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Amateur art shows enhance The Town and Country Amateur Art Program is a statewide effort which often serves as the primary exposure to the arts for local residents.
By Lynn C. Wheeler There is considerable evidence that increased leisure is prompting people to look to the cultural arts for skill development, personal satisfaction, recognition, potential income and as a means for lessening stress. The arts offer a way for people to express themselves, communicate with others and develop life skills. Increasingly, society is recognizing that cultural opportunities are essential to the life of the community. People need assistance to promote and organize opportunities for creative self-expression, and community leaders realize the importance of recognizing the talents of their residents. A special program The Town and Country Amateur Art Program, sponsored by the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, is a unique effort involving thousands of people statewide. The Town and Country Art System seeks to: • encourage the adult amateur artist in the use of creative expression. • provide a place where creative work can be exhibited and viewed. • increase the constructive use of leisure time. • broaden the general population's cultural and educational background. Illinois Parks and Recreation 18 May/June 1987 • foster interest in the arts by encouraging people to take advantage of offerings via continuing education or adult education programs. • increase statewide interest in the visual arts and arts appreciation. • show a cross-section of the work being done throughout the area by adult amateur artists. • encourage and develop leadership for amateur arts groups and associations. • use professional critiques so the individual artist can improve technical skills and raise artistic standards. Levels of competition The art shows begin at the county level where the works of amateur adult artists are judged by professional artists. The Town and Country Art Program's State Committee defines amateur art as "art work that is done as a pastime, exhibited within the community, primarily for pleasure and not for the primary purpose of sale, by individuals who are self-taught or have participated in adult art classes." Blue ribbon winners from the county shows then exhibit their art in regional shows where judging again takes place. Blue ribbon winners from the regional contests exhibit their work at a State Show in Champaign each fall where the art is critiqued in public by a professional artist. K. Virginia Seidel, extension specialist from the University of Illinois and chair of the Town and Country State Amateur Art Program Committee, states:
"For nearly three decades the Town and Country Art Program has been devoted exclusively to non-professional art in the State of Illinois. The program has been the source of motivation for many amateur artists to produce creative two- and three-dimensional art forms as well. "In 1986, 5,897 pieces of art work were entered by 2,471 amateur artists in 50 county shows. Art work eligible for exhibition must be original works from the following categories: photo, painting, clay, and crafts such as metal, batik, jewelry or soft sculpture." Surveying the impact Results from an evaluation of the 1985 Town and Country Amateur Art Shows, conducted by the Department of Leisure Studies and the Office of Recreation and Park Resources, University of Illinois, indicate that the art shows at the county, regional and State levels were primary outlets for public exhibition of the artists' work. Further, the survey revealed that the shows may serve as the primary exposure to the arts for local residents who visit them. Results of the survey also indicate strong community support for the program.
Staff of local leisure service agencies may not be aware that the Town and Country Amateur Art Program has been a vehicle to recognize Illinois' amateur artists for 30 years. The program can assist leisure service agencies in developing or expanding cultural arts activities by serving as a catalyst to a most valuable resource, the amateur artist. Additional information may be obtained at a local Cooperative Extension Service office or by writing to the Office of Recreation and Park Resources, Room 104, Huff Hall, 1206 S. Fourth St., Champaign, I L 61820.
Illinois Parks and Recreation 19 May/June 1987 |
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