THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 10, 1995 TAG: 9509080225
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 132 lines
WHAT'S IN THE arts picture for Chesapeake?
Judging by last Saturday's hugely successful free Virginia Symphony concert at Chesapeake City Park, the arts have finally blossomed here.
``The day the symphony comes to Chesapeake and there are more people in the audience than in the symphony, culture has arrived in Chesapeake,'' said Dr. Tim Kerr, provost of the Chesapeake campus of Tidewater Community College.
L. Randy Harrison, the city's fine arts coordinator, who helped bring the symphony here, was still beaming over the event that brought the entire Virginia Symphony under the direction of Norfolk native Thomas Wilkins to Chesapeake for the first time ever.
``I'm still excited,'' she said in her office surrounded by her own colorful and imaginative original art work. ``We thought if we got at least 600 people we would consider it a success, but as the people came in, they kept coming and coming and coming. We ran out of programs and we estimate we had at least 1,500 people, maybe more.''
Harrison said everybody from the mayor to the citizens who packed the park were simply swept away by the fine evening of symphonic music under the stars of Chesapeake.
``We were totally overwhelmed by the attendance,'' she said. ``And the audience mix was wonderful: We had all ages and every ethnic group. Families brought their kids and picnic dinners. Symphony members came early and brought their children and their sitters to play at Fun Forest before the concert. We saw kids who were playing at Fun Forest stop what they were doing, ride their bikes over just to watch. And they were awestruck.''
During the concert's encore - a French can-can song - Harrison said she noticed the entire audience clapping and hooting along.
Harrison talked about a phone call she received last week from a woman who had moved to the city two years ago after her husband died.
``She told me over the phone that she was still uplifted by the symphony concert,'' she said. ``She said Chesapeake City Park was the most wonderful setting for the symphony and that the concert was one of the happiest moments she had experienced in recent years. Now that tells me we did the right thing. It tells me that there's a hunger and support for the arts in Chesapeake.''
Years ago, people would joke that a cultural event in Chesapeake meant listening to country and western music on the radio. But how things have changed, thanks to the work of the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission and Harrison.
Each year, using funds received from the city and other state and federal grants, the commission helps fund and support the Bay Youth Orchestras, the Chesapeake Civic Chorus, the Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads, Chesapeake's own Hardwick Chamber Ensemble featuring the nationally known and award winning composer John Winsor, the Tidewater Winds, the Virginia Opera, the Virginia Stage Company, the Virginia Symphony, Young Audiences of Virginia and WHRO-TV.
There's a monthly ``Spotlight On the Arts'' program that airs 10 times a week on the city's WCTV-23 cable access channel. The program, hosted by Harrison and produced by the Fine Arts Commission, focuses on the cultural and arts events, performances and personalities in Chesapeake.
The commission also produces a monthly ``Arts-Gram'' publication that highlights cultural events, personalities and the work and activities of individual Chesapeake fine arts commissioners.
And Harrison said the program and the newsletter are never in want of subjects. Chesapeake has its share of arts and talent, she said.
``We have so much here in the city, it's amazing,'' she said. ``We have top area artists like Ken Wright, Karen Kinser and Wilbur Chadwick. We have the Hardwick Chamber Ensemble and the Chesapeake Civic Chorus. Groups like the Virginia Symphony, the Virginia Opera and the Hotel Paradise Roof Garden Orchestra all have members from Chesapeake. Then there's the public school funded fine arts radio station WFOS that offers classical music and cultural programming. And let's not forget our fine young artistic talent. We have a wealth here.''
Harrison was referring to the creative and talented drama departments at all five Chesapeake high schools, producing innovative versions of classic dramas and creating original productions.
``We have good, home-grown drama right here at the high school level,'' she said. ``In the future we hope to show some of the shorter one-act plays on our `Spotlight On the Arts' program.''
She was also talking about the 1995 recipients of the Fine Arts Commission's annual scholarship grants. All of the grant recipients are very talented, Harrison said, but the top seven perfect score achievers made the judges sit up and notice.
The perfect seven included a contemporary music composer, a ballerina, a lyrical dancer, a watercolorist, a violinist and two pianists.
``It was a real eye-opener to see all this young talent here in Chesapeake,'' said Maestro Russell Stanger, world renowned conductor, former conductor of the Virginia Symphony and in charge of instrumental studies at the New York State Summer School of Art who is also associated with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. ``I work with a lot of young people in Saratoga and I get the cream of talent from New York state and the youngsters here in Chesapeake match up well with them.''
``I've heard that, next to Virginia Beach, the city that sends more youngsters to the Governor's Magnet School for the Arts is Chesapeake,'' Harrison said. ``That's something to be proud of.''
All of this culture, art and talent isn't good for the city just because of its entertainment value.
``It's really good for business for any community,'' Harrison said. ``It shows we are a whole city, a whole place to live. The arts make a city desirable to outside businesses. They can also re-charge people, refresh them and relax them. We have lots of beautiful natural settings and now we don't have to leave the city for every cultural event that happens, many happen here or we bring them here.''
Harrison should know. She brings a wealth of experience to her Chesapeake job.
She has taught art at the high school and college level and overseas. She has traveled extensively and holds a master's degree in Humanities from Old Dominion University and a master of fine arts degree from New York University. She has worked in the retail sector, in public relations/marketing/promotions for a lawmaker and a national charity and for civic groups, museums, schools and colleges.
``I have the craziest background for this job,'' Harrison said. ``My first love is art, creating art and teaching art but I can see the connections between the arts and the retail and civic sectors. They all come together.''
She thinks cities will come together to bring the arts to all communities in viable, working partnerships.
``We have no choice in this day and age,'' she said. ``We have to have regionalism, partnerships between cities if the arts are to flourish anywhere.'' ILLUSTRATION: On the Cover
The [color] photo illustration on the cover is by staff
photographer Steve Earley. The frame is courtesty of Hartung Gallery
& Art Supplies of Chesapeake.
Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
``I've heard that, next to Virginia Beach, the city that sends more
youngsters to the Governor's Magnet School for the Arts is
Chesapeake,'' said L. Randy Harrison.
by CNB