Highlight events feature award-winning musicians and artists along with distinctive performances. Artown’s Opening Night pays homage to the 40^th anniversary of Woodstock with a performance by Richie Havens, the artist that opened the historic festival in 1969. The World Music Series brings another year of variety with the return of Mariachi Sol de Mexico and performances by Salsa Celtica, Lura and The Wailing Souls. Chris Botti, Ottmar Liebert and noted Bluegrass musician Rhonda Vincent and the Rage bring their individualist style of music to the performance lineup. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet showcases their contemporary interpretations for the first time in Reno.

Because Artown is known for expanding boundaries, this year we’ve extended July by a day to July 32. Yes that’s correct, July 32…all in an effort to contain our programming within the month.  More commonly known as August 1, closing night features The Funk Brothers. To say they are the music behind Motown’s greatest hits is an understatement. The Funk Brothers are responsible for creating the sounds behind the great hits during Motown’s reign in Motor City. Combined with our seasonal favorites for families and kids with Discover the Arts and the Missoula Children’s Theatre, our Movies in the Park and a wide-ranging list of multicultural events, Artown strives to ignite a passion for the arts no matter the age or interest.   

Artown is also thrilled to announce a series of post-season events starting in October with The Chieftains, November brings the return of Pilobolus and premier violinist Itzhak Perlman in January.   

With our diverse and immense schedule of activities, be sure and check RenoIsArtown.com frequently for a comprehensive daily calendar with details on performances and events and the ability to purchase tickets for our phenomenal ticketed productions. We’re also bringing back our beloved Little Book of Artown, a must-have guide for festival attendees.  

We look forward to an incredible season and we’ll see you in the park.

Artown’s Discover the Arts program provides our community’s youth, ages 6 through 12, with free art programming each weekday throughout the month of July.  Discover the Arts works with local artists and performers to offer this experience.  The highly interactive programs explore a wide variety of art mediums, such as learning different rhythms, beats and instruments with the Reno Philharmonic’s harp and vibe ensemble or trying their hand at watercolor painting under the wise instruction of volunteers from the Sierra Water Color Society.  I’m very excited to be coordinating this important part of Artown. 

We will be doing 23 Discover the Arts events this year.  Here are some exciting sneak peeks:

Our very own Artown 2009 Poster Artist, Candace Nicol, will start off the festival July 1 with Discover Gelatin Prints.  The children will explore printmaking processes without the need of a press or solvents but using ordinary household gelatin.  How cool is it to learn how to do artwork just like our poster artist!

Colin Ross will be teaching Discover Music Camp – a week-long music workshop. The children will be learning and experimenting with many different instruments leading to a short performance at Wingfield Park. The best thing about this is that beginners and non-players are invited!

Local artist Ali Sullivan will teach Discover Tile Art.  The children will use their creativity with clay.  They will paint and/or carve clay pieces depicting the City of Reno, such as a hospital, park, City Hall, office building.  These clay pieces will then be put into a kiln and then affixed at the West Street Market as one big art piece for our children and community to enjoy for years to come.  It can’t get any better than that!  Or can it?

The children won’t want to miss out on all of the other wonderful Discover the Art events Artown has to offer! Our calendar of events will be posted to our website, www.renoisartown.com on May 1st.  See you in July!!!!