Overture Center seeks prospective community artists
Promoting community art
Promoting community art
and delivers a powerful message of what these children have witnessed in their lives. It is a powerful example of community art.
“We’re looking to bring artists from the community into Overture,” said Katharine Wells, the gallery promoter. We show local
artists and groups of at least two artists. We have four cycles of exhibition each year. It is a community art exhibition. It’s only for
local artists. At least a majority of the artists must live in Dane County. We try to get a variety of types of artists, both professional
and amateur or community groups. For instance, we’ve had a group from the Oakwood Village Retirement Home exhibit.”
The groups that exhibit in the spaces can be formally or informally organized. “We’ve seen a lot of artists rotate through these
groups,” Wells said. “We do have a rule that if a group exhibited in a previous year, they can’t apply for the next year.
Beyond the exhibit space, Overture also provides some additional technical assistance to the groups who will be exhibiting.
“We do get funding through the Madison Community Foundation and we basically divide that money every year equally between
our groups who will be exhibiting,” Wells said. “The amount of the grants varies. This year it is $759 for each group. The groups
can spend up to that amount and be reimbursed by us. They can use it for expenses like framing. Or if they have an opening
reception, we can help pay for that. Then in terms of publicity we put it up on our website. We create a brochure for each
exhibition. And we try to e-mail everyone to let them know the exhibition is going on. So we do a little bit of publicity. We also
help with the installation and give input on how to put the show together and how to hang it.”
“Once in a while, we’ll help a show a little more if they are a community organization to help them think through how to
announce a show or how to select pieces,” said Beth Racette, Overture’s education and outreach associate. “We’ll work with the
community organizations that don’t have the experience. But we can’t do a lot.”
“If you’ve never mounted an art show, it shouldn’t stop you from applying, “added Tim Sauers, director of education and
community engagement.
Applications for the Community Art exhibition are due in the Overture offices by March 15th. You can download an
application at Overture’s website, www.overturecenter.com/galleries.htm. For further information, call Katharine Wells at
galleries@overturecenter.com.
“We’re looking to bring artists from the community into Overture,” said Katharine Wells, the gallery promoter. We show local
artists and groups of at least two artists. We have four cycles of exhibition each year. It is a community art exhibition. It’s only for
local artists. At least a majority of the artists must live in Dane County. We try to get a variety of types of artists, both professional
and amateur or community groups. For instance, we’ve had a group from the Oakwood Village Retirement Home exhibit.”
The groups that exhibit in the spaces can be formally or informally organized. “We’ve seen a lot of artists rotate through these
groups,” Wells said. “We do have a rule that if a group exhibited in a previous year, they can’t apply for the next year.
Beyond the exhibit space, Overture also provides some additional technical assistance to the groups who will be exhibiting.
“We do get funding through the Madison Community Foundation and we basically divide that money every year equally between
our groups who will be exhibiting,” Wells said. “The amount of the grants varies. This year it is $759 for each group. The groups
can spend up to that amount and be reimbursed by us. They can use it for expenses like framing. Or if they have an opening
reception, we can help pay for that. Then in terms of publicity we put it up on our website. We create a brochure for each
exhibition. And we try to e-mail everyone to let them know the exhibition is going on. So we do a little bit of publicity. We also
help with the installation and give input on how to put the show together and how to hang it.”
“Once in a while, we’ll help a show a little more if they are a community organization to help them think through how to
announce a show or how to select pieces,” said Beth Racette, Overture’s education and outreach associate. “We’ll work with the
community organizations that don’t have the experience. But we can’t do a lot.”
“If you’ve never mounted an art show, it shouldn’t stop you from applying, “added Tim Sauers, director of education and
community engagement.
Applications for the Community Art exhibition are due in the Overture offices by March 15th. You can download an
application at Overture’s website, www.overturecenter.com/galleries.htm. For further information, call Katharine Wells at
galleries@overturecenter.com.
By Jonathan Gramling
The Overture Center for the Arts stands majestically at the corner
of Fairchild and State Streets, the result of a $200 million gift of Jerry
Frautschi. It is elegant from top to bottom, the home of the Madison
Symphony Orchestra, the Madison Ballet Company and the Madison
Museum of Contemporary Art among other professional groups. It is
the look of elegance and yes, money, lots of money.
But the mission of the Overture Center is to serve Madison’s
entire art scene and to promote the arts among the citizens of
Madison and beyond. While the art center has the most visible
exhibition space, it isn’t the only space for artistic expression. Outside
of Promenade Hall on the second floor of Overture hangs an
exhibition sponsored by The Respite Center, a non-profit that
provides round the clock child care relief to the children of parents
undergoing stressful situations. While the pieces that were created by
children at The Respite Center certainly don’t look like the typical art
that is on display at a gallery, it none the less speaks to the emotions
The Overture Center for the Arts stands majestically at the corner
of Fairchild and State Streets, the result of a $200 million gift of Jerry
Frautschi. It is elegant from top to bottom, the home of the Madison
Symphony Orchestra, the Madison Ballet Company and the Madison
Museum of Contemporary Art among other professional groups. It is
the look of elegance and yes, money, lots of money.
But the mission of the Overture Center is to serve Madison’s
entire art scene and to promote the arts among the citizens of
Madison and beyond. While the art center has the most visible
exhibition space, it isn’t the only space for artistic expression. Outside
of Promenade Hall on the second floor of Overture hangs an
exhibition sponsored by The Respite Center, a non-profit that
provides round the clock child care relief to the children of parents
undergoing stressful situations. While the pieces that were created by
children at The Respite Center certainly don’t look like the typical art
that is on display at a gallery, it none the less speaks to the emotions
| Tim Sauers (l-r), Katherine Wells and Beth Racette are seeking individuals and community groups to grace the Overture Center’s galleries with their art. |