2019 Kiwanis Student Art Competition

Visit the gallery this month and see artwork submitted by junior and senior high students from Ashtabula Area City Schools, Buckeye, and St. John for the 2019 Ashtabula Kiwanis Competition! Congratulations to this year’s winners, and thank you to all of the talented young artists who shared their work in this phenomenal show.

2019 Winners:
Trinity Annick, Edgewood
Reagan Chamra, Lakeside
Levi Dubach, Lakeside
Natalie Fowler, St. John
Laden Hommes, Braden
Shane Hoyle, Edgewood
Donte Jackson, St. John
Fiona Payne, Braden
Aiyana Romero-Coleman, Lakeside Junior High
Dana Sackett, St. John
Keith Sargent, Lakeside Junior High
Sydney Savage, Edgewood
Rachel Schulze, St. John
Alyssa Steen, Lakeside
Gwen Summers, Edgewood
Ashanti Young, Lakeside

Wine tasting event before the Spring Dance Concert on April 27

Make reservations now for this special event: sample wines from Markko Vineyard, The Lakehouse Inn, Hundley Cellars, and Laurello Vineyards before seeing the 7:30 p.m. performance of Fly On, Ballet Theatre Ashtabula’s 2019 spring dance concert. Tickets are $35 and include 8 2-oz. samples as well as your seat at the concert. Appetizers and desserts will be served, and bottles will be available for purchase. The wine tasting begins at 6 p.m. in the Arts Center gallery. Call (440) 964-3396 to make your reservations — space at this event is limited.

The annual spring dance concert by Ballet Theatre Ashtabula is a celebration of movement and creativity, featuring choreography styles ranging from classical ballet to contemporary dance to musical theater. This is the show that demonstrates everything dance can be, in all its varied, innovative, and beautiful forms. Fly On will feature music by Chromatics, Coldplay, Shostakovich, Lauv, Philip Glass & Blondie, and more.

Art in an Hour event before “Sunday in the Park” on Mar. 30

Art in an Hour
Saturday, March 30
6:30 p.m.

Join us before the performance of Sunday in the Park with George and see some of our local artists create original pieces in just an hour! Finished artwork will be raffled off at intermission. Everyone who attends the performance will get 1 raffle ticket; additional tickets will be available for purchase.

Hip Hop Master Class on March 9

The Arts Center will be hosting a one-day Hip Hop Master Class taught by Ryan Rosinski on Saturday, March 9. The class is open to ages 7 & up.

Beginning/Intermediate: 1-2:30 p.m.
Intermediate/Advanced: 2:30-4 p.m.
$20 per student

Professional Hip Hop dancer Ryan Rosinski was a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, and now teaches adults and children throughout Ohio. His dance instruction was recognized by Cleveland Magazine’s Best of the East awards in 2017 & 2018. He has given live performances at Playhouse Square, Goodyear Theater, and The Agora Theater, among others.

Announcing Straw Hat Theatre 2019!

We are excited to announce our 2019 Straw Hat Theatre season! Auditions for Straw Hat will be Sunday, March 17 from 5-7 p.m., Saturday, March 23 from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. and Sunday, March 24 from 6-8 p.m. Appointments are strongly encouraged; drop-ins welcome. Come prepared with 32 bars of a song from the music theater genre. Sheet music is preferred; if you use prerecorded accompaniment, it must be instrumental only – no vocals.

Onto the shows!

CARRIE
June 7-9, 14-16, 20-22
Music by Michael Gore, Lyrics by Dean Pitchford, Book by Lawrence D. Cohen, Based on the Novel by Stephen King
Directed by Kimberly Godfrey
Carrie White is a misfit. At school, she’s an outcast who’s bullied by the popular crowd. At home, she’s at the mercy of her cruelly over-protective mother. But Carrie has just discovered she’s got a special power, and if pushed too far, she’s not afraid to use it.
CARRIE the Musical is presented through special arrangement with R& H Theatricals: www.rnh.com

SHREK JR
June 28-30, July 5-6
Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the Book by William Steig, Book & Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, Music by Jeanine Tesori
Directed by Lisa Lowery
When his peaceful swamp is inundated with displaced fairy tale creatures, surly ogre Shrek makes a deal with tiny tyrant Lord Farquadd: if Shrek rescues the Princess Fiona from the dragon holding her captive, he’ll get his home back. What follows is a hilariously twisted tale of mistaken identity, self-acceptance, and, of course, true love.
SHREK THE MUSICAL JR is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). www.MTIShows.com

FREAKY FRIDAY
July 12-14, 19-21, 25-27
Book by Bridget Carpenter, Music by Tom Kitt, Lyrics by Brian Yorkey, Based on the Novel by Mary Rodgers & the Disney films
Directed by Christy Seymour
Overworked mother Katherine and her teenage daughter Ellie are having a tough time connecting when they find themselves magically switched into each other’s bodies during an argument. Now they have one day to figure out how to get back where they belong – and it isn’t going to be easy.
“Freaky Friday” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). www.MTIShows .com

LUCKY STIFF
August 2-4, 9-11, 15-17
Book & Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Music by Stephen Flaherty, Based on “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Michael Butterworth
Directed by Stephen Rhodes
A box full of embezzled diamonds. A murder mystery. A corpse in a wheelchair. The dull life of shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon is upturned with the arrival of some shocking news: he stands to inherit a fortune if he can pass the body of his dead uncle off as alive in Monte Carlo.
LUCKY STIFF is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). www.MTIShows.com

Get half-price tickets to Sunday in the Park with George with donations to youthOPPORTUNITIES

With each item you donate to youthOPPORTUNITIES, you can get half off the price of a ticket to the March 31st performance of Sunday in the Park with George!
Bring your items and purchase half-price tickets at the front desk.

youthOPPORTUNITIES is a community-based program in Ashtabula County that offers participants, young people aged 21 and under,  year-round access to a wide variety of services depending on their personal needs.  They focus on youth who either need help to successfully continue in school and graduate or who need assistance completing their high-school equivalency (GED) while getting and keeping a job and becoming more self-sufficient. Learn more here.

Needed Items:
hats (to fit ages 14-adult)
gloves (to fit ages 14-adult)
scarves
art supplies
pens/pencils
laundry detergent
toothpaste/toothbrushes
diapers
baby wipes
tissues
toilet paper
paper towels
deodorant
soap/body wash
feminine products

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.

Call for women artists for March exhibit

The Arts Center is seeking women artists to submit artwork for our March exhibit, “Women’s Work.” In an initiative started by Mary Urbas of the Gallery at Lakeland, multiple galleries in the Northeast Ohio area are celebrating the work of women artists.

Artists are invited to submit 2 pieces of artwork to this juried show, which will run from March 4-30. Intake of artwork will be March 1 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Artists will be notified about unaccepted entries on March 4. A reception, free and open to the public, will be held on Friday, March 22, from 6-8 p.m.

Download entry form: Women’s Work artist application

There is a $5 juror fee per artist (not per piece).

Good Life Singers present “Merry Mayhem and Holiday Hullabaloo” on Nov. 9 & 11

On Friday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 11 at 2 p.m. at the Ashtabula Arts Center, the Good Life Singers will present “Merry Mayhem and Holiday Hullabaloo!” Good Life member Susan Deak commented on the show: “For 62 days at the end of each year, we all pack as much merriment as we can into our lives. Join the Good Life Singers as we explore the last harried, chaotic, fun and family-filled months: November and December! The Good Life will be singing songs for Halloween, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more. The performance will include ‘Double Trouble’ from the movie ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,’ standards like ‘America the Beautiful,’ Christmas favorites like ‘Joy to the World,’ and some new music to celebrate the season. To add to the merriment and hullabaloo, we have some special guest instrumentalists coming to join the festivities!  We’ll even be singing in Latin, so don’t miss out on the merry mayhem!”

For over 40 years, the Good Life Singers have entertained audiences during spring and fall concerts that feature various styles of vocal music. Founded in 1976, the group is made up of volunteer singers from Ashtabula and surrounding counties, who love to sing and share their talents. The Good Life is a non-profit organization housed at the Ashtabula Arts Center. Our mission is to help support the Arts Center, as half of all concert proceeds are given to the Arts Center to continue fine arts programming in Ashtabula County. Directed by Bridget Sherman and accompanied by Sally Hennessey, the group performs for other organizations around the county when possible, in addition to the annual concerts at the Ashtabula Arts Center. The Good Life is funded by audience and community support, through sponsor contributions, and ticket sales.
Performances are Friday, November 9th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, November 11th at 2:00 pm at the Ashtabula Arts Center.  Tickets will be $9 at the door and $7 if purchased from a Good Life member. Veterans receive an extra $1 off the price of a ticket.

Tickets on sale now for Sugar Plum Luncheon

Get your tickets now for the Arts Center’s sweetest event of the year! The Sugar Plum Luncheon will be Saturday, December 8 — doors open at noon. Step inside the Land of Sweets for a holiday feast dressed in sparkling pink! Our elegant luncheon will feature live holiday music and a menu of chicken salad on croissant, snowflake finger sandwiches, toasty tomato soup, rich mac & cheese, salad, and assorted beverages, followed by a dazzling dessert table with enough scrumptious sweets to feed an army of toy soldiers. Kids can learn about the story of The Nutcracker and get a dance lesson from the Sugar Plum Fairy herself! Afterwards, the winter fun moves into the theater for the 2 p.m. performance of The Nutcracker, presented by Ballet Theatre Ashtabula. Tickets include both the luncheon and your seat at the ballet. Call early for reservations — this event sells out quickly! Adult $35, Senior/Student/Military $33, Child 2-12 $28. Tickets are non-refundable. Call (440) 964-3396 to make reservations.

Donate to Sub Zero Mission & get half-price tickets to “Songs for a New World”

With each item you donate to Sub Zero Mission, you get 50% off a ticket to the performance of Songs for a New World at G.B. Community Theatre on Sunday, October 14. Sub Zero Mission delivers hats, coats, gloves, boots, sleeping bags and other warming items to homeless in northeast Ohio and other regions during the winter. Drop your items off and purchase tickets at the Arts Center box office during regular business hours: Mon-Thurs 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

The “Stay Alive Five” (most-needed items):
hats
gloves
men’s winter coats (large, XL, XXL)
boots
sleeping bags

New socks are also welcomed.