May 31st - June 2nd: Disney's High School Musical, Jr. in Lake City

Disney's High School Musical, Jr. will be performed at the Blanding Street Auditorium Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1 at 7:30pm. There will be a matinee on Sunday, June 2 at 3pm.

East High has its share of cliques- the Jocks, Braniacs, Thespians and Skater Dudes. Gabriella, a new student, and the basketball team captain, Troy, decide to audition for the school musical. Though friends and events work to discourage them, Tony and Gabriella sing their way to the lead roles, as the entire school comes together as winners!!

Tickets are $10 adults, $5 children 18 and under.  For tickets, call 843.374.8611.

The Blanding Street Auditorium is located at 125 South Blanding Street in Lake City.

Through August 24th: The 8th Annual Student Summer Show at Coker College

The 8th Annual Student Summer Show will be on display through August 24 at the Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery in the Fort Art Building on the campus of Coker College in downtown Hartsville. The exhibit features the art faculty's selection of student works from the past year and includes examples of sculpture, photography, drawing, and graphic design.

Admission is free.  The gallery does not have regular hours during the summer so please call ahead for a viewing, 843.383.8156.

The Bell Gallery is located at 300 East College Avenue on the campus of Coker College in downtown Hartsville.

June 2nd: The Sonoco Men's Club at Hartsville's Center Theater

The Sonoco Men's Club perform live at the Center Theater for their 53rd Anniversary on June 2, with special guests The Young Men In Christ! The public is invited to attend. For more information, please call 843.332.8493 or 843.332.4466. 4-7pm.  

The Center Theater is located at 212 North Fifth Street in downtown Hartsville. 

May 31st: Florence After Five

The Florence Downtown Development Corporation presents Florence After Five concert series which happens the last Friday of every month. Experience local music, local food & beverages, and it's free!

Bring a lawn chair and come out to relax, and enjoy the music with friends and family while supporting local food and beverage vendors and the downtown revitalization.  

The event starts at 5:30pm and the band plays from 6 to 8pm each month.

• April - Too Much Silvia
• May - Root Doctors
• June - Men of Distinction
• July - Nantucket
• August - Painted Man
• September - Woodys
• October - The Embers

Through June 15th: Photofabulous at the ATG

For those who enjoy photography, there's an endless feast for the eyes at Photofabulous! This exhibit features a large collection of photographs taken by regional photographers. Photofabulous 2013 will be at the Art Trail Gallery from May 20 - June 15.  Admission is always free at the ATG!

Gallery hours are Wednesday 12-6pm, Thursday & Saturday 11am-3pm, Friday 11am-6pm.

The Art Trail Gallery is located at 185 West Evans Street in downtown Florence.  

For more info about the Art Trail Gallery, click here.

Through May 31st: Picture This! at the Burr Gallery in Cheraw

Picture This! is a photography exhibit featuring works by residents of Chesterfield County and the surrounding areas.  Picture This! will be on display at the Cheraw Arts Commission's Burr Gallery through May 31st.  Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 8:30am-5pm.  The Burr Gallery is located at 200 Powe Street inside of the Cheraw Community Center.  

Order your Florence Symphony Orchestra 2013-14 Season Tickets today!

Celebrate 10 years with Music Director Terry Roberts by going to the Florence Symphony Orchestra website (www.florencesymphony.com) and downloading an order form to purchase a season subscription for the 2013/14 Concert Season today! 

Get your 2013/14 Florence Symphony Orchestra Tickets Now!

The FSO is taking season ticket orders for the exciting upcoming 2013/14 concert season! Visit their website today to download your concert brochure and order form today!

FSO Website

The Florence Regional Arts Alliance will announce its Arts Awards recipients this month!

The Florence Regional Arts Alliance will be announcing its 2013 Arts Awards winners later this month.  Check back with Pee Dee Arts for a special video announcement of the Baker Distinguished Service Award, The Arts & Business Partnership Award, the Outstanding Arts Organization of Florence County Award and the Frank Crow Award.

About the Awards:

John W. Baker Distinguished Service Award

The John W. Baker Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual from Florence County who has significantly impacted the quality of life in our community through his/her activities, contributions, and/or accomplishments in the arts.  Any individual may be nominated with the exception of current members of the Florence Regional Arts Alliance Board of Directors or Staff.

Business & Arts Partnership Award

The Business and Arts Partnership Award recognizes a Florence County business for its vital commitment to the arts as evidence by operational and/or project support provided on a substantial and ongoing basis.

Outstanding Arts Organization Award

This award is presented annually to a Florence County arts organization that has a tremendous impact on the community.  This may be through programming, projects, resource development, advocacy or other innovation.  No organization may win this award twice in a four year period.

The Frank Crow Award

This award is presented to an Arts Alliance volunteer, staff member or board member who has positively impacted the organization over the last year or over a longer period of time. 

New to the Arts Alliance's Arts Awards lineup in 2014 will be the Greg Fry Educational Leadership Award.  Exact award criteria has not been determined yet, though the award will be presented to an educator from Florence County.  

May 23: Photofabulous to open at the Art Trail Gallery

For those who enjoy photography, there's an endless feast for the eyes at Photofabulous! This exhibit features a large collection of photographs taken by regional photographers. Photofabulous 2013 will be at the Art Trail Gallery from May 20 - June 15.  An opening reception will be held May 23 from 5-8pm.  Admission is always free at the ATG!

Gallery hours are Wednesday 12-6pm, Thursday & Saturday 11am-3pm, Friday 11am-6pm.

The Art Trail Gallery is located at 185 West Evans Street in downtown Florence.  

For more info about the Art Trail Gallery, click here.

Call for Entries: 'Carolinas' at Hartsville Memorial Library & the Black Creek Arts Center

The Friends of Hartsville Memorial Library and Black Creek Arts Council

Invite you to participate in

"Carolinas"

A photography exhibit and competition.

Black Creek Arts Council and Hartsville Memorial Library will be hosting the community opening reception and gallery crawl on June 6th from 5:30 - 7:30pm, with works being shown at both Black Creek and the Hartsville Library.

Sonoco will be sponsoring the opening events.

How to enter: Bring your exhibit ready photo(s) to the Arts Center or Hartsville Memorial Library between:  May 21 and May 31.

For more information on the Photography categories and the submission applications, please click here.

Or contact Black Creek Arts Center, 843.332.6234 go to www.blackcreekarts.org, events or the Hartsville Memorial Library,843.332.5115.

Six Works by Coker Professor Jean Grosser Included in New Freedom Rides Exhibition

Six pieces in art professor and department chair Jean Grosser’s “Transforming Hate: Freedom Riders” series will be included in a new exhibit that opens this month at the Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery, Ala.

The new exhibit, “The Road to Equality, 2013,” pairs freedom riders’ 1961 mug shots with recent photographs and memories and includes a number of photographs of freedom riders taken by Eric Etheridge as part of his book, "Breach of Peace."

“When I decided to include these mug shots in my artwork, I was so struck by how young these students were and what an impact they had on the future of our country,” said Grosser.  “It made me think of my own students, who have the same potential to affect change in society. As a teacher, I want to nurture my students’ desire to change the world for the better.”

The opening this month coincides with the 52^nd anniversary of the arrival of freedom riders to the Montgomery Greyhound bus station.  Project organizers, the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama State Council on the Arts, intend for the exhibit to extend the award-winning work already completed on the building’s exterior to both tell the story and convey importance of the 1961 freedom rides.

On May 20, 1961, 21 students arrived at Montgomery’s Greyhound bus station in hopes of compelling the government to enforce U.S. Supreme Court decisions outlawing segregated transportation seating and facilities. Mob violence met the interracial student group and led the Kennedy administration to issue a sweeping ruling that effectively ended segregation in interstate bus, train and air transportation. To this day the freedom rides represent, for many, a turning point in our national history and highlight the power of nonviolent protests.

Grosser was one of 15 artists selected from many who responded to a national call to create artworks for the Freedom Rides Museum opening. 

Each of Grosser’s six pieces is a “book” that opens and shuts and features the Mississippi mug shot of a freedom rider who passed through Montgomery.  Racist and hate language cut from books published in the 1970s is laminated on the exterior.  Inside, a frontal mug shot shows the young rider and on the opposing page is a solid black silhouette of the side shot. 

The set includes male and female and black and white riders.  Each of these riders came through Montgomery in May or June of 1961, either through the Greyhound or Trailways station. They knew they were heading to jail in Mississippi.

In addition to the works Grosser has created about health care inequities in the U.S. and racial tension in the American South, she is developing a series of pieces about being Jewish and coming to terms with ethnic and racial hatred spawned by the American Neo-Nazi movement.

Grosser earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Barnard College, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from Alfred State College of Ceramics and a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from Ohio University.  Grosser was awarded the Individual Artist’s Fellowship from the South Carolina Arts Commission and was a finalist for the Southern Arts Federation/National Endowment for the Arts Regional Fellowships in Sculpture.  Her piece, “Fragments of Hate #6,” was honored at the Pee Dee Regional Art Competition in 2011.

For more information about “Road to Equality, 2013,” visit www.freedomridesmuseum.org or emailccarl@preservealaorg.

Turn in for Photofabulous is May 16th - 18th at the ATG in Florence

Audition Alert: FLT to hold auditions for Les Miserables on June 2nd, 5th & 8th

FLORENCE LITTLE THEATRE TO HOLD AUDITIONS FOR:

 

Directed by Julia Saverance

 

AUDITIONS at FLT
Sunday, June 2 at 3:00pm

Wednesday, June 5 at 7:00pm

(ages 16 and older)

 

Saturday, June 8 at 11:00am

(Three roles for children ages 7-12)

At the children’s audition, the grils will be asked to sing “Castle on a Cloud” and the boys will be asked to sing “Little People” from Les Miserables.  

 

This international stage hit and its Academy Award winning film adaptation may be the most popular musical in the world. In 19th century France, Jean Valjean is released from 19 years of unjust imprisonment, but finds nothing in store for him but mistrust and mistreatment. He breaks his parole in hopes of starting a new life, initiating a life-long struggle for redemption as he is relentlessly pursued by police inspector Javert.  This highly anticipated and most requested by our public show finally reaches our FLT stage!

 

 

PRODUCTION DATES   SEPTEMBER 13-21, 2013

All auditions will be held at the Florence Little Theatre, 417 South Dargan Street, Florence.   Prior experience is not required and all audition materials will be provided. Anyone auditioning, please bring a photo!

 

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 662-3731

Pee Dee Artists Guild to have an exhibit at the Art Trail Gallery

Mark your calendars for the Pee Dee Artists Guild's upcoming exhibit at the Art Trail Gallery.  Sand in my Shoes will be on display from June 25th to July 27th.  Check back with Pee Dee Arts soon for more details.

The Pee Dee Artists Guild is a recently formed group of consolidated guilds from across the region.  This show should prove to be dynamic and engaging.  For more information about the guild, contact Rachell Hyman at hymanrachell@aol.com.  

The Art Trail Gallery is located at 185 West Evans Street in downtown Florence.  

May 18th: Artsville House Concerts presents Jonathan Byrd

Jonathan Byrd is set to perform for the Artsville House Concert Series on Saturday, May 18th.  Tickets are $15.  The doors open at 6pm with the show starting at 7pm.  

The Pee Dee is in for a treat in May. Just take Dylan Sneed's advice, buy your tickets now. Rich Warren, the famous Chicago folk DJ called Jonathan Byrd "one of the top 50 songwriters of the last 50 years."  Byrd is no stranger to the Pee Dee, having played at the Lakeside Music Room in Cheraw last summer. Even an all-out storm couldn't deter him then. Now he's bringing his eclectic, versatile 3-piece band (viola, violin, electric guitar, saw, cello, harmonica, and mandolin--wow!). Dig around on YouTube and listen to his stuf. Click here for tickets.

Four South Florence High School Students Receive Excellence in Arts Education Awards

The Florence Regional Arts Alliance (FRAA) recently recognized four outstanding graduating seniors at South Florence High School.  Each year since 1997, FRAA has awarded the Excellence in Arts Education Awards to graduates from all over Florence County.  This tradition was continued on May 9^th as Alena Isgett, Clenishia Woods, Colton Gregg and Natalie Ardwere honored from SFHS. 

Alena Isgett was honored for outstanding achievement in band. Clenishia Woods was presented with the award for being the top graduating senior in SFHS’s dance program.  Colton Gregg received an Excellence in Arts Education Award for his talent in drama.  Natalie Ard was recognized for being the top graduating senior in visual arts.  Michele Pridgen, a Board Member for the Florence Regional Arts Alliance and Assistant Manager of Administration at Honda of SC, presented the awards in front of a packed auditorium at South Florence.

Graduating seniors from each of the seven public high schools in Florence County are eligible for the Excellence in Arts Education Awards.  Nominations are made by arts teachers and are based on academic achievement and performance, as well as involvement in school and community-based arts activities and performances.  

The Honda of South Carolina Excellence In Arts Education Awards are part of a broader FRAA Student Recognition Program that includes the Betty Ann Darby Scholarships, two merit awards presented annually to Florence County graduating seniors who will be pursuing advanced academic or professional degrees with majors in an arts discipline or in arts education. 

For more information about the Excellence in Arts Education Awards, Betty Ann Darby Scholarship Program or other Florence Regional Arts Alliance initiatives, contact Bruce Douglas at peedeearts@gmail.com.  

Audition Alert: June 3rd - 5th with the Hartsville Community Players

Auditions for the Hartsville Community Players' next Jones Hope Wooten comedy are going to be held on June 3, 4, and 5. That's a Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings at the Center Theater in downtown Hartsville at 6:30. 

HCP plans to do "Rex's Exs" with a cast of 8 women and 3 men.  The show is hilarious! It's guaranteed to be lots of fun. If you can't make this audition and need an alternate time please call 857-3535.

Call for Photographs: Photofabulous 2013 at the Art Trail Gallery

Call for Photographers!!

May 20 - June 15 

Photofabulous 2013 at the ATG

Turn In:  Bring your photographs to the ATG, Thursday, May 16 - 11 a.m. - 2:45 p.m., Friday, May 17, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. 
ALL photographs MUST be NEW to the Gallery. You may have shown the pieces previously someplace else but they must be new to the Gallery.

Fill in the Participation Form online in ADVANCE of bringing your work to the Gallery. Go to:

http://art-trail-gallery.com/?page_id=133 

Hold Blameless Form located here:

http://art-trail-gallery.com/?attachment_id=326

Opening Reception for Photofabulous:  

Thursday, May 23

  

Important Points

  

• Work must be framed, gallery wrapped or otherwise "finished" for hanging with wire. Frames intended for photographs are not acceptable unless they have been modified to remove the attached stand and are finished with wire for hanging.
• Labels are required - 2 per piece - one attached to the back of the work and one for hanging on the wall with the work. Each label is to include the artist's name, Art Trail Gallery assigned number, the name of the piece, medium and price.
• Unless otherwise stated for a specific exhibit, each artist will be allowed to hang four (4) works. Work larger than an approximate 24"x36" will be considered as two (2).
• All work must be original.

General Notes 

• Art in an exhibit will remain for the duration of the exhibit unless sold. Artwork removed for any other reason cannot be brought back or replaced. If work is sold, the Gallery will offer the artist the option of replacing it.
• Work is to be picked up on the date and times specified. Work not picked up will result in the artist being penalized by not being able to exhibit for three months. The Gallery also reserves the right to consider work that is not picked up as abandoned with the option for the Gallery to sell the item(s) to entirely benefit the Gallery. Should the Board and Exhibit Committee determine an artist habitually disregards the pickup dates, it could result in the artist not being able to exhibit again.
• The Gallery Board and Exhibit Committee reserve the right to refuse work they do not feel is appropriate.
• You must read, sign, and present the "Hold Harmless" document attached at the time work is accepted.
• The Gallery collects 20% of all sales. Please price your work accordingly. The Gallery is also able to accept credit cards now. The Gallery does charge sales tax.Artists are responsible for their own tax accounting.
• To download the Hold Blameless form file which also is a blank Participation form as a Microsoft Word file, go to the bottom of the Hold Blameless page. You will find the links right there. NOTE: We prefer that you fill out your Participation form ONLINE, please. It puts you in the database automatically and no one has to type anything extra.
• Unless otherwise specified for a particular exhibit, there is no fee for participation. The gallery is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization operating under the auspices of the Florence Downtown Development Corporation a 501 (c) 3 non-profit. Participants are requested to sign up for a specific time to volunteer, make a donation of items on a provided "needs" list, or make a cash donation. Your donations, time, and talent are always appreciated by the Gallery! 

Registration Open for Coker’s Third Annual Summer Theater Camp

The Coker College theater program will host its Summer Theater Camp forstudents ages 8 to 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, July 8-19.

The educational program, which provides instruction in a broad spectrum of theater subjects through participation in games, music, dance and rehearsals, will culminate in a fully-staged production of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr.” Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 19.

Featuring songs from the Academy-Award-winning animated feature including “Be Our Guest,” “Home” and “Something There,” this stage version of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Jr.” includes music by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton.

Tuition for the Summer Theater Camp is $90 for both weeks, and campers who wish to perform in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” must attend both weeks of camp.  Registration payments can be made in full or on a weekly basis but must be paid in full by the first day of camp.

Previous productions of Coker’s Summer Theater Camp included “Seussical Jr.” in 2011 and “Annie Jr.” in 2012.

Space is limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.  For more information on the Coker Theater Camp, contact associate professor of theater Phyllis Fields at pfields@coker.edu.  To register, visit http://www.coker.edu/forms/theatercamp_endregistration.html.

May 13th: Florence Symphony Presents A Night at the Opera

Chrissy Welch

Nick Townsend

Greg Jebaily

Don't miss your last chance to see the Florence Symphony Orchestra perform this season! The last concert of the season is on May 13, 2013 at 7:30PM in the FMU Performing Arts Center.  The FSO has titled this concert "A Night at the Opera" and will feature local guest singers Christy Welch, Nick Townsend, and Greg Jebaily.

"A Night at the Opera" will feature classic opera pieces by Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Donizetti, and more. There will be amazing pieces from operas like Rigoletto, Cosi fan tutte, La Rondine, Don Giovanni, The Pearl Fishers and Etc. This will definitely be a night of music and singing not to be missed!

Chrissy Moss Welch, soprano, is a graduate of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.  While at Furman, she studied music education and performed with both the Furman Singers and Chamber Choir as a choir member and soloist.  Since graduating in 2006, Chrissy has taught elementary music in Florence, South Carolina, most recently at Greenwood Elementary where she was voted Teacher of the Year for 2010-2011.  Chrissy performs locally with the Masterworks Choir, the Florence Symphony Orchestra, and the First Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir.  Recent solo performances include Vivaldi's Gloria, J.S. Bach's Cantata 140, Handel's Messiah, and Mozart's Grand Mass in c minor.  With the Florence Symphony Orchestra, Chrissy has performed in Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore and Barbara Gallagher's The Flowers for soprano and string orchestra.  She and her husband, Aaron, welcomed their daughter, Miriam, in September 2012.

Nick Townsend, a native of Lake View, South Carolina, made his singing debut at the age of four in his kindergarten version of “A Tom Thumb Wedding” and has been singing ever since. Nick is a local chef and singer who earned a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Wofford College in conjunction with Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. As well as appearing as a soloist and chorus member with the Converse College Opera Workshop and the Brevard School of Music Summer Opera Workshop in operas including Rigoletto (Verdi), Manon Lescaut (Puccini), and The Girl of the Golden West (Puccini), Nick has performed in and directed numerous musical theatre productions with the Mullins Playmakers, Theatre Spartanburg, the Wofford College Theatre workshop and Encore Theatre including: Annie, Hello, Dolly!, Grease, The Wiz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Pump Boys and Dinettes.

He is a member of Florence’s Masterworks Choir and the Chancel Choir at Central United Methodist Church. Nick was a featured soloist at Charleston’s revered Spoleto Festival during the 1986 Opening Ceremonies and has spent three weeks traveling in Europe as a guest soloist with the St. James Choir of Concord, North Carolina. During work hours, Nick can found roaming the halls of Carolinas Hospital System where he is a manager for the hospital food service department.

This evening’s performance marks Nick’s forth appearance with the Florence Symphony Orchestra.

  

Gregory Jebaily has performed to capacity audiences all over the world. Recognized as a clear and open baritone sound, he offers a thrilling infusion of freshness and clarity to the lyric baritone voice in America.

Jebaily’s performances bring critical acclaim as he engages audiences with his maturing instrument. In his April 2010 operatic debut as Wagner in Dayton Opera’s production of Gonoud’s Faust, Opera News acknowledged Jebaily as “a vocal powerhouse” and “a mature, compelling Wagner…” The Dayton Opera production was conducted by Mo. Jospeph Mechavich and directed by Kathleen Clawson. Jebaily returns to the Dayton Opera stage in 2011 as Artist in Residence, where he will work in the Educational Outreach program and perform the role of Hortensius in La Fille du Regiment.

Mr. Jebaily completed his Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studies with bass- baritone Kenneth Shaw. At CCM, Jebaily performed the role of Junius in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia (2010 NOA Division 5 prize winner) and the title role of Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss

We hope you will come out and see our talented symphony and guest artists perform what will be an unforgettable night of music at our last concert of the 2012/13 season! The concert will be followed with a Champagne reception in the lobby.

Please call and reserve your seats today! Season Adult tickets start as low as $28 with senior and student discounts available. Contact the FMU Performing Arts Box Office for your tickets by visiting or calling 843.661.4444 today!   

May 2013 Issue of Carolina Arts

Click here to check out the May 2013 edition of Carolina Arts!

Artbug Studio to offer Summer Camps in Hartsville, Darlington & Florence

Artbug Studio Summer Camps 2013

Artbug Studio will be offering summer camps full of fun with an inviting and creative environment for children to explore, stretch and grow artistically. On Thursday of each week, camp participants will have a popcorn party and student art show. 

 Camps will be offered at the following locations:

Artbug Studio, 106 Siskron St., Darlington
Darlington Recreation Department, 300 Sanders Street, Darlington
Coach T.B. Thomas Sports Center, 701 W. Washington St., Hartsville
Florence County Parks & Recreation, 710 S. Irby Street, Florence

Camps are 9:30am -11:30am / Monday - Thursday for ages 6-11.

Cost per camp is $100 plus a $20 materials fee due at registration.

Please call the studio at (843) 250-4592 to register.

New this year, Artbug Studio will have day camps for ages 3-5 with an adult ($25).

Click on the link below for the full camp schedule:

Summer Camp Schedule 2013

May 10th: Jazz Night at the Art Trail Gallery in downtown Florence

Don't miss the Art Trail Gallery's newest monthly event: Jazz Night. Enjoy a night of fun with live music, food, micro-brewed beer and wine in downtown Florence. Jazz Night is sponsored by Bean Groovy Sandwich Station.

In May, Jazz Night at the ATG will be May 10th.  The fun starts at 7pm.  

Click here for ticket info and purchasing.

The Art Trail Gallery is located at 185 West Evans Street in downtown Florence.

June 1st: Quarterly Grant Deadline for the Florence Regional Arts Alliance

The Florence Regional Arts Alliance (FRAA) is currently accepting quarterly grant applications from artists, organizations, schools, and teachers for arts projects scheduled to begin October through December 2013.  Applications are due on or before 5pm on June 1st.  Applications sent by mail must be postmarked on or before June 1st.  

Applications can be obtained by contacting the Florence Regional Arts Alliance at peedeearts@gmail.com. Applicants may request up to $2,500.  Because application materials change from time to time, it is recommended that previous applicants request copies of the current materials.

All individuals applying for funding must reside in Florence County.  All organizations must be based in Florence County.  

Examples of funded project include: performances and readings, workshops, services to artists and arts-presenting organizations, exhibitions, artistic and managerial development and public festivals and events.

FRAA will not fund the following: deficits for completed or ongoing projects, tuition for academic study, contingency funds, the purchase of long-term rental equipment, capital improvements, interest on loans, fines, or litigation. 

FRAA's Grants Program is partially funded by South Carolina Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as from a generous contribution by the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.  Additional funding is provided by Honda of South Carolina.  Since FRAA's Grants Program's inception in 1987, over $250,000 in financial support to individual artists, organizations, teachers, and schools has been awarded. 

Established in 1984, the Florence Regional Arts Alliance is a community-based non-profit organization that is committed to preserving, supporting, and promoting the Arts in Florence County.  Additionally, FRAA strives to promote and strengthen the arts in the region through its online arts marketing initiative, Pee Dee Arts. 

May 18th: Florence Men's Choral Society to perform their Spring Concert

Florence Men’s Choral Society will perform music from “Phantom of the Opera” and other famous show tunes, Sacred, and beautiful Folk songs in their Spring 2013 concert slated for Saturday, May 18 in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church Florence at 7:30 p.m. Special guest solo artists will be Shaw and Rebecca Thompson. Artistic Director Julian M. Young will conduct with the assistance of accompanists Ann Rodgers Chandler and Betsy T. Johnson. The church is located on the corner of Cherokee Road and Park Avenue. Admission is FREE!

May 17th: Audience Development & Marketing for Nonprofit Arts & Entertainment Management Industry Workshop

The South Carolina Arts Commission is partnering with the USC Department of Sport and Entertainment Management to offer "Making Money: Audience Development and Marketing for the Nonprofit Arts and Entertainment Management Industry."

This seminar will explore how successful audience development and marketing strategies can generate greater income. Participants will learn how to link audience development and marketing to artistic and financial objectives; develop an organization-wide focus on audience development; analyze their current situation and market; and set audience development objectives, implement strategies and measure success.

Who should attend: Staff responsible for marketing, audience development, box office management, ticketing and database management, as well as executive directors and board members.

Featured speaker: Sara Billman, marketing and communications director for the University Musical Society, a 134-year-old presenting organization at the University of Michigan. Billman will address consumer behavior theories to explore what influences patrons.

The seminar takes place May 17 at the USC Capstone Conference Center in Columbia. Early bird registration is just $69. Find out more and register!

Through May 30th: The Greater Lake City Artists' Guild Juried Show

The Greater Lake City Artists' Guild to hold First Annual Juried Show in the ArtFields Gallery from April 19 - May 30.

Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.  The ArtFields Gallery is located at 110 East Main Street in downtown Lake City.

For more information about the show or the Greater Lake City Artists' Guild, contact Sandy Cook at 803.435.3860 or greaterlakecityartistsguild@gmail.com.

'Legally Blonde' continues at FLT

FLORENCE LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS

Legally Blonde

Book by Heather Hach

Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin

Based on the movie Legally Blonde

The Florence Little Theatre will present the ACS Technologies and Habitat 2000 production of Legally Blonde, April 26-May 4, 2013. This production is being directed by Frankie Sullivan.

Sorority girl Elle Woods doesn't take "no" for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone "serious," Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Elle takes Harvard Law by storm and along the way, she proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.

For tickets or more information, please call 662-3731 or visit our website at www.florencelittletheatre.org.

Legally Blonde
Remaining Production Dates:

Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30pm
Thursday, May 2 at 7:30pm
Friday, May 3 at 7:30pm
Saturday, May 4 at 7:30pm

Tickets are $25 for adults and $18 for students.

May 6th: Artsville's Open Mic at the Midnight Rooster

Artsville Open Mic is not just for songwriters! Music lovers of all types will enjoy this unique, exciting monthly event. One songwriter (or group) will walk away with a cash prize and a ticket to the 2013 Artsville Songwriting Competition. Free to watch. Only $3 to sign up. Sign up and read about the new rules here.

The next Open Mic is scheduled for Monday, May 6th, at the Midnight Rooster in downtown Hartsville.  Open Mic starts at 7pm.  For more information, click here.

Hartsville's Gospel in the Park returns May 5th

Hartsville's Gospel in the Park Series returns in 2013 on Sunday May 5th.  Join the fun in Pride Park from 5pm until 8pm. Pride Park is located at 630 S. 6th Street in downtown Hartsville. This is a free outdoor concert!

For more information, contact Barbara Carraway at bac72754@roadrunner.com. 

Through May 24th: 'Serendipity' at the Black Creek Arts Center

Serendipity at the Black Creek Arts Center:  

A Two Woman Show

Through May 24th 

Serendipity  means "a happy accident" or "pleasant" surprise. 

After Fran Gardner and Carolyn Moore Atkinson were introduced to each other these two mixed media artists got together to share their views on art and to see how their own artwork could compliment each other for a two woman show.

Serendipity! That best describes what happened. Two women mixed media artists with totally different styles when put together came together in form, textures, and color.

The Black Creek Arts Center is located at 116 West College Avenue in downtown Hartsville.  For more information, call 843.332.6234 or visit the BCAC website.

May 10th: Darby Scholarship Application Deadline

Since 1997, the Florence Regional Arts Alliance has awarded 27 Florence County students with the prestigious Betty Ann Darby Scholarship. Now through May 10th, the Arts Alliance is accepting applications for 2013 Darby Scholarships.

The Betty Ann Darby Scholarship Program is named in honor of one of South Carolina's most distinguished music educators. A member of the South Carolina Music Educator’s Hall of Fame, Ms. Darby served Florence Public School District One for thirty-nine years as a much beloved and highly revered music administrator and music teacher. Since her retirement in 1987, Ms. Darby has embraced a broad array of volunteer activities in the arts community.

The Betty Ann Darby Scholarship Program awards two $1,000 scholarships each year to graduating seniors who will be pursuing advanced academic or professional degrees in an arts discipline or in arts education. To be considered, seniors must reside in Florence County or be graduating from a Florence County public or private high school.

The Betty Ann Darby Scholarships are merit scholarships awarded predominantly on the basis of demonstrated talent, passion for the arts and intention to pursue a career in an arts discipline or in arts education. All application materials must be received by the Florence Regional Arts Alliance via the applicant’s high school guidance counselor or other administrative official on or before May 10, 2013. If mailed, applications must be postmarked by May 10th.

A completed Darby Scholarship Program Application consists of the application, essay, transcript, three recommendation letters and support materials.

To receive an application, email Bruce Douglas at peedeearts@gmail.com.

May 5th & 8th: FLT to hold auditions for Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.

Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.

Directed by Will Bynum

AUDITIONS at FLT

Sunday, May 5 at 7:00pm

Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00pm

(Ages 8 to 18)

A pop culture phenomenon comes to our stage! The Emmy Award-winning 1970’s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught children history, grammar, math, science and politics through clever songs teaching a whole new generation to “Unpack Your Adjectives” and “ Do The Circulations.” Tom, a young teacher nervous about his first day teaching, tries to relax by watching TV where characters come to life and show him how to teach his students with imagination and music, through beloved sons like “Just A Bill,” and “Conjunction Junction.” 

PROODUCTION DATES JULY 12-14 AND JULY 19-21, 2013

All auditions will be held at the Florence Little Theatre, 417 South Dargan Street, Florence. Prior experience is not required and all audition materials will be provided.

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 662-3731