Outdoor Open Mic Night on September 26

Open Mic Night
Saturday, September 26
5-7:30 p.m.

The Ashtabula Arts Center will hold an outdoor open mic night on Saturday, September 26 from 5-7:30 p.m. Anyone who wants to sign up to perform needs to call the Arts Center at (440) 964-3396 or email Mandi Frazier at marketing@ashtabulaartscenter.org with the subject line Open Mic Night Sign Up. The deadline to sign up to perform is Thursday, September 17 at 6 p.m. Participants can perform a maximum of two songs each (any genre), and will need to let the Arts Center know what instrument, if any, they will be playing, and how many mics they’ll need. Debra Fleming will be available as accompanist; performers will need to send their own sheet music in advance if using accompaniment (contact info will be provided at signup).

This event will be free to attend, however space will be limited, so attendees must make a reservation, either at (440) 964-3396, or online at ashtabulaartscenter.org, and let the Arts Center know how many will be in their group. Attendees wishing to make a donation to the Arts Center may do so at the event or at ashtabulaartscenter.org. Seating will be outside on the lawn, and attendees should bring lawn chairs or a blanket. No concessions will be sold, but attendees are welcome to bring their own snacks or picnics. The building will be open for restroom access – masks are required when inside. A seating grid will be marked out on the lawn to ensure safe social distance between groups is maintained.

KeyBank virtual learning scholarships available

We are very excited about this news! Thanks to a $5000 sponsorship from KeyBank Ashtabula supporting virtual learning, we are now able to offer scholarships for our virtual classes. This includes our current virtual offerings, and those that will be coming in our fall schedule (and possibly beyond). This sponsorship allows us to help those in our community who want to take part in virtual arts learning, but have faced financial difficulty during the COVID pandemic.

Aanyone registering for virtual classes can take advantage of this scholarship program. When you visit our website to sign up for a virtual class, you’ll see two options at checkout: “Tuition Cost” and “KeyBank Sponsored Scholarship.” If you are able to support us by paying the regular tuition cost, we’re very appreciative. If the scholarship option will help your family out, just select it at checkout, and the cost of the class or workshop will be covered. That’s all there is to it — no application, no process to qualify. If you need it, use it. We’ll make this option available for virtual classes as long as there are scholarship funds remaining. You can find our virtual classes here. This list will be expanded when our fall schedule of classes is set; those classes will be posted online in early August.

Many thanks to KeyBank for this sponsorship!

A request for our supporters

We have to take a moment to make a request of our AAC supporters, whether you’re audience members, artists, students, or volunteers. With all of our programming shut down, the Arts Center is struggling financially right now.  We know this is a scary time for many people, and we absolutely understand that not all of our supporters are in a financial position to make donations. We are grateful for all the ways you show your love for the arts, and the Arts Center. If, however, you are someone who is able to donate to the Arts Center, at any level, it would be a tremendous help. You can donate online here.

Seeking volunteers to help with our summer arts camps

We are looking for volunteers to assist with our summer arts camps! We have multiple camps scheduled this summer; please let our front desk know which ones you’re interested in helping with when you call. This is a great opportunity for responsible younger volunteers who are interested in working with kids and learning more about what goes on behind the scenes at the Arts Center!

Multi-Arts Camp: Monday-Friday, June 18-July 6 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (No camp on July 4)
Fairy Tale Preschool Camp: Monday-Friday, June 11-15 from 10 a.m.-noon
Fairy Fun Camp: Monday-Friday, July 23-27 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Harry Potter Camp: Monday-Friday, July 30-Aug 3 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Under the Sea Preschool Camp: Monday-Friday, July 30- Aug 3, from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

To volunteer, call (440) 964-3396 or stop in at the front desk.

Good Life Singers & Lakeshore Artists present “Inspirational Muse-ic”

The Good Life Singers, in collaboration with the Lakeshore Artists, will present “Inspirational Muse-ic” on Friday, April 27th and Saturday, April 28th at 7:30 p.m. at the Ashtabula Arts Center. The show will feature artwork created by the Lakeshore Artists specially selected for each song, and artist Aimee Perkins Sarell will create an original painting during each concert that will be raffled off. Tickets are $9 at the door, or $7 if purchased from a Good Life member.