Special Events

Contact Melissa Plymale at mplymale@wichita.gov or (316) 462-2787 x793 
to place your special event here!

Art Pride Parade

ART PRIDE PARADE:
WHEN: SAT. MAY 29, 11 AM-1 PM
WHERE: ALONG DOUGLAS AVE. IN DELANO, FROM WALNUT STREET TO CENTURY II. (TENTATIVE ROUTE)
Consider the parade as a large, community/collaborative performance art piece with the intention of rallying community support for the arts.
So ANYTHING goes....floats/stilts/balloons/time travel/costumes/dancers/musicians/craft brigades. We may even have a large convoy of antique military vehicles to play with!
 
Interested? please contact me with any questions at kristinbeal@gmail.com 
 
Please make contact stating intent to participate by Monday March 22.
 
THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR PARTICIPATION:
●You or your group could design a promotional float.
●You or your group could dress like the homecoming kings/queens you are and ride in a convertible while waving to your fans.
●You or your group could walk the parade holding your work in some way.
●You or your group could make art to wear on your body for a walking exhibition.
●You or your group could develop a performance piece around and throughout the parade route.
●You or your group could put your sculpture on a wagon and pull it behind you.
●You or your group could look cool while riding horses.
●You or your group could make a giant, foil wrapped baked potato that spews glitter.
●You or your group could make a large sign that you carried together.
●You or your group could form a marching band using real or impromptu instruments.
●You or your group could dance the parade route, even if you don't know how.
●You or your group could play a piano while rolling it through the parade route.
●You or your group could walk the parade as art cheerleaders.
●You or your group could walk the parade while performing a skit.
●You or your group could form a marching band or real or impromptu instruments.
●You or your group could make and wear a headdress and stilts.
●You or your group could dress as Elvis/ and or Michael Jackson.
●You or your group could figure out a way to sell your work along the parade route.
●You or your group could use the parade to benefit you in any creative way.

Frank & Margart

Frank & Margaret
4730 E Douglas Ave
201-6049
www.frankandmargarethome.com

Hotel at Old Town
830 E. First
Wichita, KS 67202
Susan Dyer
m: (316) 214-0439
http://twitter.com/susandyer

KMUW

Chris Heim
Producer/Announcer/Music Host
KMUW-FM
3317 E. 17th St. N.
Wichita, KS 67208
heim@kmuw.org
316.978.7176
www.kmuw.org

GLOBAL VILLAGE
KMUW FM 89, Wichita – Ranked in Top 25 nationally AQH Share
Monday – Friday, 9pm Weekdays midnight, 9am, 2pm, 7pm
KMUW HD2 Global Village new releases show Fridays - KMUW HD2 www.kmuw.org

KMUW FM 89.1 CROSSROADS - May
SUNDAYS AT 7 p.m. AND at 5 a.m., 1p.m. & 9 p.m. on KMUW-HD2

May 16 – Crossroads highlights  music from a number of artists with regional concerts in the coming week, including Rod Piazza and Moreland & Arbuckle, both appearing at this year’s Chautauqua Hills Blues Festival. Plus new music from singer Catherine Russell and Fabulous Thunderbirds guitarist Johnny Moeller and more.

May 23 – This Sunday Crossroads highlights classic blues from Otis Rush and Jimmy Johnson, the soulful side with Otis Redding and James Hunter, and the swinging and jump style of Duke Robillard and Roomful of Blues, plus something a bit different with the African funk of the Sahara All Stars.

May 30 – The latest from the Cash Box Kings, Kilburn Alley Blues Band, Galactic, Mac Arnold and Plate Full O’ Blues, Solomon Burke and a new compilation of Stax hits – just a few of the sounds in store on this Sunday’s edition of Crossroads.

CROSSROADS TOP 20 - May

1.The Holmes Brothers - Feed My Soul (Alligator)
2.Moreland and Arbuckle - Flood (Telarc)
3.Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way (Daptone)
4.Mac Arnold and Plate Full O' Blues - Country Man (Vizztone)
5.Kirk Fletcher - My Turn (Eclecto Groove)
6.Cash Box Kings - I-94 Blues (Blue Bella)
7.Janiva Magness - The Devil Is An Angel Too (Alligator)
8.Homemade Jamz Blues Band - I Got Blues For You (Northern Blues)
9.Cyril Neville - The Essential Cyril Neville 1994-2007 (MC Records)
10.Little Smokey Smothers and Elvin Bishop - Chicago Blues Buddies (Black Derby)
11.Travis 'Moonchild' Haddix - If I'm One, You're One Too (Benevolent Blues)
12.Zora Young - The French Connection (Delmark)
13.Kilborn Alley Blues Band - Better Off Now (Blue Bella)
14.Stanton Moore - Groove Alchemy (Telarc)
15.Johnny Moeller - BlooGaLoo! (Severn)
16.Catherine Russell - Inside This Heart of Mine (World Village)
17.Downchild - I Need A Hat (Linus)
18.Peter Parcek - The Mathematics of Love (Redstar/Vizztone)
19.Various - Stax Number Ones (Stax)
20.Rhoda Scott - Beyond the Sea (Doodlin')

Global Village, hosted by Chris Heim, airs Monday through Friday at 9 p.m. on KMUW 89.1 FM. You can also hear Global Village on KMUW-HD2, Wichita Public Radio’s 24-hour music service, Mondays through Thursdays at midnight, 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Fridays at 5 p.m. The Global Village Top 30 Show, the first Friday of every month on KMUW and part of world music Fridays on KMUW-HD2 airing at noon and 8 p.m., highlights the latest and best in world music new releases.

The full schedule of KMUW programming, including the Global Village page with information about show features, new releases, playlists and more; and an online link to listen to KMUW and KMUW HD2, Wichita Public Radio’s 24-hour music service, are available at www.kmuw.org.

KPTS

Jesse Huxman
KPTS Content Director
316-644-6064
jhuxman@kpts.org 

On January 5th 1970 KPTS first signed on the air with an episode of Sesame Street. Now we’re ready to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. We’re trying to let everyone know about our milestone and we’re asking friends and supporters of KPTS to help by displaying a 40th Anniversary yard sign (I’ve attached a photo).  Please consider placing a free sign in your yard or business window. Contact Jesse Huxman for information or for details on how to obtain your sign(s).

KPTS Urgent Request

Over the weekend, the House passed a budget which included cutting state funding of public broadcasting by 50%.  These cuts are drastic, without precedent, and threaten each station's ability to bring high-quality, independent, educational programs to Kansans.  For KPTS alone, that is nearly $120,000.  That loss would be devastating to the programs and services we provide in the communities we serve.  

The author of this bill is Representative Virgil Peck, Junior.  His district is House District 11, which serves Montgomery County, Kansas.  However, it is important to note, that Montgomery County falls in the Tulsa, viewing area.  Meaning, Mr. Peck's constituents do not benefit from Kansas Public Broadcasting, they are customers of Oklahoma Public Broadcasting.  Therefore, funding cuts to public broadcasting in Kansas have no effect on his district. 
 
KPTS is a valuable community asset, providing educational programming that is free, over-the-air to all people, regardless of social status or background.  Without these important programs, many children would have virtually no early childhood educational opportunities.  Without commercials and advertising revenue, our ability to serve is directionally proportionate to the funding we receive from private citizens and state and federal dollars.  Drastic cuts in this funding decimate our ability to provide the services our viewers have appreciated for more than 40 years.  We provide something they simply won't get anywhere else.

We need your help.  Time is of the essence.  We expect Senators will be voting on this legislation today.  Call this legislative hotline number: 1-800-432-3924. Tell the operator which District you are in and that you have important information to relay to your legislator. 
You can also contact the Governor's Office at 1-877-579-6757.  
 
We urge you to contact your friends and ask them to do the same.  This funding is vital to our continued viability.  Thank you for your support.
 
Michele Gors        Lynn Stephan
President/CEO     Chair
KPTS Television   KPTS Board of Trustees

New Videos Online
Learn how one educator is utilizing our website. Click here watch the video.
Click here to watch recent episodes of Kansas Week and Ask Your Legislator or your favorite PBS program. Watch complete episodes of your favorite shows.

PBS offers a new online video player.
Many of your favorite full-length programs are now available online. 

Wichita Landmark Turns 100 Years Old
One hundred years ago on August 19th, the Mentholatum Company opened a new state-of-the art factory at the corner of Douglas and Cleveland in Wichita. The building, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places, is the current home of The Spice Merchant, and its owners, Bob and Sue Boewe, have organized a celebration in honor of this milestone.
 
Sid The Science Kid -  You Look Different
Airs weekdays at 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Featured in Sid the Science Kid episode, "My Shrinking Shoes," watch Teacher Susie's music video about how a growing plant looks different from when it's a sprout to a full-grown plant!

"For the Bible Tells Me So"
Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families -- including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson -- we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. "For The Bible Tells Me So" offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity. Click here to watch the trailer.

"Maquilapolis"
Welcome to the world of "Maquilapolis," a border city where it takes an hour of drudgework inside a poisonous factory to earn enough to buy a jug of potable water. Where it takes about two hours to earn a gallon of milk. Where factory workers find bathroom breaks are few, toxins are many, and the pressure - and intimidation - are always on. The inspiring story of women workers in Tijuana who, though laboring for poverty wages, still stand up to transnational corporations to win severance pay and to clean up toxic waste sites.

KPTS is Blogging!
KPTS is blogging about current topics such as: Karl Peterjohn, electing judges, the Bradly effect in politics and even estate sales. Meet our guest bloggers and join in with your own thoughts and comments.

Sign Up for Our "Green" Program Guide
Our program guide will soon be expanding.  KPTS is now broadcasting on two additional digital channels (8.2 & 8.3) and we want to provide basic programming information for these channels along with our main channel (8.1).  The additional four pages will increase our costs by more than $500 each month. We are asking every KPTS member to consider helping us reduce costs and support the environment by considering the KPTS Green Program Guide which would be delivered each month via email. To sign up, simply email Jess Huxman at jhuxman@kpts.org and put "KPTS Green" in the subject line. For those of you who prefer the printed program guide, we'll continue to mail copies unless you request the electronic version.

KPTS Program Highlights:

 Tuesday, May 11

NOVA - Hunt for the Supertwister - 7:00 p.m.
Features spectacular footage of terrifying twisters and gives viewers a frontrow seat to the risky and thrilling art of storm chasing.
 
Independent Lens - The Horse Boy - 9:00 p.m.
A family's unforgettable journey as they travel from Texas to Mongolia in search of a miracle to heal their autistic son.

Wednesday, May 12

Secrets of the Dead - Churchill's Deadly Decision - 7:00 p.m.
The story of Churchill's decision to sink the French fleet.
 
American Stamps - 9:30 p.m.
This documentary is about the designers and artists who create our postage stamps.

Mead's Corner Coffee Shop

Mead's Corner Coffee Shop
430 E. Douglas
Wichita, KS 
Rebecca J. McNelly
316-299-3766 cell

wuzupbecky@gmail.com

We participate in every Final Friday with live music and a featured artist.

Jared Brickman - jbrickman@rokict.com
(585) 489-3919  
www.ROKICT.com

ROK ICT! is an organization working to foster a positive attitude for and activity within the Wichita arts community.

ROKICT.com is Wichita's Music, Arts & Entertainment source. At ROKICT.com, check out the listing of local local arts people, browse local art, photos, and video, and read what people are saying about the scene. Musicians, artists, filmheads, dancers and anybody else arts related can post their events, music, art and articles to the site...for free

Smoky Hill River Festival

Agency Contact     Client Contact
Dee Warren, Account Executive   Sharon Benson, Festival Coordinator
Kendi Carlgren, Media Director   SMOKY HILL RIVER FESTIVAL 
MARKETAIDE SERVICES, INC.  Connie Bonfy, Executive Director
PO Box 500     SALINA ARTS & HUMANITIES
Salina, KS 67402-0500    211 West Iron, P.O. Box 2181
785-825-7161     Salina, KS 67402-2181
      785-309-5770     

The Smoky Hill River Festival Showcases Unique, Imaginative Art

SALINA, KS – Described as a melting pot of artistry, the 34th annual Smoky Hill River Festival is Kansas’ biggest and best arts and entertainment Festival. More than 150 nationally recognized artists – craftspeople, painters, sculptors, and more – will share their talents and wares at this lively, art-inspired, three-and-a-half-day celebration, June 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th at Oakdale Park in Salina, adjacent to the Bicentennial Center. A hometown favorite, the Smoky Hill River Festival has established itself as Kansas’ No. 1 destination for art lovers and enthusiasts. Festival art events have garnered acclaim for their quality and recognition from ArtFair SourceBook, the National Association of Independent Artists, Sunshine Artist magazine, and the Harris List. Once you discover the Smoky Hill River Festival, you’ll want to come back year after year.

Festival gates open at 4 p.m. Thursday (June 10), and 9 a.m. Friday through Sunday (June 11-13). The Four Rivers Craft Market is open Friday through Sunday; the Fine Art Show is open Saturday and Sunday only. For a complete itinerary of Festival events, visit www.riverfestival.com.

What: Smoky Hill River Festival
When: June 10, 11, 12, 13; Festival gates open at 4 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. Friday-Sunday
Where: Oakdale Park in Salina, KS, adjacent to the Salina Bicentennial Center
Admission by button: $10 in advance, $15 at the gate; children 11 and under are FREE
Parking: FREE
Directions: Salina is located at the I-135 and I-70 junction – 85 miles north of Wichita or 150 miles west of Kansas City. Exit 253, on I-70.

The 2010 Smoky Hill River Festival includes many wonderful art-themed activities, including these events:

• Fine Art Show (June 12-13): A Festival favorite, the nationally endorsed two-day Fine Art Show is the state’s No. 1 juried show in Kansas. The Fine Art Show presents more than 90 artists from coast to coast and beyond exhibiting their artwork in a variety of media – jewelry, ceramics, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and more.
• Four Rivers Craft Market (June 11-13): The highly-acclaimed juried craft show features 50 exhibitors from across the nation. The three-day show features innovative and original handmade works in a distinctive combination of folk art, traditional, and contemporary craft.
• First Treasures, Art for Young Collectors (June 12): A wonderful, engaging opportunity for children ages 4-13. Under the First Treasures tent, children can purchase original artwork (at child friendly prices), all made available from Festival artists and craftpersons. The children are then encouraged to seek out the artist who made their “treasure” to learn more about the piece. 
• Children’s Art Participation Area (June 11-13): Everything those little hands need to make their own masterpiece is conveniently organized in centers and located under one tent that is manned by a staff of volunteers. Best of all, it’s absolutely FREE. Kids will cut, glue, color, and glitter their own projects to take home and show-off to family and friends. New art projects for 2010: Self-portrait Collage, Home Sweet Home, Go Green, and Mystery Project.
• Art/Craft Demonstrations (June 11-13): Eight demonstrating artisans share their hand-crafting processes with the Festival audience. Learn the techniques involved in the beautiful work exhibited and sold from this area.
• Art Patron Program (June 12): This is a great program for anyone who enjoys selecting and purchasing artwork! Festival Art Patrons will enjoy an early morning gourmet breakfast for two in Oakdale Park’s beautiful Formal Garden prior to the opening of Saturday’s Fine Art Show. To participate, pledge to purchase $250 or more in artwork from the artists to find favorite pieces for yourself or to give as a gift. Call the Festival office at 309-5770 for more information. 
• The Festival Print: This original woodcut and lithograph print entitled ‘Pua kalaunu” by Kimberly M. Chai, is your gift of appreciation for a donation of $100 or more in support of the Festival. “Pua kalaunu” means “crown flower” in Hawaiian. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist and is produced in a limited edition of 250.
• Pre-Festival Events: There are several pre-Festival art events planned within the community. To view a complete schedule, visit www.riverfestival.com.

Providing the unique identity of the Smoky Hill River Festival are the inspiring, colorful, and provocative Artist-in-Action projects. Born of artistic collaboration, the union of landscape and artistic imagination, our Artists in Action speak volumes without saying a word. Many of the projects are incorporated into the overall look of the Festival. The projects planned for this year:

• “ARTHROPARADE”: The Festival’s most social visitors are back! Rich Bergen and Larry Goodwin’s large-scale ants will parade into the park over the Bicentennial Center Foot Bridge with their other arthropod friends! Follow their trail into the celebration. 
• “Attack of the Creative Crawlers – The Fab Five IN-Spiders”: Meander through these giant, colorful, creative crawlers. Five, large daddy long legs, created by Kansas City artist Matt Dehaemers, are not meant to scare, but to “in-spider” young and old Festival goers with their paintbrush-like legs.
• “Catch You on the Flipside”: Experience the emotions and images of past Festivals through a photo montage that captures the essence and history of the Smoky Hill River Festival. Created by artists Ann Arkebauer, Chris Wilson, and Adam Wilson, graphic elements of the project will focus on people and varied elements of human characteristics and actions (smiles, eating, dancing, etc.)
• “Dream Catchers”: Members of McPherson College’s sculpture class represent varying perspectives and aesthetics with their large-scale dream catchers. Made of natural and recyclable materials, the Dream Catchers showcase art that is environmentally friendly. Class instructor Ann Zerger gave students the task of designing a piece of art that will eventually disappear.
• “Distance, Direction, Event”: The City of Salina recently installed way-finding signs throughout the community to help visitors locate our town’s remarkable cultural organizations, such as the Smoky Hill River Festival. Similarly, Wichita artist Elizabeth Stevenson will use weathervanes, mounted throughout the Festival grounds, to surprise and delight attendees. The weathervanes are made of recovered and recycled objects. How many can you find? 
• “Flower Animals”: Kansas City artist Juniper/T.J. Tangpuz takes his inspiration for these sculptures from flowers that have animal names. From “Tiger Lilly” to “Dandelion” these sculptures reflect characteristics of both animal and flower.
• Get Caught Reading at the Festival!: All weekend long, Salina Public Library staff will be roam the Festival crowds, looking for anyone they catch reading. Readers will be given a special acknowledgement at the Festival and will be entered into a drawing for a great prize. So, grab a book, and bring it with you. 
• Harrell Fletcher Installation: The Salina Art Center brings visual artist Harrell Fletcher from Portland State University, where he is Professor of Art and Social Practice. Fletcher is an interdisciplinary arts practitioner who often involves disparate groups of individuals or organizations working collectively toward a socially engaged endeavor. Fletcher will work with a number of area volunteers to create a project that responds to the social and cultural context of the Salina community. Join us in welcoming him. 
• “Looks Like Lips”: Salina artist Ann Arkebauer presents 10 large, colorfully painted canvases featuring the use of multiple intersecting, angular, and opposing radiating lines.  This study in patterns challenges the viewer to determine the “background” and “foreground,” while discovering other “pattern groupings” as they come to life in each panel.  
•  “Metamorphosis”: Everyone coming together at an arts festival fosters inspiration in us all, including installation artist Bill Godfrey, of Tarentum, PA, who will use art as the catalyst to celebrate the community’s creative change. Vibrant colors and festive imagery surround the pond (next to Stage II) – people holding hands, individually changing in one “collective movement”.
• “Mirrahzh” — Salinan Brad Anderson revisits a mylar installation first created for the Festival in 1988. Participants who enter the installation will disappear from view as they are surrounded by a combination of shimmering reflections from their own clothes and body, as well as the sky above, and those around them. Fragments of the visible, perceivable world are present, but ever-changing.
• Mobile Arts Lab: Join us for the birth of a new summer program! The Mobile Arts Lab is a rolling arts incubator that will bring an array of art projects to Salina neighborhoods and organizations throughout June and July. Look for project demonstrations at the Festival. 
• “Mystic Garden”: This series of large aquatic plant-like forms of natural branches and cuttings by Gypsum artist Don Osborn reference and contrast regional Kansas landscape. Bright celebrative colors spark the imagination and lead the view to reflect on history and perception of objects and of art, a relationship shaped through layered interpretations.  
• “Nature’s Playfulness”: Kansas City graffiti artist GEAR returns with his unique eye for the character and detail within the creatures that surround us. Watch this “artist-in-action”! 
• Poetry Wall: Rich Bergen’s “S River Scroll” magnetic Poetry Wall provides the canvas for this ever-changing literary masterpiece! Local high school English teachers and students, coordinated by Katrina Paradis, will lead this popular returning activity.
• “Reinventing the Wheel”: This mesmerizing and graceful kinetic sculpture, designed by David Exline, of Aliso Viejo, CA, with the creative and technical minds of the Exline family, truly reflects an outstanding community collaboration and has become a Festival gem.
• Riverbank Mural: Artist Collin Benson of Denver, CO, takes color to the scenic riverbank. Look for his newest Festival creation.
• “Tent of Dreams”: Ever dream that you were flying? Artist Bill Godrey, of Tarentum, PA, uses dream images as the inspiration for a fabric tent that is constructed over the Fourth Street bridge. Travel through a dreamscape journey of strange and wonderful images. 
• Tennis Court Fence Installation: Inspired by the paintings of Austrian artist, Hundertwasser, Erika Nelson, of Lucas, KS, and Bill Godfrey, of Tarentum, PA, collaborate to create vivid imagery expressing their tribute to the simplified shapes and imagery of this great artist.
• “Surreal Trees”: A signature project of Salina’s regional artists, led by Solomon art instructor Alicia Firstbrook-Stott, and the primary decorative element of the Festival. Surreal Trees, artfully decorated, are a Festival signature.

Sponsored by Salina Arts and Humanities, a department of the City of Salina, the Smoky Hill River Festival attracts 75,000 Festival goers annually and is supported by enduring community partnerships in an amazing example of civic pride. Admission to the festival is by button only. Festival buttons go on sale May 3 at $10 each – $5 off the gate price. Children 11 and under are admitted FREE.

Sugar Sisters Bakery & Cafe

Sugar Sisters Bakery & Cafe
4811 E. Central
Wichita, KS 67208
316.519.3814
info@sugarsistersbakery.com
www.sugarsistersbakery.com
www.sugarsistersbakeryblog.blogspot.com

Regular Hours
Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

ABOUT SUGAR SISTERS BAKERY & CAFE

Sugar Sisters Bakery & Cafe offers a wide variety of deliciously decadent pastries and cakes, including their signature White Wedding Baby Cakes, Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins, Katie's French Toast and the now famous Grandma Phyllis' Strawberry Cake. But the Sugar Sisters not only provide a wide variety of tasty treats that satisfy your sweet tooth, they also serve breakfast foods, homemade soups, hearty sandwiches, salads and savory treats. The Sugar Sisters also have an large selection of coffee and speciality espresso drinks, including their very own Sugar Sisters Blend.

To check out the FULL MENU please visit www.SugarSistersBakery.com

And be sure to check out the Sugar Sisters Bakery Blog to find out about daily specials, cooking tips, employment opportunities, coupons, event announcements, industry trends and much much more. Check out the blog at www.sugarsistersbakeryblog.blogspot.com

Tallgrass Film Festival (WAMPA)

6505 E. Central, #146
Wichita, KS 67206
(Seasonal line) 316-807-1284

Tallgrass Third Thursday gets FRESH, Thursday May 20th
Save the date for May's Third Thursday screening of FRESH at 7:30 p.m. There will be a pre-film Farmers Market reception starting at 6:30. The screening will begin at 7:30 with a discussion immediately following film. The event will be held at Newman University in the Dugan Library and Campus Center (Dugan-Gorges Conference Center). Tickets are $10 at the door, $8 for students and seniors.

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet. Among several main characters, the film features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.

"Fresh, a documentary that highlights people working to change the current industrial food system, is a refreshing compliment to Food, Inc.. While Robert Kenner did a fantastic job of exposing how much is wrong with our food system, Ana Joanes chose to focus on people who are doing what's right." -   The Huffington Post, July 2009

TFA presents 8th season of Cinema Alfresco: Films on the Fringe, starting May 27th!
The 2010 Cinema Alfresco series will take place Thursdays from May 27 through July 29, under the stars at 8 p.m., at The Brickyard, 129 N. Rock Island. The event is free and open to the public and because the Brickyard has a covered outdoor area, the movies will show rain or shine.

This season’s theme “Films on the Fringe” will focus Cinema Alfresco on flapper-era dramas. and will kickoff with the musical CHICAGO (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere) on May 27th. Other selections include the Oscar winning SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS (Warren Beatty, Natalie Wood), the original 1932 version of SCARFACE (Paul Muni) and Julie Andrews as a young lady from Salina in 1967’s THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. Please see the full schedule here.

Each film will be preceded by a Tallgrass Film Festival short film and there will be drawing for a pair of Tallgrass Film Festival VIP Tallpasses, a $300 Value. Winners must be present to win. The Brickyard doors and kitchen open at 7 p.m. Enter at east and west doors (west side has better parking). Bring your ID. Under 21 welcome. Cinema Alfresco Specials include $3 Tallgrass Brewing Co. draws, $3.50 Stella Artois, $5 Quesadilla Special and $5 Brickyard Burger and Fries Special.

The series is sponsored by The Brickyard, Stella Artois, Tallgrass Brewing Company and 107.3 The Brew.

The Tallgrass Film Association is the 501c3 parent organization of Tallgrass Film Festival. In addition to sponsoring our stubbornly independent annual film festival, Tallgrass offers special film screenings and events, the Third Thursday film series, the Cinema Alfresco film series, and educational programs for aspiring filmmakers. Become a member yourself or buy a membership for a friend and support Tallgrass and your passion for independent film.

Benefits of the $35 Tallgrass membership include:

• Your support of the U.S.'s most stubbornly independent film festival.
• Two free tickets to any TFA Special Screening or Third Thursday held throughout the year
• A Tallgrass Film Association membership card
• Advanced ticketing for Tallgrass Film Festival
• Discounted VIP TALLpass to the Tallgrass Film Festival: $120 (a $150 value)
• Two General Admission ticket vouchers to the Tallgrass Film Festival
• Sneak peek at the Tallgrass Film Festival program
• Discounts on Tallgrass Film Festival merchandise
• Invitations to exclusive TFA Member events held throughout the year
• Free monthly e-newsletter

WICHITA, KAN — The Wichita Association for the Motion Picture Arts has named Mike Marlett as Executive Director for 2010. WAMPA is the parent organization of the Tallgrass Film Festival, which will be Oct. 22-24.

Marlett has been a board member of WAMPA since 2005, when he was the editor-in-chief of the Wichita-based alternative weekly newspaper F5 and later The Wichita City Paper. He is the first person to officially hold the WAMPA executive director title since Tallgrass Film Festival founder Timothy Gruver passed away unexpectedly in 2005. Four-time Tallgrass Film Festival director Lela Meadow-Conner will return as the festival director for the eighth annual event.

The goal, Marlett said, is to have a year-round leader for the already year-round schedule of events that WAMPA puts on. "Tallgrass has been successful, and our non-Tallgrass events, such as the Third Thursday Film Series and the Cinema Al Fresco Series, have been wildly successful," Marlett said. "We now have the opportunity to build our membership and sponsorship and really reach out with our educational programs, but to do that WAMPA needs a full-time leader all year long."

WAMPA board president Ann Keefer said, "The WAMPA Board of Directors is thrilled to have an Executive Director again. Mike's knowledge of WAMPA and his history with the board ensures continued growth of our year-round programs. More importantly, having the position filled allows Lela to focus all her attention and talent on keeping Tallgrass the preeminent festival that Wichitans and visiting filmmakers have come to love."

The 2009 Tallgrass Film Festival saw a 420% increase in net income over 2008 for WAMPA. Despite a recession and difficult charitable climate, Tallgrass also saw a nearly 20% increase in the number of sponsors. The 2009 Tallgrass Film Festival screened 24 feature length films and 48 short films over three days.

"The Tallgrass Film Festival has become a fixture in the Wichita community, and the sponsors and public are responding to that," Marlett said. "WAMPA really wants to build on those strengths and bring more to the people of Wichita."
For more information, you can reach Mike Marlett at mmarlett@tallgrassfilmfest.com or by calling (316) 519-0229.

Founded in 2003 by the late Timothy Gruver, the Tallgrass Film Festival is a program of the Wichita Association for the Motion Picture Arts (WAMPA), a non-profit 501(c)3 arts organization dedicated to educating, entertaining and enlightening audiences from America’s Heartland. Through the annual film festival, the summertime Cinema Al Fresco Series, WAMPA Filmmaker Academy, and Special Screenings, WAMPA spotlights the city’s venues, cultural attractions and artistic communities. WAMPA strives to foster the ever-growing, local filmmaking community, sparking a dialogue among filmmakers and enhancing artistic expression.

Visual Arts Alliance of McPherson (VAAM)

Visual Arts Alliance of McPherson (VAAM)
Michaela Groeblacher (316) 241-2954

Young Professionals of Wichita

Young Professionals of Wichita
Corie Holbrook, Program Coordinator
350 West Douglas Ave.
Wichita, KS  67202
t: (316) 268-1171
f: (316) 265-7502