About the Community Chamber Orchestra

 

What is unique about the Community Chamber Orchestra?

  1. It is an LLC employing youth through adults to perform live chamber orchestra music in North Central Kansas.
  2. The musicians perform without a conductor.
  3. The home stage of the Orchestra, the Rex Theater, was built in 1920, and has superb acoustics for natural string sound. Friends of the Rex is a support group for restoration of the Rex. For more information contact jeff@rextheater.net or visit the Rex Theater Website.
  4. The Orchestra presents outreach programs to audiences in rural areas of Kansas, where there are no public school orchestra programs available, and where the economic conditions are depressed.
  5. Contributions by individuals, organizations, and businesses have built the Orchestra. These contributions can be given as tax-free through the Clay Center Arts Council, or as advertising for businesses. For more information on being a sponsor of the Community Chamber Orchestra, contact Dr. Anne Clark at 454 23rd Rd., Morganville, KS 67468-9117, (785) 926-4725, or bclark@diodecom.net.
  6. For ten-plus years the Kansas Arts Commission has awarded the Orchestra its maximum Grassroots Grant support. For two consecutive years, the the Orchestra has received Technical Assistance grants as well. As of August, 2008 the Kansas Arts Commission has notified the Clay Center Area Chamber of Commerce that it has awarded a Community Mini-Grant (noncompetitive) for the second year in a row.

  7. The Orchestra offers a unique chamber orchestra experience. It draws from rural, small town, and large city populations of North Central Kansas. Many of its members live on farms. It also allows families to share live music making: several sets of parents and their children are currently playing, as well as siblings. It is intergenerational, in that senior citizens, young adults, and youth all play together.
  8. The Orchestra features soloists who are both professional musicians and high school students. This brings high quality performances to an underserved area of North Central Kansas, and gives aspiring musicians opportunities for concert experience as soloists.
  9. The Orchestra is now undertaking a two-year project called "Agriculture and the Arts" which will involve photography of small family farms and related activities and businesses in Clay County, Kansas. Two multi-media programs will be presented in the springs of 2008 and 2009, combining these photographs and chamber orchestra music celebrating the values of small family farming. The program will be performed on Sat, May 2, 2009 at 4:30 and 7:00 pm . At the conclusion of the project, framed copies of the photography will be placed in local businesses and public places. The "Agriculture and the Arts" idea is based on a project done in Clark County, Ohio, the home of 4-H, with the Springfield Symphony. To donate, volunteer to do photography, volunteer to help with planning and implementing, or receive more information, contact Dr. Anne Clark at 785-926-4725 or bclark@diodecom.net . To contribute photographs read our directions under the "Agriculture and the Arts" and send your photographs of farm life in Clay County, Kansas as attachments to usbank@kansas.net .

    Agriculture and the Arts Framed Original Photos Which Were Placed in Businesses in 2008

    Here are photos of our photographers: (Click on photos to enlarge)

     


    Alicia Beaver beav9734@yahoo.com

    Marsha Hableutzel of Clay County Child Care Center
    and Headstart, Clay Center, receives a photo of children from the preschool program holding a bullfrog. This picture was made possible by a contribution from the Kansas Crossroads RC&D.


    Elizabeth and Anne Clark bclark@diodecom.net

    Cathy Haney, Director of the Clay County Historical Museum, Clay Center, receives Elizabeth's photo of the WPA North County Park entrance . This closed park is unknown to many residents of the region. The Clay Center Community Improvement Foundation contributed funds for this photograph and others to be placed in Clay Center.

     
       


    Jim Beck     je_scbeck@sbcglobal.net

    In the lobby of Union State Bank, Jim's dramatic view of the Clay County Courthouse in the December 2007 Ice Storm is received by Clay County Commissioner Jerry Mayo . This presentation was made possible by the Clay County Commissioners. Another of Jim's photos taken from the old Morganville Bridge is accepted by Deanna Turner and Frieda Knitter of the River Valley Extension District Office. The Extension photograph was made possible by a donation from N.W. Dible Foundation (William and Gloria Hickok) of Overland Park, Kansas.
       
     


    Melanie Musselman 3ml@bluevalley.net

    Melanie's picture is of her twin boys, Lane and Levi, taken in a field of ripe wheat near Clifton. The photo is displayed in the children's section of the Clay Center Carnegie Public Library, and is a gift of Dr. Margaret Roebke Ruccolo, Phoenix, Arizona, and Dr. Richard and Marie Roebke Generson, Flemington, New Jersey . Both Margaret and Marie grew up in Clay Center and participated in the school strings program. Their mother was a Clay Center kindergarten teacher.

    Michelle Tessaro Michelle.tessaro@juno.com

    Michelle presents her photo of a baby screech owl in a Clay Center tree to Keith Blake of Union State Bank , one of our business cash sponsors of “Agriculture and the Arts".

       
     


    Jerry Patterson jjpatterson@twinvalley.net

    Jerry's three striking views of the Wakefield causeway
    are presented to Shawn Mitchell, president of Farmers & Merchants State Bank for display in the new bank lobby. The photograph collection was made possible by the contribution of the Clay County Arts Council.

    		  


    Kathy Martin martinkathy@yahoo.com

    Melissa Spellman of Associates in Primary Care, Clay Center , receives Kathy's lovely photo of a family fishing outing by a farm pond. The Associates in Primary Care are the offices of Dr. Stan and Ann Hatesohl.

       
     


    Pam Wilkinson strech_100@yahoo.com

    Pam (seated) took a peaceful view of a Clay County meadow framed by cedar trees which was presented to Phil Pfeifley of Holmes-Pfeifley Funeral Home of Riley (Phil and Diane Pfeifley), our very first business cash sponsor of “Agriculture and the Arts.” Library Director Kay Osthoff and Children's Librarian Pixie Knepper are seen beside Pam's double rainbow photo, a gift of Kay Reboule Doyle , Portland, Oregon . Kay is a pianist who grew up in Clay Center.
       

    Steve, a professional Manhattan photographer, submitted many beautiful photographs. Connie Schurle of the Green Café accepted one of a sunflower field donated by Green resident Leona Shadle. Tony Bruna of Bruna Implement accepted the photograph of an abandoned Farmall tractor.

     
       
    Here are additional business cash sponsors of $100 or more receiving their framed photos.
       


    Republican Valley Irrigation,
    Clay Center

    Tom Cott receives the photo Elizabeth Clark caught of
    a pivot's water spray against a summer sky.

     


    Farmers Coop Elevator Association, Morganville

    Robert Clark and Ann Tiemeyer are shown on the scales of the elevator with Jim Beck's view of the elevator towers taken through a section of the old Morganville bridge.
       
     

    United Bank and Trust , Clay Center

    Carla Sweet accepted Steve Williams ' old stone house photograph, taken in Clay County . This lovely photo can be viewed in the bank's lobby.

    		 


    Braden Financial Services, Clay Center-James and Margie Braden

    Everett Burt and Jill Mugler accept Elizabeth Clark's view of an abandoned farm building in Northwest Clay County , seen from a fence with sunflowers.

       


    Kahrs' Harvesting, Clay Center – Steve Kahrs, Owner/Operator

    Cindy Kahrs accepts Anne Clark 's photo of the 2007
    milo harvest by Clifton after returning from custom
    wheat cutting in the Dakotas in August, 2008.

     

    Ray's Apple Market, Clay Center-Mike and Nelda Floersch

    Kelly Gant, Store Manager accepts Michelle Tessaro's photo of peppers in the local famers' market, and Alicia Beaver's breathtaking view of a stormy night sky full of lightening strikes. Alicia's photograph was a gift of Dr. David and Dr. Laurel Littrell, Manhattan; their son Nathan also is a store employee.

     
       
    Here are individual and organizational sponsors of $100 or more who made framed photographs available.
       


    Tractors for Our Daily Bread, Central Kansas (to donate contact Floyd Dowell 785-776-8523 )

    Tony Bruna of Bruna Implement, Clay Center accepted Steve Williams ' photograph of an abandoned Farmall tractor in Clay County . Our Daily Bread accepts
    donated tractors, reconditions them, and then donates them to farmers in third world countries.


    Leona Shadle, Green, Kansas

    Leona poses with photographer Steve Williams and his field of sunflowers photograph, which she donated to the Green Café. Leona has a Christmas Tree farm in Green.
       


    Brenda and Dixie Sortor, Clay Center

    Brenda, who played violin in the Clay Center schools
    and her mother Dixie, retired Waddell & Reed agent, donated to Kurt Haberer who has the present Clay
    Center Waddell & Reed office. Kurt is shown receiving Steve Williams large sunflower photograph.

     


    Jerry and LuAnn Callan, Clay Center

    LuAnn Callan receives Michelle Tessaro's photograph of the hand of a farmer holding wheat seed to be placed in the Clay Center FSA office.

       
     


    Mayo's Custom Framing, Clay Center

    Jerry and Cindy Mayo contributed all the photograph framing expenses at cost, as a gift to the residents of Clay County, in which Jerry is currently serving as a county commissioner.

       


  10. The Orchestra has just completed production of a copyrighted historical 2-CD set, "Music of the Kansas Pioneers," containing pioneer music of the 1800's and early 1900's which was recorded live in its 2001 "Pioneers of Bloom Township in the 1880's" concert and in its 2006 "Letters From Morganville" concert.  50 of these CD sets have been distributed free of charge to North Central public and school libraries. 50 more are available for purchase by individuals, organizations, and other libraries. For more information and the lyrics, see the CD section on the left. The CD's can be purchased from Glenn's Music,  413 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan, KS 66502  (800-538-1926)  and Custer's Cottage at the U.S. Cavalry Museum on the Fort Riley, Kansas Army Post, Building 205 - (785-239-2737).