Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Williams.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I began my journey with The David Adler Music and Arts Center in 2010 as a part time administrative assistant. Six months later I was promoted to the full time Program Director. My primary focus was to continue to grow the Center’s well known Individual music instruction, developing both youth and adult art programs, re-introducing and building the Adler exhibition series, organizing and curating over 36 exhibitions, re-hauling the summer and camp programming and curriculum, bringing Youth Art Month to Libertyville, a month to recognize and support the art students of the community, designing and managing all marketing materials and promotions, and examining the needs and opportunities unique to the David Adler Music and Arts Center. In 2014, I was appointed by the board of directors to become the Executive Director, when Dianna Monie, stepped down after twenty years with the Center.
Prior to working at the Center, I had over 15 years’ experience working in Graphic Design for multiple corporations. After moving to Libertyville in 2002, I was active in volunteer work and was a member of multiple fine arts boards and committees throughout the community.
As the Executive Director of the David Adler Music and Arts Center it is my responsibility to be an excellent steward to The David Adler Music and Arts Center’s mission and become a leader and advocate for the arts in our community. The arts have always been a passion of mine and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Center, foster opportunities, and engage the community to fully realize the potential of this organization.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Working for a not for profit always has struggles. The biggest struggle is maintaining a historic building.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about David Adler Music and Arts Center – what should we know?
With a commitment to community, the David Adler Music and Arts Center serves to educate, promote, and preserve the arts.
The David Adler Music and Arts Center is dedicated to promoting music and the arts as an integral part of everyday life. Its year-round activities are designed to foster critical thinking and interpretation, participation, entertainment, and achievement in music and the arts for the people of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
The David Adler Music and Arts Center maintains and interprets the historic home of architect David Adler, which is the base of its activities, and a visual image of the harmony between music, the arts, and daily life.
As one of the few community music and arts schools in central Lake County, the Adler Center provides over 1500 community members, of all ages and abilities with an opportunity to participate in music and the arts through individual music instruction, group art and music classes, Chamber Camp and Camp Adler, a summer arts day camp.
Through music and art instruction, the Adler Center strives to provide community members with lessons which they can apply in their everyday life. Younger students develop confidence, self-esteem, a determination to try difficult things, self-discipline, concentration, and a lasting enjoyment of music and art. Beyond the cognitive lessons learned, Adler Center students apply their music and art skills, knowledge and appreciation in their everyday lives through activities at their schools, places of employment, places of worship or throughout the community in various settings.
The Adler Center’s visual art program offers classes for age’s youth through adults. The Center offers a successful Exhibition Series using the Historical House as a gallery. The Exhibition Series highlights a new artist or artists each month (September – May) and kicks off each Exhibition with an opening reception which brings hundreds of people to the Center each month.
The Adler Center operates in the historic home of renowned architect, David Adler, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center continues to be as creative and cost effective with the space of the building and still stay within the guidelines of the National Register of Historical Places.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The Adler Center is governed by a board of directors. Two board directors that stand out and who have guided me in so many ways are Dr. Guy Schumacher and Diane Cooper.
After becoming the Executive Director, we built an amazing Administrative Team that continues to help me carry out the Adler Center’s mission. I could not do this alone.
The Adler Center could not exist without the help and support of the Village of Libertyville.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1700 North Milwaukee Ave.,
Liberyville, IL 60048 - Website: www.adlercenter.org
- Phone: 847-367-0707
- Email: damac@adlercenter.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theadlercenter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidadlercenter/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/adlercenter
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/adler0616/
Image Credit:
Studio West Photography
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