Q What are some highlights of the new Arts Council season?
A We have a great season coming up this year. We kick it off Sept. 14 with Second City (improvisational sketch comedy), at 8 p.m. at Albert Taylor Hall. This event is our fundraiser, and tickets are on sale now. Second City is a national renowned comedy act. People that start there got to be big names in comedy such as John Belushi, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Chris Farley and the list goes on and on. If you see them on “Saturday Night Live” or “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” they started at Second City. Tickets are $15 for adults and children are $10. I just want everyone to know it is comedy so the content may not be appropriate for everyone.
Q What other events are happening this season?
A We start with Jupiter String Quartet who will be performing Oct. 11. They are four young string artists that have played all over the world. They are also the next up and comers. In February, we have Gaelic Storm Feb. 29 at 7:30 p..
They played in the movie “Titanic.” They were the band that was playing below deck at the start of the movie. We are excited to have them coming because they have been selling out shows all over the country. On March 28, we have The Great Jazz Divas. It is a tribute to the most famous women in jazz such as Billy Holiday, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald. We are bringing them here to celebrate women’s history month. Our final performance is something for everyone it is called the Tweaksters April 24 at 7 p.m. They do a lot of acrobat dancing and juggling.
Q How much are season tickets this year?
A Season tickets to all these performances are $100, or you can buy tickets to individual performances as well as we have different membership levels. Memberships don’t just support the season line-up but help support all the activities we do.
One thing that I am not sure people are aware of is that with all the season performances that we bring to the community, they have an educational component. We will take them to schools and do workshops. The Quartet will do a strings workshop. Galic Storm will have a lecture series that will go around to area schools and talk about Celtic influences in literature. These are all free to area schools so we really touch the lives of a lot of people.
Q Tell us about your capital campaign that is going on right now?
A Right now, we are in the process to raise money for a new facility that will go directly north of the Granada Theater. We will go from about 5,000 square feet to roughly 18,000 square feet.
The new building will allow us to provide more services to the community for more art classes, more space for a better gallery. It will really compliment the Granda as well as compliment Emporia’s main street.
We do have contracts on the building and we have a little less than $900,000 to raise. So far we have raised $1.7 million. We are still in the planning phase but at this point it is a new, two-story building with a basement.
Q Why should people give to your capital campaign?
A People should give for the benefit of the community, for our future, our families and our children. We believe as our vision statement says we enhance the lives of the community.
Q You have been in the job two years now. What have you been surprised about and what have you been discouraged about?
A What I have been surprised about is that there is so much to do in Emporia. I didn’t realize that until I started working in the community. We have so much to offer as a community. Frustrations are that we have some hurdles, like promotion, about getting the word out — about all the great things we have to do.
Q What exhibits are planned for your gallery?
A We have Interactions on display right now ... a collaborative installation by Patrick Rush and Melissa Wichmann. They are two seniors at Emporia State in the Art Department. It runs through Sept. 22.
We will have a photography exhibit after that with Alex Haley and then, before Thanksgiving, we will have our holiday open house for art gifts.