DCCA News: Our man at the OAC

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Darryl Mehaffie likes putting things together, working in the background to see that problems get addressed and resolved, that new ideas are examined, that progress is made. So it’s good to know that the busy Greenville resident has been appointed to another five-year term on the board of the Ohio Arts Council. OAC Executive Director Donna Collins is also happy at the reappointment, saying “Darryl has worked to strengthen investment and innovation in the arts while serving on the Ohio Arts Council. I am delighted that his efforts will continue well into the future.”

Actually, Darryl’s modus operandi is quite similar to the way the Ohio Arts Council operates, quietly working in the background to advance the arts throughout the state. The Ohio Arts Council truly strives to fulfill its mission to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically, providing leadership and a voice for the arts to transform people and communities. The OAC offers various grant-funding programs providing financial support to artists and arts organizations such as Darke County Center for the Arts so that arts activities are available to citizens throughout the state; OAC assistance reaches each of Ohio’s 88 counties, benefiting residents from wide-ranging demographics.

According to DCCA Executive Director Andrea Jordan, OAC support is essential to Darke County Center for the Arts, dependably providing assistance which makes possible the high-quality programming presented in our community. OAC Board member Darryl Mehaffie also serves on DCCA’s Board of Directors, providing advice and insight to help the organization keep moving forward while staying true to its original purpose. But that’s only a small portion of the former school teacher’s service to the community.

Darryl was a member of the Darke County Fair Board for 27 years, and credits local artist Nancy Foureman with spurring his initial interest in the arts as she worked with the Fair Board to establish the Fine Arts exhibit at the Great Darke County Fair. Through his interaction with Nancy and other visual artists, he perceived the value of the arts – providing pleasure, enhancing lives, and nourishing our cultural heritage. Other evidence of his commitment to the cultural heritage of our community includes his long tenure as a trustee of the Garst Museum and Darke County Historical Society, having served for the past 31 years. The Arcanum High School graduate’s dedication to education has resulted in a 19-year stint on the governing body of Edison State Community College. He’s also a member of the Masons and has been active with the Republican Party statewide and locally for many years; that’s probably not the end of Darryl’s involvements, but you get the idea.

Darryl puts to use the values instilled by his parents, diligently working to serve the needs of his community and the larger world. He is quite proud of the accomplishments achieved by the Ohio Arts Council, which have earned notice throughout the country. Even though Ohio ranks second behind the much larger state of California in funding received from the National Endowment for the Arts, the dedicated OAC board member believes that our state arts organization is the best in the country, always working hard to serve their constituency and delivering tremendous impact from a comparatively small investment.

The Ohio Arts Council goal to preserve the past, enhance the present, and enrich the future is a more elegant way of stating Darryl’s philosophy of remembering essential principles which still serve today’s citizenry while working to make today the best it can be, and seeking new ideas that will help bring about an even better future. Darke County Center for the Arts is grateful to Darryl Mehaffie for his many contributions and continued commitment to our community. DCCA also takes great pride in its association with the OAC, without whose support and assistance our local arts organization could not provide at an economical cost the excellent programming that brings so much joy to lives in our community.

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By Marilyn Delk

DCCA News

Marilyn Delk is a director of the Darke County Center for the Arts and can be reached at [email protected]. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.

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