Summer Celebration
BAAC to Our Roots
Batesville Area Arts Council’s annual Summer Celebration fundraiser returns this year on Saturday, June 18, at Lyon College’s Highland House (2030 Bearette Street) presented by First Community Bank. The event will feature live music by The Natural Disasters, dinner and drinks, outdoor lawn games, and a silent auction that includes unique artworks and goods from local makers.
This year’s theme is “BAAC to Our Roots,” emphasizing the folk music and art that make our community unique while celebrating the history and impact of BAAC. With a fun, casual atmosphere and live music, Summer Celebration is the quintessential summer event. Enjoy this fun evening and help raise money for the arts! All proceeds from Summer Celebration will support BAAC’s mission to provide educational programs, art exhibitions, workshops, and community art projects in Batesville and the surrounding areas.
Tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door, and are available at the Carlee’s Hallmark, the BAAC Gallery on Main. You can also reserve your tickets online by clicking the button below! Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. For more information call (870) 793-3382. This event is sponsored by First Community Bank, Intimidator Group, Wood Family Dealerships, University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, White River Health System, Centennial Bank, Lyon College, and Lyon College Dining Services.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current publicity chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.