Community Arts Festival at Allens Lane Art Center

by GAIL COHEN

Allens Lane Art Center (ALAC) will welcome the community to the second annual Community Arts Festival on Saturday, June 5, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., for a day of music, special performances, children's arts & crafts, activities, carnival games, a silent auction, a Student & Faculty Art Exhibit and homemade food.

The Festival incorporates the multi-cultural flavor that has been part of Allens Lane since the beginning, with musical acts that include jazz, folk, Afrobeat, world music, a cappella, R & B and engaging music for children. Performers include: Sherry Butler, Dave McHale, Jojolo, The Foundation Singers, Tammy & Larry from Little People's Music, and others to be announced.

Special performances by the Tribe of Fools, Fiddlekicks, Belly Dancers and a Rappers Sword Dance will round out the day. There will also be performances by the students of Allens Lane's ballet, tap, jazz & hip-hop and children's drama and musical theater classes.

Activities for children will include arts & crafts, carnival games and face painting. There will be a Student & Faculty Art Exhibit in the Gallery, featuring work made by students in the Figure Drawing and Advanced Sculpture classes for adults, and the Children's Painting & Drawing classes. Additionally, there will be many pieces made by the students of Bob Fluhr's Vision Thru Art class.  (Ed. Note: Last week's article on the front page of Local Life was about Fluhr's blind student group. However, it failed to mention that the sculptures being touched in the six accompanying photos by blind students during a visit to ArtForms Gallery in Manayunk were all created by sculptor Perky Cohen. We apologize for the omission.)

Sponsored in part by Wachovia, The Community Arts Festival is a fundraising event for Allens Lane, and all proceeds will go toward program expenses. The Silent Auction and Raffle will feature about 100 items donated by local artists, businesses and theaters. The Art Center's ongoing tile project will continue, giving people the opportunity to "cement their place in history," by buying a ceramic tile and painting it with their own design. The tiles will be fired and hung as part of a permanent mosaic on a wall of the Center.

During the festival, Allens Lane will present the 2004 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award to Annette and Robert Fluhr. The Fluhrs have been active with the Art Center for many decades, serving on the board, volunteering many hours and donating thousands of dollars received for their 50th anniversary to the center. Bob has taught the Vision thru Art sculpture class for blind adults since 1988 as a volunteer. Also, he curates the gallery exhibits, paints the marquee sign and gives speeches to groups interested in learning more about the Vision Thru Art program.

The festival will be held rain or shine. It is advisable to bring blankets to sit on the grass for watching the entertainment. There will be no on-site parking the day of the event. Street parking is available on Greene and McCallum Streets, and other smaller streets nearby. Alcohol is not permitted on the grounds. The Art Center is located at the corner of Allens Lane and McCallum Streets in West Mt. Airy. For directions and information, visit www.allenslane.org or call 215-248-0546.