The art of returning 30 years later: Kristyne Gilbert
Mohammad Alsheikh, Jay Brown, Jordan Hill, Natalie Rottmann
“I moved away. I had a variety of jobs and opportunities, and through those experiences what I have done since I returned here ten years ago was take everything I’ve learned in larger cities or different cities and different careers and really apply them to help care for and work hard for the community,” said Kristyne Gilbert, the director of the Buchanan Center for the Arts in Monmouth, IL.
Gilbert graduated from Monmouth College in 1996, her time was unique while attending Monmouth, she left college to get married and then returned. She graduated with her bachelor’s in business administration despite starting as an education major because of her love for art. Gilbert moved away from Monmouth, but then returned 30 years later and became the director of the Buchanan Center for the Arts.
“We partner with and are open to partnering with businesses and organizations, to further not only the mission of the art center. As well as to further the mission of providing quality, caring, experience in Monmouth,” said Gilbert.
The Buchanan Center for the Arts has been an
asset for our community for thirty-five years.
She has partnered with many organizations since her time at the Buchanan Center for the Arts such as Jameison Center, Monmouth College, the Monmouth library, and many more organizations and businesses within the community.
“She’s an advocate for the arts, she’s an advocate for the community. She’s an advocate for this college. She has strong ties to this place and just Monmouth in general,” said Stacy Lotz, the arts professor of Monmouth College.
Lotz spoke on a program that Gilbert runs within the community. This program assigns a volunteer to elementary school classrooms. They do an art history lesson and complete a project together after. This was set up because they did not have access to a full-time art teacher in the schools. Gilbert has made it a mission to keep her love of arts open to the community, even those who did not have direct access to it.
“Sometimes you don’t understand the impact that you have on little kids, like young people. It’s a pretty rewarding thing to be involved in that,” Lotz said.
Gilbert not only works with the elementary students in the community, but the college students as well. Gilbert allows Monmouth College students to intern at the Buchanan Center for the Arts. Each internship is different based on the student. This provides each student with a unique experience specially constructed by Gilbert.
“To have in a small community such a presence and in fine arts in general, is really great. It suits and serves many needs as far as giving the students an additional outlet for fine arts within the community. The programs they offer, the events that they have allows our students to be able to participate and be involved in those things. As well as having experiences such as volunteer experiences or part-time jobs or internships that allow them to see first-hand how a nonprofit like that within the community operates. Kristyne’s a great mentor to our students in that role,” said Marnie Steach, the associate director of student success at Monmouth College.
Gilbert has worked with the education system within the community but focused on outreach within the community as well. Since returning, Gilbert has done work with another nonprofit in town, the Jameison Center. The executive director of the Jameison Center, Nancy Mowen, has worked with her many times such as holding art classes, and helping provide summer meal programs. Two nonprofit organizations working together within a community is a need that Gilbert and Bowen worked and continually plan to work to accomplish in Monmouth.
“She has a lot of energy. She really engages people well and is very inclusive. I think it has been so wonderful for the community. Sometimes art isn’t always reachable for all people who live in the community, especially low income families. We have a lot of immigrant families in our communities and Kristyne welcomes everybody,” said Mowen.
Gilbert has been described by her colleagues mentioned previously as energetic and driven when it comes to the community of Monmouth.
“My experience has been very rewarding that I was able to return to a small town, to return to Monmouth to be able to be apart of a community and have meaningful experiences, be able to grow and expand the services and opportunities at the Buchanan Center,” said Gilbert.