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Let’s see... How many people does it take to pull off an event and what creative thinking is involved in the process?

In August, the Center for the Arts will host the Marco Island Chamber afterhours. Now, that’s one partnership right there!

This event will also be a reception to honor the exhibiting artists of “Still Life: Further than Fruits and Flowers.” I think that qualifies for another partnership — without the art there would be no exhibit.

Of course, we cannot host an afterhours reception without some “tastes” to nibble on, so Terracina Grand will provide Italian style culinary delights. I would say that definitely qualifies as another partnership.

How can we be the Center for the Arts without providing some musical aspect to this event? We can’t! So in the spirit of our enhanced focus, local musician Jeff Hilt will perform for us. Sounds like this evening can’t get any better than that. But wait, I think there may be more here. We need to hang all that artwork that becomes part of this exhibit, and we need to stage the gallery for the wonderful presentation of food, sounds like there is a group of volunteers here who are partners in getting this off the ground; sounds like we have lots of teamwork.

Partnership is a major way to support the arts. Partnership is what creates teamwork. Teamwork is cooperation, collaboration, solidarity; it’s making a joint effort to work together towards a common goal.

In order to generate teamwork, I think you have to be a bit creative. There we go again, using that right side of the brain thing. But let’s talk about it. Let’s just take two aspects of this event that we can easily identify as use of the creative mind.

We all agree that music is an art. “Music is the art of arranging or making sounds; usually those of musical instruments or voices, so as to create an effect.” But these sounds don’t just happen, they are created. And they are not just words or notes but the way the words or notes are put together. There are so many types and there is the writing of music; “the notation indicating the pitch, duration, rhythm and tone of notes to be played.” Jeff Hilt will do a fabulous performance for us as he always does no matter where I see him play, but it doesn’t just happen. It is his creative expression that allows him to play the many types of music he plays and provide us with the great release of creative energy to our ears. For those of you who have also enjoyed Jeff’s performances he also uses his creative mind to develop “ad lib lines” to many popular songs.

How about the culinary arts? They will be present at this great event as well. Culinary arts relates to food or cooking. It is the end result of those “nibbles” that will be presented. Food to many of us just appears. I know it does for me many times! But just think about the way a dish is put together and plated; the different colors of the entrée, vegetables and for those of us that still eat them, the starch. And I don’t know about you, but everywhere I go that the food just appears, they are all different. It’s that cook or chef out there that is using their creative influences to make that delicious combination of flavors explode in your mouth.

Support the arts. It’s as easy as teamwork.

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Christine Neal is the executive director of Marco Island’s Center of the Arts. She holds an Associate of Arts Degree in the Liberal Arts with emphasis in the Fine Arts and various certifications and designations in business and the arts. An award winning artist, with 20-plus years in management and sales. Marco Island’s Center for the Arts is located at 1010 Winterberry Drive 239-394-4221 mail@marcoislandart.com.