Art workshops, pictures with Santa part of the fun at Renaissance Center Dec. 13

Release Date: 11/21/2003. Expired: 12/13/2003

Three fun-filled art workshops for children, lunch with Cinderella, pictures with Santa Claus and a student pottery sale are all just part of the fun at The Renaissance Center in Dickson on Saturday, Dec. 13.

The fun kicks off at 9 a.m. with the 5th annual Children’s Christmas Workshop and continues throughout the day and evening until the curtain falls that night on the Renaissance Players production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

“We’re counting down the days until Christmas and we’ve got a day full of family fun to get you into the spirit,” said Doug Jackson, executive director of The Renaissance Center.

The 5th annual Children’s Christmas Workshop offers three hands-on art projects for children ages 5-13 as well as hot chocolate, cookies and a visit with Santa Claus. Children younger than five can participate if accompanied by an adult throughout the workshop. Tuition is $10 and the workshop is limited to 75 children on a first-come, first-served basis. The workshop is 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

“We have three brand new wonderful activities for our children’s workshop this year,” said Julie Tucker, studio manager and art instructor at the center. “The children will rotate through all three activities, each of them giving them several projects to take home with them.”

The activities for the workshop are:

Edible Christmas Art with Cathy Mumford - “Students’ mouths will melt as Cathy demonstrates how to create different animals using candy,” Tucker said. “Children will come out of this workshop with a bag full of edible art.”

Christmas Card Making with Hannah Maxwell - “Using the art form of crayon resist with watercolors, students will make several cards to give to friends and family,” Tucker said.

3-Dimensional Cut Paper Christmas Tree with Gwen Daniel - “Children will enjoy a nice Christmas story while instructor Gwen Daniel visually demonstrates how to create a three-dimensional Christmas tree using cut paper,” Tucker said. “After this enjoyable demonstration, the students will then create their own Christmas tree.”

Following the three art activities, children participating in the workshop will enjoy hot chocolate, cookies and a visit with Santa Claus.

While the children are working like little elves in the workshops, parents and others can shop for unique gifts at The Renaissance Center’s 2nd annual Pottery Sale 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in Studio E005. The sale is open to the public and features pottery pieces made by students.

“There will be a large variety of clay projects for sale,” said Kathy Carter, pottery instructor. “Functional and decorative pieces alike will provide that unique gift for someone special.”

A special Lunch with Cinderella at noon has already sold out.

Children and parents will enjoy a buffet meal prepared by The Renaissance Center’s catering staff. Joining them for the lunch will be Cinderella and other characters from the Renaissance Players’ production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

“Cinderella, her step-sisters, the Fairy Godmother, the Prince and other characters in costume will mingle with the guests for visits and pictures during the lunch,” said Kim Leavitt, director of Theatre Education and Outreach for The Renaissance Center. “Tickets for this special event, which include the play, sold out within three days of going on sale.”

While the lunch is sold out, plenty of tickets remain for the afternoon performance of Cinderella.

At 1 p.m. is a reception for the 5th annual Little Masters Art Exhibit in the Visual Arts Gallery. For this year’s exhibit, students at each Dickson County school selected a different culture and created artworks to represent that culture to create a World Tour.

The exhibit is open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturdays Nov. 24-Jan 10. Admission to the gallery and the reception is free. The Little Masters Art Exhibit is sponsored by TriStar Bank.

The matinee performance of Cinderella will be at 2 p.m. Leavitt, director of the play, says this production of the classic musical will be visually unlike any other presentation of Cinderella.

“While we don’t want to give anything away, just let me say that our production of Cinderella will feature a slightly modern twist with visually stunning costumes,” Leavitt said. “Our cast of more than 40 community players and the Renaissance Players Orchestra are giving a new feel to the traditional story in a wonderful musical production.”

The CyberSphere Digital Theater presents three special holiday shows throughout the afternoon and evening.

At 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. is Season of Light, a special planetarium program detailing the origins behind many of our holiday traditions.

“The dating of our holidays and many of our modern traditions have their roots in the winter festivals of long ago,” said Joe Wyatt, assistant director of the CyberSphere.

Tickets for Season of Light are $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children.

At 3 p.m. is Laser Holidays, featuring many favorite Christmas tunes accompanied by spectacular laser and video effects. Traditional favorites such as White Christmas, Deck the Halls, Rockin’ Round the Christmas Tree and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are played in crystal clear 14,000-watt digital Surround Sound while the sphere’s Omniscan laser projector creates fantastic visuals with more than 1 trillion colors.

Tickets for Laser Holidays are $6.

Between the matinee and evening performances of Cinderella, Santa Claus will stop by The Renaissance Center to hear Christmas wishes and pose for pictures in an authentic sleigh in front of the center’s 25-foot Christmas tree. Santa will visit with children 4:30-6:30 p.m. Parents may take their own pictures or Polaroid pictures will be available for $2 apiece.

The Gaslight Dinner Theatre presents the regional debut of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol at 6:30 p.m. All remaining shows of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol are sold out.

Written by actor Tom Mula, the play presents a new twist on the traditional story of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol by presenting the tale from the viewpoint of Jacob Marley, the deceased business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge. The production is sponsored by LexaLite International Corp.

At 7 p.m. is the evening performance of Cinderella in the Performance Hall. Tickets for the play are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7 for children under 13. Cinderella is being presented at 7 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturdays Dec. 5-20. It is sponsored by TriStar Bank.

Christmas Laser Fantasy brings the music of Mannheim Steamroller alive in the CyberSphere at 8 p.m. This new holiday favorite is enhanced with spectacular laser and video effects to go along with the music from this award-winning instrumental group.

Tickets for Christmas Laser Fantasy are $6.

For more information on scheduled activities for Dec. 13 or any other day at The Renaissance Center, call (615)740-5600 or visit the center’s Web site at www.rcenter.org. The Renaissance Center is an arts and technology education and performing arts center at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.

Dec. 13 Activity Schedule

9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - 5th annual Children’s Christmas Workshop, $10, registration required.
9 a.m.-9 p.m. - 5th annual Little Masters Art Exhibit: World Tour, Visual Arts Gallery, free.
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - 2nd annual Student Pottery Sale, E005.
12-2 p.m. - Lunch with Cinderella, East Wing Conference Room, SOLD OUT.
1-3 p.m. - Little Masters Art Exhibit Reception, Visual Arts Gallery, free.
2 p.m. - Cinderella, Performance Hall, $12 adults, $10 seniors, $7 children.
2 p.m. - Season of Light, CyberSphere, $5 adults, $3 seniors and children.
3 p.m. - Laser Holidays, CyberSphere, $6 all seats.
4:30-6:30 p.m. - Pictures with Santa Claus, rotunda, $2.
6:30 p.m. - Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, Gaslight Dinner Theatre, SOLD OUT.
7 p.m. - Cinderella, Performance Hall, $12 adults, $10 seniors, $7 children.
7 p.m. - Season of Light, CyberSphere, $5 adults, $3 seniors and children.
8 p.m. - Christmas Laser Fantasy, CyberSphere, $6 all seats.