Palm Beach County, Fla.s Art Collaboration Serves as National Model To Promote Culture

JUPITER, Fla. (PRWEB) July 08, 2012

Award-winning artists from five local associations are featured at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in an exhibit entitled The Art of Association: Art Associations Hang Together.

Open through July 26, 2012, the exhibition features recent works, including paintings, prints, photographs, glass art, fabric art, woodturning, mixed media and sculpture, from the following groups: 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 a recent decline in public funding for the arts both locally and national — art associations across the country are aiming to bridge the gap by creating new ways for artists to show their work and promote themselves. Lighthouse ArtCenter is one of them.

Along the way, the associations are garnering support for other causes, including environmental awareness, breast cancer research, animal rescue and mental-health programming.

We dont 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 is to assist those in northern Palm Beach County with knowledge of and training for artistic activities and endeavors.

The Artists Association of Jupiters goal is to promote art and art education in the community and its surrounding counties.

Each of our art associations share 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, association founder Susan Lorenti said.

The Lighthouse ArtCenter Artists Guild is designed for professional artists, offering juried opportunities to display in the guilds galleries in Tequesta and Palm Beach Gardens. There also is professional development in marketing, public relations and business strategies to help artists achieve their highest potential.

For more than 30 years, Art Associates of Martin County has enabled residents to enrich their lives through art and has become an asset to those with homes in Hobe Sound, Stuart and Palm City.

At the Wellington Art Society, members learn, share and give back to other artists throughout the equestrian community that also is known for its creative flair.

Waterfront Properties and Club Communities is a strong supporter of the arts in Palm Beach and Martin counties and has a collection of paintings and photographs hanging in its offices in Jupiter.