Grammy-Award Winning Vocalist Performs in Benefit for Christina Cultural Arts Center

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Photo courtesy of Gregory Porter

Just before he takes the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Grammy Award–winning jazz singer, songwriter and actor Gregory Porter makes a rare stop at The Grand Opera House at 7:30pm on Friday, October 17. The one-night-only performance in the Baby Grand Theater is a benefit for Christina Cultural Arts Center.

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring an artist of Gregory’s caliber to Wilmington,” said CCAC Executive Director, Raye Jones Avery. “The event is even more meaningful for us because the proceeds benefit Christina Cultural Arts Center — one of our city's celebrated arts organizations helping to elevate WIlmington's vibrant cultural scene and to inspire our children, youth and teens through the arts.”

Special pre- and post-event ticket packages (one including a post-concert dinner with Porter) are still available by contacting The Grand Box Office at 37.800.GRAND. Single concert tickets are $45 and can be purchased online at TicketsAtTheGrand.org or by calling the box office.

This performance is just part of Christina Cultural Arts Center’s focus on presenting intimate live performances by both local and nationally known musicians — both in the Clifford Brown Performance Space of CCAC and other venues in and around downtown Wilmington. Past concerts sponsored by the organization include a sold-out performance by jazz-funk ensemble Snarky Puppy and Esperanza Spalding, as part of the Clifford Brown Year-Round Jazz Series in partnership with the Grand Opera House and the City of Wilmington.

Gregory Porter’s new album, Liquid Spirit, earned him a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album in January. The album features three covers and 11 original songs including the title track (Liquid Spirit), Hey Laura, and No Love Dying. Called “the next great male jazz singer,” by NPR Music, Porter made his U.S. television debut last year with an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

This engagement of Gregory Porter is made possible through the Jazz Touring Network program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Christina Cultural Arts Center, Inc. is a premier community school of the arts with a mission to make affordable arts education and live multicultural performances accessible to children, teens and adults in a safe, family environment. CCAC’s leading-edge programs promote self-development, healthy lifestyles, social change, educational success and economic empowerment. CCAC is a partner in Wilmington’s Creative District project and the Center City Wilmington Delaware Readiness Team — a task force aiming to prepare Wilmington’s East Side and Southbridge area children for Kindergarten readiness.

See www.ccacde.org.

A Christmas Tradition Continues with Carols in Color

Photo: Eleone Dance Company

Few holidays shows are as inspiring as Carols in Color, a Holiday Dance Music Celebration, performed in Wilmington by Eleone Dance Theatre and presented by Christina Cultural Arts Center and Revive the Village. For 22 years, the show, a spectacular telling of the Biblical Christmas story with an African American Gospel flavor, has graced area stages. Whether the show is performed in a high school auditorium or a big proscenium theater, it always delivers. This year, the Wilmington show was performed at The Grand Opera House downtown to a packed room, including many local children and families, some of whom were gifted with tickets through CCAC.

That generosity is part of Eleone Dance Theatre Artistic Director Shawn-Lamere Williams' mission. "We must invest in our children," he said after the show. "There's a saying, 'It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.' Today it takes a World to Raise a Child."

Funds raised from Carols in Color and its sponsors, including United Way of Delaware, Delaware Division of the Arts, AstraZeneca, Black Heritage Education & Theatre Group, Center Wilmington Early Learning Readiness Team, and Delaware Office of Early Learning, help to support Christina Cultural Arts Center Education Programs.

For the uninitiated, Carols in Color is an original production of the Eleone Dance Company in Philadelphia, conceived by the company's founder, E. Leon Evans, II. It combines modern dance and a live Gospel chorus, as well as music from various gospel artists, to tell the Christmas story starting from Gabriel's first visit Mart?. Several local students of Christina Cultural Arts Center? also participate in the show.

The first act of Carols in Color focuses on the confusion, helplessness and hardship Mary and Joseph faced as they dealt with her very unexpected pregnancy. Most of the first act is comprised of beautiful solo dances -- performed this year by Anthony Rhodes as Gabriel, Dara J. Meredith as Mary, Matthew Thomas as Joseph and A'aliyah Khan as the Angel of God -- with their voices sung by Jeremy Isaac, Tina Finks/Germaine Downing, Kairi Guinn and Tia McNeil, respectively. Songs include "What Shall I Do," "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" and "No Place To Go."

The second act opens with "Go Tell It On The Mountain," as Mary presents the baby Jesus, played by little Dakota Meredith. The celebration continues with "Hallelujah" from Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, "The First Noel," "Silent Night," with "Angels We Have Heard On High" finishing the show with the entire cast of dancers and singers on stage.


If you missed this year's celebration, be sure to catch it next year, when the company will continue the tradition for the 23rd year. For more information on how to support Christina Cultural Arts Center and Carols in Color, go to ccacde.org and eleonedance.org.

Things to “Artify” Your Holidays

The holidays are a time to celebrate, make memories and give a little back. We’ve compiled an arts-centric list so you can do just that. Happy (Arty) Holidays from Delaware Arts Info!  

1. Shop the Arts
There’s nothing like finding that perfect, one-of-a-kind holiday gift — and nowhere better to find it than shopping with the Arts!  The Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts’ Alternatives Museum Shop Holiday Craft Show on December 6 & 7 features more than 20 artists’ work in jewelry, ceramics, woodworking and fun accessories. www.thedcca.org

That same weekend, the Delaware Art Museum’s Winter Art Fair on December 7 & 8, features museum Studio Art instructors and their works. Plus, 25% of proceeds benefit the museum’s education department. www.delart.org
 

 And also this weekend: Rehoboth Art League Holiday Open House on December 7, offering plenty unique gift options, art demonstrations, activities for adults and children, refreshments and maybe even a visit from Santa! www.rehobothartleague.org
 
Barry Schlecker and friends certainly know how to throw a Fest. And, they're doing it again on December 6 with Taste of the Holidays, at the Delaware Center for Horticulture. Not only can you find great arts & crafts for gifting, you can sample yummy holiday sips (beer, wine & spirits) and hear some great live music!  Taste of the Holidays  

2. Support an Artist and Her Cause
Sarah Davenport is a designer, a photographer, an ardent supporter of the Arts…and a sufferer of chronic late-stage Lyme disease.  Her fundraiser — FEARLESS: A Fight Against Chronic Lyme Disease — will help defray the cost of her extensive treatment and raise awareness for the disease. On December 7, the event features a mix of music, art and charity, including a silent auction of some fantastic objet d'arts. Tickets available at http://fearless.brownpapertickets.com/

3. Go “Nuts” with Dance
It’s a holiday tradition, and Delaware provides plenty of chances for you to experience The Nutcracker. Take your pick:

• December 7 & 8 with the Delaware Dance Company at John Dickinson High School
• December 7 with New Castle Dance and Music Academy's Ballet Company at the Smyrna Opera House
• December 7 & 8 with Diamond Dance Company at Milford Senior High School
• December 13 & 14 with Mid-Atlantic Ballet at UD
• December 21 with First State Ballet Theatre at the Grand Opera House December 21 with Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance at the Dupont Theatre

Details: www.inwilmingtonde.com or  www.delawarescene.com

4. The Greatest Story Ever Told…Through Music & Dance
Christina Cultural Arts Center and Eleone Dance Theatre present “Carols in Color.” CCAC brings back this powerful show, based on the gospel according to St. Matthew, on December 15 at the Grand. “Carols in Color” re-tells the story of the birth of Christ through exuberant dance, contemporary music and powerful narration. www.ticketsatthegrand.org

5. Rejoice in the Voice(s) of the Holidays
There’s plenty of holiday chorale music this time of year; here’s a sampling of the voices you’ll hear exalting the season:

Celebrate Christmas with the Mastersingers on December 8. The celebrated Mastersingers, organist Marvin Mills, conductor David Schelat and orchestra provide some of the greatest Christmas music of all time. www.marketstreetmusicde.org

The Music School of Delaware ensembles partner with neighboring synagogues for a stunning performance in Winter Reflection: Winter Choral Concert on December 15. The program features the Delaware Children’s Chorus, the Delaware Women’s Chorus and choirs of Congregation Beth Emeth and Beth Shalom.www.musicschoolofdelaware.org

The “Singing Ambassadors of Wilmington” bring their annual performance and amazing talent to the masses with the Wilmington Children's Chorus Candlelight Holiday Concert on December 13 & 14.www.wilmingtonchildrenschorus.org 

6. Laugh Your Way Through the Holiday
Need a good laugh to brighten your Blue Christmas? Head to World Café Live for The Second City's Nut-cracking Holiday Revue on December 5. The troupe that bore many SNL faves brings you magic and mayhem of the season with original songs, new sketches and classic favorites.queen.worldcafelive.com 

7. Love Live & Local Holiday Tunes
Local and national musicians get into the holiday spirit with these awesome seasonal sets:

TOMORROW, December 4, Lunasa: Christmas from Ireland comes to the Grand, with a blend of homey nostalgia, rollicking high energy and what The Irish Voice calls “the hottest Irish acoustic group on the planet.” www.ticketsatthegrand.org

Market Street Music presents the Cartoon Christmas Trio on December 5.  Celebrate with a nostalgic repertoire of classic cartoon themed-music including Vince Guaraldi “Peanuts” music. www.marketstreetmusicde.org

Our very own favorite DOCK-ROCK power duo, HOT BREAKFAST!, release their single, An Idiot for Christmas, just in time for your holiday party playlist! Get it here: https://soundcloud.com/hotbreakfas.../an-idiot-for-christmas

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with the David Bromberg Quintet. Bromberg’s played with everyone, toured everywhere, and now hosts a New Year’s Eve bash at the Queen just for Delaware fans on December 31. queen.worldcafelive.com

Wilmington Children's Chorus Welcomes German Youth in Weeklong Celebration of Music

Excitement is building among the 160 youth from the Wilmington Children's Chorus (WCC) and Youth Chamber Orchestra of Fulda, Germany as they are in the midst of the week of a lifetime. A cultural exchange program and music festival that began Sunday, July 28, in Wilmington will culminate with a joint public concert on Saturday, August 3, at 7:30pm at St. Helena's Catholic Church, 602 Philadelphia Pike in Bellefonte.

The evening's performance will feature Schubert's Mass in G and other works for chorus, orchestra and soloists by Mendelssohn, Brahms and Bernstein. The concert is free and open to the public, although a free-will offering will be taken to help underwrite the costs of the concert. (A $10 minimum donation is suggested.) 

Members of both ensembles have performed at public and private events during the cultural exchange week, including a July 29 Wilmington Blue Rocks game and a gala reception for community leaders at the Delaware Art Museum.  The week included daily rehearsal time for choristers and orchestra members, and so much more. The WCC promised its German counterparts a truly American cultural experience featuring a series of fun and educational activities, both in the City of Wilmington and the region.
 
To start, the orchestra and their chaperones enjoyed a pool party and barbecue with WCC at St. Anthony's in the Hills.  On July 29, WCC's German guests experienced minor league baseball with the Wilmington Blue Rocks and WCC's Young Men's Ensemble sang The National Anthem prior to the first pitch. Members of both groups entertained audiences at an invitation-only Welcome Reception at the Delaware Art Museum later that weekend.

The fun continued with WCC and orchestra members traveling to Cape Henlopen for an all-American beach day, complete with summer sun and an evening clambake as chaperones got a special tour of Delaware's own Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton. Delaware's German-American community welcomed the guests at the Delaware Saengerbund in Newark. The Birthplace of Liberty — Philadelphia — was a stop, with visits to The Constitution Center, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and lunch at Reading Terminal Market. Saturday, August 3, will be concert day, and the orchestra will depart on Sunday, August 4, after a morning brunch and musical showcase at Christina Cultural Arts Center. 

WCC's Artistic Director Kimberly Doucette says the choristers — ranging in age from eight to 18, plus alumni singers from WCC — have set aside weekend and summer activities to practice and prepare for these events.  For many choristers, this is the first experience meeting and working with individuals from outside the United States; for others, this event marks an opportunity to reciprocate the hospitality they received from German orchestra members and host families during a 2011 summer tour, which included time in Wilmington's Sister Cities of Fulda, Germany and Nemours, France.

"The 2011 visit was life-changing for our choristers and their families," Doucette recalled. "They experienced the pride of representing the City of Wilmington as cultural ambassadors abroad. Our choristers became global citizens and formed lifelong friendships with both the musicians and their host families in Fulda. We cannot wait to welcome the orchestra and their chaperones to Wilmington."

"In hosting our German friends, we're building on the success of a wonderful cultural exchange born in 2011," Doucette concluded, "and we're showing children who might never travel overseas the immense value of not just sharing music, but sharing all Wilmington has to offer - here at home and abroad."

Both the WCC and The Fulda Youth Orchestra are widely recognized regionally for their commitment to artistic excellence and music education. In Delaware, the WCC enjoys a strong reputation for creating opportunity for local and regional youth. WCC has performed with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, OperaDelaware, First State Ballet Theatre, the Philadelphia Arab Music Ensemble, and American composer Robert Powell.

The Festival was sponsored in part by Sister Cities International of Wilmington, Wawa, The Delaware Division of the Arts, the Christina Cultural Arts Center, the Kenny Family Foundation of ShopRite Supermarkets, and Papa's Pastry in Wilmington. St. Helena's Parish as well as First and Central Presbyterian Church and The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew have generously supported this project by providing rehearsal and performance space. The Delaware Saengerbund provided cultural and language support to the WCC as it prepared for the exchange.

The Wilmington Children's Chorus is a multicultural children's choir sponsored by the City of Wilmington, Dennis P. Williams, Mayor, as a project of Cityfest, Inc. Any qualified child can participate for free, regardless of financial or social background.

See www.wilmingtonchildrenschorus.org.

Pick of the November Art Loop

By Owen Napier, Jr.

Owen Napier, Jr.  is not your ordinary photographer and printmaker.  A bookbinder by trade, Napier practices the Japanese art of three dimensional decoupage called papier tole. This gives his photographs a startling layered and textured effect.  Napier was gracious to all the visitors who came to the Christina Cultural Art Center for the November Art Loop,  going out of his way to greet them and explain how he puts the intricate layers together to make his work.  One photograph was on display as a one dimensional work just above its companion papier tole image- showing the viewer the startling difference in texture and realism. (MD)

By Brian Marshall

Robots have invaded Poppycock Tattoo at 8th and Orange... again! Found object artist Brian Marshall's whimsy-cool Adopt-a-Robots surrounded the floor, from tiny shampoo bottle 'bots to large metal cowboys and knights, and everything in between. If you haven't come across Adopt-a-Robots before, they must be seen to be believed. Ordinary household (and sometimes industrial) objects are bound together to create artificial humanoids with amazing personality. In addition to the sculptures, the gallery featured a selection of robot-themed paintings, drawings and photomanipulations by Tina Marabito, Pat Higgins, Baron Von Reign, Dave Mele, Eric Hendrickson and 3EYES, plus tunes spun by DJ Zip. (HQ)

Christi Awards Celebrates Key Arts Supporters

By Guest Blogger, Kimberly Cauley
Kimberly is a member of the CCAC Board of Directors, a freelance writer and communications consultant. She also volunteers her marketing expertise in support of Junior Achievement of Delaware.

Most love the aura of celebration and celebrity that the Grammys, Oscars and Golden Globes exude. If you crave the same “atmosphere” within your own backyard, for a more reasonable ticket price, the 2009 Christi Awards offers it! On October 22 at 6:30 pm, Christina Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) will present its biannual(?) Christi Awards at the baby grand at The Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market Street, in Wilmington.

The event will honor four individuals for their dedication, commitment and love of the Arts in Delaware. This year, the honorees are:

Richard Rothrock, Outstanding Achievement by an Artist
Michael Kalmbach, Outstanding Achievement in Arts Advocacy
Fostina Dixon-Kilgoe, Outstanding Achievement in Arts Education
Jeff Santoro, Outstanding Philanthropy in the Arts

The Honorary Co-Chairs are The Honorable Governor Jack Markell & Mrs. Carla Markell, Mr. William Allen & Dr. Kim Allen, and Mr. & Mrs. Ed. Loper. Co-Hosts for the evening are Lauren Wilson of Channel 6 Action News and Michelle Schiavoni of Christiana Care Health System.

For seventeen years, CCAC’s Christi Awards has simultaneously honored its recipients and raised awareness for the institution. As the four elements – wind, fire, water and earth are necessary for the world to exist, the four elements of the Arts – inspiration, passion, hope and knowledge – are necessary for a community to thrive with the Arts.

A reception with student and faculty performances, light fare and drinks will be held at CCAC, 705 N. Market Street, immediately following the awards program. Tickets are $60 or $50 for 2 or more. Purchase by calling The Grand Box Office at 302.652.5577.

See http://www.ccacde.org/.