3Interested in promoting Mineral County’s established and budding artists as well as introduce more cultural opportunities to its residents, long-time Hawthorne citizen Clay Weatherfield has organized a nonprofit group called Battle Born Arts Initiative.

In order to see a play, a live show or participate in an open mic night, residents, especially children, have to travel out of town. This organization helps create an atmosphere that supports the community in embracing its creative potential right at home.

Weatherfield has resided in Hawthorne for more than 45 years and raised two daughters in the area. He’s a filmmaker and self-professed theater geek. With inspiration from Papa Russ Bowles’ success with his poetry and music events, the help of Linda Larson and Jon and Kathy MacPherson, and his experience as a board member of several local organizations, he thought an arts initiative could be a great fit for Mineral County.

The idea of the initiative is to support local artists with events, showings or promotions, including showcasing talent on social media to a broader, more global audience. Artists in the community will have a group available that will support them, teach them and give them a place to grow their talents.

Another goal of the organization is to help develop new artists in the community, especially Mineral County’s children. Programs in the works include a series of acting workshops presented by Take 2, a performing arts school from Reno, film projects that would incorporate local talent both in front of and behind the camera and children’s arts workshops that would introduce budding artists to different media.

In order to fully get off the ground, Battle Born Arts Initiative needs your help. Their first public meeting will be Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. at the public library. The meeting is designed to get the public’s input and ideas about what they envision for the arts in Mineral County.

Along with scheduling a few events, classes and workshops, finding a physical location for the organization is also a top priority. The organization admits to being ambitious, but they believe a couple of unused properties around town could be ideal locations.

They also hope to discuss the privileges of being a BBAI member such as discounts on events, classes and workshops, or special invites to “members only” occasions that are in the works now.

But perhaps the organization’s most passionate mission is to engage the public on how having an active and vibrant arts scene helps the ethos of a community. Battle Born Arts “wants to attract dreamers, and people who think more can be done in this community than currently is. As the initiative gets going, those involved in its development hope the community embraces their effort by getting out and enjoying what their organization has to offer by seeing a play, a concert or a fashion show — even if it’s something they wouldn’t normally do. A thriving arts scene could benefit Mineral County considerably. Battle Born Arts Initiative’s founders believe this organization can do its part.”