Page 18 - BusinessWest April 15, 2024

the city, parking was secured at a long- closed Friendly’s (now owned by the city) across the street from the church, with additional parking on the street and in a small lot behind the church.
An open house to showcase the space, which doubled as a fundraiser for Toys for Tots, was staged on Dec.
7, with the first actual performance on Feb. 17, featuring two local groups, Moses Sole and the 413s. Those per- formances, which drew more than 400 people, served as an opportunity to test all the systems and make sure all was in in order, said McKellick, adding that those tests were passed.
Overall, the goal is to bring live per- formances to the area, but at an afford-
“If we can find the instructor and we can figure out how to do it, we want to create affordable access to the arts for the kids in our community.”
create community programming for various audiences, but especially young people, said Park and McKellick, noting that this is why the schedule includes an important fundraiser, set for May 8.
Organizers have received a commit- ment from Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, a Grammy-winning blues artist, to play at that event, who was secured through “a cold call, lots of follow-up, and lots of horse trading.”
“I noticed that he was passing through,” said McKellick, noting that Kingfish — Ingram’s stage name — was playing an event in Boston and then heading to Vermont for a string of performances.
He will headline the fundraiser, which will hopefully raise $100,000 and thus help defray the cost of several summer programs that SPAV is plan- ning, which speaks to the group’s larger mission: to go well beyond being a per- formance venue and instead become a vehicle for introducing constituencies, and especially young people, to the arts and immersing people in them.
Indeed, as noted earlier, the stated goal is to use the proceeds from vari- ous performances, and fundraising efforts, to fund community programs, from pottery classes to drama work- shops, McKellick said.
“If we can find the instructor and we can figure out how to do it, we want to create affordable access to the arts for the kids in our community, because it’s super expensive, just like everything else — a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs ... everything has gone up in price, and it’s really hard.
“To try to pull them away from wher- ever they are and keep them inspired by the arts, whether it’s the music side, the performing-arts side, or the artistic side, the hands-on side ... that’s what we want to do,” he added.
To that end, those at SPAV are working to book some “symphony-like concerts” for young people as well other types of performances, including one involving someone called ‘Father Goose.’
This would be Wayne Rhoden, a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and music producer, said McKellick, adding that SPAV is trying to book him for several shows, what he called “field- trip” performances.
Meanwhile, the space is available to rent for corporate outings, non- profit fundraisers, various types of performing arts (including dramatic productions), and other events, and it has already staged several, said Park, adding that there are several revenue streams that will help the agency carry out its mission.
Overall, SPAV and 52 Sumner are writing the early chapters of an intrigu- ing story that has brought new life to a Springfield landmark and the promise of not just art, but the ability for diverse audiences to enjoy it, take part in it, and, hopefully, become immersed in it.
In short, it’s a work in progress, and a work of art — or the arts, to be more
able price — $17 for the performance in March involving the Screaming Orphans and the Irish dancers, and $20 for DAR & the Rebel Monks — although there’s an early-bird price of $15.
“You can come in for $15, get a salsa lesson, dance a little bit, enjoy a band that has all these really talented
artists, dance some more, enjoy some food ... that’s a pretty good value,” he said, adding that, as a nonprofit with a mission of breaking down barriers to the arts, affordability is an important aspect of this venture.
Art and Soul
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