FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1, 2006
Contact: Sarah McGreer Hoyt
sarah@maaa.org

Brownville Fine Art Association Kicks Off Series of Nebraska Hands-on Training Events

The Brownville Fine Art Association located in historic Brownville has been selected to participate in the 2006 Nebraska Community Arts Project (NECAP). NECAP is a pilot project of Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA), a regional non-profit arts organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, which seeks to stimulate and support cultural activity in the region. M-AAA created the NECAP project with support from the Nebraska Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Peter Kiewit Foundation.

Whether it’s the Brownville Fine Arts Association bringing in a concert pianist, the Lied Center in Lincoln staging a modern dance performance, or the Valentine Area Arts Council presenting a children’s theatre production, every presenting organization hopes to make a meaningful contribution to its community. NECAP will help participants understand their audiences and reach out to underserved populations. The ultimate goal of the program is to make performing arts presentations a vital and vibrant part of each town’s cultural landscape.

Brownville will participate in NECAP this year from March 12-14. They are one of only six communities selected for the statewide program and the first to host the NECAP event this spring.

Once NECAP begins, Robert Bluestone, a M-AAA consultant and renowned classical guitarist, will conduct a three-day artist-in-residency program. During this time, he will give several lectures and performances, and he will also work with the Brownville Fine Arts Association on implementing community development strategies that will enable them to reach a broader audience. (Please see attached events schedule.)

Since the organizations' selection, M-AAA Professional Development Associate Anne Lacey and Performing Arts Director Jim DeGood have traveled to each of the NECAP communities to plan for the 2006 events and to help the presenters set their goals for their participation in NECAP. “It’s great to see these smaller organizations being proactive about improving the number and quality of arts events that are brought to their area,” Lacey commented. “They’re really working hard to increase the positive impact that they have on their communities, and that is inspiring.”

Other communities selected to be a part of the NECAP program include Norfolk Arts Center, Norfolk; Valentine Area Arts Council, Valentine; Albion Area Arts Council, Albion; Butler County Arts Council, David City; and Kearney Performing Arts Center, Kearney.

Founded in 1972, M-AAA is a nonprofit regional arts organization governed by a board of directors drawn from its partner states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Major support is for Mid-America Arts Alliance is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, participant state arts agencies, and leading foundations and corporations.

March 12, Sunday

11:00am Robert Bluestone will offer the beauty of his music to grace the church service at Brownville Christian Church. The church’s Pastor, the Reverend Doctor Robert Chitwood, also serves as President of the Brownville Historical Society which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding. The Brownville Methodist Church, in the spirit of community cooperation, will join the Brownville Christian Church for this special service.

7:30pm Public Concert by Robert Bluestone at the Brownville Concert Hall
Admission is free (a donation to support the arts would be appreciated)

March 13, Monday

10:00am Mr. Bluestone will perform at the Johnson Brock Public School, Johnson, Nebraska.

6:00pm TJ’s Tavern will host an informal fun time, beer & burgers, for the public to meet and talk with Robert Bluestone in a relaxed setting. (Corky Jones coordinating.) Brownville

March 14, Tuesday

12:00 noon Free performance on the Peru State College campus (Steve Sylvester, Dean of Arts & Sciences, coordinating.)

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