Calaveras Arts Council’s New Executive Director
The Calaveras County Arts Council has a new Executive Director.
Kathy Mazzaferro, Executive Director, was Thursday’s KVML “Newsmaker of the Day”.
After several years as Executive Director, Mary Jane Genochio retired. Genochio was one of over five hundred families in Calaveras who lost her home last year, due to the Butte Fire. That was just one of the circumstances that led to her to make a personal decision to retire from the Arts Council.
There will be an “Appreciation Event” for Genochio this Sunday (May 1st) at Shutter Tree Park in downtown Mokulmne Hill. The public event begins at 5 PM. It’s a no-stress event. According to Mazzaferro, folks are invited to bring their picnic dinners, drinks and chairs. This is a way to say “thank you” to Genochio and this will give Mazzaferro a chance to meet some of the Arts Council members and other people that she has never met before.
Mazzaferro herself is no stranger to Calaveras County. She attended Calaveras High School and won the “Miss Calaveras” Pageant in 1971. After moving away for college and living in several places from Sacramento to the greater Los Angeles area, Mazzaferro is happy to return “home”.
“I love the people,” said Mazzaferro. “The people in Calaveras County are the most extraordinary in California.”
As the new Executive Director, Mazzaferro has hit the ground running with a number of items on the agenda.
The Music in the Parks series will begin this June in Copperopolis. New fundraising events are being discussed and will be announced shortly. A powerful large art display called “Pieces”, which will display various items found in the Butte Fire, is in the works to debut in Mountain Ranch on September 10th… almost one year to the exact date of when the Butte Fire entered into Calaveras County.
The Calaveras County Arts Council is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation.
Founded in 1981, their purpose is to coordinate excellence in the presenting and promotion of the visual and performing arts of all cultures for artists, residents and visitors. The staff is comprised of Genochio, a deputy director and a an 11-member volunteer Board of Directors.
In 1990, they established their present office/gallery on historic Main Street in San Andreas.
The Calaveras Arts Council has many events and fundraisers coming soon and you can find out all about them on their website at http://www.calaverasarts.org/
As a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation, the Arts Council is not directly a part of county government. However, they do receive annual in-kind rent support from the County for the office/gallery space in downtown San Andreas.
The “Newsmaker of the Day” is heard each weekday morning on AM 1450 KVML at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45am.
