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‘The spark that brings people, resources and dreams together’
"Donna Sue Groves made a difference in Adams County," Tom Cross, director of the Adams County Travel and Visitors Bureau said recently. "Not too many people can say that, but Donna Sue's vision of the Quilt Barn project became one of the cornerstones Adams County tourism was built upon, with those 20 original quilt barns. Her name and Adams County will forever be linked to the tourism phenomenon that has spread throughout the U.S., with 98 dedicated quilt barn driving trails winding across 26 different states." The Governor's Awards for the Arts is a statewide program that showcases and celebrates Ohio artists, arts organizations, arts patrons and business support of the arts. The primary mission of the awards is to increase public awareness of the economic, educational and cultural value of the arts in our state. A selection committee made up of members of the Ohio Arts Council board chooses the winners. Groves was one of six award recipients selected from 79 nominations submitted this year by individuals and organizations throughout the state. In her nomination of Groves, Patty Mitchell, of Athens, wrote, "Donna Sue Groves has been the connector - the spark that brings people, resources and dreams together - building civic and community capacity at the grass-roots level for over 40 years. Throughout Ohio, and especially in Appalachia, she has worked with communities, training and inspiring people to recognize and support their untapped talent and potential." Originally from Creed, West Virginia, Groves is a 1966 graduate of Charleston High School and has a journalism degree from West Virginia University. When she was a child traveling in a car through her home state, her mother, Maxine Groves, would occupy her children with counting barns and advertising signs along the way. Groves explained that it was too boring to try to keep track of license plates as traffic was very sparse in their area. So, instead, she learned an appreciation of barns and developed an interest in promotion. Groves also developed service skills for her community through involvement with Girl Scouts, through working at a local radio station and as a candy striper at the local hospital. In time, Groves' parents relocated to Xenia, and she followed them there. While living in the southern end of the city, a working class neighborhood, she noticed they didn't seem to get the same services as other areas. She launched into her first major community service project, organized the residents, and the result was new street renovations and upgrades to gas and water lines. Subsequently, Groves was asked to run for city commissioner. She campaigned door to door and won, beating an incumbent in the election. However, before completing the term, she and her mother decided to relocate to Adams County. The year was 1989, and by then she had raised a child and was divorced. Maxine was widowed and retired from her vocation as a school teacher. "I had been on a lot of nature trails here," said Maxine. "I liked the relaxed pace. People are kind here and look after each other. It was a good place to call home." The two ladies purchased a small farm on Germany Hill Road from which they could see the Kentucky hills. Maxine built a house for them to live in and had a place to do her hobby of quilting. She had learned the craft from her mother and grandmother. "There's a tobacco barn on the property," Groves said. "It was very plain and dull. I promised Mom I would paint one of her quilt squares on it to brighten it up. Time went on, and I didn't get around to it." In 2001, Pete Whan, with the Nature Conservancy, offered to help paint the square. Elaine Collins, director of Adams County Economic Development, was with them at the time. Groves thought if they were going to paint one square, they could paint an entire trail of them across the county to draw tourists and bring economic opportunities to local artists and businesses. "Her own vision took root in the Quilt Barn Project," wrote Mitchell. "Honoring her mother, Donna Sue thought murals of quilt squares installed on barns would be a unique way for communities to emphasize and utilize local assets for economic development. But even Donna Sue could not have imagined how successful this project would become." Groves will receive the award at a luncheon at noon on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at the Columbus Athenaeum in Columbus. The awards presentation is typically presided over by the Governor, the President of the Ohio Senate and the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. Along with the other award winners, Groves will receive an original work of art by Cleveland photographer Larry Kasperek. For more information, please visit the Ohio Arts Council Web site at www.oac.state.oh.us, or call the council at (800) 750-0750. The Ohio Arts Council was created in 1965 to "foster and encourage the development of the arts and assist the preservation of Ohio's cultural heritage." This is accomplished by the council in two primary methods; first, through the various grant funding programs that the council operates to provide support to artists and to make arts activities available to a broad segment of Ohio's public; and secondly, by providing services that help to enhance the growth of the arts. There are a total of 7 different grant programs and a variety of service programs operated by the council. | ||||||||
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Donna Sue Groves Wins Gov Award for the ARTS!
http://www.peoplesdefender.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=130797&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=83&S=1
Friday, January 22, 2010
Art Idea Links
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/giant-gladiolas-709261/
http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/pdf/crafts/0303_jug_gladiolas.pdf
Links to Article about and how to make this bouquet of flowers -- made out of milk jugs.
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