The mission of the Tall Grass Arts Association is
"to promote public education and appreciation of the arts; to encourage artists; and to support high quality art through exhibitions, sales, classes and special programs available to the public of all ages." To that end, Tall Grass Arts Association (TGAA):
- Operates a gallery that exhibits regional, national and international artists.
- Conducts an art school that offers classes to children and adults. Also hosts fundraising activities to promote access for students in financial need.
- Attracts many juried artists from across the United States. Tall Grass has 350 juried artists who either attend the Art Fair, display in gallery exhibitions, or have items for sale in the gift shop.
- Encourages participation from neighboring communities including but not limited to Dyer, Indiana on the east, Kankakee on the south, Joliet on the west and the City of Chicago on the north. Our Board of Directors and volunteers live in many surrounding South Suburban communities.
How Is Tall Grass Arts Association Funded?
Tall Grass Arts Association is a not-for-profit organization operated by a volunteer Board of Directors. It operates with a part-time Executive Director and School Manager and many volunteers. Tall Grass receives funding from individual and corporate memberships, program sponsorships, public and private grants, and income-producing programs such as: art classes, the art fair, the Beaux Arts Ball Gala, and gallery sales.
Why Is It Important To Support Tall Grass?
To fulfill our mission, Tall Grass feels it is essential to remain a gallery that is free to the public. Children, from preschool to high school, college students and adults visit the gallery. For some, a visit to the gallery is a first-time experience and the first time to view professional art by juried artists. To see a child react to the wonders of a painting or a sculpture makes one understand how important the fine arts are to our civilization – past, present and future.
A sign on the outside wall of a gallery in Prague proclaims, "If a nation's culture survives, so, too does the nation." The same can be said of the TGAA culture in this region. Tall Grass is the visual arts organization in this region dedicated to keeping ARTS ALIVE! Its long-term success enriches our families, the community-at-large, our neighborhoods and the "
well-being" of future artists. The arts for centuries have been the focal point of civilization.