Community culture thrives in local art scene
Bethel's director of visual arts and design, Rachel Epp Buller, weighs in on the importance of local art.
Many Bethel College students are new to the North Newton and greater Newton communities. One of the best ways to familiarize one’s self with regional culture is to experience and appreciate local art.
Newton, Wichita, and Salina all have long-standing artistic traditions. However, this culture cannot survive without community members who intentionally work to champion the importance of local arts.
Luckily, opportunities to value small-town art are ubiquitous at both Bethel and in Newton. On campus, simply attending concerts, theater productions, and art exhibits give key affirmation to participants.
Small liberal arts colleges like Bethel may not be able to draw the impressive crowds found at a division one university, but Bethel can do something far more meaningful: create personal, constructive connections between individual students and community members.
“In the course of my teaching, I bring a lot of visiting artists to campus … visiting artists bring a lot of expertise, of course, and different perspectives,” said Bethel’s director of visual arts and design, Rachel Epp Buller. “But also they offer students varied glimpses into what an artist’s path can look like".”
There’s also an abundance of opportunities to bolster local culture off campus.
“The Carriage Factory Art Gallery in downtown Newton continually showcases the work of dozens of artists, and also puts on a series of rotating exhibitions that highlight local and regional artists,” said Buller. “They host art workshops and classes, community art events, and participate in lots of the downtown activities.”
The local artistic culture impacts every community member in countless beneficial ways.
“People who don’t identify as artists might feel intimidated at the idea of looking at art in a New York gallery, but if they have a chance to look at art made by someone from their town … their art experience might change completely,” said Buller. “[Like] having the opportunity to ask questions without feeling stupid, or finding the art accessible or understandable in a way that they hadn’t expected.”
Art, in any form, has the ability to span cultural and ideological divides. It is central to a sense of unified community. Supporting local art comes in all forms, literally and figuratively, giving everyone a chance to connect to the place they call home.
For more information or to support the Carriage Factory Art Gallery, click here to access their website.