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“I am delighted that Cassy Tully has agreed to take a leadership role for the PAC’s education program. She is the ideal person for this position, as she comes to us with vitality and fresh ideas for expanding our art class offerings for both children and adults. Cassy is a dedicated artist and teacher and she is committed to making sure the arts are available for anyone who wants to make art.”
—Donna Hahn, Executive Director
Although only 24 years old, Cassy Tully is making a splash in the arts industry and is bringing that knowledge and enthusiasm to the Plymouth Arts Center in her newly appointed role as educational coordinator.
“She is a very, very talented young lady … right off when I first met her, there was a level of maturity in her work that you don’t often find at that age” said Kitty Lynne Klich, an area artist and teacher.
“She is very mature for her age and very committed to the arts,” said Donna Hahn, executive director of the PAC. “She has a lot of experience and knowledge.”
Tully has shown her artwork in more than a dozen juried art shows and hosted her own gallery shows, all of which has created a demand for her creations.
“My original artwork and commissioned pieces are featured in galleries and private collections throughout Wisconsin and Illinois,” Tully said.
Her training has taken her around the globe. She has enriched her art experience via seminars in New York City, the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, as well as Florence, Italy. Most recently she served as a fine arts instructor and administrative assistant to the director at Monroe Street Fine Arts Center in Madison, where she was instrumental in building programming there.
“She has built that program the same way I hope she builds ours,” said Hahn. “She found teachers that would carry on the plan so that’s what she hopes to do for us — and it will be a solid, strong plan and we are very, very excited about that.”
Tully was brought on at the PAC to help “enliven the spirit of community and to enrich the lives of all by providing diverse experiences in the arts,” reads the mission statement.
Tully first learned of the PAC a few years ago, when she visited the city with her boyfriend, who had lived in Plymouth.
“Being an artist and looking for opportunities outside of Madison, I got really excited. ... I have been showing my artwork there the last three years.”
It was Klich who recommended that Tully speak with Hahn about a position.
“With my experience at Madison and being here, it was a natural fit,” said Tully who only recently moved to Plymouth.
“I have been there for about a month,” said Tully. “We are adding more programs, building on the programs that we have … building youth art programs for kids.”
“We hope to stir up children’s curiosity and get them excited about the arts,” Hahn said. “Cassy will recruit more teachers and we are hoping to create more public awareness through a quarterly brochure.”
In fact, she and Tully are working to create a framework that will put PAC in a prime position to grow and flourish.
“That high level of energy, I think it will be a terrific asset for the Plymouth Arts Center,” Klich said.
One of the ways Tully hopes to build continuity of programming is through the creation of an Art Education Committee that will be comprised of parents, artists, teachers, Plymouth Arts Foundation members and administrators interested in developing an art education program at PAC.
“I may be going to grad school in the next year or so, so establishing the committee will make it so it’s not just a one-time thing; the activities will continue to grow through the committee,” Tully said.
“The programming will be excellent,” said Klich. “She has a lot of experience in this field because she was teaching in Madison. She will bring a nice variety of venues that we haven’t had in Plymouth before.”
Another important aspect of growing the PAC is via financial means. Since Tully managed to earn grants for her entire Italian education program, she is no stranger to asking for donations and hopes to use that talent to help the PAC access grants to build a solid financial base.
“Anytime you start a program there are expenses that pop up,” Tully said. “Right now we are looking to collect donations for art supplies and we are going to have a bin where people can drop off donations of materials, extra paper, crayons and markers, high quality drawing materials, water dishes, paint brushes” and more.
“If there is anything I can give to the arts center, it is to help with the grant writing. It is really hard,” she said. “If the need is there, which it is, and there are really generous foundations out there willing to give to such a cause, then it’s worth it to go out there and go for it.”
Tully also wants to utilize area artists and teachers.
“We want to connect our curriculum to the community,” Hahn said.
“We are also putting out a call to artists and other teachers, if they are interested in teaching a class or sharing a talent,” Tully said.
“Those are the first things we’d like to establish,” Hahn said. “Everything we do is a building block and we have to move forward just one step at a time. We are grateful to Cassy that she has given us one year of her time as she prepares for her graduate studies.”
From the Sheboygan Press
October 25, 2007
By Allison Thompson
Press correspondent |
