house represents the ideals of democracy and stands as a pillar of justice in our community, but for those who must avail themselves of court intervention, the very idea of visiting the courthouse can be overwhelming. Few things are more stressful than a day in court. For litigants, whether attorney or client, the strain of a trial is enormous. For law enforcement, for victims facing their abusers and for those traumatized by events in which they’re forced to testify, a day in court can be downright scary. From the unease of the albeit necessary security check upon entering, to the cold, cavernous hallways; the emotionally charged courtroom testimony; the sometimes gruesome trial evidence and other courtroom stressors – there’s just not a lot of comfort in a day in court. Situated in the county seat of Norristown, the courthouse is an architectural treasure. Despite the unique mix of history and progress that the courthouse represents, it has been decades since the interior of the courthouse underwent a significant transformation or received a cosmetic facelift. In the early 1950s, artist George M. Harding was commissioned to paint grand murals in the main courtrooms of the 2nd and 3rd floors, depicting scenes from the county’s rich history. No other art initiatives for the commissioned since that time. If you walk down any of the courthouse hallways or visit any of the newer courtrooms, you will see blank, and I venture to say, uninviting walls. In the shadow of tough economic times and widespread budget cuts impacting county organizations like
Legal Aid and the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project, members of our legal community and those of us who visit or conduct business in government buildings like our courthouse recognize there are far more pressing issues for our tax dollars to address than sprucing up the courthouse And so, MBA’s Community Outreach Committee developed Courting Art: a community art initiative which aims to populate the interior walls of the Montgomery County Court House with artwork from county residents. The committee, a group comprised of lawyers, community leaders, and business leaders, were able to develop this initiative from the ground up completely internally. “We were able to tap particular members with experience in art and exhibitions, whose input was invaluable in creating this project,”
community, and in exchange provide a forum for local artists to showcase their work for years to come. For this year’s inaugural contest, “What I Love About Montgomery County,” artists age 55 or better from Montgomery County are invited to create and submit original paintings, drawings and mixed media for a juried, VIP art exhibition and contest. Make no mistake, the artwork that the MBA COC expects to receive from those senior artists should be nothing less than exceptional. Many senior citizen communities and centers have incredible art programs. These facilities are teeming with talented artists and the MBA COC felt there was no better forum to showcase the talents of the county’s senior artists. Joanne Kline, a member of the MBA COC and Executive Director of Aging and Adult Services of Montgomery County, has been a tremendous supporter of the contest and affirmed the incredible artwork being produced by our county’s seniors. Prizes will be awarded for winning entries at the conclusion of this year’s event. A grand prize of $1,000 is planned. Unique to this year’s Courting Art exhibition and contest, our esteemed panel of judges will include, among others, sitting judges
says Judge Carluccio. Courting Art will embody a series of community art contests and public exhibitions, hosted by the Bar Association and its partners, over the next several years. Montgomery County is loaded with artistic talent. These contests and exhibitions are intended to solicit work from the
In mid-March, Community Outreach Committee Chair, Hon. Carolyn T. Carluccio (c) and Vice-Chair, Melissa M. Boyd, Esq. (r) made an on-air appearance on the Hank Cisco Show.
SIDEBAR
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SPRING 2013
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