Meet Lauren Worth: Painter and Supporter of The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro
I come from a family of artists, so I’ve always been around creativity. Both my uncle and his son were and are noted portrait painters. My grandmother and mother were gifted seamstresses creating their own designs. I always loved art history, and there were many art publications in our family library that I loved to peruse as a child. That childhood interest led me to gain a double major in college, one being studio art, and I’ve never stopped exploring the process. I’ve been working with mixed collage on canvas and paper for the last 18 years.
Art in all of its forms can be a powerful catalyst for social change. I’ve always had a subliminal message coursing through my work, especially over the last 20 years, reminding my viewers to stop, have patience, and look at the natural world. My greatest concerns, especially at this time, are for the state of the environment and what initiatives will or won’t be implemented that will guarantee cleaner air, soil, and water for everyone living on this earth. Our planet can get along just fine without humans, but we have nowhere else to go. I am certainly not going to live on Mars.
David and I have also been supporters of the visual arts for over 40 years in the Greensboro area. We founded the Public Art Endowment with the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro in 2008 to bring significant works of public art to the area. I have served on art selection committees and on boards of the Public Art Endowment, Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, and the Weatherspoon Arts Foundation. We have also taken a special interest in providing and funding visual art for Cone Health Hospital. It has been proven that original art in hospitals can help in a patient’s comfort and healing. It also lifts the spirits of patient family members and reduces stress for hospital staff.
I want to give a shout out to my dear friend Laura Way who has done a magnificent job as director of The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro in growing interest and gaining support for the arts regionally. I have enjoyed being a part of several art selection committees sponsored by The ACGG. Exposure to any art form gives our children a more well rounded education. Art is “food for the soul.” It nurtures creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness. All humans are capable of being creative-they just need encouragement and an engaging outlet in which to participate. The ACGG provides all of that.