Tom Rich has been selected as the new president of the Fishers Arts Council (FAC), an arts group that promotes spaces for public art and local artists in the city.
The long-time Fishers resident has been a board member since 2016, and most recently served as vice president. His stated goals are to work with the city of Fishers, local businesses and various artist organizations to expand opportunities for artists to exhibit and sell their art; to expand the opportunities for residents and visitors of Fishers to enjoy the visual arts; and to promote additional opportunities for the performing arts in Fishers.
Rich is also involved with the following groups: Fishers Police Academy Alumni Association, Nickel Plate District Committee and Heritage Meadows Homeowners Association. He earned a B.S. in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Tom lives in Fishers with his wife, Connie. Free time is spent with grandchildren, Nash and Cooper, and traveling.
Rich manages the relationship forged by past president Shari Knox with GAI Consultants. The GAI Fishers location now has artists exhibiting work on a rotating basis. The current exhibit at GAI Consultants features artwork by Alice Harpel. Rich also has plans for a Hamilton County Juried Artist Exhibit this October and a Plein Air event in 2021.
FAC also welcomes new board members for 2020: Pat Grabill – watercolor artist and retired MSDLT educator; Jill Lehman – founder and managing consultant of High Frequency Arts; and Laura Villanyi – glass artist and former board member of the Children’s Museum and Indianapolis Art Center. Villanyi was elected to Vice President of the board for 2020. Returning board members include Madeline Romeo (Secretary), Les Reinhardt (Treasurer), Olivia Holt, and Michael Patrick.
FAC, in existence since 1995, is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer non-profit organization. The group curates the monthly Art Gallery at City Hall exhibits and its new exhibit space: The Alcove, the annual Arts Crawl with Fishers Parks & Rec, plus two events that started in 2018 which aligned with the City of Fishers: Shop Fishers! and Winter Wonderland. These last two events were well received and included drop-in art classes for the community.
FAC is looking to expand the drop-in class offering this summer with a new project titled “Spark! of Creativity” which will take place during Spark!Fishers. The group is always looking into additional opportunities to help visual and performing artists living in Fishers share their work with the general community and has recently added musical guests to their monthly gallery receptions.
For more information on the Art Gallery, FAC events, or if your business would like to host an exhibit of a local artist, please contact the Fishers Arts Council at info@FishersArtsCouncil.org. To learn more about FAC, visit FishersArtsCouncil.org, find FAC on Facebook and Instagram.