©2006-2010 Medina County Arts Council, Inc.
Current Medina County Arts Council Newsletter
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Medina County Arts Council members will celebrate our 29th anniversary at our Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on Thursday evening, February 9, 2012. Honored at the dinner will be the recipients of our 2011 Awards for Service to the Arts. Receiving the Organizational Award will be Brunswick Art Works, and the Individual Award will be presented to Jay Wardeska, Brunswick High School music teacher.
The dinner will be held at the Coppertop Golf Club Restaurant in Valley City beginning with a social “hour” at 6:30 p.m. A cash bar will be available, followed by the dinner which will be served starting at 7 p.m. Following the dinner, there will be musical entertainment and a brief business meeting in which new trustees will be elected and the awards will be presented.
Brunswick Art Works will be recognized for the organization’s development of arts activities and projects in Brunswick including monthly poetry readings and monthly “Meet the Artist” programs. Jay Wardeska will be recognized for his work with establishing The Brunswick Community Band, giving over 100 local musicians the opportunity to enjoy the art of performing. He has also worked to bring guest bands to perform in Brunswick.
During the meeting, Dan Hostetler, Arts Council President, will recognize our trustees and 2011 committees and give a report on the past year’s activities as well as plans for the future. The Finance Committee will present the financial report, and trustees will be elected for the 2012 to 2014 term of office.
The Awards Dinner Committee members are Judith Parish, Chair; Cindy Allman, and James Gilder. The dinner is open to the public as well as Arts Council members, but advance reservations must be received by February 2, so they should be mailed by January 29, 2012. Reservations are $26.00 per person. Call 330-725-6443 for information or to request that a reservation form be mailed to you.
Over 40 performers, both soloists and small groups, will be featured in the Seventh Annual “Spotlight Showcase” being presented by The Medina County Arts Council this month in the DeLorre and Lily Jean Haddad Theater in Broadway Hall. The singers, instrumentalists, dancers, and special acts come from communities all over the county and will be highlighted in the production scheduled for Friday, November 18, 2011. Curtain time is 8 p.m. The auditorium is in the County Administration Building at 144 N. Broadway Street in Medina
There will be great variety in the performances, from a tap dance group to a string quintet, to classic rock singers, to solo instrumentalists, to an appearance of Kermit the Frog. Included among the vocal and instrumental performers are Dan Polk, Dave Parsons, Donna Bica, Linda Ingram, Barry Frey, Carol Muhlbach, Barb Pijor, Lynne Herrle, Cynthia Ruhrkraut, Lisa Klatka, Monika Lennox, and Matt Chidsey. Dance companies include students from the Medina Centre for Dance Art, the community group called “The Oasis Dance Troupe,” and “The Hot Flashes.”
Directing the production is Allen White. Accompanist for the evening will be Kathleen Meyer, and Jeff Pandora is the Stage Manager. The Tech Director will be Allen Redmon. Crew members include: Jim Carrick, Shawn Skeabeck, James Chandler, Scott Hofstetter, and Andy Klimco. Theresa Laffey is the House Manager and Carl Becks is the Ticket Chair.
The Arts Council promotes this fundraising performance to give individual, local. performing artists and groups the chance to become more widely known to the general public. The evening will also provide information about arts activities scheduled for the rest of the season by arts organizations around the county.
Council Trustees describe the show, as “a fun, fundraiser,” and they have kept ticket prices in an affordable range - $14 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. The doors will open for seating at 7:30 p.m. The seats are not reserved. As an extra treat, the new Medina High School student band known as “Jazz Tan Laundry” will entertain the audience with jazz as they are seated and during the reception at the end of the show.
Extra support for the event has been secured from local businesses and individuals through program ads, patron contributions, and in-kind donations. Money raised will go toward a major goal of the Council - funding for grants to county non-profit arts organizations and special arts activities.
The Arts Council Trustees recognize that along with the growth of Medina County, the need to increase funds available for grants and local arts activities has become a development and service “must” for the Council. Performers are both individual artists who either make a living in the arts or perform for sheer pleasure, and those who work with one or more county arts organizations.
Tickets are being sold at all Buehler’s stores in Brunswick, Wadsworth, and Medina, and at Miss Molly’s Tea Room in Medina. Tickets will also be sold at the door as available. Early attendees on Friday will also have the opportunity to enjoy the Candlelight Walk festivities around Public Square which are slated for the late afternoon and dinner hours.
More information is available on MedinaArtBuzz.blogspot.com or call 330-722-5502.
Medina County ShowBiz Company presents...
Dracula
A Vampire Play in Three Acts
October 21-29, 2011 on Fridays and Saturdays @ 7:30pm & Sundays @ 2pm
Lucy Seward, whose father is the doctor in charge of an English sanitorium, has been attacked by some mysterious illness. Dr. Van Helsing, a specialist, believes that the girl is the victim of a vampire, a sort of ghost that goes about at night sucking blood from its victims. The vampire is at last found to be a certain Count Dracula, whose ghost is at last laid to rest in a striking and novel manner. The play is intended for all who love thrills in the theater, and is appropriate for all groups.
AT DELORRE & LILLY JEAN HADDAD THEATRE (BROADWAY STREET HALL)
LOCATED IN THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
144 N. BROADWAY, MEDINA, OHIO
TICKETS: $14 – Adults, $11 - Seniors & Students, $10 - groups of 20 or more
Available at www.medinashowbiz.com or www.TicketSpigot.com
Box Office 330-722-5776, at the Door,
or at all Medina County Buehler’s (Group tickets at Medina city Buehler’s only)
"A Walk with Spirits of the Past" set for September 9, 10, 11, 2011 in Medina
Tickets are now on sale for Medina’s Sixteenth Annual “Walk With Spirits of the Past” scheduled for September 9, 10, and 11, 2011. Tickets will be sold during business hours at Ormandy’s, 10 Public Square, Medina. The total number of tickets available for each performance will be limited. The entire walk will be wheelchair accessible.
The Medina Show Biz Company, The Medina County Historical Society, and The Medina County Arts Council, will cooperatively stage the event from 7 until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, September 9 and 10, and from 2 until 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 11. Guides will lead groups from the County Administration Building at 144 North Broadway Street to different sites around the Public Square area where the dramatic performances will take place.
Each fall since 1996, local actors from the Show Biz Company have given performances that tell stories of the lives of Medina pioneers and bring to life the people who made history in early Medina. The actors will use costumes and simple props as needed to give reality to the stories. Research for the stories to be presented has been done by members of the Medina County Historical Society.
Co-Chairperson, Donna Bica of the Medina Show Biz Company, has coordinated the script selection, the auditions for actors, and the scheduling of rehearsals. She is directing the 2011 performances as she has done each year in the past. Theresa Laffey, PR Chairperson of the Arts Council and Nancy Sprowls, Executive Director of the Arts Council, are coordinating publicity and the distribution of flyers. Mike Davanzo of the Historical Society, is scheduling guides and arranging ticket sales.
Adult tickets may be purchased for $5.00 if purchased in advance, and tickets for all children under 12 may be purchased in advance for $2. Tickets purchased on the day of the event may be purchased only at the beginning point of the Walk in the parking area of the County Administration Building. Day of event prices are $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for all children under 12. Call 330-725-6443 for further information about the event and related projects.
KnickKnode Prouctions to present "Run For Your Wife" on Medina Square
Knick Knode Productions in conjunction with Medina County Show Biz Company
is pleased to present Ray Cooney's hilarious comedy, "Run for Your Wife".
"One taxi driver, Two Wives. What could possibly go wrong?"
A Farce by Ray Cooney
Directed by Michael Nickley
Produced by Special Arrangement with Samuel French
3 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS AND 11 DATES TO SEE THIS PRODUCTION
MEDINA'S HISTORIC PUBLIC SQUARE (August 5, 6 at 8:00 PM - August 7 at 3:00 PM)
Corners of South Court & West Washington Streets
Medina, Ohio 44256
Old Town Hall Theatre (August 11-13 at 8:00 PM)
36119 Center Ridge Road
North Ridgeville, Ohio 44035
True North Theater (August 19,20,26,27 at 8:00 PM - August 21 at 3:00 PM)
French Creek Nature Theatre
4530 Colorado Avenue
Sheffield Village, Ohio 44055
FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION SEE TicketSpigot.com
Registration open for "Drawing and Cartooning" Class in Medina in July
The Medina County Arts Council will sponsor a fun summer art class that will introduce children to drawing and cartooning and will be taught by professional artist Jim Gill. The July workshop is designed for boys and girls who will be in grades 3 through 6 in the fall, and it will be held at the Medina Library. Four class sessions will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, July 5, 7, 12, and 14, 2011. “Imagination and a desire to draw are the only requirements for this summer workshop,” according to Gill.
Gill, who worked 20 years for American Greetings, currently teaches art privately and as an artist-in-residence for schools through the Young Audiences program in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. He has worked in schools since 1997 providing award winning art curriculum. He has also taught Illustration classes at The University of Akron and at Lakewood’s Beck Center.
During this four session class, children will get instruction on basic drawing skills using simple tools (paper, pencil, and pen). Students will look at nature, draw a realistic animal, then interpret the same creature into a personified form via cartooning. They will also work on simple perspective, rendering 3-D objects with shading, and other basic skills.
The Arts Council’s “Drawn to Art” Committee for the project includes retired children’s librarian Judith Parish, Chair, and professional artist Cindy Allman. Both are Arts Council Trustees. Nancy Sprowls also works with the committee as the Executive Director of the Medina County Arts Council. Class size will be limited. The registration fee is $55 per student. The cost is kept low, for it is underwritten by the Medina County Arts Council. All supplies are provided.
Early registration is advised, for summer cartooning classes in previous years filled quickly. Information and registration forms are available at the Medina County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau at 32 Public Square in Medina or on line at www.medinscountyartscouncil.org under the “drawn to art’ tab. A form can be mailed to you by calling 330-725-6443.
Medina County ShowBiz Company presents...
"Jacques Brel is Alive and Well & Living in Paris"
March 18-27, 2011
Production conception, English lyrics, additional material by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, based on Jacques Brel's lyrics and commentary, music by Jacques Brel
MARCH 18-19-20 & 25-26-27 Fridays and Saturdays @ 7:30pm & Sundays @ 2pm
AT BROADWAY STREET HALL
LOCATED IN THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
144 N. BROADWAY, MEDINA, OHIO
TICKETS: $14 – Adults, $11 - Seniors & Students, $10 - groups of 20 or more
Available at www.medinashowbiz.com or www.TicketSpigot.com
Box Office 330-722-5776, at the Door,
or at all Medina County Buehler’s (Group tickets at Medina city Buehler’s only)
Children's "Drawn to Art" Classes Begin in April
February 20, 2011
The Medina County Arts Council will sponsor a special art class in April - “Frogs and Toads, Oh My!” - taught by Sue Delac, a Medina County resident and an Akron City Schools “Teacher of the Year.” The class will be held at the Wolf Creek Environmental Center on Rt. 94 in Sharon Center and will meet on two Saturdays, April 2 and 9, 2011. The class will run from 10 a.m. to noon.
Students in the class will create a mixed-media piece of art that will include the concepts of color theory, nature and the environment, including the habitats of frogs and toads. The class is for children in grades three through six. The fee for the class is $40. This is the first Arts Council class scheduled for the 2011 year as part of a series of four classes for children called “Drawn to Art.” Class size is limited to 16 students.
The second class, a digital photography class called “Point, Click, Capture!” will also be located at the Wolf Creek Environmental Center on Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to noon. It will be taught by retired teacher and photographer Bill Beuther of Brunswick. Enrollment for this class is limited to 12 students and the cost is $20. Registration is now open and students may register for the April and May classes.
Working in cooperation with the Medina County Park District, the Medina Library, and the Brunswick Community Recreation Center, the Arts Council Program Committee for the project includes Arts Council trustees Judith Parish, Chair, and artist Cindy Allman. A registration form and brochure with additional information about all the classes can be printed from the Arts Council website: www.medinacountyartscouncil.org. Copies are also available at the Medina County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 32 Public Square in Medina.
In July, the committee has scheduled a “Drawing & Cartooning in Nature” class taught by Jim Gill at the Medina Library. In October, the fourth in the series of classes is “Discovering Art and Nature” which also will be taught by Delac, and which will be held at the Brunswick Community Recreation Center. There is a 10% discount on fees for Medina County Arts Council members. Early registration is advised. Call 330-725-6443 with questions.
PRESS RELEASES
December 6, 2010
The Medina County Arts Council Board of Trustees is now receiving applications for grants for the 2011-2012 season. Applications may be filed until February 28, 2011. Grant recipients will be notified in May of 2011. Applications may be printed out from the Web site: www.medinacountyartscouncil.org or they may also be secured by calling 330-725-6443 and requesting that a copy be mailed to you.
Any applications received after February 28 will not be considered. All grants will be reviewed in March and approved with an amount in April. Applicants will be informed of a decision by May 30. Grant checks will be distributed not more than two months prior to the start of the project/activities. The requesting nonprofit organization must have 501(c) status. Profits from any event or special project of the requesting organization shall be used to promote the arts. The Mission statement of the requesting organization must have an arts focus.
The Medina County Arts Council, established in 1983, is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote and build community excellence through the arts in Medina County. The Council serves and assists artists and arts organizations throughout the county. The organization may be reached by mail at P.O. Box 532, Medina, OH 44258, by e-mail at <medinaco.artscouncil@zoominternet.net> or contacted through the organization’s Web site, www.medinacountyartscouncil.org.
OLD PRESS RELEASES
Spotlight Showcase Scheduled for November 19
Spotlight Showcase Master of Ceremonies, Allen White, will raise the curtain of the 6th annual event at 8 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2010, in Broadway Hall in Medina. This program of dancing, vocalists, instrumental groups, and other entertainment, has a goal of raising $4,000 to help fund Medina County arts organizations and programs in the 2011-2012 season. Talented and experienced performers from all over Medina County are looking forward to joining forces to raise money for The Medina County Arts Council’s grant program.
Under the direction of Linda Ingram of Seville, who will direct the production for the second year, a stage crew lead by Nancee Alex-Houseman of Medina will handle lighting and sound and props for the performers. The tech crew members include Jim Carrick and Shawn Skeabeck of Brunswick, and Allen Redman, Scott Hofstetter, and Andy Klimko of Medina.
The Showcase cast, which will feature 20 or more different performances, is nearing completion. Included are: dancers from The Medina Centre for Dance Art led by Kelly Parks; singers and instrumentalists Susan Ungham, Chuck Perry, Justin Johnston, Ken Wendt, Tony Rump, Ali Malone, Lionel Whitney, and Mike Todd; the Lakeview Band; two performers from the Buckeye Community Theatre; and a visit from “Santa and Mrs. Santa” to end the evening. Watch your newspapers and the web site www.medinacountyartscouncil.org for updated information about the entertainment planned.
Theresa Laffey of Medina will be House Manager, and Julie Boyle will be in charge of stage decoration and the reception for the audience and the performers on stage after the show. The show’s Steering Committee includes: Dan Hostetler, Nancy Sprowls, and Linda Ingram. Carl Becks is Ticket Chair, assisted by Roger Smalley and Marlene Jividen, Hospitality will be handled by Julie Boyle. The Business Staff includes Marilyn Glauner, Susan Romine, Judith Parish. Barbara McGreer, Tom Sigel, and Eve Whitmore.
Tickets are on sale at Buehler’s stores in Medina, Wadsworth, and Brunswick, and at Gramercy Gallery, 221 S. Court St. and Miss Molly’s Tea Room, 140 W. Washington St. in Medina. Tickets are $14.00 for adults and $7.00 for ages 12 and under and will also be sold at the door as available.
Current Medina County Arts Council Newsletter
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The Medina County Arts Council and its members and member organizations join thousands of arts organizations, businesses, and communities across the nation in celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month throughout October. National Arts and Humanities Month gives the public a chance to recognize the values the arts give to our daily lives. Those values include not only personal enjoyment, but also economic, educational, and civic engagement values. Please join the Arts Council in honoring the efforts of artists, historians, teachers, and cultural groups who are working to make the arts and humanities a part of everyone’s life.
National Arts and Humanities Month has been described as an effort “to encourage Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of active participation in the arts and humanities. It has become the nation's largest collective annual celebration of the arts.” Among its goals are creating “a national, state and local focus on the arts and humanities;” encouraging “the active participation of individuals, as well as arts, humanities and other interested organizations nationwide;” and providing opportunities “for federal, state and local business, government and civic leaders to declare their support for the arts and humanities.”
Included in arts events planned for this month in Medina County communities are a musical noon-time Brown Bag Concert on October 19 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Medina, the Medina County Show Biz production of “Jekyll and Hyde” in Broadway Hall in Medina starting October 22; and the regular Poetry Readings and monthly artist’s presentations in Brunswick sponsored by Brunswick Art Works.
Check the links tab online at www.medinacountyartscouncil.org/ for contacting arts organizations for specifics on their schedules, and then check with your local library for a list of arts and history related activities. You might also want to investigate open houses scheduled by Historical Societies around the county, Information about events is also available from The Medina County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 330-722-5502 during business hours.
More information about National Arts and Humanities Month is available online at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/.
The Medina County Arts Council, in recognition of Arts Education Week -September 12 to 18, 2010, and in support of nation wide arts education goals - will schedule four art classes in 2011 for children in grades 3 through 6.
A mixed-media class will be held in the spring at Wolf Creek Environmental Center in cooperation with The Medina County Parks District. A digital photography class is scheduled for the Susan Hambley Nature Center in Brunswick in May, and a cartoon drawing class in Medina will be offered in July in Medina. Another mixed-media class in the autumn of 2011 in Brunswick will complete the schedule.
Americans for the Arts, the national organization that works to support the arts, has urged all states and local communities to observe the very first “Arts in Education Week.” On July 26, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution to designate the week following the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week each year.
Representatives sponsoring this resolution believe in highlighting the important role that arts education plays. It is an “essential element of a complete and balanced education for all students,” said Representative Jackie Speier, one of the sponsors of the legislation. She points out that “Studies have shown that an arts education improves math and verbal SAT scores, and with students in China and other nations pulling ahead, we cannot leave our students at a competitive disadvantage.”
The Medina County Arts Council asks all citizens, educators, and elected officials to join in marking September 12–18 as Arts in Education Week. Executive Director Nancy Sprowls says, “Our arts teachers in both schools and in community based programs need the public’s recognition and support.”
Closing out this season’s concert series in Spencer will be the band “PILGRIM.” They will appear on Thursday, September 16, 2010, in the last of this summer’s free concerts at J. B. Firestone Park with a program of blues, country and rock. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
Band members include "Big Mike" Gregory on guitar, Tyson Mapes who plays bass, and Chris Maneri/JP Hamm on drums. According to Mapes, spokesperson for the band, they “are a 3 piece combo, but have a couple revolving drummers.” The group has a self-released and produced CD of original material.
PILGRIM has played with Breathless (members of the Michael Stanley Band), Creedence Clearwater Revival, Blue Oyster Cult, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - all at Rocking Resort/Clay's Park. They have also played with Colonel Bruce Hampton and the Codetalkers and other local talents. Mapes says the band plays “Classic Rock, Rock and Blues as our covers, and have over 20 original numbers to boot. Our originals cover many genres including Heavy Blues, Country, Rock, Ballads etc.”
The group has been playing for around 10 years, and all the members play in other bands throughout NE Ohio. They have done several benefits for various causes including cancer benefits, accidental death benefits for individuals, the SPCA, and a few others. .
This concert is the fifth in the Spencer Village Council Parks Committee’s series of five free programs funded by an arts grant from the J. B. Firestone Trust for arts events at Firestone Park. The project is managed by the Spencer Parks Committee in cooperation with The Medina County Arts Council. The Arts Council has assisted with planning the concerts by helping the committee contact and secure performers and programs presented by musicians from the Medina County area.
The combined Firestone Park Concert Planning Committee includes Chairman Jim Stangel and Dan Derossett from the Spencer Village Council, and Judith Parish and Nancy Sprowls from the Medina County Arts Council. Questions and comments about the concerts should go to to Jim Stangel at:
<jimstangel@hotmail.com> or 330-416-7857.
The Medina County Arts Council members and trustees will be selling hot dogs at Buhler's Forest Meadows store on Friday, August 27th from 11:00am-4:30pm with proceeds supporting the summer arts program at Camp Paradise, Society for Hanidcapped Citizens.
President Dan Hostetler has announced that The Medina County Arts Council has received confirmation of an Ohio Arts Council “Arts Access Grant” to help support the programs and concerts in this past summer’s Arts Week celebration. This is the second year that this $500 grant has been received for Arts Week. The programs, running from July 12 through July 16, 2010, were presented in Medina, Brunswick, Spencer and Valley City. The Council Board and its Arts Week Committee had worked since March to schedule the evening concerts and noon children’s programs. Serving on the committee were Jim Gilder, Chair, Barbara McGreer, Judith Parish, and Michele Cotner who represented Brunswick Art Works. Nancy Sprowls, Executive Director, also worked with the committee. Parish was Chair of the Grant Committee which submitted the grant request for funding to the Ohio Arts Council.
According to Sprowls, the grant funds are extremely helpful in providing financial support under current economic conditions, and are also a great value to community families who want enjoyment of the arts within their budgets. All the programs were free to the public and use of the parks was provided in cooperation with local park committees and governments.
Arts Week has over a 20-year history. Medina County has many arts activities presented by local arts organizations during the summer months, but this one week in July is especially full of events. Medina County’s Annual Arts Week, supported and promoted by The Medina County Arts Council, traditionally has focused on being a lead-up to the ending event - Sunday’s Art-in-the-Park, the well-known event sponsored by The Medina County Art League.
As in the past, the Arts Council arranged and funded Arts Week performances and programs by local artists and entertainers for children and adults on Medina’s Public Square and in Brunswick at the Community Recreation Center outdoor stage. The free lunchtime performances were designed to provide entertainment and learning in the arts for children. The free evening concerts in Brunswick and Medina focused on adult and family audiences. The concerts in Valley City and Spencer, held for the second year, represent the expansion of the free outdoor concerts to areas of the county where they had not been held previously.
Presenters and performers in the four locations this year included: Bud Preston, Jeff Wolfe, Hannah Wynne, Jane Magargee, Lee Beuther, Jason Berry, Michele Cotner, the Cheyne-Stokes rock band, Nate ”The Great” Nawalaniec. the duos of Dan Polk and Dave Parsons, and Jim Gill and Doc Dreyfus, and Kelly Parks and students from The Medina Centre for Dance Arts.
The Medina County Arts Council will again sponsor a special art class, “Drawn to Art,” in July. It will be taught by professional artist Jim Gill who worked 20 years for American Greetings and who currently teaches art privately and as an artist-in-residence for schools through the Young Audiences program in Northeast Ohio. He has also taught the popular summer art class in cartooning for children in Medina the past two years.
The July 2010 workshop is designed for boys and girls who will be in grades 3 through 6 in the fall. During this four session class, children will get instruction on basic drawing skills using simple tools (paper, pencil, and pen). The Arts Council Program Committee for the project includes Arts Council trustees Judith Parish, Chair, and artist Cindy Allman. Class size will be limited to 20 students.
Classes will be held on July 6, 8, 13, and 15, 2010, and will run for two hours each morning from 10 a.m. until 12 noon in the Medina Library at 210 South Broadway - a part of the Historic Public Square district in Medina. The registration fee is $55 per student. Call 330-725-6443 or 330-723-4611 for registration information. Registration forms are available at the Medina County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau at 32 Public Square in Medina. A form can be mailed to you by calling 330-725-6443.
Spencer Village Council has received a grant from the J. B. Firestone Trust to sponsor a series of free summer concerts at J. B. Firestone Park. The project will be managed by the Council’s Parks Committee headed by Jim Stangel. The Medina County Arts Council is assisting with the concerts by serving as a 501(c)(3) pass-through agent for handling and disbursing the funds, and by helping arrange performances and programs by musicians from the Medina County area.
A total of five concerts will be presented from May through September. Except for July, the concerts will be held the third Thursday of each month beginning at 7:30 p.m. and lasting for about an hour and 15 minutes. In July during Arts Week, the concert will be held on the third Tuesday. The evening concerts will be focused on music for adult and family audiences and will feature a wide variety of popular music styles.
The schedule will include: Thursday, May 20: “Craic” - A Contemporary Irish Band; Thursday, June 17, Special 3 hour concert: Jim Gill - Contemporary and Original Folk Music, followed by “The Sunlighters” - a Bluegrass group; Tuesday, July 13, Tony Rump - Jazz; Thursday, August 19, Polk and Parsons - Classic Rock; and Thursday, September 16, “Pilgrim” - Rock and Blues.
To add to the summer fun, the Arts Council will sponsor an arts program in Firestone Park at 12 noon on Tuesday, July 13 as part of the county-wide celebration of Medina County Arts Week . The free noontime performance will provide entertainment and learning in the arts for children.
The combined Firestone Park Concert Committee includes Jim Stangel and Dan Derossett from the Spencer Village Council and Judith Parish and Nancy Sprowls from the Medina County Arts Council. Questions about the concerts can be directed to Jim Stangel at: jimstangel@hotmail.com or (330) 648-2883.
The Medina County Arts Council has elected new officers and trustees for the coming year at our Annual Meeting and at the March Board meeting where Dan Hostetler was elected President; Jim Gilder, Vice President; Marilyn Glauner, Secretary; and Mark Whitmore, Treasurer.
Elected and appointed to new trustee terms were Cindy Allman, Marilyn Glauner, Andy Klimko, Barbara McGreer, Eve Whitmore, Mark Whitmore, and Michael Nickley, Serving continuing terms as trustees are: Judy Parish, Dan Hostetler, Jim Gilder, Julie Boyle, Tom Sigel, and Theresa Laffey. Nancy Sprowls was reappointed Executive Director for the 2010-2011 year.
Dan Hostetler has also announced standing committees for the coming year: Finance Committee, Mark Whitmore, Marlene Jividen, Andy Klimko, and Julie Boyle; Long Range Planning Committee, Tom Sigel, Mike Nickley, and Dan Hostetler; Membership and PR Committee, Theresa Laffey, Barbara McGreer, Cindy Allman, and Marilyn Glauner; Program Committee, Jim Gilder, Eve Whitmore, Barbara McGreer, Roger Smalley. Judith Parish, Debra Destro, and Cindy Allman. A number of sub-committees for specific projects have also been appointed.
A major new project has been initiated for art lovers - the Motor Coach tour to the Butler Museum of American Art in Youngstown on Sunday, May 16. Information about reservations is available by calling 330-722-2541. Reservation forms for this fundraiser can also be picked up at the Medina County Convention and Visitors Bureau on the Square in Medina.
The Medina County Arts Council will sponsor a “Motor Coach Outing” to the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, on Sunday, May 16, 2010. Our bus will depart at 11:30 a.m. from Buehler’s River Styx store and return at approximately 5:30 p.m. The excursion will feature a private tour of the exhibit of the work of John Stobart, British-born painter. Stobart is considered one of the foremost maritime artists of our time.
The exhibit is entitled “John Stobart: Grandeur of America’s Age of Sail.” It features sixty maritime oil paintings, spanning more than six decades of an illustrious career.
The cost of the trip is $40 per person which includes round-trip transportation to Youngstown, a boxed lunch, and a private tour of the exhibit. The trip is open to the public as well as members, however, advance reservations are necessary by April 23. Call 330-725-6443 before March 25 to have a reservation form mailed to you.
Click here to view Bus Trip FlyerThe Medina County Arts Council Board of Trustees will celebrate the Council’s 27th anniversary at their Awards Dinner and Annual Meeting on Wednesday evening, February 17, 2010. Honored at the meeting will be Donna Bica, Stage Left Theatre Company, and Ricky Williams, recipients of the Council’s 2009 Awards for Service to the Arts.
This year’s Individual Award recipient is Donna Bica for her work in directing “A Walk with Spirits of the Past” in Medina since its beginning and serving as a trustee and president of Medina Show Biz Company. The Organizational Award goes to Stage Left Theatre Company. for their work in presenting Shakespeare in the Park and other productions at the Drake Center. Ricky Williams will be honored with a special Award of Recognition for Service to the Arts for his work in guiding and designing art work for the original membership campaign and establishment of The Medina County Arts Council.
The event will be held at The Oaks Lodge in Chippewa Lake, beginning with a social hour at 6:30 p.m. followed by the dinner, entertainment, a short business meeting, and the presentation of the awards.
During the meeting, Dan Hostetler, Arts Council President, will recognize retiring trustees, Roger Smalley, Marlene Jividen, and Bonnie Nelson, and give a report on 2009 activities and plans for the future. Treasurer Julie Boyle will present the financial report, and new trustees will be elected.
The Awards Dinner Committee members are Jim Gilder and Judith Parish. The dinner is open to the public as well as Arts Council members, but advance reservations are necessary by February 3. Reservations are $25 per person. Call 330-723-4611 by January 28 to have a reservation form mailed to you.
The Medina County Arts Council, established in 1983, is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote and build community excellence through the arts in Medina County. The Council serves and assists artists and arts organizations throughout the county. The organization may be reached by mail at P.O. Box 532, Medina, OH 44258, or by e-mail at medinaco.artscouncil@zoominternet.net.
For more information: Nancy Sprowls at 330-725-6443 or Judith Parish at 330-723-4611
Applications for next year’s 2010-2011 Medina County Arts Council grants may be filed in the period between December 1 of 2009, and February 28, 2010. Applications may be printed out from the Web site: www.medinacountyartscouncil.org or they may also be secured by calling 330-725-6443 and requesting that a copy be mailed to you.
All grants will be reviewed in March by a committee of trustees and voted on by the Board later in the spring. Those submitting applications will be notified by May 15 if they have received a grant.
Guidelines for submitting applications are posted here on the web site. The requesting nonprofit organization must have 501(c) status. Profits from any event or special project of the requesting organization must be used to promote the arts.
The Medina County Arts Council has just received confirmation of an Ohio Arts Council “Arts Access Grant” to help support the programs and concerts in this past summer’s Arts Week celebration. The County Board and its Arts Week Committee had worked since early spring to schedule evening concerts and noon children’s programs in Medina and Brunswick and to expand the programs to Firestone Park in Spencer and Mill Stream Park in Valley City. The programs, running from July 13 through July 17, 2009 were organized by the Arts Week Committee headed by Roger Smalley and including Barb McGreer, Jim Gilder, Judith Parish, Tom Sigel, Chris Nespeca, and Julie Zabkar, who represented Brunswick Art Works. Parish was Chair of the Grant Committee which submitted the grant request for funding to the Ohio Arts Council.
According to Parish, “After attending the April OAC review of the grants submitted and hearing the favorable responses of the review panelists to our proposal, I felt very encouraged that we would receive funding. However, the delays in the state budget process and the huge cuts to the OAC budget, made it seem probable that we would not receive any help. The $500 we are to receive is extremely helpful and in light of the current economic conditions, a confirmation of the value of our Arts Week efforts.”
Arts Week has a 20 year history. Medina County has many arts activities presented by local arts organizations during the summer months, but this one week in July is especially full of events. Medina County’s Annual Arts Week, supported and promoted by The Medina County Arts Council, traditionally has focused on being a lead-up to the ending event - Sunday’s Art-in-the-Park, the well-known event sponsored by The Medina County Art League. As in the past, the Arts Council arranged and funded Arts Week performances and programs by local artists and entertainers for children and adults on Medina’s Public Square and in Brunswick at the Community Recreation Center outdoor stage. The free lunchtime performances were designed to provide entertainment and learning in the arts for children. The free evening concerts in Brunswick and Medina focused on adult and family audiences.
This year, additional concerts were arranged and scheduled in Valley City and Spencer - an expansion of the free outdoor concerts to areas of the county where they had not been held previously. On Wednesday, July 15, The Medina County Arts Council, in cooperation with Barbara Mack and the Liverpool Township Trustees, presented a concert by Ryan Beke, Acoustic Guitarist, at the Mill Stream Park in Valley City. Beke is a local guitar teacher who plays in several music groups as well as performing solo. He recently was accepted to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. On Thursday, July 16, Beke also performed in Spencer at Firestone Park. This was also sponsored by The Medina County Arts Council in cooperation with Dan Derossett and the Spencer Village Council.
Presenters and performers in both Brunswick and Medina this year included: Jim Gill, Tony Rump, Anthony Taddeo, Jeff Wolfe, and Nate ”The Great” Nawalaniec. In Medina, additional evening concerts were presented by the duo of Dan Polk and Dave Parsons, and by Bud Preston. April Kotar and David Henterly appeared in Brunswick in noontime programs. At noon in Medina, Kelly Parks’ dancers appeared and Karen Duchoslav provided a storytelling program.
A special program in Brunswick, arranged by Barb McGreer and band director Jay Wardeska, was a performance in the high school stadium by the Brunswick Community Band and guests - The Capital Drum and Bugle Corp. An estimated 1000 people were present for the show which was introduced by retiring Superintendent Jim Hayas. This crowd sent the attendance figures for the whole week to an approximate 2000.
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