New Buffalo Fine Arts Council looking to bridge the gap between schools, community with art

An organization that has been dormant since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is now being revitalized to create an artistic connection between the school system and the local community.

Molly Sell, president of the New Buffalo Fine Arts Council as well as art teacher at New Buffalo Elementary School, said that members of the council are currently “trying to get it built back up and get members going again.”

Last year, the council funded a proposal that brought in area musicians to come in twice a week and work with New Buffalo High School Band members for solo and ensemble as well as middle school students.

Sell said that workshops will be funded by the council on bowl making for next year’s Empty Bowls event that takes place at the middle/high school, with middle/ high school art teacher Ashely Jager bringing in more community members to have a high school students teach them how to make bowls.

Recently, a proposal of Sell’s was funded to get some frames in the entryway of Brewster’s. Currently, there are now five frames that are hanging there, and Sell said she’ll quarterly go down and switch it out and put elementary art there.

“At this point, we’re building up small projects of things we as the fine arts department area and the schools have noticed that are needs - but we’re really hoping to get more community members to come and fill out proposals and give us ideas,” she said.

She added that while the council was given back to the school to revitalize it, the intention is to be a “partnership between the schools and community.”

Currently, the council has members of the fine arts area in the schools on it: herself; Jager; Dwayne Whitmer, the director for the Performing Arts Center; Christina Beushausen, music teacher at the elementary school, and Ayrielle Holt, the band director.

But councilmembers would like “to get some outside perspective, outside feedback other than just the school, so it can be a good combination of ideas.”

Ameeting was recently held, during which parents, other staff members from the school and community members with a passion for the arts offered a range of ideas.

“Honestly, I think it would be really cool to have people who are not necessarily artistic but really just with a passion for supporting the arts and supporting people with that creative brain because we really need people with all mindsets – so whatever their talent is, whether it’s artistic or not, we’d love to have that perspective,” she said.

Sell said they’re hoping to set another meeting within the next couple of weeks.

Ideas that were offered at the meeting included different ways to involve the New Buffalo Business Association (NBBA) and pairing up and partnering with that organization as far as performances or displays as well as putting together a fund for scholarships for students to have exposure to artistic experiences outside of school.

There’s also be discussion of how the council could have a role in the “a’ part of the new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) building going up on Clay Street across from the middle/high school and how that space can be utilized.

Since councilmembers hope to fund a wide range of artistic experiences – such as visual arts, musical experiences and even theatrical or dance experiences - Sell hopes that they can recruit others with a range of backgrounds.

“That’s where we really need people in the community and excited individuals to come and give us ideas and tell what experiences they want – we’re more than happy to fund those things,” she said.

Those who are interested in the New Buffalo Fine Arts Council can follow New Buffalo Area Schools Fine Arts Department on Facebook or email Sell at msell@nbas.org.

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

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