Artists’ Community Takes Root in Gillette
arts, ava community art center, community, culture, kim silbaugh, singing tree, susan hladky,
Gillette’s arts community is not only alive and well, much of it is on display for everyone to see.
In support of a rapidly growing local arts scene, the city has thrown its weight behind the creative community. In 2003, Gillette’s leaders created the Mayor’s Arts Council, which was charged with designing a program to nurture the arts and place public art around town. Its mission: “Create a more visually pleasing environment and expand the opportunities for residents and visitors to experience quality works of art in public places.”
Working from that mandate, the council rolled out Avenues of Art, which brings in sculptures from around the country and places them on display in and around town. Coming in
all shapes and sizes, the works of art have been made available for sale to the public, and the city itself has purchased more than a dozen for permanent installation.
This kind of high-profile program, along with other efforts the council is making to boost artistic awareness in Gillette, is good news for The AVA Community Art Center. The nonprofit company offers a host of programs and events at its community arts center, everything from educational series to classes. It also has teamed up with many local partners, including the public library, Gillette College, city agencies and departments, the children’s center, and other public and private organizations.
“We’ve been around for a long time, but we didn’t have a building until 2003, the year the arts council was created,” says Ariane Jimison, AVA’s office and building manager. “Since then, things have really been exploding in terms of the arts scene in town. It’s really coming out now.”
Jimison says the AVA’s work to connect the community with the artists has been successful, but she is quick to point out that the artists themselves are largely responsible for the upswing in both visible art and public interest in it. And as Gillette’s population continues to swell, she thinks the trend will continue.
“There are a lot of people coming to town who are looking for a cultural outlet, something to do when they’re not working,” she says. “There are more and more people and families who need something else to do, and we’re becoming an art and entertainment venue for them.”
A look at AVA’s calendar is proof of that. It’s filled with classes and events, a far cry from five years ago, when the newly opened center was hosting just one class a month.
“We’ve been able to be part of a collaborative effort to bring art and culture to everybody’s life here, and that’s something we’re really proud of,” Jimison says. “Our list of partners is very long, and everyone across the entire community is getting a little more steeped in the arts as a result of these collaborations. It’s been very good, and very successful, for us and everyone else in the arts.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Jeff Adkins
