In effort to continue to “make the arts a part of (the) community,” the Surry Arts Council is kicking off its fund drive next week with the hopes of raising $160,000 to benefit its 2009-2010 programs.

On Feb. 12, the arts council is hosting a Subway lunch at 11:30 a.m. on the stage of the Andy Griffith Playhouse on Rockford Street, in which the arts council will officially kick off its 2009-10 campaign.

The 2009-10 SAC season runs from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010. Monies raised for the campaign up to June 30, 2009, will be applied to the 2009-10 fund drive, monies raised thereafter are earmarked for the 2010-11 campaign.

Tanya Jones, the executive director of the arts council, said that the campaign already includes $30,000, and she is hopeful to gain new pledges, donations and memberships that will help the arts council meet its $160,000 goal.

“We always hope to gain new memberships. It’s an ongoing goal of the fund drive to obtain membership,” she said. “During our fund drive, we invite everybody to join the Surry Arts Council. We encourage everyone to ask family, friends and neighbors to join. We want to broaden our grassroots base of support. One-hundred percent of ($160,000) is for the programs.”

Jones said several of the programs that benefit from the drive include free weekly programs sponsored by the SAC, such as fiddle and guitar lessons taught by Jim Vipperman, line dance classes taught by Cari Robertson and jam sessions. There are also free weekly programs held at the Blackmon Amphitheatre during the summer months on Tuesdays like “The Living Storybook” series led by Christina and Peter Holland, which is also funded in part by the Cindi and Andy Griffith endowment.

“The funds raised are vital to the Surry Arts Council and its operations at the playhouse, Blackmon Amphitheatre and Downtown Cinema Theatre. It helps us to maintain all those facilities as well as pay for the programs,” she said.

According to information provided by the Fund Drive Chair Swanson Snow, in its 2008-09 season, the SAC provided more than 100 free cultural arts programs for more than 30,000 local students. The sum of those programs totaled $70,000. These programs are also funded in part by proceeds from the annual SAC Arts Ball, which is March 7 this year.

The SAC also presented more than 12 ethnic programs to the schools and community, hosted national acts including the upcoming Glenn Miller Orchestra, John Brown Jazz Quintet, JD Crowe and New South, Jeff and Sheri Easter and The Dillards.

The SAC is also presenting “Swan Lake” by the Carolina Ballet on Thursday and Friday to more than 1,700 area students and adults at the playhouse.

SAC officials said contributing to the arts council in part is also a contribution to the challenging economy in the area, because the SAC often employees area visual artists, traditional musicians, film makers, photographers, directors, actors and teachers.

“We acknowledge it’s a financially challenging time, and we hope that the community’s support will help us maintain the same level of programming,” Jones said. “The funds go back into the community through the hiring of local artists and outside artists who stay in local hotels and eat locally (like) the performers from ‘Swan Lake’ and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The arts are hugely important to the quality of life.”

Donations of specific amounts gain the donors membership through June 30, 2010, and include varied privileges. Pledges can be paid up to June 30, 2010.

For more information about the arts council and memberships, call the Surry Arts Council at 786-7998.

Contact Erin C. Perkins at eperkins@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.