Art Mission & History
The Fine Arts Committee
MISSION
The Fine Arts Committee works to promote the cultural, social, and economic importance of the arts to the community at large. By making art accessible to everyone, our community is strengthened by fostering freedom of expression, creativity, and the celebration of life through art.
We are inclusive, open, and embrace diverse ideas and art forms. By bringing together artists, patrons, and citizens in the setting of Quiet Waters Park, we are able to provide a solid foundation for a flourishing and healthy arts community. We believe a legacy of art is critical for future generations, and we pride ourselves by being an enthusiastic and engaging organization that operates on the highest level of excellence.
- Communicate and coordinate with rangers, staff, and the Board of the Friends of Quiet Waters Park, the overall work objectives of the committee
- Contribute to the strategic sessions for the Park by participation on the Board
- Review, select, organize, and install public exhibitions of art in the Galleries of Quiet Waters Park
- Provide a yearly calendar of upcoming events distributed to Park officials and Friends of Quiet Waters Park
- Seek to acquire additional funding for the Park through donations, grants, sponsorships, funds raised from gallery fees and sales, and all other appropriate fundraising means and opportunities
- Facilitate coordination with staff and rangers, the organization of the Annual Fine Arts Festival
- Provide support to the Sculpture Committee
- Count, categorize, and enter into the registers any funds taken in from exhibits and Fine Arts Festival
- Provide a single point-of-contact for anything related to art and cultural activity held at the Park
- Maintain membership in the Annapolis Galleries Association to keep them informed of events at the Galleries of Quiet Waters Park
HISTORY
When Quiet Waters Park first opened its doors in September 1990, The Friends of Quiet Waters Park was founded as a non-profit 501-(C-3 support organization. The mission of this group is to provide volunteers to assist in the park activities and to raise monies to aid in the beautification and maintenance of the acreage of this massive park.
At that time, a Fine Arts Committee and a gallery exhibition program was initiated and coordinated by one of the volunteers. It was at that time that the walls of the Visitor Center’s Willow Gallery, Garden Gallery, and Dogwood Gallery became venues for juried art exhibitions.This Fine Arts Committee, composed of volunteers, (all artists, art administrators, art teachers or patrons has provided the viewing public with various media from numerous prominent artists and art organizations from the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, out-of-state and abroad. The space is rented to the exhibiting artists for approximately a six week period at a nominal fee, and when work is sold, twenty-five percent of the purchase price goes to The Friends of Quiet Waters Park. This fund-raising program has been extremely successful for both the exhibiting artists and the Friends, and in the more than twenty year period since its inception, has generated thousands of dollars for use in the park.The Fine Arts Committee also has a community outreach program in which the Friends sponsor different groups and organizations. In past years the committee has presented the Anne Arundel County High School Juried Student Art Exhibitions, The Art of The Capital Photographers – a tribute to all the photo-artists of Annapolis’ local newspaper who have captured the spirit of the community and its cultural activities throughout the years. In 2004 the galleries sponsored the first special exhibit celebrating the art work of members from all the senior centers. All these exhibitions and opening receptions are sponsored by the Friends using their funds or grant money and at no expense to the exhibiting organizations.
In addition to the ongoing exhibitions, The Fine Arts Committee works with the staff of Quiet Waters Park in coordinating Art@ the Park occurring in the fall of each year. This event has attracted many of the most talented artists and craftsmen from the Chesapeake area and from out-of-state. Because of it its popularity and reputation the spaces are usually filled up well in advance with a waiting list. Again, this event has generated monies to be used directly for the benefit of the park.Several of the members of the Fine Arts Committee also serve on the Outdoor Sculpture Committee with the president of the Friends of Quiet Waters Park and the superintendent of the park selecting artworks from artists residing throughout the United States and abroad. Changing periodically, these creative and innovative sculptures enhance the park’s natural beauty throughout the three-hundred thirty-six acres of woodlands and open space.As time goes on the Fine Arts Committee members are continually making plans to reach out in new directions and attract many diversified exhibitors to the gallery space.
Fine Arts Committee 2023
- Chair: At Ford
- Secretary: Ottilie Habercam
- Publicity: Marietta Schreiber
- Applications: Gail Olmstead (Arts@fqwp.org)
- Arts Contracts: Jane Lunney
- Exhibitors Liaison: At Ford
- Installation Consultants: David Diaz; Marietta Schreiber; Jenny Gruver
- Receptions: Paulette Schwallenberg; Janette Hiesener
- Sales: Carol Keyser
- Technical Expert: Juliana Vail
- Arts and Music Festival: Gail Olmstead, Jenny Gruver, Ottilie Habercam
- Member at Large: Lynn Goff
- Honorary Chair: Dinah Little
- Park Liaison: Ranger Elizabeth Schilder
- For Info and Inquiries: Arts@fqwp.org
