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Girl Scout ambassador Susanne “Susie” Ayres, of Moyock, has been awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement in Girl Scouts. Ayres earned this award for the completion of the “More Than Art – A Fine Arts Con” service project, in which she helped to introduce her community to fine arts experiences. She is a senior at JP Knapp Early College High School and previously earned the Girl Scout Bronze and Silver awards.

Ayres took the initiative to create opportunities for other kids to explore and appreciate various forms of art by organizing a public community event, the “More Than Art Con.” She coordinated with the Currituck County Family YMCA to plan and host the event in which families were invited to participate in several hands-on fine arts experiences. Guests rotated through activity tables where various fine arts topics were explored. Volunteers were on hand to guide guests through the activities offered such as crocheting, origami and painting. Ayres stated that the reason for organizing the event was to introduce and uplift the fine arts experiences available to her community, with a main focus on elementary, middle and high school students. Interest in the arts often starts at a young age, and she hopes to foster the same passion that she has in others.

“There is a lot of emphasis on sports in our community, as with most communities,” said Ayres. “But, there’s a whole other group of people who enjoy art, and there aren’t enough opportunities in our area to explore that. The most successful part of my project was exposing the kids to the fine arts and letting them know that art is so much more than crafts and painting. They were able to express themselves through many different mediums of art such as paint, photography, costuming, crocheting, self care, theater, music, and the list goes on.”

“Ayres’ art convention was a fantastic way to inspire creativity and foster a love for the arts in her community,” stated the announcement from Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. “By providing a platform for children to showcase and learn about various art forms, Susanne helped them develop their artistic skills and nurtured their passion for creativity at an early age. This event had a lasting impact by encouraging over 300 community members to pursue art and by promoting artistic expression in the community. The Currituck Family YMCA Teen Advisory Committee has committed to a partnership with the Currituck County Arts Council to sustain and improve the event for future years.”

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, a United Way agency, serves nearly 7,000 girls in grades K through 12 with the help of nearly 5,000 adult volunteers in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. To volunteer, reconnect, donate or join, visit gsccc.org or call 1-800-77SCOUT.

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