Community Garden Work Day May 14

Hi Community Gardeners,

     Dean Spader will lead the first work day on Saturday May 14 from 10:00am until 1:00pm at the Washington St Arts Center.  Please bring any tools and questions that you may have to help with the needed cleanup.

     Also, Dean mowed and placed a pile or organic grass clippings on or near each plot for your use.  There are extra clippings by the compost pile if you wish to use more. 

The Work of Community Artists and Our Works of Art

Norma C. Wilson, President, Vermillion Area Arts Council

            Though we announced the return spring on warm and sunny St. Patrick’s Day, it’s been sluggish in coming.  At least our artists have done their part to encourage the newly emerging life.  I hope you took the opportunity to view the paintings, ceramics, collages, drawings and photographs on display last month at Washington Street Arts Center.  Hundreds of artists—ages five through eighteen—had the opportunity to show their stuff to their families and the community in the Vermillion Christian Home Educators art show and the Vermillion All Schools Art Show.

            Vermillion Area Arts Council was also a sponsor of the Vermillion Area Dance Organization’s Spring Dance Recital. “Dancing Through the Ages,” May 1, at the VHS Performing Arts Center.  How lovely to watch the Four Little Swans (Rebecca Ford, Elizabeth Law, Victoria Law and Kayla Lewis) in the ballet performance from “Swan Lake” that opened the show.  The excellent choreography and instruction provided by Adrienne Lewis were evident in this and other performances featuring advanced ballet students.

            The clogging performances of Grace Freeman, Kelsey Collier-Wise, Cathy Mitchel and Merragin Iddings with an appearance by Royce Wise provided an invigorating and comic contrast to the flowing and more serious ballet, as did the tap and hip hop dancing.  The dancers and their instructors Ellen Hanson, Ann Waterbury, Grace Freeman, Cathy Mitchel and Stephanie Rissler-Christopherson and VADO President Paige Keck worked hard to make the performances seem like play.

            During the month of May, Rick Johns will continue his work to stabilize our building’s bell tower; and VAAC volunteers will work on Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.   Removing efflorescence, scraping, priming, painting and repairing ceilings, frames, windows and walls is often tedious work, but our collaborative efforts are essential to assuring that our historic building remains an attractive venue for art.  If you’d like to help in the preservation work, please call me at605-624-9279, or e-mail me:  Norma.Wilson@usd.edu

Vermillion High School Senior Wendy Weidemann with the ceramic African rattle she created in an Independent Study with teacher Janet Beeman.

Collaboration Project between Dan Mart’s 5^th grade and Angie Bickett’s 3^rd grade classes at Jolley School.