Concert to benefit Clary Gardens set for Sunday
COSHOCTON — Giving back to a venue that has given so much to her is the goal of a benefit planned by Grace Cullison.
A Garden of Music concert will be from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday at The Boathouse Tavern, 51 Pine St. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
Performing will be the Half Moon Band, Three Rivers Trio, Matt Shannon, Brad Fuller and others bringing many musical genres and age groups together. Youth performing include Cullison, Bryson Darr, Cora McMullen, Kynsington McMasters, Mattalyn Kiser, Paige Nicely and Julia Grimmet.
Cullison said the youth and a few adults will do one or two songs in the first half of the show. There will then be a brief intermission and the other acts will get about a half hour each. Cullison knows many people are excited for the Half Moon Band, which haven't performed in some time.
"The older performers I asked who don't go around and perform much anymore are excited to have this opportunity," Cullison said. "As for people my age, in high school and younger, I feel like a lot of us don't get as much public performance time."
Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. All proceeds will benefit Clary Gardens.
Jandi Adams, executive director of Clary Gardens, said funding will go toward purchase of a mobile shade sail for the natural amphitheater. It's the site of weddings and special events such as educational presentations like a falconry demonstration earlier this summer and plays by Rogue Elephant Productions. "Godspell" was performed this year and "Spamalot" is planned for next summer.
Adams said since Cullison came to Clary Gardens through Rogue Elephant, she wanted proceeds from the event to go toward something that would help the theater company. Adams said she was amazed when Cullison came to her out of the blue and asked to organize the concert.
"It's been super fun to work with her," Adams said.
Cullison is a senior at River View High School. She performed in "Godspell" and "Into the Woods" by Rogue Elephant last summer. Through those musicals, she learned how Clary Gardens supports the arts in the community.
Cullison grew up going to different restaurants and venues in Coshocton with her parents listening to music and gained appreciation for the many performers in the region.
"This is a mix of me wanting to introduce people my age and younger to some of these older performers," Cullison said on organizing the show. "In general, I always wanted to do some big concert like this and I thought what better time than my senior year."
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with close to 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Concert to benefit Clary Gardens set for Sunday
