Black Belt Service Project: Sherry Masters Empowers the Art Community.

On top of the martial arts techniques and internal power principles, one of the requirements to earn a Black Belt at the White Oak Martial Arts Center is to lead and complete a community service project.  Most people sign up for Martial Arts to gain self confidence, build self discipline, and to generally improve themselves.  By leading a community service project, our students are doing more than giving lip service to these things- they are applying them.

Here is an email that Sherry Masters sent me about her project for her 2nd Degree Black Belt.

Requirement for 2nd degree Black Belt, Sherry Masters 

Lead a Community Project:

Beginning in spring of 2010 and continuing through the present time I have
been involved in leading the Western NC region in the national celebration
of “American Craft Week”.

American Craft Week is an annual event begun in 2010 and celebrated every
first Friday of October for 10 days.  Its goal is to raise the awareness of
the craft industry in our country and elevate its importance to our national
economy.  We hope to gain more collectors of craft and show how buying
handmade in America items can make a difference in employing people in our
country.  ACW is sponsored by the “Craft Retailers and Artist for Tomorrow”
(CRAFT), an organization of which Grovewood Gallery is a founding member.

Last spring I contacted craft organizations, galleries and craft schools in
the WNC region and held a meeting in downtown Asheville to inform others of
this event.  Together we planned area events to celebrate ACW.  We held
studio strolls, gallery exhibits, artist demonstrations, festivals, raffles
for charities and more.including a kick-off event having Mayor Bellamy
proclaim October 1-10 as American Craft Week in Asheville.  The proclamation
I wrote for Mayor Bellamy is attached.

I signed up 37 WNC participants for ACW last year.  This was the most of any
other state or region in the country.  Areas participating included:
Asheville, Black Mountain, Burnsville, Cullowhee, Hendersonville, Flat Rock,
Mars Hill, Old Fort, Brasstown, Hayesville, Murphy, Tryon, Saluda,
Weaverville, Waynesville, Highlands and Swannanoa.

Seven local magazines and newspapers published articles about the American
Craft Week celebration in WNC.
http://www.boldlife.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A16064  
Nationally, we were considered the “success story” of the first year of this
annual event.  Our Chamber of Commerce helped us promote the events in the
region on exploreasheville.com.  We held artist demonstrations for 6 days in
the Chamber building.  

I was asked by the national co-chairpersons for American Craft Week to join
them as a co-chair for 2011.  My responsibilities have included targeting
other small cities and towns across America that could take the example of
WNC’s participation and plan a similar collaboration for ACW.  I have
contacted and provided information to Santa Fe, NM, New Hope, PA, Berea, KY,
Chattanooga, TN, Jackson, WY, Saugatuck, MI, Tamarack, WV, Door County, WI
and Brattleboro, VT.

This year ACW in WNC will celebrate for the entire month of October.  We are
working together to bring more visitors to our area to educate them about
craft and the talented artists who make their living creating handmade
items.  The impact of the craft industry on tourism in Asheville is
significant.  We are inviting hotels and Bed and Breakfast establishments to
join us in promoting this event.  More dollars spent in local galleries,
restaurants and hotels will help keep our friends and neighbors employed
(and me too!). 

This regional (and national) event has been an exciting project.  It has
created some collaboration within the craft community that was not there
before.  I am happy to be involved and have enjoyed networking with my peers
both locally and nationally to support American Craft Week.

See www.americancraftweek.com.

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