Clifford Eberly is VP of the Board of Directors of the Arts and Cultural Council of Bucks County (Source: Clifford Eberly).
When it was first established in 1974, the Arts and Cultural Council of Bucks Council was originally called the Bucks County Council on the Arts. It hosted exhibitions and programs and maintained an archive of Bucks County artists. In 1985, the Council partnered with the Bucks County Commissioners to convert the Bucks County prison in Doylestown into the James A. Michener Art Museum.
Today the council continues to engage its growing artist membership and community with programs, events and educational initiatives with partners such as the Rainbow Room, Discover Doylestown, New Hope and Doylestown Arts Festivals and many others.
Clifford Eberly, vice president of the Board of Directors of the Arts and Cultural Council of Bucks County, spoke to Access Network about the organization’s mission, programming and how community members can get involved.
Eberly explained that the mission of the Arts & Cultural Council of Bucks County is “to foster, strengthen, and promote Bucks County’s diverse arts and cultural community, build arts alliances, and enhance the Bucks County arts experience.”
He emphasized that the council encourages a collaborative environment not only for artists, both visual arts and literary arts, but also for art enthusiasts.
Members of the council are promoted through a directory and galleries of their work on the council’s website and posts on Instagram.
Eberly said some of their biggest events include a spring arts and cultural exhibition and 30 Days of Inspiration, an online initiative where poets and artists are invited to share their original work with the community. Throughout the month of April to celebrate National Poetry Month, poems are matched with artwork each day.
The council also holds poetry readings and different workshops. He said that they just went through a calendar year with their most programming.
Eberly explained that one of their biggest challenges to increasing exposure to the arts is competing with everything else happening in Bucks County. That’s why new members, sponsors and volunteers are always needed.
On why the arts are so important to not only those who make it but those who appreciate it, he said, “Art and writing can be transformative and help people understand the world around us. It is important for people to seek it out.”
He emphasized that we all should look at art wherever it is and to realize it is for everyone to enjoy. It is not an elite group.
Another important aspect of art, he said, was that it isn’t about perfection.
“You don’t have to be working on it for 80 hours for it to be considered art. It is subjective and can be challenging to define, but we should accept creativity no matter what. It is up to the artists to define what art is as long as they can defend it.”
How Can the Community Help?
Eberly said that they are actively looking for new members, sponsors and volunteers. Anyone interested can reach out to the board of directors at [email protected].
You can also find more detailed information on the council’s website here.
