News – Regional Arts Council of Zachary

Sun Room will shine diverse musical light at event

Posted on July 25, 2016 by RACZsite Posted in Arts Education, Events, Music, News .

The Regional Arts Council of Zachary will present its inaugural Arts Scholarship Fundraiser Saturday, August 6, 2016 at The Pointe at Americana, 1250 Meeting Street, Zachary, Louisiana. Featured group, the Sun Room, is a jazz/funk/soul/R&B band comprised of Baton Rouge Magnet High students. Since the band’s launch more than a year ago, the Sun Room has played various venues including the Varsity, the Fire and Water Festival in Arnaudville, Louisiana, Ann Connelly Fine Arts, the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum, Lucy’s, Highland Coffees, and Atomic Pop Shop. Get tickets now on TicketLeap!

The Sun Room highlights RACZ fundraiser

Posted on July 19, 2016 by RACZsite Posted in Arts Education, Events, Music, News .

The Sun Room jazz band will perform at the RACZ Arts Scholarship Fundraiser.

The Regional Arts Council of Zachary will present its inaugural Arts Scholarship Fundraiser Saturday, August 6, 2016 at The Pointe at Americana, 1250 Meeting Street, Zachary, Louisiana.

The event will start at 6 p.m. with a silent auction. The featured entertainment of the evening, the Sun Room jazz band will take center stage from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. All white attire is suggested, but not required. Former RACZ Presidents Joy Petty, Margaret Harmon, and Thais Perkins will be honored at the event.

Event sponsors are the Coca-Cola Company, the Pointe at Americana, and Walk-Ons Bitstreaux & Bar. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets are $30 for non-members and $20 for members and may be purchased online at TicketLeap.

The Regional Arts Council of Zachary is a community partner supporting visual and performing arts and art education in Zachary and its surrounding area. The Council often partners with the Pointe at Americana, the recently-opened venue of the Americana traditional neighborhood development, to bring concerts and events to Zachary and the surrounding communities.

A 501c (3) formed in 2011, RACZ strives to inspire and enliven the community through the arts, and to enhance and preserve the cultural and economic health of the region. The term “arts” is understood to include, but is not limited to, clay pottery, glass, literary, performing, sculpture, stained glass, textile, visual, wood, and other allied arts.

Renowned solo pianist sets Zachary performance

Posted on March 21, 2016 by RACZsite Posted in Events, Music, News .

The Regional Arts Council of Zachary is proud to bring world-class pianist Angela Draghicescu to the Zachary community. She will perform Tuesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. at the Pointe at Americana.

A native of Romania, Dr. Draghicescu currently serves as Collaborative Pianist at The University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. She joined the Department of Music in the fall of 2012. Dr. Draghicescu has toured the world as a duo and chamber music pianist in venues that include Carnegie Hall, Benaroya Hall, George Enescu Philharmonic (Romania), Rudolfinium Auditorium (Prague), Mahidon Auditorium (Thailand), Hindemith Institute (Switzerland), and other venues in Switzerland, Romania, Hungary, France, and Norway.

She has collaborated with artists such as the Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic Frank Huang, violinists Brian Lewis and Virgil Boutelis-Taft, Naumburg Competition winner cellist David Requiro, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra trumpet player David Bond, former Canadian Brass French horn player Jeff Nelsen, and Canadian Brass trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos.

Dr. Draghicescu received her bachelor’s and master degrees in piano performance at Louisiana State University, where she was awarded the LSU Scholarship in Accompanying and the LSU Wind Ensemble Pianist Scholarship for the entire duration of her college career. She earned her doctorate in collaborative piano at The University of Texas at Austin under the mentoring of Anne Epperson as a full scholarship recipient. At UT she was also awarded the Butler School of Music Assistantship in the Chamber and Collaborative Piano departments.

An avid promoter of contemporary music she is a frequent guest on Seattle’s Classical King FM radio station and can also be heard on Naxos labels; she is currently working on releasing two CDs of works by Distinguished Teacher White House Award-winning composer Dinos Constantinides for Centaur records.

Tickets are $15, and are available through Ticketleap.com and at the door. Advanced purchase is highly recommended, as seating is limited. We hope to see you at this RACZ-sponsored event.

Find latest Fall Art Crawl details in Country Roads magazine

Posted on September 25, 2015 by RACZsite Posted in Events, News .

(Click here for scaleable PDF file)

One of the first promotional guides to the 2015 Fall Art Crawl can be found in Country Roads Magazine, a cultural reporting publication focusing on the communities of the Great River Road region between Natchez, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Published continuously since 1983, Country Roads magazine helps its readers to make the most of life in their region by offering:

An extensive calendar of forthcoming events
Articles showcasing day trips and weekend getaways
Restaurant news, reviews and recipes
Reporting on developments in historic preservation, conservation and natural history
Profiles of regional artists, crafters and other folks of note
Explorations of popular Southern folklore and humor.

Visit the publication for articles and distribution sites at www.countryroadsmagazine.com.

Harry Anderson headlines Jazz at the Pointe

Posted on June 19, 2015 by RACZsite Posted in Events, Music, News .

Harry Anderson and Friends, a six-member jazz ensemble, will perform in a casual bistro-style setting Tuesday, June 23 at the Pointe at Americana. The group is directed by Harry Anderson, director of the Alvin Batiste Jazz Institute at Southern University. Anderson has accompanied Wynton Marsalis, the Harper Brothers, Irene Reed, and the well-known local great, Alvin Batiste.

Anderson, a resident of Zachary, has performed with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Itzhak Perlman, Peggy Lee, the Ink Spots, the Four Aces, Connie Jones, the Sherills, and James Brown. He has performed at renowned venues around the world that include the Lincoln Center, the Apollo, the Town Hall, the Village Vanguard, and Carnegie Hall.

The jazz ensemble includes noted artists Glenn Parker, guitar; Rodrick Paulin, saxophone; Thaddeus Richard, keyboard; Herman Jackson, drums; and Ernest Jackson, vocalist.

The Regional Arts Council of Zachary is a community partner supporting visual and performing arts and art education in Zachary and its surrounding area. The Council is partnering with the Pointe, the newly-opened venue of the Americana traditional neighborhood development.

For tickets and pricing, visit TicketLeap.

Harry Anderson brings ensemble to Jazz at the Pointe

Posted on May 18, 2015 by RACZsite Posted in Events, Music, News .

Harry Anderson and Friends, a six-member jazz group, performs in a casual bistro style setting in the concert hall at the Pointe at Americana. The band, musicians of the highest order, is directed by Harry Anderson who has performed with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Itzhak Perlman, Peggy Lee, the Ink Spots, the Four Aces, Connie Jones, the Sherills, James Brown, and on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Harry Anderson, currently director of the Alvin Batiste Jazz Institute at Southern University has accompanied Wynton Marsalis, the Harper Brothers, Irene Reed, and the well known local great, Alvin Batiste. He has performed at the Lincoln Center, the Apollo, the Town Hall, the Village Vanguard, and Carnegie Hall.

This is a must see for all jazz lovers! A wine bar will be available.

Student and adult artists honored at show held during ZFest

Posted on May 7, 2015 by RACZsite Posted in Arts Education, Events, News .

Donna Kilbourne’s 1st place, Adult for her work “Sand Supervisor.”

Jessie Yantis, 1st Place, Student for her work “Night-lock.”

Janae D’Arensbourg, 1st Place, Student Under Glass award for her work “The Lion.”

Donna Kilbourne’s entry, “Sand Supervisor,” received top adult honors in the 2015 Regional Arts Council of Zachary’s Judged Art Show held in conjunction with Zachary’s ZFest activities. Student 1^st place winners were Jessie Yantis with “Night-lock” and Janae D’Arensbourg who received the top Under Glass award for her work “The Lion.”

Madison Deckman’s “Rainbow Cheetah garnered the most votes from ZFest participants and received the People’s Choice Awards.

Renowned artist Della Storm judged the art show. Storm, an award-winning artist, has works in many fine art galleries including The Cottage Fine Arts and Framing in Zachary. RACZ board member Margaret Harmon served as arts show chairman and coordinator.

Adult winners are 1^st place, Donna Kilbourne; 2^nd place, Connie Ashford; and 3^rd place, Raye Dry. Student winners are 1^st place Under Glass, Janae D’Arensbourg; 1^st place, Jessie Yantis; 2^nd place, Madison Deckman; and 3^rd place, Angelle Carter.

The Regional Arts Council of Zachary is a community partner supporting visual and performing arts and art education in Zachary and its surrounding area.

Art Show Coordinator Margaret Harmon congratulates Madison Deckman, People Choice Award winner for her work “Rainbow Cheetah.”

Adult, student entries sought for ZFest Juried Art Show

Posted on April 24, 2015 by RACZsite Posted in Events, News .

Entries from the 2014 Juried Art Show.

Local adult and student artists are encouraged to prepare entries for the annual Regional Arts Council of Zachary Juried Art Show during ZFest which will be held April 29 through May 3.

Entry forms are available below. Participants should complete this entry form, bring payment, if applicable, and the artwork to the BREC Pavilion building in the Zachary Community Park, 20055 Old Scenic Highway, Zachary, LA, on May 1^st between 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Awards and prizes will be given in four categories: Adults Under Glass, Adults Not Under Glass, Age 12-17 and Under 11. A combination of cash awards, certificates and RACZ memberships will be awarded. Please see Web site for complete listing of awards.

The 9th annual Zachary Arts & Music Festival will be a weekend full of activities for all art and music lovers. There will be various genres of music filling the BREC Zachary Community Park. Food and merchandise will be for sale from several vendors.

The Regional Arts Council of Zachary is a community partner supporting visual and performing arts and art education in Zachary and its surrounding area. The Council is partnering with the Zachary Chamber to bring the Art Show to the ZFest line-up.

Information and forms:

An Evening of Classical Music christens venue

Posted on February 15, 2015 by RACZsite Posted in Events, Music, News .

The Regional Arts Council of Zachary will host the first of a three-part (concert) series, Concerts at the Pointe at Americana, on February 24 at 7 p.m. The first concert will feature nine classical musicians, including pianist Dr. Henry Jones, of the Southeastern Louisiana University College of Music. Dr. Jones will serve as accompanist and also perform as a soloist on the program. The three-part series will showcase The Pointe of Americana, the new events venue inside of the Americana Development.

The performers include Unusdian Errandonea, cello; Rafael Galvan Herrera, violin; Ruth Roland, violin; Addie Foto, viola; Gaylyn Foto, cello; Katelyn Foto, violin; Dr. Henry Jones, piano; Claire Grooms, flute; and David Perkins, trumpet.