HCAC ‘Volunteer of the Year’
During its July meeting, the Haywood County Arts Council presented Anna Thibeault with its “Volunteer of the Year” award.
Thibeault comes from a family of talented visual artists but decided early on that she would pursue a different artistic endeavor. After a brief interest in the drum, she settled on flute in middle school and that decision led her to a highly successful and rewarding musical career.
She has earned her living teaching flute to university students while often performing with such notable cultural institutions as the Atlanta Symphony, the Atlanta Ballet, the Atlanta Opera, the English Symphony Orchestra and others. Despite maintaining a busy professional schedule, she found time to create and direct the Wildacres Flute Retreat in Little Switzerland.
Thibeault currently lives in Maggie Valley with her novelist husband and a clutch of cats. As advocates for the latter, she and her husband often volunteer at FUR (Feline Urgent Rescue).
For some time now, she has also been devoting considerable time to the HCAC. Her hours spent as docent in the council’s gallery as well as her work on council events and special projects are many and noteworthy.