Springfield Regional Arts Council

Arts culture taking off

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Arts culture taking off

Sony Hocklander
News-Leader
Published October 29, 2006

Arts begets arts and everyone benefits, say numerous folks who enjoy and participate in Springfield's booming creative community.
"What I've noticed is the arts movement is very focused on getting the community involved in how arts is part of everyday life. Everything from performance to supporting artists," says Laura Lacy of Hawthorn Galleries.

Cultivating a healthy arts culture makes Springfield more attractive to residents and to visual and performing artists.

"I think there is a lot going on in Springfield," says Christopher Koch, who moved to Springfield two years ago and directs Drury University's orchestra and wind symphony. He's also started a new music organization, Ensemble 21, through Drury.

"I've lived in larger places with less going on. I'm pleased to see organizations around town are trying to grow and make a viable artistic community for all of us," Koch says.

Children's lives can change through exposure to the arts.

"I know the theater has saved lives in the friendships they've made and the adult mentors they have," says Lorianne Dunn, education director for Springfield Little Theatre youth programs.

Through the arts, "these kids are learning to work as a team and to work as a community. They will be better businesspeople, and be more accepting and diverse. And who knows what the arts scene will look like in 20 years when these kids are active players in the community?"

More people of all ages are participating in the arts, Dunn says, which is good for the community as a whole.

"When you get people involved and make them feel a part of something, it gives them a personal investment in something," she said. "They take ownership, and they are proud of it."

Location, location

The Creamery Arts Center in Jordan Valley Park and its governing body, the Springfield Regional Arts Council, is a cornerstone for the arts, many say. Not only does the Creamery house several arts groups, it's become a teeming activity center for children's art activities.

"It really has become the heartbeat of the community," says Ron Spigelman, music director for the Springfield Symphony, which plans to move into the building next year.

He likes to call the Creamery Springfield's "art beat."

Pottery artist Nathan Falter calls it a hub. Through SRAC, he and his wife, Jennifer, found support to pursue a new regional outreach program called the Claymobile. Primarily for children, it's a mobile pottery studio that takes art to the community.

The Creamery isn't the only place to foster improvement in the arts. The Springfield Art Museum will soon add a new wing. Photographer Randy Bacon's Monarch Art Factory — home to several art groups including his own studio, gallery and concert space --is expected to open in December.

And the Gillioz Theatre, which opened its doors Oct. 13, is primed and ready for a new era of events that may include music, films, theater, dance and more.

"The Gillioz Theatre will be the crown jewel of the centers for urban arts in Springfield," says MSU English professor and Gillioz historian James Baumlin, who wrote and edited the book "The Gillioz 'Theatre Beautiful.' "

Springfield Regional Opera is considering the Gillioz as a home for its productions.

"We're all pretty keen on that," says Jane Munson-Berg, artistic director for the opera. "The place is just fabulous."

Integrated efforts

It's been more than 10 years since Springfield Ballet's annual production, "The Nutcracker," was performed with live music, says Marsha Warnke, the ballet's artistic director. For this year's production, it collaborated with the symphony. Singers with the opera will perform also. Together, they'll provide a richer experience for the holiday tradition.

It helps that the opera and ballet — and soon the symphony --share a home in the Creamery.

"Just the proximity of having our groups together makes it so easy to get into discussions," Warnke says.

The most prominent cooperative effort, perhaps, is the First Friday Art Walk, which many credit for introducing more people than ever to the arts.

"First Friday has just blown apart this idea that art is for elitists," notes Munson-Berg. "It's brought it out into the marketplace in such a nice way. And people are relaxed about the experience. They are eager to try it."

Collaborations on the rise include multi-artist studio spaces. Monarch Art Factory will have a 12-artist cooperative. Jeanie Morris, president of SRAC, is spearheading a similar effort.

Cooperation and community participation by Springfield's three main universities is also key to a positive arts scene, says Michael Casey who coordinates musical theater at Missouri State. Drury, Evangel University and MSU hold public art exhibits. All three have faculty and students who perform in community events.

"If you took those big three off the map, and took those personnel away from the Springfield community, there would never have been Springfield Opera, there would never have been the early days of Springfield Little Theatre. ... The Springfield Symphony would be in desperate need of excellent musicians," Casey says.

"What we do at the university level has a great impact on the community," he adds, "and vice versa."

Performance reviews

Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts brings big acts and touring shows to Springfield. The Landers and Vandivort Center theaters --Springfield's main community stages --can no longer be pegged as family-only or edgy-only theaters.

For the most part, Springfield audiences support change and new efforts, say theater folks. Actors Theatre of Missouri, a relatively new effort, has held several successful shows. The Skinny Improv is growing into a larger theater. Bryan Moses recently started the Downtown Theatre Company.

"The size this town is getting, it should be able to support many theater groups," Moses says.

Springfield Regional Opera launched a new younger-adult oriented guild of performers and supporters called Operazzi. It dovetails nicely with a new effort by Nonna's Italian American Cafe to present a Sunday night cabaret and open mic.

Organizer Leah Hamilton returned to Springfield a few months ago after completing a master's degree in musical performance. She's noticed lots of positive change in the arts and downtown.

"There has been so much growth. Springfield is trying to become this metropolitan city," Hamilton says.

The more there is to do, the more Springfield will attract new residents, she says: "When people move in, they want to know what goes on. Where can they go to be entertained?"

Art and souls

Seeking quality of life applies to artists as well as to arts consumers. Springfield is becoming more artist-friendly, say many, though there is room for improvement.

The Ozarks is full of creative people and "closet artists are coming out of the woodwork," says Lacy of Hawthorn Galleries. "There is certainly a deep interest and enthusiasm."

New opportunities are moving from dream to reality. And more is on the horizon. But it takes more than enjoying art to grow a healthy community.

"People will need to see the value of what is here and support the arts — and actually buy it or actually attend the fantastic performances. There is a great revival in the works if people will take action. I hope they do," Lacy says.

Falter, who owns Springfield Pottery with his wife, Jennifer, says quality of life is good for artists.

"But I think you find most (visual) artists are still really marketing their work outside our community," he says.

On the other hand, support for new efforts is better in Springfield than many communities, Falter says. And that counts for a lot.

"As far as being able to make an impact as an artist in your community," he says, "Springfield is very fertile ground."