I wrote this 10 years ago. It still holds true.
Does the world really need another arts organization? Does south Jersey? These are the questions I’ve been asking myself.
I tried to avoid doing this. I really did. Every time I saw an arts organization that I thought could use my help, I graciously offered my services. OK, maybe I wasn’t gracious. I am, to put it mildly, opinionated. Sometimes my good intentions appeared to others as criticism. Sometimes it probably was. I’m working on my delivery. But I just couldn’t understand why others, with a few exceptions, didn’t see what I did. Simply put, good artists & good art need to be promoted with good art. Why use bad photos, boring writing & poor design to showcase great art? Commercial artists & fine artists need to help each other.
I love the art experience. I find talented artists fascinating. I want to know more about them, especially the ones in my own backyard. I want to see a face & learn what makes them tick (or tock). I just wasn’t able to find that on other sites or through other organizations. Many of the best artists in south Jersey actually keep a low profile. Of course they exhibit their work, but many are rarely seen outside an occasional gallery exhibit. If you want to know more you have to go to them & that’s something I enjoy. But I don’t want to just find them, I want to see interesting & artistic photos of them & their work. I want to read stories about them that capture who they are & why they do what they do. I want to see videos that look professionally done & tell the rest of the world about the quality of the artists in my area. I want all this to be framed by graphic design that displays the artist & their work the way it should be. Is that too much to ask?
There are plenty of arts organizations who work hard to keep the arts alive. They deserve our respect. We will do whatever we can to help & at the same time become the best we can be. Thanks for listening.
Bill Horin