News Page
02/22/2007
Category: News Article
RiverCulture looking ahead
Recorder 2/22/07
February 22, 2007
RiverCulture looking ahead
From the Recorder
KAREN CHYNOWETH, Recorder Staff
TURNERS FALLS - A village song, a concert series and a theater brochure are just a few things the River Culture project has in store for downtown this year.
Lisa Davol, cultural coordinator for River Culture, said the project has raised all but $1,200 of the $35,000 match it needed to receive the renewed John and Abigail Adams Arts Program grant. But, she said it still needs to come up with about $20,000 to do all the projects they have in mind.
Last year, the project created a walking tour pamphlet, commissioned four pieces of functional temporary art, which serve as information posts, and organized several art walks and musical performances.
This year, Davol said the project intends to make use of the new band shell and the recently renovated Peskeomskut Park. She said they are planning summer concerts with a double bill of shows on the third Friday of each month.
"We are looking to have some new music, interesting music not readily found around here," she said. "There is a lot of folk music and brass bands around. We are trying to look for something a little more offbeat."
The River Culture project is also commissioning a Turners Falls song. Davol said the song will be performed by the Montague Community Band, but will also be available for the local schools to learn and for any event that might call for a Turners Falls song.
A sculpture garden at the corner of Third and Canal streets has also been suggested. The space once housed a dilapidated garage, but the property was handed over to the town in lieu of back taxes and it was cleaned up with a federal brownfields grant. The garden would hold temporary sculpture installations to last two or three years only because the grant does not allow for permanent work to be done.
Artists involved in the sculpture garden project are considering hosting a workshop with local children so they can create a found-art sculpture to be included in the garden.
Also proposed are audio walking tours of quirky locations in Turners Falls. Davol said people will be able to make tour guides of their favorite hidden gems in downtown and put them at the River Culture Web site for people to download.
A creative economy conference has also been scheduled for April 10 and will provide economists from the state to come and see an example of a community using the arts to improve its local economy.
Davol said she is also working with Greenfield Community College's Fostering the Arts and Culture Partnership, which is helping set up spaces in empty storefronts for art exhibits in Greenfield and Turners Falls.
A brochure of upcoming shows at the Shea Theater will also be designed.
Anyone interested in sponsoring a River Culture event or helping in other was can call Davol at (413) 230-9910.
For more information about River Culture, go online to: www.turnersfallsriverculture.org.
RiverCulture looking ahead
From the Recorder
KAREN CHYNOWETH, Recorder Staff
TURNERS FALLS - A village song, a concert series and a theater brochure are just a few things the River Culture project has in store for downtown this year.
Lisa Davol, cultural coordinator for River Culture, said the project has raised all but $1,200 of the $35,000 match it needed to receive the renewed John and Abigail Adams Arts Program grant. But, she said it still needs to come up with about $20,000 to do all the projects they have in mind.
Last year, the project created a walking tour pamphlet, commissioned four pieces of functional temporary art, which serve as information posts, and organized several art walks and musical performances.
This year, Davol said the project intends to make use of the new band shell and the recently renovated Peskeomskut Park. She said they are planning summer concerts with a double bill of shows on the third Friday of each month.
"We are looking to have some new music, interesting music not readily found around here," she said. "There is a lot of folk music and brass bands around. We are trying to look for something a little more offbeat."
The River Culture project is also commissioning a Turners Falls song. Davol said the song will be performed by the Montague Community Band, but will also be available for the local schools to learn and for any event that might call for a Turners Falls song.
A sculpture garden at the corner of Third and Canal streets has also been suggested. The space once housed a dilapidated garage, but the property was handed over to the town in lieu of back taxes and it was cleaned up with a federal brownfields grant. The garden would hold temporary sculpture installations to last two or three years only because the grant does not allow for permanent work to be done.
Artists involved in the sculpture garden project are considering hosting a workshop with local children so they can create a found-art sculpture to be included in the garden.
Also proposed are audio walking tours of quirky locations in Turners Falls. Davol said people will be able to make tour guides of their favorite hidden gems in downtown and put them at the River Culture Web site for people to download.
A creative economy conference has also been scheduled for April 10 and will provide economists from the state to come and see an example of a community using the arts to improve its local economy.
Davol said she is also working with Greenfield Community College's Fostering the Arts and Culture Partnership, which is helping set up spaces in empty storefronts for art exhibits in Greenfield and Turners Falls.
A brochure of upcoming shows at the Shea Theater will also be designed.
Anyone interested in sponsoring a River Culture event or helping in other was can call Davol at (413) 230-9910.
For more information about River Culture, go online to: www.turnersfallsriverculture.org.
