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Go Green with ArtsLink!

artslinkwv — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:52:17 +0000

Go Green with ArtsLink’s 10^thAnniversary by donating a little green to us. Be a part of our Annual Donation Drive!!

While we have not raised our admission or membership prices since our inception in 2001, artist fees continue to rise. In the upcoming 2012-13 concert series season, they range from $2,200 to $6,000. In addition, we’re planning a major fundraising concert featuring a renowned bluegrass band. We have applied for grant funding, but that will only cover 50% of the artist’s fee.

Any amount you can donate would be greatly appreciated. We will certainly acknowledge your contribution in a mutually benficial way. Please send your check to ArtsLink at 141 Main Street, New Martinsville, WV 26155.

Speaking of our concert series, the 11-12 season is in the books. We had a great slate of performers and some fabulous shows. If you missed ‘em, well, you missed A LOT! The line-up for 12-13 is even more amazing and we’ll be announcing that soon. Some of you may not realize that there’s an educational component to our concert events. Most of them take place in local schools. There’s no charge for the students to participate in workshops or master classes and a nominal fee of $1 for school performances. The money you pay for admissions (never been raised since 2001!) helps to pay the artists for these activities.

Please don’t hesitate to call me at 304-455-2278 if you have any questions at all!!

Grant Season – Part Deux

artslinkwv — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:10 +0000

There IS a light at the end of the tunnel! I may be able to get my 5 PennPAT grants in the mail on Saturday. I couldn’t have done it without a LOT of help. Ralph Strippel and Pat Block did my proofreading. I also thank the PennPAT artists who gave me a lot of great words and a boatload of encouragement. My bud, Barbara Vincent, was always there with moral support. We still have lots of finger-crossing to do!

Next challenge – ArtsCONNECT…

It’s Grant Season!

artslinkwv — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:53:14 +0000

This is the time of year when I really earn my keep. It’s grant-writing time! I learned this valuable art from Pat Block and Libby Dean. We’d get together at Pat’s house and knock out a grant in a morning. Those days are long gone! The grant for the WV Commission on the Arts, where we get the majority of our grant funding, is nearing 100 pages. I’ve sent it off for review – there may be more pages necessary. We also get a lot of funding from the Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, or PennPAT. They will fund performances by artists on their roster. We’ve got FIVE PennPAT artists on tap for the 12-13 Concert Series. You’ll be very excited when you see who they are! I’m also trying to organize an ArtsCONNECT grant. We’ve never received one, but there’s a first time for everything. We have to have at least three presenters from at least two different states. I’ve got nibbles from New York and Virginia – so keep your fingers crossed! We also have a grant application to the Stealey Community Fund and the Ohio River Border Initiative, and I’ll be writing one to the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley.

Wish us luck!!

Busy August!

artslinkwv — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:51:42 +0000

Where has the summer gone?! ArtsLink has SO much going on, I’m not sure where to start!

We’ve got “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” children’s theater on Thursday, August 4, thru Saturday, August 6 at 7:00 and Sunday, August 7 at 3:00, at the Lincoln Theater in New Martinsville. Tickets for each performance are available now at Occasions, 310 Main Street in New Martinsville, or at the door. Reserved seats are $8 for adults and $5 for children under 12 while General Admission tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children under 12.We can’t do this without a boatload of help from the community. Refreshments for “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” have been graciously donated by: Country Roads Ford (Thursday, August 4), Off The Wall (Friday, August 5), Barista’s (Saturday, August 6) and I & D Catering (Sunday, August 6). This children’s theater production is sponsored locally by Hughes Electric and Hizer Mini-Storage. Funding for this program is made possible with financial assistance from The City of New Martinsville Parks and Recreation Commission, West Virginia Northern Community College, W E T Z / W Y M J Radio, Ohio Valley Online, Witschey’s Supermarket, Ohio Valley Screenprinting, and J. C. Mensore Distributor, Inc. Of course, our director/designer, Bart Cannizzaro deserves the lion’s share of the credit. The cast parents & grandparents have been a HUGE help. And our Alice, Haley Hizer, is just perfect in the role. Y’all DON”T want to miss this!

The August Coffeehouse Series starts on August 4 at the Francis Center on the lawn. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy a great night by local singers. Ryan Ritchea will do half and Todd Heslep will do half. Both young men have performed frequently around the area. The Series continues with Johnny Joe Mensore on 8/11 at the Lincoln Theater, then back to the Francis Center on 8/18 with Blues & Barbeque with Robbie Parsons, and concludes on 8/25 with Dan Henthorn’s band featuring the tunes of Frank Sinatra – “Forever Frank”, then the historical stylings of the Battle Weary Band. Dan’s the chair for the Series this year and has a bang-up line-up, I think! The 3 events on the lawn will be held, rain or shine, so bring your lawn chair and sit back & enjoy!

Finally, our August exhibit on Sunday 8/7, features a return engagement by Jacob Bucy. Gosh, this guy’s got some talent. His work is modern and includes a variety of media. It’s also free and light refreshements will be provided.

That’s it – give me a buzz here at the office at 304-455-2278 if you need more information!!

Summer’s Here!

artslinkwv — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:21:43 +0000

Hello, Everyone!

I know that the first official day of summer is tomorrow, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s already here! We had our annual picture on the Lincoln Theater steps, of the kids planning to audition for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, on Saturday. Auditions are Thursday, June 30 and Friday, July 1, at 5:00. Pre-regisiter by calling 304-455-2278 or just show up! The performances are the first weekend of August.

I don’t want to let any more time pass before I say “Thank You”. We’ve got some fabulous sponsors and supporters. This list is way too long to start naming names and I’d be really sad if I missed someone. However, we’ve got the list of ArtsLink donors for 2011 (as of 6/7/11) on the donor page of our Summer Newsletter, available on-line in the next couple of days. All of you know who you are and I’ve tried my best to get names in the event programs and in our publicity. We can’t do what we do without you!! Ticket sales and grant funding are just not enough to pay for our projects, so your financial support is VITAL!

That being said, mark your calendars for Monday, July 4. We’ve got the annual Arts in the Park festival at Bruce Park from 1 to 5 – it’s free!! After that, as part of ArtsLink’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, join us at the Lincoln Theater for a concert by River City Brass from Pittsburgh. This 28-piece brass and percussion band features New Martinsville’s own Adam Leasure. Those of you who attended the Resonance Percussion concert at TCHS will also remember Phil Webster, who’s also a member of River City Brass. Tickets are $10 for ArtsLink members and $15 for non-members.

Any questions about our summer activities – give me a buzz at 304-455-2278!

Upcoming events for May

artslinkwv — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:26:49 +0000

Wow, it’s been a really busy last few months! We’ve wrapped up the 2010-11 Concert Series and are now keeping our fingers crossed while waiting for grant funding notifications. Please keep yours crossed, too, if you don’t mind! Gail Haught and I went to the WV State Drama Festival in Morgantown and directed the 2 winning playwriting contest plays. Those kids are SO talented. We had lots of input from the 2 playwrights and the actors put together 2 great plays in about 48 hours. And a few of them had some pretty hefty monologues.

The Lincoln Theater Restoration Council and the Wayward Players are presenting the musical Godspell in May. Performances are scheduled for Thursday, May 5, through Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 and Sunday, May 8 at 3:00. A second weekend of performances will be held Thursday, May 12 through Sunday, May 15 at the same times. Tickets can be purchased at the New Martinsville City Building Monday through Friday from 8:00am until 4:30pm. Reserved seat tickets are $12 and General Admission seats are available for $10. Group rates for 10 or more people are available for the Thursday performances. To celebrate the performance on Mother’s Day, there will be a $2 discount for all mothers! For further information, please call me at 304-455-2278 or Bev Gibb at 304-455-9130.

Following that, on Sunday, May 22, ArtsLink will be presenting a concert by pianist Robert Thomas at the First Christian Church in New Martinsville at 2:00. This concert will honor Fred Fonner. I can’t tell you the contribution he’s made to theater in New Martinsville. Tickets are available at the door – $10 for ArtsLink members and $15 for non-members. More information on the concert is available in our newsletter – go to the ‘news’ section of our website at www.artslinkwv.org.

Valentine’s Concert on Saturday

artslinkwv — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:05:53 +0000

Hello!
Our annual Valentine’s Concert and Gourmet Dessert Smorgasbord is this Saturday, February 19 at the PPG Shelter in Proctor. Our concert this year features the David Leonhardt Jazz Group. The evening kicks off at 6:30 with a lecture by Dave entitled “The History of Jazz Piano” and the performance starts at 7:30.
As seating is limited, reservations are encouraged. Call me at 304-455-2278!
coming events: Trillium Piano Trio at the New Martinsville Methodist Church on 3/13 at 2:00 and guitarist Turley Richards on 4/3 at the Lincoln Theater at 3:00.
See you Soon!!

artslinkwv — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:35:59 +0000

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I want to thank you all for your support of ArtsLink and our activities this past year. It was a big one! And next year promises to be even bigger. Please make plans to attend our Annual Meeting on January 10 at 7:00 in the Mensore Gallery at the Francis Center. New board members for 2011 will be elected. There’s more information in our Winter Newsletter, now available on the website. Select the ‘Newsletters’ tab on the left on our home page.

Also coming up are auditions for Godspell. This is a co-production of the Lincoln Theater Restoration Council and the Wayward Players. There will be an informational meeting on Weds. Jan 12 at 6:00 with auditions on Jan 13 & 14 at 6:00. Callbacks and catch-up auditions will be held on Jan. 15 & 16 at 2:00. All at the historic Lincoln Theater in downtown New Martinsville. If you have any questions, please give me a buzz here at the office at 304-455-2278. The performances will be held the first 2 weekends in May – more about that later!

Mark your calendars for our annual Valentine’s Concert and Gourmet Dessert Smorgasbord on February 19, 2011. Entertainment will be provided by the David Leonhardt Jazz Group. The concert starts at 7:30, with a pre-performance lecture by Dave – ‘The History of Jazz Piano” at 6:30. As seating is limited at the PPG Shelter, please call me for reservations at 304-455-2278. I’m sure the desserts will be stellar, as usual! You can hear more of Dave’s music at www.davidleonhardt.com.

Happy New Year, too!

Annual House Tour coming up

artslinkwv — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:40:53 +0000

Join us for our Annual Holiday House Tour – on Sunday, December 5 from 3 until 6 pm. Houses include:
Neil-Zuber House at 205 Maple Avenue,
Cecil House at 635 Maple Avenue,
Botizan House at 639 Maple Avenue,
Log Cabin-DeMarco House at 111 W. Duerr Street,
Florentine Arts Gallery at 251 Main Street,
and in Beechwood Estates, the Buck House at 102 Laurel Place.
Admission for all houses is only $10 and tickets are available at the Francis Center, on the corner of Maple Avenue and Washington Street. The first house on the tour is right across the street!

Upcoming events include our annual Valentine’s Day Concert and Gourmet Dessert Smorgasbord. This will be held at the PPG Shelter in Proctor on Saturday, February 19 at 7:30 and will feature the David Leonhardt Jazz Group. David will be giving a lecture at 6:30 on “The History of Jazz Piano”. You don’t want to miss this! Reservations are recommended due to limited seating – please call 304-455-2278.

AND, watch this space for upcoming Godspell audition information.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Busy Season So Far!

artslinkwv — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:43:24 +0000

Hi, Everyone,
Gosh, I have to apologize for my tardiness here, but we’ve had 5 events in 2 months! We started off the Concert Series with Jeffrey Gaines on 9/23 – our annual free concert thanks to the Stealey Community Fund. Then we enjoyed the Ferla-Marcinizyn Guitar Duo at the Durham Mansion in Sistersville in October and Gerald Lee on November 7. In the middle of all this, we started our Holiday Magic Ballet Series with a performance of Cinderella by the Oglebay Institute Youth Ballet Company. The last installement of the Ballet Series will be The Nutcracker by the Mid Ohio Valley Ballet Company. This performance will be held on Friday night, November 19 at 7:00 at the Lincoln Theater in New Martinsville. Everyone is welcome to come dressed in their holiday finery! Tickets, available at the door, are $10 for adults and $6 for kids under 12. Theater parties are welcome – call me at the office at 304-455-2278 for more information.
The Concert Series will continue on Saturday, February 19 with our annual Valentine’s Concert and Dessert Smorgasbord at the PPG Shelter featuring the David Leonhardt Jazz Group. The concert starts at 7:30, with a pre-performance lecture by David Leonhardt, The History of Jazz Piano, to begin at 6:30. You can check out David’s music at www.davidjazz.com
Keep your eye on the media for details of our Second Annual Holiday Home Tour, to take place on Sunday, December 5.
We at ArtsLink love to hear your comments, so please drop me an e-mail at artslink@artslinkwv.org!!
Happy Holidays, Everyone!!