Artistically decorated wooden horses are popping up all around town as the Lassen County Arts Council’s community art event, The Art of Wild Horses, gets into full-swing with lots of local businesses, organizations and individuals decorating their own horses to display during the Lassen County Fair.
The Arts Council is the lead arts organization for Lassen County and an all-volunteer organization. This means all fundraising dollars go directly to fund the visual arts, performing arts, and literary arts programs.
“Additionally,” explains LCAC Board Member Roxanna Haynes, “we are tasked with providing arts services, including arts education and services to local area schools.”
Research by the California Arts Council indicates that children participating in the arts use different parts of the brain in a way similar to multi-language learners. The arts significantly boost student achievement, reduce discipline problems and increase the odds that students will enter and graduate from college.
In addition studies show that students who study the arts outperform their peers on the SAT by more than 80 points!
The Arts Council’s Wild Horse fundraiser not only gives the community the opportunity to work to raise funds for these important programs, but also to be a part of a really cool art display.
How does it work?
The Lassen County Arts Council has two sizes of wooden horse cutouts ready for you to decorate. They have a limited supply of horses available, 30 of each style; the Racing Mustang size is yours to decorate for a $50 donation and the larger Rising Stallion, with plenty of room for creative decorating is yours for $100.
All of the horses will be on display in a massive one-week public art installation at the south end of Susanville during the Lassen County Fair in July. They will also be displayed in the Fair Parade. It truly is a way for your business or organization to contribute to the arts and to make art at the same time!
There will be two People’s Choice awards, one for each style of horse, with voting occurring during the fair.
You can adopt your horse now at the Arts Council Gallery on Cottage Street, and the deadline to return the decorated horse is July 13th to give organizers time to create the art installation at the south end of town. Call the Arts Council today at 257-5222 to reserve your horse before they are all taken.
“The response to our Community Art Event has been amazing,” says Haynes, “and we are looking forward to seeing the beautiful and creative artwork.”
