WS Chronicle

The Sawtooth School for Visual Art and Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts have joined in a new cooperative agreement that is designed to benefit their respective members and supporters.

Delta Arts members are now able to register for Sawtooth classes and workshops at the discounted Sawtooth member rate, and Sawtooth members will be invited to attend select exhibitions and events at Delta Arts Center free of charge.

“It makes perfect sense for us to develop a stronger relationship with Delta,” said JoAnne Vernon, executive director of the Sawtooth School. “We’re both visual arts organizations, we’re both funded partners of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Arts Council, and we both want to expand our reach and serve a larger segment of the community.”

Daphne Holmes-Johnson, interim executive director of Delta Arts Center, concurred.

“While Delta’s primary focus is on exhibiting art, the Sawtooth’s School’s primary focus is on art instruction, so our programming is more complementary than it is competitive.  Furthermore, there’s very little duplication between the membership rosters of our two organizations, so this is a great way for each of us to reach new audiences while offering our members enhanced benefits,” she said. “We will continue to explore other ways to collaborate during the year.”

The Sawtooth School for Visual Art has been the premier community visual art school in the Piedmont Triad for nearly 70 years, providing art education for all ages from beginner to advanced skill levels. Delta Arts Center enriches the lives of neighborhood and area residents by stimulating interest throughout the entire community in American arts and humanities, with emphasis on the contributions of African-Americans.

Both organizations are Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County funded members.