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The Arts Center Partners with Local High Schools for Performance Workshops

Release date: Feb 21, 2012

The Arts Center's Education Program, in partnership with the Corvallis School District Theater, Corvallis High School (CHS), and the Crescent Valley High School (CV) counseling offices, are presenting a series of theatrical performance workshops for at-risk students at CHS and CV.

During January through June of 2012, visiting teaching artists will present one hour workshops for students during the school day. These workshops will give students exposure to the performing arts while helping them to develop self esteem and confidence.

Presenters include:  Darryl Thomas, performer and dance professor at WOU; Dave Chillers, rhythm and drumming; Carol Soth, storytelling; Gina Gambony, Shadow Theatre; and Rhiannon, Finding your Voice: Song and Poetry.

Support this and our other community programming: become a Member of The Arts Center!

Contact:
Chris Neely, Education Coordinator
The Arts Center
700 SW Madison Avenue
Corvallis, OR 97333
541-754-1551

‘Shadows and Story’ Workshops Bring At-Risk Students’ Voices to the Stage

Release date: Feb 21, 2012

The Arts Center's Education Program, in partnership with the 509j School District and Cheldelin Middle School, will present a theatrical performance workshop for 150 at-risk students from Cheldelin’s ‘Cougar Academy.’  

During February through March 2012, a resident teaching artist will work with students to develop original performance pieces based on their own life stories. A major focus of the workshop will be helping each student to find their own ‘voice.’  

For the workshop ‘finale,’ students will use shadow theater techniques to illustrate and perform their stories for their school community.

Support this and our other community programming: become a Member of The Arts Center!

Contact:
Chris Neely, Education Coordinator
The Arts Center
700 SW Madison Avenue
Corvallis, OR 97333
541-754-1551

In Memory of Mario Pastega

Release date: Jan 26, 2012

The staff of The Arts Center, and all the artists participating in the ArtsCare program, join the Pastega family and our larger community in remembering the life of a truily remarkable man -- Mario Pastega. He leaves a legacy of generosity, hard work, and love of life. He will be missed.

--
The recitation of the Rosary is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Corvallis.
A funeral Mass will take place at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, also at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Corvallis.

Memorial contributions can be made to:
The Mario Pastega House Endowment Fund
in care of the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation,
3600 N.W. Samaritan Drive, Corvallis, OR 97330.

The Arts Center Receives Competitive Grant from the Oregon Community Foundation

Release date: Jan 15, 2012

The Arts Center is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $25,000 grant by the Oregon Community Foundation as part of their Community Grants program. The grant, which can be used for general operating expenses, significantly decreases the operations budget gap created by the loss of $40,000 in City funding.

The Arts Center is adjusting its business model to better serve our community given the current economic climate. This operating support from the OCF will help enable The Arts Center to transition to a new business model without running a deficit and will help The Arts Center continue to serve the thousands of hospital patients, students, and art lovers who rely on our programs.

For more information, contact:
David Huff, Executive Director, The Arts Center
541-754-1551, 541-754-1552
david@theartscenter.net

The Arts Center Receives Grant from the Plum Creek Foundation for Gallery Renovation

Release date: Dec 22, 2011

The Arts Center is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $5,000 grant by the Plum Creek Foundation. The grant will fund a portion of the Historic Gallery Renovation project at The Arts Center’s downtown facility.

The Historic Gallery Renovation Project is a multi-year effort to repair and upgrade The Arts Center’s exhibition and rental spaces to better serve the community of Benton and Linn Counties.  In January 2012, The Arts Center will close the Main Gallery to the public in order to begin these much-needed renovations. Working with a dedicated group of volunteers, the organization will remove and replace the fiberglass textile wall covering for the main gallery’s exhibition surfaces. The upgrade will provide The Arts Center with professional display walls to help highlight the work of this region’s talented artists. The Arts Center will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2013.

For more information, contact:
David Huff, Executive Director, The Arts Center
541-754-1551, 541-754-1552
david@theartscenter.net

The Arts Center Charts a Positive Path through Tough Economic Times

Release date: Jul 25, 2011

This year, The Arts Center will lose $40,000 of its city funding - this represents a significant portion of our operating budget. We are addressing this loss of income by adopting a series of changes, including campaigning to increase donations and memberships, increasing class tuitions and raising artwork commission rates. These changes will allow The Arts Center to continue to provide a diverse range of arts programming to Linn and Benton Counties.

Now more than ever, The Arts Center needs your support. With your help, we will be able to:

• Welcome 11,000 visitors to our ArtShop and Exhibitions at no charge.
• Offer over 1,400 hours of free art experiences to patients in area hospitals (in partnership with Samaritan Health Services)
• Bring high quality arts education to 1,500 students through our in-house classes and programs.
• Provide 45 art teachers to work in local public schools, serving over 5,000 students.
• Pay more than $110,000 to regional artists, through sales commissions, awards, and teacher fees.

These programs and services would not be possible without the generosity of the members, grant-makers, volunteers, and donors who have increased their contributions in the past two years.

Please join us in our mission to integrate the arts into all aspects of community life. Supporting the arts in Linn and Benton County is as easy as making a donation. For more information, visit www.theartscenter.net/support-us/

For more information, contact:
David Huff, Executive Director, The Arts Center
541-754-1551, 541-754-1552
david@theartscenter.net

ArtsCare Artist Training Day a Success

Release date: Jun 20, 2011

On Saturday, June 11 ArtsCare -- a creative partnership between The Arts Center and Samaritan Health Services (SHS), now in its 7th year -- held its first ever Artist Training Day. A group of 30 artists and 8 healthcare professionals met for a 6-hour seminar at Samaritan Albany Cancer Resource Center in North Albany.  Attendees heard a variety of presentations by both SHS clinical staff and core artists working in the ArtsCare program for many years. The workshop was funded by a generous grant from the Oregon Arts Commission (Arts Build Communities grant). The day ended with a closing reception back at The Arts Center, with music by Dave Chiller of Common Pulse.

Each participant took home an extensive Orientation Manual.  The manual covered topics ranging from hospital policies and procedures to HIPAA regulations to a national "State of the Field" report compiled by the Society for the Arts in Health Care. The Arts Center's ArtsCare Coordinator, Mary Van Denend, received overwhelmingly positive comments on the end-of-session evaluation forms, most attendees indicating that they would like to see more training in the future.

ArtsCare: ‘Surviving to Thriving’ Begins New Spring Series

Release date: Apr 12, 2011

Surviving to Thriving is a free six-week series of classes helping cancer survivors and their families explore and redefine their relationships and themselves through creativity. Each session features a different artist and art project, loosely based on a metaphor that reflects the cancer journey. No prior art experience is necessary.

Visual art, music, and poetry are all part of this popular series. Local artists from The Arts Center's ArtsCare program and Samaritan Health Services Art Therapist Dian Svendsen facilitate.  Generously funded through Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation. 

Dates: April 19- May 24, Tuesdays from 5:30 - 7pm   Good Samaritan Regional Medical Ctr,  Conf. Rooms A-B

Call or email Mary at The Arts Center to register: 541-754-1551

The Arts Center Hires New Executive Director

Release date: Apr 5, 2011

The Arts Center is pleased to announce the hiring of David Huff for the position of Executive Director as of May 1, 2011. Sara Swanberg, Executive Director for the past five years, will be retiring on April 30.

David Huff is an artist and arts administrator. He most recently served as Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator / Curator for Pro Arts, the largest community supported arts nonprofit in Oakland, California.

In July 2009, Huff was selected to be one of 20 national delegates to the Leadership Institute for Visual Art Organizations, presented by the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture and funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation. He has served as a guest curator and panel speaker for numerous institutions including the Arts Council of Oklahoma City, California College of the Arts, Kala Institute, and the Alameda County Small Works Purchase Program.

David is looking forward to becoming an active part of the Corvallis community where he will be making a home with his wife Josephine and their pet rabbit Philippe.

Annual Report 2008-2009

Release date: Jul 1, 2009

The Arts Center's Director gathers an annual report of financials and information to share at its annual membership meeting. Each year we welcome our members to come, ask questions and learn what their generous funds do for our community.