Guest Column: Creativity abounds in Highland

Thanks to all the people who attended the 14th Art in the Park. Our committee spends an entire year planning, organizing, gathering, writing and more to prepare. Without the members of Highland Arts Council, the many volunteers, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and representatives from the Highland Arts Parents Association, Hard Road Theater and Heartland Community Chorus that helped us that weekend, Art in the Park couldn’t happen. You’re all amazing!

Sponsors of Highland Art in the Park are the best. These are companies and organizations who want to provide culture to the community and its residents. We especially thank Mayor Joe Michaelis, the City Council, Police Chief Terry Bell, and all city departments for their support. They are forward thinkers and know that this event brings thousands of people into our community. The Highland News Leader and its sister paper, the Belleville News-Democrat, were also a major sponsor again this year, as they have been since its beginning. Many other local papers support us by printing articles we share with them. Thanks especially to The Pioneer, the Edwardsville Intelligencer, The Buzz magazine, the Greenville Advocate, and the Alton Telegraph — all helped to spread the word about this world class art show presented in a home town atmosphere.

Matt Armentrout/Edward Jones and Kevin Dewaele/Edward Jones were major sponsors of the Preview Party. The Helvetia Sharpshooters hosted Art in the Park on their grounds. The “Nathan Jatcko Trio” entertained us at the Preview Party, and Urban Farmhouse & Pie Co. fed us delicious food that night. Thanks to all of them. To see the entire list of sponsors, visit highlandartscouncil.org. HAC encourages you to patronize their businesses.

We also appreciate the 65 artists, both local and national, who invested themselves, their time, and their art in Art in the Park. Without them, we would not have the quality art available for the thousands of attendees. The food vendors also provided a terrific variety of food for the masses.

We appreciate all the participants in the Unity Project and the community mural, based on a photograph taken by local artist Brady Kesner. Thanks to Pancake Dan, who demonstrated art using pancake batter on a hot griddle. The community projects and demonstration was funded in part by the Monsanto Rural Community Arts Education Program through the Arts & Education Council of St. Louis. Donated tips given to Pancake Dan will be donated to the Highland Area Christian Service Ministry food pantry.

Thanks to SIUE Jazz Combos and Paul Christian for their musical expertise. Paulette Todd did a terrific job with the Kids Kreation area, rounding out the family-friendly event with fun for the kids.

Highland Arts Council is so proud to be a part of Highland community. We are looking toward to a future project to create a “treehouse” art gallery in Highland. If you are interested in becoming a part of it or to find out more, email me at lynnette@highlandartscouncil.org. Thanks for helping to create a city we are proud to be a part of.

I would describe our community in six words, “Creativity Abounds: Business, Education, Entertainment, Arts.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 8:18 AM with the headline "Guest Column: Creativity abounds in Highland."