Mick Souter

PRESS RELEASE FOR MICK SOUTER’S TOURING MUSICAL THEATER “CELEBRATE WEST VIRGINIA” ARTS, in cooperation with Jackson County Schools, will present a free performance by West Virginia’s “Bard of Education”, Mick Souter in his one-man show, “Celebrate West Virginia” on Oct. 20th at 7pm at Ripley High School auditorium. Mick Souter will perform a variety of songs and stories that celebrate the people, the history, and the culture of West Virginia. Souter is an energetic multi-instrumentalist who accompanies himself on banjo, guitar, harmonica, auto harp, dulcimer, fiddle, recorder and piano as he encourages the audience to sing-a-long on a variety of songs, some of which are Mick Souter originals. Students from Evans Elementary School, under the direction of music teacher Susan Matheny, will join Souter on stage to perform some of the songs during the concert. This program is funded in part through a grant from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Over the past twenty years, Mick Souter’s Touring Musical Theater has performed full-time for hundreds of thousands of people in schools, state parks, festivals, theaters and venues such as Tamarack, Snowshoe, and The Cultural Center in Charleston. Souter’s shows are designed to both entertain and educate, providing family programming that offers something enjoyable for audiences of all ages. In addition to “Celebrate West Virginia”, his other shows include “A Visit With Stephen Foster”, “The Roads and Rails of Woody Guthrie”, and “All Aboard the Iron Horse” all of which are done in costume and character. Souter was recently featured in a PBS special report that focused on his newest school program, “Healthy Bodies/Healthy Lives”, in which he uses his art as a folk singer and storyteller to address the critical problem of childhood obesity and diabetes. “My ‘Healthy Bodies’ program is one that is extremely important because it impacts directly on the health and well being of students and adults”, said Souter. This program was hosted by most of the Randolph County elementary schools in 2005 and it ties in with the Governor’s initiative on improving the overall health of West Virginia children. “There is an important mission with ‘Celebrate West Virginia’ as well”, states Souter, “This is a West Virginia pride program designed to focus on the many things we have to be proud of as West Virginians. I make sure everyone gets involved in what I call “Singin’ Mountain Pride” and that when they leave, everyone will know the words to the state song, the ‘West Virginia Hills’ and feel proud of our beautiful state”.

Musical March Returns for 2011!!!

Parents come explore music and movement with your child at the Ripley Library. Feb. 19 and 26th, March 12th and 19th.

9am-9:45am 2-3 year olds

10am-10:45am 4-5 year olds

Register now at the Ripley Library

ET has phoned Ripley AGAIN!!!

E.T. to return to the Alpine

Arts at the Alpine and Main Street Ripley are excited to announce the return of E.T. to Alpine Theater. Twenty-five years after its original showing, E.T. The Extraterrestrial will return to the theater for a one day only special presentation. On November 20, 2010 the film will be shown on the big screen at 2pm and 7pm.

When asked what film people cherish from their childhood, E.T. is frequently mentioned. Both Arts and Main St. hope the re-showing will give an opportunity for people who saw the movie in 1982, to bring their children as they did at the recent showing of The Wizard of Oz. They also encourage parents who originally brought their children, now to bring their grandchildren. E.T. is one of the few films that truly transports you in the theater, the bicycle scene just isn’t the same when viewed on a television. Plus not many people have a popcorn machine or a bag of Reese’s Pieces in their living room. A little known fact is that E.T.’s director wanted to use M&Ms in the film, but was turned down by the Mars candy company. This became Hersheys gain and Reese’s became a favorite candy among children in the 80’s.

The film not only launched the career of Drew Barrymore, but firmly established Steven Spielberg as a visionary director. In 1983 the film was nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director; it went on to win four Oscars. E.T. has been voted the 24^th greatest film of all time, the 44^th most thrilling, and the sixth most uplifting by the American Film Institute. AFI also ranked the line “E.T. phone home,” in the top 15 movie quotes of all time.

Tickets can be purchased at the door before the showings or by calling 304-532-3497.

Wizard of Oz

Arts at the Alpine and Main Street Ripley are pleased to announce the showing of The Wizard of Oz at the Alpine Theater on September 4, 2010. The movie will be showing at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets will be $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available at the Ripley library. There will also be special appearances from some Wizard of Oz characters!

The Norris Brothers Band

The Norris Brothers Band to perform in Ripley, WV.

Arts at the Alpine is pleased to announce an upcoming concert by The Norris Brothers Band on August 28th. The concert will be held at the Ripley High School Auditorium at 7 p.m.

The Norris Brothers Band plays a refreshing mix of original music and high energy, good time Classic Rock-n-Roll. Band members include music industry veterans and award winning song writers who have opened for and recorded with artists such as Eddie Money, Kathy Mattea, Restless Heart and Waylong Jennings. The band is currently touring in support of their new album, "Under the Radar", which is available on the band's website and on iTunes and Amazon.com.

You will Feel Good when you see a Norris Brothers Band show.

The Norris Brothers Band is comprised of Kevin Norris on drums and vocals, Mitch Norris on guitar and vocals, Dean Hensley on guitar and vocals, Dale White on keyboards and vocals, J.B. Butcher on bass guitar and vocals and Hannah Hensley on keyboards and vocals.

This concert is a part of the Arts at the Alpine's continued effort to provide entertainment locally. All proceeds will be used for future events presents by Arts at the Alpine. Tickets are currently available at the Ripley Library or by calling (304) 532-3497. Individual tickets are $15.00 or two for $20.00.

GONE WITH THE WIND

Arts at the Alpine and the Jackson County Library are pleased to announce we will be showing Gone with the Wind at the Alpine Theater. The movie will be shown Saturday May 22 at 2pm. Tickets will be $3 for adults and $1 for children under 12.

Debra Conner as Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell

Press Release for Margaret Mitchell Event

ARTS at the Alpine and the Jackson County Library are proud to announce a living history portrayal of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind. This event will take place at the Ripley Library on Tuesday May 18th, 2010 at 7pm and is free to the public.

The presentation will be given by scholar/performer Debra Conner of Parkersburg, West Virginia, who has portrayed Mitchell and other characters for audiences from Maine to Arkansas. In 2008 and 2009, Conner toured as Margaret Mitchell with Missouri Chautauqua, and in the summer of 2010, she will be part of Ohio Chautauqua in four locations around the state. Conner’s portrayal of Margaret Mitchell entails an in-character monologue, followed by a question and answer session, both in and out of character.

Conner’s rendering of Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949) reveals the author as sassy and spirited as Scarlett herself. Mitchell describes how her fascination with stories of the Old South led her to write Gone with the Wind and how its popularity turned her world upside down. In addition, she offers fascinating details about the making of the movie, a movie so popular that even today, with ticket sales adjusted for inflation; it remains one of the highest grossing movies ever made. The film will be shown at the Alpine Theater later this month.

For more information on the Margaret Mitchell event please contact the Ripley library or (304) 532-3497.

Ron Sowell with Johnny Staats

A musical event for the whole family!!!
April 24th at Epworth United Methodist Church

Musical March

Arts at the Alpine, Inc. will be hosting Musical March for children ages 1-4 at the Ripley Library each Saturday in March.

Musical March

Annual Meeting

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to announce that ARTS annual meeting to elect officers is scheduled for Monday Nov. 9th at 6pm at Calvary Church in Ripley (beside of the Courthouse). Starting at 6pm we will have refreshments and doing a meet and greet. At 6:30pm we will look at the programs we have done in 2009, programs for 2010 and then elect officers.

This is always a great time for everyone to come together and I encourage everyone to attend and if you know someone else that is interested in the arts please invite them to come. Be sure to meantion there is FREE FOOD!!!

Hope to see you on Monday.

Jeremiah Gregorich
ARTS President

Colleen Anderson

Last night Colleen Anderson returned to the Alpine with George Castelle. This event was made possible with a partnership with Jackson County Schools and a grant from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. Everyone that attended the event had a fantastic time and a number of people picked up Colleen's cds. Jackson County Schools has Colleen as there Artist in Residence this year, spending a total of 19 days with students all over Jackson County. We were delighted to have Colleen back in Jackson County and hope to see her again soon.

You can learn more about Colleen at her website

http://www.motherwitdesign.com/

Murder Mystery Dinner Theater

Wanted to announce that Arts and Jackson County Players have partnered for an upcoming event.

"Gambling on Murder", a murder mystery dinner theater, will be Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. at Cedar Lakes Dining Hall.

Please buy tickets in advance...available at both the Ripley and Ravenswood libraries. They are $25 each. That may sound a little high, but we are getting assistance from a professional actress, Karen Varunch, for this event and it includes you dinner. You can hardly go to a restaurant and movie for that much!

The cast:
As Herself: Mayor Carolyn Rader
Dee Dee: DeDe Cook
Tito Carlucci: Dave Pauley
Myra Evanowski Reed: Christina Bright
Right Reverend Reginald Evans: Will Minns
Anita Mann: Rebecca Lavigne
Pat Jackson: Myssi Gable

Additional, (as yet) unscripted players:
Neil LoPrinzi, Seth Miller, Suzette Lowe, Wendy Phillips and Suzy McGinley

Dinner will include: Baked seasoned chicken, green beans, salad bar, broccoli cheddar soup, mashed potatoes, hot rolls. Along with an assorted deserts to include: pudding, cake, pie, and more. Cider, coffee, water, and juice as drinks.

Please buy your tickets and encourage your friends and family to as well. This will be a GREAT event that we're all very excited about. Please feel free to pass the word on to everyone you know abuot this event.

Be sure to keep updated with all our events at our website http://www.artsatthealpine.blogspot.com/ and look for us on Facebook, just search for Arts at the Alpine.

If you have any questions just drop us a line at artsatthealpine@yahoo.com

Small update

Hello everyone,

I know it seems like it has been awhile since our last update. Not to worry we have plenty of events coming up. As soon as dates and times are finalized the blogspot will be updated. Besides a vocal concert by Annie Hancock coming up, here is a sneak peak at a few things that will finish off 2009!!!


October 3rd- Mystery Dinner Theatre with Karen Vuranch. For this event Arts will be teaming up with the Jackson County Players

November 3rd- Collen Anderson will perform at the Alpine Theatre. Some of you may remember Collen performing as member of Pot Luck just a few years back with Karen Vuranch. This event is made possible by the Jackson County Schools.

The latest newsletter will be mailed in the coming weeks to our sponsors.

Welcome!

Welcome to the new home for online arts information from Jackson County, West Virginia. On this site you will find information about upcoming events, performers' bios, links to other arts websites and more.

Email us to about what you would like to see on this site or if you would like to become a member of Arts at the Alpine.

Get to Know Arts at the Alpine

Want to know more about Arts at the Alpine?

Over the past 4 years A@A has presented a wide variety of high-quality programming throughout Jackson County, showcasing local, regional and national artists. Our events range from educational to inspiring and are always entertaining.

Here is a sampling of the programs offered recently:

• Children's book illustrators and authors Christopher and Jeanette Canyon



• Art Walk in downtown Ripley
  

• Storytelling with local storyteller Granny Sue

Potluck! a show featuring WV artists Karen Vuranch, Colleen Anderson and Julie Adams.

• Art auction fundraisers with artist and gallery owner Philip Arabia

• West Virginia's Biggest Liar, Bil Lepp

• Performances by members of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild, including a Halloween Ghost Stories and Ballads Concert



• Literary events and workshops by the Appalachian Wordsmiths creative writing group and the Lee Mays Poetry Society



• WV Dance Company with Jackson County Schools
  



• Plays and musicals with the Jackson County Players and Theatre WV
  
  

• Vocal and instrumental music performances that have included jazz, rock, Latin and folk music, like the Valentine concert featuring music by Duo Divertido.

• Classic Movies

• and much more
  

These events have been made possible through grants, partnerships and sponsorships. Sponsors are always welcome and encouraged to be part of our efforts to bring arts to our county.

Join us for our next event!

Spring Newsletter

The Arts at the Alpine Board of Directors for the 2009 season:
Jeremiah Gregorich- President
Suzette Lowe- Vice President
Linda Dickirson- Secretary
Faye Milhoan- Treasurer
Board Members: Christina Bright, Paul Freshwater, Susanna Holstein, Suzy McGinley, Twilia Miller, Andrea Parkins, Odie Parkins, and Sally Rowe.

New President
By: Jeremiah Gregorich

At our annual meeting in November I was elected President. Having first joined Arts at the Alpine in early 2006 and serving as Vice President for two years, I am delighted to have a chance to take the reigns. In early January my new role finally began to permeate through my brain. There is much work to be done, and I intend to meet the coming year’s challenges head on.

Our former President, Christina Bright, left big shoes for me to fill. Over the last three months I have leaned on her for support and will continue to seek her advice. I would like to personally thank her for all the work she has done. It has always been my belief that every good President should have a list of goals, and I would like to share some of mine. Growing up I have always immersed myself in the arts; studying, creating, and enjoying. As President I want to give members of this community, no matter what their age, the same opportunity to observe, partake, and appreciate the arts. The arts, in all mediums, are so very important especially in times like we face today. The foundation of art is the ability to express emotion and can be thought provoking, educational, and entertaining. We will be balancing a wide variety of events this coming year with local artists and some from abroad.

I want to build on events and partnerships Arts at the Alpine has had since its conception, while at the same time showcasing new artists for the public and developing more partnerships. I see those as key elements for our continued success. For example our next event, aimed at children and their families, would not be possible without help from ADK and a generous monetary contribution from Read Aloud. Not only are we having an evening performance for the public, but we were able to get the Canyons into three schools in Jackson County just for the students.

Another goal is to get more people involved with Arts at the Alpine. Even if you are not an artist there are many roles you can take part in. We welcome any help with everything we do from the early stages of discussions, to coordinating the preparation, and then executing an event. With input and support from all board members and sponsors, organizations like ours will carry on for years to come.

In closing I would like to sincerely thank all those currently and previously involved with Arts at the Alpine.

~~
Former President’s Thoughts
By: Christina Bright

Serving as president of Arts at the Alpine last year was a great experience. I learned so much about this organization and just how much hard work is required to make it operate. Believe me, it was quite a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. But it was worth it.

To discuss an event, plan it through, and then see it brought to life on the stage (or on the sidewalks of downtown) is truly fulfilling.

I urge each of you to consider ways you can contribute to Arts at the Alpine. Even if you are only able to show up to help sell tickets, or make some contacts to radio stations to get our announcement out to the public, there is no task too small. But the rewards you will receive for seeing a nice crowd gathered at an event are great. Jeremiah has some great ideas, but we need help to make them all come to fruition. We meet monthly on the second Monday. Please try to attend sometime and share your thoughts and ideas with us. We want to know what you’d like to see us bring to the community. And we’d like to have you be a part of it.

Please come to our first event this year – Christopher and Jeanette Canyon on April 6th. I think you will really enjoy it. Having such renowned artists here is quite an accomplishment, and Linda Dickirson has worked tirelessly to make it happen.

And don’t forget to place your bids on the original autographed print (pictured below) from “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” It is on display at the Library. This would be a wonderful addition to any home or business. It is truly a beautiful work of art!

Updates
Arts at the Alpine has created a new email address to help everyone stay in touch with upcoming events, fund raising, programming, and meetings. If you have any questions or would like to be included in our email mailing list please write to: artsatthealpine@yahoo.com

In addition to the new email address, Arts at the Alpine is now on Facebook. Our Facebook page includes the most current information on future events and pictures from previous ones. If you are a member of Facebook just do a search for Arts at the Alpine.

Upcoming Events
This September will we be hosting an Art Walk in Ripley. The Art Walk held in 2008 was such a success we have decided to make it an annual event. We hope to include more artisans and businesses this year.

On October 3rd we are pleased to welcome Karen Vuranch back to Jackson County through a partnership with Jackson County Players. This time around Karen will perform an interactive Mystery Dinner Theater tentatively set for Cedar Lakes.

This Fall Arts at the Alpine will present a night of music with WVU alumna Annie Hancock. Having grown up in Ravenswood and returned home in 2008 to teacher music in the Jackson County School system, Ms. Hancock will be showcasing her vocal talents in a special one night only event. Selections will include a wide range of songs from old standards, Broadway show tunes, comedic and dramatic pieces, along with a little bit of jazz.


2008 Recap
* Rebel Without a Cause movie night
*Latin Music Concert
*Writers Workshop
*Story Tellers at the Arts and Crafts Fair
*Art Walk in downtown Ripley
*West Virginia Dance Company
*Ghost Stories at the Alpine
*Art Auction