The Kendal Institute Engages with the Arts

Two weeks ago the Kendal Institute for Community Engagement sponsored two events that gave residents of Kendal at Granville opportunities to enjoy a taste of the artistic richness of Licking County. On Wednesday, March 11, the chamber strings of the Newark-Granville Symphony performed a concert for a delighted crowd in the Amelia Room. Comprised of boys and girls from the sixth through the tenth grades, the chamber strings demonstrated how the schools, with the support of the arts community, afford aspiring young musicians chances to perform in ensembles before live and enthusiastic audiences. In addition to playing four numbers composed for youth orchestras, they took the time to introduce themselves to the audience. When, at the end, the conductor asked if there were any questions, the residents had plenty! And all testified to the happiness, enthusiasm, and excitement that the sight and sound of the young musicians had generated. No one could doubt that the concert had been an event that successfully engaged Kendal residents with the community.

Two days late, on Friday, March 13, forty-five residents journeyed by bus and car to The Works, the spectacular museum  of art, crafts, and local history that is one of the crown jewels of the cultural life of Newark, Ohio. The Works offers many attractions, but the two that stood on the residents' agenda for the day were a visit to the exhibition about Licking County in World War I, and the glass-blowing studio. With artifacts and pictures, the former reminded viewers of the way life was abruptly altered for county residents when the United States went to war in April of 1917. Then, with demonstrations – and active participation by five bold residents – the Kendal gang received instruction in how to create glass works with a combination of heat, breath control, and a little luck.

Credit for organizing the activities of this week rests chiefly with Jane Heller, one of Kendal's splendid resident artists. The evidence so far is largely anecdotal, but it suggests that the Kendal Institute is having the effect it sought: widening resident awareness of, and readiness to participate in, the fostering of artistic activities in the county.