Art can portray the world's most complex subjects: the passion of love, the horrors of war, and the despair of fruit waiting to be eaten. Hold a mirror to nature with today’s Groupon: for $37, you get a 2011 Participating membership to Emerald Art Center (a $75 value). Memberships must be activated by August 9 and run until December 31.

Emerald Art Center carves out a community for local artists of all skill levels, showcasing and selling masterworks from neighborhood virtuosos at their gallery and workspace. Contribute time alongside money with a Participating membership, which unlocks the perks of patronage in exchange for one day of gallery hosting per month, or five hours of equivalent service. When not running the show, members pick their way through a variety of rotating and permanent exhibits or introduce their own work to artful eyes during frequent EAC-sponsored member shows. Monthly meetings foster networking opportunities, cultivate creativity, and encourage spontaneous conga lines. Artist biographies, featured on the Emerald website and in the gallery's Artist Bio Book, delightedly divulge factoids and sample images from each member.

In addition to showcasing budding talents, Emerald Art Center cultivates members’ aesthetic inclinations with discounted classes, workshops, open art studios, and clinics. Members may borrow books and videos from the EAC library for free, but there is an additional fee for bedtime stories read by the curator.