The beloved Chester County Art Association (CCAA) is gearing up for a spring re-opening. With a new director hired, the West Chester organization is excited about a fresh start with new possibilities. John Baker, President of the Board of Directors, said, “As we look to restart our programming and offer classes, summer camps, and exhibits in the post Covid world, we are delighted to have Caitlin LaPorte working closely with our core of teachers and committed volunteers.”
Baker shared that within minutes of the announcement, he received a ton of positive feedback regarding the appointment. LaPorte, a West Chester University grad who interned at CCAA several years ago, has a postgraduate diploma in art galleries and museum studies from the University of Manchester in England where she interned at People’s History Museum. She also spent several years in Indiana. With a stint at Connor Prairie living history museum, Art with a Heart Indianapolis and more, she is bringing a good mix of experience to the table. As director, LaPorte will work closely with artists, members, teachers and the board to ensure the organization can continue to adapt to serve people and nonprofits.
A lot of folks have been working hard behind the scenes to keep the art center afloat, and Baker is appreciative. “I want to commend the board, they stepped up to the call. Everyone has had some input and has taken on tasks that needed addressing. They understood the position we were in and everybody was very supportive.” While the group managed to keep things going, they are more than happy to turn the reins over to LaPorte. It isn’t to say the board won’t continue to be involved. There is a lot to organize. LaPorte is thankful for their engagement, “I appreciate the board’s involvement because there is a learning curve for me now in taking all of this on. I would certainly be very overwhelmed otherwise, with the various roles I am playing. It’s nice being in the position we are though. We’re in a spot where we can build back up and build it up differently, we can look at how things were done before and what changes we want to make. We can do it step by step instead of jumping in to something that is already set in place. I have a blank slate to work from.”
Baker added, “It couldn’t have worked out better. I knew Caitlin from WCU and I also knew about the short experience she had here last March. Her fundraising skills were phenomenal.” LaPorte, elaborated, “I was hired last year for communications and grants. My first day of work was the first day of the pandemic shutdown. I ended up having to make the decision to go back to my previous job because it wasn’t a guaranteed full time position at the time.” Baker provided the recent history after CCAA went into its winter hibernation, “Since late December everything’s been board driven. Jeff Schaller and I took the lead, saying we’ll manage and keep everything functioning. The two main concerns on the front end is jumpstarting art camp while fundraising too. There is more behind these but right now, this is the focus. There are so many opportunities, not only is this a time to readdress the day to day functions but the whole operational aspect of the organization, even the board structure, so everything is open at this point.”
Regarding summer camp, LaPorte has restructured it a little bit from past years, mainly to simplify and streamline it. The goal is to get people back. “With so many art centers and museums being closed, now people are really ready and in need of it. We just want to get people in and engaged in any way possible. Summer camp is the first big hurdle and from there, we’ll slowly roll out adult classes for nights, weekends, workshops. We hope to transition to some fundraisers in the fall, to be in a good spot for next year.” Baker reiterated that CCAA will follow all Covid-19 guidelines, “Class size will be smaller but with some fundraising, maybe we can expand to the outside with a tent and be protected from the weather.”
The full schedule of exhibitions will kick off in the fall. Prior to summer camp though, the exhibition “View” is being planned for May to coincide with Chester County Studio Tour. Baker again, “This will be a starting location for studio tour. People can actually preview all the exhibiting artists on the tour, and we’ll tie in the gift shop too which will open at the end of April and up until camp starts. What we really want to do is streamline our energy to our core location and get our programs running again. Later we can start looking at our outreach again. We’re always looking for volunteer support too not only for art camp but throughout the year.” LaPorte is looking forward to engaging with her new coterie, “The Chester County Art Association is an important community resource, and I am pleased to be directing our work in partnership with artists, teachers, our members, and students. The Art Association was a catalyst for my growth and passion for the arts. I look forward to helping others find their spark through the arts. We have much work to do, especially as we move through the pandemic, and I am eager to begin.”
“View” opens on Thursday, May 6th. For details on summer camp, and volunteer opportunities, check the CCAA website here and sign up for the newsletter, where plans are being announced.
Whatever you do this week, support the arts!!
About Constance McBride
A native of Philadelphia, Constance McBride lived in Arizona for 16 years, where desert observations made a transformative impact on her work as a research based visual artist. Passionate about contemporary art, she was actively engaged in the local arts community. She served as a board member for several art organizations, managed an artist collective/gallery space, curated and juried several exhibitions and wrote for two arts publications in Phoenix. She taught ceramics at Shemer Art Center and Museum and exhibited her work both locally and nationally. McBride returned to Pennsylvania in 2018 and resides in Chester Springs with her husband and two dogs. In West Chester, she serves as a board member at The Art Trust Gallery at Meridian Bank and teaches ceramics at Chester County Art Association. She also teaches at Clay on Main in Oley, PA. She is a member of American Craft Council, Philadelphia Sculptors, and Women’s Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter.
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