SYLACAUGA ?The Arts Council heard plans to emphasize the city's marble industry during its meeting Monday at the Chamber of Commerce office.
Monday's meeting was the first the group has had since April.
Arts Council President Dr. Ted Spears said he and Mayor Sam Wright met with an architect about the possibility of Alabama Marble being a supplier for mausoleum at the Alabama National Veteran's Cemetery in Montevallo. Spears said that besides Sylacauga, the next nearest marble quarry is almost 500 miles away.
It is never thought as Arts Council president will be trying to sell marble?Spears said. This won't mean any money for the Arts Council, but it will be great for the community.The company would still have to put out bids from other interested companies for the project to comply with state bid laws.
Spears spoke about hosting a marble exposition showcase to display different marble products and styles produced by Sylacauga quarries. This would include a walking tour of local buildings, like City Hall, the Comer Memorial Library and the Chamber of Commerce office, where marble is used as part of the interior or exterior design. Other buildings could have pieces of marble or marble creations on display.
This would give us the opportunity to put Sylacauga on the map in the right way,Spears said.
He said the city has been using marble as an industry for more than 100 years, adding that based on information he seen, there's enough to last 200 more years.The group also unanimously voted to extend its officer's current terms by one year in an effort to keep planning the city's 175th anniversary celebration, which will be held next year.
We working on too many projects to change officers,Spears said.
He said the group wasn't able to do much planning in August and electing new officers would create more delays in the planning process.
The Arts Council is scheduled to meet again on Monday, Sept. 29.
Sourse: By Kendra Carter,Daily Home
