Kent State University at Tuscarawas will again feature five area artists in their Performing Arts Center’s printed performance programs for the 2018-19 season as a continuation of a project now in its third season.
“I’m proud to continue this project for a third year,” explained David Mitchel, general manager of the Performing Arts Center. “People sometimes forget about the rich artistic culture we have in Tuscarawas County. My hope is that we can shed some light on the arts and increase awareness of who and what is right in our own backyard. Five magnificent works of art 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 with the artists’ bios 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 Jeff Beitzel, Jim Filkorn, Ashley McCleery, Nancy McDonald and Christine Walsh-Newton.
Beitzel began painting on his 54th birthday creating a non-derivative style of his own. He has presented works at the Tuscarawas Center for the Arts for the Midsummer Arts Show and has participant for the past eight years thanks to director Jeannine Kennedy's support.
Filkorn completed his commercial art degree at University of Akron in 1988 and went on to pursue a career in Pipefitting but never lost his desire to continue creating artwork. Recently he has focused on architectural subject matter producing artwork on commission basis and personal interest.
McCleery is a ceramic artist local to New Philadelphia. She teaches wheel throwing at the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts and helps her husband run their family business. Together they have two kids and she spends as much time as she can making sure they get their hands in the mud.
McDonald graduated from Dover High School and attended Miami University and Kent State University Tuscarawas. She taught art at her studio for over 40 years. Nancy has painted portraits for the Woody Hayes family and the Wilderness Center, portraits of Mooney Warther, the history mural for the lobby at Dover Middle School and designed the Bicentennial Mural on the square of Dover.
Walsh-Newton is an award-winning Master Photographer, specializing in black and white portraiture. She photographs and teaches at her studio, “Gallery C” in Dover, Ohio. She is one of less than 50 photographic instructors, world-wide, that hold the Educational Associate Degree from the American Society of Photographers.
The 2018-19 Performing Arts Center season begins Sept. 8 with the rock tribute group BOSTYX and continues with hits such as Michael W. Smith, Lorrie Morgan and Postmodern Jukebox, the Broadway shows Jersey Boys and The King and I, children’s show Peg + Cat – LIVE! and comedians Jon Reep and Etta May, to name a few of the wonderful 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 Dr. NE, in New Philadelphia.