ARTS CENTER SUNDAY ARTICLE

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20 May 2011 Posted by Colquitt County Arts Center in Art | Comments Off

Sunday, May 19, 2012

”Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” These are the words of Albert Einstein. So it would stand to reason that cultivating and encouraging creative imaginations would be a priority if Mr. Einstein recognized the value of this important mind attribute. I am always impressed by people with great imaginations and how they create great works of art or new inventions. The Colquitt County Arts Center is a training camp for expanding and fine tuning imaginations. A great example of this is the 2012 United Way Summer Fine Arts Camp which begins the first week in June with five other weeks planned into the month of July. Dates, prices and details about the focus of each week’s activities can be found at www.colquittcountyarts.com or in print at the Arts Center. We still have room for more students throughout the program. Please spread the word about the opportunities that still exist to get involved with this exceptional summer art program. Kathy Nelson will once again be in charge of the upcoming art camps. Kathy has put together an interesting selection of themes for each week. This is great for the kids that attend multiple weeks because they are exposed to a variety of art disciplines. I just can’t say enough wonderful things about what a great job Kathy does with the art camps. You almost have to see for yourself what a great environment she creates for the kids to learn and have fun. I have noticed that many of our students, young and old, are surprised by how talented they are. They never “imagined” that they could paint beautifully, play an instrument or dance up a storm. I am always happy to see how rewarding the time spent at the Arts Center is for our students. A sense of personal pride and accomplishment often accompanies a finished art project, dance recital or a standing ovation at the end of a play. The importance of art is often overlooked; it’s just too easy to walk past a painting without taking notice. It is easier to stay home and watch another night of television than to be present at a theater production. More people tell me that they heard that the play was great than the people that actually went to the play and loved it. We encounter very little “peer pressure” to attend plays or exhibit openings. The “Packer Pride” enthusiasm that permeates Colquitt County does not have an arts equivalent. I’m still working on that: it’s just going to take some time. When I think about great works of art and the artistic process, it is the creativity of the artist that inspires me. Imagination and creativity go hand-in-hand for me. Using your imagination drives creativity; no imagination and the creative process dead ends! Not only do great works of art owe their very existence to wondrous imaginations, space travel, telephones, automobiles and the internet exist due to a spark of imagination that said “what if?” When a sculptor looks at a giant block of marble that will eventually be chiseled into a beautiful figure, it’s the imagination that sees finished art deep inside of the stone. The 2012 United Way Summer Fine Arts Camp at the Colquitt County Arts Center will inspire imaginations, foster imaginations and celebrate imaginations. I have no doubt that Mr. Einstein would approve. On another note, I went to hear the Colquitt County Men’s Chorus perform at Trinity Baptist Church last Monday evening. I was once again impressed and inspired by our local talent. I enjoyed every minute of their performance. The program that was handed to me as I entered the church included a quote from the University of Northern Iowa Varsity Men’s Glee Club that has stuck with me. “What if all men, everywhere in the world, could get together and sing…in a true spirit of peace and brotherhood?” Think about what a world that would be! Have I mentioned lately that the Arts Center offers voice lessons and our Honors Choir is fantastic? Making the world a better place one voice at a time right here at the Colquitt County Arts Center.