The trustees of the Academy of Richmond County presented the Porter Fleming Foundation Westobou Festival Awards and in doing so, provided the first peek at what next year's festival might look like.
Among the organizations granted Westobou funds were the Augusta Symphony, Augusta Choral Society, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, Riverwalk Series, Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, inaugural Donald Portnoy Violin Competition and Augusta State University Conservatory Program.
The Augusta Symphony received $40,000 to stage Video Games Live , an interactive symphony performance that features music from video games, video footage, synchronized lighting and an interactive component.
The Augusta Choral Society received $15,000 to mount a production of the epic choral work Carmina Burana . Plans include incorporating members of the Choral Society, Davidson Fine Arts Chorus and Augusta Children's Chorale, in addition to soloists and a 50-piece orchestra.
The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History received $7,500 to finance a multimedia presentation of Langston Hughes' Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz .
The Riverwalk Series received $15,000 for a performance by Elisabeth Von Trapp, a granddaughter of Baron and Maria Von Trapp of Sound of Music fame.
The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art received $4,300 to bring in renowned contemporary art expert Bernice Steinbaum to judge its annual Sense of Place exhibition.
The Augusta State Conservatory program got $5,000 to present a performance by the Farallon Recorder Quartet, which features Augusta-bred musician Tish Berlin.
The inaugural Donald Portnoy Violin Competition received $25,000.
The international competition aims to foster the careers of emerging young violin players.
Other grants issued included $6,500 to the Greater Augusta Arts Council for a regional act at the Arts in the Heart of Augusta festival; $25,000 to the Augusta Ballet for a nationally known dance company yet to be determined; $10,000 to the Augusta chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society for a Barbershop extravaganza; and $4,500 to Master's Ringers for a series of workshops and performances featuring three local hand bell ensembles and a nationally known soloist.
"We're very excited about this," said Kathi Dimmock, the managing director of the Westobou Festival.
Other events that have received endorsement from the Westobou Festival include the Whiskey Painters annual exhibition; the Clay Artists of the Southeast; an organ series; a chamber music series; a choral series; a dance series; and a gospel series.
An announcement with further Westobou details is planned for mid-April.
Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.
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Hand bells represent the Special Olympics of the arts.
Its refreshing to see money given to the "Arts" instead of handouts to the gimmees........its a start for Augusta to be something more than just a welfare City.
Handbells may be kind of a hard thing to love, and be almost exclusive to Christian religious groups... but they require far more physical talent than some other musical instruments. Mostly the soloists have to have pretty amazing dexterity of the hands, but even playing in a large group can require more skill than an audience can really observe. I've never sought out a handbell performance but if one happens to catch me unaware, I am nearly always impressed with the level of skill involved.
handbells....cowbells.....whatever.......this is great news for the arts in our city..... congrats to all!
blahblah---when they catch you, is it sort of a musical mugging? Or more of a stumble down an open manhole where the group is practicing? I'm sorry....that just tickled the poop out of me. Must be the Nyquil or something. The visual is hilarious!
It is generally and occurance from not reading far enough ahead in the Holiday Church Bulletin and not having enough time to duck out to the restroom or have a "coughing fit" right before the bell players start.
So more like musical panhandling I suppose, than mugging. Glad I could entertain.