THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 14, 1995 TAG: 9507120195
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: E12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 129 lines
Fine arts in Chesapeake has received a financial shot in the arm.
The Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission and the Chesapeake Civic Chorus were recently awarded grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
A grant of $3,750 was given to the city's arts commission while the Civic Chorus received a grant of $700.
These money awards are part of the state arts commission's annual arts grants, bestowed on 135 non-profit organizations. The state agency awarded a total of $1,532,700 under its General Operating Support Program, intended to provide financial assistance to arts organizations for ongoing and administrative expenses.
The program is designed to continue, strengthen and expand programs of artistic merit throughout the state.
All applicants were evaluated competitively on the basis of artistic quality and merit.
The state commission, based in Richmond, supports the arts through funding from the General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. It distributes grants to artists and not-for-profit organizations.
The agency, which also provides technical assistance in arts management, also funds educational institutions, educators and local governments.
State arts commission officials said this year's grant awards were up 4 percent over last year.
That was certainly true for the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission's local government challenge grant. This year's money award was up $840 over last year's grant of $2,910.
``We felt good about the increase,'' said L. Randy Harrison, arts coordinator for the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission. ``I think this is an indication of a positive sign of what Chesapeake is doing for the arts. It's tough times for the arts all around, but I think they're convinced we've done quality things for the citizens of Chesapeake. We're delighted to have this money.''
Harrison said the money would go into the commission's main fund to finance and bring the performing arts to Chesapeake.
``We'll use this money to sub-grant other agencies or performing groups,'' Harrison said. ``This grant just helps our operating pot be a little bigger.''
Harrison said the money would be used to support or bring in such groups as the Virginia Symphony, the Virginia Opera, the Hurrah Players, groups associated with the Young Audiences program and the Tidewater Winds at their annual summer concerts in Chesapeake.
``These concerts are things that benefit the citizens of Chesapeake,'' Harrison said. ``This grant money is used well by the Fine Arts Commission.''
In addition, Harrison said the Fine Arts Commission also uses its grant money to help such in-city performing groups as the all-volunteer Chesapeake Civic Chorus, who have delighted Chesapeake audiences with their yearly spring and winter concerts.
Margaret Cross, administrative director of the Civic Chorus, said the group's 1995-96 Virginia Commission for the Arts grant is down $100 from last year's endowment of $800.
``I think funding for the fine arts is down in general,'' Cross said about the chorus' diminished grant. ``Certainly we're disappointed that it's down. We had hoped we'd get more, but we're very appreciative of whatever we get. Make no mistake about that.''
Cross said the chorus, under the direction of Geraldine T. Boone, will use the money to purchase needed public address electronic equipment, sheet music and a new musical keyboard and to help stage its two annual concerts.
Cross is hopeful next year's grant will match last year's or surpass it. And Harrison is hopeful that these grants will continue to return to the level of 1989-90, when the Fine Arts Commission received $5,000.
``The arts are vital to a city,'' Harrison said. ``They are important to its quality of life and the well-being of its citizens. It can create and foster curiosity and creativity in all endeavors.
The arts brings money back into a city. We know for a fact, for example, that before a big company locates in any city it takes a long, hard look at other variables, including a city's arts climate and opportunities.'' MEMO: BEST BETS
Fowl time at Greenbrier - The Greenbrier Library at 1214 Volvo
Parkway will showcase the talents of wildfowl woodcarver Mike McCune at
7 p.m. Monday.
McCune will demonstrate wildfowl carving at the library's first-floor
meeting room.
The free session will feature the 10-year expertise of McCune, who
holds degrees in biology and art and has carved and painted more than 50
decoys and decorative wildfowl. He recently won a first-place award in
the open duck diving category at the Mid-Atlantic Wildfowl Festival in
Virginia Beach.
A display of McCune's wooden waterfowl will be on exhibit at the
Greenbrier library throughout July.
The wildfowl carving presentation will be sponsored by the Chesapeake
Public Library's Summer Reading Program.
More information is available by calling 436-7400.
Hot jazz for hot summer - As a way to celebrate July as National
Parks and Recreation Month, the Chesapeake Parks and Recreation
Department will sponsor a concert by the popular Hotel Paradise Roof
Garden Orchestra at 6:30 p.m. July 27 at Chesapeake Square Mall.
The group specializes in jazz and popular dance tunes from the '20s
and '30s. Appealing to teens as well as adults and seniors, the
orchestra has performed at Blockbuster Music, Planet Music, area
restaurants and clubs, nursing homes, hospital functions and other
public and private functions.
The concert is free and a dance floor will be set up in case anyone
in the audience comes down with a case of dance fever.
Tom Sawyer appreciation - The Chesapeake Central Library, 248 Cedar
Road, will present ``Tom Sawyer Day'' from 2 to 5 p.m., Thursday.
The event, open to ages 5-12, will offer official Tom Sawyer
freckles, a whitewashed fence, frog jumping, worm guessing and
watermelon seed spitting.
Children are urged to come dressed to participate in the Tom
Sawyer/Becky Thatcher look-alike contest.
The event is free and requires no registration.
Call 547-6562.
Youth art on display - Chesapeake's community center programs,
including the popular Summer Playtimes and Teen Times programs, has
given the Chesapeake Parks and Recreation folks plenty of original art
created during summer arts and crafts sessions.
All of this creativity, based on the theme ``What Does Chesapeake
Parks and Recreation Mean to You?,'' will be on display at Chesapeake
Square Mall from July 24 to Aug. 4 during normal business hours.
Under a lot of Strauss - WFOS-FM 88.7 will offer Richard Strauss'
opera ``Elektra'' at 7 p.m. Sunday on its ``First and Third Sunday''
program, which showcases top recordings of complete operas.
The cast will include Jean Madeira as Klytamnestra, Inge Borkh in the
title role, Marianne Schech as Chrysothemis, Fritz Uhl as Aegisth and
Dietrich Fischer Dieskau as Orest with the Chorus of the State Opera of
Dresden and the Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Karl Bohm.
Eric Feber by CNB