AREA HAPPENINGS: Coburn Gallery national juried exhibition, Shrek the Musical
A national juried exhibition, “Time Will Tell: A Show of Artistic Wisdom and Experience,” is on display at the Coburn Gallery at Ashland University now through Sunday, July 24. The exhibition features a collection of 34 artworks that embody the creativity and innovation of artists 50 years and older spanning all levels of artistic endeavor. A closing reception is scheduled July 24 from 2-4 p.m.
The exhibition features the following artists: Kathryn Johnson of Alabama, Rebecca Kaler of Cleveland Hts., Ohio, Carve Stone of Florida, Robin Roberts of Ashland, Ohio, Micki Ansberry of Huron, Ohio, Debra Buchanan of Toledo, Ohio, Keith Dull of Ashland, Ohio, Ronald Gonzalez of New York, Susan Harmon of Kansas, Michael W. High of Chardon, Ohio, Tom Jackson of Stow, Ohio, Juli Anne Jonker of Minnesota, Amanda Kiplinger of Polk, Ohio, George Kocar of Bay Village, Ohio, Barbara Hack of Texas, Marty Bossler Lee of Ashland, Ohio, James W. Leslie of Akron, Ohio, Irene Maginniss of Mansfield, Ohio, Mark E. Foul of Westerville, Ohio, Andrew W. Martin of Texas, Barbara D. Morejon of Ashland, Ohio, Joyce Morrow Jones of South Euclid, Ohio, Tim Murphy of Pickerington, Ohio, Beth Nash of Marietta, Ohio, Cynthia L. Penter of Cleveland Hts., Ohio, Katina Pastis Radwanski of Hudson, Ohio, Jennifer Sowders of Fostoria, Ohio, and M.P. Freed of Wooster, Ohio.
The jurors for the exhibition were Judy Takács and Robert Villamagna. Takács is best known for the painterly realism of her oil portraits and the message of female empowerment of her traveling portrait series, “Chicks with Balls” and “Goddess Project.” After earning a bachelor’s of fine arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art, she spent a 25-year career as a graphic designer and illustrator. Her work has been exhibited in numerous locations around the nation, including the Butler Institute of American Art, Zanesville Museum of Art, Evansville Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, and the Salmagundi and National Arts Clubs to name just a few. Since 2011, Takács has received more than a dozen “Best in Show” awards from her numerous exhibitions.
Villamagna works in repurposed lithographed metals, found objects, vintage photographs and mixed-media. His work has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions, including at the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Society for Contemporary Craft (Pittsburgh), the Butler Museum of American Art and the Erie Museum of Art. Six of Villamagna’s works are in the State of West Virginia Permanent Collection. He was also named West Virginia Artist of the Year in 2016.
“Time Will Tell’s” award for Best in Show went to Keith Dull for his relief print series “Correlation Is Not Causation.” In addition, first-place was awarded for Barbara Hack’s oil on linen painting “Jerome-A Life’s Collage,” second-place went to Tom Jackson for his oil painting “Pearl Street Mall” and Michael High received a third-place award for his ceramic sculpture “Behind the Mask.”
Shrek the Musical
The Loudonville Theatre and Arts Co and Committee (LTAC) will perform Shrek the Musical for five performances at the Ohio Theatre in downtown Loudonville. Performances are Saturday, June 18 at 7 p.m., Sunday, June 19 at 2 p.m., Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 25 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for students and free for children 4 years old and younger (as long as space is available).
All seats are reserved seating only. Presale tickets are available online at http://www.theohiotheatre.com and at the Ohio Theatre Box Office at 419-994-3750. Remaining tickets will be available at the door beginning an hour before each performance on a first come basis.
Disney’s Aladdin Jr.
The Wayne County Performing Arts Council will present Disney’s Aladdin Jr. in June 2022. The event location is Fisher Auditorium 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster. Sponsored by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural & Environmental Sciences. Show dates are Friday, June 17 at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 18 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 19 at 2 p.m. Purchase reserved tickets at the door or www.wacpac.org. Reserved seat tickets are $10 each and Family 4-pack $30. For more information go to www.wacpac.org or call 330-464-1721 or 818-298-7308.
Juneteenth
The second annual Juneteenth Potluck will be at Brookside West, June 20, noon to 3 p.m. Pulled pork and sloppy Joe’s will be provided. We invite everyone to attend and please feel free to bring a side dish, however it is not a requirement, and your own place settings. Raffles, face painting and other games and activities.
Historical Society Ice Cream Social
Free ice cream, museum tours, a silent auction, music, and games will be the highlights at the 2022 Ashland County Historical Society’s Ice Cream Social. This family-friendly event is on Sunday, June 26, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the Main Campus located at 420 Center Street, Ashland, Ohio 44805.
Whit’s Frozen Custard will provide free ice cream. Free admission to our Historic Manor House, Carriage House, Noonan Museum, and Barn will all be part of the fun that day. Be a part of history and learn about life from 1860 to 1950. David Berry, an Ashland High School graduate, will provide live country music along with Robert Gregory’s traveling band organ, a calliopestyle exhibit. Also on display will be our antique farm tool collection featuring plows, corn shuckers, seeder, and F.E. Myer’s farm implements and pumps. Lawn games and bingo will round out the activities for the day. A silent auction, featuring items sponsored by local businesses will take place as a fundraiser for the society.
Admission to this event is free! For more information, visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AshlandCountyHistoricalSociety or on our website at www.ashlandhistory.org, or call us at (419) 289-3111 with any questions about this great family-friendly event.
Ashland Chautauqua
Ashland Chautauqua’s traditional five-day event, with its evening first-person performances and daytime workshops, features a variety of memorable characters this year in keeping with its theme of “The Famous and Infamous.” The evening performances will be held July 12-16 at the Myers Band Shell in Ashland’s Brookside Park.
This year’s theme has room for a couple of women whose claim to infamy is that they each were accused of murder. They both pled not guilty. One was acquitted; one was convicted and executed. Audience members can hear their personal stories and form their own opinions. Two other women have been admired and honored, but they are one-dimensional persons in history. Audience members will hear their personal stories that are so much broader than their fame. And finally, one man embodied both fame and infamy in his lifetime, depending on who was hearing his message. His complex intellect and personality still give rise to diverging opinions about him today.
Ashland Chautauqua’s 23rd year features scholars portraying five historic individuals who are noteworthy and memorable for special reasons. The scholars include Leslie Goddard portraying Lizzie Borden, accused of the brutal axe murders of her father and stepmother; Darrick Johnson portraying Malcolm X, the convert to Islam whose fiery speaking skills inspired many and alarmed many others during the 1960s civil rights era; Dianne Moran portraying Mary Surratt, keeper of the boardinghouse where the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was planned; Susan Marie Frontczak portraying Madame Marie Curie, the scientist who discovered radioactivity and won two Nobel Prizes for her scientific research; and Elsa Wolff portraying Annie Oakley, the sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and became a superstar.
This year both the adult and youth workshops will be held in person. The schedule of workshops appears on the www.ashlandchautauqua.org website. Each workshop is led by a Chautauqua scholar. The topics all relate either to a character or more generally to the context of the time in which the character lived.
Leslie Goddard and Darrick Johnson are new to Ashland Chautauqua, although experienced in first-person portrayals. The other three scholars have appeared in earlier Ashland Chautauqua events. Dianne Moran portrayed Rachel Carson in 2012, Miep Gies in 2014, and Mary Chesnut in 2016. Susan Marie Frontczak portrayed Eleanor Roosevelt in 2010. Elsa Wolff has appeared in Ashland as Amelia Earhart in 2011, Sarah Ophelia Colley (Minnie Pearl) in 2012, and Maria von Trapp in 2017.
The popular feature, Coffee with the Scholars, will be back on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. The location is in the community room at the Board of Realtors at 107 East Main Street in downtown Ashland. Everyone is welcome to participate in these informal conversations with the scholars for a behind the scenes glimpse of Chautauqua.
All Ashland Chautauqua events are free and open to the public. The evening performances and workshops are held at accessible locations.
Ashland Chautauqua offers Ashland County and surrounding areas an opportunity to celebrate history in an educational and entertaining manner. The Chautauqua planning committee is pleased to fully resume the traditional in-person event for its dedicated fans and for newcomers as well.
Ashland Chautauqua is supported by Ohio Humanities, the Ohio Arts Council, the City of Ashland’s Parks & Recreation Department, Explore Ashland, local businesses and organizations, and by local residents who want to see this vibrant celebration of history thrive in this community. Ashland Main Street is our fiscal agent. Ashland Chautauqua programming is planned and implemented by a committee of local citizen volunteers.
Ashland Pride
The first Ashland Ohio's Pride in the Park will be Aug. 20 at Brookside Park from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
This day boasts a fabulous bandshell show at the Guy C. Meyers Memorial Bandshell, featuring DJ Jay Fox from Mansfield Mix 106.1 FM, local bands and live entertainment hosted by the incredible Jasmyn La Basha.
There will be a variety of food trucks around the park throughout the day, and vendors at both pavilions.
At 7:30 p.m., head to Riley's (155 West Main Street in Ashland) for the AfterParty! Music, games, and fun, and a Drag Show at 11 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: AREA HAPPENINGS: Coburn Gallery exhibition, Shrek the Musical
