2006
Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art
Events
for the 36th annual
festival of art are taking shape
By
Don Ward
Editor
MADISON, Ind. (June 2006) Plans
for the 36th annual Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art are
on schedule for another big year, according to festival
coordinator Georgie Kelly. The two-day event, Madison's
largest festival at an estimated 50,000 people, is scheduled
for Sept 23-24, 2006. Booths are open from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. EDT-fast time both days and includes a riverfront food
court, children's activity tent, live entertainment, roving
entertainters and a Saturday night classical music concert.
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Don't
forget to pick up
the 2006 RoundAbout
Madison Chautauqua
Guide during
Chautauqua Weekend!
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All 278 exhibitor booths will be filled by
June, Kelly told the Madison Area Convention and Visitors
Bureau board at its April board meeting. She said a waiting
list is kept in the event of cancellations, which always
occurs.
Many exhibitors return each year, but Kelly said she likes
to have some new exhibitors "to keep the show fresh."
She reported a 75 percent return rate among exhibitors from
last year, compared to the national average of 65 percent.
Last year's Chautauqua exhibitors were offered a $25 discount
if they re-signed at the termination of last year's festival.
"It's good to have returning exhibitors because many
people like to collect items from certain artists or to
see their favorite exhibitors each year," she said.
Kelly, who is paid $24,500 to organize and run the festival,
is working toward a goal of raising $9,000 in local business
sponsorships.
A new expenditure this year will be renting the Brown Gym
along Broadway Street from the city of Madison. The Chautauqua
committee, which operates under the supervision of the Madison
Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, has used the gym for
free in past years for exhibitor hospitality services. This
year, the committee must pay a $405 to use the gym.
Kelly said the T-shirt logo designer is Di Somers, an artist
from Fort Wayne who recently moved to Madison. Local artist
Kevin Carlson was selected to create the poster for the
second consecutive year. He has done one on the Lanier Mansion
as a companion piece to last year's Broadway Fountain painting.
Only 250 limited edition posters are produced each year,
selling for $40 each.
The committee also has hired local deisigner Derek Black
to re-design the Chautauqua's Internet website.
2006
Madison Chautauqua
Entertainment Schedule
Saturday,
Sept. 23:
(On the Lanier Mansion North Lawn Stage)
10-10:45 a.m.: Allen Family Bells (Hand Bell Performers)
11-11:45 a.m.: Shawe H.S. Show Choir (Choral Music)
12-12:45 p.m.: Steadfast (50s Doo Wop/Southern
Gospel)
1-2:15 p.m.: Soundz Like Dixieland (Dixieland Jazz)
2:30-3:15 p.m.: Andrea Davidson (Contemporary Pop)
3:30-4:15 p.m.: Wild Child (Folk, Blues & Originals)
(Special Saturday Night Event)
7:30 p.m.: Chautauqua Classical Concert, opera and
other vocalists perform at Christ Episcopal Church,
506 Mulberry St. (Free but donations accepted).
(Saturday Strolling Performers on Festival Grounds)
Noon-4 p.m.:
Jim Muciarelli (Accordian Musician)
Joyunspeakable (Living Statue)
Russell Donnellon (Classical Guitarist)
Mike Hoffman (Bagpipes)
Deanna Marie Tomlinson (Harpist)
Paul Kelly (Clown/Juggler)Sunday, Sept. 24:
1-2 p.m.: James White & Deer Creek (Bluegrass)
2-3 p.m.: Crimson River (Bluegrass)
3-4 p.m.: Glorybound (Bluegrass)
(Sunday Strolling Performers on Festival Grounds)
Noon-4 p.m.:
Jim Muciarelli (Accordian Musician)
Russell Donnellon (Classical Guitarist)
Mike Hoffman (Bagpipes)
Deanna Marie Tomlinson (Harpist)
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This year's classical concert is scheduled
for 8 p.m. Saturday at Christ Episcopal Church on Mulberry
St. The concert is free, but donations are accepted. The
committee is working with Alva Tripp of the Madison Performing
Arts Foundation to involve its children's choir in this
year's performances.
The Chautauqua scholarship program, which provides money
from an endowment fund to high school seniors studying the
arts, provides two scholarships of $650 and $500 each. The
committee established its endowment fund several years ago
with only $1,000. Today, the endowment is valued at more
than $18,000, Kelly reported.
The committee earns about $10,000 in profit on the sale
of T-shirts, posters and related products each year. The
committee also raises around $9,000 each year in business
sponsorships, plus the $225 each exhibitor pays to participate.
The committee operates the festival on a $85,000 budget.
It earned a net profit of $9,846 last year.
In April, Kelly reported to the Madison CVB board that the
Chautauqua committee has more than $56,000 invested in several
certificate of deposit savings.
Kelly has said in the past that the committee has suggested
having "$15,000 to $20,000" of its nest egg money
to some day be used toward the creation of a community cultural
center that has been discussed. So far, no concrete plans
for such a center have been proposed by city officials.
This past winter, the committee donated $1,000 to the city
to help pay for gray water disposal necessary for vendors
setting up at the riverfront. The committee also provided
$325 to the city to help fund underground electrical utility
upgrades and donated $2,500 to it sponsoring organization,
the Madison CVB, to help pay for new computers.
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Photo
by Don Ward
People
fill Broadway during
last year's Madison Chautauqua.
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Each year, the Madison Chautauqua coincides
with the annual Old Court Days, a flea market and arts and
crafts fair organized by the nonprofit Pilot Club of Madison.
That event takes place around the Jefferson County Courthouse
and extends to the city parking lot on Second and Jefferson
streets. Old Court Days is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday
through Sunday.
The annual Book Sale at the Madison-Jefferson County Public
Library also takes place that weekend at 420 W. Main St.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library group, the event
is a fund raiser for library projects and features books,
magazines, videotapes, CDs and other literature for sale,
some new and some used.
A fourth event held that weekend in downtown Madison is
Lanthier Winery's Harvest Celebration, held on the grounds
of the winery at 123 Mill St.