November 18th: Broken Yesterday CD Release Party in Darlington

November 30 - December 2: Mr. Scrooge at FLT

Florence Little Theatre

presents

A Rising Star Production of

Mr. Scrooge

 

November 30-December 2, 2012

 

Directed by Dwight Lindley

 

Mr. Scrooge is a musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol, written and scored by South Carolina Playwright, Lanny Landford.  This is Dicken's story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounter with a variety of ghosts who appear to him in hopes of changing him into a nicer, kinder man at Christmas.  Landford has lightened the story with whimsical and modern lyrics, bringing the Cratchit family, Scrooge, as well as the entire cast to life with words and music that will enlighten and delight us long after the curtain is closed.

 

This is a family friendly event that we hope will become a tradition for our community each Holiday Season.  The show closes with interactive caroling that will jump start your Christmas Season and have you leaving with a renewed love of Christmas in our heart and a song on your lips. The box office will open on  Monday, November 26th and tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students.

 

Mark you calendar for this wonderful event!

Friday, November 30 at 7:30pm

Saturday, December 1 at 7:30pm

Sunday, December 2 at 3:00pm

November 12th: Florence Symphony Orchestra's Fall Concert

Come celebrate the fall season with the Florence Symphony Orchestra on Monday November 12, 2012 at 7:30PM in the FMU Performing Arts Center. We have a wonderful concert program for our Fall concert and we want to share. It will be a night that will make you want to get out and enjoy the crisp fall weather!

For our Fall Concert we have the very talented Amy Porter as our guest soloist performing Michael Daugherty’s “Trail of Tears” on flute. Her acclaimed performance of “Trail of Tears” is “Like a seer foretelling an ominous whirlwind”.  A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Ms. Porter is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York where she received a full scholarship for her degrees as well as fellowships to Tanglewood and The Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, Austria. Ms. Porter is much sought after for her teaching and master classes based on her versatility as a musician. She was awarded the 2006 Henry Russel Award from the University of Michigan for distinguished scholarship and conspicuous ability as a teacher. This is only the third time since 1926 that this award has been given to a Professor in the School of Music and the first time ever awarded to a performing artist. Recently Ms. Porter had four world premieres written specifically for her. “The Shadow of Sirius” Concerto by Joel Puckett from Peabody Conservatory was commissioned by the University of Michigan Band. Both New Jersey composer David Sampson wrote “Undercurrents” for solo flute and L.A. composer Christopher Caliendo wrote his Sonata #8 “The Ghost Sonata” for flute and piano for her. In 2010 Amy Porter premiered Michael Daugherty’s “The Trail of Tears Concerto” for Flute and Orchestra in a commissioning consortium led by the Omaha Symphony.

Under the direction of Dr. Terry Roberts the Florence Symphony will be beginning the night by performing Carnival Overture by Antonin Dvorak. Then guest Amy Porter will join the symphony performing Michael Daugherty’s “Trail of Tears”. After a brief intermission the symphony will perform Johannes Brahms’ whimsical “Hungarian Dances” no. 5 and no. 6. The evening will end on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s rousing “1812 Overture”. 

Prime seating will go quickly for this exciting Fall Concert in the FMU Performing Arts Center, reserve your seats today! Come join us for a crisp fall evening!

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!

This concert is made possible through funding from the Florence Regional Arts Alliance's Quarterly Grants Program, which is funded in part by a generous award from Honda of South Carolina, the South,Carolina Arts Commission and the John and, Susan Bennett Memorial Arts, Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of SC.

November 17th: Performing & Visual Arts Day at Coker College

If you're interested in majoring in the a visual or performing arts discipline, Coker College invites you to attend its Performing & Visual Arts Day on Saturday, November 17th, 2012! 

The day will be packed with:

• intense and informative workshops for students and teachers
• auditions for seniors (who apply to Coker) for scholarship consideration
• campus tours
• art exhibitions
• performances of Coker’s production of THE LARAMIE PROJECT (optional)

Contact Wesley Atkinson (Performing and Visual Arts Recruiter), at 843.857.4124 or email at watkinson@coker.edu if you have questions or if you would like to attend (online registration link below).

Wes will also be coordinating the auditions and portfolio reviews. If you plan on auditioning (Performing Arts) or presenting your portfolio for scholarship consideration, please contact him.

Click here for the online registration form 

for Coker College's Performing & Visual Arts Day.

November 5th: Coker Music to Present Faculty-Guest Recital

Coker College will present a recital featuring cellist Richard Thomas and pianist Jun Matsuo on Monday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hannah Lide Coker Recital Hall. 

The pair will present a wide range of music including works by Boccherina, Brahms, Popper and Piazzolla.  Admission is free.

Earlier this month Assistant Professor of Music Matsuo was officially designated as a Steinway Artist by the world-renowned Steinway & Sons. Versatile as both a solo and collaborative performer, Matsuo joined the Coker College faculty in 2009 as a visiting assistant professor of music, teaching piano and music theory.

In addition to South Carolina, she has appeared as a guest pianist in New York, Maine, Florida, North Carolina and Texas. Her international activities have included a recital and lecture at the Universitii Sains Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia; performances of Spanish and South American Music for Cello and Piano in Japan; and master classes with Dominique Merlet, Pascal Devoyon, Noel Lee, and Roy Howat at the French Piano Institute in Paris, France. She also recently presented a lecture on Carl Czerny at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Matsuo earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano pedagogy from the University of South Carolina, and prior degrees from Binghamton University and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

Matsuo’s teachers include Nanako Tamaki, Kathryn Stuart, Peter Takacs, Walter Ponce and Charles Fugo as well as Diane Richardson and John Keene in collaborative study.

Thomas directs the Presbyterian College Chamber Orchestra and is a member of the North Carolina-based Atlantean Piano Trio and the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium Orchestra in Anderson, South Carolina. He is a former member of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Colombia in Bogotá and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional of the Dominican Republic. He has performed and taught throughout North America, South America and Asia. In the summer of 2010, Thomas and Matsuo performed a series of recitals in Japan.

December 8th: An Evening of Gershwin with the Florence Men's Choral Society

Florence Men’s Choral Society

Presents...

“An Evening of Gershwin”

December 8, 2012

First Presbyterian Church – Florence

6:30 p.m.

The Florence Men’s Choral Society Board of Directors and Artistic Director, Julian M. Young, invite you to attend their fundraising dinner & concert called “An Evening of Gershwin”.  You will enjoy a delightful gourmet meal along with a concert of Gershwin presented by the members of FMCS.

The fundraiser will be held on December 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center of First Presbyterian Church located at 700 Park Avenue in Florence.  Regular admission tickets are priced at $30.  Senior (60+) tickets are $25. Full-time enrolled students’ tickets are $20.  Tickets are available by calling Mr. Young at 843-206-5146 or email at jyoung.53@gmail.com. 

Please reserve your tickets early as individuals and businesses have already begun to sponsor whole tables of 8.  Table sponsorships may be purchased for $250. Table sponsors receive 8 tickets with their sponsorship.

Pee Dee Author releases 2nd Edition of The Legend of Ayame

The Legend of Ayame is a beautiful fairy tale about the power of love, kindness, and tolerance. It makes extensive use of Japanese themes and features 16 original color illustrations. Written and illustrated by Dr. Shawn Lay, a professor of history at Coker College, the book sold out its first printing in less than a month and has received many favorable reviews. It would make an ideal holiday gift for those looking for something truly special to read.

All proceeds from the sale of the 2nd edition of The Legend of Ayame go to benefit Pee Dee Arts.  The book currently sells for $6.  

The Legend of Ayame can be purchased at Burry Bookstore in downtown Hartsville (more locations coming soon).  You can also receive the book by calling 843.861.8316 or emailing peedeearts@gmail.com (additional shipping costs may apply).  

Burry Bookstore is located at 130 West Carolina Avenue in Hartsville.  Visit it online at burrybookstore.com.

November 3rd: Eat, drink and go nuts at the Pecan Festival in Florence

Seven stages, 38 acts and more than 250 vendors are just a small sampling of the attractions the ninth annual South Carolina Pecan Festival will have to offer Nov. 3.

Early morning events like the annual “Run Like a Nut” and “Bike Like a Nut” will return to this year’s festivities with 5K, 10K and half marathon runs, as well as metric and half-metric century bike riding competitions.

According to Tara Durden, Florence Downtown Development Corporation (FDDC) promotions chair, this year’s event aims to focus on both an increase in fun as well as safety and overall convenience.

“Aside from the addition of three extra beer gardens and a wine garden, we really want to advocate the use of our ‘Park and Ride’ service to and from the festival,” Durden said.

The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority, in conjunction with the City of Florence, will continue the ride services this year with routes covering areas near the Florence Airport as well as locations along Evans Street.

“We’d like people to utilize those services, so we’re really going to push its use this year,” Durden said.

Another addition to this year’s festival will be an expansive eating/seating area on Evans Street that will share arts-and-crafts vendor space for a large portion of the afternoon.

“We plan to have an art trail that runs the course of Evans Street,” Durden said. “We’ll also have space in the breezeway area directly across from Railroad Junction for additional vendors.”

Not to leave the little ones out, Mike Richenbach Ford will sponsor the free “Kids Fun Zone” that will allow younger attendees to engage in just as much fun and fanfare as the adults.

The spotlight this year will undoubtedly be focused on the dozens of acts that will be featured on any of the seven stages being erected for the festival. Local acts such as the Masterworks Choir, West Florence High School Orchestra and funk-rock band, Speakeasy, are all scheduled to perform.

Headliners like The Rick Strickland Band, The Brown Brothers and Mother’s Finest will also showcase their talents on their respective stages throughout the day.

“We’re going to have a little something for everyone,” Durden said. “We’re ready for another eventful and exciting year.”

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: S.C. Pecan Festival

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 3

WHERE: Downtown Florence

INFO: More than 250 vendors, live entertainment and more

This story was written by Brian Wilder and originally appeared on SCNow.com.

Calls to Artists: We've got Holiday Markets all over the Pee Dee! Sign up now!

We've got Holiday Markets all over the Pee Dee.  More info on shows in Florence, Hartsville, Dillon and Lake City can be found below.

The Greater Lake City Artists' Guild will open its next show at the Artfields Gallery during the Candlelight Tour of Lake City on December 9, 2012. The theme will be "Cultivate and Celebrate Community."  The GLCAG is currently looking for artists and performers for this show. The submission deadline is November 17th.  For more information, email greaterlakecityartistsguild@gmail.com.  

The Art Trail Gallery is currently looking for artists for the 2012 Holiday Show. The show will accept all mediums to celebrate being in a new building. The exhibit will be on display from November 9th until Christmas. Registration deadline is October 30th. Please email atg@art-trail-gallery.com for more information. The Pee Dee Artisan Market is now accepting applications for its Holiday Market to be held Saturday, December 1st at the Florence Civic Center. Applications are due by November 1st. The Pee Dee Artisan Market is quickly becoming known as the area's premier market for quality and unique handmade items. For more information please email Maria Butler at pdartisan@sc.rr.com. The Black Creek Arts Center will host the Christmas Shoppe on November 29th and 30th. Black Creek is still accepting applications for artists. If you, or someone you know is interested in selling at the Christmas Shoppe please call 843.307.2727 for more information. The City of Dillon will host the 2nd Annual Holiday Goodness on Saturday, November 17th from 9am to 5pm at the Dillon Wellness Center. Artists and craftsmen will be selling their wares and local handmade culinary delicacies will be offered in abundance. If you are interested in being apart of this event please call 843.774.5115 ext 3.

November 10th: Artsville House Concerts presents Irish Folk/Pop Artist ODi

What: Artsville House Concerts presents its seventh concert, featuring award-winning Irish folk/pop songwriter, ODi.

Additional Info: Seating is limited. Guests may RSVP through Artsville’s website, welcometoartsville.com. Artist lodging is provided by Oak Manor Inn of Hartsville.

Who: ODi has drawn comparisons to Joan Armatrading, Dido, Suzanne Vega, and Beth Orton. According to Ireland’s Hot Press, “ODi has a winning voice and an unaffected presence. Her vocal glides effortlessly around beguiling melodies.” This performance is part of her first U.S. tour. Also performing, The Artsville Songwriting Competition people’s choice winner, Tyler Cook of Florence.

Where: Hartsville, SC. Guests will receive address information after they RSVP.

When: Saturday, November 10, 6:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Music begins at 7:00 p.m.

# # #

For more info, call 214-686-3996 or emailinfo@welcometoartsville.com.

Coker's Matsuo named Steinway Artist

In a surprise campus presentation this week, Associate Professor of Music Will Carswell announced that Assistant Professor of Music Jun Matsuo has been designated a Steinway Artist.

“A pianist who achieves the title ‘Steinway Artist’ reveals to those who study with that artist, and those who hear that artist perform, that they are serious about their craft and are committed to extraordinary results as a teacher and performer,” said Carswell, who chairs Coker’s department of dance, music and theater, coordinates the music and music education programs and directs the choral studies program.

“Steinway & Sons is proud to welcome Jun Matsuo to our illustrious roster of Steinway Artists,” said Steinway & Sons President – Americas Ron Losby.  “Matsuo has demonstrated not only a commitment to personal excellence, but also a commitment to bringing out excellence in her students. It is especially fitting that Professor Matsuo teaches at Coker College, which has committed to becoming an All-Steinway School.”

In accepting the award, Matsuo deflected the attention from the prestigious accomplishment to her music, saying simply, “I’ll be playing here next Monday.”

Last month, the music program presented a gala concert to celebrate the College’s All-Steinway Initiative, a commitment to using Steinway-designed instruments in classrooms, practice studios and in performance spaces campus-wide and to engaging a Steinway Artist on the faculty.

Less than one percent of colleges and universities worldwide are designated as All-Steinway Institutions.  Coker will be one of only three colleges in South Carolina with this distinction.

Jyotindra Parekh, owner of Rice Music House of Columbia, S.C., a Steinway partner in the region since 1924, his wife, Mary, and Losby were present for the celebration.

Matsuo joined the Coker College faculty in 2009 as a visiting assistant professor of music, teaching piano and music theory.

She is versatile as both a solo and collaborative performer. In addition to South Carolina, she has appeared as a guest pianist in New York, Maine, Florida, North Carolina and Texas. Her international activities have included a recital and lecture at the Universitii Sains Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia; performances of Spanish and South American Music for Cello and Piano in Japan; and master classes with Dominique Merlet, Pascal Devoyon, Noel Lee, and Roy Howat at the French Piano Institute in Paris, France. She also recently presented a lecture on Carl Czerny at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia. 

Matsuo earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano pedagogy from the University of South Carolina, and prior degrees from Binghamton University and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

Matsuo’s teachers include Nanako Tamaki, Kathryn Stuart, Peter Takacs, Walter Ponce and Charles Fugo as well as Diane Richardson and John Keene in collaborative study. 

Matsuo and cellist Richard Thomas will perform a recital, which is free and open to the public, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5 in the Hannah Lide Coker Recital Hall.

For more information about music programs at Coker College, please contact Carswell at 843-383-8063 or wcarswell@coker.edu.

November 8th: Florence Symphony Youth Orchestra to play at Methodist Manor

The Florence Symphony Youth Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Dr. Terry Roberts, will be playing November 8, 2012 at the Methodist Manor of the Pee Dee in the Ingram Chapel. The performance will begin at 7:00 PM and will feature talented, young musicians that must be heard!

The Florence Symphony Youth Orchestra is made up of 35 talented 6^th to 12^th grade students from the Pee Dee Region. They perform an annual concert for 4^th grade elementary school students in addition to a fall and spring public concert.  Thom Anderson wrote regarding the FSYO, “During my week on South Dargan, I was impressed to see all of the young people performing some pretty difficult-sounding stuff, directed by FSO conductor Terry Roberts. It seems like a good sign for a community that such opportunities are available for kids. We’ll need their talents.”

We would like thank Target and the Florence Symphony Guild for helping make the opportunities available to the FSYO kids and we hope that you will come out and hear these talented kids perform!

The concert is free. For more information please contact us by phone 843.661.2541 or by email manager@florencesymphony.com. Support our youth and come see a wonderful show!

Call to Artists: The Christmas Shoppe

Artisans throughout the Pee Dee will be on location at Black Creek Arts Center selling their handmade, one of a kind creations. Artist includes fine art, jewelry, photography, etc.....a  wonderful venue for purchasing one of a kind items for yourself or a holiday gift. Black Creek is still accepting applications for artists. If you, or someone you know are interested in selling at our Christmas Shoppe please call 307-2727 for more information. The Christmas Shoppe will take place Thursday, Nov. 29th, from 5:30 until 8:00 pm and Friday, November 30th from 4:00 until 7:00 pm.  The Black Creek Arts Center is located at 116 West College Avenue in downtown Hartsville.

Check out the New Harmonies Exhibit at the Black Creek Arts Center in Hartsville

The traveling Smithsonian exhibit, New Harmonies, has arrived at the Black Creek Arts Center in Hartsville.  The exhibit uses real instruments, a listening station, and colorful panels to tell the story of American music. Admission is FREE!

The exhibit has well recieved by the community with tours booked from groups in NC, Myrtle Beach and area schools; call the office 843332.6234 to schedule your group tour. Tours can be scheduled outside of normal operating hours.

New Harmonies will be on display until November 6.

The Black Creek Arts Center is located at 116 West College Avenue in downtown Hartsville.

November 10th: The Phillis Wheatley Repertory Theater to perform in Hartsville

The Hartsville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will present a performance by the Phillis Wheatley Repertory Theater of Greenville at its 28th Annual Freedom Fund Celebration on Saturday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Center Theater, 212 N. Fifth St.

A Hartsville favorite, the Phillis Wheatley Repertory Theater will perform A Night of Stars and Dreams, a theatrical performance featuring a mix of drama, song and soul. The cast will feature talented teenage actors, singers, dancers and musicians. For nearly 20 years, the Phillis Wheatley Repertory Theater has provided African American performing artists with an outlet to develop their talents. The group's founder, Dwight Woods, has kept the theater troupe alive by the sheer force of his unyielding belief in young people.

Each year, for its Freedom Fund Celebration, the NAACP brings to Hartsville renowned stellar entertainers that are enjoyed by people of all backgrounds and ages.

For tickets or more information, contact Lovis Thomas at 843-332-7979. 

October 30th: The Taste of Lee County in Bishopville

The Taste of Lee County is always a great time gathering with friends and sampling some wonderful food!!!  Join in the "Tailgatin" fun on Tuesday, October 30 at 7:00pm at Bishopville Opera House (109 N. Main St. in downtown Bishopville).  

For more information, contact the Lee County Chamber of Commerce at 803-484-5145. 

November 13th: Watercolor Workshop with Jackie Wukela in Lake City

The Greater Lake City Artists’ Guild will be hosting their second open studio workshop on November 13, 2012 from 5:30-8:00 at the Artfields Office. The office is located at 110 E. Main Street, Lake City. 

It is a watercolor workshop taught by Jackie Wukela. She will be discussing color–make-up, mixing, and why we care about the colors we are using. Students will use two shades of blue and red, plus one of yellow to mix a variety of colors and see how those colors give us different mixtures and shades. They will also learn how to adjust colors as they mix to suit their needs. During the second half of the period, students will use the color knowledge that they have gained to select three colors to mix all the colors they need for a full painting.

To reserve your space for the workshop, email greaterlakecityartistsguild@gmail.com. This workshop is free, open to everyone and no experience is necessary.

This workshop was made possible with the support of a grant from the Florence Regional Arts Alliance.

Coming Soon: The Great Harvest

Coming soon:  The Great Harvest: Remember Tobacco in the Pee Dee, a book written by Dr. Eldred 'Wink" Prince of Conway with photography by Benton Henry of Latta.  The book was edited by Bruce Douglas of Hartsville and designed by Nathan Gulledge, a native of Chesterfield. 

The book is scheduled for release in November 2012.

Pee Dee Arts will update its blog with purchasing

 information as soon as those details are available.

Ceramic Artist Patz Fowle Just Keeps Winning Awards

Darlington County ceramic artist Patz Fowle has been in the news alot lately.  She's winning awards at seemingly every show she enters.  Below is a list of a few of her recent accomplishments:

• First Place Award at the Sumter Artists' Guild annual competition/exhibition at Sumter County Gallery of Art
• First Place Award at Pee Dee Regional Art Competition at the Florence Museum (collaborative piece with her husband, Mike)
• Professional Merit Award in the Fine Arts Division of the South Carolina State Fair
• One of the 20 international ceramic artists/potters awarded the opportunity to exhibit in the upcoming Potters Council Exhibition “Green,” which showcases the world's best ceramic works during the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Conference (Houston). 

Patz also has two ceramic sculptures touring the Palmetto State through April 2013 through the South Carolina State Museum Traveling Exhibition Program. One of those pieces received the South Carolina Palmetto Hands 2012 Outstanding Merit Award from the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department.

For more information about Patz Fowle, check out her website.

Below are a few images of Patz' work:

Pee Dee People Making a Difference

When logging on to the Pee Dee Arts Facebook page on October 18th, there were two wonderful photos showcasing people of the Pee Dee doing great things.  One was Alex Palkovich (above) with his newly erected sculpture in Loveland, Colorado.  The other was of Coker College's Dr. Shawn Lay (below) presenting a check for the proceeds from his recent book, The Legend of Amaye, to Carolina Kids, an organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged children.   

We've got folks from the Pee Dee making a difference through the arts across the country and around the globe.  The photos of Dr. Lay and Mr. Palkovich are two examples that jumped out to us on our Facebook page.  We'd love for you to share your stories of Pee Dee People doing great things through the arts with us.  Simply email your story to us at peedeearts@gmail.com and we'll share it on our website.  

October 28th: Noted Soprano Eileen Strumpel to be Featured at the Art Trail Gallery

The Chamber Music at the Gallery series will continue on October 28, 2012 with Soprano Eileen Strumpel and pianist Sylvie Beaudette. The concert is at 5 PM with a reception to follow. Tickets are available at the door for $10. Eileen and Sylvie last appeared at the gallery 2 years ago to a standing ovation. Their performance was truly a treat.

Presidential Scholar in the Arts Eileen Strempel "is very striking, overpowering, exacting, and musical... a magnificent coloratura, a lyrical soprano," raved the Associated Press about the young soprano, for her Bolshoi Opera debut as Violetta in La Traviata. Ms. Strempel has won numerous competitions: first prize of the Loren Zachary Vocal Competition, both prestigious Sullivan Awards, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, the Liederkranz as well as the Enrico Caruso Vocal Competition. This last victory led to an acclaimed recital at Casa Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, Italy as well as a concert in the historical opera house of Imola, Italy. Ms. Strempel is an alumna of the Jerome Hine's Opera Music Theater International as well as the Eastman School of Music and holds a Doctor of Music degree from Indiana University. She has taken part in the American Music Festival of the New York Philharmonic Chamber Music Series, and her Avery Fisher Hall debut was as the soprano soloist for the Bach b Minor Mass with the National Chorale. Ms. Strempel has performed with Indianapolis Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Syracuse Opera, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, the Chautauqua and Skaneateles Music Festivals, Masterworks Chorale, Westchester Hudson Opera, the San Francisco's First Church Concert Series, the Adirondack Music Festival, Syracuse's Society for New Music, the Bolshoi Orchestra Sextet, The West Point Concert Series and with the Liederkranz Symphony Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall.

Strempel's latest Centaur release with Canadian pianist Sylvie Beaudette is entitled:(In)habitation: Settings of Margaret Atwood Poetry by American Women Composers,composed expressly for the Ms. Strempel by some of the top female composers of our time, including Libby Larsen, Lori Laitman, Amanda Harberg, Elisenda Fábregas, Tania León, and Judith Cloud. The Journal of Singing raved about this recording saying, "Stempel's singing... is exemplary; there is so much to admire about how this project was conceived and executed down to the smallest detail, and Ms. Strempel is to be commended for her wholehearted embrace of these nineteen songs and for the stirring success she achieves even in the face of such daunting technical challenges. A remarkable achievement." Strempel is an Assistant Vice President at Syracuse University and was recently awarded an Enitiative eProfessorship by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. . The duo's current project is focused on commissioned musical settings of poetry by e.e. cummings, and includes settings by Regina Harris Baiocchi, Libby Larsen, Jocelyn Hagen, Judith Cloud, Christine Donkin, and Lita Greir. Strempel may also be heard on the upcoming release by Summit Records, Letting Escape A Song: Art Songs byJudith Cloud.

The Gallery is currently located at 135 S. Dargan St. in Downtown Florence.

October 21st: Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players to perform in Hartsville

The Hartsville-Coker Concert Association presents the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 in the Hannah Lide Coker Music Recital Hall on the campus of Coker College. 

The New York-based Jupiter Symphony Chambers Players was created in 2002 as a living tribute to the late Jens Nygaard, founder and conductor of the Jupiter Symphony.

“The musicians are young and vigorous, and they throw themselves into their performances with an abandon that catches the music’s inner fire,” wrote Allan Kozinn, the long-time classical music critic of the New York Times. 

The program Sunday will include Romantic music for piano, clarinet, strings and voice by Beethoven, Dvorak and Spohr.  It also includes a guest performance by soprano Serena Hill, Coker College assistant professor of music.

Tickets for the concert, which are available at the door, are $25 for adults and $7 for children under 18. Coker students, faculty and staff with college identification are admitted for free.

The Hartsville-Coker Concert Association, a partnership between Coker College and Hartsville, presents an annual program of performing arts events in downtown Hartsville and on the Coker College campus.  Individual tickets are sold for each event, and discounted season tickets are included in the association’s membership.

For more information about the Hartsville-Coker Concert Association, visithttp://www.hartsvillecokerconcerts.org, email HCCA@coker.edu or call 866-821-4266.

October 20th: Smoke On the Mountain Homecoming at the Dillon County Theatre

The Dillon County Theatre is proud to present "Smoke On The Mountain-Homecoming" on Saturday, October 20 at 7:30pm. This show will be presented by The Florence Little Theatre.

The Dillon Theatre is located at 114 N. MacArthur in downtown Dillon.  Adult tickets are $15.  Student tickets are $10.  Season tickets are $80 for the two tickets to each of the five shows.  To purchase tickets, call the theatre at 843-774-8746 or the Dillon Chamber at 843-774-8551. 

November 3rd: Meet the Artist Day at the Art Trail Gallery

Call to Artists: Outdoor Work of Art for downtown Florence

Request for Proposals:

Public Art in Downtown Florence

Design Vision and Goal:

The Florence Downtown Development Corporation (FDDC) seeks to commission a free-standing or wall-mounted outdoor work of art to add to the beautification, redevelopment and regeneration of downtown Florence. The artwork chosen for 2013 will be the first piece in what will become the Florence Downtown Sculpture Garden/Courtyard.

The project must integrate well with the location and be constructed of weather-resistant materials. The work selected must be fully installed by April 30th, 2013.

Eligibility:

This opportunity is open to visual artists, ages 18 and older. Proposals from all geographic areas of the United States are welcome, however, preference will be given to artists who live, work or create in the Pee Dee (defined by FDDC as Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Lee, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg Counties).

The Site:

The planned Florence Downtown Sculpture Garden/Courtyard is located at 113-119 South Dargan Street in downtown Florence, SC. In late 2012, the three buildings currently at this address will be demolished, leaving a breezeway through to the Hotel Florence and Victor's Restaurant which are scheduled to open May, 2013. The courtyard/walkway area is approximately 47 feet wide and 130 feet long. The area will connect to an outdoor dining area and water feature that will be at the west end of the walk/courtyard.

This project is part of a major revitalization project in downtown Florence. The Hotel Florence, Victor's Restaurant, the Clay Pot Cafe, Railroad Junction Art Gallery and Da Massimo's Italian Restaurant represent recent major private investments in downtown Florence. Adding to these, the governmental and non-profit efforts have resulted in the construction of a new Florence Museum which will open in late 2013, the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center which opened in November, 2011, as well as the Florence Little Theater, Library and the Art Trail Gallery which have opened in recent years and started the creation of an Arts Corridor appropriate for the placement of public art.

The Artist Selection Process:

Semi-finalists will be selected by a panel consisting of representatives from the Florence Regional Arts Alliance, Florence Museum, Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau and private businesses. Semifinalists will be invited to submit more detailed applications, including scale drawings for review by the

aforementioned panel. The panel will make a recommendation to the Florence DowntownDevelopment Board of Directors and Florence City Council as to which proposal should be selected.

Final Selection Criteria will be based on:

Artistic merit

Appropriateness to the site

Feasibility

Durability (appropriate for heavily used, outdoor site)

Required Application Materials:

In response to this RFP, applicants must submit the following no later than October 31, 2012:

• Completed and signed coversheet/certification form

• Digital portfolio:

Note:  A link to a professional website or a jump drive with 10 digital images and title list. Artwork must be clearly labeled with the artist's name, date of completion, materials and dimensions.

•         Written description of the proposed work (no more than one page)

•         Preliminary drawing of the proposed work 

          (dimensions not to exceed 18" x 24")

•         Proposed budget

•         Timeline for the project.

Note: The artist will be selected no later than November 30, 2012 and the art must be delivered by April 30, 2013.

• Current biography and curriculum vitae (CV)

• Names and contact information of two references (email and phone)

• List of commissioned and installed work in public or private collections completed within the last ten years

Budget:

$25,000 for the total project including artist's commission, design, materials, fabrication, and

transportation. Assistance may be required by artist during the installation process.

Additional Information:

The work of art will be in place for a period of up to ten years. Thereafter, the Florence

Downtown Development Corporation will retain possession of the work, at its discretion.

Deadline for Submission:

All submissions must be postmarked on October 31, 2012 or hand-delivered by 5:30 pm to the Florence Downtown Development Offices at 218 West Evans, Florence, SC. Please note that applications will not be accepted by fax or email. All artists will be notified of the selection results by November 30, 2012.

Installation: April 2013

Submissions must be delivered to:

Florence Downtown Development Corporation

PO Box 467

Florence, SC 29503

Express/UPS delivery address:

Florence Downtown Development Corporation

218 West Evans St. Florence, SC 29501

For more information:

Ray Reich

Executive Director

Florence Downtown Development Corporation

843-678-5913

rreich@cityofflorence.com