At the Shelby County Arts Council, he
regularly leads programs that serve special needs
and at-risk kids through arts, as well as organizing
educational courses and performance events.
“The things that people see is just the tip of the
a way to keep it going during quarantine. During
the spring months, they will host a statewide
juried art show via virtual walkthrough and are
underway with plans to set up free online music
instruction to keep their teachers employed
during this time. As for the future, Andrews had
this to say: “I plan for Arts Council to come out
of this strong in the fall with ticketed events,
workshops and exhibits ... we hope to reward
everybody, including ourselves, with some great
art when we come out of this time.”
This kind of positive perspective has a way
of being contagious. Andrews not only believes
that the arts can help carry us through but he
also sees value in the times we are living in. “It’s
good that we now realize how the dominos lean
against each other in society—we are aware of
truck drivers delivering food to the supermarket
when we never thought about them before, for
instance.”
When I remarked about the therapeutic
EXCERPT FROM “ODE TO QUARANTINE, THE
QUARANTINE COWBOY WESTERN EDITION”
To mask or not to mask, that is the question
Whether it is nobler to look like a surgeon or make
a fashion statement, I’m just not certain
I know I will wrap my bandana about my head and
remember what ole Kid Rock said
When he said I wanna be a cowboy baby
Summer Camp registration is now open!
Call us at (205) 714 -8414 or visit us online
at www.mcwane.org to reserve your spot today!
Bham Family May 2020 21
6/1 through 7/31
value of “G’s Poetry Corner,” Andrews humbly
says that getting his wife to laugh has been the
biggest value. “If the attraction to the art form
is simply making people laugh, then so be it,” he
says, observing that it’s always good to remind
people that art does not have to be inherently
pretentious. It’s precisely this riff on pretension
that makes his videos so funny, all while
reminding us all that laughter and levity–and most
importantly, the arts—has always been something
that sees our society through hard times. To
watch the videos, search #gspoetrycorner or
#scacimagine on Facebook, and to learn more
about the Shelby County Arts Council, visit
www.shelbycountyartscouncil.com.
/www.mcwane.org
/www.shelbycountyartscouncil.com