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/.

New Art Kicks Off New Festival

By Guest Blogger, Chuck Holdeman

Wednesday evening saw the opening, concurrent with the Fringe Wilmington Festival, of the NWAA (New Wilmington Art Association) show at a newly renovated, but still unfinished space at 312 Market Street. Association leader Michael Kalmbach informed me that this is still not the location where the organization hopes to permanently settle, an address one block south. The roof is still leaking there, but a contract has been signed for repair. #312 is a large space with art spread out all over, and there is even a corner, sheltered by a curtain, with an overtly sexual sculptural piece.

And if you go, don’t miss the basement, where there is both whimsy and the serious, and where you can pick up an application for the services of “The National Identity Renunciation Bureau.” The art on display has lots of variety, some work highly crafted and some raw but all with fascinating complexity. Fringe Wilmington continues through October 4 and the gallery is open Thursday and Friday 6-9, Saturday 1-9, and Sunday 12-4.

See http://newwilmingtonart.blogspot.com/.
See http://www.fringewilmingtonde.com/.

Chamber Music in October

Would you believe that the Pyxis Quartet’s October 1 concert at the Delaware Art Museum has been sold out since August? The Concerts on Kentmere series will be presented in the Pre-Raphaelite gallery and an option for dinner on the Chihuly Bridge can be part of the package for those lucky few who booked early.

The Pyxis Quartet was founded this year and I hope they will play together for many years to come: Hiroko Yamazaki, piano, Meredith Amado, violin, Amy Leonard, viola and Jie Jin, cello are a formidable combination.

If you did NOT book early for the Concert on Kentmere, fret not. You have two other opportunities to hear the Pyxis this fall: They will be playing on Thursday, October 29, at noon at First and Central Presbyterian Church just off Rodney Square and on Sunday, November 1 at Grace United Methodist Church at 3:00 p.m.

But don’t forget the Newark Symphony Chamber Series which starts on Saturday, October 3, with a star-studded ensemble of players. Thomas DiSarlo, concertmaster of the Philadelphia group Camerata Ama Deus, will play a violin etude by Ernst, and two Mozart violin duos with Amy Walder. Walder will switch to viola to join Susan Kiley, who will trade in her NSO viola role for a violin, and Charles Thomas, cello and Thomas DiSarlo, violin for the Haydn Emperor Quartet. The final piece in the concert will be the Schumann E-flat Piano Quartet with Vincent Craig, piano, DiSarlo, violin, Amy Walder, viola and Charles Thomas, cello.

On October 11 at 4:00 p.m.,near perfect acoustics in the Church of the Holy City will enhance the delightful sound of the Copeland String Quartet: Eliezer Gutman, violin, Thomas Jackson, violin, Nina Cottman, viola and Mark Ward.

And if you are still hungry for chamber music (and macaroons), don’t forget the Hotel Dupont Chamber Series. On October 27, you will hear the Nielsen Wind Quintet, the Strauss Happy Workshop and a local composer, Chuck Holdeman’s Petit Concert.

On Tuesday, December 1, David Amado teams up with his wife, Meredith, for an evening of Mozart violin sonatas at the Hotel Dupont.

There is no shortage of chamber music in the Diamond State this season!

See http://www.delart.org/.
See http://www.desymphony.org/.
See http://www.newarksymphony.org/.
See http://www.copelandstringquartet.com/.