Share The Experience

Independence Starts Here Cultural Calendar featured at the 2011 Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability (LEAD)

2011-09-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

Check out the article featuring our work with VSA about our joint presentation featuring Independence Starts Here. This article is currently featured on the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance website.

Michael Norris, Art-Reach Executive Director, and Mimi Kenney-Smith, Artistic Director of Amaryllis Theatre Company and VSA, present at LEAD.

Join the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts to Celebrate the Opening of Lenfest Plaza!

2011-09-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

This event is FREE and will feature the official lighting of Claes Oldenberg’s new sculpture, Paint Torch. For more information check-out PAFA’s website.

Educating Kara

2011-09-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

Kara is the granddaughter of Mimi Kenney-Smith, the Co-Chair of Independence Starts Here and longtime supporter of Art-Reach.

Autism-Friendly Performance of "The Lion King"

2011-09-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

For the first time for Broadway in New York City, an Autism-Friendly performance will be held on October 2^nd at the Minskoff Theatre with the 6-time Tony Award-winning Broadway show ,“The Lion King”. The Theatre Development Fund (TDF), a non-profit dedicated to making live theater available and enjoyable for all, created a new pilot program called the Autism Theatre Initiative in accordance with their Theatre Accessibility Program (TAP), which helps make theaters accessible to people on the Autism spectrum and their families.

Accommodations for this special performance include the reduction of loud or harsh sounds as well as a reduction of strobe lights concentrated on the audience. In addition, there will be staffed quiet areas in the lobby if there are any attendees who need to leave their seats during the performance. Another step TDF took to make this performance accessible was to purchase all the seats for the performance so that they could be sold at more affordable prices. On the TDF website, there is a downloadable Word document to familiarize attendees with the theater and production beforehand, which can be very helpful for those on the Autism Spectrum who have anxieties about being in a large theater.

http://www.tdf.org/ATI/LionKing/SocialStory.doc

Via Los Angeles Times & TDF.org

Making Our Region's Arts Education More Accessible with Art-Reach and VSA Pennsylvania

2011-08-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Wrap Your Mind Around This

Adapting theatrical arts education to accommodate people with disabilities

August 10^th

On Wednesday, August 10^th, leaders from 11 area theatres and dance companies gathered at the Adrienne Theatre to participate in a workshop hosted by Art-Reach and VSA Pennsylvania. The goal of the workshop was to develop teaching methods that will make arts education in our region more accessible to people with varying developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Mimi Kenney Smith, Producing Artistic Director of Amaryllis Theatre and VSA Pennsylvania gave an engaging introduction to the world of accessible resources for theatres. She discussed the difference between open and closed captioning (do you know it?) and shared her experience with hiring and directing actors with disabilities.

Presenter William Pearce specializes in teaching arts to students with disabilities and while leading the day’s workshop, he shared insightful examples of how he has created a rich learning environment for students with ADHD, autism, physical disabilities and sensory disabilities. We discussed teaching models that will enable theatres in the Philadelphia region to better serve a class, camp or other program in which attendees have varying ability levels and needs. For example, a student with dyslexia may be able to memorize a script more easily if the colors are reversed to read white letters on a black page or if every other paragraph is highlighted.

In one exercise, participants were challenged to fold an origami frog using different sets of directions that were modified based on different disabilities that a student might have. In this photo, participants attempt to fold the paper without the ability to bend their left arm.

At lunch, Stephanie Carr, Managing Director of Pushcart Players in Verona, NJ presented a Children’s Theatre program for kids with autism run by Pushcart and Papermill Playhouse. Their program enabled audience members to “meet their seats” and get used to the theatre’s space before the performance. The performance itself featured consistent lighting and sound levels and kids in the audience were free to talk, sing along and leave their seats during it. Families were able to enjoy themselves without the usual worries about their child being upset or disrupting other patrons.

Participants share ideas and plan on how to implement inclusive teaching methods in their education programs. Maureen Sweeney, Director of Education at Philadelphia Theatre Company shares her experience and how she could adapt some of her activities to reach more students.

All in all, the day was inspiring and rewarding. We all walked away with a new understanding of what students with disabilities might need from our arts education programs, how to ask them or their parents, and what resources can help us make these changes.

Art-Reach thanks the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation for their support of this project and the cultural organizations partnering with us to make Arts Education more accessible for all students.

Happy Birthday, Alexander Calder!

2011-07-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Alexander “Sandy” Calder was born to two artist parents on July 22nd 1898 in Lawnton, PA. His mother was a famed portrait painter and his father was a sculptor who specialized in public installations. Calder is most known for creating the mobile in 1931 as well as his public structures. Many of Calder’s works have been showcased and currently reside in Philadelphia. In 1949, Calder’s mobile the International Mobile was the center piece at the 3rd Sculpture International held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art among 250 artists. One of Calder’s mobiles known as “Ghost”, created in 1964 resides in the Great Stair Hall of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Three generations of Calders; Alexander “Sandy” Calder, his father Alexander Stirling Calder and his grandfather Alexander Milne Calder, worked in succession to complete a series of works on the Ben Franklin Parkway. Milne created the William Penn Statue atop Philadelphia City Hall. Stirling created the Swann Memorial Fountain (also known as The Fountain of Three Rivers) at Logan Square on the Ben Franklin Parkway. Where these work lie, on the Parkway, is also the spot for the proposed Calder Museum, which would not only honor Calder’s great work but the great work of his father Alexander Sterling Calder and his grandfather Alexander Milne Calder.

Even the popular search engine site Google has chosen to commemorate Calder's birthday with a uniquely designed mobile as the banner on the homepage. Further showing the impact Calder's art had on the world at large.

Surrealist Painter Frida Kahlo Born on This Day in 1907

2011-07-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon, known simply as Frida Kahlo; was born on this day, July 6th in 1907 in Coyoacan, Mexico City. Frieda claimed that she was born on July 7th, 1910 although her birth certificate states she was born on July 6th 1907. Kahlo said she did this so that she would be “born” after the Mexican Revolution,which began in 1910 and ended with the creation of the Mexican Constitution of 1917. into the new, modern Mexican society.


Self Portrait-The Frame (1938)

Frida Kahlo is most known for her surrealist self portraits stating, “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best”. Frida began painting after she became temporarily immobile from a car accident as a teen as a way to occupy her time. Kahlo’s work was inspired by indigenous Mexican culture and religion combined with a Surrealist twist of her everyday life.

The Rain Parade: A New Booking Chronicling Art-Reach In-facility Artist Julia Blaukopf

2011-06-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

Need summer reading material? Be sure to check out The Rain Parade, a new book chronicling Art-Reach In-facility Artist Julia Blaukopf’s journey in Ghana.

Help Art-Reach Raise $1500 by June 30!

2011-06-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

If we meet this goal, our $1500 will be matched dollar for dollar and we need your help to do it! If 60 people donate $25 each, we will reach it in no time.

Click Here to Make Art Happen!

Here's how you can help:

- Donate $25 to connect audiences with arts and culture by clicking on the link above

- Click here to "Like" Art-Reach on facebook

- Tell your friends about this campaign! Send them this blog post with a note about why Art-Reach is important to you, or repost it in your facebook status.

Your donation will help us to provide arts experiences to underserved people in the Philadelphia region much like the outdoor Latin music concert pictured above . Here are some examples of what your gift can do.

$25 = Tickets for 20 kids to attend a theatre performance
$50 = 10 tickets for a guided tour of Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

Nonprofit Journal, Board & Administrator, Sites Art-Reach for Best Practice

2011-04-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Take a look!
Art-Reach and one of our board members were involved with this article.
Individual Board Plans boost board enagement

We like this article and resource!

2011-04-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

The rise of a new American culture

April 10, 2011
By Margot Sanger-Katz

Art-Reach In-facility Artist Gives Away An Entirely Green Music CD To Celebrate EARTH DAY

2011-04-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Art-Reach roster artist and area multicultural performer, DARIA decided to celebrate Earth Day in a unique way this year – she’s giving away 6 of her most popular songs to anyone who sends her a suggestion of how they care for the Earth. The cd goes out to her fans in an all-downloadable format with liner notes, songsheets and activities all viewable online, without the need to waste any paper, discs, wrapping, packaging or other unnecessary components. And because it’s free, it shares the idea of consuming less while still having fun with fun with your family, your kids, your classroom or your community. The songs included on this cd include several that have been used in classrooms around the world to teach tolerance, and share positive values and build bridges between cultures. As the Christian Science monitor put it in a recent article about her songs: “When Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou makes music, the world listens– literally!”

What does Daria do with the suggestions she receives about caring for the Earth? She partnered with two other environmentally conscious artists and created a blog called: 1000 Ways To Love The Earth (1000waystolovetheearth.wordpress.com). Since the blog launched on April 4^th, they’ve received a landslide of suggestions from countries as far away as Japan, Hungary, France, Uruguay, Australia, the Virgin Island, Russia and the USA. Says DARIA: “ It’s so inspiring to read how important this issue is to folks from around the world and how active they are in finding ways to make a difference in their homes and communities.” Suggestions so far have ranged from serious to simple to silly; such kindergarten teachers who set up their own worm bins, to Japanese school children who eat by lunch by candlelight to conserve energy to a three year old who thought it would be good to “feed the birds and not squish spiders”.

The blog also features a popular spot entitled FREE AND GREEN where popular multicultural artist, Farah Aria offers free Earth Day posters (downloadable, of course) art activities and color poster give-aways. Under that section there are also links to free Earth Day videos and animations plus activity sheets that share how to make instruments such as didgeridoos from all recycled components.

For more information, visit 1000waystolovetheearth.wordpress.com or check out the Earth Day tab on Daria’s world music for kids website at www.dariamusic.com.

Arts, Culture and Creative Economy: Art-Reach Program Uses Art to Fight Violence - Fun...

2011-03-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Arts, Culture and Creative Economy: Art-Reach Program Uses Art to Fight Violence - Fun...: "Art-Reach students and staff in Art Gallery at City Hall with artist Ben Volta The past year the Philadelphia Cultural Fund (the vehicl..."

Temple U Students Working to Raise Money and Awareness for Art-Reach

2011-03-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

An Entrepreneurial Marketing class at Temple University gave 4 students the challenge of the 10-10-10 project. The goal of the project is to give students an opportunity to engage in “real” entrepreneurial marketing projects to learn about the power and reach of social networking. The concept: Give 10 student teams $10 each and have them multiply that money by a factor of 10 – doing projects focused on issues around sustainability, charity, and community.

Click here to see the TU for Art-Reach Blog

Art-Reach is happy to have this team supporting us! They will be raising money through a number of different events including a basketball tournament and a raffle for a Pocono Mountain getaway. The raffle and events are open to the public so please support them! The students will also be volunteering their time and services.

Wheelchair Art at Please Touch During Art-Reach Day

2011-03-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

Check out these wheelchair artists who will be joining Art-Reach's artist roster very soon!
Art-Reach Day at Please Touch

PNC Arts Alive Family Day at the Opera this Weekend

2011-02-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

Looking for fun, free weekend activities? Be sure to check out PNC Arts Alive Family Day at the Opera.

On Saturday, February 12, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., the Opera Company of Philadelphia (OCP) opens its doors to area families for the PNC Arts Alive Family Day at the Opera, a chance to journey behind the scenes of the Company’s upcoming production of Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet (February 11-20) and to learn about the magic of opera. From face-painting and stage combat demonstrations to a fashion show and a recital, this fun-filled day offers something for everyone.

Attendees will be permitted to tread the stage of Philadelphia’s historic opera house and explore Romeo’s set, visit the stars’ dressing rooms, sit in the orchestra pit, and participate in engaging interactive sessions in the Academy’s Rehearsal Hall and its stunning ballroom.

By allowing young people an in-depth look into the world of opera, OCP hopes to provide a unique understanding of the art form and its creation, allowing hands-on participation in several genres that are integral to opera and opportunities to talk to the artists who create the performances. Read more here.

What do Miss America & Art-Reach Have in Common?

2011-01-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

Talented percussionist and Art-Reach In-Facility artist Tony Mascara wrote and recorded the music for Miss New Jersey- Ashleigh Udalovas’s talent portion for the Miss America Pageant happening this week in Vegas! You can cheer her on tomorrow night (Saturdays, Jan. 15th) at 9pm (her talent performance will only be televised if she makes it into the top 15, but our fingers are crossed!) and here's a sneak peak of the music...

Julia Blaukopf Featured in EducationWorks’ December Newsletter

2011-01-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

Need some Snow Day reading material? Check out this recent article featuring Julia Blaukopf’s in-facility session at EducationWorks.

Also, be sure to check out the new Art-Reach Spotlight article featuring Julia here.

Matt Bryan Promoted to Program Director

2011-01-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

Art-Reach is pleased to announce that Matt Bryan has been promoted to Program Director. In his previous role as Program Manager, Matt oversaw day-to-day operations of the Ticket and In-Facility Programs. Over the past year, Matt’s focus has turned strongly to include developing strong relationships with members both with potential organizations as well as guiding current members in the best ways to use the services Art-Reach provides. Matt has thrived with this charge, empowering members to think creatively and utilize all resources available to them, and we are proud to announce that his title is officially being upgraded to include this responsibility in an ongoing capacity.

Matt joined the Art-Reach team in February 2007, following a successful internship with the organization. Now closing in on his fourth successful year with the company, we are thrilled with his compassion and commitment to ensure that the arts remain accessible to everyone. Please help me congratulate Matt Bryan on his newly enhanced role with Art-Reach. Together, Matt will allow us all to raise our bar on service and make 2011 a phenomenal year!

Stephanie Borton, Associate Director

Highlights from the 19th Annual Jazz Brunch & Silent Auction

2010-12-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

The PECO building announces our event! [Photo by Diane Engler]

Event Co-Chairs Karen Feeney and Mia Meloni


NBC10's Dawn Timmeney presents the award to Bancroft

PECO's Jeff Gordon presents the award to Jean Canfield, with Art-Reach Executive Director Michael Norris.

Linda and Peter from Bancroft dance the afternoon away.

Guests participate in some intense bidding in the silent auction

Our fabulous staff and ambassadors - Thank you!

*Photos at the Brunch were taken by Michael Nathan - http://www.nathanweddings.com/

Happy Brunch Week!

2010-11-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here at Art-Reach the band is in full swing. With less than one week left until the 19th Annual Jazz Brunch, I’ve had to enter the stage, score in hand and ready to blow. Nevertheless I feel confident. With the way these seasoned players get down, the brunch is sure to be a hit. Patrons will be eager to place their bids just as well as move their feet.

Folami is typing away to keep track of it all.

By the way allow me to introduce myself. My name is Folami Islam and I’m Art-Reach’s new Fall intern. Working on an auction of this magnitude has been really exciting and upbeat much like our theme for this year’s event. Cool cats Rachel Robbins and Nicole Oidick have made asking for donations seem like a breeze. And it shows. Just like notes off the page, items have been coming off the shelves constantly to be reorganized and arranged to accommodate more. The boxes in the copy room have been put on standby and noted not to be recycled. Well at least not in the usual manner.

So far my job in this ensemble has been a bit tedious but all the while rewarding. Much attention is paid to documenting all donations received and filing it correctly. Item descriptions are being cleverly crafted to appear in the program books. Although seemingly minute, the work really contributes to the overall success of the auction which in turn helps the community Art-Reach serves.

Rachel shows off some fabulous auction items!

To give it to you straight no chaser, the donations are pretty mind-blowing. What’s even more amazing are the companies, sponsors, artists and individuals who are making this year’s event possible. Even though a member of “the band”, I still find myself in awe of the things that make their way on stage. Beautiful paintings and hand-made crafts, relaxing vacation packages and really cool exhibits are all on the bill. Some players that have contributed in the past are coming back full force, sharp and with added material. Newbies like the Barnes Foundation, which is one of my personal favorites, are sure to please.

Here at the office we definitely have Jazz Brunch fever and are certainly burning the midnight oil to create an unforgettable event. And with all the labor of love put in it’s sure to be smooth sailing here on out.

-Folami Islam

Art Around Town: Check Out The Best Day of My Life So Far

2010-10-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Looking for more great blogs? Check out The Best Day of My Life So Far. The blog is run by Benita Cooper with the mission to collect, share, and connect stories from seniors with younger generations.

Watch the following video to learn more about the project :

Be sure to check out Senior Story Telling Day on November 14^thwhich will feature stories and storytellers from the Best Day of My Life So Far blog. This FREE community event to be held at the Central Branch Library and will feature Senior Storytellers recalling the best days of their lives. Learn more here.

- Matt Bryan

A New Act On Our Stage

2010-09-10T06:56:00.000-07:00

Setting the stage…

The marriage between “Family Stages” and Art-Reach allows Art-Reach audiences of all ages to experience fun, interactive theatre in intimate settings. Joining Art-Reach’s In-Facility Program roster of artists, Family Stages presents a variety of two-person shows on site for Art-Reach members. As a witness for this relationship, I was a guest at one of Steve’s shows, “Puss in Boots”, performed in Oreland, PA. The show delivered just what Steve promised. Nursery school children sat rapt on the carpeted floor of the church hall. Folding chairs provided a heightened view for teachers, parents, and grandparents. On stage, a simple hand-painted backdrop and a clunky green trunk set the place, and one pole of spotlights created the mood. Two versatile actors played all the parts, taking on new roles as quickly as they changed their costumes, voices, and postures. Clearly Steve knows what kids like, for his script included audience interaction. On cue, the children stood up, used imaginary tools, and replied aloud. The actors were equally sensitive to young audiences. When the evil ogre threatened the pretty princess, the kids spontaneously shouted a warning. The adults, too, were entertained. Steve’s subtle puns and contemporary allusions amused the mature members of the audience. Puss snidely remarked that she was “no Garfield.” The end result was an intergenerational audience of happy faces and lightened spirits.

Meet the lead player…

Steve Seyfried

It’s Steve Seyfried, a man with a deep voice and a warm smile. He’s the actor, director, producer, playwright, and all-around creative mind behind the theatre company called “Family Stages”, a new roster artist with Art-Reach’s In-Facility Program.

Let me tell you their thirty-year story…

The Exposition…

After graduating college, Steve started his directing career by teaching and his acting career by performing at dinner theatres. That’s where he met his wife, Elise, who also became his artistic partner of many years. After a short time touring with a children’s theatre company into Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the two settled in Philadelphia and decided to start a project of their own. Thus, with only some make-shift costumes and a modest Chevy Chevette, Duet Productions (later to be called Family Stages) was born.


Photo from Family Stages' Performance of Peter Pan

The Rising Action…

Steve and Elise began adapting material for children’s productions. They relied on fairy tales and folktales from around the world, shaping these into plays that could travel to any place that provided a simple stage and an appreciative audience. Soon, their ambitious endeavors gained momentum. The creative couple introduced a summer theatre at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Here, families could share entertainment for an evening, and even laugh at the same things. Another idea advanced the plot… why not offer a summer camp and workshops too? Success was immediately evident as enthusiastic thespians flocked to the shore-based stage. Now, with place established as the tri-state area, and time expanded to all seasons, “Duet Productions” was truly blossoming.

The Turning Point…

With five kids of their own by now, (and all the drama they needed right there at home!), Steve and Elise chose to adjust roles. While Elise focused on the family, Steve forged on with the company. “Duet Productions” became “Family Stages”, a non-profit organization. The new name reflected the goals that were now firmly in place: appeal to intergenerational audiences, and reach them in wide and varied settings.

Just some of the many Family Stages performance offerings.

The Resolution…

“Family Stages” has reached its professional stride. Audiences include all age groups. Actors are minimal in number, but experienced, maintaining the intimate but professional nature of the performance. Performances occur in a variety of venues including retirement communities, schools for children with and without disabilities, and public parks for travelers and tourists. Material is eclectic. In the past thirty years, Steve adapted some forty plays for the stage. Some are funny and fanciful; others are historical and inspirational, but all of them are creative and loyal to the mission of “Family Stages”: to provide entertainment, enrichment, and education to family members of all ages.

The Conclusion…

The story arc is now complete, with Art-Reach welcoming Family Stages to the roster. Today, theatre patrons can choose from Steve’s extensive repertoire and “Family Stages” is eager for the opportunity to join forces with Art-Reach. “It’s a chance to touch audiences we might not ordinarily reach…to help those who cannot otherwise access the theatre. It’s great to feel that we are making a difference!” he confessed. No doubt his performances will reach many Art-Reach audiences, bringing smiles and making a difference in the lives of many!

Welcome Steve Seyfried and “Family Stages”!

-by Barbara Speece

A New Addition to the Art-Reach (...and Borton) Family!

2010-08-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

Art-Reach Associate Director Stephanie Borton and her husband Michael Borton welcomed a healthy baby boy to the world on July 19^th at 11:51am.

Elijah Adam Borton weighed 8lbs 15oz and was 20.75 inches long.

Mom, Dad and Baby are happy and healthy!

Sharing the Experience at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

2010-06-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Art-Reach hosted "Share the Experience" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) on Friday, June 11th. The event, a program of Art-Reach's Independence Starts Here cultural access initiative, encouraged guests—including donors, members, and community leaders—to experience art as people who are blind or visually impaired experience it.

To begin the event, the Philadelphia Museum of Art shared a number of tools it provides through its Accessible Programs to enhance the museum experience for people with visual impairments. These include Braille and raised-line museum maps as well as touchable interpretations of art such as tactile representations, miniature sculptures, and three-dimensional replications of two-dimensional paintings. These tools were on display at the event for guests to touch and experience, with written descriptions to serve as a guide for those who are blind or visually impaired.

While such tools help open up the world of art to those with visual impairments, they are only part of what makes visual art accessible to those with disabilities. As Street Thoma, Manager of Accessible Programs at the PMA says, "The most important way to make art accessible is the language that we use to describe things." One key element of art accessibility is audio description.

At the event, audio described tours were available for event attendees. For guests with visual impairments, the tour gave them an opportunity to experience a work of art in the Museum's collection through audio description. For guests with sight, blindfolds were provided to allow them to experience the art as those who are visually impaired experience it. Sighted guests were encouraged to put on their blindfolds or close their eyes before viewing the art being described, allowing them to rely on the description alone without any visual point of reference.

After the audio describer presented a description of one of the PMA's paintings, guests were asked about their experience. One guest with sight said, "It was captivating to hear her [the audio describer] speak. The way she presented information was very thoughtful." Another sighted guest said, "I enjoyed the way it [the audio description] was presented. It unfolded like a story, and the description was neutral, so it gave you the opportunity to interpret it yourself." One guest who is visually impaired said, "It was almost like I could see it [the painting]," while another commented on the importance of asking clarifying questions during any audio description. "You can't make quick judgments; you have to ask if you can't see the details."

For more information about the Accessible Programs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, including the Form in Art program, call (215) 684-7602 or TTY (215) 684-7600 or e-mail AccessProg@philamuseum.org.

- By Jennifer Oglesbee
Jennifer is a Special Projects Ambassador in the Art-Reach Ambassador Program

WOOD TURNING: WHAT A TURN-ON!

2010-06-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

TURN IN to 501 Vine Street, and you’ll see what I saw in April: the curves and shapes and colors and grains that define the craft of wood turning. When I arrived, I immediately spotted the lathe, basking proudly in the light on the windowsill, and knew that this device, guided by the deft hands of an artist, was responsible for the beautiful objects I was about to see. Albert, Ron, and William, the inspiration and administrative backbone of the organization, gave me a warm welcome, a hint of the sensory pleasure that pervades the Wood Turning Center in Philadelphia. I began my journey.

HAD I MADE A WRONG TURN? As I entered the gallery, I was struck by the apparent anomaly that I saw ahead. Pieces made from glass and linen and leather and clay in a wood center? Then I saw the sign: “Magic Realism---Material Illusions”, and I understood my mistake. Here was a special exhibit that played with expectation and its intersection with reality. On display were illusions of materials: a child’s cotton dress…really wood; a birch tree branch…really clay; a lacy linen corset…really glass. I had been exposed to the unexpected interconnectedness, OK… the magic… of materials!

TIME TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK by paging through the books and photographs in the next room. By perusing through the shelves that lined the walls, serious scholars, able artists, and just fascinated folks could read about the history of wood turning, the process that defines it, and the artists who produced its most acclaimed work. Out of sight in a climate-controlled area, the WTC houses a permanent collection of wood-turned objects that are rotated out for display periodically. If time had permitted, I could have researched the past and gained even more appreciation of this special craft. Next visit!

THEIR TURNSTILE KEEPS MOVING! WTC also invites hobbyist turners to enhance their skills, experienced wood artists to find new inspiration, and researchers to expand their knowledge. Most importantly, WTC encourages the general public to discover and appreciate this very special place. There are only three craft art studios in Philadelphia, the other two devoted to either clay or fabric. The Wood Turning Center is unique: its focus is wood, and its mission is to elevate the perception of this craft art to the level of fine art! After my visit, I was a believer!

NOW, IT’S YOUR TURN. Be a visitor. You have lots of choices. Three specific and well-defined programs are available for Art-Reach members, each one offering some combination of museum history, process explanation, exhibit information, sample pieces, and lathe demonstration. Also available is a hands-on turning experience! The WTC kindly offers an “on-the-road” alternative, taking portions of the program to member sites, thereby reaching audiences unable to travel.

IT’S SOMEONE ELSE’S TURN: Do you need another recommendation? Maybe Brandee will convince you! Brandee, a young woman with many physical challenges, along with Debbie, her nurse, and Lynda, her doctor, spent the morning of April 29th at WTC. I was there too. Wood artist, Philip Hauser, a retired executive who confessed to a long-time love affair with wood, patiently demonstrated how wood is turned on the lathe. He slowly transformed a chunk of unfinished poplar into a “lidded box.” As Philip worked and talked, Dr. Lynda orally conveyed the visual details to Brandee, who is visually impaired. The pleasant smell of burning wood filled the air as the turning continued. With each new curve and detail, Dr. Lynda placed the transformed creation into Brandee’s open hand, thus stimulating her tactile response. Dr. Lynda’s expressive narrative voice reflected the beauty of the evolving piece, enhancing the sensory experience for this special guest with limited independent abilities. When Philip ended his demonstration, he gifted the finished piece to Brandee, concluding what Dr. Lynda described as “unequivocally, one of the best experiences Brandee has ever had.” She added her intention to return soon with other Rec Care folks.

However you choose to experience this craft and art, whether at the WTC site or on your own turf, you will see the curves and shapes and colors and grains. You will feel the warmth, smell the wood, and welcome the peace. Your senses will tell you… you made the RIGHT TURN!

-by Barbara Speece

Green Room: The meaning behind the term

2010-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

A green room is a room in a theater, television show set, or public venue used by actors, speakers or other performers when they are not onstage. They can simple or lavish.

While most green rooms today aren’t literally painted green, the origin of the name is unclear and varies in explanation from the usage of green paint in the rooms to green plants kept to provide humidity, which was assumed to be good for the voice. One theatre explains that “In olden times the players performed on a platform or stage referred to as “The Green” and adjacent to this was a room for relaxing, going over lines and other things that players did.”

Today, green rooms might have TVs for actors and actresses who, while waiting for their cue to go onstage, can watch what’s going on onstage currently. On television show sets, celebrity guests and TV show hosts might meet each other in the green room before appearing together in front of an audience. Fans, often with a backstage pass or for a fee, may meet the actors or musical performers in the green room after the performance.

- by Khanh-Anh

Birthday of the Week

2010-05-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

English actress Audrey Hepburn was born this week on May 4th, in 1929. She was born in Brussels, Belgium and was the only child of Joseph Rusten and her mother, Ella Van Heemstra. As a child she took ballet lessons at the Arnhem Conservatory and after World War II ended, Audrey and her mother moved to Amsterdam where she continued to study ballet under Sonia Gaskell. Eventually, she moved to London where she studied ballet under influential British dancer Marie Rambert, while occasionally working as a model to support herself.

She had her first role in the British movie One Wild Oat and then had minor roles in Young Wives’ Tale, Laughter in Paradise, The Lavender Hill Mob, and Secret People. While working on the English and French film Monte Carlo Baby, French writer known as Colette choose Audrey to play the title role in the Broadway adaptation of her novel Gigi. Hepburn won a Tony award for this performance. In 1953, she received her first starring role in the film Roman Holiday, for which she won an academy award for best actress. In 1954, she starred in the play Ondine with Mel Ferrer, whom she would marry later that year. They would have one child together. She went on to star in numerous films, including Sabrina, War and Peace, Funny Face, Paris When It Sizzles, Love in the Afternoon, Green Mansions, The Unforgiven, The Children’s Hour, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Charade, and My Fair Lady.

After her divorce from Ferrer, she married her second husband Andrea Dotti on January 18th, 1969. They would also have one child together. In 1988, Audrey Hepburn became UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador – a role that had a great impact on the organization and on Hepburn herself. She passed away on January 20th, 1993.

-by Mike Endres

Art-Reach at the Scott Arboretum

2010-04-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

Art-Reach held its 2nd annual program celebrating Earth Day on April 23rd. The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), an Art-Reach community partner, Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB), a long time Art-Reach member agency as well as Art-Reach staff, donors and I embarked on a sensory tour of Scott Arboretum.

Sensory tours are generally given for people who have sensory disabilities. Elements of exhibits, shows or in this case the garden are made available to touch and smell in order to heighten participants’ experience of the event. For people who are blind and receiving descriptions of the place they visit, these tours enhance the narrative and place the descriptions into context of a tangible object.

Scott is a 300-acre arboretum located on the grounds of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA. Becky Robert, the Member and Visitor Programs Coordinator, was our knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. The tour began at the Scott Entrance Garden whose plants and layout change every year. Becky passed around clippings from a shrub with a twisty vine. We learned that when the leaves die in the winter, the vines add interest to the garden.

Touching the plants was a new way for some of us to experience the garden but it was old hat for our friends from ASB. This organization serves people who are blind or visually impaired and ASB is an active member of Art-Reach. Visiting museums and attending performances year round, this group actively seeks sensory tours where tactile elements are incorporated into the experience offering a far more intimate understanding of the featured activity. In this same manner ASB has visited the Philadelphia Zoo, InterAct Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Company and Enchantment Theatre Company, to name a few.

When we walked over to a majestic pine tree and felt its deep ridges or furrows, HLAA member Diana told me it was “very interesting to feel the flakiness of the bark.” HLAA provides assistance and resources for people with hearing loss and their families to learn how to adjust to living with hearing loss. They have also been an integral community partner in the Independence Starts Here Campaign, bringing many new audience patrons to enjoy the arts in the Philadelphia region.

Our next stop on the sensory tour brought us to a wooden trellis and Becky passed around some Daphne flowers. Mary Ann, who is hard-of hearing, said she liked “flowers and anything visual” the best. Lavera, one of our blind guests, rubbed the flower in between her fingers and smelled her hand instead of smelling the flower directly. This helped her to “get the scent better,” she explained.

The group then trekked over to a beech tree that was a gift from the Swarthmore class of 1881! The gigantic tree was nearly 20 feet in diameter. Betty, a guest from ASB said the bark felt “all ripply, like when you drop a pebble in a pond.”

Acorns crackled beneath our feet as Becky led the group to a red oak tree and then to a sawtooth oak tree. I felt how the sawtooth oak got its name: it has leaves with serrated edges.

“I love lilacs,” Gladys, another ASB member, exclaimed as we got to a cluster of lilac plants. They were the first official plants at the Arboretum. Lavera echoed that they were her favorite plant of the day. “It smelled like the most pungent hint of lilac from my childhood,” said Betty.

Sensory tours are also highly enjoyable for anyone with a keen interest in better understanding an artistic art medium. Donor Albert Olenzak, both a supporter of Art-Reach and of Scott Arboretum, agreed with Gladys sharing that he especially enjoyed the portion of the tour where he was able to feel and smell the lilacs. “I’m an outdoors person,” he shared. “I thought it [the tour] was great. It was the best time of the season to smell the lilacs and was beautiful.”

We crouched down to feel a green plant nicknamed Lamb’s Ears, which, according to Betty, felt “better than velvet.” The final two stops on the tour were a dwarf white pine and a traditional pine.

The day ended with a reception at the Wister Education Center. Cosmic Catering provided organic goodies and we all enjoyed each other’s company. Al Olenzak commented that he had not been to Scott for a while and enjoyed seeing the Wister Education Center. “It was a very pleasant event,” Al shared. “I enjoyed the sensory tour, it was very relaxing and beautiful, but I especially enjoyed meeting the folks participating because they were all very interesting.” For Art-Reach members, donors, staff and ambassadors alike, this event was indeed a relaxing way to end a one-of-a-kind nature experience.

~by Danielle Bullen
Danielle is a Special Project Ambassador with the Art-Reach Ambassador Program.

Inside the Mind of a Dancer

2010-04-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Photo by Gabriel Bienczycki featuring dancer Laura Feig
Used with permission from Ballet X

On April 18th, a sunny Sunday morning, families gathered at the Wilma Theater. They were there to attend “Inside the Mind of a Dancer,” a lecture-demonstration presented by Art-Reach Arts Partner organization, Ballet X.

Founded in 2005, “BalletX produces original choreography that expands the vocabulary of classical dance for all audiences.”

Children chattered and anticipation filled the air as co-artistic director, Christine Cox walked on-stage, carrying her young son. This was truly a family affair. Cox began by asking the audience to write down emotions on a slip of paper. Then 6 of Ballet X’s dancers came on stage and took their places around 2 portable ballet barres.

Cox explained, “A dancer, everyday, 6 days a week starts by working out at the barre.” The dancers demonstrated some of the common moves they practice, such as pliés and pirouettes.

Dancing is not as easy as professional dancers make it look. “A lot is going on in our brains as we warm up,” said Cox. Dancers need to think about the position of all their body parts as they move.

After warm-up exercises, the dancers showed the captive audience some floor routines. They collected the papers with emotions written on them. Co-artistic director and choreographer Matthew Neenan picked a paper that said “relaxed.” Neenan then designed a dance and taught it to his fellow dancers. The relaxed ballet told the story of waking up on a lazy Sunday morning.

The audience saw that dancers need a great memory. Neenan explained they might have 1 or 2 weeks to create and learn a 20-minute ballet. He said, “People don’t realize how quickly we have to come up with movement.”

The dancers then created mini-ballets based on the audience-suggested emotions “excited”, “anxious” and “tired”.

Cox re-emerged and invited the kids in the audience on stage to learn a routine. Young dancers and some parents got up and practiced their 1st positions, their relevés and their arabesques. To end the family friendly morning, Cox choreographed a routine to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” and everyone danced happily.

Jim and his family attended the event with Art-Reach member, St. Mary Interparochial School. “My family and I truly enjoyed the performances. Our seats were very close to the stage and this made for a truly memorable afternoon and morning of excellent dancing and informative demonstrations into how a choreographer creates their performances.”

St. Mary Interparochial School has been a long time member of Art-Reach, using the arts creatively to foster family time spent together both during and after school hours. They have found that this approach works to build their school community, increase parent involvement and provide students and their families with fun learning experiences. Jim could not agree more. “I look forward to enjoying many more cultural experiences which are provided by this wonderful program,” says Jim.

After the presentation, Matthew Neenan was kind enough to offer a peek behind the curtain and talk with Art-Reach about Ballet X’s community outreach.

Art-Reach: What are some common misconceptions people have about ballet and dancers?
Matthew Neenan: There’s the misconception it’s a hobby. It’s our job. There are days I don’t feel like doing it, like any job, but I have to do it. Kids don’t realize it’s hard work. You have to be resilient.

AR: Why is it important for Ballet X to engage in community outreach?
MN: We have to. Community outreach introduces people to the ballet, develops audiences, and sells tickets. It gets the audience involved. It’s fascinating for adults and children alike. To get grants, we need show outreach efforts.

AR: What inspired Ballet X to create this event?
MN: We wanted to teach about ballet. We’ve done demonstrations before but never for an audience this young. It was kind of an experiment to see if we could hold their attention. We wanted to show toddlers live movement. It’s better for them to see something live than watch TV. We wanted to do an event at the Wilma. There’s not a bad seat in the house. The audience can really see the dancers for who they are and see the passion and drive very clearly.

AR: What do you hope the audience takes away from the event?
MN: Appreciate the art form, the training, and how smart the dancers are.

~by Danielle Bullen
Danielle is a Special Projects Ambassador with Art-Reach's Ambassador Program

Keeping customers happy, loyal patrons!

2010-04-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

Inclusive customer service for everyone: we all know it is important, but what does it truly look like? How do you do it well and execute it correctly?

Independence Starts Here, in partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, presents:

Keys to Quality Customer Service for Seniors and Patrons with Disabilities.
Tuesday, April 20
9:00-11:00am - continental breakfast provided
The Playground, Adrienne Theater
2030 Sansom Street
Philadelphia PA

This free workshop provides the keys to making sure that all customers are treated with respect and that first-time customers become long-term patrons. Mimi Kenney Smith of VSA Arts of Pennsylvania will lead this session, providing a wealth of best practices and attainable, easy action steps to make your venue more accessible and service friendly. Mimi knows her stuff and makes it fun to learn. We hope to see you there!

Register for this FREE workshop at:
http://keystoservice.eventbrite.com

Why it Matters:
Serving senior audiences and customers with disabilities provides significant opportunities for the cultural community. According to a 1998 Department of Labor statistic, more than 20 million families in the U.S. have at least one member with a disability. The estimated buying power for people with disabilities is over a trillion dollars and seniors with disabilities control up to 40% of the personal assets in America. Yet, when speaking with patrons with disabilities, their primary concern is not for the quality of the ramp or the captioning; it is for the quality of the customer service. This seminar will provide the keys to making sure that all customers are treated with respect and that first-time customers become long-term patrons.

This workshop is presented by Independence Starts Here, a community wide cultural-access initiative led by VSA Arts of Pennsylvania and Art-Reach in partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and Philadelphia Corporation for Aging as part of Celebrate Arts & Aging.

Careers in the Arts: Meet Mimi Kenney Smith

2010-04-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

The oldest of 13 children, Mimi Kenney Smith is used to having a lot of responsibility and being around a lot of people. This comes in handy when working in partnerships with over 100 organizations around the country. As Producing Artistic Director of Amaryllis Theatre Company, Co-Chair of Independence Starts Here and Executive Director of VSA of Pennsylvania, Mimi Smith has certainly embraced many opportunities to pursue an artistic career.

Mimi takes pride in her ability to figure out how to make things work. She believes problems challenge her imagination and force her to find creative solutions. She employs all of these skills in each of her endeavors. The best advice she would offer anyone who aspires to work in the arts is to “take a chance and be open to the possibilities.”

From a young age she was interested in painting and sculpting. This led her to begin designing sets and eventually taking the stage as an actress. She balanced her love of theater and art through college taking courses in both, and earning two degrees in Theatre.

Education was very important to launching Mimi’s career. After finishing school, she worked at Villanova as a Public Relations Director. While working for their theater department, she also acted. One production Mimi was a part of at Villanova, All My Sons she considers to be one of her most memorable theater experiences. “It was both a great ensemble and my first standing ovation… I felt like I was in the place in the world that I was meant to be…I thought all right, this is what I’m here for."

It is that conviction that later led her to start her own theater company. What has brought her success with her company is her willingness to take chances. Mimi goes above and beyond to emphasize inclusion and accessibility with each production, making Amaryllis a unique and exceptional theater. It has also led Mimi to take on her many roles with other organizations to share her knowledge and ideas with others.

To learn more about Amaryllis Theater, Independence Starts Here, and VSA visit: http://www.amaryllistheatre.org/, http://www.independencestartshere.org/, and http://www.vsapa.org/.

-by Allison O' Dea
Allison is an Art-Reach Special Projects Ambassador

Independence Arts Studios offers Spring Session Classes

2010-04-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Independence Arts Studios (IDS), an inclusive artist studio offering classes for persons of every age and ability, has their new spring line up available. Located at 714 Market Street, IDS offers the following opportunities.

Wheelchair Sculptured Art
Thursdays 1-3 pm, April 29th to June 3rd
Michael Mantis, master jeweler, will be lead students to create an assemblage of various wheelchair parts, put together to create a single piece of arts without welding.

Cast Making for Faces
Tuesdays 1-3pm, May 4th to June 8th
Barbara Gregson, theater artist, will guide students in engaging live models to make plastered casts of the faces of some of the Liberty Resources consumers.

Cost for non IAS members is $40
Cost for current IAS members is $35

For more information or to register, contact the IAS at 215-634-2000 x333 or send and email to info@artsbuyias.org

Travel the globe without leaving Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archeology and Anthropology

2010-03-26T04:54:00.000-07:00

Travel the globe without leaving Philadelphia by visiting the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. Conveniently hop from continent to continent as you stroll through fascinating collections of Asian Art, Egyptian Mummies, and Roman statues.

One of the most stunning features of the museum is the Harrison Rotunda that houses the museum’s collection of Chinese Art. The dome of the rotunda measures ninety feet across and ninety feet from the floor and is one of the largest unsupported masonry domes in the nation. While you’re there make sure to gaze at the breathtaking Crystal Ball that belonged to Empress Dowager Cixi in the center of the gallery. At one point in our history, this ball was stolen and found in a pawn shop in Philadelphia where it was safely returned back to the museum!

Adjacent to the Harrison Rotunda are the Lower Egyptian Galleries, which house the museum’s collection of mummies, sarcophagi, and artwork from the time of the Pharaoh’s. Brave patrons can navigate the corridors of the dimly lit gallery and gaze upon the remains of ancient mummies and learn about the mummification process.

For the classics buffs, the museum’s collection of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art is fantastic! Travel through time and observe how these ancient civilizations influenced and inspired each another through their art and technology.

In addition to their excellent permanent collection, the museum also features unique touring exhibits that feature work produced locally, nationally, and internationally by archeologists, anthropologists, and community groups. Righteous Dopefiend, one of the touring exhibits currently on display until December 2010, features the work of anthropologist Philippe Bourgois and photographer-ethnographer Jeff Schonberg and their documentation of the daily lives of homeless drug users, drawing upon more than a decade of fieldwork. This moving exhibit cannot be missed and is a profound look and call to action to help address the needs and challenges facing people who are homeless and addicted to drugs.

The museum offers both self-guided and guided tours of their collections, and Art-Reach members can request tickets by submitting a museum request form to the Program Department. Guided and Self-Guided experiences can be arranged Tuesday – Friday 10:00am-3:30pm and Sunday from 1-5pm. During the summer months parts of the exhibit are not air conditioned, making spring the perfect time to plan your excursions around the globe without ever leaving your back yard! Please see the UPENN Museum’s listing on the Art-Reach museum roster for more information about visiting the museum and contact the Art-Reach Program Department for help planning your outing.

-by Matt Bryan

Event #3: The Ongoing Adventures of Philadelphia Academies Students’ Cultural Treasure Hunt

2010-03-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

The latest session of the Cultural Treasure Hunt began at the four-star Crowne Plaza Hotel at 18th and Market streets at 4:30 pm. Deneen Cooper, Banquet Manager and Board Member of Philadelphia Academies, provided an all-access pass to the facilities at the 445-room hotel. In addition, Deneen shared her college experiences and tips for upscale service with the students. She led a group through an exercise of setting a table for a formal banquet event, with the proper placement of multiple spoons, forks and knives. A student named Natalie told me, “Now I know where everything goes and why it goes there. It makes sense to me”. Natalie helped set a “blank table” and folded crisp napkins, using a previously set table as a guide for completing the task. By the time she and her fellow students finished setting the table, it was ready for a food magazine photo shoot.

Our group toured the hotel laundry facilities, ballroom/conference rooms, met the hotel’s General Manager Bob Cosgrove, and observed Chef Jon Bauer in the kitchen. The level of behind-the-scenes access was very comprehensive and impressive given the fact that the hotel was filled to capacity on the day of our visit.

Having worked up an appetite during the tours, the group reconvened in the dining room for dinner. In keeping with the elegant surroundings, Chef John presented a multi-course meal with an extra special surprise: an intermezzo course (palate cleanser) of lemon sorbet served on an orange slice, which refreshed the diners between the salad course and main course. This was truly dining at its finest! I stopped by a table from George Washington High School to gauge the students’ reactions to the menu, and everyone gave their approval. Markita and Quadirah particularly liked the lemon sorbet.

Chef John and Sous Chef Peter provided dessert via a live culinary demonstration of Bananas Foster on Iced Lemon Pound Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. All the students gathered around while Chef John flambéed the sliced bananas in rum with a giant whoosh of flame and loud “oooooohs” from the group. The fire burned off the alcohol, but left a pleasant sweet flavor on the bananas. Chef talked thorough the recipe and the need for safety when flambéing. Dessert was a nice finale to the first half of the treasure hunt experience, and the students were fueled up and ready to travel to Allens Lane Theater in Mount Airy.

Art Reach Program Manager Matt Bryan greeted the students at the theater. Matt coordinated the logistics of the cultural portion of the Treasure Hunt, and likes the fact that the activities take place after classes “because the students seem more relaxed after their day at school is finished”.

During the bus ride, on the way to the theatre, students sang “school bus” songs like “Old MacDonald” with updated lyrics. I used the time to get to know some of the teachers a little better. NEWSFLASH: the teachers and Philadelphia Academies staff really love their students!! They talked about their individual students’ aspirations and dreams, and how activities like the Cultural Treasure Hunt truly make an impact on student learning and interest in career development. One of the teachers, Joanne, mentioned the fact that she was currently teaching the Harlem Renaissance. She continued, “The play we will be seeing tonight Blues for an Alabama Sun, is timely for our class”.

Allens Lane Theater is a relatively small venue that accommodates about 75 people in cabaret style seating at small round tables. This intimate space heightens the impact of the dramatic action taking place on stage, and the students were very attentive during the performance. At the end of the performance, they asked questions during a talk-back session with Director Kaleo Bird and cast members.

One student asked the cast “Do you really dress like that in real life?” The actor responded no, and explained the conventions of stage productions, mentioning the costume designer and the research she conducted regarding the period garb worn by the actors. An interesting revelation came about when a student asked about the actor’s personal lives and professions. As it turns out, a few cast members work with in the Philadelphia School system during the day and act in the evening. The cast instilled in the students the value of having dreams, pursuing passions, and find a way to do what you love, even if it is not as a full time vocation.

With the conclusion of the talk-back session, it was time to head home. I thought back over the events of the evening and something that Philadelphia Academies’ Corvette Kittrell said at dinner really resonated with me: “ …we know that we have a direct impact on [student] college decisions. The behind-the-scenes tours also have a big impact on helping to make informed choices on career decisions”. In light of that comment, I give Cultural Treasure Hunt Event #3 a big “Mission Accomplished”!

The fourth event in the Cultural Treasure Hunt is scheduled for April 8, 2010. Check back for an update on this exciting initiative.

-by Maureen Zug

Happy Brithday Andrew Lloyd Webber

2010-03-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

English Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was born today, March 22, in 1948 in London, England. His father William Lloyd Webber was an organist and composer. His younger brother Julian Lloyd Webber is world-renowned cellist.

He has worked with lyricist Tim Rice on several occasions. Their first major collaboration was the musical The Likes of Us. He also worked with Rice in 1968 on the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat and in 1970 on Jesus Christ Superstar. He worked with Alan Ayckbourn on the musical comedy Jeeves and Wooster. In 1976, he teamed again with Tim Rice for the musical Evita. In 1981, he composed his musical Cats, which ran for 18 years on Broadway. In 1986, he composed the musical The Phantom of the Opera which is the longest running show on Broadway.

He married his first wife Sarah Hugill on July 24, 1972. They had two children together and were divorced November 14, 1983. He married his second wife and the star of Phantom, Sarah Brightman, on March 22, 1984. They divorced on January 3, 1990. He married his third wife Madeleine Gurdon on February 9, 1991. They have three children together.

He has received a number of awards for his work. They include: six Tony awards, three Grammy awards, an Academy award, seven Olivier awards, and a Golden Globe. He was knighted in 1992. In 2006 he received the Kennedy Center Honors along with Zubin Mehta, Dolly Parton, Steven Spielberg, and Smokey Robinson.

-by Mike Endres

A Vegetable Paradise in Camden, Amazonian Flying Rainbows, and a Giraffe from South Africa Made of Orchids

2010-03-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

If you are a volunteer with Art-Reach, you may get lucky and get to travel around the world (yes – this is a shameless plug for volunteering at Art-Reach with the Ambassador Program!) with some fabulous people.

Early in March, I got lucky, and went to India, South Africa, the Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, Brazil, and Camden, New Jersey, with Jordie, Tara, and Marc, three awesome students from the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy, located in University City. Accompanying us were their three indefatigable recreational therapists, Charlie, Rich, and Karen.

HMS students infront of 28-foot-tall hot-air balloon that
greeted guests as they entered the event.

We did this in 90 minutes flat. How, you ask? Art-Reach and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) made our trip possible by arranging tickets to attend the 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show, the world’s largest indoor flower show that showcased, well, the world! In fact, PHS has been an Art-Reach arts partner for a number of years, annually pledging tickets that enable community access to their event. In turn, Art-Reach manages all community outreach for PHS. "Through their (PHS) partnership, we were able to provide experiences to more than 270 people who would not otherwise be able to access the flower show," explains Stephanie Borton, Art-Reach Associate Director.

PHS runs the world’s largest indoor flower show, and this year they showcased 79,000 freeze-dried flowers on the 28-foot-tall hot-air balloon that greeted guests upon their entrance to the event. Charlie stated that “Art-Reach gives our students many more opportunities to explore and experience the community.” And in this case, the world! "We also want the community at large to be socially aware of young adults with disabilities,” he explained.

We saw a 12 foot tall, life-size pastel floral elephant from India; tulips, tulips, and more tulips from the Netherlands; and ethereal white calla lilies suspended in blocks of “ice” dangling from the ceiling in an urban, post-apocalyptic setting. Very post-modern, and much to the taste and delight of Tara!

Jordie maneuvered her wheelchair so adroitly through the crowds, anxious to get to each more spectacular-than-the last exhibit, that Charlie had a hard time catching up with her. Meanwhile, Marc, with a winning smile, posed in front of the German Beer Garden and raised his water cup in a hearty Prost!

Tara summed up her globe-trotting experience by telling me, via her augmentative communication device, “I am happy to be at the Flower Show. There are so many pretty flowers! Thank you for the tickets.”

I later asked both Bill Hunter, Recreation Coordinator at the HMS School, and Laura Hoover, Senior Public Relations Coordinator of the PHS, about the advantages of being a member and an arts partner of Art-Reach, respectively.

In addition to providing HMS students with opportunities to visit museums and attend the theater, Bill stressed the proactive approach of Art-Reach’s staff in extending invitations to students and their parents and caregivers for cultural events that they normally would not have a chance to experience.

But given our “new economy,” I think Laura succinctly summed up a most relevant reason for social service agencies and arts and culture non-profits to partner with Art-Reach.

While the staff provides “excellent support and customer service” and outsourcing outreach to Art-Reach is “a great help to the Public Relations Department (of PHS),” the bottom line for any organization to be a member of Art-Reach is the bottom line: “Art-Reach will save you time and money,” explains Laura.

-by Kathy Spillman
Kathy is a Special Projects Ambassador with Art-Reach

Black Journey: Time Travel Through Black Trials and Triumphs

2010-03-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

Early in March, the Keswick Theatre showcased a moving and telling musical experience of black history and culture, Black Journey. Presented by the American Family Theatre, this musical production has been hailed as an incredible theatric experience, leaving audiences awestruck while imparting the important lessons of black history. The show was geared towards youth audiences, grades 4 through 8, seeking to educate them on the progress of black culture in America through time. Actors Miranda, Michael, and Janine took viewers back to times when Blacks were enslaved in America, kept from riding in the front of the bus during the Civil Rights Movement, and even still facing struggles in present time, including peer pressure and self-identity conflicts. The performance reached the youth audience on a level to which they could relate, singing to them about important issues that have been endured in the Black community over time while reenacting periodic episodes along the way.

Cast of Black Journey, actors Miranda, Michael, and Janine

At the March 1st showing, several Art-Reach members were in the audience enjoying the show, including RecCare. This organization provides one-on-one therapeutic recreation support services for persons with physical, mental, and/or emotional disabilities, as well as older adults with related challenges. Jen Loux, one of the RecCare Therapeutic Specialists, attended the performance with a client group; she and RecCare client, Stephanie, took time to speak with me after the show to discuss their experience along Black Journey. When asked what she enjoyed most about the performance, Stephanie noted that the dancing in the show was the same as it was “back then.”

Throughout the show, the actors took the audience along a time capsule ride through both song and dance. Says Stephanie regarding the performance, “It was interesting. It was telling history…it was happy. Most of it was happy.”Stephanie really likes going to performances sponsored by Art-Reach, as long as “they aren’t boring,” of course! She enjoys being exposed to different types of programming, and has been appreciative of the artistic opportunities that have been made available to her and RecCare through Art-Reach.“Since I’ve been with RecCare,” says Stephanie, “I’ve had more of an open mind.” More specifically, she is careful to note that she doesn’t believe she would have attended certain shows without Art-Reach’s support as well as her friends at RecCare.

RecCare has been very grateful for all opportunities Art-Reach has made available to the organization; this is a perfect example of how sharing the experience has made an incredible impact and difference in a monumental manner!

-by Talia Stinson

Take 2: Philadelphia Academies Students Continue to Pursue Cultural Treasures

2010-03-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday March 2, a group of tenth and eleventh graders from the Academies’ Culinary Arts and Hospitality program participated in their second session in the Cultural Treasure Hunt series.

Students, teachers and Philadelphia Academies personnel participate in the Cultural Treasure Hunt on a volunteer basis after a full day of school or work. The programs usually start in the late afternoon and conclude around 9 pm, illustrating that our students and adult staffers are really passionate in the pursuit of knowledge and culture.

This session of the Cultural Treasure Hunt began with a visit to the Marriott at 12th and Market for a behind the scenes tour of the hotel’s rooms and meeting with two of the chefs on staff. Following the tour, dinner was served in the hotel’s Restaurant, 13. Hector, a Culinary Arts student, reviewed the dinner menu for me: prime rib, broiled tilapia, mashed potatoes, assorted vegetables and cheesecake for dessert. He particularly “enjoyed the prime rib and visits with the hotel’s 2 chefs [Executive Chef and Assistant Chef].” Hector has high hopes for a career as a chef and perhaps even as an “Iron Chef” competing for culinary supremacy on TV. We will be cheering for you, Hector!

After dinner, the treasure hunters proceeded to the Arden Theater to see a production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I sat next to Hector and Emily during the performance. Both students had read the play in English class during the previous school year. Dressed for a night out at the theater, Emily told me that she “was excited to see the play since I already know the story. Seeing the play will help me understand the story even more and make it real to me.”

This version of Romeo and Juliet was no ordinary hose and doublet affair! The stage was set up as a bi-level open platform so that the acting took place all around with the players running up and down the aisles of the theater. I asked soft-spoken Nicholas, who was sitting behind me, what he thought of the play. He answered, “The modern suits and tuxedos worn in the play bring the story to our generation. There is lots of energy and action in the sword fight scenes -- I read the story last year and I now really understand it when I see it.”

Just like his classmates, Lucian, tall and thin in a dark blue pullover, had read the play previously. During intermission, Lucian told me, “Parts [of the play] are funny. The last time I was in the theater, I was in kindergarten. These seats are really close to the stage. I think I would like to come to the theater again”.

Philadelphia Academies’ Harvey Goss told me that the students are “..like sponges”. “They soak up so much – you can see it in their eyes. You really can see how art makes a difference in their lives. Events like these are so worthwhile!”

After intermission, our group settled in for the second half of the performance with its well-known roller coaster of dramatic action -- the joyful love of Romeo and Juliet, the violence of Capulet-Montague sword fights, the tragic tomb scene, and the grieving reconciliation of Romeo and Juliet’s families. Our cultural treasure hunters followed the action with careful attention and enthusiastically cheered the actors at the end of the performance.

Thus our Philadelphia Academies’ Culture Treasure Hunters successfully (and sleepily) completed their second segment of their five-part journey. The next part of the Cultural Treasure Hunt is scheduled for March 11, 2010. Check back around March 22 for an update on the continuing saga of the Philadelphia Academies students’ quest for culture.

-by Maureen Zug

Spring has Sprung, come on Get Happy!

2010-03-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

This month, we are building bridges and celebrating our generous supporters -- our members, arts partners, donors, ambassadors, staff and friends-- who make the mission possible during an exciting upcoming event: the Art-Reach Happy Hour Meet-and-Greet! Held on Wednesday, March 24th, 6-8pm at Ladder 15, which is located at 1528 Sansom Street attendees will mingle with one another as well as with other professionals from the area who, perhaps are not yet intimately acquainted with Art-Reach. Best yet, it is all for a worthy cause! The happy hour is a fundraiser for Art-Reach; with the $5 cover charge from each attendee directly benefiting the organization. In addition, attendees will be able to take advantage of Ladder 15's 456 happy hour ($4 drafts, $5 wines, and $6 specialty drinks) and $2 discounts off of bar snacks.

As a vital portal to artistic avenues and incredible arts opportunities throughout the tri-state area, Art-Reach has touched many individuals and organizations throughout its over 23-year existence. Now more than ever, the arts community needs our support. This isn't news to anyone, especially those of us familiar with this organization. At the foundation of each artistic opportunity available through Art-Reach is a common thread that promotes the organization's mission of "enriching lives by connecting underserved audiences with cultural experiences so that they may enjoy and benefit from the transformative powers of the arts."

We hope to see all of our friends, member organizations, and arts partners at this exciting Spring 2010 event in a few short weeks at Ladder 15. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the organization and get to know others who are equally as passionate about the cause. Can you think of a better way to welcome the change of seasons?

This is an open event, and RSVPs are not required. Please bring friends! (21+, of course).

Should you have any questions or for more information, please contact Sage Young at syoung@art-reach.org. See you soon!

-by Talia Stinson

This Looks Like a Job for…the ACTION AGENCY!

2010-03-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

The amazing friends and community members who give to Art-Reach are an absolutely vital piece of our mission to bring arts and culture to those who need their benefits most. They are powerful, kind-hearted, and have the ability to change lives. We’re not sure, but they may also be faster than a speeding bullet and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Our donors are a part of the Art-Reach family, which is why we are pleased to unveil the ART-REACH ACTION AGENCY!

The Action Agency program provides Art-Reach donors the opportunity to connect on a much more personal basis with the work they make possible. Each year, when a friend of Art-Reach makes a gift of $250 or more, he or she will become a member of the Agency, and be entitled to several really cool benefits. Check them out:

Buff ($250-$499)
•    Agent Passes (2) to attend 2 Art-Reach events/year.
•    2 tickets to an inclusive production at the Amaryllis Theatre Company.
•    Invitations (for 2) to attend our Annual Action Agent Cocktail Party (featuring special guests from the Philadelphia cultural and human-service communities).
•    Free subscription to our quarterly Action Agent e-newsletter.
•    Your name featured in our annual Art-Reach newsletter and Web site.

Fanatic ($500-$999)
Every Buff level benefit, PLUS:
•    Agent Passes (2) to attend 2 additional Art-Reach events/year.
•    Reserved VIP seating at Art-Reach events.
•    10 FREE tickets to a live arts event for an Art-Reach member group of your choice.
•    2 additional invitations to our Annual Action Agent Cocktail Party.

Guru ($1,000+)
Every Fanatic level benefit, PLUS:
•    2 additional Agent Passes to attend 4 Art-Reach events/year.
•    10 additional FREE tickets to a live arts event for an Art-Reach member group of your choice.
•    1 FREE In-Facility performance for an Art-Reach member agency of your choice.

I am personally so excited about this program, because it gives us the opportunity to give back to our donors. And I’m not talking about t-shirts and mugs. The Action Agency gives our donors the satisfaction of seeing their dollars in action. They can even directly sponsor arts experiences for the human services agencies closest to their hearts.

A few weeks ago, we posted a cryptic blog article about the Hypno design firm Create-a-thon and the top-secret Art-Reach project these talented artists and copywriters tackled. Well, the Action Agency moniker and design were completely created by the folks at Hypno. We think that they truly captured the spirit of Art-Reach and our donors! Check out the official Action Agency Brochure and tell us what you think!

Several great friends and strong supporters of Art-Reach have come together to form the Action Agency Leadership Council. Special thanks to Joyce and Ron Burd; Patricia A. Gritzan, Esq.; The Phoebe W. Haas Charitable Trust A, as recommended by Carole Haas Gravagno; and the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation for “leading the charge!” The Council has set a challenge for the first year of the Agency. If we are able to raise $20,000 in Action Agency gifts by June 30, 2010, the Council will personally match the amount! Each dollar given to the Agency will automatically be doubled! Please give today and help us reach this goal!

For more information, check out the Art-Reach Action Agency brochure or call me at 215-568-2115, ext. 2.

-by Sage Young

Live Connections at the World Café Live

2010-03-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Back in November, six Art-Reach member agency groups, totaling over 60 people, gathered at the World Café Live to take part in the Language of Rhythm Bridge Session. As an Art-Reach staff member and loyal XPN fan, I was excited to see what these bridge sessions were about and was beyond impressed by the musicians, the members, and the venue.

Josh Robinson, an Art-Reach in-facility artist (as Rhythms and Roots) and talented musician, along with two other teaching artists/musicians, led this interactive workshop to explore how rhythm and rhyming can be used to communicate and express emotion.
The program started off with the band improvising music based on the question posed to the audience “how are you feeling today?” and the answers “enamored, sleepy, and excited.” It was amazing how the music played sounded just like those emotions and the Art-Reach groups were immediately transformed into artists, musicians, performers and poets for the next two hours.

Collectively, all 60 people in the audience brainstormed words that finish the sentence “my neighborhood sounds/smells/looks like…” They then compiled these words and phrases into a poem and volunteers stood up to read along to music played on drums,

keyboards, chimes and a number of other percussion instruments.

Here is the poem written by Art-Reach members:

The soundtrack of my life
sounds like butterflies screaming in the wind
A man searching for peace after a storm, a good place to hide
Hummingbirds and bees running through traffic
Children playing in sweet & sour sewage like a
corned beef special
Honeydew in the morning
As Ghetto As It Gets

By the end of the workshop, almost everyone in the room had an instrument in hand. My favorite was the man playing a large upside-down Tupperware bucket with drumsticks. And when the 60-person jam session ended, no one seemed ready to leave. I certainly wasn’t!

Launched in 2008 by a team of artists, educators and entrepreneurs, LiveConnections.org (LCO) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to music, education and support for artists. Through its work, LCO connects all kinds of people through all kinds of music. Each program seeks to blend great art, personal contact and diverse perspectives. LiveConnections.org’s Bridge Sessions Program brings together musicians from different disciplines and backgrounds with groups of students, seniors and disabled populations in an interactive exploration of music and cultures. By bringing together artists who cross genres and cultures, the sessions encourage participants to consider multiple points of view and build their understanding of perspectives different from their own.

The next Bridge Session will take place on April 13th. Entitled World of Percussion this program features Doc Gibbs, who was the musical director for the Emeril Live! show. He, along with two other talented percussionists, brings instruments to life, making them sing and literally talk to tell a story. It is an interactive session that resulted in dancing, and instrument playing when Art-Reach members last took part in the program in 2009. This program is open to Art-Reach member organizations serving adults with disabilities who are high functioning. If you are interested, please contact the programming department at 215-568-2115 x4 or x5 or email Matt Bryan at mbryan@art-reach.org

-By Rachel Robbins

The Franklin Institute: an amazing place to explore

2010-03-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

There is a distinct and exhilarating quality with museums that indulges our sense of wonder and inspires our curiosity. This feeling is what causes me to visit and revisit museums, and fuels my passion for arts and culture. One of the best parts of my job is sharing my passion with Art-Reach members, and fostering an appreciation for the cultural richness of our region. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Franklin Institute with the Work Group, and I was overwhelmed by the students’ interest, energy, and passion for the museum’s collections.

“You get to explore different things- it’s an exploration.” – Nina Morales, Work Group Student

Simply put, The Franklin Institute is an amazing place to explore. There are very few places in the world where you can navigate the atriums and ventricles of a gigantic heart, follow it up by riding a steam locomotive, and then gaze at the stars in the planetarium. During their visit students from the Work Group explored the iconic heart and the jets in aviation, in addition to receiving hands-on education sessions from the museum’s docents on making paper and solving brain teasers. By far, the group’s favorite exhibit was the interactive computer that projected what students would look like in the years to come.

“This is crazy- definitely interesting.” –Cop Lieu, Work Group Teacher

The Franklin Institute is a recent addition to the Art-Reach Arts Partner Roster; and we are thrilled to be working with them. The Institute’s mission is to inspire an understanding of and passion for science and technology learning, and based on my observations of the Work Group, I think it’s safe to say that they are certainly fulfilling it. If you are an Art-Reach member and you would like to visit the Franklin Institute, please submit a museum request form or contact the Art-Reach Programming Department at 215-568-2115 x4.

A Successful Day of Healing

2010-03-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

As a roving ambassador, sometime blogista, and not so undercover Art-Reach board member, it is truly my pleasure to be able to “Share the Experience” with you, the reader. I want to tell you how Art-Reach and Build-a-Bridge (an Art-Reach member) combined forces on Friday, February 19 to combat the “Groundhog Blues” at a Day of Healing for over 40 caregivers.

To kick off the Day of Healing, Penelope Reed, Artistic Director of Hedgerow Theater lead the entire group through a number of “Theater Games” designed to break the ice and get the neurons moving. Folks were paired off to perform mirroring movement games which helped them to get to know each other and offered tools they could later use with their own clients.

Workshops followed Penelope’s presentation, and were conducted for groups of 4-10 participants, designed to engage body and mind in creative, relaxing activities – Poetry, Clay Sculpture, Breading Baking, Beaded Jewelry Making, and International Folk and African Dance Movement Class. Workshop time was definitely designed to be non-stress playtime for adults! Debi, Recreation Supervisor from Riverview House, explained that she was so excited to attend the Day of Healing that she would have even taken the day off to attend on her own time.

Lenape Nanticoke Shaman and Assistant Chief Brother, Ron Wandering Feather, led a Bead Jewelry Workshop. Monique, a supervisor from Woodstock Family Center, said, “I am interested in beading on an ongoing basis, and a number of ladies in our class are wearing the beaded earrings they made today.”

In the kitchen Chef Chiwishi Abney, instructor for Build-a-Bridge’s Discovery Program and owner of a catering firm, led a bread making workshop. The chef prepared several types of dough for the class to work on, and gave each of the participants recipes for whole wheat bread, challah, and a “letting go” (pizza) dough. Unlike the first two types of dough, the letting go dough was a therapeutic tool used to release tension, anxiety and negative emotions. Participants kneaded the letting go dough to remove “doubt”, “fear of change” and “fear of flying”. After lunch, the loaves were removed hot from the oven and everyone sampled the bread with jam or butter. Yum!

Next I visited the Poetry Workshop conducted by Dr. Naia Claude Schulte. Naia read some sensory evocative works of Langston Hughes, and urged the caregivers to find their own voices and inspirations for imagery. Jane, Program Director of Drueding Center/Project Rainbow, was “…very interested in developing imagery, composing poems and learning how to listen to poets. I think that a poetry program can have a big impact on Project Rainbow”.

Across the hallway from the poets, Michelle, from Mosaic Delaware, participated in international folk dancing with peers and instructors Anne, Bill, and John. Caregivers learned a number of Eastern European and Greek dances accompanied by the accordion. Hands were waving, feet flying and handkerchiefs fluttering in the joy of movement. Michelle told me that she enjoyed both the folk dancing and African dance because the instructors talked about types of music and national traditions regarding the dances.” Angela Watson conducted the second part of the workshop with African dance moves. She encouraged the caregivers to listen to their bodies and work out their emotions through music and dance movement.

Visiting clay sculptor, and Art-Reach in-Facility artist, Beth McGuiggan’s session was my last stop. She led participants in creating tiles using coils and slabs of clay. As I walked around the room to look at the caregivers’ work, I was really impressed by how much each participant had built in such a short time with little previous experience. Yasmin, Director of Elwyn New Visions shared her experience, saying that the workshop “Gave me the opportunity to look into myself to express how I feel, not only to be something to others, but to focus on my own feelings. This is not something I ordinarily do.” What a great accomplishment, Michelle! And all before lunch!

During lunch Angel Baby Music, an Art-Reach In-Facility artist, provided smooth jazz entertainment. At this point many of the caregivers had received their chair massages from Pamela Brown of Pampered Bodies Spa & Wellness Center and floated into the room to enjoy the music.

After lunch, Vivian, Co-Founder and visionary of Build-a-Bridge, conducted the most worthwhile speed networking event I have ever attended. She wisely used this time to give participants the chance to explain the good work they do. During the networking, I discovered that many of the caregivers were volunteers.

For the last group activity, Vivian marched the caregivers, maracas in hand, into the conference room to experience the final activity– a full scale drumming circle with Art-Reach In-Facility artist Tony Mascara. All 46 participants had an instrument, and could be heard enthusiastically drumming all the way down the hall way.

My new friend Eddie best summed up Day of Healing “… this is a wonderful day for networking and no stress! I would give it an A. More than a day of healing it is a chance to refresh, rebuild, retool, and renew. Art Reach and Build-a-Bridge always do a good job!”

I could not have said it better myself, Eddie!

-by Maureen Zug

Channel Your Inner George Bernard Shaw with This Great Offer for Art-Reach members!

2010-02-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

Y’all know that the snow is going to (eventually) melt, and you will soon be itching to get out of the house to do something fun and different to escape the winter blahs.

But what to do, you ask?

Here’s an awesome idea: You can see some great experimental theater for $1, indulge your fantasy of playing a real-live theater critic, and support our local playwrights and their original works, all at the same time! (Did I mention tickets are only $1?)

Art-Reach has 25 tickets to offer Art-Reach members for Bootless Artworks’ annual one-act play festival, “Simply Short: An Evening of One Acts.” Visit thier listing on the Art-Reach Member Calendar for more information.

This is a juried event, which means the artists' work are being judged, and you are part of the process! The audience gets to vote on their favorite production, actor, actress, and director. Bootless Productions is part of Arden Club, Inc. in Delaware who is a long time arts partner with Art-Reach. How cool is all that?

Tickets are available for March 5 and March 6 at 8pm at Arden Gild Hall in Arden, Delaware. Now, I know Delaware seems far, far away; but it really is only less than a half-hour’s drive (20 miles!) from downtown Philly, promise! It also includes free parking! It takes longer to get to most Philly burbs than to our sister state. The event is also accessible for people using wheelchairs. Contact Rachel Robbins at (215) 568-2115, ext. 5 or at rrobbins@art-reach.org for tickets.

-By Kathy Spillman

THE OPERA “TEA” PROVIDES A CHANCE TO IMBIBE THE ARTS!

2010-02-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

Outside, it was the aftermath of a February blizzard. Piles of shoveled snow created a cold, bleak backdrop. But inside the Adams building on Presidential Boulevard, the stage was set for warmth and music. Chanta Harris, teaching artist from Art-Reach, had come to the NOVA ll community to prepare the residents for their afternoon at the opera. With the help of their activities director, Jenaya Parker, a group of about ten adults with psychiatric, cognitive, and physical disabilities had gathered to learn about Tea, the opera, and the Academy of Music where they were all invited by Art-Reach to share in an exciting cultural experience.

The NOVA residents were ready, and Chanta was prepared! Alternating information with interactive projects, she skillfully engaged the group. The history and categories of tea led to a sampling of tea, and Chanta’s “students” assessed both taste and fragrance. Her condensed biography of Chinese composer Tan Dun morphed into individual creations of unique and organic musical instruments that modeled his. Goya beans, rubber bands, cups, paper, and stones blended into a strangely pleasant cacophony, ending in a rousing finale! Finally, Chanta’s summary of the opera’s storyline culminated in a dramatic reading, enhanced by spontaneous singing, by two of the residents, of the entire libretto. Meanwhile, another group member provided her version of the action, complete with pantomimed embracing, weeping, and stabbing, along with sound effects using water to suggest the background’s natural setting. Chanta had indeed generated excitement for the upcoming trip to the opera!

Curriculum for Tan Dun’s opera Tea: A Mirror of Soul, was provided by the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s Sounds of Learning Program. Opera Company of Philadelphia is an Arts Partner of Art-Reach, and just as planned, on yet another cold February day, The Opera Company of Philadelphia warmed the theater with its final dress rehearsal of Tan Dun’s opera Tea: A Mirror of Soul. The Academy of Music was packed with Philadelphia school children, but among them sat four groups of adults representing Art-Reach members. Two are long-term residential communities: Little Sisters of the Poor, from Newark, DE, and Evangelical Manor of Wesley Enhanced Living, from Philadelphia. Two other members serve people with disabilities: Silver Springs and People’s Choice Center, also from Philadelphia, and, of course, NOVA ll. For the next few hours, youthful and elderly, able-bodied and physically-impaired, white, black, Hispanic and Asian---invited guests equally shared the experience of opera with all its sensory appeal and artistic beauty.

Preparation was the key to understanding and appreciating this sophisticated genre. Referencing her teaching artist from Art-Reach, a resident from “Little Sisters” Community said “Michael [Borton] explained it so well. We knew just what to expect!” When questioned about what they remembered from their earlier prep session, some folks noted “pretty colors, especially red”, “the water dripping into the bowls”, “that high-pitched voice”, “beautiful costumes and headdresses”, and “that big Chinese symbol!” Indeed, it was clear, as one woman reported, that traveling even from Delaware was “worthwhile, just to be able to see a performance like this!”

The program ended inside the historic Academy of Music, and the audience slowly leaked out into the cold February afternoon. “We’ve had so many good experiences through Art-Reach”, one client concluded. Hopefully others agreed and felt the same spiritual warmth and restorative value from their time at the opera that tea drinkers experienced at their ceremonies long ago.

-By Barbara Speece

Get to know new artist and presenter at Day of Healing, Tony Mascara, Jr. of The Audio Lab

2010-02-15T09:19:00.000-08:00

On a windy autumn afternoon, I raced to the Art-Reach building on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in anticipation of my initial meeting with Tony Mascara. I had read a brief synopsis of his program and spoken to Mascara on the telephone three times. Over the telephone, his baritone voice was relaxing with a cheerful edge. I walked up the steps to the building, then turned the corner and recognized Mascara instantly. He wore a goatee, shoulder-length brown hair, flip-flops, and a tailored straw hat. He carried a backpack, a cellular phone in one hand, and in the other hand, an object about 24 inches tall, neatly wrapped in black cloth. Mascara finished his telephone conversation, carefully sat the object on the ground, and embraced me with a friendly hug.

As we made our way into the Art-Reach office, we discussed parking, evening plans with friends, and his wife. Just like that, we were friends. We sat down, and as Mascara casually removed his straw hat, the interview commenced.

Tony Mascara of the Audio Lab is an Art-Reach In-Facility
Roster artist and presenter at Day of Healing

How did you get started in music? Both my parents are musicians. My mom is a piano and voice teacher. And my father is an entertainer, he plays the keyboard.

What is the first instrument you learned to play? Drums. My first Christmas, my parents spent a couple of dollars on toys. Instead of playing with the toys, I went into the kitchen and dug out the pots and pans. My first set of drums.

When did you start performing professionally? My dad was a performer, I started performing with him when I was eleven-years-old. We performed at the Jersey Shore at a place called Moore Inlet (The Pointe at Moore Inlet is located in North Wildwood, New Jersey). When I was twelve-years-old, I opened for Bobby Rydell (Bobby Rydell was an American teen idol from the early 1960’s era of Rock and Roll).

What do you love most about performing? I love meeting people, I’m a social person, I like making connections, and using my talents to make connections.

How did you get started with Art-Reach? Art-Reach saw me performing at the library with Daria (Daria is another Art-Reach In-Facility artist). I met with Stephanie (Stephanie Borton is the Associate Director at Art-Reach) and thought this was something I could get behind.

How was your first performance as a solo artist with Art-Reach? It was a great performance, everybody was receptive. A young girl came up after the performance and said, “I was feeling bad before the performance, but now my spirit has been lifted.” There were about fifteen people on Sunday at Steninger (Behavioral Care). I like a smaller audience a little better, because I like lots of audience participation. The performance was about 45 minutes to an hour. At the performances, I bring enough drums of all sizes and shapes from around the world for everyone to participate.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? Doing the same thing, playing with musicians, but playing better, so I can be good!

Following the interview, Mascara revealed the object underneath the black cloth. It was a Djembe drum from West Africa. The drum is shaped like a large goblet, with a brown, sort of skin color, and it is covered in unique black carvings. Mascara demonstrated the swatting technique, hitting the drum as though you were swatting a bug. The top of the drum is called the head. To create a bass sound, you swat the head, to create a different sound; you swat the edge of the head, creating a sound similar to hitting a water jug.

After Mascara’s demonstration and mini lesson, I took over. With the city’s skyline as our backdrop, Mascara and I sat in the Art-Reach cafeteria and jammed. Almost an hour had passed, so we packed up, and rode the elevator to bottom floor and departed close to where we had initially met.

With another warm embrace, we went our separate ways. Mascara walking towards 17th and JFK, excited to meet some fellow musicians. And I, trotting down the street towards 16th and Locust, with a smile on my face, feeling as though my spirit had been lifted as well.

To view Tony's program listing with Art-Reach's In-Facility Program click here. Tony will be a featured artist at Art-Reach's Day of Healing event scheduled this Friday, February 19th. Art-Reach liaisons are invited to participate in the event and experience Tony's program first hand. To attend the event contact Stephanie Borton via email or by phone at 215-568-2115 x3

-By Tammy Walker

Day of Healing for Art-Reach Caregivers

2010-02-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

On February 19th Art-Reach and Buildabridge team up to host an event called Day of Healing meant to care for caregivers. BuildaBridge, a long time Art-Reach member, will invite their staff and Art-Reach has extended invitations to their member liaisons; those individuals at member agencies who act as the main point of contact ensuring that the clients they serve receive Art-Reach programming.

Throughout the year Art-Reach member liaisons work tirelessly to bring the arts to their clients who have disabilities and/or economic disadvantages. Day of Healing provides these dedicated professionals the opportunity to spend a day focusing on their own well being so that they can be revitalized, more effective caregivers. Planned activities are geared towards invigorating the mind, body and essence that drives these individuals to help others daily. This event also serves to introduce our Art-Reach member liaisons to arts partners and In-Facility artists, who they perhaps have not yet experienced thru hands on workshop activities.
Penelope Reed, Producing Artistic Director of Hedgerow Theatre will kick the festivities off with a group activity using interactive theatre games and exercises to relieve stress and share experiences creatively. The motivation is that participants learn to use theatre techniques as a fun, effective way to promote open dialogues with the clients they serve concerning challenging subject matter that allows both caregiver and client the opportunity to view the world from a different perspective.

Also featured will be In-Facility artists Beth McGuigan, leading a session on self introspection through sculpting clay; Angel Baby Music, a 3-piece trio also trained in music therapy and individual music lessons, performing during lunch; and Tony Mascara, who will present his interactive Art-Reach program The Audio Lab and conclude with a group drum circle.

Art-reach Ambassadors will be on hand to ensure the day runs smoothly and Second Street Baptist Church of Germantown has donated its majestic facility for the event, offering free accessible parking. Smaller group break out sessions will be offered to participants including workshops teaching jewelry making, poetry, yoga, dance, papermaking and baking. In fact those participating in baking will bake bread and present it to their peers during lunch. Throughout the day chair massages will be offered to participants. Like Second Baptist Church of Germantown , these artists and massage therapists have also generously donated their time and talents in order to make this event possible so that Art-Reach member liaisons are able to rejuvenate and get a refreshed start in bringing the arts to their clients in 2010!

The program runs from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm on February 19th at, Second Street Baptist Church of Germantown 6459 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19119-2345. Cost is $10 per person and participants must be current Art-Reach members in good standing. Limited space is still available, and those interested in participating should contact Stephanie Borton via email or 215-568-2115 x3 for registration information.

The gift of design

2010-02-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

Since 2002, Hypno Design, Inc., a marketing and design firm, has pulled one really impressive all-nighter per year. October 15th-16th, 2009 marked the 7th annual CreateAThon, a 24-hour marketing marathon where volunteer artists, designers, photographers, and copywriters work around the clock to create unique marketing materials for five local non-profit organizations. And did I mention that they do it for FREE?

Hypno collects proposals from local organizations all vying to be a part of this awesome opportunity. As you may have already guessed, Art-Reach was chosen by Hypno’s owners Richard Cardona and Allison Judah as one of the lucky beneficiaries! After we received the good news, Executive Director Michael Norris and I booked a PhillyCarShare and drove out to the Hypno office in Moorestown, New Jersey to meet with the team.

While Richard and Allison had read in the proposal about Art-Reach and the initiative we were looking to promote (A secret soon to be revealed!…stay tuned!), they took this opportunity to learn even more about the spirit and mission of Art-Reach. We left the meeting confident that they understood where we were coming from and would represent us in a unique and effective way. And then, we waited…

On Friday, October 20th, Michael and I crossed state lines again to see what Hypno had cooked up for Art-Reach. We arrived at an office full of coffee, chocolate, and pastries, all the essentials to work through the night. We met with the talented artist and copywriter who put our ideas into words and images; they spoke about their creative process and the buzz words they used to describe Art-Reach: connector, agent (there’s a clue!).

Finally, the moment arrived – our professionally designed materials were presented to us. We are going to debut them VERY soon and they are amazing! The Hypno team distilled our goals and ideas into a distinctive design concept, which is also cohesive with our general logo and graphics. I enjoyed this experience for many reasons, but mostly because it’s so interesting how an outside party (especially one consisting of design professionals!) can describe your organization in a way you’ve never imagined. We provided the tools, but these artists created a masterpiece! Within the next two weeks, these materials will be shared and Hypno's brilliance is sure to be appreciated by all who believe in the power of the arts and Art-Reach!

-by Sage Young

Happy Birthday Norman Rockwell

2010-02-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

Artist and illustrator Norman Rockwell was born on today’s date, February 3rd, in 1894. He began his career as an illustrator young. In 1913, he became art director of and painted several covers for the Boy Scout magazine, Boy’s Life. In 1916, he painted his first cover for The Saturday Evening Post, titled “Mother’s Day Off.” This cover began Rockwell’s long career with The Saturday Evening Post that would last until 1963. During that time, he would create 321 original covers published by the Post. In 1916, Rockwell married his first wife, Irene O’Connor. They divorced in 1930. Afterwards, he married his second wife Mary Bartow with whom he had three children.

In 1943 Rockwell painted one of his most famous works, “The Four Freedoms.” “The Four Freedoms” consist of four paintings, titled “Freedom of Speech,” “Freedom to Worship,” “Freedom from Want,” and “Freedom from Fear.” They were inspired by a speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and were published in The Saturday Evening Post along with accompanying essays. Later, the U.S. Treasury Department took the paintings on tour to promote war bonds. Unfortunately, 1943 was also the year that a fire destroyed Rockwell’s studio along with many original paintings.

After the death of his second wife, Rockwell married Molly Punderson in 1961. They would set up what would later become the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In 1977, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can receive. Norman Rockwell died November 8, 1978 at the age of 84.

-by Michael Endres

Hot on the Trail of Cultural Treasure Hunt

2010-02-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

Some seek the elusive, ivory-billed wood pecker. Others try to track down Sasquatch. In our city on Thursday, January 21, 50 enthusiastic tenth and eleventh grade Philadelphia Academies students and their dedicated teachers traveled on their first of five cultural treasure hunts. This series of treasure hunts are the result of a collaborative partnership between Philadelphia Academies, Art Reach, local hospitality businesses, and cultural institutions.

The students, from Benjamin Franklin, Horace Furness, Jules E. Mastbaum, Swenson Arts & Technology, and George Washington high schools, participate in the Philadelphia Academies Restaurant and Hospitality magnet program. As part of the program, they had the chance to take a behind-the-scenes look at the Omni Hotel at Independence Park, dine at the hotel’s 4-star restaurant Azalea, get career tips from Philadelphia Academies Academy Resource Manager Corvette M. Kittrell, hear updates on the city’s tourist scene from Katherine Ott-Lovell, Mural Arts Chief Advancement Officer, participate in an orientation on the Treasure Hunt with Art-Reach Program Manager Matt Bryan, and experience live theater with InterAct Theater Company.

I tagged along as an Art Reach board member/Ambassador/culture vulture to share this fun, fast-paced, informative experience.

The hotel’s Director of Sales, Christopher Laufer, arranged for a cooking demonstration with Executive Chef Bamba Konate. Chef and Sous Chef Beni demonstrated how to make Azalea’s signature crab cakes and fresh tomato bruschetta. Not only did all of the students get to sample the food, but Chef also provided take-home copies of the recipes altered for the students’ home kitchens. Morgan, a tall, serious student interested in cooking and baking, shared with me his interest in trying the recipes at home to surprise his parents on Valentine’s Day!

Tony Venuto, Executive Housekeeper and staff provided room tours of the 150-room European-style boutique hotel. The students were able to visit typical rooms and learn about room amenities (cushy bed linens, cozy bathrobes, mini snack/bar, and room service). William, a quiet, handsome student and avid Philadelphia sports fan, asked questions about providing security for visiting sports teams and had a close-up look at the room safe. Overall, he liked the room amenities, especially the flat-screen TV and internet access. I definitely can picture William as the Director of Security for a major hotel some day.

Having completed the tour, we headed back to the hotel’s restaurant Azalea for a delicious, three-course dinner prepared by Chef and staff. While eating dinner, Corvette M. Kittrell reminded the students that the restaurant and hospitality field was not just about “cooking and housekeeping.” For example, she indicated the need for attorneys, accounts, and decorators to support the tourism industry in Philadelphia, a world-class tourist destination. Kathryn Ott-Lovell talked about the Mural Arts Program's mural tours, which served 10,000 visitors in the last year by taking guests to see the artwork on walls in our neighborhoods. The Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association presented its 2008 award to MAP for its outstanding promotion of tourism in our city. Many students in the audience have murals in their respective neighborhoods or have worked on painting a mural at their school, so they were very familiar with MAP and its mission.

After dinner while we were lining up to ride the school buses to InterAct Theater, I asked fashionable, pretty Kareemah what she thought of the treasure hunt so far. She told me that “the food was outstanding and [she] loved the plates and decorations” in the dining room. She also mentioned that the demonstrations and tour made the textbook information more “real and understandable”.

For our final experience of the evening, we arrived at InterAct Theater. Artistic Director Seth Rozin greeted us in the lobby before we took in the play City of Numbers. Seth talked about the history of the theater company and its mission of providing work with socially topical themes for Philadelphia audiences. City of Numbers was produced by InterAct in conjunction with the Mural Arts Program and the Violette de Mazia Foundation, and illustrated yet another way that hospitality, tourism and the arts work together. The production is a one-man show telling the story of a young writer who travels to Graterford prison in an attempt to understand the inmates’ lives and the impact of art, specifically murals, on their time behind bars.

Sean, the actor and playwright, transforms himself from warden, to inmate, to prison guard and other characters in this 75 minute production. His greeting of “Yo Philadeldelphia Academies, wassup?” was heartily returned by our Cultural Treasure Hunters. The play covered many sensitive topics, like the Philadelphia murder rate and the tedium of life behind bars. The students enthusiastically responded to Sean’s hip-hop dancing and became thoughtful at the photos of our city’s murder victims. The play moved very quickly and soon our first Cultural Treasure Hunt experience had ended.

What an experience for all of our participants. One of the student participants, shy tenth-grader Daria, best summed up the experience: “I am not sure what I want to do…but I am here to explore…this [event] makes everything so much more clear than the class and books and it’s fun!”

Stay tuned to this blog for the second Philadelphia Academies Restaurant and Hospitalities Cultural Treasure Hunt program in March, 2010.
-By Maureen Zug

Audio Description: Part II - A first hand experience

2010-01-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

On a crisp fall afternoon, I settle into my seat at The Arden Theater for a production of The History Boys. I’ve just finished speaking with Jenn Peck, General Manager at the Arden, who will be the audio describer for the performance. Audio description allows people who are blind or have low vision to enjoy equal access to cultural events by providing descriptive information. Peck audio describes three to five shows per year, believing strongly that the arts should be equally accessible to all. In addition, she says, “Audio description gives me an artistic turn at things and an opportunity to be part of the performance.”
Prior to the start of the show, the House Manager provides listeners who are blind or have low vision with a wireless earpiece. Peck begins with pre-show notes, preparing listeners with any essential descriptions she will not have time to give during the performance. She provides a description of the stage, key characteristics of the main characters (e.g., skin color, what they are wearing), and an overview of two pivotal scenes happening in the first act. As the performance begins, she gives listeners cues to what is happening on stage, such as “Stage manager exits” and “Blackout.”

During the performance, Peck provides brief descriptions to give listeners only the most essential information, such as “Hector enters,” “Felix shakes his head,” and “She puts her hand on his shoulder.” Succinct descriptions are particularly important for a show like The History Boys, which is heavy in dialogue. When deciding what to describe, Peck says that the audio describer chooses “whatever moves the story forward,” rather than providing a running commentary. Audio describers avoid interrupting dialogue unless absolutely necessary to convey key information. As I listen, I realize that there are often several minutes during which there is no description at all, allowing listeners to fully hear every aspect of the performance.
After the show, I have the opportunity to talk with several consumers of audio description. Each of them describes the ways in which the description was helpful to them, gave them a better idea of what was happening on stage, and made the performance more interesting. As one listener says, “I can’t always recognize voices, so [audio description] is helpful to help me identify people.” When asked why audio description is important, another listener describes a time when he attended a performance without audio description. “There was a ballet sequence, and I was so lost that I ended up going to sleep because I didn’t know what was going on.” With the benefit of audio description, he says, “I can use my imagination” to know what is happening on stage. “It helps me to follow the program and get more understanding of the program.”
For more information about audio description, visit the Audio Description Coalition’s website at www.audiodescriptioncoalition.org

-By Jennifer Oglesbee

Pssst…All Art-Reach Members

2009-12-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

Have we got a great deal for you! Utrecht Art Supplies is offering you a special 10% discount on all your purchases from both of their stores in Center City and will throw in free delivery for any orders over $100.

Why is this such a great deal, you say? Well, it gets even better.

Utrecht is a Brooklyn-based company (they still make their own paint) started by two brothers 60 years ago and has been serving the Philadelphia community for almost 30 years. It already honors local competitors’ coupons by matching them. So get out those scissors and start clipping, and you can save 10% off already low prices on the highest quality paints, papers, and other materials for your organization or agency.

And there is another little reason to patronize this family-run, socially responsible business. Jennifer Demmer, the indefatigable outreach coordinator for Utrecht Philadelphia, informs us that the company "hearts" Art-Reach: “Utrecht is proud to partner with an organization that gives access to the arts for groups such as at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and elderly people in need.”

Show Utrecht some Art-Reach love back. Click on this link http://philly.utrechtblog.com to start shopping for great deals on quality art products. They also have a knowledgeable staff of working artists to help you make the best selections. Satisfaction Guaranteed!

-by Kathy Spillman

The Independence Arts Studio Yearly Winter Exhibition

2009-12-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

This Friday, December 11 from 4:30 to 7:00 pm, artists from the Independence Arts Studio (IAS) host their yearly winter exhibition in the Atrium lobby of The Sovereign Building located at 714 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. IAS is a member of Art-Reach and consists of talented artists who have disabilities. Their work will be available for purchase with 50% of each sale going to the IAS artists. Silk and Velvet hand dyed scarves and pillows will be available as well as watercolors, cards, prints and book marks. The event includes light refreshments and the artists will be on hand to talk with people visiting the exhibit. Permanent weavings and textiles will also be on display. For more information contact 215-634-2000 x333.

Keswick Theater’s Toying With Science

2009-12-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

Garry Krinsky played to a packed house on Monday morning at the Keswick Theater, and it’s fair to say that most of the 3rd through 5th graders in the audience got their share of “play” in as well. Toying with Science is a colorful and energetic ride through some basic principles of science – some not so basic. As a college graduate, I felt stumped by some of the questions asked by our host that some of the kids were able to readily answer. When Sokhum, 12, told me that one of the new things that he was so excited to learn from Krinsky’s performance was what a fulcrum does, I thought, “…me too.”

A professional juggler by trade, in front of this wide eyed and attentive crowd, Krinsky became an experimental scientist. He walked us through the principles of balance, gravity, air resistance, and the elements of all sorts of simple machines with a thoughtful acronym that I heard kids rapping when the show ended. “Don’t SLIP on the two W’s.”

A fun and educational field trip indeed, and one that has likely encouraged some students at Logan Hope to keep requests for more coming to teacher Lia Blankenship. Others were just as excited to build their already-existing repertoire of learning experiences outside of the classroom. Somy, 11, proudly recalled her last field trip to me, where performers created a fun show based on the alphabet, “…and I’ve seen plays before,” Emily, 11, added enthusiastically. Thanks to the school staff, our Arts Partners, and Art-Reach, seems like “Edu-tainment” is a term that is being introduced to this crowd pretty early on. That too was a term that I was excited to learn.

-by Brooke Whitaker

Now Introducing...

2009-11-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

At Art-Reach, a new Arts Partner is like a new best friend. So, Art-Reach supporters, I would like to introduce you to our new best friend: BalletX, a modern ballet company in Philadelphia. The company and Art-Reach are both very excited about BalletX’s pledge of 20 tickets to a Saturday matinee during the Fall ’09, Spring ’10, and Summer ’10 shows.

Even more exciting for us is that BalletX is not just any modern ballet company, but a modern ballet company out to “redefine ballet and bring it into the new century.” This mission seems apparent if you watch video clips of past performances on the BalletX web site, where dancers in simple costumes and ballet renditions of classic children’s stories like The Cat in the Hat grace the stage. But to really understand what BalletX is all about, I needed to talk to its members.

I was lucky enough to catch a few minutes with artistic co-director and founding member Christine Cox while she was busy preparing for the Fall ’09 show. As Christine says, the understanding for BalletX is that “If someone is choreographing a work right now, it has to be about today.” In other words, though BalletX performances may speak the classical language of ballet, the speakers are modern dancers and choreographers with contemporary accents who draw on contemporary inspiration.

Also, “because it’s being created today, it’s easier for an audience to relate and connect to.” And connect they do. As publicity coordinator Inna Lobanova-Heasley comments, “We love our audience! It is a special breed, it seems. They react during performances and their enthusiasm is very inspiring to the dancers on stage. There is a big exchange of energy during any given show, which is just amazing.”

At the time this article went to cyber-press, the BalletX team was working like mad to finish the Fall ’09 show, which premieres November 19 at the Wilma Theater. Christine promised three pieces, one sensitive, one inspired by the ocean, and one inspired by classical music. But Inna has one piece of advice for the audience: “Whatever they expect, they will always be surprised!”

-Alli Blum

What are you thankful for?

2009-11-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

Art-Reach wishes everyone a safe, happy and bountiful Thanksgiving Day feast, and in the spirit of the holiday season please share what you are most thankful for this year in your arts community. Have you had a tremendous experience that you wish to share? Have you witnessed the transformative power of the arts first hand? Did you have a blast visiting a museum or meeting an artist? This is a warm and fuzzy post, and we want to hear from you! Please take time to share your experience, and know that we are truly thankful for all of you!

What’s Audio Description?

2009-11-23T08:16:00.000-08:00

Audio description allows people who are blind or have low vision to enjoy equal access to cultural events such as live performances, film, or television, providing individuals with descriptive information about visual elements during pauses in dialogue or narration. Information is transmitted to listeners through a wireless earpiece, allowing people with visual impairments to sit anywhere in the audience during live performances.
Audio description is a means of communicating the most essential information about significant visual elements such as actions, body language, costumes, and settings. Bill Patterson, owner of Audio Description Solutions and a founding member of the Audio Description Coalition, explains audio description as “being the eyes of the audience. So much of our world comes to us through visual information.” The audio describer’s role is to describe what he or she sees without interpretation or explanation. For instance, rather than describing a character as “angry,” the audio describer would say, “Sarah clenches her fists.” This allows listeners to draw their own conclusions.

Audio describers come from a variety of backgrounds and participate in extensive training and coaching. Qualities that make a good audio describer include strong verbal skills, a pleasant voice, and the ability to process information quickly. Ermyn King, Manager of the PA Cultural Access Project at VSA arts of Pennsylvania, says, “It’s exhilarating to do audio description. It requires the integrated application of so many principles, and when you do it well, the difference that it makes is indispensable to the listener.”
For more information about audio description, visit the Audio Description Coalition’s website at www.audiodescriptioncaoliation.org.

-Jennifer Oglesbee

Free Public Concert this Sunday

2009-11-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

Opera Company of Philadelphia offers a free concert this Sunday, November 22, 2009 from 2:30pm - 4:30pm at Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church

412 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA

An RSVP is required using Eventbrite. http://operaweekfreerecital.eventbrite.com/

This free public recital features tenor William Burden and baritone Troy Cook on Sunday, November 22nd at 2:30 p.m. at Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church. Burden, who has sung numerous leading roles at the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the most prominent opera houses around the world, most recently performed the role of the Male Chorus in the Opera Company’s sold-out run of The Rape of Lucretia in June 2009. Troy Cook, who just completed a critically-praised performance as Sharpless in OCP’s Madama Butterfly, heads to Royal Opera Covent Garden in December to sing the role of Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, a highlight in his burgeoning international career. Both Cook, who resides in Bucks County, and Burden, a resident of Princeton, are proud to offer their performances in the spirit of National Opera Week for this free-to-the-public recital, which requires reservations. Joining them will be pianist Tim Ribchester.

In exchange for admission to this free recital, the Opera Company of Philadelphia is asking attendees to bring a non-perishable canned good to donate to Project HOME, who just happens to be an Art-Reach member. Reservations are required in order to attend.

For information, call 215-893-3600, ext 242, or email outreach@operaphila.org. Parking is available at these locations:
* 249 S 6th Street
* 530 S 2nd Street
* 516 South Street

Click the following link for directions to Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church. http://tinyurl.com/yczez67

People First Language 101 (Or how I failed this course miserably)

2009-11-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

There I was, having dinner recently with a very dear friend, and I used the word “lame” to describe something I thought was done very poorly. Did I mention my friend has a disability, one that involves mobility?

Audience: Gasp!

Me: Massive. FAIL.

My, uh, experience in unthinkingly using abelist* language got me thinking about issues of respect and dignity in not just how we treat people with disabilities, but how we speak to and about them. And the way we sprinkle our daily lingo with words like “lame,” “retarded,” “schizoid,” “madhouse,” and so on. So I thought I would jot down some pointers and drop a few hot links for all of us, so we can better check our abelist privilege at the door.

The cardinal, golden, primo rule when speaking about or to any person who has a disability is to use People First language. This is simply positive language that recognizes the person first, the disability second.

So…

Examples of People First language include:

People with disabilities
People who use wheelchairs
People who are blind
People with a mental illness
People with cognitive disabilities
People who are deaf or hard of hearing
People with mental retardation
People with a congenital disability

And so on.

And some examples of language not to use?

The handicapped, not normal, not able-bodied, lame, crippled
Confined to a wheelchair, wheelchair bound
The blind
Insane, crazy, psycho, nuts, lunatics
Morons, idiots, retards, “slow”
The deaf
Mentally retarded, retarded, retards, “slow”
Birth defect (As in, “She suffers from a birth defect.” By the way, don’t use the verb “to suffer” when referring to a person with disability, either. Another biggie to avoid: the noun “victim.” And when using “People First” language with a person with a disability, always address the person, not the caretaker/translator.)

What happens if you mess up in front of a person with a disability? Do you have to blog a public confession like I have here? Absolutely not! We are all human, and we all make mistakes. The important thing is that you own up to your flub, apologize sincerely while not making too big a deal of it (thereby embarrassing yourself further), and think before you speak next time. Here are a couple of educational links on People First language and why it’s important:

www.kidstogether.org/pep-1st.htm
www.txddc.state.tx.us/resources/publications/pfanguage.asp

*Abelist: somebody who exhibits discrimination, or uses prejudiced language, against people with disabilities or in favor of able-bodied people.

-Kathy Spillman

How could a person who is blind enjoy a trip to the zoo?

2009-11-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Philadelphia Zoo is one of Art-Reach’s newest arts partners. It may seem odd that the zoo is included among that group; but upon closer look, the zoo is an art institution in more ways than one.

In addition to being the nation’s first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo features more than 1,300 animals. It is a 42-acre Victorian garden with beautiful foliage and architecture, and Gladys, one of the group members, commented during the visit on how the scenery was lovely and peaceful.

My first blog assignment was to report on an Art-Reach arranged trip to this venue. I would be accompanying a member group from Associated Services for the Blind (ASB). This is a non-profit organization in Philadelphia that serves people who are blind or visually-impaired. I make that distinction because not everyone they serve is completely blind, and I learned this after talking to a man in the group named Rafael, whose impairment affected only his central vision.

I arrived early in the day of the visit. I was not really sure what my expectations for this trip were, but there was one question I had in the back of my mind that I was too afraid to ask: How could a person who is blind enjoy a trip to the zoo?

I met with the leaders of the group outside of the front gate. I asked the participants, consisting mostly of senior citizens, what they wanted from the trip and was given a multitude of answers that included hearing the animals roar, learning about the animals, and not being mistaken for one of the animals. I was glad to see that I was accompanying a group with a good sense of humor!

After entering, we met the tour guides Gail and Caleb. They were both docents - volunteer teachers for the zoo, and they reminded me of Art-Reach’s Ambassadors.

The first stop on the tour was the reptile house, but the group did not enter. Instead, they sat on the benches outside of the reptile house while Gail and Caleb let them feel snakes’ skins and a tortoise shell. The next stop on the tour was the hippo exhibit, where our guides answered questions and provided all sorts of information on everything from the hippos’ diet to the design of their pen. The guides continued to answer questions about all the animals we passed on the way to the last stop, including donkeys, rhinos, eagles, and peacocks, which have free reign of the zoo. The final destination of the tour was the childrens' zoo. Here the guides took the group to the petting zoo and helped them pet the goats.

After a quick lunch, the group decided to continue seeing more of the zoo. They ended up going to the big cat exhibit. It was here that I got the answer to my question. I noticed that when we approached an exhibit, the guides were able to show the members of ASB where the animals were by describing the structures between them and the animals, and then giving them distance of the animal. With this information, the members seemed to have a greater appreciation for the zoo exhibits. I saw this displayed somewhat ironically when we stopped at the theater there. The members of our group listened intently to hear the sounds of the big cats, but a small child held his hands over his eyes, because it was too scary for him.

At the end of the day, I felt I had a greater appreciation for the zoo and the widespread ways it can be enjoyed, and I wasn’t the only one. As one of the group visitors humorously told me,"they didn’t get to see much, but were glad to see what they did."

-Michael Endres

Interested in visiting the Zoo as an Art-Reach member? Contact our Program Department who can help you arrange a trip!

If you have a cultural arts experience you would like to share, we want to know about it! Contact Stephanie Borton, and your experience could be featured on this Blog, or add to this experience by posting a comment at the end of the article! Let us know what you think!

One of the hardest things to do is to explain visual art with mere words

2009-11-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

This fall I had the pleasure of visiting the Institute of Contemporary Art. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and when I arrived I certainly was not fully prepared for what I was about to experience, which was one of the best museum visits I have ever made. Now, I may be only sixteen, but I have had my fair share of visits to museums, and I know when something is truly unique.

The first exhibit I encountered was called "Dance with Camera." It consisted of film, video and still photography of different dances. Dance, in video and film, is a more regular occurrence, but still photography is not. Dance focuses on timing, and changing the timing of similar movements of the same dance, can completely change the mood the dance creates. In still photography, those motions are shown without any timing at all. The dances are permanently held in place and it makes you wonder what emotion you are "supposed" to get from the dance. It can be completely different experiencing a dance in person.

After the still shots, there is a large room filled with various types of video screens and projectors with an eclectic selection of dance films and videos being played. Some have sound, and others do not, but all the sounds mesh together and somehow seem to work. You might think it would be overwhelming, but the elements seem to compliment each other even though each dance and soundtrack is vastly different. There is some nudity in this exhibit, and you may choose to accept that, or you can even ignore that part of the exhibit if you may feel offended by it. It is worthwhile to just ignore it and be able to appreciate the rest of the exhibits in the Institute.

To make your way to the next exhibit from "Dance with Camera," you must make your way up the ramp towards the second floor. But, it's not just an ordinary ramp. This ramp is the centerpiece of an ongoing exhibit at the Institute appropriately named the "Ramp Project." Each changing of the exhibits also includes a re-vamping of the ramp. As of now, its name is "Third Space" and is a collage of geometric patterns made of stiff lines and bold colors and worth taking the time to admire before continuing to the second floor.

Following the ramp is a screening room and a film is playing with dialogue that doesn't quite seem to match. Only after leaving the museum and reading the pamphlet did I understand this exhibit and now I am sorry that I didn't take more time to recognize the true value of it. I won't tell you what the secret is, that would just ruin it and you'll have to find out for yourself, but I'd advise that you go in and take a look and listen to the video for a few minutes then read the information about it in the pamphlet. After you've done that you should go back and watch a little more, I promise, you'll be able to appreciate it much more.

After the video exhibit ("Video Art: Replay Part 1. Asking Not Telling"), you enter a white room filled with many paintings, drawings and "sculptures." It may seem unoriginal now, but upon closer examination, you'll realize that each of these works of art is created over top of a canvas layered with pages of a book, newspaper, comic, or music sheet. Some of these books you may know, and some you may not but you'll still discover that the tales depicted in those stories are enhanced by the artwork that uses each book as a base. Not just a theoretical base, but also a physical one. I'm sure you'll be amazed, just as I was by the astounding layers of meaning in each of these works of art.

As you (probably reluctantly) begin to exit this final exhibit, you'll see the information about it posted on the wall. This summary explains that everything in those two rooms you were just exploring was created by collaboration between a former art teacher in the Bronx named Tim Rollins and his former students, now called the K.O.S. (Kids of Survival). This group work has taken up a special place in my heart, and I really hope you'll take the chance to see if it can do the same for you.

I've come to realize that one of the hardest things to do is to explain visual art with mere words. You will never be able to truly do the piece justice. All I know is that there will never be enough positive adjectives in the dictionary for me to accurately describe my visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art, and especially The Tim Rollins and the K.O.S. exhibit.

To arrange a visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art contact the Programming Department of Art-Reach at 215-568-2115.

-Mary Altamuro

Mary is currently an Art-Reach Ambassador serving an Independent Study with Art-Reach via the ILP Program at Science Leadership Academy. All photos in this post were taken from the ICA website.

Brunch Recap and Brand New Concert!

2009-11-04T14:18:00.000-08:00

Art-Reach would like to thank everyone who worked, attended, or supported the 2009 annual brunch. This past Sunday more than 225 guests joined Art-Reach at the Bellevue for our 18th annual fundraising brunch: “Dixieland Jam: A Celebration of New Orleans Jazz.”

Christine Rouse accepting her award

Amy Murphy Nolen accepting her award

Complete with a live auction by Mayor Nutter for lunch with the Nutters, music from John Hoey Orchestra, a terrific meal and a silent auction packed full of goodies the event was dubbed a smashing success. Our volunteer ambassadors were charming, our donors were generous and we are pleased to share that our goal was exceeded. The entire event grossed over $74,000, far beyond what we aimed to achieve! We thank everyone involved. Because of your support, Art-Reach will continue to be successful in bringing the arts to people who need it most.

Mayor Nutter auctioned breakfast with the Nutters, and then added a second dining session that doubled the amount raise. We can not thank him enough!

We thank David Cohen for introducing our 2009 Commitment to Cultural Access Honorees during the awards ceremony and for representing Art-Reach beautifully.

For more brunch photos, visit us on facebook.

The brunch may be over, but the fun continues with another fantastic way you can support Art-Reach. This Monday evening The Monsters of Folk will perform in concert at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia as a benefit for Art-Reach. A portion of each ticket sold will be donated to us, and Art-Reach staff members will be on hand to provide information about our services. When Monsters of Folk began 5 years ago, they deliberately gave their band a name to throw audience expectation off kilter as a way to stress their versatility and illustrating that they touch on many types of music without easily being categorized into one type specifically. As Michael Hill writes on their web site, “Though there are elements of country, blues, easygoing rock and, yes, folk to be heard throughout, the overall sound defies instant categorization.” The concert begins at 8pm, and tickets can be purchased by visiting www.kimmelcenter.org.

We hope to see you this coming Monday evening, November 9, to support Art-Reach and a band that is not only talented, but makes it a point to give back to the communities they entertain. For more information about Monsters of Folk, visit www.monstersoffolk.com .

Listen to Monsters of Folk Music:
Whole Lotta Losin’
Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)
Say Please

- Stephanie Borton

Jazz Synonymous with New Orleans Identity

2009-10-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

Art-Reach is pleased to announce this year’s theme for the annual fundraising brunch: “Dixieland Jam: A Celebration of New Orleans Jazz.” Jazz has been a part of New Orleans just as much as Mardi Gras and Cajun cuisine since the turn of the twentieth century, and it has influenced music across the nation and the world from the time of its inception right up through the present day.

In the beginning, it gleaned influences from the brass bands that were popular at the time and also from West African and Creole styles. As the two modes merged, the result was a rhythmic, syncopated, improvised ragtime with cornets, clarinets, and trombones bleating out different tunes against a rhythmic section of drums, guitar, and bass. And while we may not be lucky enough to have been among the saloon-goers of the 1920s who danced and swayed along to the hot new thing called jazz, we are lucky enough to have Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Mortonchannels on our personal Pandora and iTunes accounts to enjoy a little nostalgia.

On top of that, jazz is still alive and well and is celebrated at the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Festival-goers can expect to hear new jazz and gospel artists performing their own compositions as well as already famous stars drawing on New Orleans jazz from eras gone by, as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan did at the 2006 festival following Hurricane Katrina. But whether they play old or new music, the one thing that all jazz musicians seem to have in common is that they find solace and resonance in jazz as the music that gives the city part of its identity, helps it overcome hard times, and makes good times that much better.

-By Alli Blum

The 18th annual Art-Reach Jazz Brunch is around the corner, kicking off at 11:30am tomorrow. Don't forget to turn your clocks back for daylight savings time in order to be on time for the festivities.

If this post is the only article visible, be sure to check our older posts for more information on this event and many others! Visit our archives in the right hand column or click "Older Posts".

Happy Halloween Everyone!

2009-10-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

We are making final preparations for the brunch, and still found time to celebrate the holiday! We wish everyone a safe and sweet Halloween!

This is what happens when you feed Matt Bryan, Art-Reach Program Manager, candy corn!

Art-Reach Gives Back to NOLA through Annual Jazz Brunch!

2009-10-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

This year’s Jazz Brunch will honor the rich history and spirit of New Orleans. To give back to a region still facing so many challenges, Art-Reach has formed a unique partnership with New Orleans non-profit, YA/YA (Young Aspirations, Young Artists). This organization, which provides cultural and entrepreneurial education for artistically-talented inner-city youths, has contributed an original painting by one of its young artists, 19-year-old Quinton Gilmore, to Art-Reach’s Jazz Brunch. This artwork (pictured left) depicts popular New Orleans musician Trombone Shorty. It is featured on the Jazz Brunch invitation and the original piece will be auctioned at the event, with proceeds benefiting YA/YA.

YA/YA has a broad vision for its young participants, which is why their programs focus on artistic growth and business savvy. These young artists are also encouraged to give their time to various community service projects and create socially-conscious artwork. Galleries around New Orleans display and sell the students’ artwork, and the artist earns a commission on each piece sold. As they progress through the program, passing milestones, their commissions increase. It’s no wonder these young people emerge from the program as well-rounded individuals primed for personal and professional achievement. According to YA/YA, “students who join YA/YA for at least one year achieve exceptional rates of high school graduation, college enrollment, and professional success.” Many graduates of the program return as apprentices and mentors to inspire a new generation of artists.

Art-Reach is thrilled to partner with an organization whose mission aligns so closely with our own. To buy a ticket to the Jazz Brunch and have a chance to bid on the YA/YA artist painting, please visit the Art-Reach website. For more information about YA/YA, visit their website .

- by Sage Young

This is your brain...This is your brain in brunch mode --- ANY QUESTIONS?

2009-10-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, we will be posting many fantastic articles over the next two days in celebration of our annual brunch. To start off the day, we bring you the inner workings of our office in brunch preparation mode. Sage Young is heading the whole shebang and doing a tremendous job. However we fear the stress may be getting to her. She's gone from 'glam' girl to fuzzy little monster --- take a look!!!!!!!

That is Sage, behind the desk, directing Rachel and Nicole in creating brunch packages.

Do you think she needs a break?

Actually, as you may have guessed, this is an auction item that will be paired with our brunch package entitled "For Your Little Monsters". It includes two tickets to Sesame Place (donated by one of our fabulous ambassadors who works at Sesame Place, Curtia Goode) and this fuzzy little friend provided by Cutesy but not Cutesy. Our staff has fallen in love with her, and will be sad to see her go, but you can have a chance to bid on this great package at the event.

-Stephanie Borton

Get To Know The Ambassador Of The Year

2009-10-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

This year the 1st Annual Ambassador Appreciation event was held on September 23rd at the Arden Theatre Company’s final dress rehearsal of The History Boys. At the event, we presented the Ambassador of the Year Award to this year’s recipient, Christine White.
Christine is an Administrative Ambassador, which means that she volunteers in the Art-Reach office. “Programming” at Art-Reach is a huge undertaking and incorporates many different types of programs, including In-Facility, Livearts and Museum ticketing, and more. Just ask Program Manager, Matthew Bryan, who has seen the programs grow firsthand. As our programs grow, we realized we needed a computerized system that could keep track of it all, so that we can best serve our members. Enter “the database”. For the past five years, Art-Reach has been developing a database that will manage our programming and streamline our ticketing system. It was created from scratch specifically to handle the work that we do here at Art-Reach. After years of development, all of the information from the past year’s events had to be entered into the database in time for our yearly audit. Thanks largely to Christine White, it happened!
Christine exemplifies what makes Art-Reach Ambassadors so special. They are committed, and always remind us through their smiles and dedication why we are involved with this organization.

GETTING TO KNOW CHRISTINE BETTER

Rachel Robbins (Art-Reach Program/Development Assistant): Christine, what made you want to get involved with Art-Reach in the first place?
Christine White: I wanted to volunteer for an organization that was involved with something that I enjoy and had a mission that I could support.

RR: What do you find most rewarding about being an Art-Reach Ambassador?
CW: Doing small acts of kindness means so much to others. That's a great feeling.

RR: What has been one of your favorite Art-Reach moments?
CW: I was at the Morris Arboretum for Earth Day. There was a group of school children who were giggling and screaming as they raced toward a straw structure in the garden. As they ran in and out of it, they were so excited. It was touching to see them having so much fun!

RR: How do you feel about winning the Ambassador of the Year?
CW: I was truly touched by the award. I'm very happy to be part of such a great organization and group of people. I smiled the entire next day (and still smile today)! Thank you!

Christine’s Favorites:
Book: Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Art form: Painting
Philadelphia Museum or Attraction: The Philadelphia Museum of Art and Logan Circle

Join Art-Reach on Sunday, November 1st at the 18th Annual Jazz Brunch and Silent Auction where we will honor Christine White as well as our 2009 Commitment to Cultural Access Awardees Christine Rouse (Founder & Executive Director, Acting Without Boundaries) and Arden Theatre Company.

- Rachel Robbins

Click here to learn more about the Ambassador Program and how to get involved.

Help us name the Database! Now that it will be a part of daily life here at Art-Reach, it needs a name. Have ideas? Send them to Rachel Robbins at rrobbins@art-reach.org.

Time for Temptation!

2009-10-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

8 days to go! When we say we have great items for bid, WE MEAN IT!

Do you have your tickets yet? When the auction officially begins on Sunday, November 1st in the Grand Ballroom, Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue - be ready for some bidding wars!

The Daily Show

Yes, we are auctioning off four VIP tickets to attend a taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Yes, the winner requests the taping date at least three to six weeks in advance. Of course it takes place at the Daily Show Studios in New York City. Yes, I think it’s a great opportunity as well. But no, I’m sorry, you can’t bid early. See you at the brunch!
Fair Market Value: “Priceless"
http://www.thedailyshow.com

Reading Terminal Market: Ice Cream Party!

For those of you with a sweet tooth, here’s an auction item you don’t want to miss. Reading Terminal Market has donated a free ice cream sundae party at Bassett's Ice Cream. Grab a few friends, forget about vegetables, and enjoy your choice of Bassett’s “World Famous” flavors. Don’t worry about diets, it’s a party! And this ice cream is too good to pass up.
Fair Market Value: $35.00
www.bassettsicecream.com/index.html

Two Shared Experiences for the Price of One!

2009-10-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Mural Arts ASL Tour
The Nor’easter rains finally cleared and Sunday, October 18th turned into a fine, soft and gray day for the first ever Art-Reach/ Mural Arts Program (MAP) ASL tour. A small but mighty group of about 14 tour participants got together with Art-Reach Director Michael Norris, Donna and Brian, our ASL interpreters from Hands Up Productions, and me, Maureen Zug, Mural Arts Guide and Art-Reach Board Member for a tour of Broad Street murals. Our group included both hearing and deaf participants who came from Bethlehem, Hopewell, NJ and the Philadelphia area.

We saw over 32 murals -- the day’s gray diffused light really made the paintings colors pop from the walls. As a special feature of the tour, we stopped at the “Independence Starts Here” mural located at Broad and Race Streets. MAP artist Don Gensler boarded our trolley and talked about his work with the disability community to make this mural a reality over a period of three years. Don answered our questions about the artist’s process of painting this very large and complex work. Of particular interest was the ASL alphabet depicted on the wall. Don worked with students from the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf who modeled the individual letters. He talked about the challenge of retaining the kinetic nature of the ASL letters on a static medium, which is the painted wall. After our stopover with Don, our group proceeded on our tour. Along the way, we talked about the individual murals we viewed, MAP’s community-based art program, the Broad Street neighborhoods, and buildings, a little history of the city and the importance of providing art access to all Philadelphia communities.

Louis, our trolley driver, negotiated the narrow streets in North Philadelphia to give us great views of murals just off Broad Street. With the street traffic, weather, and other external factors, mural tours are not like a visit to a gallery or art museum! I always say that mural tours show “real-time art” in a community context. The final phase of our tour showcased murals on the Avenue of the Arts South and the 2 “Lincoln Legacy” murals on the return to the Independence Visitors’ Center.

Our tour was a great way to celebrate Mural Arts Month and the 25th Anniversary of MAP. The post-tour surveys were very positive and a typical response was “I would love more ASL tours…it was amazing…More, More, More Please!” As a tour guide working with Donna and Brian, I realized the exciting possibilities of including more folks in the beauty of the art experience.

If you are interested in finding out more about accessible cultural events in Philadelphia, please visit www.PhillyFunGuide.com/access.

-Maureen Zug

Serving Reshaped My Thinking

Tonight will be my first time serving as a Host Ambassador for Art-Reach and I’m really excited! I find the opportunity to help serve the community through the arts to be uplifting and fulfilling. Over the summer I served an abbreviated internship in the Art-Reach office as an Intern Ambassador. Though not the best fit for my serving interests and capacity, the Intern Ambassador track had lasting impact and helped reshape my thinking about the accessible needs of others. This became apparent to me a few weeks ago when attending class.

I am an architecture major enrolled in the Drexel University part-time evening track program. This term I’m attending classes with a gentleman who uses a wheelchair. Our first assignment required a site visit to Mt. Pleasant – a historically commissioned mansion here in Philadelphia which is not accessible. Upon visiting the site, I thought of my classmate who uses a wheelchair and how I could help serve his need to complete the assigned task. I photo documented the site and e-mailed the photos to the professor to forward to my classmate.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m neither saint nor sinner but, I’m convinced that volunteering with Art-Reach helped reshape my thinking and encouraged greater consideration on my part for the accessible needs of others. Some have said to me “oh, poor guy; that was nice of you”. I beg to differ however. Poor us who don’t take the time to share our experiences with others who may not have the good fortune to experience them in the same capacity… thanks Art-Reach for sharing your capacity to serve with me.

For more information about serving with Art-Reach's Ambassador Program visit www.art-reach.org.

-Dawn Hood

Sneak Peak to Wet Your Whistle!

2009-10-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

With 11 days until Art-Reach's big Jazz Brunch and Silent Auction Event, we thought we would entice you will a sneak peak of some of the tremendous auction items that are lined up for bid. Each day we will post a couple items, so keep checking back and don't forget to purchase your tickets and have your game face on when the auction officially begins on Sunday, November 1st in the Grand Ballroom, Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue!

PNC Bank - FLYERS!

Looking for a different type of cultural experience? Our Jazz Brunch has you covered! PNC Bank has donated the exclusive use of their suite at the Wachovia Center for a face-off between the Flyers and Florida Thrashers. The highest bidder and 13 friends get to watch the game on Sunday, March 21, from PNC’s luxury suite. All you have to do is get there on time. The game starts at 7:00PM.
Fair Market Value: $2,030.00
www.pnc.com

Philadelphia School of Circus Arts
Ever dream about running away and joining circus? Well, we’re going to help your dreams come true. Check it out; the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts has donated an Intro to Aerial Skills Private Group Class to our jazz brunch auction. This one-hour lesson offers a basic introduction to static trapeze, rope acrobatics and aerial skills for kids or adults. These guys have been named to Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philadelphia” two years running, they aren’t just clowning around. Class is held at the circus school, scheduled at the winner’s convenience.
Fair Market Value: $150.00
www.phillycircus.com

Boogie on Down with the John Hoey Orchestra at the Art-Reach Brunch on Sunday, November 1, in the Grand Ballroom at the Park Hyatt!

2009-10-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

Yo, Philly! The hottest ticket in town is Art-Reach’s 18th Annual Jazz Brunch and Silent Auction featuring the Dixieland roots of Jazz by our city’s very own incomparable Swing Band, The John Hoey Orchestra!

Where else can you indulge in yummy cocktails, enjoy Cajun-inspired culinary delights, bid on really cool stuff in a silent auction, and dance the Sunday away? Sound good? It gets better! Best of all, you will be supporting the fabulous mission of Art-Reach, and helping to expand access to the arts and culture for underserved communities. THERE’S STLL TIME TO DUST OFF THOSE DANCING SHOES AND RESERVE YOUR TICKET!

I had the pleasure of chatting briefly with John, affable founder and awesome drummer of the John Hoey Orchestra, and he shared his excitement with me about performing at the Art-Reach Jazz Brunch.

I asked him, why Dixieland Jazz as the theme of this year’s brunch? You know, what’s so special about it? John informed me that Jazz itself was born out of the New Orleans sound and old spirituals that sprang from that great city. “There would be no Benny Goodman or Glenn Miller without the music heard in the street parades and funeral marches in New Orleans,” John says. “All Big Band music was influenced by early 20th century Dixieland!”

John wants our blog readers to know that he loves Art-Reach’s mission, and especially Executive Director Michael Norris and his marvelous staff for all they do to bring the arts and culture to those who would otherwise not have access. He also hopes their gig will bring in lots of green for Art-Reach programs. “I also hope we gain new listeners for the Big Band sound. It’s rare to experience a real live Big Band, so this is a unique opportunity for people to come out and hear this great music. We also have the privilege of Joe Smith of Peter Nero and the Philly Pops joining us for this event!”

Oh, and John will be taking your requests. I already made mine, but you will have to come out to find out what it is (hint: see the second-to-last paragraph).

Call Sage Young at 215-2115 x2 to reserve your tickets NOW!

-Kathy Spillman

Sounds of Learning Program is Celebrated!

2009-10-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

Opera Company of Philadelphia (OCP), a stellar Art-Reach arts partner, recently garnered attention from NBC for its Sounds of Learning Program™. OCP extends this program to Art-Reach members so they may enjoy opera's powerful art form and take part in the Sounds of Learning Program™ through Art-Reach, which prepares them for a tremendous experience.

OCP extends the next opportunity for Art-Reach members to participate in its Sounds of Learning Program™ In February 2010, when they present Tea:A Mirror of Soul. Those members interested in participating, should contact the Art-Reach Programming Department or email info@art-reach.org.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/video.

Piano Stairs

2009-10-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Your daily dose of "fun" care of Volkswagen.
Art truly keeps us healthy!

2009-10-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Independence Starts Here! Cultural Calendar is Gaining Momentum

Art-Reach thanks their volunteer ambassadors who visited neighborhoods in Philadelphia this week handing out postcards and posters to businesses, arts venues, recreation centers and senior centers who serve individuals likely to benefit from the Independence Starts Here! Cultural Calendar. This was so successful that Art-Reach ran out of materials advertising the calendar, and will be making more to continue to spread the word to even more neighborhoods. The initiative has been featured in the Philadelphia Business Journal and Philadelphia Gay News. Take a look at the articles and contact Art-Reach if you have any questions about how the calendar can help you or people you know.

Check Out the Community Education Center's Open House and Outdoor Arts Festival

2009-10-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Need something to do this weekend? Check out the Community Education Center's Open House and Outdoor Arts Festival this Sunday October 11th at 1pm. For more information, please visit the PhillyFunGuide.

Celebrate the Sights and Sounds of New Orleans at the 18th Annual Art-Reach Jazz Brunch and Silent Auction!

2009-10-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

Join Art-Reach this fall for a party in the French Quarter! Staff and volunteers are quickly wrapping up the final stages of planning for this year’s big event. Dixieland Jam: A Celebration of New Orleans Jazz will be taking place Sunday, November 1st, 2009 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue in Center City, Philadelphia. At the event, 250-300 guests will be treated to a delicious, authentic Cajun brunch, traditional cocktails, the sounds of New Orleans performed by the John Hoey Orchestra, and an array of exclusive silent auction prize packages.

In addition to celebrating another year of bringing quality arts and cultural experiences to underserved audiences, Art-Reach will also be honoring the recipients of this year’s Commitment to Cultural Access Award. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations that are making the arts more accessible to people with disabilities or economic disadvantages. This year’s honorees are Christine Rouse, Founder and Executive Director of Acting Without Boundaries; and The Arden Theatre Company.

The Jazz Brunch is Art-Reach’s most important fundraising event, generating over 15% of our annual operating budget. Tickets to the Jazz Brunch are $85 or $175, the latter including free parking at the Bellevue and admission to the exclusive VIP Brunch Preview in October. Corporate packages range from $1,500 to $5,000 with various benefits. For tickets and more information about the Jazz Brunch and; Silent Auction, call us at (215) 568-2115 or log on to www.art-reach.org/ARR_SpEv.html.

-Sage Young
Development Manager

Learning is Fun Especially with the Arts: Echo Singing

2009-10-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Let's start the week off right with an educational song.

Rally Against the Art -Tax

2009-10-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

Held Friday, October 2, 2009 Arts Supporters raised their voices to keep the arts accessible to everyone.

Local actor, Ben Dibble, and his family attended. Ben spoke passionately imploring our government to veto the proposed tax as it would surely lead to downsizing actors as well as various jobs held in the non-profit cultural arts sector. Proudly proclaiming that he and his family are natives of, and want to remain in Pennsylvania, he explained how he may be forced to choose which of his 3 children gain exposure to the arts; his very own craft.

"I am an actor. It’s what I am skilled at and what I am trained to do. As a family, we accept that we will always live a simple, financially austere life. It is the pact you make with the universe when you decide to become an artist," he said. “I can no more envision cutting culture from my kids' lives than bringing them out here today without shoes on their feet. But if this tax were ever put into effect, I would have to ration it. Which membership would fall by the wayside to balance our family budget – Please Touch? The Zoo? Longwood Gardens? Which of our three kids gets to go to the ballet? Which to a youth symphony concert at the Philadelphia Orchestra? All of my children deserve each of these experiences, but how could we afford a family outing with the additional cost?

The truth is this: it will affect the livelihoods of countless Pennsylvanians. Here is how it could affect my family. It will add a cost to theatre tickets during an economic downturn. This will keep people out of theatres: older audiences, younger audiences, audiences who have lost their jobs or their nest eggs. Ticket sales will suffer. Theatres will have to eliminate staff positions. They will produce fewer shows. And – here’s where it affects my family personally – they will choose smaller shows with fewer actors and possibly pay those fewer actors less. Artist positions will, in a very real sense, be downsized. Fewer jobs for artists will make an already competitive market even more competitive and will make providing for my family even more difficult than it already is. And I, of course, am far from alone.

That’s how it will affect artists. But, I’ve got to tell you, it will affect audiences just as much. I LOVE the theatre audiences in Philadelphia, from the thousands of children I’ve met doing shows at People's Light and Theatre Company and the Arden, to the thousands of adults I’ve met at the Walnut, Wilma, and Lantern. In the last ten years I’ve seen these audiences grow and diversify. I want this to continue. Every, every family, no matter how much their parents make, should be able to go to the theatre together. No state should penalize its families by assuming that culture is created only for the wealthy. Especially when our non-profit theatres are working tirelessly to keep ticket prices low while continuing to pay artists a livable wage.

Culture is a fancy word, but its importance in our lives is not frivolous. It is essential. It brings people together. At the very least it brings people joy, and at its best it changes lives. It opens conversations. It sustains us. It is NOT a luxury."

Barbara Gregson of Independence Art Studio, and a member of Art-Reach, spoke on behalf of the disability community in support of Art-Reach's work and the need to keep ticket prices low. She explained that without the help of organizations like Art-Reach, the people with whom she works would not be able to access the arts, and adding an additional cost to an already economically struggling population would ensure their allienation from the arts.

Arden Theatre Company and Please Touch Museum were among the arts organizations present.

Lois Welk of Dance USA Philly also raised her voice to the cause, and made sure that Art-Reach was included in the rally.

To learn more about the proposed tax and how you can take action visit The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.