By KATE SNYDER

Community Arts Center 

The Community Arts Center is gearing up to host the 2018 Art-a-Thon community art-making event on Saturday, May 12. The event debuted in 2017, with a goal of showcasing regional artists while raising funds to support the Arts Center’s educational programs.

“This event benefits everyone who participates,” says Executive Director Niki Kinkade. “Our artists get a chance to share their processes and techniques with the public and community members can explore and discover a range of artistic styles and processes.”

The event will feature more than 30 student and professional artists demonstrating a wide range of artistic styles and techniques including painting, quilting, card-making, drawing, ceramics, dance and music. 

The artists participating in the Art-a-Thon will raise funds to support the Arts Center’s educational programs, including free field trips for students, scholarships to Arts Exploration Camp, and Lisi’s Art Lab, a free children’s art studio on the second floor. 

Danville painter Lori Price participated in the 2017 Art-a-Thon and returns this year. She says “ I have painted on and off for years and now is a time I can commit more of my time to something I love! I paint to relax, refresh and renew. I’m participating in the Art-a-Thon to help children enjoy the arts that otherwise would not have the experience.”

Price will be painting outdoors in Weisiger Plaza from 1 to 3 p.m.

Composer Richard Power is a newcomer to the event this year. Power will perform an electronic music improvisation on a modular synthesizer. 

“The Community Arts Center is one of the things that makes Danville such a wonderful community to live in, and I’ve seen it positively affect people’s lives again and again, especially those of children,” Power says.

He will be performing from noon to 2 p.m. in the Grand Hall of CAC. 

Kinkade describes the Art-a-Thon as a free, family-friendly event and says there will be several opportunities for children to participate in hands-on activities.

“One of our core goals in all our programming is to foster connections between seeing and doing,” says Kinkade. During the Art-a-Thon, children will be invited to contribute to a collaborative mural. Also, kids will be invited to join Shonna Storz of Life in Balance Fitness and Wellness for a kids yoga practice at 1 p.m. in Weisiger Plaza.

Community members may contribute directly to an artist’s online fundraising page or make a general contribution online. The Arts Center has set a goal of raising $5,000 through this event. 

More information about the event, including a list of participating artists and a demonstration schedule can be found at www.communityartsenter.net/art-a-thon.