South Shore Arts Taking Networking to a Higher Level
New Arts Chamber of Commerce Welcomes Anyone, Everyone Connected to Area Arts
By Carol Moore
The following article originally appeared in The Times.
Connections. An artist needs them. A gallery owner has them. So, they work together. Seems simple enough.
Yet, it’s not. Since most artists are pretty solitary, they have few opportunities to make those connections, until recently. Now, region artists, art administrators, art volunteers, arts enthusiasts and arts patrons have an opportunity to get together at a bimonthly Arts Chamber of Commerce luncheon, thanks to South Shore Arts.
More than 50 people attended the first luncheon in February; 40 attended the second, on a snowy, blustery day in early April. They are visual artists including painters, photographers, calligraphers; writers and poets; and performing artists––actors, musicians, and dancers. They own art galleries, dance schools and art supply stores. They represent arts organizations, symphonies and local theaters and theater groups. They hail from universities, schools and parks.
And they came from every community in Northwest Indiana and some from Southeast Illinois––from LaPorte to Chicago Heights, from East Chicago to Rensselaer. The one thing they all have in common: they are thrilled to have an opportunity to introduce themselves and their interest in the arts to a larger group.
Leona Jurincie, for instance, is a painter who specializes in photorealism. While Gloria Tuohy, Indiana Ballet Theatre, was there to announce an upcoming performance, she also talked about her ongoing efforts to restore and renovate the former Lake County nurses home into an arts center.
Both Stacey Barry, East Chicago Arts Initiative, and Melissa Thompson, Drifting Dunes Girls Scouts, are working on collaborations to introduce children to the arts. Mary McClelland, the gallery manager for South Shore Arts, is an award-winning actress. Sabrina Fesko and Ann Fritz, representing the galleries at Indiana University Northwest, announced their spring and summer schedules. Irene King is an advocate for Gary Art Works. They all came, eager to get to know one another and create a network.
“These luncheons will provide a wonderful avenue for people to figure out how they can collaborate,” said John Cain, executive director of South Shore Arts. “We don't intend to formalize them, at least not yet; our goal is to get people in the arts to communicate with each other.”
South Shore Arts and the Regional Arts Council sponsored the first Regional Arts Summit last September, which was attended by approximately 100 artists, arts organization leaders and arts enthusiasts. Many participated in several rounds of “speed dating” with a goal of getting to know one another.
During the “speed dating,” Jeff Casey, managing director of the Towle Community Theatre, admired the way the people at his table were using this as an opportunity to network. He suggested that, in the future, South Shore Arts should provide an ongoing opportunity for artists to get together.
As a regional partner of the Indiana Arts Commission, South Shore Arts is charged with assessing and planning for cultural needs, hence the luncheons. It also established a 24-member Regional Arts Council, which is the most active in Indiana.
The next South Shore Arts Chamber of Commerce luncheons will be held on February 13 at the Bruaer Museum of Art on the campus of Valparaiso University. Get your name on the South Shore Arts e-mail invitation list by calling Shari Pettis at 219 / 836.1839, ext. 100.
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