Fly Arts Center Soars With Visual and Performing Art Offerings
The classic play To Kill a Mockingbird will be staged in October 2007‚ and a dinner theater presentation of Smoke on the Mountain will debut in late November.
And so much more is taking place these days at the Fly Arts Center‚ which is home to the Bedford County Arts Council.
The Shelbyville-based council had only a handful of members when it formed 25 years ago‚ and today the performing arts group has grown to 150 members. In addi tion‚ hundreds of non-members from Bedford County and beyond participate in the organization’s numerous artistic offerings‚ which include youth theater summer camps and Thursday evening art classes for adults.
“The Bedford County Arts Council is headquartered in the former Fly Manufacturing Co. building that is now called the Fly Art Center – or affectionately known as the Fly‚” says Janice Cole‚ center director. “The building features a theater that seats 120‚ as well an art studio for classes and exhibits. It’s nice to see that the arts are alive here in Bedford County.”
On the performing arts side‚ the council schedules four adult plays and two children’s plays each season.
“For our younger audiences‚ in July 2007 we put together a play called Do-Wop Little Red Riding Hood for children in grades one-six‚ and in August 2007‚ we did the play Godspell for grades seven-12‚” Cole says. “The Fly also hosts an acoustic concert series with four performances each year from March through May.”
For visual art enthusiasts‚ the center offers a youth art camp every summer for students in grades one-six. Campers learn the concepts of drawing‚ painting‚ print-making‚ clay sculpting and craft-making.
Meanwhile‚ the well-attended weekly art classes for adults convene every Thursday at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.
“We also feature exhibits in our gallery each month that showcase regional artists‚” Cole says.
A large art project in the works – to be displayed inside the Fly when finished – is a 7-foot mosaic statue honoring the women of Bedford County. The statue is the work of Bell Buckle artist Sherri Warner Hunter‚ and the unveiling is scheduled for early 2008.
The statue will be a three-sided image of a woman‚ with the sides representing vision‚ action and prayer. The base of the statue will be a mosaic including real artifacts from Bedford County women‚ past and present.
“For example‚ somebody’s aunt might have loved to crochet‚ so one of the aunt’s knitting needles would be attached to the base‚” Cole says. “It’s an interesting project that the center is excited about‚ especially since the statue will forever be on exhibit here at the Fly.”
Find a full schedule of the Fly’s events and classes at www.flyculturalartscenter.com.
