With the Performing Arts Center’s first indoor event since March, the spotlight will be on the entire arts community in Tuscarawas County. Partnering with Tuscarawas Arts Partnership, the Performing Arts Center will host a fundraising concert which will highlight the impact the pandemic has had on the local arts community. Artober LIVE! is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17 at Performing Arts Center at Kent State University - Tuscarawas at 7:30 p.m.
“Our arts community has been severely strained during the pandemic,” says David Mitchell, general manager of the Performing Arts Center. “Tuscarawas Arts Partnership started an Arts & Culture Relief Fund to offer direct financial support to struggling artists and arts organizations. Hosting a benefit concert is the perfect event for our first indoor concert since our doors closed in March.”
Artober LIVE! will feature local musicians Zac Pirillo, Hannah with an H and Whiskey Zulu. Against this backdrop of sound, Jon Stucky will create an original painting on the Performing Arts Center stage. The completed piece will be auctioned off to benefit the relief fund. Highlighted throughout the evening will be various local artists and organizations. Mitchell adds, “For anyone who hasn’t seen these extremely talented local artists, they’re in for a treat. The entire evening is going to be a brilliant celebration of our local arts community.”
“We’ve been working for months on a safe reopening plan and will adhere to all recommended health guidelines,” continues Mitchell. “Along with those plans comes a capacity restriction which ensures physical distancing protocols for audience members. We realize that with a reduced capacity, we might not be able to accommodate everyone who wishes to experience the concert in person, so we’ve partnered with Reber Productions to produce a free livestream available to the public. We want to enable as many people to participate as possible.” The live stream will be available exclusively the night of the event on the PAC’s website (www.kent.edu/tusc/artoberlive). Viewers of the livestream will be encouraged to donate to the Arts & Culture Relief Fund. 100% of the donations and proceeds from the event will go directly to the relief fund.
As part of the PAC’s safety plan, seats will be sold in “Seating Pods” which will contain 4 seats. A select number of “Seating Pods” will be available to accommodate families of up to 8. Each “Seating Pod” will be distanced six feet in all directions from each other. Audience members will also be required to wear face coverings at all times when inside the building.
Tickets for Artober LIVE! must be purchased in advance. Tickets are $10 each and must be purchased as part of a “Seating Pod” containing a minimum of four seats. Tickets are on sale now at the Performing Arts Center box office, 330-308-6400 or online at www.kent.edu/tusc/pac. The box office is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More information on Tuscarawas Arts Partnership’s Arts & Culture Relief Fund can be found online at: www.tuscarawasartspartnership.org.
Promotional support for Artober LIVE! is being provided by TUSCO TV.
The Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of Kent State Tuscarawas at 330 University Dr. N.E. in New Philadelphia.