FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2004
For more information contact:
Pamela Merritt Kramer at (585) 703-2060
pkramer@rochester.rr.com

ARTWalk Alive! 2004
"26 Artists Assemble for One Day Only at ARTWalk Alive"

ROCHESTER, NY - ARTWalk is pleased to formally announce 25 outstanding visual and performing local Artists that will be featured at ARTWALK ALIVE! 2004 on Sunday, September 19, 2004 from noon-4 p.m.

These artists will perform at various sites along ARTWalk, Rochester’s interactive urban Art Trail.

“We are honored to have 26 talented artists presenting a public Art experience at our fourth annual ARTWalk ALIVE! this September," says Pamela Merritt Kramer, Chairperson of ARTWalk Alive! 2004 (and Owner of Starry Nites Café). "This event showcases many of our top performing and visual artists in the Greater Rochester Area. ”

The selected performing Artists fall into 4 categories: (1) Dances on the Avenue, (2) Word on the Street (Spoken word), (3) Music on the Block, and (4) Artists at Work. The twenty-five performing artists/groups are as follows:

1. Dances on the Avenue: six (6) dancers or dance groups will perform a variety of artistic, cultural, and musical performances. The selected submissions are:

Bush Mango & Drum of Rochester - Traditional Live Music and Dance from West Africa. An 18 member multi-generational, multi-racial and interactive group of musicians and dancers.

Henrietta Senior Stompers / Henrietta After School Students of Henrietta - Dancing to a combination of "On Broadway" and "Ease on Down the Road"

School of the Arts Senior Dance Ensemble of Rochester will perform a light, fun, celebratory piece set to jazz music and include participation from kids from the audience.

Pywakkit of Rochester - Created by Darryl Clark in Chicago, Pywakkit has presented in a variety of venues. The piece Redeux to be performed will be a pas deux combining classical ballet, modern dance and jazz dance and set to Aaron Copland's Four Piano Blues.

Motoniks of Rochester - Veteran ARTWalk dance artists whose creation of awe-inspiring works of art combines hip garments, hairstyles and attitudes emulated by celebrities and young people everywhere.

Sahara Shimmer Belly Dancers of Ontario - A Rochester-based dance company dedicated to the performance of Middle Eastern dance. Their dance for ARTWalk is titled: Tribute to the Gypsy Spirit honoring the Romani people.

2. Word on the Street - comprised of individual poets, storytellers, monologists, and other spoken word artists. This year’s 5 performers are:

Reenah L. Golden (Rochester) Slam-style spoken word
Fran Calisi-Paxson (Rochester) Erie Canal stories in character,
Urknee & Bjurton Russell, Rick Petrie (Rochester) Michael J. Rae (from Penfield)
Avant Garde poetic soundscapes, for voice and instruments
Erin Thompson (aka Leffield of Rochester) Freestyle Rhyme
The Golden Teen Slam Team (Greater Rochester Area) Slam-style spoken word

3. Music on the Block - range from Appalachian to blues, jazz, and Celtic music. Musicians will perform at different locations along ARTWalk Alive! This year’s six performers are:

NRG! (Tina Beaton & Sherry Finzer, flute duo plays Classical to Modern Music) - Greece;
Squeaky Chair Quartet (swing, jazz standards, and blues) – Rochester
The Hayseeds (Foot-stomping good time Country) - Swillburg;
Lisa Dotolo (folk-country- pop music singer & guitarist) – Rochester
Bonnie Abrams and Allen Hopkins (Eastern European traditional & contemporary folk music, & original "Yinglish" compositions) – Rochester
The Celtic Music Society (Traditional Irish combined with contemporary influences) - East Rochester High School.

4. Artists at Work will show their creative process. The eight selected artists are:

ARTPeace Inc. of Rochester – free art
Marilynne Lipshutz of Rochester – glass beads
Julie L. Seegler of Rochester – artist books
Allison A. Roberts of Rochester – jewelry making
Jeremy Sniatecki of Rochester – sidewalk drawings
Kathy J. Steblen of Fairport – silk painting
Cheryl & Dow Olney of Rochester – sculpture
Nick Agnello of Rochester – painting

T-Shirt and Poster design for ARTWalk ALIVE! 2004 was designed by Howard Koft of Rochester

The twenty-five selected performing artists will receive a $100 honorarium thanks to Culture Builds Communities grants.

Culture Builds Communities Awards are designed to support community projects that involve artists and/or cultural organizations and that result in the creation of a lasting work of art that celebrates the neighborhood. Culture Builds Communities grants are awarded by the Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester with funding through Citibank and the City of Rochester.

Volunteers for the event are also needed. Please contact ARTWalk at (585) 234-6670 for more information about volunteering.

ARTWalk is an interactive, living museum in continual progress. ARTWalk is a public art trail that runs between the Memorial Art Gallery and the George Eastman House along University Avenue. ARTWalk operates as an independent non-profit museum, which acquires and maintains art works that celebrate the spirit of the community. ARTWalk also holds events and programs to encourage members of the eight-county Rochester area to enjoy and participate in the arts.

For more information, visit www.rochesterARTWalk.org, e-mail at
artwalk@rochester.rr.com, or call 585-234-6670.

#