From Center for the Arts:
With three sold out shows hosting nearly 1,000 guests, the annual Dancing for the Arts Gala again affirmed that the community is eager to welcome a Center for the Arts to the area. Held November 20 and 21 at the Maryland Golf and Country Clubs, the event netted a total of $95,000 to support the Center for the Arts in its mission to establish a new Center for the Arts in Bel Air.
Highlights of the weekend included the announcement of plans to build a 500-seat performance amphitheater on the site in 2016, the Jeffrey J. Plum Legacy in the Arts award presented to local artist Jim Butcher and a lively auction of donated items—including a plein air painting of the dancers in action created on-site by artist Moon Joo Lee during the event.
Of course, the main attraction was the ballroom dance competition starring 11 ordinary Harford County citizens who revealed the moves they had been practicing for months with the help of professionals Tom Rzepnicki and Natasha Pollack of the Dancing with Friends dance studio. During the three shows, including a new matinee that was added this year, judges evaluated each dancer on their execution of ballroom classics such as the cha-cha, mambo, tango, waltz, swing and others, as well as for their showmanship and costumes. Their scores and audience votes from each show were tallied to name the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice award winners. Two awards were also presented for the top fundraisers.
Outstanding performances were given by all, but in the end the 2015 Dancing for the Arts awards went to:
· Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice—Landri Taylor Hardiek
· Top Fundraisers—
o 1st Place: Linda Greco Rich and Bob Rich $28,109.91
o 2nd Place: Kathy Heidelmaier $28,075.41
Other dancers were Katie Cole, Barclay and Anthony Gibbs, Anthony Lisuzzo, David Lockhart, Chris and Lynn Moore, Pamela Overbay, Suzanne Zantop and student dancers Abby Walsh and Evan Wozniak. Together, the dancers raised more than $111,000 through fundraisers, raffles, donations, ticket sales, sponsorships, and program ads.
In addition to the signature dance competition, all shows offered the chance to see performances by Elio Scaccio of “The Sicilian Tenors” and two dances by the Maryland School of Ballet and Modern Dance under the direction of Laura Ward-Moran.
Judges for the three shows included Paul Balsamo, Jesse Bane, Kimberly Brueggemann, Colleen Case, the Honorable Elizabeth Bowen, Alan Doran, Dr. Lisa K. Feulner, Pamela Lauer, Tony Meoli, Deborah Pro-Marshall, Reginald Przybylski, Dr. Devonna Rowe, Shelly Stannard, Jim Thornton and Monica Worrell, who provided lively commentary after each routine. Event emcees were Bob Bloom of WXCY Radio (Friday evening), Alan Doran (Saturday matinee) and WJZ-TV reporter Kristy Breslin (Saturday Gala).
Center for the Arts Board President Toby Musser said, “It is clear from the hundreds of guests who attended these performances and donated to support the dancers that the community is in full support of bringing a new Center to the Arts to the area now, and it is an honor to be leading the effort which makes that dream a reality.”
Event co-chair Carolyn Evans, Esq. of Sengstacke & Evans, LLC adds, “The talent of the dancers in this event grows every year, much like the enthusiasm for the Center for the Arts. Each participant gave their all and can take pride in knowing that they had a hand (and a foot!) in the physical creation of this building.” Event co-chair Dr. Mary Teddy Wray of Laurel Bush Family Dentistry agrees, adding, “It was a fantastic show and we are thrilled by the continued support of Dancing for the Arts. We look forward to the return of this event in 2016 and for many more years to come, including those to be held in our very own Center for the Arts!”
Evans and Wray both note that the event would not have been possible without the support of sponsors including:
· Art Masterpiece level sponsors I-95 Business Magazine and Barbara Stratton
· Art Society Level sponsors Exit Preferred Realty and Find A House in Maryland; Pairings Bistro; Laurel Bush Family Dentistry and Society of Italian American Businessmen
· Friends of the Arts level sponsors Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union; Absolute Companion Care; Advanced Eye Care; The Aegis; Balsamo, Stewart, Lutters & Ruth, P.A.; Boeing; Booz, Allen, Hamilton; Brightview Avondell, Bel Air and Perry Hall; Chick-fil-A Aberdeen and Constant Friendship; City of Havre de Grace; Events by I Did It Myself; Harford County Style Magazine; House of Cards; Images of Sommer; It’s Payday; Janney Montgomery Scott, Joseph’s Department Store; Oak Contracting, Shaffer, McLauchlin and Stover, LLC; Nationwide Insurance, Betty Ward and WXCY Radio
· Art Gallery Level sponsors Dance Conservatory of Maryland and Stack and Store Mini Storage
Wow, a net gain of $95,000 for the organization i wonder if there will be anything left at the end of the year.
Good luck to them. Raising money for arts related programs is a challenge. I hope they can continue the momentum initiated from this event.
Center for the Arts: How about posting financial statements that are more recent than the June 2014 form 990! Which, it seems, was only released after filing 2 extensions AND a change in fiscal year. Just post the quarterly balance sheets and income statements for the past 8 periods , going back to December 2013. We can get into the train wreck that occurred before that once we can have any faith in the current disclosure and transparency. Don’t you owe us that? We and our organizAtions gsve you millions of dollars.
We beg of you. (what on earth can you be hiding that would be so bad to release?????). You can redact names, etc like every single other reputable 501c3 does. This is a travesty. We want facilities for the arts. Prove to us that you are team that should be entrusted with doing it. Prove it to the countless people who have lost faith in your transparency, accuracy, candor , and oversight.
Thank you
Harford Resident: I agree with you about the challenge; and I believe that public support for the Arts is critical to a community’s health. But in my opinion, the CFA org. should not be given another dime until they have credible oversight, and independent eyes on their financial records.
I agree. I support arts more than sports programs. We all play several instruments here at home. Having said that, we won’t donate either without a better understanding of where the money is going.
Another waste of County Money and a drain on the taxpayers.
Actually its a beautiful cause, but:
– in our opinion, the only thing that the CFA crew has proven to us over the past 11 years, is that they’re good at changing plans, non-transparency, un-focused wasting of money, and blowing smoke about non-existent accomplishments
– it is so sad to see the list on their website of the good-hearted individuals, companies and organizations that are throwing money at an organization that hasn’t publicly shown a balance sheet in a year and a half.
Where is the financial oversight? What are your assets? You have an FAQ on your website that says “how much have you raised to date?” and you proceed to not answer it. What do you take us for?
I called this two years ago. With time running out in earning the $25 million construction price tag (they have raised and kept only $100K in a decade) and the pending loss of the land conveyance, I said they will be slapping up an outdoor stage to claim victory. And there it is – looks like the Humbert stage by the library. Such a farce. If you are giving this group money it is being flushed down a toilet full of administrators, consultants, architects, etc.
Amen Sam. Someone told me that the Board Pres. is now claiming that he has raised “assets” to an absurdly high number. I don’t know if that’s true or not, because I didn’t hear him say it myself; but if he IS claiming that, I would LOVE to see the accounting contortions that they must have gone through to come up with that doozie of a number. Eventually somebody who has a clue, but doesn’t have an ax to grind, will get a look at their real books; at least one can only hope so.
Cant fund Police salaries
Cant fund Teacher Salaries
Cant Fund School Construction / Repairs
No Professional Fire Department compared to other local counties.
A growing heroin problem (see first line of comment again)
But people want Harford County to fund an Arts Center? People need to drive to themselves to the Lyric Opera House and recognize the county’s reality and priorities. Artists can perform at the HCC Arena, period.
Marco: you make good points about the critical funding needs in the county. But this shouldn’t be about whether or not we need arts facilities. We can debate that another time. We do need arts and performance facilities in my opinion; but only if the effort and promotion and fund-raising is open, competent, and responsible; and, in my view, it can be done predominantly with private funds, self-support from programming, and grants that are already ear-marked for such causes. The problem is that the CFA team has raised well over $2 million with nothing to show for it, they’re not being transparent and they’re not making any sense. In my opinion, and in the opinion many others whom I greatly respect, they have zero credibility. It seems that the only people they can get to back them are those who are not aware of their track record (“new meat”, as they say in the fundraising world) or those who want be part of a great cause without doing any homework on the actual oversight of the entity. And a big part of the blame should go to the county for ignoring this train wreck for so long. And every dime that’s gone to these clowns could have gone to several better managed, more transparent efforts in the county. These people have been sucking all the oxygen for 11 years. It’s utterly heartbreaking.
Good points.
Also they are going to make an amphitheater vs a real theater… so you can only draw crowds for about 6 months out of the year when the temps are comfortable and only if weather is good, geniuses I tell you. I don’t know why they don’t rent out the Harford Tech Auditorium for private events, I believe it’s the biggest in the county.
Could you explain exactly what a “professional” fire department is?
In this case, the term “professional” is usually meant to note someone being paid for his or her skill set. This would be opposed to volunteer, who are expected to have the same skills, but to labor without compensation of significance.
Actually the correct term is “career” rather then “professional”. I assure you that most volunteers are as “professional” as the compensated “career” firefighters. Same training and in many cases more training and actual experience then some career firefighters. What is needed is for more citizens to be willing to volunteer and be a part of the solution rather than simply expect our tax dollars to pay for more and more services.
My comments were clear that the only difference was a matter of pay. It is only a matter of time before the County realizes that we don’t have enough volunteers and we begin to pay these fine men and women for their services.
The county should flat-out refuse any more aid to the CFA. I see now that they’re asking the Harford Delegation to sponsor a $250,000 grant from the state. How much of that will go toward staff salaries?? If the county wants an amphitheater, we can put one up ourselves, and much cheaper than these people can. Lisanti and Impallaria need to politely say no; CE Glassman, go to the trustee and make a deal that puts this wasteful group out of commission.
Dear Fed Up: You nailed it! CSA’s books need to be completely vetted for at least the last 7 years! And I mean quarterly and yearly; 990 forms vs. internal records; has any independent accounting firm ever audited them? I’ve been told that the financials that they gave to the county for the tourism grant were actually submitted by a board member!!!! Please , someone tell me that’s not true. If in fact, CSA is asking for bond money, EVERYONE needs to call their delegate AND senator and ask them what vetting they will be doing of CSA’s records before they even CONSIDER requesting a bond for them in our name! I know I’ll be calling mine.
There’s nothing to worry about. All of their money problems have been solved. I’m hearing that they just hired Clark Turner to handle their finances.
Honestly, who cares about the CFA? The bigger issue is the land at stake. If it doesn’t go to an arts use, as required by the estate, the land probably reverts to general sale, and then what’s going to happen? More houses, more stores, more of what almost nobody seems to want.
So I don’t care if they put up a puppet theater, it’s better than the alternative.
Argue about the CFA to your heart’s content, but for heaven’s sake don’t stop them from putting something, anything there.
You’re right Noble. The land is the most important thing. But therein lies one of my biggest concerns: how do we know that the trustee hasn’t lost faith the CFA team’s credibility? Because the chairman of CFA says so????? They have no transparency whatsoever (an 18-month old, partial year, form 990 that was filed after 2 extensions and a fiscal year change doesn’t count); virtually nothing that they have proclaimed in the past 10 years has materialized; and, in my opinion, they care less about the cultural environment in the county, and more about salvaging their failed, wasteful, incompetent efforts. They need adult supervision, now. Before its too late, and the land DOES revert back to the estate. I personally am not reassured at all by any representations for whom our only source is the chairman of the CFA. Make sense?