Kent State University at Tuscarawas will feature five area artists in the Performing Arts Center’s printed performance programs for the 2017-18 season as a continuation of a project that began last season.
“We received such great feedback on the project last season, it made complete sense to continue,” explained David Mitchel, general manager of the Performing Arts Center. “With so many exceptional artists with ties to Tuscarawas County, we’re still only scratching the surface. Five fabulous works of art – an oil on canvas, a watercolor, a pen and ink, a ceramic plate and a sculpture – will be featured on the cover of our programs to be given to every patron who attends a PAC show, including the Tuscarawas Philharmonic performances. Each artist will be featured separately throughout the year. The artists’ bios will be printed inside the programs. In addition, all five pieces of original art will be displayed in the PAC lobby for visitors to enjoy.”
The featured artists this season include Jane Brown, William Koch, Douglas Laubacher, Thomas Radca and Peggy Sibila.
A lifelong learner, Brown has advanced her craft of art within the Universities of Akron, Kent State and Moore College of Art and Design, along with numerous professional workshops.
An award winning artist from Dennison, Ohio, Koch draws his inspiration from the changing views of the rural country sides and current events from around the world. His art is displayed in corporate and private collections worldwide.
Laubacher draws primarily with pen and ink in a literal, illustrative style. In addition to his fine art background, Doug loves cartooning and his comic strip “Unbound” can be read in the Tuscarawas County Bargain Hunter.
Radca is a ceramic artist whose studio can be found near the village of Peoli. Working with clay for over 40 years, Tom’s work has taken the form of plates, vessels and most recently tile. His work is available at galleries throughout the United States.
Sibila is artist/owner of P Jean Designs in Dover, Ohio and is a self-taught artist who has displayed her acrylic and ceramic mixed media artwork in art shows and galleries throughout Ohio.
“Every patron who attends a performance in our amazing Performing Arts Center will be handed a piece of local art as they enter the theatre,” said Bradley Bielski, Ph.D., dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State Tuscarawas. “It gives us the opportunity to truly celebrate all aspects of the arts, connecting both the performing and the visual.”
The 2017-18 Performing Arts Season begins Aug. 18 with comedian Lucas Bohn: Lesson Plans to Late Night and continues with hits such as Grammy winners Rick Springfield, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Lee Ann Womack, the Broadway show The Sound of Music, children’s show Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo - LIVE! and Emmy winning comedian Vicki Lawrence, to name a few of the extraordinary scheduled performances.
A complete list of performances and ticket prices are online at www.kent.edu/tusc/pac. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Performing Arts Center box office by calling 330-308-6400 or online at www.kent.edu/tusc/pac. The box office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free and convenient parking is available for all shows. The Performing Arts Center at Kent State Tuscarawas is located at 330 University Drive NE, in New Philadelphia.