Concerts in the Park

[apatriot]

I would love to see Proksa hold classical, chamber, jazz concerts under the stars.  I think it would be FAB.  North Riverside holds concerts ... why can't we.  No rock stuff .... I want some GD culture in this town !!

Anyone else agree? or shall I just continue to dream of the day when that happens?

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

I would love to see Proksa hold classical, chamber, jazz concerts under the stars.  I think it would be FAB.  North Riverside holds concerts ... why can't we.  No rock stuff .... I want some GD culture in this town !!

Anyone else agree? or shall I just continue to dream of the day when that happens?

Jazz would work for me.  Considering the cultural divides in this town I would think it would work across the board - no pun intended.

[tgoddess]

The Berwyn Arts Council is working to arrange a concert series this year.

[Ted]

North Riverside holds concerts ... why can't we. 

Oak Park does the same thing.  It's a great way to spend a Sunday evening.

[apatriot]

Well, I haven't seen much in the way of art or anything you can really point to going on with the Berwyn Arts Council.  Kinda like the BDC, only artsy.

http://berwynartscouncil.org/artists.html

From the Who Are We page:

Who are we?
The Berwyn Arts Council (BAC) is made up of Berwyn residents, business
owners, and artists who support and promote the arts and artists in Berwyn.
We are an all-volunteer organization, and we strongly believe in the positive role
art can have in people's daily lives.

Our 2008 Board Members:
Richard Bruen
Jesse Carillo
Deanna Durica
Jon Fey
Ann Filmer
Fran Gregory
Kara Kesselring
Tommaso Lesnick
Maggie Ragaisis
Paula Swasko

What do we do?
Because we exist to serve the community, our primary goal is to create
opportunities for Berwyn residents to participate in the arts. In the short term,
we establish and implement pro-arts programs and events for the community.
Our long-term activities are focused on creating the Berwyn Multicultural Arts
Center.

Our Mission:
The Berwyn Arts Council is devoted to the enrichment of our community by
advocating the integration of the arts into community life, by fostering arts
education, and by supporting artists and arts organizations.

Our Vision:
The Berwyn Arts Council envisions the creation of a modern, state-of-the-art,
nationally recognized Berwyn Multicultural Arts Center to house exhibits,
performances, and arts education programs

708-601-ARTS
Info@BerwynArtsCouncil.org.

END

I think they need to get going with this website.  There really is nothing to view there in the way of events.  And the ones listed I am not sure if it's for this year or for last year.

"The Berwyn Arts Council is devoted to the enrichment of our community by
advocating the integration of the arts into community life"

Let's see .... the filthy Spindle 
that goofy mural on the back of Walgreens 
Cartopia 

sometimes it seems people go out of their way to help make Berwyn look goofy.

can anyone add to this?  Cause I don't know how long this Council has been together, but I really don't see any ENRICHMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY coming from this organization.  Maybe with students, maybe within their own cirlce of ppl, but from a residents standpoint ... I don't see it.

I'd much rather see the concerts arranged by or at least approved by Jeff Janda, cause with the above examples, god only knows what would show up for a concert at Proksa.

I don't think the Council arranges entertainment for the DD, but you need to make Infinity .... FINITE !!!  How many times can you listen to Wheel in the Sky before you want to choke somebody.   

BTW, I don't normally steal material from someone else, but I couldn't resist when I posted "you need to make Infinity .... FINITE !!!"

The problem we have in Berwyn with this stuff is the people involved only seem to care about what they are doing within their own circle, and like a mother or father, they decide to do what THEY think is best.  Doesn't seem like anyone cares what residents want.  Where has the Council been on concerts in the Park all this time?  year, after year?    I mention it on BTF, and low and behold, BANG BOOM, they are working on it.

Well, since they are working on it ... can you give us any insight?  or will it be a secret right to the very end?  before anyone can STOP IT in its tracks.

[OakParkSpartan]

Cartopia was a Jon Fey/BDC boondoggle.  The BDC also sponsored that mural on the back of Walgreens.

And yes, I also think some people go out of their way to make Berwyn look as though everyone here is odd.

[apatriot]

I think (not sure) they were involved with the new 16th theatre too, which is great for the community.  Maybe we need something like that in the DD as well, and maybe even a production in the Park, but warn the Police !!!

From Naked Gun:

Frank:      When I see five weirdos stabbing a guy in broad daylight, I shoot the bastards. That's my policy.

Mayor:      That was a Shakespeare In The Park production, you moron! You killed five actors! Good ones!

[tgoddess]

There are no "secrets."

If you know of TALENTED, PROFESSIONAL artists who are willing to work for peanuts or less, by all means, please refer them to us at the BAC.  Our most difficult hurdle is trying to secure performing artists when we have a VERY LIMITED budget.

Frankly (and sadly) I don't see much of the Berwyn public outside of this forum jumping up to support the arts at ALL in this town.  Are they attending concerts at the high school?  Are they pushing for better music and art education programs in the grammar schools?  Are they coming out to subscribe to the 16th Street Theater?  The theater is nothing less the jewel of the northside and is attracting audience members from OUTSIDE our borders, which will no doubt help to ensure its continued financial and critical success.

Because of the limited involvement/interest there seems to be in Berwyn and due to our very small (but dedicated) board), we simply aren't able to get the word out as much as we certainly would like to.  PoeFest last fall was a great event and the people who did attend enjoyed it very much and Fran Gregory deserves a boatload of thanks for running that entire project, but we realize there were plenty of people who weren't even aware of it.  We do our best with the limited resources we have.

Support the arts with your money and/or time.  Season subscriptions to 16th Street Theater are only $100 and I can guarantee you will have a theater experience just as good as any you would have if you trekked into the city for TWICE that price.  Help the BAC by sponsoring or assisting us in finding sponsors to pay for fine music in the park.  We'd like nothing better.   It's my PERSONAL belief it's not the government's responsibility to support (and thereby control) the "arts."  Frankly, I don't want my tax dollars being used for concerts in the park, when I'd rather have them spent on police, or snowplowing or dozens of other things the city SHOULD be providing.  The arts CAN be supported by the private sector successfully, IF there are enough people IN the private sector who care.  

If we're talking about just Berwyn here, that's just an uphill battle at best where people just bitchbitchbitch about things they CLAIM to care about, without any effort to change the status quo.

At least I'm putting MY time and money where my mouth is.  Are YOU?

[tgoddess]

Make NO mistake.  The 16th Street Theater was CREATED and is DRIVEN BY artistic director, Ann Filmer.  We do have the theater space through the generosity of the North Berwyn Park District and we are grateful for that.  But the theater is in process of obtaining  its necessary non-profit status and is working toward being self-supporting as soon as we can, so that we can continue to present more of the high-quality shows we had last season and this season as well.

We would like nothing better than to get to a point where we sell out every show, every performance.

Our current goal is to get 100 subscribers and we are just a little more than half-way there.  If you DO care about the arts and want to help the theater remain successful, please visit http://www.16thstreetheater.org and become a subscriber today.

[apatriot]

Ok, well, we need to look at how North Riverside, and Oak Park are accomplishing same.  You are giving me the impression that they tax the residents in order to achieve this?  Is that correct?

We could at least start out slow until we do get support by perhaps having recitals by students.  Surely, we don't have to pay them?  DO WE?  We give them a chance to show off their talents, that is assuming we have students who have classical ability.

If other towns can do it, so can we.  We just need to put our heads together.  But one of the first things I would do is contact the towns that ARE doing it and find out how they do it, and what their resources are.  That would just be a fact finding mission.

[maraire]

Normally its not my MO to chime in on discussoins such as this but being the owner of OoT my wife and I for more than 2 years running up until this last year ran Jazz nights every Tues & Thurs at our place. The musicians are made up of 90% Berwyn residents. There is a large number of what I would call world class musicians living in Berwyn. Some of these ppl are the same that have a vested interest in BAC. I know we are talking about FREE concerts in the park but the problem is that not many ppl support the evnts that happen here. Intead of complaining about what we don't have, if we supported what we do have maybe more would come. I am dying to bring back Live Jazz but cannot without support from the community. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining about business I'm not. Just that when I read this stuff about no culture in this town I feel like we have tried and nobody cared.

Bottom line is that without support from the residents of this community nothing can happen. Janda would gladly bring concerts to the park but who pays for it. The musicians don't do this for free it is their job.

[tgoddess]

Marty,

That's exactly my point.  I think people believe that artists just can perform/create art for free and frankly, it's unfair and insulting.  This is their livelihood.

As far as getting students to play concerts in the park, I'd be SHOCKED if they get enough people to come to the SCHOOL to hear them play.  Residents and even parents don't even seem to give a sh*t.

apatriot, are you volunteering to go on this fact-finding mission for the BAC?  I know the concert series is something Kara Kesserling has been working to co-ordinate since last fall.  You can contact her through the BAC and offer your assistance.

[apatriot]

goddess, first you tell me Council is working on Concert series right after I post I would like to see Concerts in the Park.  Then you tell me your biggest hurdle is trying to obtain performing artists (musicians).  Then you agree with Marty that Berwyn is full of artists.  You won't tell me how North Riverside and Oak Park are able to do it, instead, you basically are telling me I should do that research for your organization.  I get paid to research ... what will you pay me?  pay pay pay.  That's what's wrong with artists today.  No one enjoys art for the sure joy of it.  You have to pay for joy.  I can understand when you perform for a private place of  business, but there are times when artists themselves can give to the community without expectation of pay.  Of all the artists in Berwyn you mean to tell me NONE are willing to contribute back to the community in some fashion?  Isn't getting exposure how you promote yourself as an artist? 

Did you ever a try a .... Classical Musicians needed for free Concert in the Park.  If you would like to volunteer for this community effort please respond to ..... "  Have you tried that? or are you of the mindset that ONLY people who are NOT artists should offer their time for free and that artists are exempt from that kind of participation in their community?

All I know at this point is we have all the artists but can't put on a concert in the park, but surrounding towns can.  When I find out why that is we can discuss further.

Tell you what, we can bypass all that and combo it all up as a fundraiser for a needy organization (such as yours maybe) and just play a CD over a GD loudspeaker.  F'k the damn musicians.  Let em sit and wait for a telephone to ring.

Marty, are you saying that when you had jazz night, ppl didn't come to your place? or got up and left?

[maraire]

Apat, once someone came in and heard the qulity of the music they could'nt bring themselves to leave. Understand my reservation with posting about this. Above all I don't want to sound like i'm whining because nobody comes to OoT, when in fact ppl do, obviously or we would not have survived 4+ years. What I have noticed is that, other than our regs, most of our clientele is from outside of Berwyn. It makes me think about what we have to do to bring ppl from Berwyn out. I know that some people just don't go to bars and I get that, but some good stuff happens in the DD that needs support from OUR community.

BTW for years there were concerts in the park and movie nights in the park. These events were stopped due to low community attendance.

p.s. There's more good stuff coming to the DD lets all hope it will be given the support things need to survive.   

[tgoddess]

goddess, first you tell me Council is working on Concert series right after I post I would like to see Concerts in the Park.  Then you tell me your biggest hurdle is trying to obtain performing artists (musicians).  Then you agree with Marty that Berwyn is full of artists.  You won't tell me how North Riverside and Oak Park are able to do it, instead, you basically are telling me I should do that research for your organization.  I get paid to research ... what will you pay me?  pay pay pay.  That's what's wrong with artists today.  No one enjoys art for the sure joy of it.  You have to pay for joy.  I can understand when you perform for a private place of  business, but there are times when artists themselves can give to the community without expectation of pay.  Of all the artists in Berwyn you mean to tell me NONE are willing to contribute back to the community in some fashion?  Isn't getting exposure how you promote yourself as an artist? 

Did you ever a try a .... Classical Musicians needed for free Concert in the Park.  If you would like to volunteer for this community effort please respond to ..... "  Have you tried that? or are you of the mindset that ONLY people who are NOT artists should offer their time for free and that artists are exempt from that kind of participation in their community?

All I know at this point is we have all the artists but can't put on a concert in the park, but surrounding towns can.  When I find out why that is we can discuss further.

Tell you what, we can bypass all that and combo it all up as a fundraiser for a needy organization (such as yours maybe) and just play a CD over a GD loudspeaker.  F'k the damn musicians.  Let em sit and wait for a telephone to ring.

Marty, are you saying that when you had jazz night, ppl didn't come to your place? or got up and left?

How INSULTING of you to presume that because someone is an artist that his/her work has no value.

Berwyn IS home to many artists.  Artists who are trying to make their living...pay their bills...feed their families.. by doing art.  And yet you're perfectly okay with telling them that they should just donate their hard work to you, just because you want some free entertainment?

PLEASE tell that to the next plumber or electrician or Public Works employee you encounter.  I'm sure they'll be willing to fix your sink or your power or your sewers for "the exposure."  Your ignorance and insulting tone are overwhelming.

[ZORBA]

Could it be that there isn't a sufficient market in Berwyn for the "arts"?

I know Marty brought some top notch performers to his place, BUT, if people don't support it, then the business owner has to do the fiscally prudent thing.

Btw, I agree wholeheartedly that musicians should get compensated, and well.I sometimes marvel at how little some of these people are paid.

[Ana]

I would love to see Proksa hold classical, chamber, jazz concerts under the stars.  I think it would be FAB.  North Riverside holds concerts ... why can't we.  No rock stuff .... I want some GD culture in this town !!

Anyone else agree? or shall I just continue to dream of the day when that happens?

Nice idea, almost better than the movies in the park.

[apatriot]

I never said I thought artists have no value.  I never said they shouldn't be paid.  Other citizens do contribute their TIME long after they completed a day's work.  You keep skirting a brain picking session on how other communities are coordinating these events and what they do to promote them.  You are the one that has the organization that is supposedly committed to bringing the arts to Berwyn.  Not me.  I can only support the arts.  And I disagree on what musicians are paid.  If they were paid so little, Marty wouldn't have to worry about that expense if he didn't get the out-of-area customers.  He would be able to have music as often as he liked.  The truth is live bands, and specialties are quite expensive.  What the artist runs into is competition.  Consider that with all the talk here at BTF, we rarely hear from the Berwyn Arts Council.  Once in a blue moon.  You are failing at getting word out.  So that's something you have to fix.

Again, and for the last time, you must ask yourself what are these other communities doing that we are not and how are they attaining successful events year after year. 

Someone remind me approximately when and where these concerts /movies in the park took place cause I am not recalling it.

[dukesdad]

Concerts in the park were at Proksa, they were discontinued because attendance was poor and it became impossible to find sponsors. We still have movies in the park at Freedom.

[OakParkSpartan]

I never said I thought artists have no value.  I never said they shouldn't be paid.  Other citizens do contribute their TIME long after they completed a day's work.  You keep skirting a brain picking session on how other communities are coordinating these events and what they do to promote them.  You are the one that has the organization that is supposedly committed to bringing the arts to Berwyn.  Not me.  I can only support the arts.  And I disagree on what musicians are paid.  If they were paid so little, Marty wouldn't have to worry about that expense if he didn't get the out-of-area customers.  He would be able to have music as often as he liked.  The truth is live bands, and specialties are quite expensive.  What the artist runs into is competition.  Consider that with all the talk here at BTF, we rarely hear from the Berwyn Arts Council.  Once in a blue moon.  You are failing at getting word out.  So that's something you have to fix.

Again, and for the last time, you must ask yourself what are these other communities doing that we are not and how are they attaining successful events year after year. 

Someone remind me approximately when and where these concerts /movies in the park took place cause I am not recalling it.

Most people aren't asked to trade their livelihood for time.  Most people are not willing to work for free.  Why should artists be expected to do the same?