This year’s festival, the third, held primarily at the Winder Cultural Arts Center (WCAC), built upon the vast improvement and upgrade realized by the move to the WCAC  year before last. The  increased art exhibit space and the professional performance venue the Colleen  O. Williams Theater provides for our students and patrons makes the festival a  first-class event for sure.

Two people outside our school  system, but very much “inside”  the schools in terms of their support, need to be  recognized: Don Wildsmith, Cultural Arts Director and my friend and colleague in  the arts for the City of Winder; and Pam Veader, a Partner in Education but much  more importantly a huge supporter and capable theater technician. Both Don and  Pam worked tirelessly and gave of their time and expertise to make the success  of the festival grow like it has. THANKS so much to them.

Thanks also to Dr. Wanda Creel, a  music educator herself who understands the importance of programs like these and  their profound effect on kids lives, both academically and developmentally.  Finally, thanks to our administrators whose support means so much to the fine arts teachers everyday. This festival is in many ways a huge advertisement for  the daily improvement of kids lives that is so often taken for granted, until  they get a chance like the Fine Arts Festival to actually show that to the  public and their parents.

Barrow County Schools Fine Arts  staff, I want to send along my heartfelt  THANKS for your participation and work on this year’s Barrow County School  System Fine Arts Festival. The extra effort that most of you took on in bringing  a group to perform or in preparing and exhibiting art work was nothing short of  amazing. You are a dedicated group of professionals no doubt.

Kerry Bryant