The Good News and the People Making it Happen

February brings hearts and love everywhere — from Valentine’s Day to the start of wedding planning season.

 At Premiere, we celebrate love of community every month, and when our monthly brainstorming group landed on the theme “Art with a Heart for Community,” the hardest part was narrowing down the options.

The arts play a vital role in building community pride. Whether it’s visual public art, watching friends and neighbors perform on stage, catching a talented local band at a neighborhood venue, or gathering with friends to learn a new craft, each experience fosters pride, togetherness and a strong sense of belonging.

I am continually amazed by the local talent in NEA. Maybe it’s because I have a face for radio — and the only instrument I can play is the radio — but this area is overflowing with creativity. Even more impressive is how many artists are willing to share their talents in ways that benefit the community.

Those of us who are less artistically gifted can still do our part by supporting the places where these artists share their work and by encouraging others to join us. Supporting the arts doesn’t have to mean funding a mural or purchasing an expensive piece of art. It can be as simple as buying a ticket to a local production, choosing a restaurant that has local music, or sharing a photo on social media while enjoying a local mural.

Thank you to the talented artists who create Art with a Heart for Community. During this season of love, let’s all show a little more heart for the arts in our community.

-Dina Mason, General Manager & Publisher

Our February edition includes a special Formal Affair section, with much of the focus on weddings.

. I really enjoyed putting together the wedding spotlights for the section, especially learning a little bit about each couple and how they met.

This year my husband and I will celebrate 30 years of wedded bliss in June. Like one of our couples featured this month, Jason and I were also high school sweethearts, but we did not attend the same high school.

After dating our senior year, we did attend college together at Arkansas State and were married between our sophomore and junior years. Ours was a traditional, small church wedding, with cake, nuts and mints in the fellowship hall immediately following the service. The world of weddings has evolved a lot in 30 years, and couples today have so many options right here in NEA to design the wedding of their dreams.

We hope you enjoy reading about our featured couples and learning about NEA businesses that are ready to help bring your dream event to life. 

-Gretchen Hunt, Content Manager & Graphic Designer

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