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7TH ANNUAL "DIA DEL NINO" DRAWS OVER 6,000
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From acclaimed professional performers to the best local community and student talent, ArtsOC's
Dia del Nino festival demonstrated its staying power in its 7th year--and blossomed into a true countywide event, with a new presenting partner--
Media Arts Santa Ana (MASA)--and a new venue--
OC Fair & Event Center. Opening with a procession by the International Peace Choir, it was emceed by Dyana Ortelli (Tia Victoria in the Oscar-winning Disney/Pixar animated film "Coco"), and featured such headline acts as Grammy Award winners Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Grammy nominees (and local favorites) Trio Ellas, New York's celebrated Moona Luna, and Orange County's 40+ year-old folklorico troupe Relampago del Cielo (photo above). San Diego's Fern Street Circus (photo below) performed acrobatic tricks and conducted workshops all day, and a dozen of the region's most seasoned teaching artists and craftspeople led hands-on workshops for the steady stream of participants. All told, attendance was estimated at 6,000--more than double the peak attendance of prior years. Dia del Nino was supported with grants from the
National Endowment for the Arts and
Wells Fargo. It is ArtsOC's flagship event in its annual month-long Imagination Celebration. More photos of the festival may be viewed
here.
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OC ORGANIZATIONS AWARDED GRANTS FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL AND CALIFORNIA HUMANITIES
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Also, at its April 18 meeting, the
California Arts Council awarded grants to three OC organizations:
Pacific Symphony ($15,300) and
Pacific Chorale ($6,396) for arts education, and
Media Arts Santa Ana ($1,000) for professional development. And in April,
California Humanities announced 15 Humanities for All "Quick Grants," and Anaheim's
Chance Theater was a recipient for its Summer Storytelling Workshop for Youth. No amount was specified in the announcement, but these grants are between $1,000 and $5,000.
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DIVERSE GROUP OF VETERANS SHARE THEIR STORIES FRIDAY
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The stories of six military veterans will be shared in the latest public reading offered by Arts Orange County in its
VOICES: Veterans Storytelling Project at Heroes Hall at the OC Fair & Event Center this Friday evening at 7 pm. Admission and parking are free. Included among the former servicepeople are three women and one transgender individual. The participants have been mentored in writing their stories by ArtsOC teaching artist Dave Barton, who is staging the reading as well. Participating are:
Michelle Evans, U.S. Air Force, '73-'80, E-4 Sergeant, of Lake Forest
Al Harvard, U.S. Army, '57-'79, Major, of Coto de Caza
Jeanne McCarthy, Army National Guard. '99-'01, Armor Engineer, '01-'04, Active Army Supply Sgt. E-4, Corporal, of Lake Elsinore (Her story will be read by Dallis Warshaw of Yorba Linda.)
Danny Marquez, U.S. Army, '76-'79. E-5 Sergeant, of Bloomington
Adrienne Parks, U.S. Army Signal Corps. '76-'83, Captain, of Huntington Beach
Bonnie Silver, U.S. Army. '92-'98, E-5 Sergeant (P), of San Clemente
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OCSA JAZZ ENSEMBLE WINS RENO JAZZ FESTIVAL COMPETITION
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Under the direction of Charles Wackerman, the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) Jazz Ensemble, comprised primarily of middle-school students, won First Place in the AP1 High School category at the Reno Jazz Festival last month. OCSA freshman Gianna Pedregon, violin, also won Outstanding Performer overall. The esteemed festival hosts more than 350 groups and 9,000 participants at the University of Nevada, Reno, for three days of competitions and music clinics. At age 87, this was Mr. Wackerman's 38th trip to the Reno Jazz Festival.
Read more here.
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THE WOODEN FLOOR OPENING ITS SECOND SANTA ANA FACILITY
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The Wooden Floor, which has a mission to transform the lives of youth through dance and access to higher education, is dedicating its new second Santa Ana facility, a 4,000 square foot space in a new mixed use development, Depot at Santiago, located across the street from the city's historic train depot, this Saturday at an open house from 11 am to 2 pm. Read more
here.
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CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH PLANS ARTISTIC VILLAGE ENTRANCE
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The Laguna Beach City Council voted unanimously to move forward with making a major artistic statement at its long-awaited village entrance, allocating a total of $180,000 for an artist honorarium. The proposal was for a public art concept that would act as a bandstand or pavilion where people can gather and meet before going to festivals, or where small-scale events can take place during the off-season. Two locations are under consideration--just north and south of a driveway from Laguna Canyon Road to the parking lot near the historic sewer digester building. The entire area is within the city's downtown specific plan and the civic art district. Staff said groundbreaking on the full project is just months away, once summer crowds abate after Labor Day, and projected that the entrance will open by June 2020.
Read more here.
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RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS & ARTS ORGANIZATIONS - ArtsOC.org ARTS & CULTURAL EVENTS + CALLS FOR ARTISTS + AUDITIONS + JOBS + CLASSES + VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - SparkOC.com
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Arts Orange County is supported in part through funds from
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PACIFIC SYMPHONY NAMES NEW CONCERTMASTER:
DENNIS KIM
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After more than a yearlong search,
Pacific Symphony named violinist Dennis Kim as the orchestra's new concertmaster today. Kim is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Yale School of Music. Born in 1975 in Korea, he is currently concertmaster of the Buffalo Philharmonic.
More here.
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OC ARTS PIONEER & ACTIVIST
MARK CHAMBERLAIN DIES
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One of the pioneering figures in Orange County's contemporary arts scene has died. Mark Chamberlain, co-founder of
BC Space, a groundbreaking art gallery in Laguna Beach, was an artist and community activist whose bold work helped prevent the development of Laguna Canyon and championed many important artists. He was honored by Arts Orange County in 2014 with a Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award. A memorial will take place on Sunday, June 3, at 2 pm, at Neighborhood Congregational Church, 340 St. Ann's, Laguna Beach. OC Register obituary
here. Arts journalist Liz Goldner's tribute to Mark, in the Laguna Beach Independent
here.
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NEA CHAIR JANE CHU RESIGNS
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Jane Chu, who was appointed by President Obama and has served four years as Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, announced she will step down from the position next month. Read more
here.
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IMAGINATION CELEBRATION PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNER 2018
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More than 800 members of the community voted in the contest for a People's Choice winner of the 2018 Imagination Celebration poster competition, selecting "The Heart of Our Community" by Sienna Gonsior, a fourth grader at Alderwood Elementary School in Irvine, whose teacher is Julie Yao. Imagination Celebration continues through the end of the month. Find our more about its events here.
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PARENTS' GUIDE TO THE VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
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AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS
CONVENTION - JUNE 15-17
DENVER
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More than 1,000 arts leaders and artists from around the nation will gather for outstanding keynote speakers, Artventure tours of the city, and networking events.
More details here.
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