Saturday, February 7, 2004
Visual arts thrive at this centerBy Kristin Hancock / For the Denton Record-Chronicle The 1920s-era brick Center for the Visual Arts building, owned by the Greater Denton Arts Council, contains two art galleries, a large multipurpose festival hall, a dance studio, two smaller craft rooms and offices for the four employees. Every spring, the art council has a fund-raiser called "Arts in our Backyard," in which local musicians donate their talent to give a concert one Sunday afternoon in May. The program changes every year and has featured a broad range of music including classical and jazz. Near the end of summer, children and their families flock to the Center for Visual Arts for the Children Summer Arts Festival, where they see demonstrations from a professional artist. The children get to try the featured craft and have access to a room full of art supplies to use their creative talents. At the end of the day, a popular child entertainer will perform. Admission is $2 per person because the arts council accepts donations so more families can attend. Jo Williams, a Denton resident for 30 years, has used the Center for Visual Arts since its inception in 1984. She teaches watercolor classes twice a week there. Her organization, the Visual Arts Society of Texas, also uses the center to host a juried exhibition that is open for any artist to enter. "It [the center] serves a wonderful function in the city. Denton is really fortunate," she said. Looking forward, Holl said the arts council is looking to meet the long-term needs of the arts in a town growing as rapidly as Denton. He said the arts council will develop a community arts endowment to provide funding for future arts programs. |