The Kentucky Center Blog

You're invited! Local ONE MILLION BONES exhibit (May 20) on Kentucky Center front steps

This June, “one million bones” which have been crafted out of clay at workshops by tens of thousands of children and young adults, will be installed all across the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to bring awareness to the human costs of genocide and ongoing conflicts around the globe.

On May 20, The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts will host a similar installation of bones that have been made in Kentucky before they are transported to the national exhibition in Washington.

Local community members, school children and participants in The Kentucky Center’s ArtsReach program worked with artist in residence Aletia Robey to create bones which will be temporarily installed at the Center. The installation will be open to the public for viewing during regular Kentucky Center hours. 
 
The installation is timed to coincide with the Dalai Lama’s visit to Louisville, in an effort to reinforce his message of, and our community’s commitment to, compassionate engagement.

The Kentucky Center’s ArtsReach program regularly collaborates with community centers throughout Metro Louisville to provide quality, hands-on arts experiences and professional development to engage and educate in new and eye-opening ways. 

The national One Million Bones initiative, conceived as a visible petition against genocide and conflict-related crises, is designed to raise awareness of the suffering and struggle of people in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma and Somalia.

More powerful than a signature, these bones become tangible ways for ArtsReach students to engage in art, culture, and global issues.

Congratulations! Governor's School for the Arts announces incoming class for 2013.

 

The Governor's School for the Arts (GSA), a donor-supported program administered by The Kentucky Center, proudly announces its 2013 incoming class.

Out of more than 1800 applicants, these students were chosen across nine creative disciplines: architecture, creative writing, dance, drama, instrumental music, musical theatre, new media, visual art, and vocal music.

Every summer for the past twenty-five years, GSA and our faculty of professional artist/educators have guided over two hundred of Kentucky’s finest young artists through three weeks of incredibly intense (and incredibly fun) arts instruction (since 2000, on the campus of Transylvania University in Lexington). 

For three solid weeks, the students live, breathe, eat and sleep the arts. It’s a thrilling, often life-changing experience, as they meet new friends, explore their creativity, and discover new things about who they are and who they can be in the future.

What does GSA cost students? Not a dime. GSA is free to all students selected for the program. GSA pays the entire cost of $2,800 per student through the General Assembly under the leadership of the Governor, along with donations from individuals, corporations and private foundations.

The truth is, GSA creates opportunities far beyond arts instruction.  Here are some facts about GSA alumni:

• 98% go on to college
• 93% earn scholarships
• GSA Alumni average total scholarship value = $59,000
• GSA alumni score 6 points higher on the ACT than the national average

Graduates of the summer program are eligible for a host of scholarships and educational opportunities in all fields of study.  Representatives from as many as 70 colleges and universities from across the country audition and interview graduates in the fall during GSA’s College and Career Day. Students can meet with representatives from such prestigious programs as the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, along with great programs from the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Transylvania University, Morehead State University, Bellarmine University, Centre College, Eastern Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University, and many more.  Plus, twenty colleges and universities welcome GSA alums with scholarships, just for having completed the program.

This promotional video provides an overview of the GSA Summer Program:

 

Join us for free ArtsReach Showcase May 19, 4pm (Dance, Spoken Word, Instrumental Music...)

Community Youth Perform in ArtsReach Showcase

As reported on WFPL.org by Erin Keane:  http://www.wfpl.org/post/community-youth-perform-artsreach-showcase

Hip hop dancers and Suzuki Method-trained violinists will share the stage Sunday at The Kentucky Center’s ArtsReach showcase. The annual show features community youth arts groups performing in the Kentucky Center’s Bomhard Theatre, including special guests River City Drum Corps, whose director, Ed White, has a long-standing relationship with ArtsReach.

Violin instructor Keith Cook teaches Suzuki Method through the Presbyterian Early Childhood Center, Meyzeek Community School and WESTEC, his own studio. His students are among several local groups performing Sunday.

The 22-year-old outreach education program develops free arts education for youth who otherwise don’t have access to lessons. Violin is popular; there's also demand for dance classes. 

“We select different art forms we feel young people will identify with and enjoy studying,” says director Julia Youngblood. “But we also know that many students, in the public school system especially, are not able to pay for private lessons, so we want to make lessons available on a weekly basis in community center settings.”

Through ArtsReach, the Kentucky Center has spread its model throughout the state, developing more than 100 arts education initiatives in eight Kentucky communities with funding assistance from the Kentucky Arts Council.

“We choose different performing arts centers around the state and we ask them to identify community center settings they would like to work with, and we pair them up and provide some professional development and offer them some grant opportunities to program the arts in their community,” says Youngblood.

Several dance ensembles will perform on Sunday, including the Oscar Cross Step Crew, a dance ensemble based at the Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club in Paducah. Local dance groups include dance ensembles Soljettes Dance Team and the ArtsReach dance studio, based in the Chestnut Street YMCA.

A similar dance studio at Shawnee Arts and Culture Center has grown into a competitive ensemble, Youngblood says, featuring a hybrid style of hip hop and contemporary dance instruction. The 15-member ensemble will perform four numbers at the showcase.

“That was one of our first groups we had auditions for rather than whoever was interested,” says Youngblood. “We made it a competitive process.”

Hosted by actor and arts educator Keith McGill, Sunday’s showcase is free and begins at 4 p.m. Tickets are not required. 

To see more photos from The Kentucky Center's performances and statewide Education and Community Arts programs, visit us on FLICKR.

Dancer with Ailey II talks about benefit of Kentucky Center ArtsReach program

 

When you watch the compelling video above – and see and hear this young dancer describe her journey – it is easy to understand how ArtsReach, just one of The Kentucky Center’s statewide education programs, improves lives and creates opportunities.

This weekend, we invite you to join us for the annual ArtsReach Performance Showcase as our Studio program students and special guests celebrate the joy of live performance:

ARTSREACH Performance Showcase
Sunday, May 19, 4 p.m.
The Kentucky Center, Bomhard Theater

This is a free event, no ticket purchase or RSVP is needed.

KENTUCKY CENTER TO TAKE PART IN CITY-WIDE CELEBRATION OF COMPASSION AND DALAI LAMA’S VISIT

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Thomas, rthomas@kentuckycenter.org, (502) 562-0794

 This month, as the city prepares to welcome the Dalai Lama, several special events will be held to celebrate Louisville’s status as a “Compassionate City” and Mayor Greg Fischer’s mission to make the city a friendlier, more caring place to live and visit. The Kentucky Center will be participating in, hosting, and supporting many of these events.

 The Compassionate Resolution

The Kentucky Center has drafted and approved a resolution to uphold the Charter for Compassion, signifying our commitment to being a compassionate organization via such elements as empowerment, transparency, hospitality and abundance.  To ensure this resolution has tangible outcomes at The  Center, a staff committee has been formed (named “Centered on Compassion”) to identify the compassionate work The Center has already been doing, to monitor the progress of our "compassionate” identity, and brainstorm/execute additional ways in which we can embrace the principles of this resolution. 

One Million Bones

On May 20, a version of the Washington, D.C. One Million Bones exhibit will be installed at The Kentucky Center. These bones were created by local community members, school children and participants in The Kentucky Center’s ArtsReach program along with artist-in-residence Aletia Robey as a visible petition against genocide and conflict-related crises. Initially conceived for and soon to be placed on the National Mall, the One Million Bones initiative is designed to raise awareness of the suffering and struggle of people in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma and Somalia. Each bone that is created nets one dollar towards reconstruction efforts in war-torn communities around the globe. The exhibit will be installed on the front steps of The Kentucky Center on Monday, May 20, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.  This exhibit will be on display until 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 21.

"Youth Engaging Compassion", A Dialogue with the Dalai Lama at The Kentucky Center

On May 21, The Dalai Lama will conduct a dialogue with youth from across the Commonwealth at The Kentucky Center.  These students were asked to describe what compassion means to them and develop questions for the Dalai Lama. During the dialogue, ten questions will be selected from among those submitted, and those that posed these questions will deliver them on stage. The mission of Youth Engaging Compassion (YEC) is to ignite compassion in the hearts of young people by sustaining the unquenchable fire that warms the world and the soul. The program celebrates acts of compassion so that suffering is eased and pain is lessoned on the journey toward a more compassionate world.  For more information about YEC, please visit www.youthengagingcompassion.org. 

 
Photo: Weber Globe during construction

The Weber Gallery Art Globe

As part of the Weber Gallery’s wider Striped Show exhibition, The Kentucky Center’s South Lobby will be hosting a 6-feet tall revolving globe of the earth from May 13-22. The Earth’s continents and seas are comprised completely of 1,500 colored canvas stripes painted by children, the Louisville Visual Arts Association (LVAA) Open Door classes, and people with disabilities; after which the stripes are shaped and applied to the globe by Tara Remington of LVAA. The collage of stripes showcases the favorite colors, interests and ideas of its creators. One strip features a pair of hands cradling the Earth. Others display a cross, a Star of David, various music notes, a basketball court, a ladybug, suns and smiling faces—all illustrations of what the artists believed make the world a beautiful place. Initial support for the exhibition was provided by a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support provided by Louisville Metro Arts and the Council on Development Disabilities.

Festival of Faiths: "Sacred Silence"

The Globe will be at The Kentucky Center in conjunction with the Dalai Lama’s visit and a special series from the Festival of Faiths, entitled “Sacred Silence: Pathway to Compassion,” which will take place May 14-19 at the Galt House Hotel and Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. These events will include lessons on and practice of meditation, silence and compassion.   

The Tibetan Freedom Concert

The Tibetan Freedom Concert, taking place at the Brown Theatre on May 21, will feature Kentucky native and popular cellist Ben Sollee alongside other local and Tibetan musicians, including Grammy nominated world music composer and former monk Nawang Khechog. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Drepung Gomang Institute, Louisville’s Tibetan Buddhist Center and the host organization of Engaging Compassion and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tickets available at www.kentuckycenter.org.

####

THANK YOU for making KY GIVES Day such a success!

THANK YOU to everyone who participated in KY GIVES Day! Over $330,000 was raised to support nonprofit organizations across the state. We are deeply grateful to those individuals who made a donation in support of The Kentucky Center’s Education and Community Arts programs. Thanks to your
generosity, we finished in the top 30 organizations based on donations received, from among over 375 participating nonprofits. Plus we received an additional donation – a “golden ticket” prize – from the Kentucky Nonprofit Network. What a wonderful day! We will definitely put those dollars to good use
serving youth and adults throughout the Commonwealth.

Kentucky Center Governor's School for the Arts alum competing on NBC's "The Voice"

 

Congratulations to Governor’s School for the Arts alum – and Louisville resident – Brandon Rousch for being selected to participate on NBC’s “The Voice.” The vocal coaches in season four are Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Usher and Shakira. In episode one, Brandon was praised for his soulful voice and the volunteer work he does with autistic children. Shakira was the first to buzz in after a couple of minutes - to the delight of Brandon's family backstage.

Check-out Brandon’s page on The Voice website.

Learn more about the Governor's School for the Arts, a donor-supported program administered by The Kentucky Center.

Kentucky Center Governor's School for the Arts alum joins prestigious Canadian Brass

In an exclusive performance that aired in March on SiriusXM Pops, Canadian Brass, the legendary brass ensemble, surprised listeners by introducing Caleb Hudson, an exceptionally gifted young trumpet player, as its newest member.

Caleb is a Kentucky Center Governor’s School for the Arts alum! At just 25, the Juilliard grad has already assembled an impressive résumé, including multiple first-place awards at the National Trumpet competition and a professional solo debut with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center this season.

When Caleb performed “Bach and the Beatles” with Canadian Brass on the radio program, he was billed as a guest performer. At the end of the half hour performance, which showcased Hudson’s undeniable virtuosity, quiet confidence and infectious charm, the group made an unexpected announcement: Caleb Hudson is joining the world’s most famous brass ensemble as its newest member.

Learn more about the Governor's School for the Arts, a donor-supported program administered by The Kentucky Center.

Kentucky Center ARTSREACH program participates in national One Million Bones Project

 

Eleven Kentucky Center ArtsReach sites are participating in the national One Million Bones Project.  Watch the video to better understand the scope of this activity.

At this time, ArtsReach staff and youth have been among hundreds of individuals to sculpt over 10,000 clay pieces.  The “bones” will be displayed in Louisville on the front steps of The Kentucky Center during the May visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and then transported to Washington, DC to be part of the larger installation.

ArtsReach director Julia Youngblood said, “I have been getting rave reviews from all the participating sites. The students have been heavily engaged and it has been very beneficial for them on a humanitarian level to learn about and be engaged in this project concerning violent conflicts in the world.  The act of making the bones from clay (in remembrance) opens the way for many conversations and greater understanding. ArtsReach participants are excited that for each bone created money will be donated to assist those that are rebuilding their lives in war torn regions.”

Learn more about The Kentucky Center ArtsReach program.

Kentucky Center Arts in Healing program featured in LOUISVILLE MEDICINE magazine

Photo: Arts in Healing workshop with Parkinson's patients and caregivers, Frazier Rehabilitation Center

Article posted with permission of Louisville Medicine, a monthly publication of the Greater Louisville Medical Society.

 

The Healing Arts

Ellen R. Hale

 

Hip-hop music bounces off the walls of the gymnasium. The teacher, wearing sweats and tennis shoes, demonstrates choreography to the six girls and two boys who stand before her. Step, sway. Step, turn.

 “Just do it confidently,” Safiyyah Rasool encourages the teens. “You have it.” 

Rasool has been teaching this group of patients at Our Lady of Peace in a series of six sessions as part of The Kentucky Center’s Arts in Healing program, which brings visual art, music, dance, storytelling and drama to hospitals and health care facilities. For Rasool, success is seeing them express themselves without fearing how they might look to others – not having them memorize a hip-hop routine perfectly.

 “Dance is a positive form of self-expression,” said Rasool, owner of SafiyyahDance in Louisville. Her dance class is the highlight of the day for many of the children at Our Lady of Peace, the first location for Arts in Healing when the program began in 2009. Since then, the grant-funded program has reached more than 1,600 patients and individuals with 140 arts experiences.

Ongoing programs include the following: 

*Home of the Innocents – music,storytelling and dance in Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center; all art forms in the Weinberg Academy, the on-site school; all art forms in the Childkind Center, a crisis care unit for abused and neglected children.

*James Graham Brown Cancer Center – music

*Nazareth Home – all art forms

*Norton Audubon Hospital – all art forms

*Our Lady of Peace – all art forms

*Robley Rex VA Medical Center – drumming, visual art and creative writing with veterans in substance abuse treatment; music with hospice patients

*Volunteers of America – songwriting, drama and visual art with women in substance abuse treatment; visual art with men in substance abuse treatment; visual art with those in the family emergency shelter

During a recent program at the VA, a group of veterans from the substance abuse unit sat in a circle, tearing and cutting military uniforms into strips. Drew Cameron, founder of the Combat Paper Project, led them in a papermaking workshop using the uniforms, a cathartic process he takes to veterans all over the country. Cameron oversees the veterans as they use his portable papermaking machine to beat the strips of fabric into a pulp and make a sheet of paper. 

The veterans peruse Cameron’s selection of silkscreens to use for their personal design – there are maps, boots, the U.S. Capitol, a tank. They select dyes to give the images color on the plain paper. According to the Combat Paper Project, the finished works of art can help veterans reclaim the uniform as art and begin to embrace their experiences in the military. 

At the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, local musicians including a cellist, harpist and flutist play twice weekly for chemotherapy patients. “We brought the program to the James Graham Brown Cancer Center because we know that music contributes to the overall well-being of our patients,” said Cesar  Rodriguez, MD. “We initiated a pilot program of music in our Chemotherapy Infusion Unit and the Bone Marrow Clinic, and the feedback was overwhelming. Our patients were enthusiastic in their support of the program.”

The Kentucky Center believes that the arts contribute to a healing environment for patients, families and staff in health care settings. The arts can shorten hospital stays, reduce pain medication, increase staff satisfaction and ensure efficient use of health care dollars, according to The Kentucky Center. Benefits of the Arts in Healing program include creative self-expression, relief from pain and anxiety, and empowerment in an environment where patients and families often experience loss of control.

Note: Ellen R. Hale is the communications associate for the Greater Louisville Medical Society.