FBI TOUR BRINGS REAL TANGO TO OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA

FBI tour performers, Real Tango

In November, the Ohio Arts Council will present its fifth faith based institution (FBI) performing arts tour. The tour will feature Real Tango, performing authentic tango music from Argentina. The FBI program began in 1998 with the presentation of Barocco Andino, a Chilean music ensemble, which was presented in partnership with Arts Midwest and the Mid-America Arts Alliance. Since then, the OAC, in partnership with the Ohio Arts Presenters Network, brought the following international artists to Ohio for the statewide tour of churches and synagogues: Ragamala Music and Dance Theatre in 1999, Viva Quetzal in 2000 and Cuerdas de Fuego in 2001. This year, the FBI program has expanded to include performances in Pennsylvania through a partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

Comprised of three accomplished musicians from Argentina, Real Tango performs and enhances tango rhythms from the 1920s. Double bass player and creator of Real Tango, Hector Pineda, studied at the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica de Buenos Aires with Enzo Raschelli de Ferraris, the premier double-bass teacher in Argentina. Pianist Anibal Berraute studied at the Conservatorio de Musica de Rosario, Santa Fe, and then in Buenos Aires, at the Universidad Catolica. (Con't on page 2)

OAC BUDGET
REDUCED BY 15%


On July 1 Governor Bob Taft announced fiscal year 2003 budget cuts. Through an Executive Order, the Governor ordered the Ohio Arts Council to reduce its budget by 15%. The OAC will absorb this substantial cut through its administrative, maintenance and subsidy lines. Most state agencies received a 10-15% cut. Agencies and programs affecting the health and safety of Ohioans were cut less than 15% or not at all.

To comply with the budget reduction the OAC has made several serious administrative adjustments including eliminating two staff positions. Four additional positions that are currently vacant will not be filled for at least a year.

The OAC will eliminate most hard-copy publications including the Performing Arts on Tour Directory and the AIE Artist in Residence Directory and make additional reductions in quantity and printing costs for remaining projects. The Ohio ArtsGuide for Travelers, which was scheduled to be printed this year, has been eliminated. To take the place of the ArtsGuide the OAC has joined as a partner in ArtsinOhio.com, an online cultural calendar database. ArtsinOhio.com is a more cost-effective and accessible