Community Study

        Who is ArtServe? ArtServe is a non-profit organization that was established in 1988 as a developing program to support local artists to promote a vibrant community. “A 510(c )(3) nonprofit organization, ArtServe offers its members a wide range of progressive services, events, affordable facilities and collaborative programs that promote visibility of art and culture throughout South Florida and helps artists turn their art into business.” The 25,000 square foot venue acts as a safe-haven for aspiring artists in dance, music, photography, acting, public speaking, and studio art. Members within the Fort Lauderdale community are able to enhance their skills through an array of classes, or even give back to the community by teaching a class. ArtServe presently offers classes in acting/standup, dance, music, philosophy/meditation, photography, visual art, and wellness. Specifically, ArtServe offers the following studio art classes: drawing & colored pencil techniques, introduction to alcohol inks, creative watercolor, painting acrylic & watercolor, mix media, realism in pastel, realism in oil, and water media.              The ArtServe Team. ArtServe is operated by a core group of art aficionados and include: Jaye Abbate (CEO), Jon Goldstein (Finance Manager), Jennifer Gettingeer (Communications & Grants Administrator), Hal Axler (General Manager),  Ed King (Creative Content Manager), Colette Mello (Artist Relations), and Rebecca Wilkner (Program & Client Services Administrator). The ArtServe Vision, Mission, and Purpose. Through this team, ArtServe’s mission is to serve the South Florida “community by fostering artistic growth.” ArtServe creates new opportunities for members within the South Florida in which actively promote, and impact the evolution of the arts in South Florida. ArtServe provides members within the community to have their voice heard, and be a part of a creative, supportive, promotional, and powerful force within the South Florida Fine Arts community. ArtServe’s foundational purpose is to foster an environment in which a creation of art is possible, as reflected in its promotional material: “we don’t make art…we help the artists and cultural organizations that do make art succeed. As we often say, we help them turn their art into business. Much of work we do is behind the scene, cultivating corporate and community relationships that generate exposure for artists, developing programs to educate students, organizing exhibits that provide gallery experience and sales for artists, enhancing our multi-purpose facility so artists of all genres from dancers to drummers have a creative home that fits their budget.” ArtServe offers artists within the South Florida community a chance to collaborate, promote, exhibit, perform, and develop professionally within the artistic community. The ArtServe Notable Events. So far in 2018 alone, ArtServe has provided the South Florida community over ten studio art exhibits that highlight works that range from representing the LGBT community, major collections of 12 emerging art stars, Contemporary Art of Americas collection, the Gold Coast Watercolor Society, etc.--- to name a few. The most recent exhibition presently located at ArtServe is The RedEye Beyond exhibit.  The RedEye Beyond exhibits opening night was on July 14th from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The opening night of the exhibit featured live bands, Indie films, spoken word, live art by local artists, and the opening of The RedEye Beyond art gallery. According to Rebecca Wilkner, The RedEye opening night was a huge success, and ArtServe had a great turnout. However, educating and teaching the community to handle and appreciate the arts. Grown adults today have not learned how to properly handle, and behave within a gallery, and it becomes a hazard and liability for ArtServe and the artwork.  According to Wilkner, the evolution of social media is creating an environment where participants are no longer taking in the art, but rather wanting to capture themselves within the image. In the gallery, there are sculpted tables and chairs that are meant to be observed as part of the gallery; however, constantly, people were sitting in, and on to take pictures---taking no concern of the repercussions of their actions.             Aside from The RedEye Beyond, ArtServe has featured countless events, including: ArtExplosion presented by ArtsUnited, described by ArtServe as “ArtsUnited, a South Florida-based LGBT artist organization, presents its annual juried show, "Art Explosion" at ArtServe. Representing an array of work in all media, it is one of the largest LGBT art shows in the United States, and is ArtsUnited's largest fundraiser of the year.”ArtBravo! features top artists in the South Florida region in an array of media. The 2018 recognized artists were: Raymond Olivero, Susan Hanssen, Tony Chimento, Joe Korte, Andy Krebs, and Steven Hart.Florida Focus on Art-Apparently Watercolor presented by the Gold Coast Watercolor Society is a juried event in which all works fall into the watercolor genre. Florida Focus on Art-Apparently Watercolor is one of the many over events of the Gold Coast Watercolor Society for the 2018 season.Boca Raton Museum Artists Guild is a juried event celebrating artistic excellence in the South Florida region. The Boca Raton Museum of Art/ Artists Guild has been serving the South Florida community for more than 50 years.Broward Art Guild is an annual juried art show that features artists within the South Florida area. Described by ArtServe, the exhibition “is celebration of excellence in art, and is a juried exhibition recognizing some of the top artists in Florida.REFLECT: Healing Through Art, described by ArtServe as REFLECT is a multi-media exhibition exploring how art heals the soul as both a means of expression and a therapeutic tool. REFLECT is created in collaboration with local non-profit organizations.”DBA: Avant Garde , celebrating its 10th Anniversary show of the distinguished “Doing Business as Artist Entrepreneurs” artist collection. According to ArtServe, artworks in the Avant Garde exhibition must challenge both the artist, and the future.12 to See, described by ArtServe as “a showcase of a dozen exciting artistic talents across a wide spectrum of styles and mediums.  Each is featuring a small, cohesive collection of work; the exhibition spans diverse and varied mediums, styles, and genres. Think: bold new works that people must see.”Art Brazil, described by Art serve as being “held in honor of the Brazilian Independence Day and featuring the work of nearly three dozen world-renowned artists working in a wide range of mediums, the fifth annual ArtBrazil lends a unique perspective and the result is an amazingly alive and colorful fusion of forms and styles.” ArtServe is available for to visit from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday at the following address: 1350 E. Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Key information for ArtServe can be found on their website, as follows: https://artserve.org.