At their orientation meeting last fall, Volusia County art teachers received three videotaped interviews with artists whose work was chosen for the Agricultural Center in DeLand as part of the County’s Art in Public Places program. This initiative allocates up to one percent of the construction budget for new County buildings to be used to purchase original works of art to be on permanent display in the building.

The boxes containing the three tapes were presented to the teachers by Suzanne Heddy, Executive Director of the Cultural Council of Volusia County. The tapes were created by John Wilton of Stetson Avenue Studios in DeLand and produced by the Cultural Council. Entitled "Profiles in Art," the tapes highlight the artists in their studios and contain questions such as what were their inspirations for becoming an artist, do they have a college degree in art and what were some of their successes and tribulations in trying to become an artist. The three artists on the first edition are: Steve Vaughn, a photographer from Central Florida, Eleanor Blair, oil painter from Gainesville, and Jeff Whipple of Sarasota. The upcoming segment of the series planned for a fall distribution will feature John Wilton whose work was chosen for the new Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet.

The videotapes were supplied free of charge to area high schools and middle schools. They are intended to inspire students as to the career possibilities in the arts arena.

Volusia County art educators display their Florida landscapes at the recent oil painting workshop with Gainesville artist Eleanor Blair sponsored by the Cultural Council of Volusia County at the Art League of Daytona Beach.

For more information on Arts in Education state-wide, go to: the Florida Alliance for Arts Education website.

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