Arts Council’s GetSmART series reaches writers virtually

The workshops started as in-person presentations, but with the pandemic shutdown in March, the Arkansas Arts Council was forced to rethink its GetSmART series.

On the other hand, it might be an opportunity to expand its reach.

Monday morning, the GetSmART series virtually presented “Writing our Stories Out Loud: Creating Powerful Oral Histories.”

Janis Kearney, a southeast Arkansas author, Arkansas State Press writer and owner, and former diarist for former President Bill Clinton, was the two-hour workshop’s featured speaker.

“The coronavirus pandemic has forced the small staff of the Arkansas Arts Council to rethink the way it delivers its public programs, as well as the type of content offered,” Patrick Ralston, council director, said.

Their GetSmART webinars have provided a platform from which they can expand their “nonprofit management, grant writing, intellectual property protection,” as well as literary programs, he said.

“It’s allowed us to take more risks and reach more people at a time when they really need it,” Ralston said.

Janet Perkins is the Arts Council’s community development manager.

“This format gives us the ability to continue supporting and reaching out to artists,” Perkins said.

About 15 people attended the event, and while in the past, workshop attendance was limited to one’s ability to drive, they had attendees from as far away as Ohio and Pennsylvania, Perkins said.

They’re also drawing attendees from various areas of the state that might not be able to attend.

“It’s working well,” Perkins said.

Even after the ability to offer in-person workshops returns, the lessons learned while presenting virtual content and its reach may change the way workshops are presented in the future.

But Perkins said those decisions are above her pay grade and will be made by Ralston and others.

Kearney presented the last in-person workshop, “First Steps in Creative Writing,” in March, and there was a lull in programming until Oct. 20, when Kearney again presented a webinar called “Getting Started: The First Step in Writing Your Stories.”

Kearney said she is getting comfortable with virtual formats and hoped attendees took away a few points.

“Stories are not only universally relevant, but ever present in our lives. Writers can be invaluable shapers of our world through our writing and sharing of stories for today and the future,” Kearney said.

She said she also hopes “writers will take chances and get their written words into a public format.”

Kearney said her workshops are about giving the next generation of writers a hand up. The second workshop asked participants to write a piece around the theme of “The One Who Got Away.”

“The people who worked on their stories yesterday will send in completed stories in the next week,” Kearney said, referring to the workshop on Nov. 9.

From there, 10 stories will be included in the third session, “Writing Out Loud: Sharing Our Stories,” on Dec 1.

More information about the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is available at http://www.arkansasarts.org.

“Stories are not only universally relevant, but ever present in our lives. Writers can be invaluable shapers of our world through our writing and sharing of stories for today and the future.” — Janis Kearney, a southeast Arkansas author, Arkansas State Press writer and owner, and former diarist for former President Bill Clinton