Millikin artists select works on display at Lincoln Art Institute through July

[July 14, 2018]   LINCOLN - It is common knowledge that the Lincoln Art Institute is one of the most respected art galleries in central Illinois. It is also common knowledge that Millikin University in Decatur is known nationally for its fine arts and performing arts school. It seems only natural that these two icons of the central Illinois art scene should come together.

The July art show at the Lincoln Art Institute was given over to The Blue Connection, Millikin University’s student run art gallery located in downtown Decatur, next to the Decatur Area Arts Council.

Millikin art professor Ed Walker not only teaches at Millikin, but is the manager of The Blue Connection. “The Blue Connection is a student run art gallery, a laboratory used to teach fine arts students at Millikin about all aspects of their chosen field,” he said.

The students selected to work at the gallery do all of the duties a normal gallery staff does. “They select the art, hang it, price it, and do marketing for the gallery,” Walker said. “This experience in the business of art creates a more complete artist, not just someone who puts paint on canvas,” he said.

The students also staff the gallery.

So how did The Blue Connection end up with a show at The Lincoln Art Institute? Millikin art student Stephen Gardner had one of his paintings in The Barn Colony show that was featured at the LAI earlier this year. He related his experience to Ed Walker and suggested that The Blue Connection consider doing a community outreach in Lincoln. Professor Walker was all for it and then told Stephen that he was in charge of the show.

“This was my first experience being the curator of an art show and gallery manager,” Gardener said.

As the curator, he had to contact LAI gallery owner Moses Pinkerton and arrange the details of securing the Lincoln Art Institute for the show.

Gardener then contacted fellow artists at Millikin to ask if they would be interested in participating in the show. He had to select the art and ask the students to price their pieces.

Finally, after a date for the show had been set, the art had to be hung. The results of all of this hard work and networking were on full display Thursday evening.

“The Lincoln Art Institute is a wonderful space, and we definitely would like to do additional shows here,” said Stephen Gardner.

Gallery owner Moses Pinkerton was pleased with the result of the collaboration between the Lincoln Art Institute and Millikin University’s Blue Connection. “We would certainly like to do another show featuring Millikin art students,” he said.

The Blue Connection art exhibit at the Lincoln Art Institute will be on display for the rest of July on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

[Curtis Fox]