COURTESY CAPTURE THE ARTS
A sample of the work by CAPture the Arts available for purchase is seen.
Working to apply what they are absorbing in the classroom, a group of Ole Miss MBA students have organized a social initiative benefiting arts education in Mississippi schools.
CAPture the Arts was created this spring by members of Dr. Dibrell’s MBA 622 class to recycle bottle caps in creating unique coasters, mosaics, tables and the like to be sold for the benefit of the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education.
Team member and MBA candidate Will Dunphey said the project is the result of creative vision.
“We created CAPture the Arts because we saw a unique opportunity to recycle the bottle caps that would otherwise be thrown away by the local bars, and subsequently turn them into artwork that people could enjoy,” Dunphey said. “Art programs in Mississippi are very important to us, and we saw this as an opportunity to give back to our state’s schools.”
Orders can be placed at the team’s Etsy page (etsy.com/shop/CAPtureTheArts) or by contacting capturethearts@gmail.com.
Ole Miss fans from around the country have placed orders with CAPture, team member Steven Murphy said.
“We’ve gotten orders from states as far away as South Carolina and California,” Murphy said. “Our business is growing and we’re happy that so many people want to be involved in our cause.”
The team hopes to raise $1,000 for the Alliance for Arts Education by the end of this month, according to Ben Russell.
“While we’re close to meeting our goals, we aren’t quite there yet,” Russell said. “We’re still taking orders and working very hard to fill them by the deadline. If anyone is interested in our products, place an order as soon as possible, so we can begin work on the design and layout. And, yes, we take custom orders.”
Murphy said the support of Oxford business owners has made the project a success.
“We’ve gotten great support from the local bars and restaurants in Oxford, with Bouré, Soulshine, Proud Larry’s and the Blind Pig being our main partners,” Murphy said. “Their involvement demonstrates how committed they are to improving the community and Mississippi’s schools as a whole.”
MBA candidate Kirbie Tingle said the mission is worthwhile.
“Art activities are tied directly to the development of teamwork and leadership skills and the benefit that young people derive from having arts programs in their schools is truly immeasurable,” Tingle said.
Although unaffiliated with the University’s Green Week, Dunphey said both projects work to promote similar goals.
“We’re big fans of this week’s Green Week activities and consider our project to be aligned with many of the same conservation goals of UM’s Green Fund,” Dunphey said. Although not officially affiliated, I feel that our project comes from a common thread: preserving the beauty of our communities and making Mississippi a better place to live, and to learn.”
