Farmville is a town that supports the arts as evidenced by two stories in the news this past week  —  The Southern Gothic: LCVA’s 2016 Winter Gala and Red Door 104’s Quentin Wilhelmi Scholarship for deserving young artists.

It’s a sad fact but true of our world today: Programs and classes that help young people discover the arts are increasingly at risk. Whether we like it or not, art and music are the first to fall to the budget axe in most school systems.

Farmville is doing its best to combat that trend. Our Main Street boasts three locations dedicated to the creative arts: Mainly Clay, Longwood Center for the Visual Arts and Red Door 104.

“Making pottery is a quiet activity,” Mainly Clay owner Pam Butler said in a 2012 Herald feature. “Like gardening or caring for animals — it’s spiritual.”

“Something told me this is where I need to be,” Red Door 104 owner Audrey Sullivan said. “I would like to see this become a real art community.”

“The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts is a treasure,” LCVA Winter Gala sponsor Shirley Blackwell said. “Sponsoring the gala is one small way to support the important work of LCVA as it continues to enrich the lives of the people of Farmville, our surrounding communities and the state of Virginia.”

One of the best quotes I’ve seen in support of the arts came from the noted scientist Albert Einstein.

“Logic will get you from A to B,” Einstein said. “Imagination will take you everywhere.”

Einstein also said, “Creativity is contagious, pass it on.”

It doesn’t take a genius like Einstein to realize that all of us will benefit from these artistic efforts — not only now but for generations to come.

Marge Swayne is the lifestyles editor of The Farmville Herald. Her email is marge.swayne@farmvilleherald.com.