Recently I had a friend come up to me and say, “I read your article for this month.” I asked, “What was my article about?” The answer I received was “You were talking about the city needing an Art Center.” “Yes”, I said, “I do that a lot.” Then the person said, “Well, I am glad you are talking about this, as someone needs to.” Hearing these remarks I realize that my efforts in writing about how visual art plays an active role in our lives each day are very important and people agree.
Visual art is for everyone, children and adults and over centuries of time visual art has provided examples of how civilization is recorded and expressed. Making decisions to have an Art Center created in our community involves many people to participate. Where do we begin? Maybe we should create an advisory committee to explore the feasibility of acquiring an Art Center facility.
This would be a major undertaking, but it can be accomplished through the efforts of people in our community willing to help plan for an Art Center Facility. In building support for a vision it is necessary to gain information and communicate the processes to bring about direction for this vision of an Art Center. The question is, “How do we build support for the vision of an art center to be created in Santa Clarita? We need relationships to make this vision work. The question is: “How can action be generated?” One suggestion is to “have engagement with a broader community,” which reinforces the need for relationships. Yes, we need relationships to make an advisory committee or group in the community to work. When people connect with a group of what they think, feel and respond to there is instant feeling of identification. When a group of people come together to participate in shared leadership they can use these five leadership practices:
1. Inspire a shared vision
2. Enable others to act
3. Model the way
4. Develop the process
5. Encourage the heart
Dreams for the future of a community vision require many people who are planners to create a plan. Good leaders are pioneers working toward a shared vision and recognize good ideas for innovation. Are there people in Santa Clarita who want to be part of this vision to have an Art Center created? Tell me who you are.
Jaylene Armstrong is a retired Art Teacher from Madison, Wisconsin, a former National Art Education Association Western Region Vice President and President of Wisconsin Art Education Association. For more information contact Jaylene at 661-255-3050.