Christmas Cabaret cancelled
Due to the current situation in our county with COVID-19, we have made the decision to cancel our Christmas Cabaret concert. As with Nutcracker, we have concerns about being able to rehearse the production safely.
At this time, we plan to hold private lessons, art classes, and our December Pop-Up Art Boutique as planned.
Thank you for your understanding.
Art Wellness workshop series delayed until January — new dates TBA
Art Wellness Workshop Series
with Heather Denning
This workshop series is designed to use art as a way to cope with stress and find greater wellness in the midst of the COVID pandemic. All materials will be provided and transportation support may be available; call (440) 990-1734 for more information or to register. (Please note that you do not register through the Arts Center for these workshops.) You can also register at accaa.org.
There is no cost to register, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. If you register, please plan to attend all 8 weeks.
COVID safety protocols will be observed.
The Arts Center will partially reopen on July 6!
We are very happy to announce that the Arts Center will partially reopen on Monday, July 6, for in-person classes and some private music lessons. Our temporary operating hours will be Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Payments for classes and lessons should be made through our website, by phone, or by mailed check before the student’s start date — not in person. Our front desk will only be intermittently staffed.
We require anyone entering the building to wear a mask the entire time they’re inside, and to check in at the front desk. The kitchenette in the front of the building will be used only as a handwashing station (no food prep permitted — dancers, please note); we ask that everyone wash hands upon entry. Parents of students: unless your child requires assistance, please do not accompany them into the building for their class/lesson. If you or anyone in your household is sick/running a fever, please do not enter the building.
Class capacity will be lowered to allow for social distancing, and private music lessons will be held in large, alternate spaces rather than the music rooms, to maintain necessary space between students and teachers. We ask that all students arrive no earlier than 5 minutes before their lesson/class. At this time, voice lessons will remain virtual, as will string lessons with Carol Linsenmeier. Teaching spaces (pianos/benches/chairs/barres/tables) will be sanitized after each class/lesson. Spaces will be marked out to maintain distance.
Dancers: please wear a mask and bring a spare in case your first gets wet. Please arrive dressed for class, and bring a full water bottle marked with your name — the water fountains are shut off. Any snacks that you bring need to be ready-to-eat (granola bars, veggies, etc.) — the kitchen will be locked and the front microwave/fridge will not be in use. No hands-on correction will be given, and class will not include contact between dancers.
Straw Hat 2020 productions cancelled due to gathering restrictions
In a decision we know is going to be as disappointing to our supporters as it was for us, the Ashtabula Arts Center is officially cancelling our scheduled Straw Hat Theatre 2020 productions: Tuck Everlasting, Matilda, and The Secret Garden. Restrictions on gatherings necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic have made holding auditions and rehearsing shows impossible for the time being, and it’s still uncertain when it will be safe for theaters to reopen to audiences.
However, while producing and staging our usual theater shows may not be possible right now, we are looking into alternative programming for this summer. We’ll be posting updates on what will be happening here at the AAC this summer as that programming develops. In the meantime, we hope you’ll check out our schedule of remote classes and consider registering for one or two of them (or more, should the creativity bug bite you).
Should the situation change, and the opportunity arise for us to produce any of our summer shows, we will announce it, along with updated information on audition and production dates.
We are eagerly awaiting the day we can have our actors back on stage, our crews bustling in the wings, and our audiences in their seats. Be safe, friends. We miss you.
COVID-19 update for Frozen JR and AAC programming
In light of Governor DeWine’s declaration canceling all gatherings of 100 people or more to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Ashtabula Arts Center is canceling all performances of Frozen JR this weekend, as well as the Frozen Luncheon on Saturday. We know this is a disappointment to our audiences, performers, and crew, and we are very sorry to have to make this decision. We are so very grateful for the support our audiences have shown for this performance and our Youth Theatre actors. We will be refunding tickets purchased for the March 13-15 performances of Frozen JR, and the Frozen Luncheon, starting tomorrow, March 13. Anyone who has purchased tickets should contact us at (440) 964-3396 so we can collect the information needed to process your refund. If you are able and willing to donate the price of your ticket to help the Arts Center weather what will be a difficult period financially, we are grateful.
We are looking into the possibility of running the final four performances of Frozen JR at a later date.
Straw Hat auditions this weekend and next will be held as scheduled, however, we are asking that all auditions be by appointment. Please arrive 5 minutes ahead of your scheduled appointment time to fill out your audition form, and please exit the building promptly when your audition is complete.
Boeing Boeing will not open as scheduled; we will provide updates on that show as soon as possible.
The building will be closed to the public and all classes & programming at the Arts Center will be suspended for the next 3 weeks, resuming on Monday, April 6.
Thank you so much for your understanding and patience in this situation.
John Plymak Artist’s Reception on Friday, Jan. 25
Join us in the gallery Friday, January 25 from 6-8 p.m. at an artists’s reception for John Plymak. See his exhibit, “Drawn to Experience,” meet the artist, and enjoy light refreshments.
John Plymak grew up in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood, and first became interested in art and graphics by collecting comic books in the 70’s and drawing superhero characters. He graduated with a BFA in art from Ohio Northern University, and has spent his professional career working in package design graphics. John’s professional drawings have been shown in Northeast Ohio fine art shows and galleries, and he is extremely excited to be working on a children’s book project.
John will be offering a workshop, Explore Colored Pencils, at the AAC in March.