| How The Forwardian Arts Society Began |
| Dear Friends in the Arts, I hope my words find you well. I’m Paul and I would like to welcome you to The Forwardian Arts Society which was established in October of 2001 as fellowship for people who love the arts. Thank you for visiting our website and for your desire to learn more about The Forwardian Arts Society. You honor us with your interests. All Artistic Disciplines into its fellowship and this includes those who choose to be experiencers, spectators, and/or and audience members. All are needed to enhance the creative experience and we honor, celebrate and love them all. I always find it wonderful to discover all the talented and good people The Forwardian Arts Society attracts and I count you as one of them. As a fellowship for people who love the arts, The Forwardian Arts Society seeks demonstrate this love through three primary approaches which have become cornerstones of all our endeavors and services. These are encouragement, support, and love. We encourage people to go forward toward their creative dreams, we support them in their artistic endeavors, and we love them. While encouragement and support is important, it is the act of love that brings meaning to the arts and those who partake of them through their talents. Some of the ways The Forwardian Arts Society encourages those who would like to enhance their experiences in the arts is through our Gatherings. These Gatherings provide an opportunity for those who enjoy a particular Artistic Discipline to meet with other like minded people to experience and discuss related topics. The Forwardian Arts Society Gatherings include those established for those who enjoy Film, Literature, and Photography. We hope to establish more in the near future. We encourage you to check out our listing, contact us, and learn how you can help bring a Gathering in an area of your interest into being. We also encourage the Arts through The Forwardian Arts Society collaborative endeavors with Pocono Jazz and Poetry with whom we hold “ArtSmash in the Poconos” with. We had our first one on September 5th, 2009 and we plan to hold several throughout this and future years. We had a wide variety of Band, Poets, and Artists who shared their love for the arts with a large and eager audience who enjoyed their presentations and performances. We would like to have you be a part of our next event so please contact us for more information. Some of the ways The Forwardian Arts Society supports the arts is through our listings for events, opportunities, and educational experiences. These listings provide a place which individuals, groups, and organizations to share their information as well as those who are seeking such information a place they can go to find it. Please feel free to share your information with us and check out our listings as I’m sure you’ll find something of interest. We also support the Arts through The Forwardian Arts Society Blogs on Myspace, Facebook, and Bloggers. We post articles and reviews along with pictures taken at many art related gatherings. These include Opening Gallery Receptions, Concerts, Film and Theatrical Reviews, Festivals, and more. Facebook and Myspace also offer its members a function enabling them to create a listing for their events and to invite others to them. If The Forwardian Arts Society receives such an invitation from someone on their friends’ list, we forward it to everyone else on our list. We would like to you to be on our friends’ lists and share your comments on the articles, reviews, and photographs you discover on our profiles. Many people have asked me why The Forwardian Arts Society has the word “love” in its Mission Statement, Tagline, and correspondence. To paraphrase my namesake, “I could encourage everyone who seeks to be an artist to the extent they will become known as the greatest their discipline. I could support the individual artists and groups to the extent they would never be concerned about funds or having a sufficient audience. But, if I do not love, what’s the point.” Whenever we are faced with difficult experiences and choices, it is knowing we are loved that helps us get through them. Many in the arts face such challenges. This is especially true in a society that values financial productivity one finds in a regular “Job,” than pursuing endeavors which may not bring about any monetary stability. Many who seek to fulfill their lives through their innate talents often forfeit their dreams to meet their financial responsibilities. The Forwardian Arts Society does not ask anyone to stop paying their bills or shirk any other responsibilities they have to themselves and their families. However, we do hope to encourage, support, and love them as they seek to create a balance between what is important and what is meaningful. Meeting your financial and societal obligations are important, but realizing your dreams and moving your life forward in their reflections bring life its meaning. Although we acknowledge a loving spiritual element to all things (including the arts), The Forwardian Arts Society is not a fellowship with any particular doctrine. The Forwardian Arts Society respects the varied religious, political, and artistic viewpoints of its vast membership. This variety enhances our fellowship and we embrace all that enables us to grow in meaningful ways. I invite you to explore our website. I’m sure you’ll find your journeys to be enjoyable and meaningful enhancements to your love for the arts. I also hope you’ll consider being a part of The Forwardian Arts Society. As you’ll discover in our membership section, all you need to join is a love for the arts and a desire to be a part of The Forwardian Arts Society. Before you continue learning more about The Forwardian Arts Society, I would like to share with you this quote I’ve recently came across. “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau May your time with The Forwardian Arts Society encourage you to go forward in the direction of your dreams with all the confidence the support and love of our fellowship has to offer. Again, thank you for spending your uncommon hours with us. Please share any questions you may have. I may not know all of the answers, but I'm sure we'll be able to find them as we go forward together. Paul Adam Smeltz Friend/Facilitator The Forwardian Arts Society |
| Although we are based in Monroe County, PA, The Forwardian Arts Society is a world wide fellowship welcoming everyone who wishes to become a part of it no matter where they are or what their life condition may be. Never let anything become a barrier between you and your love for the arts. |
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| “God Gave us Friends as an Apology for our Relatives.” Dr. Wayne Dwyer. “Have you ever noticed how the best decisions you make are preceded by the words, ‘What The Hell?’” Marilyn Monroe |