By LAURA BROOKHART / Community Columnist

Members of the first-ever Helena Arts Council are excited to announce an opportunity to Meet & Greet Your Fellow Creatives on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Helena School of Art located at 774 2nd St. in Old Town Helena.

The council invites everyone — amateur, professional, or in-between — who produces any form or style of visual art to come introduce themselves. The council members and city ocuncil liaison Hal Woodman are now discussing events that would be well-received and educational to our community.

Arts Council members include President Mandy Delcambre, an interior and graphic designer who currently sells vintage, antique and upcycled items at her ReStored Faith booth at Vintage Interiors in Pelham. Delcambre is also the owner and creative director of SPOT Communication Solutions.

Vice President Kate Wilson is a senior at the University of Montevallo living in Helena, studying drawing, painting and art history. Wilson will receive her BFA in December and begin her Masters of Art Education in the spring. She envisions Helena will become a vibrant artistic community in the near future.

Treasurer Monica Josephson works at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama as an enrollment representative. A former student at the Parsons School of Design in NY, she has been a stained glass artist for 25 years and displays her work in the windows of her restored 100-year-old home in downtown Helena.

Miranda Killian is a recent graduate of the University of Montevallo with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing. She hopes to help show Helena how art can enrich their lives.

Tim Wolfe is Academic Grants & Sponsored Programs Officer for Samford University, and teaches in the Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education on Non-Profits and Grant Writing. Tim and his family have lived in Helena for nearly 17 years. They are lifelong supporters of the arts and arts education.

Shelly Bailey is a former University of Montevallo graduate and teaches art at McAdory Elementary School. As owner of Helena School of Art, she is interested in building and reaching our arts community beyond the boundaries of Helena.

Laura Joseph is a graphic design and marketing professional, avid crafter, wife, and mother of 2. She seeks to bring an appreciation for the creative arts to the Helena community.