Arts Weekly: A ½ hour radio show dedicated to arts and entertainment in Augusta, Georgia

Special Guests Lou Ann Zimmerman of Zimmerman Gallery and Tricia Hughes representing Artists' Row

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 09:44:35 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of July 24, 2010. Special guest interviews with Lou Ann Zimmerman of Zimmerman Gallery and Tricia Hughes representing Artists' Row!

Lou Ann introduces the Whiskey Painters exhibitions and events coming to this years Westobou Festival. Tricia introduces the Arts Spectacular brought to the Westobou Festival by Artists' Row which includes exhibitions and events featuring Margaret Peterson, Barbara Dunham, Charles Young Walls and much more,

More About The Whiskey Painters of America
W.P.A. was founded in the mid 50’s by industrial designer Joe Ferriot. His hectic traveling and business demands frustrated him with the lack of time to paint. So he came up with an idea. He created a small palette the size of an aspirin box with a tiny brush and cut small pocket sized pieces of watercolor paper that would fit in his shirt pocket. He would use these materials when he was in airport lounges or waiting areas throughout the country. To entertain and amaze the people around him he would dip his brush in whatever he was drinking at the time and create miniature masterpieces. He never had to buy a drink after that and his paintings became very sought after commodities. In a bar in New York City in the early 60’s he was having a drink with John Pike and some of New York’s top artists when he pulled his newly invented miniature equipment out of his pocket, dipped his brush into a martini, and created what was then dubbed an official "Whiskey Painting".

Learn more about the Whiskey Painters at ZimmermanGalleryAugusta.com!

More About Artists' Row
Artists’ Row was started in 1994 as part of Augusta’s revitalization project in the historic buildings along Broad Street. It has become a vital part of Augusta’s thriving creative community and a favorite destination of visitors. Galleries, working Art Studios, specialty shops, restaurants and coffee houses have flourished in the beautiful historic district.

Learn more about Artists' Row at AugustaArtistsRow.com!

Special Guest Kevin Grogan, Director of the Morris Museum of Art

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:53:50 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of July 10, 2010. Special guest interview with Kevin Grogan, Director of the Morris Museum of Art. Kevin introduces the current and upcoming Museum exhibitions, Southern Soul and Song productions and Westobou Festival events.

More about the Morris Museum of Art
The Morris Museum of Art, located on the Riverwalk in downtown Augusta, Georgia, is the first museum dedicated to the art and artists of the American South. The collection includes holdings of nearly 5,000 paintings, works on paper, photographs, and sculptures dating from the late-eighteenth century to the present. In addition to the permanent collection galleries, the museum hosts eight to ten temporary special exhibitions every year.

The museum also houses the Center for the Study of Southern Art, a reference and research library that includes archives pertaining to artists working in the South.

To learn more about The Morris Museum of Art please visit TheMorris.org!

Special Guests Mike Deas of Augusta Amusements and Maestro Shizuo Z Kuwahara, Music Director of Symphony Orchestra Augusta

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 3 Jul 2010 08:45:11 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of July 3, 2010. Special guest interviews with Mike Deas of Augusta Amusements and Maestro Shizuo Z Kuwahara, Music Director of Symphony Orchestra Augusta. Mike introduces the upcoming screening of "the Wizard of Oz" scheduled for July 17, 2010 at Fort Discovery's Paul Simon Theatre. Maestro Z introduces tonight's production at Lake Oconee and the other upcoming SOA events.

More about the Augusta Amusements
Augusta Amusements was created in 1931. The company owned and operated downtown theatres which included, most notably, the Miller, Modjeska, Imperial, Dreamland and Rialto along with several drive-ins. Their mission was to bring family entertainment to our community. Unfortunately, the company dissolved in 1967 after a thirty-six year stellar history.

The new Augusta Amusements intends to return to the company's roots, bringing live entertainment to Augusta's performance venues, exhibiting classic films, and supporting aspiring young entertainers in the attainment of their dreams.

For more information please visit Augusta Amusements!

More about Symphony Orchestra Augusta
2008-09 marked a pivotal time in the Symphony’s history. After 18 seasons as Music Director, and only the second since the Symphony’s founding, Donald Portnoy retired. The Music Director Search Committee, chaired by Peter Klacsmann, invited guest candidates to conduct the first four Masterworks: Susan Haig, Benjamin Loeb, Shizuo Z Kuwahara, and Diane Wittry. Maestro Portnoy conducted the final two Masterworks; his accomplishments were honored throughout the season. Concertmaster for 19 years, Ryan Kho, retired and was recognized at the final concerts. In tribute to Mr. Kho, The Ryan Kho Concertmaster Chair was initiated in August 2009 by W. Charles & Patricia Moye.

2009-2010 brings A New Era with the appointment of Shizuo Z Kuwahara as our new Music Director. In that vein, the Board, with his encouragement, adopted a new name and logo. SOA has refined its mission statement, redefined its objectives, and rededicated itself to the spirit of the orchestra. The Symphony Series (formerly Masterworks) features music of John Williams, Hindemith, Rachmaninoff, Kernis, Shostakovich, Beethoven, Saint-Saëns, Bruckner, Handel, Bach, Mozart, Sibelius, Nielson, Bizet, Mahler, and, the Georgia premier of Schwantner’s Chasing the Light...Maestro Kuwahara especially showcases our principals and the orchestra, and his programming for Pops and Family Fun concerts shares the art form in unique ways. Principal musicians are featured in the Columbia County Music Series. In May, the 6th annual Pops! Under the Stars, a free outdoor concert in Evans is presented, thanks to University Health Care System & Columbia County Community & Leisure Services. Symphony Orchestra Augusta annually touches over 100,000 individuals through its diversified programming. The SOA reaches thousands more through Georgia Public Radio broadcasts of concert selections throughout each season. To learn more about the Augusta Symphony please visit SOAugusta.org!

Arts Weekly Remembers Larry Jon Wilson

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 07:59:43 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of June 26, 2010. This week Brenda talks about the recent passing of Larry Jon Wilson and the People’s Choice Award won by the Arts in the Heart Festival for Best Event! Brenda also covers events taking place this week-end with a special report of "What’s Hanging’ in town" - a gallery and exhibit update.

Summer coverage includes popular outdoor concerts - Sunday, Candlelight Jazz, Monday at Hopeland Gardens, Tuesday at the Applebee Gardens and Thursday in North Augusta’s Maude Endenfield Park (a camp chair is a wise investment!)

For More events visit AugustaArts.com!

More About the Greater Augusta Arts Council
The Greater Augusta Arts Council advances the arts and thus, enrich the quality of life in Augusta and the Central Savannah River Area. From the youngest child to their great, great grandparents and every socioeconomic and ethnic background they touch lives everyday. The smallest events are those that make us them most proud. The smiles of the children in the ArtScape Camp, the joy from the performers on the ethnic stage at Arts in the Heart or the elderly man taking his first painting lesson he has wished for since childhood. The community is built one by one in diverse individuals making up the incredible region Augusta calls home. The GAAC has been in Augusta for 35 years weaving the arts into lives.

For more information about the Greater Augusta Arts Council please visit AugustaArts.com!

Special Guest Keith Schafer, Artistic Director for the Riverwalk Series

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 08:54:53 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of June 19, 2010. Special guest interview with Keith Schafer, Artistic Director for the Riverwalk Series. Keith introduces the July 4th celebration "Star Spangled Concert "!

About the "Star Spangled Concert"
The Star Spangled Concert features the Independence Day Chorus and Orchestra under the musical direction of Keith Shafer. The program features popular patriotic arrangements performed by a chorus and orchestra of 75 musicians often supplemented by guest artists and held in the air-conditioned comfort of historic Saint Paul's Church in downtown Augusta.

More About the Riverwalk Series
The Riverwalk Series, Inc. is a 501-c-3 arts organization established in 1998 with a mission "to present concerts in downtown Augusta for the benefit of the public." The organization has sponsored numerous nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians, has presented the Star Spangled Concert that precedes Augusta, Georgia's downtown fireworks show on the 4th of July, and is a sponsor of Westobou Festival events. Concerts are held in the nave of historic Saint Paul's Church, established in 1751 and the site of the founding of the city of Augusta.

For more information and tickets visit RiverwalkSeries.com!

Special Guest Dwain Shaw

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 07:31:12 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of June 12, 2010. Special guest interview with photographic artist Dwain Shaw . Dwain introduces his show for the Augusta Photography Festival on June 11 - 20, 2010!

More about Dwain Shaw
Dwain is the Director of Information Technology for a large academic medical center. By vocation, he is a producer of fine art through the magic of digital photography. Dwain has an undergraduate degree in art, and a graduate degree in technology and as he has had a hard time getting the image in his head out of to his hand, Dwain set aside art for many years until digital photography was introduced. Dwain suddenly found that "...the left and right sides of my brain are finally in harmony and now work together to help me produce the beauty that I see in nature."

To learn more about Dwain Shaw please visit ArtistGuildCC.org!

About the Augusta Photography Festival Photography fans will enjoy exhibitions around the community at both expected and unexpected locations including the Morris Museum of Art, Lucy Craft Laney Museum, Sacred Heart Cultural Center as well as, MCG, ASU, and Augusta Prep. An exhibit is traveling from France for the festival and will be on view at Augusta Canal at Enterprise Mill.

The Festival committee has planned an impressive array of more than 20 workshops, expert review panels and field trips for photographers from beginners to advanced . Topics range from using Tips & Techniques for Better Family Photos to advanced High Dynamic Range Photography. Field workshops include sunrise at Phinizy Swamp and a sundown photo safari on Augusta Canal.

The Festival officially kicked-off Friday, June 11 with a Summer Solstice Photography Stroll through downtown Augusta and wraps up with party Sunday, June 20 at the North Augusta Cultural and Heritage Center presenting the winners of the Photo Festival’s official competiton and the outcome of the Augusta 24 project. .

To learn more please visit AugustaPhotoFestival.org!

Special Guest Joel Cruz with The Jazz Collective

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 5 Jun 2010 09:10:33 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of June 5, 2010. Special guest interview with Joel Cruz. Joel represents The Jazz Collective and introduces their upcoming Summer events!

More About Joel Cruz and The Jazz Collective
Saxophonist Joel Cruz performs in various music ensembles in Augusta, most notably as the frontline member of The Jazz Collective but also as a regular member of The Augusta Concert Band and Savannah River Winds. The Jazz Collective is a trio comprised of saxophonist Joel Cruz, guitarist Joshua Marks, and drummer Rick Hawkins. These formally educated musicians exhibit the youthful enthusiasm that has been evident in every generation of jazz artists. Each member is a fresh performer who draws inspiration from every past experience onstage as well as from varied cultural backgrounds, and each is ever aware of new lessons to be learned. The band has performed in Augusta over the past six years at venues such as the The Metro, The Soul Bar, Broad Street Market, TapTap, Le Chat Noir, The Bee’s Knees, Cuizine, The Partridge Inn, and Room 9. They have also entertained at numerous private and public functions like the Candlelight Jazz Series on Augusta’s riverwalk, Paine College’s Jazz Fest, and at the Aiken Jazz Festival. Their music is the product of continual training and blending of each member’s personal affection, and their repertoire stretches from traditional jazz standards to contemporary styles to recent popular music. The Jazz Collective genuinely provides a new musical experience with each performance.

To learn more visit The Jazz Collective on MySpace!

Special Guests Rebecca Rogers and Ed Belinski

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 22 May 2010 06:33:04 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of May 22, 2010. Special guest interviews with Rebecca Rogers and Ed Belinski . Rebecca and Ed Cathy introduce the upcoming Augusta Photography Festival on June 11 - 20, 2010!

About the Augusta Photography Festival
Photography fans will enjoy exhibitions around the community at both expected and unexpected locations including the Morris Museum of Art, Lucy Craft Laney Museum, Sacred Heart Cultural Center as well as, MCG, ASU, and Augusta Prep. An exhibit is traveling from France for the festival and will be on view at Augusta Canal at Enterprise Mill.

The Festival committee has planned an impressive array of more than 20 workshops, expert review panels and field trips for photographers from beginners to advanced . Topics range from using Tips & Techniques for Better Family Photos to advanced High Dynamic Range Photography. Field workshops include sunrise at Phinizy Swamp and a sundown photo safari on Augusta Canal.

As a warm-up to the Festival, teams of photographers will take to the streets June 4 and 5 to capture the essence of our community through their lenses. The "Augusta 24" teams will photograph life in our town over a day-long period. We’ll get to see the results of their explorations at the grand finale celebration.

The Festival officially kicks-off Friday, June 11 with a Summer Solstice Photography Stroll through downtown Augusta and wraps up with party Sunday, June 20 at the North Augusta Cultural and Heritage Center presenting the winners of the Photo Festival’s official competiton and the outcome of the Augusta 24 project. .

To learn more please visit AugustaPhotoFestival.org!

Special Guest Cathy Vonadore, President of AB Beverage

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 15 May 2010 09:19:35 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of May 15, 2010. Special guest interview with Cathy Vonadore, President of AB Beverage. Cathy introduces Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Bluegrass Festival featuring music by Ricky Skaggs, Old Crow Medicine Show, BBQ cook-off, pig races and more on May 28 - 29, 2010!

To purchase tickets and for more information please visit Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Bluegrass Festival!

Special Guest Jezibel Anat of the Eastern Star Dance Theatre

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 1 May 2010 07:43:19 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of May 1, 2010.

Special guest interview with Jezebel of the Eastern Star Dance Theatre. Jezibel introduces the upcoming Medieval Games and Renaissance Festival presented by East Wind Castle, the Augusta Classic Theatre debut and much more!

The Eastern Star Dance Company
Eastern Star Dance Theatre specializes in dramatic interpretations of Middle Eastern dance, encompassing all the sensuality, power, elegance and joy of this ancient art form in styles ranging from traditional to fusion. Artistic Director Jezibell Anat studied, taught and performed for many years in Manhattan before moving to Augusta. The founding members of Eastern Star are Zahara Ahlam, Aria Dantir, Jaden Milan, and Jackie O, and our newest member is Melissa.

To learn more about the Eastern Star Dance Company please visit JoeandJezibell.net/Projects/EasternStar.html!

Special Guest Bob Kaltenback of the Garden City Chorus

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:26:18 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of April 24, 2010.

Special guest interview with Bob Kaltenback. Bob introduces the Garden City Chorus's upcoming production "The Melody Lingers on, a Tribute to Irving Berlin."

More about the Garden City Chorus
A cappella music is one of the most highly recognized types of vocal music in the world and barbershop is a prized element. The largest contributor of support for vocal music education in the world, the alliance has formed strong partnerships with school choral groups, music educators, and their organizations. The Society’s successful, enduring resurgence springs directly from our world view and from our commitment to diversity, variety, and quality in all that we do.

We enrich lives through singing...
We perpetuate and celebrate the barbershop harmony style.

We serve each new generation of singers through support of vocal music education.
We serve audiences through an uplifting, wholesome variety of a cappella musical entertainment.
We serve our members by sharing fellowship, performance skills, and leadership development.
We help build better communities and a better world, bonding diverse people through the pure fun of a cappella harmony as we Keep the Whole World Singing!

To learn more about the Garden City Chorus please visit GardenCityChorus.org!

Special Guest, Kim Overstreet, Program Director for the Sacred Heart Cultural Center

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 09:45:52 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of April 10, 2010. Special guest interview with Kim Overstreet, Program Director for the Sacred Heart Cultural Center. Kim discusses the upcoming Sacred Heart Garden Festival!

Historic Sacred Heart Cultural Center in downtown Augusta, Georgia, will be the focus for classic southern gardening during its 19th Annual Garden Festival. Enjoy exhibits, lectures, entertainment, and unique Garden Market vendors. Tour private gardens throughout Augusta including historic Summerville. Join the Augusta community as we celebrate the advent of spring and raise funds to support the magnificent Sacred Heart Cultural Center. Take time to enjoy the beauty of nature in a setting rich in history and be a partner in this preservation effort.

Sacred Heart Cultural Center offers the community a wide range of cultural opportunities. Choral concerts, art exhibits, Christmas events, silent movies and an annual garden festival fill the center with beauty and energy. Tours, both guided and self-led, take place daily, and the courtyard serves as a peaceful place to rest and take in the building’s exterior beauty. Visitors explore the building eager to learn about its history, art and architecture. People from all over the world visit Sacred Heart each year. From the magical moments they spend here, it is easily seen that the rewards of this preservation effort are rich and varied.

To learn more about the Sacred Heart Cultural Center please visit SacredHeartAugusta.org!.

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Special Guest Richard Justice, Executive Director for Le Chat Noir and Ashley Petite

scott@redwolf-inc.com — Sat, 3 Apr 2010 13:00:40 -0400

Arts Weekly Host Brenda Durant of the Greater Augusta Arts Council covers arts events for the week of April 3, 2010. Special guest interviews with Richard Justice, Executive Director for Le Chat Noir and Ashley Petite. Richard and Ashley preview the upcoming production of Del Shores "Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife" opening April 9, 2010.

Del Shores' 2003 play explores the hidden emotions, shame, and secrecy of battered women, while also offering hope, healing, and truth. A delicate blend of frightened humor and pain, the three act play delves right into the heart of domestic abuse. From hysterical highs, to the depths of tragic lows, the play sweeps the emotional spectrum. Shores draws the audience into the fire, allowing them to experience the emotion from all sides -- the abuser, the abused, and the powerless bystander.

Del Shores has crafted a superb play grounded in his Southern Baptist background. While his unerring ear for the sounds, the life, the joys and strains of a hard scrabble Texas existence bring laughter and tears, his research on domestic violence brings horror. This is not theater for the faint of heart.

The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife is presented through a special arrangement by Samuel French, Inc. 45 West 25th Street New York, N.Y. 10010

More about Le Chat Noir
Le Chat Noir (French for "The Black Cat") was a 19th-century cabaret in the Bohemian Montmartre district of Paris. It was opened on 18 November 1881 at 84 Boulevard Rouchechouart by the artist Rodolphe Salis, and closed in 1897. Its imitators have included cabarets from St. Petersburg (The Stray Dog) to Barcelona (Els Quatre Gats) and us!
For more information about Le Chat Noir and upcoming events please visit lcnaugusta.com!