Member Spotlight: Rosalind Doane, Executive Director, Deer Path Art League
Lake/Forest Lake Bluff Chamber: Tell us a little bit about the history and mission of the Deer Path Art League?
Rosalind Doane: For the past seventy-plus years, the Deer Path Art League has served the community by promoting interest in the visual arts. Our long history began on a September day in 1954 when fourteen culture-minded residents of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff gathered to discuss forming an art league in our area. They established the League’s mission: “To stimulate, promote, and maintain interest in the visual arts both from the standpoint of appreciation and creation.”
Over one hundred people attended the second meeting in October which was held at the new Deer Path Middle School. An Advisory Board was appointed that included sculptress Sylvia Shaw Judson, Lake Forest College Art Professor Franz Schultz, and artist Franklin McMahon. Among the League’s projects was the first outdoor exhibit in Market Square, which was held on Sunday, September 11, 1955. That Fall Festival of Art later became a juried two-day fine arts show called Art Fair on the Square which is held every year on Labor Day weekend. Thousands of residents and guests now enjoy walking through the Art Fair looking for treasures. This year the Art Fair on the Square will be held on Sunday, September 6, and Monday September 7. We describe this event as our “gift to the community”.
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LF/LB: We would love to hear about the events and work you do in the community?
RD: Over the years, the Deer Path Art League has offered other gifts to the community. In 1981, we installed the sculpture “Wind Gap” by Barry Tinsley in the landscaped area of the Lake Forest Recreation Center. We donated a sculpture, “Ex Libris”, by Michael Croydon, to the Lake Forest Library in 1996. In addition, funds were given to the city of Lake Forest to help with the restoration of the fountain/sculpture that adorns historic Market Square. An added event over the last three years is a Sculpture Stroll where art enthusiasts can visit local works of art and listen to a docent explain their history and inform them about the artist.
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LF/LB: How does the Deer Path Art League support the youngest artists in our community?
RD: Encouraging young artists is also an emphasis of the Deer Path Art League. Students in the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff area schools are given the chance to display their artwork in the windows of local businesses. Art teachers cooperate to collect the work that is judged by the Art League. Awards are presented to the winning entrants at a City Council meeting at City Hall. We also present a $2000 scholarship each year to a student at Lake Forest High School who intends to pursue a degree in an art related field. We encourage young artists to become a part of a section at the Art Fair on the Square where they are invited to sell their art.
LF/LB: Tell us how community members might get involved with the Deer Path Art League as both artists and/or volunteers?
RD: The Art League is exploring inventive ways to encourage the gift of art and knowledge to a changing public in our community. For further information about our upcoming shows and events, please visit our website at: https:/www.deerpathartleague.org/. You may also call us at 847-234-3743 for volunteer opportunities and membership information. Our email address is: info@deerpathartleague.org”