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Published on: 2/18/2009
Last Visited: 11/18/2009
Shannon Westerman, LVAA's executive director for the past six months, is determined to lead the organization toward that goal in a very 21st-century way.
"Today, art is recognized as a vital component of success in both local and global society," Westerman said.
"To that end, LVAA is committed to innovative efforts that will bring as many people as possible into engagement with their culture through meaningful experiences of visual arts, and help artists of all ages reach their full creative potential.
"As a catalyst for education and participation in the visual arts, LVAA is going to focus on building community involvement with the arts through collaboration - that is, work closely with other community-based organizations, artists groups and others - to expand visual art opportunities for diverse audiences and artists, thereby helping to increase the 'cultural capital' of Louisville."
Hard at work
Westerman, who spent part of his childhood in Louisville but most of his earlier career in Atlanta and New York City, adds that "the amount of cultural capital we have in Louisville is already pretty significant."
Although the J. B. Speed Art Museum and other venerable institutions are important resources and "pillars of our cultural community," he believes that LVAA's three-pronged approach to supporting the visual arts is also crucial.
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Artists shouldn't have to go to New York, Cincinnati or Indianapolis to get into exhibits, in my opinion," Westerman said.
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The celebration is called ArteBella 100 - a made-up name that, Westerman joked, "sounded beautiful and Italian, so who couldn't like it?"
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"All of our events and programs are presented to fulfill our mission," Westerman said.
"Actually, LVAA has been doing a pretty good job for the past 100 years.