Governor Strickland Proclaims October National Arts & Humanities Month in Ohio
by Amy McKay
Governor Ted Strickland has issued a proclamation declaring October National Arts & Humanities Month in Ohio.
“The arts and humanities embody much of the accumulated wisdom, intellect and imagination of humankind,” proclaims Gov. Strickland. “I hereby recognize October as Arts and Humanities Month in Ohio and call upon the residents of Ohio to celebrate and promote the arts and culture in our state.”
National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM) has been celebrated since 1993 and provides a great opportunity for people to participate in the arts offered in their communities. The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) is teaming up with the Ohio Statehouse to celebrate NAHM by organizing a series of free arts events in downtown Columbus. Citizens are encouraged to visit ArtsinOhio.com for more information on events in their area.
On October 4, the month-long NAHM celebration will kick off in the Statehouse Rotunda from noon to 1 p.m. with a reading of Gov. Strickland’s proclamation proclaiming October as National Arts & Humanities Month throughout Ohio. Following the reading, Nannette Maciejunes, Executive Director of the Columbus Museum of Art, will give a special “art talk” about the artwork in the Rotunda. The event is free and open to the public.
On October 5, First Lady Frances Strickland will read one of her favorite books to students from the Hanby Arts Magnet Elementary School in Westerville. The event will take place in the Statehouse Rotunda from 10:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Every Wednesday in October, from noon to 1 p.m., visitors to the Statehouse can take a special art tour highlighting the “People’s Art Collection.” The tour will include the governors’ portrait collection, the impressive artwork in the Rotunda and other paintings and sculptures throughout the Capitol Square complex. Tours will depart at noon from the Map Room on the ground floor of the Statehouse, easily accessible from the Third Street entrance. The tours are free and open to the public.
On October 8, enjoy the first in a series of free Friday performances in the Statehouse Atrium. Rodolfo Vázquez (flutist) and Mary Fahrenbruck (keyboardist) will perform from noon to 1 p.m. The duo performs everything from Bach to Debussy to jazz and world music. The lunchtime performance is free and open to the public.
On October 12, the OAC and the Ohioana Library Association are sponsoring a poetry and fiction reading event—the Celebration of the Written Word—from noon to 1 p.m.at the Riffe Gallery, located at 77 S. High St. in downtown Columbus. Ohio poet Nancy Kangas and author Lisa Klein (whose Two Girls of Gettysburg has been selected for the 2011 Choose to Read Ohio program) will read from their recent compositions, and a student from the Poetry Out Loud competition will perform. Ohio poet Chiquita Mullins Lee will emcee the event and conduct Q&A sessions. This event is free and open to the public.
On October 22, bluegrass band Slate Ridge will entertain Statehouse visitors in the Atrium from noon to 1 p.m. Slate Ridge features the musical stylings of John Alge (guitar), Rich Baker (mandolin), John Obora (fiddle), Jim Thomas (banjo) and Linda Young (bass). The lunchtime performance is free and open to the public.
On October 29, the final Friday performance will feature dancers from across Ohio. From noon to 1 p.m., Demetrius Klein and dancers from MamLuft&Co. Dance, the Hathaway Brown School and the Dublin Dance Centre will perform a variety of dance numbers in the Statehouse Atrium. The lunchtime performance is free and open to the public.
For visual art lovers, the Deep Space: Ohio Photographers exhibition will be on display at the OAC’s Riffe Gallery in the Vern Riffe Center until October 17.
A visit to the Statehouse is also a good time to explore the People’s Art Collection. The artwork in the collection depicts the hopes, dreams, values and aspirations of Ohioans—and commemorates Ohio’s accomplishments and struggles. With the support of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and the OAC, the People’s Art Collection created integrated lessons about the artwork found within the Statehouse and on Capitol Square. These resources are available for parents and teachers here.
The Statehouse is just one place where Ohio citizens can discover and explore the arts in the Buckeye state during NAHM. To discover the rich variety of arts and cultural activities going on throughout Ohio, visit ArtsinOhio.com. Activities that take place during October feature the NAHM logo. The OAC is also encouraging arts organizations to schedule events in coordination with NAHM and to use ArtsinOhio.com to promote them. Organizations can register online for free and post their events to the website.
Ohio National Arts & Humanities Month events are organized by the Ohio Arts Council with support from the Ohio Statehouse, OhioDance, the Ohioana Library Association and the Columbus Museum of Art.
NAHM is coordinated by Americans for the Arts, the national organization working to empower communities with the resources and support necessary to provide access to all of the arts for all of the people. For more information or for suggestions on how to celebrate the arts, visit the OAC website at www.oac.ohio.gov.
For the full text of Gov. Strickland's proclamation, click here .
About the Ohio Arts Council:
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
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