FAST FIVE Josh Parsons: Art on the Green is his scene
Meet Josh Parsons, a member of the Citizens’ Council for the Arts and volunteer for Art on the Green, a free outdoor fine arts festival held in Coeur d’Alene each summer. The 2024 festival is happening this weekend.
Josh, a native of southeastern Ohio, moved to Coeur d’Alene in September 2020 to be closer to family. He and his wife, a lifelong artist, attended the art festival in 2016, the first time he visited Idaho. Since relocating to North Idaho, Josh has earned two associate degrees through North Idaho College, earned his bachelor's degree through Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d’Alene and has volunteered endless hours to his community, mostly through Art on the Green. Josh is passionate about history, community and culture and is always looking for more opportunities to support those around him.
1) When and why did you become a supporter of Art on the Green, and what are a few of your volunteer duties at the festival?
My first Art on the Green as a volunteer was the 2021 event. I picked up a couple of shifts at the food court. It was a great time and I felt like I met the whole town that day serving food. Before I knew it, my wife and I were attending the Citizens' Council for the Arts meetings helping with planning for the event. Being able to help make decisions and take on more responsibility is scary, but it allows me to be even more proud of the event. This year you can find me serving in the food court and jumping in wherever needed.
2) Are you an art creator or appreciator?
I consider myself a bit of both. My wife is an artist and has been her entire life. Between digital art, graphic design, painting, drawing, ceramics, crafting and just about any other art form you can imagine, I see the joy she gets from doing art. In that way, I’m an appreciator of art as an object, as a passion, and as a form of self care. I’ve dabbled in art myself, using digital techniques to create images or using digital programs to create music. In that sense, I am an artist too. I love art and its many forms because of the joy we experience from consuming and creating it. Art spans generations, social classes, educational levels and cultures, making it an incredible thing to experience.
3) What do you most enjoy about Art on the Green?
Art on the Green brings people together — that is my favorite thing about the festival. It cultivates connections between so many different demographics of people: kids, artists, art appreciators, art buyers, those who come for the music, those who come for the corn on the cob and everyone in between. Art on the Green is an excellent example of the magic you can find at the intersection of art and people.
I also love the experiences serving on the Citizens’ Council for the Arts has given me. I’ve learned a plethora of skills, met inspiring people and have gained confidence in my ability to serve my community with the unique skills I have.
4) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
Many people who do not know me are surprised to know that I have a passion for technology! Since my degrees are in history, social sciences and anthropology, many people are shocked to know that I’ve been studying computer science my whole life and have even owned a computer repair shop for two years prior to relocation. My first experience with computers was when I was 8 years old and the family computer stopped working. The local computer repair shop couldn’t fix it, so I asked my parents if I could poke around. I never got it working; however, that ignited a fire in me for technology that has not dwindled yet. Since then, computers, technology, video games, engineering and how technology impacts society has been a passion of mine. I love how my degrees in the social sciences and my love for computers can intersect with supporting people at the center of it all.
5) Why do you think it's important to spend time volunteering for community events and causes — how does it benefit our society?
For me, volunteering through my community has helped my personal growth tremendously. It has taught me how to work with others who might be vastly different from me. Volunteering has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be a citizen of Coeur d’Alene. Volunteering has also helped me create a network of people who I wouldn’t have come into contact with otherwise. Those are the same people who have given me life advice and offered to be recommendations for jobs or my future graduate school application.
Volunteering is crucial for the success of society because it keeps events like Art on the Green free and available. I can only hope that through the time I spend supporting Art on the Green, other people will see how impactful serving your community can be and will be inspired to do the same.
