DON’T MISS OUT ON ARTS PARTY OF THE YEAR!

 

Support the Arts’ Council as we provide community based programs and services to Madera County.  Enjoy a night out, come for fun!  

Sunday, April 10th, the Madera County Arts Council has purchased 100 tickets for the matinee showing of MSTC Theatre Co.’s spring production, “High School Musical!”

Your $30 ticket gets you a delicious brunch along with wine & mimosas at 12pm, followed by reserved seating for the 2pm performance! Also included are refreshments and goodies at intermission!

You may obtain tickets from any MCAC board members or by coming into Circle Gallery and purchasing them from Rick Dorris, our Office Admin & Gallery Assistant, who just so happens to be an alumni of Ginger Latimer’s Coyote Theatre Company, the predecessor to MSTC Theatre.

 

Ginger and I have been collaborating on drama related events for over 20 years, beginning when she was working with the GATE programs at the elementary and junior high levels and two of our children were classmates at John Adams . We both had a love for theater and a belief that it could not only be a creative outlet but also an important teaching tool. Our first collaborations began with Renaissance Faire activities at the elementary and junior high level. A partnership between the high school drama programs  where Ginger now works, and the Madera county Arts Council where I am now a board member seemed a logical extension of work begun years ago.

 

By working together to offer an afternoon of good food and great musical entertainment for the community we hope to more fully engage Maderans  in the art programs of the Drama dept. at Madera South High and the Madera County Arts Council. The caliber of program that Ginger Latimer and MSTC bring to the Madera art scene is deserving of more attention , as are the many art education programs offered by MCAC.

 

To see them grow. We are a vibrant multicultural community, one that needs more opportunity to share life experiences through art. The performing and visual arts are universal by nature … all genders, nationalities, ages, appreciate them. And Madera is on the cusp of creating a new Cultural and Performing Arts Center…now is the time to begin growing programs and events to fill that space and make it the artistic center of our city.

 

Yes. The MSTC/MCAC Theater event has been in place for several years now and has grown each year. One of the hopes for the future is to expand and include other schools through perhaps a ” season ticket” option … It is all about supporting the students, first and foremost.

 

We will have special drinks and a large variety of both savory and sweet food items on our ” brunch table” during the pre show event, and in honor of the current play root beer floats will be served during intermission. There is always more than enough to eat…plan to have lunch with us and enjoy the afternoon.

 

 

March is YOUTH ART MONTH and a POP UP! exhibit will be displayed for public enjoyment each weekend of the month!

WHERE: 97 E. 6th St. Madera, Ca 93638

WHEN: March 1-31st from 12-3pm Saturdays and Sundays ONLY.

The exhibition will kick off March 6th from 1-3pm with a reception which is open to the public. Goodies and refreshments will be on hand along with a raffle and live music!

This exhibition and event is being organized and coordinated by MUSD Art Instructor Adam Mena, below is a note from Adam:

“This year as part of Youth Art Month. I would cordially invite you to be a part of Madera’s first ever “Pop Up Art Exhibit.”

Pop-Up art shows have been around for many years. These shows are very popular in cities such as L.A. and San Francisco.  You may ask yourself what is a “Pop Up” Art Show? A “Pop Up” art show is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a temporary show in an unusual venue. Pop Up art shows can be created in abandoned warehouses or vacant storefronts in a city.  This year I was fortunate enough to find a storefront in downtown Madera to host this year’s Youth Art Month Exhibition.”

Thanks again, Adam

You can reach Adam by calling 559-355-5317 or via email adammena@maderausd.org

 

 

Stay tuned for next year’s show!

Did you know you can donate toward keeping arts in the schools while doing your taxes?

Click the image above to learn more about this wonder and generous way to give toward keeping the arts alive in our schools!

 

2015 AWARD RECIPIENTS

WATER ..AGRICULTURE’S LIFE BLOOD
1st Place
Elizabeth Fife
Valley Springs
Water Water Everywhere
Acrylic

2nd Place
Kathleen Mattox
Sanger
Irrigation By Design, Too
Watercolor, Acrylic Paint, Stencils, Pen

Honorable Mention
Carol Hoover
Fresno
Home Delivery
Watercolor

Honorable Mention
Darlene Jaeger
Coarsegold
Optimism
Pastel

Honorable Mention
June Livingston
Fresno
Keeping It Flowing
Charcoal

CALIFORNIA CROPS
1st Place
Roberta Davis
Clovis
Twilight At The Pumpkin Farm
Watercolor, Pen, Paper

2nd Place
Becky Matli
Madera
Autumn Vineyards
Oil

Honorable Mention
Linda Abbott
Merced
Littler Brother From Another Mother??!
Oil

Honorable Mention
Abigail Anderson-Shine
Madera
Oh Nuts, It’s The Pits
Mixed Media, Fiber Art

Honorable Mention
Vivian Helena Aumond-Capone
Coarsegold
Colorful Cauliflower
Multimedia

Honorable Mention
Maia Ballis
Fresno
Peachy View
Watercolor

Honorable Mention
Margaret Eldred
Davis
Wheat Stubble Along Road 102, Yolo County
Acrylic

FARM MACHINERY AND STRUCTURES
1st Place
Sarkis Manavazian
Madera
Everything
Photography

2nd Place
James Quaschnick
Fresno
Stormy Madera Irrigation
Photography

Honorable Mention
Wendy Alexander
Fresno
Retired Rusty
Photography

Honorable Mention
Joseph “Danny” Silva
Madera
Still Standing
Photography

Honorable Mention
Karen Tillison
Clovis
Old Farm Truck
Photography

CELEBRATE AGRICULTURE ….THE HUMAN FACTOR
1st Place
Dixie Salazar
Fresno
Ballad Of The San Joaquin With Glass Of Water
Oil

2nd Place
Jose Jesus Elias
Madera
The Farmworkers
Mixed Media

Honorable Mention
Maggui Ledbetter
Chowchilla
Jesse’s Pomegranate Pickers
Watercolor

Honorable Mention
Sandy Myers
Raymond
The Vaccinator
Colored Pencil

OUR FARM & RANCH FRIENDS
BEST OF SHOW
Marilyn Wear
Turlock
Welcome Guest
Watercolor

1st Place
Mike McMullen
Squaw Valley
Crossing The Kings
Sculpture

2nd Place
Kathleen Mattox
Sanger
Kitty Karetakers
Watercolor, Pen & Collage

Honorable Mention
Wendy Alexander
Fresno
Feeding Time
Photography

Honorable Mention
Lynette Ballis
Saner
Pollination Dance
Oil

Honorable Mention
Sandra Lee Scott
Coarsegold
Slow SLO Cows
Pastel

CELEBRATE AGRICULTURE WITH THE ARTS ~ JURIED EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

September 30 – November 21, 2015                 December 2015 – Select Pieces  on Tour
Circle Gallery*                                                           CMAC – Community Media Access Collaborative
1653 N Schnoor, Suite 113                                             1555 Van Ness Ave, Fresno, CA 93721
Madera, CA 93637                                                           (559) 266-2622
(559) 661 – 7005
Gallery Hours                                                                    Studio Hours: http://cmac.tv/contact/
Tuesday – Friday: 10 am – 4 pm                                     Monday – Friday 10 am – 9 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 2 pm                                                    Friday  10 am – 6 pm
Sunday – Monday:   Closed                                              Saturday 1 – 6pm / Sunday: Closed

*Artwork available for purchase.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Dr. Jim Glynn, Director MCAC
Arts Council Celebrates Agriculture

It was 1993, and Nancy Clute had an idea, the realization of which became legendary. Nancy was one of the founders of the Madera County Arts Council and served as its executive director until her death in 2002. Her concept was to combine her passion for and love of art with this area’s primary industry — agriculture. The result was the inaugural exhibition of “Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts” in 1994.

The show was so successful that the following year the Arts Council established the show and exhibition as an annual event. This year, the Arts Council will present the twenty-second observance of the popular program with a reception at the Circle Gallery in the North Pointe Shopping Center, 1653 N. Schnoor,, Suite 113, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Although 120 entries were submitted, because of space limitation, they were juried down to 79 exhibits that will be on display until Nov. 21. Before the reception, the pieces will be judged by professional artist Paul Buxman of Kingsburg. Categories include “California Crops,” “Farm Machinery and Structures,” “Our Farm and Ranch Friends,” “The Human Factor,” and “Water… Agricultures’ Lifeblood.” Submissions in the latter category must include work that demonstrates the importance of water or, because of the sustained drought in our state, the problems caused by lack of water.

Artwork has been submitted from all parts of Central California, from Bakersfield to San Jose and Sonora. The media of various paints, pastels, and charcoals will be represented. There are also some wonderful pieces of sculpture (both lost-wax bronze and metalwork pieces), jewelry, and photography (both color and black and white). The exhibition is financially supported by the agricultural industry of California and by patrons of the artsHors d’oeuvres and beverages will be available during the evening, and there will be a special performance by Brett Moglia, who plays the saxophone with the popular band, “The Yard Dogs” and his tenth-grade students Ayami Sappington and Emily Anderson, guitarists and vocalists, from his singer-songwriter class at Minarets High School.

Admission to the reception is free. For more information, please contact the Madera County Arts Council at (559) 661-7005 or atwww.maderaarts.org. The Circle Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Saturday from 10 – 2 pm and evenings by appointment.

 

Monday: CLOSED (or by appointment only)

Tuesday-Thursday: 10-6pm

Friday and Saturday (Summer Only): 12-8pm

Evenings: By appointment.

Please visit us for unique gift ideas. All handcrafted in California!

 

The arts in Madera County are coming alive. Thanks to many great artists and galleries, the mountain communities have a thriving arts scene. The wineries and restaurants around the county are adding music and local art work to their regular fare. Summer evenings come alive with concerts in the park in Madera and Chowchilla.

But issues remain. There is not enough adequate space for groups of people to join indoors for performances. The current Circle Gallery can handle only a small number of exhibits and opportunities for local artists to show their work. Students put on their Broadway-quality performances in the cafeteria.

Why a center for the arts in Madera?

A center for the arts is a viable tool for tourism, economic development and educational support. Businesses looking for a place to locate and people looking for a place to live look for this sort of amenity. It shows a forward-thinking town that appreciates bringing people together as a community.

Visitors see an arts center as a stop off place to enjoy during their travels. This complements the Fossil Center, and other cultural attractions in Madera County.

The schools would be big users. With a third high school coming on line, the need is even bigger for a professional performance area. A theater would allow the middle schools to perform as well.

Who is involved in working on an arts center?

There have been several people over time. Over 30 years ago, Nancy Clute was instrumental in developing the Madera County Arts Council and dreamed that one day there would be an arts center. In the late 80s and 90s, Clute worked with Jim Taubert from redevelopment and with the Madera Unified School district on this effort.

Now the planning has been restarted in some part due to a substantial amount of funds received by the arts council for the purpose of building and maintaining an arts center.

Partnerships develop when there is mutual interest. The county has space that will be abandoned and needs revitalization. The city sees potential for economic growth and a large civic center for the community. They also see downtown revitalization opportunity. The school district sees venues for student performance and exhibition. The arts council sees the opportunity to enrich the lives of Madera County residents and expand our ability to encourage the arts

Can you give a brief history on where the $2.5 million trust for the downtown art center came from?

This gift was received from the Elaine Secara Trust after her death. She left half of the amount from her trust to the Madera County Arts Council to build and maintain an arts center for Madera County. Secara and her husband, Franklin, were charter member of the Arts Council and Franklin served on the first board of directors of the council. Both were huge supporters of the arts and of Madera County as a whole.

Where will the center be located?

Last fall, the Madera County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to identify the current County Courthouse Building on Yosemite Avenue as the preferred site. This building will be vacant when the new courthouse opens and when the Probation Department and District Attorney’s Office are relocated.

This decision has caused the partnership group to move thinking forward to include envisioning the area as a civic center project, possibly including plans to restore the old County Library, also on Yosemite and to determine if there is a way to add other entities.

What will the arts center be used for besides having art galleries and visual arts theater?

A multi-use performance complex in Madera County could be used to showcase various types of visual, cultural and performing arts, including dance, music and theater. The center may offer a means of generating new investment and increased economic activity and thus, a means for revitalizing neighborhoods as patrons are drawn to local restaurants and other businesses.

The center may also become a destination for touring exhibitions, a venue for performers, and also offer an indoor and outdoor gathering place for family reunions, medium sized fundraisers, parties, art demonstrations, art fairs, and classrooms within surroundings that exude art, culture and the fabric of our community.

How will the arts center contribute to downtown revitalization?

An arts center will provide a downtown venue for arts performances and exhibitions. It may include rooms for teaching the arts and possibly studio space that artists would be able to use for their studios. All of these mean more people coming to the downtown area; people who need to eat on performance evenings, may want to go out after/before, etc.

How will the partnership get funding?

The center will be built over time as funding becomes available. There will be a major capital campaign to fund the major portion of the center.

Incremental steps need to be taken before the group can move forward to the community. Step 1 is to complete a master plan for the area. With several entities and many interested stakeholders involved, there is a need to look over the area in question with an eye of building placement, use of space for outdoor and indoor activities, the relationship between new buildings and old buildings, etc.

The partnership members are currently meeting with their board to seek contributions for phase 1—master plan and feasibility study.

Then what happens?

A master plan will come with some initial cost estimates. At that point, the community will develop a plan to involve citizens and corporations in developing a capitol campaign to move the concept to reality.

How can citizens become involved?

Thanks to  all attendees who contributed their ideas about their vision for the center at the June 2015 Gala for the Arts.

Next up,  A master plan development  which involves engaging the citizenry as well.

 

Thank you to our 2014 sponsors. It was another great year for our summer concert series!
See you next summer!

Creative Copy
Madera Tribune
Madera Breakfast Lions
Madera Kiwanis
Madera Noon Rotary
Latinas Unidas
Rich and Row General Dentistry
Madera Sunrise Rotary
Michael and Mickie Purl
Citizens Business Bank
Madera Private Security Patrol

Thanks also to the Movies Madera, Black Bear Diner, Cazadores, Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino, Jackie and Dan Flanagan, Round Table Pizza, In and Out Burger, Corrine Folk, Joseph Carrello, and Leon Emo.

Join us for a trip back in time to the days of Gatsby and the Roaring 20s Saturday June 14th at our annual Gala for the Arts Speakartsy Soiree. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year to support the many programs of the Madera County Arts Council. The Gala will be held at the V.F.W. Hall 2020 North Granada Drive. Cocktail hour begins at 6PM and we will have a photographer available to take complimentary photos of our guests. The evening will include a live auction, dessert auction a delicious dinner, and jazz music. 20s attire encouraged but not required! Tickets are $65 for MCAC members and $75 for non members. For reservations please call 661-7005.

June 29th Madera The Remnants
The Remnants, a Central Valley based band, will be kicking off the summer concert series on Sunday June 29th at Lions Town and Country Park from 7PM – 9PM. The band been performing together for over 13 years.Their repertoire includes Old Standards, Classic Rock, Country, Top 40 and Ballads.They performed for us last year and were a definite crowd favorite. Admission is free. Get out your dancing shoes and join us for a great evening of music!Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket. Concessions will be available.

Left to right: Chris Ward, keyboards and vocals, Jamie Watson, drums and vocal, Joe Cummins, lead vocals, Debi Valorosi, bass guitar and vocals and Ron Arriet, guitar and vocals.