Canton Symphony Orchestra gala canceled, but auction for composer portraits still on
CANTON – The Canton Symphony Orchestra has canceled its fundraising gala for Saturday, citing ticket sales, COVID and other factors.
The gala would have been the orchestra's first in more than three years. Others had been canceled due to the pandemic.
"Due to a combination of time of year and increasing COVID cases, the ticket sales for the event were less than expected," the Canton Symphony Orchestra said in a prepared statement on Thursday. "As a result, we have decided to reschedule the event for a future date.
"We are looking forward to our upcoming 85th anniversary season with the Canton community this fall."
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Auction is still a go with a chance to bid on composer portraits
Despite the cancellation, however, an auction will still go forward with a unique feature. The public can bid on commissioned portraits created by local artists. The portraits showcase composers who have been highlighted by the orchestra.
Other auction items include a wine and snack basket, spa basket and wellness basket.
The online auction will go live as originally scheduled on Saturday and extend until after the final MasterWorks concert on June 25. Portraits were made as part of the Composer Portrait Project and are available for bidding at https://go.rallyup.com/csogala/Campaign/Details.
The portrait artists are Errick Freeman, Payton Finley and DaQuane Finley.
The gala had been set for Brookside Country Club, with a goal of raising $30,000 to fund programming, including education and community outreach, while helping the agency recover from the financial impact of the pandemic.
Dinner, drinks and live music had been planned, as well as a raffle.
In announcing the cancellation, Michelle Charles, president and CEO of the symphony orchestra, thanked the community for continuing to support the organization.
"There will be many more future opportunities to support our orchestral and educational programming that benefits our shared community, and we cannot wait to share them with you," she said in a statement. "We are looking forward to our 2022-2023 season and our 85th anniversary."
Composer Portrait Project features original work by local artists
The portrait project showcases the people behind the music, including the diversity of composers, the symphony orchestra said. Freeman brought together a group of local artists, named Dauber Copse Fam, to create art pieces on wood.
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Thirty percent of the art sales will benefit the artists.
Freeman, also known under the artist name of Pach Atomz, specializes in original pyrography techniques and headed the Canton Symphony Orchestra art project.
In 2013, the Canton native was selected to appear in Art Takes Manhattan and The Story Of The Creative in New York City. In 2019, Freeman participated in the prestigious ArtExpo New York.
Payton Finley has assisted and taught classes for the youth in the EN-RICH-MENT art program. The teenager was also a featured chalk artist for Canton’s First Friday event.
Finley is in the choir and drama program at GlenOak High School.
DaQuane Finley, Payton Finley's father, has more than 30 years of professional art experience. He also has taught high school art classes and served as a recreation director in a number of residential programs where he led art therapy groups, the symphony orchestra said.
He had a three-month showing at Jupiter Studios in Alliance and a solo showing for Black History Month at Stark State College.
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com
On Twitter @ebalintREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton Symphony fundraising gala canceled; composer art auction a go
