Amherst Celebrates the Arts  
Arts festival finds new home at Amherst Museum
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter 
The Town of Amherst Arts and Culture in Public Places Board will present the fourth annual "Amherst Celebrates the Arts 2007, A Family Festival" from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 30.

performers.

Admission to the festival is free.

The event will be held this year at the Amherst Museum, 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road. Previously, it was held in Snyder at places such as Snyder Square, the Harlem Road Community Center and local churches.

At that time, the event was held by the Heritage Committee under the direction of Sue Grelick.

"The museum is good because it's just one location," said Deborah Wixson, chair of the Arts and Culture in Public Places Board. "There are also many (buildings) in case of inclement weather."

The festival will be held rain or shine.

Ongoing activities will be presented throughout the day for the entire family, including free performances, concerts, art demonstrations, theater, dance, special events and a chance to participate in a variety of hands-on art activities.

Wixson noted that the event is designed to showcase the diverse artistic community that resides in Amherst.

Kris Banzhaf, a member of the Amherst Symphony Orchestra, will perform on the marimba at the Amherst Celebrates the Arts festival on Saturday, June 30 at the Amherst Museum.

An Erie County Cultural Resources Advisory Board study found that in 2005, the 22 largest cultural organizations in Western New York (Shea's Performing Arts Center, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Buffalo Philharmonic, among others) generated a $264 million impact.

These 22 organizations also supported more than 3,819 full- and part-time jobs and attracted more than two million visitors, which is more than the combined yearly attendance of the Sabres, Bills and Bisons.

Among the performers this year will be Michael Valentic, who will be doing a dancing demonstration and teaching a line dance with his partner, Sue Penczkowski.

Valentic will also be impersonating classic stars, including Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Cary Grant and Sammy Davis Jr.

On display at the festival will be the 50-foot inflatable whale that students at Transit Middle School created in May. Williamsville resident John Arnold, of the Oceans 2 Schools project, oversaw the project. The whale is made of materials found in a regular hardware store and is designed so that children can walk around inside it.

"I saw Sammy Davis Jr. at the Town Casino in 1952 and got an opportunity to meet him when he came to Kleinhan's (Music Hall) about 10 years later," Valentic said. "I was impressed with his talents and dancing abilities. He was a real icon in the entertainment field. I want to share the humor he brought to the stage through impersonation."

While the arts have always been in the spotlight, said Valentic, the festival will bring the arts more into focus and will allow audiences to experience more of the arts in one place at one time.

"This is an opportunity for the Town of Amherst to show support for the arts and to encourage young people of Amherst follow the examples of artisans and cultivating interest in the arts in order enrich our community," he said.

Also performing will be the Academy of Theatre Arts, a venue for young performers. The academy will present the "Rockin' Kids Club," a group of youths ages 10 to 13, singing, dancing and acting in interactive performances geared toward children of preschool age through middle school.

"Their performance is really geared toward families and kids of all ages," said Dina Slawson, the group's leader, of choosing "Rockin' Kids Club" to perform at the festival over other ATA groups. "Their performances have been extended all over Western New York, so it was really the best choice."

Slawson's mission with ATA is to instill a love of the arts in young people so as to ensure the continued enrichment of the community.

"Amherst is truly an untapped gem in the arts. There is truly something for everybody," she said. "My hope is that young people, as they become adults, whether they continue as a performer or a spectator, carry on the rich tradition."

The American Academy of Ballet will also perform a piece choreographed by Joe Cipolla, who was a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet in England for 14 years. He is also the director of the Buffalo based company "Configurations."

Other performers at the festival will include the Amherst Players, Victorian Dance Society, Amherst Chamber Ensembles, The Ring Masters Handbell Ensemble, Glenn Colton, Amherst Male Glee Club, USA Dance, Amherst Chinese Academy, UB Center for the Arts, MusicalFare, Ishani Shah - Indian classical music, and Hutchinson Family Revival.

Exhibitors will include the Williamsville Art Society, Artyard Studios, Ten Thousand Villages, Oceans 2 Schools, Audubon Public Library, Amherst Symphony Boutique, New York State Designer Blacksmiths, Nature Ed-Ventures, Quilters Guild, Lacemakers, Spoonbender Arts, Suzie's Garden and North Amherst Fire Department.

Attendees can also create sidewalk art, and art and gift items will be for sale, as well as Mrs. Ribs food.

The Amherst Museum buildings will be open with docents attending in period attire.

For more information on the Amherst Celebrates the Arts festival, call Wixson at 861-5824.

e-mail: etaufa@beenews.com