Arts Fusion II a statewide celebration of the arts Aug. 5 at Renaissance Center

Release Date: 7/13/2006. Expired: 8/5/2006

Artists and arts organizations from across Tennessee will converge on The Renaissance Center on Saturday, Aug. 5, for Arts Fusion II, a one-day celebration of the arts.

The Renaissance Center in Dickson will be packed with dozen of arts organizations as well as exhibits, demonstrations and an evening of performances. Arts Fusion II is free and open to the general public. The center also will be celebrating its seventh anniversary with an open house and the start of registration for the fall semester.

“Aug. 5 is going to be just a tremendous day for the arts in Tennessee,” said Bob Kucher, senior director of Fine Arts at The Renaissance Center and founder/coordinator for Arts Fusion. “Between The Renaissance Center’s open house and registration kickoff and Arts Fusion II, we have a full day of demonstrations and performances in celebration of the arts.”

Art Fusion began in 2005 as a way to bring artists and arts organizations from across the state together to enhance communication and to infuse excitement in the arts community.

“There are so many different arts organizations across the state and we all can benefit by creating relationships and working together,” Kucher said. “The event also is a chance to learn what services are available to assist individual artists in the various disciplines.”

Arts Fusion II includes exhibits, demonstrations and informational booths through the afternoon, an evening reception and concludes with A Celebration of the Arts program with speakers and performers representing visual arts, dance, theatre arts and music. Rich Boyd, executive director of the Tennessee Arts Commission, will wrap up the celebration with the keynote address.

Participation in Arts Fusion II is free and open to all artists and arts organizations.

The Arts Fusion II exhibits and demonstrations will be 2-5 p.m. throughout the wings of The Renaissance Center.

Participating artists and organizations include The Renaissance Center, Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Watercolor Society, Tennessee Art League, Studio 123, florist Tim Myatt, Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro-Nashville Arts Commission, Tennesseans for the Arts, Tennessee Association of Dance, Tennessee Alliance of Arts Education, Houston County Arts Council, Montgomery County Arts and Heritage Development Council, Community Arts Development of Dickson County, The Harp School Inc., Plaza Arts, Wood and Strings Puppet Theatre, Worlduck Folk Theatre, Actors Bridge Ensemble, Tennessee Rep, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, Nashville Ballet, Tuckessee Woodturners, doll-maker Charlie Patricolo, Ed Haggard and the Love Drums, watercolorist Laurie Pooler, Arts Council of Cheatham County, Museum Advocates, Tennessee Association of Craft Artists, caricaturist David Arnold, The Frist Center and others.

These artists and arts organizations will have informational booths as well as demonstrations and exhibits throughout the building.

The Appalachian Center for Craft will be featured in The Renaissance Center’s Visual Arts Gallery with an exhibit July 21-Aug. 26. The Tennessee Watercolor Society will have an exhibit in the North Wing Gallery and the Tennessee Art League will display in the East Wing Gallery over those same dates. An opening reception for the three exhibits will coincide with the Arts Fusion II reception in the center’s rotunda 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5.

Following the reception, Arts Fusion II moves into the Performance Hall for A Celebration of the Arts.

Community Arts Development of Dickson County is sponsoring the dance portion of the program, which features guest speaker Sharyn Wood, director of Education and Outreach for the Nashville Ballet. Dance performers will include the Nashville Ballet, ballroom dancers Davileen and Jamey McNeely, champion clogger Dalton Akins and Native American dancer Teah Plumlee.

Plaza Art is sponsoring the visual arts section of the program with guest speaker Terry Thacker, chair of the Fine Art Department at Watkins College of Art and Design.

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music is sponsoring the music segment, which includes guest speaker Carol McClure, international symphony harpist and owner of The Harp School, Inc. Performers include The Renaissance Center Chamber Choir, pianist Gunther Knaup, dulcimer player Stephen Seifert, singer/songwriters Templeton Thompson and Sam Gay, vocalist Holly Lewis and students from The Harp School, Inc.

Performance Costuming Studio is sponsoring the theatre arts portion with guest speaker David Alford, artistic director for the Tennessee Rep. Performances will include Actors Bridge Ensemble and Worlduck Folk Theatre.

“Art Fusion was a terrific success last year in bringing so many artists and arts organizations together to learn about each other and open up new ways to work together,” said Kucher. “We have even more organizations interested in participating this year as word has spread across the state. For the public, it is a wonderful opportunity to see what is available in visual arts, music, dance and theatre arts as well as enjoy excellent exhibits, demonstrations and performances from some of the most talented artists in the area.”

To sign up to participate in Arts Fusion II on Aug. 5 or for more information, contact Kucher at (615)740-5565 or .

The Renaissance Center is a fine 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.

Visit the Visual Arts Gallery page for more about the gallery.

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