Calaveras County Arts Council’s Winter Activity

Although it is the beginning of January, the Calaveras County Arts Council is busy during this time of the year.

Mary Jane Genochio, Executive Director, was Wednesday’s KVML “Newsmaker of the Day”.

There are plenty of events that are coming up within the next couple of weeks and months, beginning at this at 3 PM this Sunday afternoon at the Bret Harte High School Theater with the Mountain Melody Women’s Chorus as part of the Ovations series of concerts and events.

For twelve years, the Calaveras County Arts Council presented the Sacramento Symphony at public and children’s concerts. To keep classical music in the forefront, in 1994 they started Calaveras Classics, which became “Ovations” in 2003, a performing arts series to reflect a diversity of music and dance.

The Ovations series this year will feature a wide variety of performers through Sunday April 3rd, 2015, ending with a Western show featuring harmonica player Gary Allegretto with guitar master Ian Espinoza.

Other acts include the T Sisters (contemporary folk band) on Sunday January 31st, the Moke Hill Musical Ensemble on Sunday February 28th and Stanford Windward Quartet on Sunday March 6th.

The Calaveras Arts Council has many other highlights including “Pieces” a public art project, endorsed by both Calaveras and Amador County Arts Councils, to help in the healing process for Butte Fire victims and their community. This project is collecting items found in the Butte Fire Burn area such as broken dishes, pottery, flower pots, trinkets, small rocks, small pieces of metal, spoons and forks, small hand tools, any other small things no larger than 12 inches each.

With them, Murphys artist, Robin Modlin will lead the creation of a mosaic wall or monument in honor of the victims. Modlin is literally putting the broken pieces together to create something new with meaning and beauty. There will be a buffet dinner fundraiser with more information on this on Saturday January 31st.

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.

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.

For more information call 754-1774 or log onto http://www.calaverasarts.org/

The “Newsmaker of the Day” is heard each weekday morning on AM 1450 KVML at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45am.