Festival Programming: We Welcome Your Input!

By Alice Estrada, Festival Executive Director

“What does the Festival staff DO all year?”  It’s a commonly-asked question, outside of the hectic spring and summer Festival season.  Programming a lineup of about 100 quality events encompassing numerous art forms requires lots of behind-the-scenes work, year-round. 

River City Brass performs for a full Festival crowd, June 2009. Did you enjoy this free concert or others at the Festival Main Stage? What would you like to see in 2010?

 

Everyone connected with the Festival has been brainstorming on programming for the last few months, really since the moment the 2009 Festival wrapped.  Our artistic directors are sketching out their schedules as we speak.  But before we put the final line-up together we want you to weigh in on what you want to see, hear, taste and experience. 

We host more than 100 events during the 10-day Festival.  What would you like to see more of, less of…?  Don’t hold back!

Feel free to comment on any or all of the artistic genres including visual arts, culinary arts, theater, dance, music (brass, classical, popular and jazz). 

Simply click on the blue text above where it says “leave a comment.”  We are excited to hear from you… and look forward to your comments!

Hunt Slonem and the “Blue Lincoln”

By Christianna Giordano, Gettysburg Festival Intern, Class of 2010 

                                                                                                                                                                                                Hunt Slonem is a fascinating Manhattan-based artist known mainly for his exotic and impressionist paintings of birds and other wildlife.  But Slonem’s subjects took a different turn recently, as he began a new series featuring our 16^th President, Abraham Lincoln. Slonem originally began painting First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, who he considered a fashionable beauty for her time, but changed his focus after receiving a message from President Lincoln himself. Slonem, who relies on his regular consultations with his psychic, says that Abraham Lincoln spoke to him directly. Not only did President Lincoln tell Slonem to begin painting his portrait but he also explained that he must begin painting doves and olive branches, a series which Slonem has named “Abraham’s Peace Plan.”

 

Slonem’s paintings and sculptures are known throughout the world, but he’s also famous for his notorious New York City loft, featuring over a hundred rooms dedicated to his art, his birds and his eccentric lifestyle. One room features dozens of paintings of rabbits (which he began after discovering on a Chinese food menu that he was born in the year of the rabbit).

For a sneak peek into Slonem’s loft and its unconventional rooms, check out this video from CBS This Morning.

Hunt Slonem is certainly a unique artist and Bruce Helander of the Art of the times describes him as “… a rare adorable bird in his own eccentric right, (who) portrays his great love for winged specimens and nature with a charming mix of abstract expressionism, color field attitudes and classic sculpted garden redolent of Claude Monet.”                          

The Gettysburg Festival recently accepted a donation of “Blue Lincoln,” which was part of a Lincoln portrait series exhibited in the June 2009 Festival. “Blue Lincoln” is one of the larger paintings of the series, measuring 4 ½ feet tall and 3 feet wide, valued at $24,000. The Gettysburg Festival plans to donate this magnificent painting to the Borough of Gettysburg in early December. 

Slonem explains the focus on blue and black colors throughout the series, and especially seen in the “Blue Lincoln”, as, “I really can’t say why I paint them this way, except that there was no color photography back then, so I’m thinking of the Daguerreo-types”.

For the month of November, you can stop by the Historic Gettysburg Railroad Station where “Blue Lincoln” will be part of an exhibit on slavery and abolition, coinciding with Dedication Day festivities in Gettysburg.  Admission is free and hours are from 10 to 4 daily.

 For many who have seen Slonem’s Lincoln portraits, mixed feelings most certainly arise. The melancholy colors of blue and black give the first impression that the painting focuses on the tragedy of his early death and the sadness surrounding his memory, but further inspection can lead to other conclusions. Personally, when I see the cross hatching and strong lines of Slonem’s “Blue Lincoln,” as seen in the close-up on the left, it presents President Lincoln in a strong and proud manner, as history proves were two of his enduring traits. What is it about President Lincoln that inspires artists to continue painting him today? Was it his tragic death? Was it is stance against slavery?

We hope you are able to stop by the Gettysburg Railroad Station this November to view this massive painting and reflect upon Abraham Lincoln.  Then, feel free to post your comments and reactions on Slonem’s work and the enduring legacy of President Lincoln.

On the Road: Gettysburg Festival Travels to Indianapolis

By Karen Hendricks, Festival PR/Marketing Director

Beautiful Downtown Indianapolis

Indianapolis is playing host this week to hundred of festival executives from all over the globe!  I am thrilled to be blogging from the IFEA Convention (International Festivals and Events Assocation), and I am honored to be representing The Gettysburg Festival at this week-long event, in the company of my counterparts from numerous wonderful, world-famous festivals, many of them considered the “best of the best” in the festival and events industry. 

In a week that’s chock-full of seminars and information, interwoven with fun events and net-working, my first impression is that festival organizers are an extremely friendly bunch.  The standing joke among festival folks is that, for once, we are around people who actually understand “what we do the rest of the year,” outside our festival schedule.  There’s definitely a lot of year-round work that goes into all the fun our attendees have during our events!  This is an event designed to re-charge our batteries and help re-tool our festivals, taking us to greater heights.

Here I am, happy to be juggling three Gold Pinnacle Awards!

Speaking of heights and “pinnacles,” I am also excited to report that The Gettysburg Festival has won five industry awards in international competition here at the IFEA Convention.  Recognizing the top festivals around the world in numerous categories, the IFEA has awarded three Gold Pinnacle Awards, one Silver Pinnacle Award and one Bronze Award to The Gettysburg Festival! 

 

But the focus of the week is about how we, as festivals, can learn from one another in constantly striving to improve our events for you as attendees.  I am bringing lots of nuggets of knowledge back to Gettysburg on topics such as:

• How to make Gettysburg Festival a “green” or environmentally-friendly event, taking tips from the wonderful Kentucky Derby Festival staff
  

  Remember the incredible Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

• How to integrate educational components into a festival, from the friendly fleet of Indianapolis 500 Festival workers
• Inspirational ideas and behind-the-scene stories from Ric Birch, the amazing producer of five Olympic ceremonies (talk about the WOW factor)
• An incredible performance by the high-energy Purdue University Varsity Glee Club
• Heartfelt words of wisdom from IFEA Volunteer of the Year Gayl Doster, who was surprised (we were too!) by the sudden appearance of an enormous high school marching band who heralded him for his efforts with the Music for All organization based here in Indiana
• Word of wisdom in a roundtable discussion from fellow arts festivals all over the country, from San Francisco to De Moines, from St. Louis to Pigeon Forge
• Social media tips, hot-off-the-press, extremely timely, and vital to the success of festivals everywhere (score one point to The Gettysburg Festival for having this blog!).  Look for updates and improvements soon, on the Festival’s Facebook page, Twitter profile, and much more!
• Whew, so much information to absorb and process… and there are still two more days, jam-packed with additional festival festivities – stay tuned!

Additional links:

The IFEA website:    http://www.ifea.com/joomla1_5/index.php

The Indianapolis CVB website:   http://visitindy.com/indianapolis/web/jsp/index.jsp?p=1

Summertime at The Gettysburg Festival

By Karen Hendricks, Festival PR/Marketing Director

August 24, 2009

June’s exciting flurry of activity has mellowed into a leisurely pace of life at the Gettysburg Festival office (thank goodness!).  No, the entire staff has not disappeared, although we’ve all taken our turns at enjoying “down time” and re-charging our batteries with summer vacations and family time.  While we continue to tabulate and analyze valuable data collected at the Festival, we are excited to announce that 2009 Festival attendance grew by 20% over last year, as we welcomed 20,000 attendees from 22 states plus the District of Columbia.  Kudos and accolades continue to pour into our office, along with completed surveys, reports based upon intercept surveys, and notes taken during feedback meetings with all Festival Artistic Directors.  It’s almost as exciting as the actual Festival! 

While the statistics and data are concrete proof that the 2009 Festival was a success on many levels, the emotive aspects of the Festival also linger for me:  the memories from countless, excellent performances; wonderful conversations with both performers and attendees alike; and the out-pouring of support from volunteers and community members.  I was fortunate to enjoy many behind-the-scenes moments with performers such as James Earl Jones, and I’d like to share a few highlights here.

James Earl Jones, following rehearsal with the Gettysburg Festival Orchestra, granted several media interviews and as a former reporter myself, I jotted down a number of Jones’ very moving and profound answers to the reporters’ questions:

What do you feel is the significance or legacy of Abraham Lincoln, whose words you will deliver, during Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait?  Jones:  “I don’t feel there were as many horrible times in history as our American Civil War and I question his assassination.  That set up his importance.  Booth’s aim was to set up the man who wanted to give my ancestors the right to vote.  It is perhaps because Lincoln was assassinated and taken from us that left his shadow so heavy on us…. he was the supreme common man… I think we all owe it to ourselves to ask what we would have done if we were Lincoln.”

What are your thoughts on the Civil War?  Jones:  “No one should ever understand war.  The men who fought it don’t often understand war.  What keeps men moving forward?  That the men beside you could be your brother or friend – that’s why they pressed on….  The Civil War took more lives than the sum of all the wars America fought.  That’s why we have to honor that war.”

You’ve performed A Lincoln Portrait before – it must be a piece that you enjoy.  Jones:  “There aren’t many of Lincoln’s words included in the work.  They are carefully selected – every word that Lincoln spoke is important.  I love the language of Lincoln and I love the grandeur of the music.  The maestro often has to bang on the podium to get my attention because I’m lost in the orchestra.  The Gettysburg Festival Orchestra is a beautiful orchestra.  The music is perfect and it’s a piece that works all over the world, but to do it here in Gettysburg – it’s special.”

The Festival’s June 19^th performance of A Lincoln Portrait garnered positive reviews from the media and attendees:

“The performance was fantastic.  Getting to hear and see James Earl Jones perform in Gettysburg was simply inspiring.”  – Pat Crowner

“As usual, the Gettysburg Festival Orchestra is AMAZING!  I wish they played regular concerts in the park, on the college lawn, at the Majestic… anywhere.”  – Evangelina Rubalcava

“I’m really not one to get starstruck. But let me tell you, sitting 10 feet away from James Earl Jones last Friday at the Majestic Theatre in Gettysburg changed all of that. When Jones walked out onto the stage, all I could write in my notebook was ‘AAAAAAAA!’  If you’re wondering what it was that made me turn into a total tween, it was the main event of the Gettysburg Festival, an extravaganza of history, food and the arts, that kicked off last Thursday and runs through Sunday. This is only the festival’s second year, but when you’re there it’s hard to believe this thing hasn’t been going on since the days of Lincoln. It’s run THAT efficiently.”  -Alexis Dow, Harrisburg Patriot-News, June 25, 2009

Well, I don’t know about the last part of Ms. Dow’s quote, about the Festival running so efficiently, but I suppose we had our moments!  Case in point, one final memory that one of our volunteers shared in her post-Festival survey:

Share one highlight or standout Festival memory with us:  “Unquestionably, while I was working at the Festival office, tidying up the room in readiness for opening, attempting to hang several pictures on the wall.  A stranger came in and offered his help in hanging the photos and very expertly hung all of them, very well.  Was I surprised when I learned the “stranger” was actually our celebrity chef Walter Scheib!  Go figure!”  – Lolly O’Dea Polvinale

The fun memories linger… feel free to share yours by e-mailing them to me at pr@gettysburgfestival.org.

 

 

Reflections from the Festival: Volunteers

Festival Volunteer Lolly Polvinale always had a smile on her face!

By Miriam B. Grinberg, Intern

When asked to write a blog about my observations of volunteers and their work during the Festival this morning, my first thought was: “How can I possibly summarize everything I want to say about these remarkable people in one little blog entry?!” An intimidating task, no doubt!

However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there was one word that could perfectly describe all the volunteers: generous. Many of them were returning “veterans” to the volunteer force, as Festival PR Director Karen Hendricks told me; they knew the ins and outs of the Festival, who to talk to, where to go, and, most importantly of all, the right attitude to have. New volunteers were just as enthusiastic as they learned all they could about the Festival, taking to heart everything that the Festival staff had gone over with them at volunteer orientations.

Volunteer Sue Currans staffs the Festival Information Tent at the Main Stage

I got the chance to meet and talk to many of the volunteers myself, especially at the Festival Main Stage, where many of my surveying activities took place. Despite the sometimes stifling heat of June afternoons during the Festival, they really were some of the most pleasant and amiable people you could be with, and they often asked me about myself and what I was studying at Gettysburg College. Often times I found myself staying after my surveying duties were completed, continuing our conversations and helping out at the main information tent. Duties there mainly consisted of helping attendees who asked for directions to various Festival venues and events, selling merchandise, handing out programs and explaining them, and, of course, that all-important task of giving away free Musselman’s Applesauce to children and adults alike that happened to pass by the tent on their way to the Main Stage.

Volunteer Carolyn Greaney shared her wonderful talents as a professional researcher

While I did not always get the chance to see the variety of other volunteer work going on at other venues and events during the Festival, I know from meeting them at the Festival office that they have done a fine job. Feedback has been nothing but positive so far from them; one volunteer, in response to the question “What is one stand-out memory or Festival highlight for you personally?”, replied: “Being at the Main Stage, hearing Stars & Stripes Forever played and the American flag flying on top of Penn Hall gave me the chills.”

 Another volunteer added her kudos for Philadanco’s performance at the Festival: “I loved the variety of repertoire they presented which really brought out the athleticism and sheer energy of the dancers. What a fun group!”

Thoughts and comments from our volunteers are still coming in all the time, and given the feedback that we’ve received already, there’s a good feeling that these same volunteers would be more than happy to return for next year’s Festival.

Gratitude Expressed at The Gettysburg Festival

By Alice Estrada, Executive Director

Karen Hendricks, the Festival’s outstanding PR/Marketing Director has insisted that I blog, whatever that is….  She told me to pick one thing that struck me about the Festival because it can be so overwhelming to try and tackle all aspects of the Festival which has more arms and legs than a caterpillar.  

One recurring theme that struck me during the Festival was gratitude:  the gratitude of everyone the Festival encountered from the performers and artists, to the audience, the volunteers, the vendors, and the community.  I have never been hugged, kissed, and praised so much in my life.  Complete strangers would embrace me with sheer delight.  That’s the impact the arts have on our spirit.  They bring joy and happiness.  

Festival attendee Sue Rice from York told me the James Earl Jones event with The Gettysburg Festival Orchestra was the most moving concert she had ever witnessed.  She called the office following the performance to see if we could sell her a recording of the event.  She said the woman in front of her was actually crying she was so moved.  She said she could have cried herself but is not much of a crier.  She had spent the night at the Gettysburg Hotel with her husband and had walked the streets earlier in the day and actually ran into James Earl Jones.  She said he was polite and kind and agreed to have his picture taken with her.  Before the concert, she had a drink in the bar of the hotel, and met a number of great people who hailed from all over the country.  Sue is considering retiring in Gettysburg; the experience was that memorable.  (For the record, we are not permitted to sell copies of the Gettysburg Festival Orchestra performance with James Earl Jones, however our media partner WITF-FM is airing a one-time rebroadcast of the June 19 concert in its entirety next Sunday, July 5, from 7  – 9 pm.)

I picked up on a blog from one of our performers in our Chamber concert, Clara Erickson, a Flutist.  She loved performing for the Festival and was thrilled that the  audience clapped so incessantly that the musicians came out and took a second bow.  She felt she played the best she ever had in her life. Wow.

Our dear and invaluable Office Manager, Bev Grazulewicz  (we just call her Bev G.)  stated that the Festival was “the best experience of my life” on her Facebook.  This individual has worked harder than anyone.  For the last 3 weeks straight she often put in 10 and 12 hour days.  She managed millions of details, not mention our books, the 100+ volunteers and interacted with all the performers and vendors.  To say it was the best experience of her life, after that intense and draining schedule tells me we are on to something really great….

Right now, I have to say, I feel enormous gratitude.  I have the best job in the world to make all these people so very blissfully happy.  It’s a true testament to the power of the arts.

Behind the Scenes: Production at the Gettysburg Festival

By Ira Rosen, Production Manager

What’s it like managing 40 performances over 10 days at 4 locations? As Production Manager, I believe that it’s all about keeping things moving and on time. I always joke that my job is to keep the trains on time. If one train runs late, it just slows down all of the other trains. I am responsible for managing all of the events at the Festival Main Stage at Gettysburg College, as well as providing support for all of the Brass events at all of their locations on the festival’s first weekend. I’ve been in the event production business all of my life and have been part of festivals and events all around the world, but I am truly enjoying my Gettysburg Festival experience.
Everyone is doing an outstanding job and being so pleasant to work with. This experience is far more than a one person job and I am very grateful to all of our volunteers, in particular a group of music students from Gettysburg High School. They have worked long hours in the heat and never whined or complained. We also have a great local sound company, Noteworthy Music and a great staging company, Event Central from Harrisburg.
The other major key to our success has been the support and cooperation from the Gettysburg College community. From Facilities Management to the electricians, from Public Safety to the Sunderman Conservatory, everyone has worked together to make this festival a success.
What has surprised me the most about the Festival is the incredible diversity and high quality of all of the performances. I never realized how many different types of brass bands existed! We also have great jazz performances, children’s theater, rock from emerging artist Joel Streeter and we had a fabulous performance on Sunday of a combined brass band and woodwind octet along with vocal soloists, all conducted by Gettysburg College professor Dr. Buzz Jones.
Our biggest concern with an outdoor Festival is weather, and except for a few very stressful hours during our load in on Saturday morning, the weather has been fabulous.
It’s now the final Sunday and although I’m tired, I’m extremely gratified what we’ve accomplished. I am looking forward to being finished on Monday and after a deep breath, helping the Gettysburg Festival staff start planning the 2010 Festival.

Reflections on the First Weekend

By Karen Hendricks, Festival PR/Marketing Director

Although the preparation and planning has been a year in the making, the first weekend of the Festival has gone by in the blink of an eye. It’s been a wonderful kaleidoscope of events – from Thursday night’s powerful River City Brass concert, to thoughtful conversations with Festival artists at Sunday afternoon’s reception at the Sewing Factory Gallery. The highlight, of course, was the beautifully moving Gettysburg Festival Orchestra concert which concluded with the one and only James Earl Jones narrating A Lincoln Portrait. Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the hundreds of attendees at the Festival Main Stage throughout the day Saturday. The brass played on!  One of the most powerful and moving pieces of music was the National Anthem as performed by the Lancers Senior Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps of Hanover, PA.  WOW!

You can enjoy images of the first weekend by Gettysburg Times photographer Darryl Wheeler:  http://gettysburgtimes.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=781521&CategoryID=45246&ListSubAlbums=0

Performances aside, there are so many amazing, behind-the-scenes stories unfolding that it’s impossible to capture and write about them all!  But I will share just a few that have stuck with me.

Friday evening, I was coordinating with a local television crew doing a live shot from Gettysburg’s Lincoln Square, where Festival brass concerts were taking place.  The reporter was interviewing the Festival’s Artistic Director for Culinary Arts, Walter Scheib, who, as a former White House chef, was wearing his chef coat emblazoned with his name, the American flag and U.S. seal.  As the interview wrapped up, a couple came walking past, staring at his chef’s coat which evidently had made quite an impression on them.  I was sure they were gawking at the fact that they were seeing a former White House chef directly on the town square in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  Then they approached him, asking Walter if his name was truly “Scheib.”  Coincidentally, this couple, visiting from Philadelphia, shared his surname of “Scheib.”  (Walter later told me he had never met anyone with the German name of Scheib outside of his family!)  So Mr. and Mrs. Scheib of Philadelphia shared a few minutes of conversation with Chef Walter Scheib, formerly of the White House, for a few minutes on Lincoln Square in the midst of the Gettysburg Festival. 

Another fun behind-the-scenes event took place Friday evening following the Festival’s signature event for 2009, the performance by the Gettysburg Festival Orchestra featuring James Earl Jones.  My dear friend, Fred Snyder of Gettysburg’s WGET Radio, experienced one of the biggest thrills of his life, and I was so happy to share in it alongside him.  Fred, an avid baseball fan (although I refuse to mention his favorite team!) as well as a James Earl Jones fan, has a favorite movie that combines these two passions:  Field of Dreams.  Fred actually had the foresight to slip a brand-new baseball into his pocket on the way to the theater that night.  As we were standing at the Dessert Reception held in James Earl Jones’ honor following the performance, Fred caught sight of our honored guest slipping away from the reception.  Fred, who is not exactly young or physically fit (sorry, Fred!), dashed after his idol.  A minute later, a flushed Fred came dashing back to the reception with the excitement of a little leaguer who had just caught a fly baseball in right field.  His fingers gripped a baseball bearing the signature of non other than James Earl Jones.  And his grin literally went from ear-to-ear.  His voice, normally deep and resonant through the radio airwaves, hit octaves it probably hadn’t reached since 1955.  “He signed my baseball!  Look!  James Earl Jones signed my baseball!” 

And as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

James Earl Jones himself signed it!

Fred Snyder of WGET Radio holding his signed baseball.

Surveying the Crowd

By Miriam B. Grinberg, Intern

It’s now Day 6 of the Festival, and Festival headquarters seems deceptively quiet. I say “deceptively” because, despite appearances, there is still a lot of work to be done—everything from preparing for a full weekend of jazz events to wrapping up the Festival in general. My part lately in all of this has been to conduct surveys at various Festival events alongside the head surveyor, Carolyn Greaney.

Carolyn and I planned out which events we would survey at in the beginning of the week, making sure to pick at least a couple out of every genre offered by the Festival this year. Carolyn designed the survey, which contained questions ranging from “How did you hear about the Festival?” to “What is your highest level of education?” for Festival attendees. The surveys we are collecting are statistical samplings that constitute part of a larger study of the Festival overall and provide us with valid data.

Generally the surveying has been going really well so far; no one has actually refused to be interviewed. Being from the Philadelphia suburbs, where people can be just as rude as those living in the city, I was absolutely amazed at the willingness of folks in this area to volunteer information and not just treat me as an unwanted solicitor (and I’m sure I looked like one, walking around with my clipboard in the background). I’m really thankful for the generosity of Festival attendees and volunteers!

Results of these surveys have been interesting so far, and attendees this year have come from places both near (Gettysburg, East Berlin, Orrtanna, etc.) and far (one man I interviewed brought his entire family from Ohio!). While many of the attendees I collected surveys from hadn’t attended many events and didn’t know what they wanted to see next, others had been to many of the art exhibits and brass concerts. The latter would take much longer to survey, but that’s never a bad thing. It’s great to see people taking advantage of the Festival’s many free events!

Of the questions asked on the survey, I would say that asking people their age and highest level of education have been the most awkward; again, however, no one has refused to answer either question. Both are critical to helping the Festival understand who our attendees are and note any trends in the data that would indicate a need for improvement and diversification in programming events for next year.

The final section of the survey asked attendees for suggestions and comments to improve the Festival, and I received some feedback that I think could definitely be incorporated. One comment I got a few times from younger attendees was a desire to see more information about the artists and the works of the Sculpture Walk on Gettysburg College’s campus near the sculptures themselves. Finally, I interviewed a number of people that requested a greater diversity of music offered at the Festival, with suggestions ranging from Latin to string quartets to punk rock bands. I’m not sure how well that last one would go over with most Festival attendees, but hey, it’s the thought that counts!

After we gather a bunch more surveys during the last few days of the Festival, Carolyn and I face the larger task ahead of us: hand-tabulating the surveys and compiling a set of data that can easily be browsed and assessed by Festival staff and others. It’s a bit daunting, but considering the fact that I’m thinking about going into a career of field research, I’m sure I’ll find it fascinating.

Festival is Making Headlines

A magical opening to the Gettysburg Festival!  James Earl Jones narrating Lincoln Portrait was spectacular.

See the Channel 27 website for a wonderful piece on the Festival including an interview with James Earl Jones:

http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0609/633518_video.html?ref=newsstory

And see the Channel 8 website for a great live shot from Lincoln Square:

http://www.wgal.com/video/19806936/index.html