ArtsErie News

ArtsErie and Erie County Continue Celebrating ‘The Big Read’

Author/Illustrator Tim Hamilton to speak about authorized Fahrenheit 451 graphic novel

ERIE, PA — ArtsErie continues to host events coinciding with its Big Read program in celebration of Ray Bradbury’s classic Fahrenheit 451. A presentation by author/illustrator Tim Hamilton has been added to the event schedule. Hamilton's authorized graphic novel adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 was published in 2009. His public presentation will take place from 5-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at East Senior High School, 1001 Atkins St. Hamilton then will sign books in the East Senior High School lobby until 6:30 p.m.

During the presentation, Hamilton will give some history about how he came to illustrate Fahrenheit 451 and how one adapts a work of serious fiction to the graphic medium. He will show thumbnail (early story-board style drafts) and concept sketches from Fahrenheit 451 and samples of some of the art history that he used to inspire the look for the adaptation. He will discuss how art history directs much of his work and how in this kind of graphic adaptation, the artist has to be casting agent, art director, storyboard artist and costume designer. He will also talk about the book’s color scheme, why he used it and the process of creating a graphic novel.

Tim Hamilton has produced art for The New York Times Book Review, Cicada magazine, King Features, BOOM! Studios, Mad magazine, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, ToyBiz and Nickelodeon magazine. He most recently adapted Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island into a graphic novel for Puffin Graphics. He lives in Brooklyn.

Activities in Erie County continue throughout October, including:

• Sat, Oct. 24: Readers’ Theater Performance, Erie Playhouse
• Mon, Oct. 26: Student-led Event, Frontier Park
• Tue, Oct. 27: Movie Viewing & Discussion, Blasco Library
• Wed, Oct. 28: Tim Hamilton Lecture, East High School
• Thu, Oct. 29: Movie Viewing & Discussion, ECHA
• Thu, Oct. 29: Culminating Celebration, Blasco Library

For more information and a full calendar of events for The Big Read–Erie, visit www.onebookerie.org or www.artserie.org . The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The Big Read–Erie is presented in partnership with the Erie County Public Library’s “One Book, One Erie” program and the School District of the City of Erie.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. For more information, please visit www.neabigread.org.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts—both new and established—bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: www.imls.gov.

Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge and understanding across boundaries. For more information, please visit www.artsmidwest.org .

ArtsErie strives to nurture the arts and enrich the lives of the people of northwestern Pennsylvania through leadership, financial support, education and advocacy. For more information, please visit www.ArtsErie.org .

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ArtsErie to Host Annual Fall for the Arts Celebration

2009 ArtsErie Arts Appreciation Award honorees announced; public reception slated for Tuesday, Oct. 20

ERIE, PA — Each year ArtsErie honors individuals and groups for their contributions to the arts community with ArtsErie Arts Appreciation Awards. The awards are presented each October, National Arts and Humanities Month, at ArtsErie’s Fall for the Arts event. ArtsErie will host the 2009 Fall for the Arts celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 20 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Yehl Ballroom in Gannon University's Waldron Campus Center (124 West 7th St., Erie).

At the event, ArtsErie will present three Arts Appreciation Awards. Citadel Broadcasting will receive the Leadership Award. Inner-City Neighborhood Art House will receive the Imagine Award. Barbara Hauck will receive the Applause Award. In addition, ArtsErie will thank its ArtsErie United Fund Contributors and announce ArtsErie Grantees.

Doors will open at 5:15 p.m.; the awards presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. The presentation will feature performances by local musicians and a poetry reading by Berwyn Moore, an associate professor of English at Gannon University who is Erie County's first poet laureate. A reception will immediately follow.

Fall for the Arts is sponsored in part by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. This year’s awards, created by local mosaic and glass artist Ed Grout, were sponsored by Bank of New York Mellon.

For more information or to inquire about remaining tickets, priced at $10 each, please contact ArtsErie at 814-452-3427 or info@ArtsErie.org.

About the ArtsErie Arts Appreciation Awards

Nominations for the ArtsErie Arts Appreciation Awards are accepted from members of the community and voted upon by the ArtsErie Board of Directors. The award categories are as follows:

The Leadership in Arts Award recognizes a business, government, or foundation that (1) has exhibited long term art support, or (2) whose work has had a significant impact on the region’s arts/cultural landscape, or (3) has demonstrated a successful collaboration between an arts organization and business.

The Applause Award recognizes a dedicated individual(s) or group whose outstanding volunteerism and contributions, either currently or in the past, have supported ArtsErie or the arts in our community. (The Applause Award now incorporates the Art Service Award given out in previous years.)

The Imagine Award recognizes an educator, instructor or individual whose efforts have made an outstanding contribution to the enhancement of arts education by consistently inspiring and encouraging arts excellence in their students or an education affiliate (PTA, Board of Ed., Performing Arts/Music School) or other organization that has demonstrated outstanding efforts to evoke interest and understanding in the arts both having worked over time to implement excellence in and for arts education.

About ArtsErie

ArtsErie strives to nurture the arts and enrich the lives of the people of northwestern Pennsylvania through leadership, financial support, education and advocacy. Additional information about ArtsErie is available online at www.ArtsErie.org.

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