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Events Scheduled for January 2010 February 19 Main Street Sessions - Dean's Store - Woodstock Author Kevin Prochaska leads a book discussion. February 22,23,24 Free Library Programs for "The Little Read" featuring stories by Dr. Seuss! February 25 Tea with Emily and her Friends at Tea Leaves and Thyme March 4 - 14 1901 Woodstock Preservation Woodstock depicts life as it was at the turn of the century. March 14 - 26 "Our Town" the play presented for the public and for students. Read "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" and see the play for free! Link to NEA site press
announcement:
July 8, 2010 THE TOWNE LAKE ARTS
CENTER ONE OF 75
ORGANIZATIONS NATIONWIDE Cherokee
County to read and celebrate Thornton
Wilder’s Pulitzer prize winning book “The Bridge of San Luis Rey”
and July 8, 2010—Woodstock, GA—The Towne Lake Arts Center today announced that it has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to host The Big Read in Cherokee County 2011. TLAC is one of 75 not-for-profits—including arts and cultural organizations; libraries; and universities—to receive a grant to host a Big Read project between September 2010 and June 2011. The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 31 selections from U.S. and world literature. The Big Read in Cherokee County will focus on Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer prize winning book “The Bridge of San Luis Rey” and Pulitzer prize winning play “Our Town”. Activities will take place from February 14 through March 26, 2011. Since the 2006 pilot program with ten participating organizations, the NEA has given more than 800 grants to support local Big Read projects. “We are honored and thrilled to be selected by the NEA for our third Big Read,” said Artistic Director G. Lora Grooms. Previous Big Reads included “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” “TLAC is one of only four Georgia communities to be selected this year and the only community of all 75 grantees to be presenting Thornton Wilder’s great works.” With TLAC coming to Downtown Woodstock in the next few months, “Our Town” has a special significance. “This truly remarkable play is part of the 11th Grade reading curriculum for Cherokee County and we will be partnering with the teachers, administrators and media specialists with a variety of free programming.” Planned events will be posted on the TLAC and NEA websites starting July 15th. Educators are encouraged to contact TLAC as soon as possible to schedule free events for students. “The arts in general – and literature, in particular – often serve as an expression of our shared values. This is exactly why they are so effective as a fulcrum for community engagement,” said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “Thanks to these 75 grants, communities nationwide will be inspired, delighted and challenged by a book they are discovering for the first time, or an old favorite to which they are returning.” The selected organizations will receive Big Read grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to promote and carry out community-based reading programs featuring activities such as read-a-thons, book discussions, lectures, movie screenings, and performing arts events. Participating communities also receive high-quality, free-of-charge educational materials to supplement each title, including Reader’s, Teacher’s, and Audio Guides. “IMLS is proud to support The Big Read, a national program that brings communities together to read and discuss books,” said Marsha L. Semmel, acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “Through this program, libraries and museums are playing critical roles in reading partnerships across the country.” The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read has been provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the Boeing Company, the Poetry Foundation, and the Ford Motor Company. For more information about The Big Read please visit www.neabigread.org. The Towne Lake Arts Center provides family entertainment, performing arts education and a creative outlet to the entire Cherokee County community. A 501c3 non-profit since 2003, TLAC has a lengthy history of bringing professional quality performances and free school programming to local residents and students. Classes and camps for ages 5 and up are held all year round. The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts—both new and established—bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. For more information, please visit www.imls.gov. Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit www.artsmidwest.org. # # #
In recent weeks, The Towne Lake Arts Center organized and provided to residents and students of Cherokee County a wide variety of activities for The Big Read featuring To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Programming included free library and school events, free presentations by Harper Lee biographer Charles J. Shields, free community events and activities and live stage performances of To Kill a Mockingbird. The highlight of the Big Read experience was being able to engage over 11,000 students in the public school system, as well as thousands of other participants throughout the county, in the themes of To Kill a Mockingbird, either through reading and studying the novel, or through programming that addressed similar themes. It was rewarding to see young people at the “Tea with Scout” shocked at the inequalities of the depression era South as they reassured our “Calpurnia” that life is much different in the 21st century when we have our very first African American president. It was also enlightening and encouraging to watch the participants in our Teen Mystery Party realize that, while we live in an age of much greater tolerance and acceptance, an era when they may not even be aware of the magnitude of the racism that existed a few generations ago, we still see intolerance or lack of understanding between people who are different. This event, inspired by the character Boo Radley, led the participants through a series of interviews with a number of “eyewitnesses” to a crime, all of whom seemed to have something missing. The participants came to discover that while people around us may be “missing” their vision, or motor control, or speech, it is often our own lack of understanding and compassion for people with special needs that is really “missing.” Through all of our programming, but particularly with the distribution of free books, reader’s guides and our Atticus Finch’s Subpoenas to Appear, which entitled readers to a free ticket to the stage production, we feel we were able to reach a number of lapsed readers. We saw families, who might otherwise be racing in different directions with overbooked schedules, reading the book together so they could see the play for free. Parents who had already read the novel were able to view the book with a new perspective as they watched their children learn from this challenging material, and were often inspired to read it again so they could discuss it with their children. Students, who may not have been excited to have yet another novel to read as a class assignment, were delightfully engaged by biographer Charles Shields as they learned of the connections between the novel and Harper Lee’s life. Other students, excited to read the work, were even more enthusiastic when they learned they would have their very own copy of the novel to keep. 3,000 free books were given to Cherokee 8th graders and 20 free audio books given to Cherokee public libraries and school media centers. Adults who had not picked up a piece of good literature in a long time found incentive to read again because they wanted a free ticket to see the play as part of their night on the town. Sometimes just being given a free book created enough incentive to read again, and helped us overcome the challenges of reaching those reluctant and lapsed readers who just needed someone to give them a good reason to read. Harper Lee biographer Charles J. Shields spoke to students at three Cherokee County Middle Schools – Freedom, Dean Rusk and Teasley. While his address was designed for the 8th grade students who were reading the novel, in two schools he was able to address the entire school, 6th-8th grades. For our younger audiences, the Towne Lake Arts Center’s Improv Troupe was able to take the stories of Dr. Seuss and act them out for elementary age students, taking free programming to over 8,000 students around the county. These presentations allowed us to highlight the themes of tolerance and acceptance exemplified in To Kill a Mockingbird, but in a format appropriate for a younger audience. Finally, our live stage performances of To Kill a Mockingbird, while appealing to all audience members (about 1,700), were especially well-received by our adult audience members who had read the novel at a younger age, had seen the movie, but found in our stage production a renewed interest in this great work. To Kill a Mockingbird still offers a powerful message, and we were pleased to share that message with so many residents of Cherokee County. Our 2010 The Big Read in Cherokee County Books and Materials to Schools Advance distribution of free copies of "To Kill a Mockingbird" along with NEA Reader's Guides, Teacher's Guides, Audio Guides, posters and bookmarks to local schools and teachers. Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl TLAC will present information regarding upcoming Big Read events to participants and other attendees of the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. NEA materials and free copies of "To Kill a Mockingbird" will be distributed. Event Location: Freedom Middle School, 10550 Bells Ferry Road, Canton, GA 30114 Date: Tue, Jan 12, 2010 Main Street Sessions Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Presentation will include brief scenes from the book and the play performed by the Towne Lake Players as well as free materials from the NEA and free copies of the book. Discussion following. Event Location: 8588 Main Street, Woodstock, GA 30188 Date: Sat, Jan 16, 2010 Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl TLAC will present information regarding upcoming Big Read events to participants and other attendees of the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. NEA materials and free copies of "To Kill a Mockingbird" will be distributed. Event Location: Freedom Middle School, 10550 Bells Ferry Road, Canton, GA 30114 Date: Tue, Jan 19, 2010 Depression Era Photography Show A free program of scenes from the play and a book discussion of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" at the Rose Creek Public Library in Woodstock. Free books and reader's guides will be distributed. Event Location: 4476 Towne Lake Parkway , Woodstock, GA 30189 Date: Tue, Feb 16, 2010 Hickory Flat Public Library Free Program A free program of scenes from the play and a book discussion of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" at the Hickory Flat Public Library in Canton. Free books and reader's guides will be distributed. Event Location: 2740 East Cherokee Drive , Canton, GA 30115 Date: Tue, Feb 16, 2010 R.T. Jones Public Library Free Program A free program of scenes from the play and a book discussion of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" at the R.T. Jones Public Library in Canton. Free books and reader's guides will be distributed. Event Location: 116 Brown Industrial Parkway, Canton, GA 30114 Date: Wed, Feb 17, 2010 Ball Ground Public Library Free Program A free program of scenes from the play and a book discussion of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" at the Ball Ground Public Library in Ball Ground. Free books and reader's guides will be distributed. Event Location: 435 Old Canton Road , Ball Ground, GA 30107 Date: Wed, Feb 17, 2010 Woodstock Public Library Free Program A free program of scenes from the play and a book discussion of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" at the Woodstock Public Library in Woodstock. Free books and reader's guides will be distributed. Event Location: 7735 Main Street , Woodstock, GA 30188 Date: Thu, Feb 18, 2010 Date: Thu, Feb 18, 2010 Tea with Scout and Aunt Alexandra (or "How to Take a Tomboy to a Fancy Restaurant") Come have tea with Scout, Aunt Alexandra and other ladies from "To Kill a Mockingbird" at Tea Leaves and Thyme in Downtown Woodstock! Event Location: 8990 South Main Street, Woodstock, GA 30188 Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2010 Jem's Scavenger Hunt Find items from the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" as you follow clues from place to place in Downtown Woodstock. Event Location: Downtown Woodstock Merchants, Woodstock, GA 30189 Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2010 Black and White Art Show & Fundraiser A unique art show and sale benefitting The Big Read in Cherokee County featuring works of local reknowned artists. Event Location: Roomscapes Gallery 390 Chambers St, Woodstock, GA 30188 Date: Fri Mar 5, 2010 An evening for teens with a mystery to solve and other activities focusing on the character of Boo Radley from "To Kill a Mockingbird". Event Location: 8534 Main St, Woodstock, GA 30188 Date: Sat, Mar 6, 2010
The TLAC Improv Troupe brings free programs into local Elementary Schools during February and March as part of the Big Read in Cherokee County. Public performances on Saturdays and Sundays at the Towne Lake Arts Center are only $6 per ticket. Event Location: 6576 Commerce Parkway, Woodstock, GA 30189 March 6-28 – Saturday and Sunday at 3pm All Seats $6.00 "To Kill a Mockingbird" stage play Christopher Sergel's famous stage adaptation of Harper Lee's novel presented by the Towne Lake Players at the Woodstock Community Church on Main St Woodstock. If you read the book and complete the Atticus Finch Subpoena to Appear your seat is free! Event Location: 8534 Main Street, Woodstock, GA 30188 March 9-27 Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm Closing Ceremony Closing ceremony for the Big Read in Cherokee County 2010 following the final performance of "Sneetches and Other Stories." Event Location: 6576 Commerce Parkway, Woodstock, GA 30189 Date: Sun, Mar 28, 2010 Tom Sawyer a Big Hit in County The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded the Towne Lake Arts Center and its partner organizations a $20,000 grant for The Big Read program. The annual program is a national project to encourage literacy by inviting entire communities to read the same book together and attend events celebrating the story. The arts center is one of 269 nonprofits nationwide to receive a portion of $3.7 million in grants awarded by the NEA this week. The maximum grant size is $20,000 - the amount won by the arts center. For this past school year's The Big Read, the first for the arts center, it won a $14,000 grant to promote reading Mark Twain's classic tale, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." During the upcoming school year, the center will present programs centered on another Southern treasure: Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird." Set in the fictional "tired old town" of Maycomb, Ala., the novel tells a story of Southern life, racial injustice, courage and compassion through the eyes of a 6-year-old female narrator named Scout Finch. G. Lora Grooms, artistic director for the arts center, said she and her partners selected the book after polling Cherokee teachers. "Mockingbird" not only was a top choice, it is also required reading for Cherokee eighth-graders. A portion of the grant funds will be used to provide a free copy of the novel to every eighth-grader in Cherokee. Each student will also receive a reader guide, and teachers will be given special guides with ideas for classroom activities. Ms. Grooms said she looks forward to sharing themes of tolerance, prejudice and understanding with local children through a stage version of the novel and other special programs. "I've wanted to produce the play of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' for some time and now have a great reason to do so," she said, noting they will perform the stage adaptation by Christopher Sergel at the arts center. Children who read the book can complete an "Atticus Finch Subpoena to Appear" (named for a main character in the novel) for a free ticket to see the play. The subpoena will ask students to briefly answer two questions about how the book affected them. Other plans, she said, include programs and assemblies at local schools and libraries featuring actors from the cast. Mock trials, "Tea with Scout and Aunt Alexandra - or - How to Take a Tomboy to a Fancy Restaurant" and a Teen Mystery Night will be presented as well. A "Little Read" featuring "Sneetches and Other Stories" by Dr. Seuss with companion performances and assemblies will reach out to younger children, she said. "The Big Read highlights not only literature, but also what can be accomplished in partnership," NEA Acting Chairman Patrice Walker Powell said. The arts center's main partner is the Sequoyah Regional Library System. Ms. Grooms said they also will be working closely with the city governments of Canton and Woodstock, local businesses such as Microtel of Woodstock, Tea Leaves & Thyme in Woodstock, FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock and Yawn's Books & More in Canton; and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Grooms said local businesses that want to join the effort are welcome, noting the arts center needs to raise matching funds from the community. She and the arts center board, led by Cheri Weitkamp of Woodstock, are ready for the challenge of fundraising and presenting the program, according to Ms. Grooms. This month, they and other event organizers attended the official Big Read Orientation in Minneapolis. Ms. Grooms said they also have the past year's success to build on, noting that more than 5,000 students and adults were reached during the six-week program and 2,000 copies of "Tom Sawyer," 7,500 readers guides and 75 teacher guides were distributed.
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