Illinois Art Station is pleased to announce its recent hire of Laura Jaster, who joins IAS as its new Executive Director. Jaster will oversee IAS in its transition to an independent, public nonprofit and lead a strategic development program that will establish IAS as an integral part of the Bloomington-Normal community.
“As a long time advocate for the arts and an arts educator, I was drawn to IAS and its commitment to making art, not only accessible, but a vibrant aspect of life for the children and youth of this community,” Jaster said. “I believe art is a powerful force that allows children to create, play, learn and use their voice. IAS is sharing this with our community and letting kids know that anyone can be an artist and that art is truly for everyone.”
Jaster comes to Illinois Art Station with a Master’s degree in art history and years of experience working in museum education and community arts organizations. Jaster’s background includes serving as the Coordinator of Docents and Tours at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin where she oversaw the volunteer educator program and worked with program development and implementation for school and teacher programs and university audiences. Most recently, Jaster has served on the board of the Vermillion Area Arts Council, an organization dedicated to bringing arts programming to the community in Vermillion, SD, and as a volunteer education consultant for the University Galleries at the University of South Dakota.
“I am excited to bring my experience and enthusiasm for arts education to Bloomington-Normal and Illinois Art Station. There is no greater moment than when a child realizes something beautiful about themselves or the world around them through art and I am looking forward to all of the ways IAS will impact the children of this community moving forward,” Jaster said.
Illinois Art Station is a public nonprofit institution dedicated to providing all children, youth, and their families with transformative learning through hands-on experiences with the visual arts. For more information please call 309.386.1019, email IllinoisArtStation@gmail.com, or visit IAS online at IllinoisArtStation.org.
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