Arts Alliance or Historic Mable House.  The county budget crisis is affecting all these services that Cobb County currently offers.  This means that all the existing art centers around the county are in real danger of being closed permanently. Cuts were made in the Spring which enabled Mable House Arts Center and SCAA to offer summer programs, but without additional funds, there are no provisions at this time to plan a Fall schedule of classes and programs.  

If the MableHouse Arts Center is closed, the South Cobb community will lose more than art classes. The South Cobb Arts Alliance depends on the facilities and staff at Mable House to enable us to put on our programs, such as Theatre Project, Candlelite Concerts, Children's Storytelling Festival,  Gallery Exhibits, Mableton Day and the Annual Christmas House.  Although we have many very generous sponsors and members, we could not exist without support from the county.  

At this time more than ever, we desperately need your help to let our county commissioners know how important the Arts are to you and your community.  

Chairman Tim Lee has proposed a small increase in the millage rate to allow the county enough revenue to continue operating the departments that make Cobb a great place to live.  Public meetings to discuss this issue will be held on Tuesday, July 19 at 8:00am and 6:00pm at 100 Cherokee Street in Marietta.  We encourage you to attend this meeting and show your support for the Arts.  If you cannot attend the meeting, please email your area commissioner and let him or her know that arts programs in Cobb are a crucial component of what makes Cobb County a thriving community.  Arts are not "optional" and the small increase in property tax is far less than what you would spend to attend similar arts events and programs outside of Cobb County.

Listed below are the email addresses for all the commissioners in Cobb County.  Please write to them immediately to save the Arts in Cobb County.  You could simply forward this email to them with a few of your own words to voice your personal support.

We need and appreciate your help to help keep Art alive in South Cobb. 

Sincerely,

Lorien Trapani

President

South Cobb Arts Alliance