Artists from five local art associations are featured at the Lighthouse ArtCenter Museum in the exhibit “The Art of Association: Art Associations Hang Together.”
Open through July 26, the exhibition features recent works, including paintings, prints, photographs, glass art, fabric art, woodturning, mixed media and sculpture, from Art Associates of Martin County, the Artists Association of Jupiter, the Lighthouse ArtCenter Artists’ Guild, the North County Art Association and the Wellington Art Society.
“The exhibition is a showcase of five talented groups of artists,” Lighthouse ArtCenter Executive Director Katie Deits said. “It also is an introduction of the organizations that facilitate them to gather in support of the arts, each other and the community at large.”
With recent declines in public funding for the arts, art associations aim to bridge the gap by creating new ways for artists to show their work and promote themselves. Some also garner support for other causes, including environmental awareness, breast cancer research, animal rescue and community mental-health programming.
“We don’t create art within a vacuum,” said Gerri Aurre, president of the North County Art Association. “Many of our efforts are very interrelated.”
The mission of the North County Art Association (NCAA) is to assist northern Palm Beach County with knowledge of and training for artistic activities and endeavors. Included in this mission is the broader goal of environmental awareness of land and sea locations, and actively promoting the care of such areas, which are part of the artistic landscape.
Susan Lorenti founded the Artists Association of Jupiter in 2010 with similar goals in mind, to promote art and art education in the community and surrounding counties. “Each of our art associations shares similar goals on a broad scale with the Lighthouse ArtCenter and with each other, and the show itself should be an interesting and cohesive collection of artwork,” Lorenti said.
The Lighthouse ArtCenter Artists’ Guild is a designed for professional artists, offering juried opportunity to display in the Artists’ Guild Gallery in the Lighthouse ArtCenter Museum and at Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery at Midtown in Palm Beach Gardens. There is also professional development, including ongoing education in marketing, public relations and business practices to help artists achieve their highest potential.
For more than 30 years, Art Associates of Martin County has enabled residents to enrich their lives in art education, art appreciation and art as a part of living.
At the Wellington Art Society, members are passionate about the creative process and appreciate the results of persistent artistry and craftsmanship. Its members learn, share and give back to other artists and the community at large.
Three professional artists and art faculty members judged the exhibition: Norma Conway (painting instructor), Judy Flescher (collage instructor) and Ted Matz (drawing and painting instructor). At the awards ceremony on June 21, the following prizes were awarded: Best of Show, Ann Lawtey for By the Shore; first place, Barbara Bailey, for Cantilever; second place, Roy Stevens for Two Women; third place, Kathryn Morlock for Rainforest; and fourth place, Barbara Carswell for Iris.
Honorable mentions were presented to Sharon Ferina, Full Nest; Bill Jones, Red Malee Burl Dish; Lindy May, Spring Explosion!; Manon Sander, SPF 55; and Suzanne Todd, Joy of the Tropics.
At July’s Third Thursday event, the winning artists will speak about their work, along with representative from the five art associations. The event on July 19 takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It is free to Lighthouse ArtCenter members and $5 for nonmembers, and also features hors d’oeuvres.
The Lighthouse ArtCenter is located in Gallery Square North at 373 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission costs $5 Monday through Friday and is free on Saturday. The museum is closed Sunday.
For more information about the Lighthouse ArtCenter Museum, School of Art, exhibitions, programs and events, visit www.lighthousearts.org or call (561) 746-3101.
About: Wellington Art Society member Kathryn Morlock was awarded third place for her watercolor titled Rainforest.
