Post contributed by Maiben Beard, Outreach Associate, Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities
Since opening the doors of our new building, the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Pebble Hill has hosted over 200 events. From book talks and symposia to concerts and exhibitions, we engage the public in the arts and humanities through a variety of ways. Because we have a small staff and a large volume events, we’ve tried to find ways to make our events more sustainable—both for ourselves and the environment. Here are a few practices that we have put into place.
– We primarily publicize our events online through email and social media. Our monthly e-newsletter reaches a wide audience, and sending PDFs of event flyers to campus partners helps spread the word.
– We’ve purchased reusable serving trays, drink containers, and serving utensils.
– We host small receptions after all of our public programs. For most of these events, we purchase food from the grocery store. We try to group as many together so that we can make one shopping trip for multiple events. And having many events close together means we don’t waste food!
– Instead of relying on a caterer to provide paper products (some of which may be Styrofoam), we provide our own plates, cups, and napkins. The Staples “Sustainable Earth” brand offers many of these items in bulk.
If you’re interested in joining us at one of our events, visit the Caroline Marshall website or like us on social media.