A Fundraiser with Dancing, Music, and Art

I spent last Saturday afternoon and evening working as a volunteer at a fundraising event for the non-profit Flamenco Expresivo Dance Ensemble. The Flamenco Expresivo Dance Ensemble describes its mission as educating the public about Spanish dance and related arts as well as promoting appreciation and participation in these arts. The fundraiser was held at the DanceXpress Dance Studio, a member of CNADM (Chicago National Association of Dance Masters), in Arlington Heights IL.

The fundraising component consisted of an admission donation, a raffle, and an art sale – which was the principal reason for my involvement. Event attendees were treated to food, drink, musical entertainment, and dancing. The evening opened with a half hour Latin music concert by Dean Milano followed by several dance routines, followed by a solo cello performance by one of the dance studio's students, followed by more dancing. Following a short break attendees were treated to a classical guitar performance by Peter Dziadzka, whose wife is one of the dancers in the ensemble. This was followed by more dancing. The evening closed out with the raffle drawing and an open drum circle.

Unfortunately I missed the musical performances and most of the dancing as my responsibility was to monitor the room hosting the art show and to answer patron's questions about the art. Fortunately the entrance to that room was right next to the buffet table so it was very easy (perhaps too easy) for me to help myself to the various delectables that were present.

With respect to the art show and sale, the art in the show consisted of paintings and photography that featured dance as the subject. There were two works in the show that I found particularly appealing due to the style the artists used to create their artwork. As an artist I'm always interested in the techniques that other artists use in the creation of their art. As a rule, while I work to pursue my own creative path I do keep an eye open for styles that I find appealing and that I could possibly incorporate into my own work.

In Other News…

While posting to my blog has slowed due to being kept busy on other fronts, I have added new material to my Artsnova web site. First I've added two new presentations: Search Engine Optimization for Artists and Photographers and Social Media for Artists and Photographers. I created these two lectures in order to expand my portfolio of web-related presentations for artists and photographers.

I also added a PDF version of a short presentation I created that provides an overview of the various talks I give as an artist. The Presentations, Lectures, and Classes of Jim Plaxco is meant to serve as a handy reference for librarians, artist groups, and other organizations that may be interested in arranging for a presentation. I should point out that I also give very different sorts of presentations when wearing my other two hats – one as President of the Chicago Society for Space Studies and the other as a NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador. For more information about my art presentations, visit my art lectures and presentations web page.

| Return to the Blog Index | This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 16th, 2013 at 9:47 am and is filed under Art Shows.