The Wood River Arts Alliance will join thousands of arts organizations and communities across the nation to celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month through October. The alliance will carry this message to the people of the Wood River Valley with activities that honor the efforts of artists, writers, historians, teachers and cultural groups working to make the arts and humanities a part of everyone's life. The mayors of Ketchum, Sun Valley, Hailey and Bellevue have issued proclamations recognizing October as National Arts and Humanities Month.
Americans for the Arts is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. President and CEO Robert Lynch, who is also the coordinator of Arts and Humanities Month said, "Everyone recognizes the creative and cultural value of the arts and humanities. National Arts and Humanities Month offers us a chance to celebrate the often overlooked economic, educational and civic engagement values that the arts impart in our daily lives."
What began as a week-long event created by the National Endowment for the Arts and by Americans for the Arts in 1985 has now become a month-long celebration dedicated to representing and serving local communities with all forms of the arts.
Activities in the Wood River Valley include The Trailing of the Sheep, Oct. 8-10, Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree, Oct. 13-17, St. Thomas Playhouse production of "Oliver," Oct. 14-17, Company of Fools' production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," Oct. 13-18, Oct. 20-24 and Oct. 27-30, and the Sun Valley Resort's Harvest: A Gathering of Film Festival, Oct. 22-23.
The Sun Valley Gallery Association will hold a gallery walk on Oct. 8, the Wood River Community Orchestra will perform Oct. 24 at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church on Sun Valley Road and the Sun Valley Center for the Arts' multidisciplinary exhibition "Water" continues in Ketchum and in Hailey with "Source, Resource." The Center will have an evening exhibition tour on Oct. 7, and Sam Lardner and Barcelona, a Flamenco fusion group, will perform at the nextStage Theatre on Oct 29.
The Wood River Arts Alliance, created in 1991, is dedicated to cultivating and promoting vibrancy in the arts and cultural life of the Wood River Valley though a network of arts advocates.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Wood River Arts Alliance Executive Director Claudia McCain, on left, and Hilarie Neely, on right, urge Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall to present a proclamation for October as National Art and Humanities Month for Ketchum. Photo by Willy Cook
