History of the Fine Arts Society
When the founding members of the Fine Arts Society of Peoria met for the first time on June 6, 1962, they proposed the following as their mission: "To provide a guided program for exploration of the arts." The program initially consisted of eight lectures per season, and all were held in the Gallery of Glen Oak Pavilion. Membership then cost $5 and the season ran from October through May.
Early minutes of the governing volunteer Board further note that one of the principal aims of the Fine Arts Society would be to stimulate interest in art exhibits by coordinating the lecture series with exhibits scheduled in the Gallery. (Glen Oak Pavilion Gallery was the predecessor of the present Lakeview Museum.)
Over the past four and a half decades, the Fine Arts Society has sponsored 336 lectures designed not only to enlighten and entertain members and guests but also to encourage their further study of and participation in the arts. More than 230 distinguished speakers as well as performances by troupes of ballet dancers and Kabuki players have been presented. Several of the organization's most popular lecturers have been invited back to Peoria many times, and among them are Dr. Esther Sparks (10), Karl Moehl (7), Dr. Elliot Engel (6), Brian Cairns (5) and W.R. Dalzell (5).
Today the Fine Arts Society numbers approximately 300 members and attracts scores of guests from the general public to every program. The season now runs from October through April, and there are two categories of membership: individual ($30) and family ($50). Single lecture tickets cost $7 for adults and $2 for students.
During the season, programs are held - usually at Lakeview Museum, 1125 West Lake Avenue, Peoria - on the second Thursday of the month. Coffee and light refreshments are served at 9:30 a.m. and the one-hour lecture begins at 10 a.m.
Besides its annual lecture series, FAS also organizes educational field trips to various art-related sites.
Fine Arts Society Milestones
1962 - FAS is registered as a not-for-profit corporation with the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State.
1963 - Bylaws are approved.
1984 - FAS receives a "chairman's grant" from the Illinois Arts Council.
1985 - Esther Cohen and Cordelia Robinson are thanked for their efforts on behalf of the newly established Endowment Fund, and the first contributions from members are recorded.
1988 - IRS recognizes the Fine Arts Society as a 501(c)(3) organization and declares it to be exempt from federal income tax.
1992 - FAS receives a grant from the Illinois Arts Council in support of a program given by Malcolm Miller of Chartres, France. (This lecture coincided with the Society's 30th anniversary celebration.)
1993 - New Fine Arts Society logo is designed and authorized.
2005 - Constitution and revised Bylaws are adopted.
2006 - FAS receives a Special Assistance Grant from the Illinois Arts Council for its lectures on Thomas Hart Benton and Chicago Architecture.
2006 - Robert Itschner and Bernie Drake are the first men ever elected to serve on the 15-member all-volunteer FAS Board of Directors.
2006 - Work is completed on the premier edition of the Fine Arts Society website. (The creator of the website is Yvette Richey.)
2007 - FAS celebrates its 45th anniversary with a special evening program featuring a lecture by artist Pixie Jacquin and Gospel music performed by the Zion Inspirational Choir under the direction of Francis Duren.
2008 - FAS adopts a vision statement: The Fine Arts Society of Peoria ...exploring, expanding, enlivening the fine arts.
This site and all of its contents are copyrighted property of the Fine Arts Society of Peoria, 2005-2008. All rights reserved.
Site designed and developed by Yvette Richey.
Last updated on July 14, 2008.
