Interview with Evanston Art Center Board Chair: Pam Voitik
How did you get involved with the Evanston Art Center? Have you served on other non-profit organization’s boards before?
When I moved to Evanston, my realtor pointed out the Evanston Art Center as one of Evanston’s gems. As soon as I settled into the area, I vowed to get involved. I have always been interested in the Arts and the benefits they provide to society, but never had the opportunity to really do anything about it until I retired. Shortly after moving into the community, I received a course catalog from the Evanston Art Center that included a request for board members. That was all it took. I emailed Paula Danoff that day to see what I needed to do to join the board.
What are some of the goals or visions you have for the Art Center and how has the pandemic affected these endeavors?
One of the strengths of the Evanston Art Center is working to make art accessible to all. The pandemic has made some of our community outreach programs a bit of a challenge, but a challenge we have been able to meet and learn from. We now have a hybrid curriculum of in-person and online courses, camps, and open studio time that makes it possible to reach out to the community, and beyond, in several ways that, quite frankly, were not available to us just a few months ago.
Have you taken any classes at the EAC? If so, what has been the most interesting or rewarding experience so far?
I LOVE taking classes at the Evanston Art Center! As a beginner adult student, just getting over the fear of putting pencil to paper was a huge accomplishment. One that has given me the confidence to move on to other media – drawing in graphite and charcoal, opening the door to adding color, and one of my favorites, intaglio printmaking. I have also participated in several art seminars discussing everything from the Renaissance to post-modernism, to understanding contemporary and even outsider art.
What sparked your interest in the Arts? Do you create art yourself? If so, do you have any influences?
I am not sure how to answer that other than to say I have always marveled at the skills possessed by the artists of the Renaissance to create such fluid, vibrant, and complicated works whether it be painting, printmaking, sculpture or architecture with the technology available. I am learning to appreciate all forms of art for the conversations it can spark. And sometimes, the more controversial or difficult the conversation, the deeper the appreciation for the work itself. Learning how to have those conversations is a valuable skill across all schools of thought. As far as creating art, I am still finding my way, but am partial to drawing and printmaking thanks to some of the very talented faculty at the Evanston Art Center.
ABOUT CONCENTRICS
Concentrics is a quarterly interview series featuring EAC Exhibiting Artists, Faculty Members, Board Members and Students.
Find out how our faculty and board members started at EAC and why our students love it here. We want to give you a look into the community that makes up the Evanston Art Center!