TCAC In The News

Commission Slates Artists

Operating on the premise there's strength in numbers, The Taylor Cultural Arts Commission is on a mission to find all of the city's artistic individuals in the city of Taylor.

The goal of the seven-member commission is to enhance and enrich the quality of life in the city through the advancement of cultural arts, using public awareness and participation through artistic and cultural events.

The commission already sponsors the popular Art in the Park Festival and Taste of Taylor each June in Heritage Park. To continue toward its goals, the commission is seeking to get a listing of the city's talent pool, a list of residents who are painters, sculptors, musicians, poetry writers, actors or dancers or have other artistic talents.

"There are several projects we are planning," said commission secretary and treasurer Debra Hamilton of the city of Taylor Parks and Recreation Department.

"This will allow us to pull from our resources when necessary and be able to contact artists for various events."

The commission hopes to organize a Winter Festival with ice sculptures and other winter-related activities in January 2005.

Other goals include repairing and expanding the sculpture in front of the Sheridan Community Center.

This will involve a collaborative effort between the city, the Downriver Council for the Arts and the Downriver Campus of Wayne County Community College District.

Commissioner Sharon Sims will be the project artist coordinator.

The commission also wants to develop two scholarships for graduating high school seniors in the arts.

To register as a local artist, please contact Hamilton at 1-734-374-3906.

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Taylor graduates earn Cultural Arts Commission scholarships

Two graduating high school seniors are the first recipients of $500 scholarships presented by the Taylor Cultural Arts Commission.

The honorees are Paul Smith of John F. Kennedy High School and Chris Boonenberg of Harry S Truman High School.

The scholarships were open to graduating high school seniors from Taylor who are planning to enter a career in the arts, including dance, music, theater, fine arts or any related field. The applicant needed to provide a portfolio of work or be able to adequately demonstrate talent.

Serving as judges were five members of the Cultural Arts Commission and Taylor Friends of the Arts. The individuals represented a diverse group in various media.

The criteria included creativity, skill level, grade point average and letters of recommendation.

Smith is an accomplished artist and musician who is a member of Kennedy’s symphonic and marching bands, where he served as section leader, playing percussion. He has won numerous awards at solo ensemble. Smith has a GPA of 3.2 and plans to study art at Henry Ford Community College.

Boonenberg is a member of Truman’s marching band, jazz band and symphonic band, where he plays tenor saxophone. He also is active in community theater, holding many roles, including leads, with the Taylor Teen Theatre, the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center, Southgate Community Players and Showbiz Stars. Boonenberg has a 3.6 GPA and plans to study music and art at Henry Ford Community College and Eastern Michigan University.

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TCAC & Friends of the Arts presents their 2008 Scholarships

City of Taylor - 05/24/2008 09:28pm
The Taylor Cultural Arts Commission and Friends of the Arts have announced the recipients of the 2008 Taylor Cultural Arts Scholarship.
The honorees are Kayla Aue and Michelle McIntyre, who will receive $500 each.

The scholarships were open to graduating high school seniors from Taylor who are planning to enter a career in the arts, including dance, music, theater, fine arts or any related field. The applicant needed to provide a portfolio of work or be able to adequately demonstrate talent.

Serving as judges were five members of the Cultural Arts Commission and Taylor Friends of the Arts. The individuals represented a diverse group in various media.

The criteria included creativity, skill level, grade point average and letters of recommendation.

Kayla Aue is a graduating senior from Harry S Truman High School with a grade point average of 3.7. She plans to attend Wayne State University to study broadcasting and photo journalism. Kayla is a member of Truman’s marching, jazz and symphonic bands, where she plays alto saxophone. She is a member of the Drama Club and school newspaper staff and is an avid photographer. Kayla is president of the Drama Society and also very active in community theatre. She has performed many roles and currently works with the Taylor Youth Theatre, assisting the director and choreographing many pieces for Youth Theater productions held at the Alfred Sheridan Community Center.

Michelle McIntyre also is a graduating senior from Truman. She holds a GPA of 3.6 and plans to attend Michigan State University to study communications. She is a member of the Truman Choir and is involved in Michigan Youth in Government and the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council. She is the president of Truman’s Student Council. Michelle plays guitar, piano and the trumpet. She is a member of the Taylor Teen Theatre Group and the school Drama Club. She also dances jazz with the Taylor Dance Program and enjoys composing original works for guitar.

The two students were presented their awards at the May 20 regular meeting of the Taylor City Council.

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Cultural Arts Commission sets goals for Community Center

Dave Gorgon

City of Taylor - 04/26/2008 02:44am
The Taylor Cultural Arts Commission has entered a lease agreement with the City of Taylor for use of the Sheridan Community Center. The lease includes the auditorium and lobby areas.

The Taylor Cultural Arts Commission and Friends of the Arts have identified a need for a central hub for the arts and a home base for their groups to continue their mission of advancing the arts throughout the City of Taylor.

"We are excited about the possibilities in our new home base," said Debra Hamilton of the Taylor Cultural Arts Commission. "We have a big vision for the building, including a performing arts theater, an art gallery and classrooms for education in the arts."

The Taylor Cultural Arts Commission and Friends of the Arts unanimously agreed to set up a separate building fund in which 10 percent of all monies raised by the group would be earmarked for capital improvements specifically for the Sheridan Community Center.

A groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the beginning of the building’s transition will take place sometime in the fall.

To learn more about the Taylor Cultural Arts Commission or to become a member of the Friends of the Arts, please visit www.taylorarts.org .

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Cruisin for the Arts

City of Taylor - 06/24/2008 10:06pm
The 2008 “Cruising for the Arts” Classic Car Show drew dozens of classic cars, both replica and refurbished, to Taylor’s Heritage Park on June 14.

The Taylor Ford and Murray’s Discount Auto-sponsored event – which was part of the Masco Art in the Park Festival – finished its third year and the weather cooperated fully in displaying the assembled homages to driving history in all their glory.

Dave Martin and The Classics produced faithful and spirited renditions of period tunes for the audience, such as “Great Balls of Fire” and “Chantilly Lace.”

Texas Roadhouse provided fresh-cooked food and cold drinks and even the Taylor Schools Alumni Association and Taylor U.S. Postal Service’s mobile Post Office were in attendance.

Contestants began arriving as early as 1 p.m., filling the concert field at the North end of Heritage Park by 2 o’clock.

The competition was open to all comers. Judging started promptly at 3 pm and took no more than an hour to complete.

This year’s winner of “Best of Show” was Southgate resident Mack Bunch with his coppertoned 1940 custom.

The “Mayor’s Choice” award went to Wayne and Donna Seward, who entered their 1966 Shelby Cobra.

The cruise benefits the Taylor Friends of the Arts and the Taylor Cultural Arts Commission by raising money for capital improvements for the Alfred Sheridan Community Center.

The commission was created to promote the advancement of the arts in the City of Taylor. The improvements on the Community Center are intended to make it a premiere performing arts center, a worthy home for the Taylor Youth Theater and Taylor Community Chorus.

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TAYLOR: Art fund-raiser set to be unveiled next month

Anne Sullivan

Friday, February 13, 2009 6:44 PM EST
By Anne Sullivan

TAYLOR — Those who love the arts can step out for the night and kick up their heels to raise money.

Tickets are on sale for the third annual “Big Band Ball” on March 21 at the Grecian Center, 16300 Dix-Toledo, Southgate.

The event, a benefit for the Taylor Friends of the Arts and its various ventures, is presented by the Taylor Cultural Arts Commission. Doors open at 6 p.m.

The event includes dinner at 6:30 p.m., with dancing to the big band music of Larry Huntington and The Skyliners from 7:30 to 11 p.m.

A cash bar will be open from 6 to 10:30 p.m. The audience will see a dinner performance by Girls’ Night Out from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

A silent auction is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m.

Tickets are available in advance only and cost $45 each or $80 per couple.

The goal of the Taylor Cultural Arts Commission is to enhance the city and Downriver by promoting the arts.

“As a commission, we are proud of our accomplishments over the last four years,” said Debbie Hamilton, a commission member and Parks and Recreation Department employee. “We’ve established a scholarship fund for graduating seniors going into the arts, provided several theatrical performances to sold-out crowds, commissioned a beautiful sculpture by Taylor artist Keith Coleman that was installed at the Taylor Petting Farm, given viable opportunities for musicians and actors to perform and gave support to our crown jewel, Taylor Ballet Americana.

“We truly are looking forward to the growth of cultural arts in the city of Taylor over the next several years.”

Taylor Friends of the Arts is a nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible.

For more information, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 1-734-374-3906 or visit www.TaylorArts.org .

To charge tickets by phone, call 1-734-287-6318

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Swing into srping with cultural arts fund raiser

Andrea Blum, The News Herald

The Taylor Cultural Arts Commission is making its presence better known with a swingin’ fundraiser.

Some people are unaware that the city has a cultural arts commission, even though they may have enjoyed the same cultural events and programs that the commission has sponsored since its inception nearly six years ago.

Among those events and programs is the group's annual Big Band Ball — and it shouldn't be a secret anymore.

The fourth annual Big Band Ball, this year dubbed “Swing into Spring,” is set for March 20 — the first day of spring.

The evening includes a sit-down buffet dinner, dancing to the orchestrations of Metro Detroit's Larry Huntington and the Skyliners, the sounds of the local hit duo Girls' Night Out, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle.

A membership drive for the Taylor Friends of the Arts also will kick off at the event.

“If you're familiar with and like the music of Harry Connick Jr., Michael Bublé or the Brian Setzer Orchestra, then ‘Swing into Spring’ … is a perfect evening out for you," committee co-chairwoman Erika Geiss said.

Fellow co-chairwoman Sue Kuschel added that it’s a good opportunity for anyone who has taken salsa lessons at the Taylor Recreation Center or any other ballroom dance classes to practice some more or show off their moves.

Together, the co-chairs of the Big Band Ball committee said they recognize that the current economy has reduced the amount that people are spending on an evening out, which is why the committee voted to keep the ticket prices the same as last year, and added a discount for senior citizens and students.

The event allows the group and its nonprofit fundraising arm — The Friends of the Arts — to sustain and produce programs such as the annual scholarship for high school seniors and the Taylor Community Chorus, shows such as the fall 2009 dinner theater production of “My Way — A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” and support Ballet Americana’s hosting of the 2010 Mid-States Regional Dance Festival this spring.

Tickets are $45 a person, $80 a couple and $35 for senior citizens and students. Discounts are available for purchases of eight-person tables.

Event sponsors also are needed, for businesses and individuals looking for creative ways to give back to the community.

Information about becoming an event sponsor or for donating goods and services for the silent auction is available at www.taylorarts.org/whatsnew.php .

“Swing into Spring” is set for 6:30 p.m. March 20 at the Grecian Center, 16300 Dix-Toledo Road, Southgate.

Purchase tickets by cash or check at the Taylor Parks and Recreation Office or by calling 1-734-374-3906 during regular business hours.

To charge tickets by phone, call Kuschel Studios at 1-734-287-6318.

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