JUNE 24, 2010 ISSUE
Arts To Entertain and Enrich
An Appalachian Summer Festival June 27 to July 30
“
As a university-based presenter, we’re all about entertainment, but we’re also really committed to sharing new artists and new art forms.
” —Denise RinglerEvery July, the Office of Arts & Cultural Programs at ASU provides a cure for the dog days of summer with the annual An Appalachian Summer Festival, a celebration of the visual and performing arts, with concerts, workshops, lectures, exhibitions, films and more.
The 26th annual An Appalachian Summer Festival begins this Sunday, June 27, and continues through Friday, July 30. Concerts and films take place at Farthing Auditorium and Rosen Concert Hall on the ASU campus.
Founded in 1984, An Appalachian Summer Festival has played a leading role in enriching the cultural landscape of northwestern North Carolina. For nearly a decade, the festival has been named one of the “Top 20 Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society, and attendance exceeds 26,000.
“We look at issues of quality, issues of diversity, and I would say that we look for artists that entertain but artists that also serve to enrich and expand our typical notions of art,” said Denise Ringler, director of Arts & Cultural Programs. “As a university-based presenter, we’re all about entertainment, but we’re also really committed to sharing new artists and new art forms.”
Returning to campus are the Golden Dragon Acrobats on July 10, the Eastern Festival Orchestra, with performances on July 11 (featuring pianist Barry Douglas) and July 18 (featuring violinist Tianwa Yang) and bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys on July 30.
Other highlights include actress, author and comedienne Amy Sedaris on July 9, singer and actress Patti LuPone on July 17, jazz guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli on July 22 and Blood, Sweat & Tears on July 24, who will perform at the Festival Celebration Concert at the Holmes Convocation Center.
Of course, An Appalachian Summer Festival is anchored each year by the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble and the Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition. Directed by violinist Gil Morgenstern, the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble will perform three concerts during this year’s festival. The finalists in the Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition are already on display on the west side of campus, and a sculpture walk to highlight the pieces and announce the winner will take place on Saturday, July 24, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, beginning at Farthing Auditorium’s Catherine Smith Gallery.
For the second year, An Appalachian Summer features a series of environmental and art film screenings. Ringler said the addition of film to the festival was a recommendation of the festival’s advisory board.
A new feature of this year’s festival will be social hours preceding concerts and films at Farthing Auditorium. Beer and wine will be sold from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. at the social hours, sponsored by Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants, with proceeds benefiting the festival. At the concert social hours, area restaurants will provide hors d’oeuvres, and popcorn will be sold at film screenings.
The festival will once again feature a silent auction, which opened May 27 and closes July 22. Spas, golf clubs, hotels, restaurants, attractions, vineyards, merchants and boutiques are all featured in a display of items contributed by some of North Carolina’s finest businesses, artisans and craftspeople. For a list of items up for bid, click to www.appsummer.org/silentauction.php or call 800-841-2787.
Tickets to most performances are $28 for adults, $16 for students ages 6 to 18, $15 for ASU students and $10 for kids 5 and under. Tickets to Broyhill Chamber Ensemble concerts and the School of Music Faculty Showcase Recital are $18 for adults and $10 for students and kids. All film screenings are $10.
The Festival Celebration Concert featuring Blood, Sweat & Tears at the Holmes Center is $30 for adults and students, $25 for Blue Ridge Electric members and $5 for kids 12 and under. The Amy Sedaris, Patti LuPone and Ralph Stanley shows are most likely to sell out, so get your tickets soon.
For more information, call 828-262-4046 or click to www.appsummer.org.
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