News Makers, presented by the Tippecanoe Gazette

(upbeat music)

- Hello everybody and welcome to the Newsmakers podcast

sponsored by the Tippa New Gazette.

My name is Greg Enslyn and today we've got

some very exciting guests on the show.

It's the Tipp City Area Arts Council.

Who's joining me?

- Woo!

It's Lynn Shirkterrill joining you?

- How are you?

- I'm good, how are you?

- Sorry it's so hot in here.

- It's not hot.

- I don't have AC in here yet and it's May 1st

and it's warm, goodness gracious.

- It is muggy out today.

- It is very muggy.

My hair's gone crazy today.

- And I'm Mary Leigh.

- Hi, how are you?

- I am the president.

- Yes you are.

- Our council, Lynn is our administrator.

The official title we settled on.

- You make all the decisions, most of them?

- Between the two of us.

- Do you guys ever--

- We actually have a board.

- Yeah, the board is very cool and just a full disclosure,

I used to be on the Arts Council board

and you guys do really good work.

Very excited to have you on.

- We miss you, Greg.

- Okay, thank you, that's nice of you to stay.

If only I had more time, frankly.

I wish I could sit on every board that would be great.

But yeah, it's an exciting time for the Arts Council.

Lots of stuff is happening right now.

You guys are prepping for all your stuff for this summer

and we just came off of that big show.

- Yes, we've had events already this year

with our Art of Fair and our art show.

And extremely successful.

Lots of great art there and both of those events.

The art, the Art of Fair is like a vendor show.

Lots of great fine arts and artists.

And then we also have the Fine Art exhibition.

- Yes, for people that don't know,

when is that every year?

- That's always, it's in April.

- It's in April, typical.

- Yes, we sometimes will have to shift

to the event depending upon when Easter is.

It was early in April this year.

It's going to be towards the middle,

towards the end of April this year.

- Aftertaxation, yes.

Aftertaxation.

- I like that.

- We have two people on our board that do taxes.

- Yeah, and they're probably very, very busy

about April 15th time.

- But our art show this year,

it was phenomenal, the art that was submitted.

We had so many people coming in on it.

And our judge who came had to be told

which were the amateur.

- Oh nice.

- And which were the experience professional.

- That's good when they don't know the difference.

- Right, they did not know.

We had, I think over 175 pieces.

- Wow, that's a lot.

- Wow.

- It was a big show.

- And it was a very busy Art of Fair.

- Yes, yes.

- I had a lot of sales.

It was awesome.

Thanks for letting me set up a table.

- And you're always welcome.

- And then you've got your big winter one

that's kind of the same kind of event

by Pixplacen and remember.

- Second Saturday and November.

- Yes, winter's gathering with you.

- That one also has a lot of craft things through there.

So it's great for looking for stocking stuff.

- Yes, yes.

- Like that for Christmas.

- Great, great for gifts.

- We have some big gift items too.

- Yes, yes, yes.

- It's more fun as insetified artists, more crafts.

Winner crafts and fall crafts.

- But there is also art.

- Yeah, and there is also art.

- And we have the number shows that we have during the year.

We already mentioned our art affairs.

We also have a plain air that will be in the fall

when we invite artists to come and paint outdoors

in the open air, which is literally means.

And then at the end of the day,

we have a judging and they wish to sell their work.

They can.

- Oh nice.

- And so we call that the wet paint sale

because it's some of it's still wet at the point.

- Yes, I like that wet paint, that's good.

- And there's also children's plain air downtown

that same day.

We set up in front of topsy-turvy toys

and we have kids come and they paint in plain air.

And then we basically, what we did last year,

and set, we can't judge all the kids at paint.

So it's just too difficult.

So we just did a raffle drawing for some prices

in topsy-turvy donated a gift certificate.

And then they donated a plain air painting thing.

And then Brad Candy donated a gift certificate.

And then we pitched in something.

- I see you brought a handout

and I'm looking at it right now.

So you did the homework.

I like that. - Yes.

- You prepared for this.

So since you're while you're talking about this,

I'm just gonna hit these dates real quick.

So the art of fair for this year was April 5th,

but that changes. - Right.

- And then you were just talking about the plain air

and that's in October.

- That's correct.

- First Saturday.

- And then the holiday affair for this year will be

November 8th, but you've got a lot

of other events on here.

- Right, great.

- The first canal music fest was that year.

- Oh yeah, that's right.

And that was your like you guys kick that off

or did you take that over from somebody else?

- JJ Slanker's idea.

- Nice. - Yeah.

So JJ Slanker said we need to do a concert.

- Yeah, we do. - And you did.

- And we did.

- And it's magic.

- It was just a little thing down by

Kandal Lock Park right in here.

It rained.

We had a couple hundred people maybe.

We moved it to the city park and it got bigger.

And I think we did it two years in the middle of the city park

and then we moved it down to the Gulf Frisbee disc.

Whatever they, a fish I always call Frisbee.

- The Frisbee golf course.

- The Frisbee golf course, disc golf course.

- That's cool.

- We moved it down there.

- That's cool.

- And we have about depending on the year,

depending on the weather, depending on how many people

love the band that's coming.

We get up to 4,000 people sometimes.

- That's crazy.

- Steve Baker was there one year and he said,

"I guess 4,000 here."

- Wow.

- Yeah, and that was a good year.

That was, I believe, forner.

- Right.

- I believe that was forner journey.

Might have been journey.

- Forner, that was a good year.

I remember that one.

You have a Kandal music fest coming up this year?

- Yes, of course we do.

- Do you?

I see on my little cheat sheet.

It says June 14th.

- June 14th.

- Nice.

- And we are having--

- Are you in charge of that?

- I am a co-chair.

Maybe Amy Barra's my other co-chair.

- Okay.

- She does the marketing primarily and works with the bands

and all the, JJ Stone vault with the tack on it

during the day.

She used to be the chair and we work co-chair is kind of thing.

So, but JJ comes the day of.

So she's Stone vault.

But we are having Barra Kuda this year,

which is a heart tribute band there from Nashville.

And if you did not know, it wasn't heart

when you listened to their videos,

you would not know it wasn't heart.

They are awesome.

I pulled up their video.

She's, Amy always tries to find the best band, right?

She has an act for it.

So she found them, she sent me the videos

and I'm like, oh my gosh, I think this is it.

It's hard.

- That's so cool.

That is so cool.

- This is the first time we've done a female,

female band.

- I think you're right.

- Yeah, I don't think you have it.

- I mean, everybody else has been male, male,

male friends.

So, these are, you know.

Did you do an ABBA one one year?

- We did ABBA.

I guess we did.

- Well, no, we didn't do ABBA, we did Fleetwood Mac.

- Okay.

- I wanted ABBA.

- Okay.

- But Fleetwood Mac, but.

- That's in the middle.

Fleetwood Mac's in the middle.

- Yeah, it is.

So June 14th, Gates will open at 5 p.m.

and it's down past the aquatic center.

And it's a free concert we take donations at the door.

That helps us to offset our costs, which run,

well, the cost of our stage went up from 3,500 to 5,000 this year.

So, you know, production costs basically are up this year.

So donations help offset that cost.

And then we have adult beverages and sales of that.

We, that helps offset our costs.

And we also have a major truck bouncing around out there,

don't we?

- Yeah, I don't know where that is.

It's a, this is a factory.

So, every once in a while, I'll get like a,

there's a freight elevator.

- Right.

- We're moving things around with hand, hand tracks, so yeah.

- So I, we also have great sponsors, business sponsors

and partners.

And this year we have three presenting sponsors.

We have Edison State, Community College.

They have been an avid supporter since the get-go.

I don't know if they were there the first year,

but certainly by the second year.

And then Matt Bewer Thriveant is another presenting sponsor.

And then we also have Duke Foundation, I got a grant this year

from Duke Foundation.

So they're presenting sponsor this year also.

- That is great.

- So between all the, our business sponsors

and our money that we make with donations with people coming in

at the door giving us, some people just throw in like

a 20 for the night, you know?

And we have food trucks there too, so that's good.

- Food trucks are awesome.

- But between everybody, all the money we bring in

in various ways, we typically make maybe a couple thousand,

but it's pretty much, we wanna break even.

So our goal is to break even.

So we might make a couple thousand, but never really.

- What is the logistics on something like that?

Is that take a couple months to pull off

or is that all hands in on the day of kind of thing?

- It will.

- Sounds like there's a lot of planning and prep.

- Amy and I basically do the planning aspect.

We've got it down pretty much to science.

We can always use help though.

- We're still trying to prevent itself.

- The event itself is, a lot of hands on day.

- I would think so, yeah.

A lot of hands.

- The event itself, so the pre-planning is pretty much

January to May, we get everything lined up.

- Wow, that's far out, really.

- Well, as she gets the band,

- Especially the band booking.

- The band we usually try to get in the fall.

- Probably go first.

- Previous fall, yeah.

- That's smart, you've booked them that early.

- We let everybody know, yeah, we try to book

at least by November.

- Okay.

- So.

- Badracuda.

- Badracuda.

- I like that, that sounds cool.

- Yes, I love heart.

- And then the day of is it just like all hands on deck

- The day of is everybody needs to be there.

Well, actually the two days,

that's Friday, we have to set up the snow fence.

And the snow fence has to go up because--

- But there's never snow.

Why would you put up a snow fence?

- Because of the alcohol.

It's a state requirement.

- I understand.

- Well, we're in a city park.

- Yes, in a city park.

- And there cannot, there is not supposed to be alcohol

in that park.

- Yes.

- So we have a variation.

- We have a variation.

- Do that, but it has to be within our area.

- You make your own mini park inside the park.

- Yeah, correct.

- That's not the park.

- So it can't go be any alcohol cannot go beyond that.

- And that's also a state,

- Right.

- state stipulation.

- That makes sense.

- It has to be contained,

and it contained the area.

- So you set up the snow fence on Friday.

- Friday.

- And that's a whole thing.

- It's a clock in the morning if anybody wants to come out

and help.

- They should come out.

- It's fun day.

So we get the snow fence.

My husband and I get the snow fence.

We load up the back of our farm truck.

It's got all the stakes.

It's got all the snow fence, all in bundles.

And we go around, we get there early,

and we drop everything.

So then basically our volunteers just put the snow fence up

and zip tie it.

And we go all the way around,

part, well, the majority of the golf.

We've had people show up the one

that we're gonna play golf.

We're like, "Ah, sorry guys."

- You have to throw it harder.

You have to go over the fence.

- Yeah, but don't climb over my fence.

- And then the stage starts Saturday morning and all that.

- And Saturday morning.

It comes down from, it's actually kind of,

can't remember the name of the town,

but it's northeast of Finley.

He comes, brings it down from there,

but he's there about eight o'clock.

The stage goes up.

The stage is awesome.

- It's a big stage.

- It's a big stage.

- It's like a professional thing.

- You can see it unfold.

- He brings it in on this semi-

kind of looking thing, soft-sided.

And then he, we get it in the right place

and he hits the magic button and it just unfolds.

- It just unfolds on its origami.

- Yeah, and only thing we have to do is get the--

- Get out of the way.

- Get the wing, well, that too.

(laughing)

But get the wings out.

Physically, you have to put the wings on the steps.

- Yeah, we have signage, you know, we put it.

- Yeah, and we have all kinds of things to do on those two days.

So the VIP tent also goes up Thursday night.

- Right, right.

- And then we have to get the tables up,

the chairs up in there and put the lights up

because you've got to have some lighting.

- How does the VIP tent work?

Is it?

- The VIP tent.

- I pay extra to be in there, so I'm cool.

I want to be extra cool.

- That is, we do two primarily, two things primarily

to get into the VIP tent.

One, you have to be a business--

- To know Lynn's shirt.

- Well, that would be good.

- Okay, is there a handshake?

- Yeah.

- Secret handshake.

So one, you could be a business donor

and you get so many tickets depending on how much you donate.

- Oh nice.

- Okay.

And two, you can be a volunteer for the event.

- Nice.

- When your shift is over, you get to go hang out with the VIP tent.

- And I guess the bands are probably in there.

- And the bands are in there.

They come in, yeah, but they eat prior to the show.

And we have our volunteers.

And then we also have a couple,

like we use for a raffle, a raffle prize at our art fair.

So there's a couple lucky winners in there too.

- That is so cool.

I got in the VIP tent that one year when four and a half years

there, it was neat.

- That's fun.

It's fun, it's fun, kind of just hanging with bands.

Strangers also playing this year.

- Oh great, I was gonna hit that.

Yeah, so you have two bands this year?

- Yeah, two bands.

- Barakuda.

- So Barakuda's our primary events.

They usually start about 7 30s, I believe.

Somewhere in that neck, the woods, maybe eight.

But then prior to them, we'll have Stranger.

And Stranger is an awesome local 80s tribute.

It's just kind of fun stuff.

And Jeff Farvel is the lead singer in Heaserham Tip City.

- I hear thunder.

- Oh yes.

- And it's very dark behind you.

I can see out the windows in the sky.

- The sky is dark and the flag is sticking straight out.

- It's like it's starched.

- This is why we did our yard work yesterday.

- Yes, that's very smart, very smart.

So the Canal Music Fest is that a major support,

like a support structure for the arts council is that?

- It's our largest event by the way.

- Is it really?

- Yes, definitely.

- Is it the most work?

- Definitely, definitely the most work.

But it's only two days and I broke my feet.

- Six months plus two days.

- Well, my planning is a desic count.

I broke my feet a couple of years ago.

- Just to make it more exciting, you broke your feet.

On purpose, right?

- That's my life, yeah, right.

- Are you sky diving?

Is that what happened?

Again?

- I just fell off into the walk out port.

- Oh boy.

- And today, walk out face of an area.

Yeah, that was clutsy me.

- You weren't hit by the stage.

That would have been exciting.

- I was not, but now I borrow Kathy Taylor Community Service

as a golf cart.

So try to stay off my feet because they still are healing

after three years.

Broke both my cowcaid.

- Oh, I don't know what that is,

but it sounds painful.

- It's my heels.

(laughs)

- So anyways, but if I can get out there

and work my butt off.

- You can do anybody.

- Yeah.

- Everybody can.

- So somebody wanted to volunteer.

- And we have, we have, sit down jobs.

Well, you can reach out to me via our email,

which is tipsy arts council at Gmail.

- Okay.

- So that is one way.

You can also call and leave a message.

- Mm-hmm.

- And all this information comes to me

because I'm the administrator.

- Can they get to?

- That's what they need to be big bugs for.

- Get a hold of you through Facebook.

- Facebook, yeah, either on our canal music fast Facebook

or our tipsy arts council Facebook

or also call it's 937-545-35115.

- Okay, so you're taking--

- And that information is on our website.

- It's on the website.

- Okay, so you're taking volunteers support

and help do you still need sponsors

or food trucks or anything logistically?

- Food trucks, we are good on as long as they all show up.

I have, sometimes I have people not show up,

but we have a, the Buck Eyed Burgers will be there.

And I got a new guy for pork.

Can he's got pork chops and a pulled pork?

- Yes, please.

- Yeah, Charlie's chop sees from the Eaton area.

I have another new one

and she was at our art affair.

And it rained and it was,

I don't think she did real well,

but she is coming back for canal music fast.

And she does a vegetarian option and spring rolls

and it's Thai food.

- Yeah, that was really good.

I had that and it was like a spicy chicken over rice.

It was really, really good.

- Yeah, I haven't.

- And the egg rolls were really good.

Spring rolls were really good.

- She left before I got out there as I was so upset.

I'm like, I'll be back, but I never got back.

- Yeah, no, it was good.

- I like that.

- And then we also have Raging Bull Woodfire Pizza.

So those are the four basics

and then we have Susie's Big Dipper and Kona Ice.

Kids, kids stuff, we've got great clips coming this year

to spray the kids hair.

- Nice.

- And we have face painters and Ranger Vicks coming back.

- Very good, very good.

- It's not going on at all.

- It's like a whole thing.

- It's very family family.

- It's like a festival, almost.

- It is a very easy way.

- It's less of a concert and more of like a festival.

- That's why it's called Canal Music.

- That's right.

- Oh, short for festival.

- There you go.

- I got this.

- It's a very, very family friend.

- Yeah, very.

- That's it is.

We've never had any issues out there.

And we've got, you know, the EMS comes hangs out with us.

A couple guys from the police force hang out with us

and they enjoy it, have a good time.

And so it's just a great evening, but gates do open at five.

- Okay.

- Bring chairs, bring your kids.

- Bring your donation.

- Yeah, bring donation.

Yeah, so we have--

- Cash at the door.

- We have volunteer areas in parking that I need still.

I still need alcohol, serving,

- Stinking, any drinking volunteers?

Do you need volunteers?

- No drinking volunteers.

(laughs)

- I went to sign up immediately and then--

- But you can always volunteer.

- No, I'll show up in drink.

- I'll just show up in drink and enjoy Baracuda.

- Baracuda.

- I just wanna say that over and over and over again.

- That's fun word, isn't it?

- That is awesome.

- And if people did wanna sponsor,

it sounds like you're good for this year,

but just reach out for the future?

- I mean, we can always add them onto our,

we have banners that go across the front stage.

We have a donor board that's already gone to print.

- Okay.

- So that's gone, but--

- For next year.

- Banner, well, even for this year,

we can still get them on a banner.

- Okay.

- If they do a ASAP.

- That's not a sound effect, that's the actual train.

- Yes.

- Going by, I'm on fourth street and the train

is between fourth and fifth.

And it's quite loud when I have the windows open.

It's exciting.

That's not fake.

- So you wanna know your job?

- You wanna know your job?

- You wanna know your job?

- Yeah, please do.

- Platinum sponsors drum roll.

Joseph Airports.

(upbeat music)

- That's the wrong sound effect, hang on.

(laughing)

- There we go.

- That's not really drum roll.

- Kind of a half of a drum roll.

Joseph Airport Toyota Hyundai,

for awesome, they've been with us for years.

Tip center.

Gold sponsors.

Alvietro orthodonics,

campers in RV,

Ellen Coderman Fun,

Ernst Concrete,

J&L Wood Products,

Mouc cabinets,

Metronet and Walmart.

Those are all our biggies

and we have others that are smaller too.

So, but those are the ones on the poster

that goes to lots of places and all the cards.

- That is awesome.

Well, I'm excited to hear about that event.

That's gonna be a lot of fun.

And if people forget to say this,

thank you for planning this whole thing and pulling it off.

- Well, thank you.

- People really appreciate it,

but sometimes people forget to say that.

They just show up and they enjoy their baracuda

and they drink their beer and they eat their food

- Their food truck stuff.

- Pull pork and then they go home

and then they're like,

that was really nice.

I'm glad that that just kind of accidentally happened

and it doesn't happen accidentally.

- This is the problem.

People think that tip city puts it on.

- Yes, that's true.

- Or the partnership puts it on.

Or named your other group,

but it's the tip city area.

Arts council that fits it on.

- There's so many groups having things

that there's something almost every weekend

on this summer.

It's nice.

- Yeah, and one.

- It's a great problem to have.

- Where do I go and what do I do?

- One traffic issue that we're going to have

can now music fest is vintage in the village

just taking place the same day.

- No.

- Yes.

- Oh my goodness.

- So I don't know.

- During the day and then this is in the evening.

- I have to talk to Tony about

and math,

- Logistics.

- Logistics.

- I think we're going to have to reroute people

because it probably will be closed at four street

if not at the tracks for the day.

- I would say tracks, yeah.

So go up to park and over.

- So they're going to have to go to park.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- For setup at least.

- Well, I don't know when it's over.

- For maybe I think it's 10 to four, something like that.

- People coming into the concert probably will be okay.

It's like my stage and everybody.

- And all the set up.

- And the food trucks and all that stuff.

- So, but so if you want to spend the whole day in tip,

you could come to vintage in the village

and then come on out to the concert.

- Yes, and it's going to be exciting.

I'm very excited about that.

Well, thank you for chatting with us

about Canal Music Fest.

And if people want more information about that,

obviously you'll be sending out press releases

and stuff like that.

But it's on your website probably.

- Right, I see.

- And people, you don't need tickets,

but if people want to know more information about that,

what's the website again, address?

- The website is tipsittyartscounsel.com.

- Okay.

- We have, yeah, the ones we haven't hit yet,

art camps coming up at this time.

- Yes, I saw that.

- We haven't talked much about.

It's Wild and Wimsy Art Camp.

- Wild and Wimsy?

- Wild and Wimsy, both.

- Wow, okay.

- Wild and Wimsy.

Pratia, Krishna Prasad,

she's our art camp director.

Now, art camps been around,

I think Renee Matsunami actually started

- Yeah, that's it.

- She's been living in the church for some time.

And we used to do art adventure because her too.

She, you know, is no longer on the boards.

I'm gonna have a person that does that anymore.

But Pratia is our art camp director.

She was also last year and she,

I think she helped the year before.

- Yes, she did.

- So she's an architect by her first degree

and an art teacher by her second degree.

- Okay.

- So she just moved, but she is coming back.

She's gonna stay with me for two weeks.

- Returning engagement.

- And she's gonna help with canal music fest.

And she's going to do the art camp

and then we'll probably at the end of the year

be losing her as a board member

'cause I don't think there's gonna be in North Carolina.

- You need board members.

- Yes, we do.

- I just heard that.

The word on the street is the tip city arts council needs.

- And art camps a lot of fun.

It's tons of fun.

We have usually between 25 and 30 kids

and we have, it's projects related.

So every day is a two or three new projects.

They do some group collaboration stuff

along with individual projects.

And we also have, this year she has some artists

coming in to speak each day about their art.

So I think she wants to have a fiber

and I can't remember all the different kinds,

but one of the girls that actually has been helping us

for years and she's our student ambassador

from the tip high school, Emerson Garell.

She's going to come, she's going to art school.

So she's gonna talk to the kids about,

you know what you need to do to get to art school.

- It is.

- And they're so inclined.

- That is so cool.

- So yeah, so she is going to be here for four days

doing art camp and it's runs from like nine to one,

the kids bring a bag lunch and the last day

we kind of set up an exhibition hall for the parents

to come in and see everything that's,

we've done all week and Kona Ice will be coming again.

So yeah, so that's art camp and that's the,

- That's in June.

- That's the really good year.

- On June 23rd through 26th and you register

for that through community services also.

- I'm looking at your list of events.

It's quite lengthy.

So for people who are listening to this episode,

we're gonna put the list of events in the show notes

so you'll be able to pull that up

and a link over to your website obviously

so we can pull that in.

- We have a couple of fundraisers coming up too.

- Well yeah, I was gonna,

- I was gonna ask about this scholarship thing

that just ended, I guess that ended in April.

Is that something you guys do for the students?

- We can't say anyone, yeah.

- We can't say anyone yet.

- Right.

- We have the award ceremony coming up.

- Nice.

- That's an annual thing though, the scholarships.

- Yes, that's correct.

And we, the students who are interested in this

it needs to be someone who is going into

an art related career.

You know, it can't be that you like to paint on the side

and you're gonna be, you know, working in a bank.

- Right, exactly.

- Yeah, one year we had Andy Treziaq's daughter

was going into a question.

- Oh, right, right.

- And so, you know, we look at it,

since we look at this broad thing of art,

we look at a broad thing of art for what you're going into

because culinary art would be sufficient.

- Ty food.

- Yeah.

Fashion design would definitely be part of that, right?

You know, so you can look at the description.

- Architecture even.

- We've had some dance students in the past.

- Right.

- That's cool.

- So we have fundraisers through the year.

Typically, we try to do at least two.

And one is the quarter auction,

but this year we've got more.

So, but they're fun.

- Well, tell me about the quarter auction

because people have been asking me about that.

- Yeah, the quarter auctions in August.

And it's.

- And that's for the scholarship program

and your children's program.

- That is that that's correct, yes.

- For both, yeah.

So, children's programs.

- I have somebody to the work.

I have, I'm reading off of it.

I'm not that smart.

I don't know this stuff off the top of my head.

- The quarter auction is August six,

which is my son's birthday too.

- Hey, nice.

- But he's in Michigan, so we can't celebrate.

- Oh, that's true.

- With him.

But we have.

- And why would you auction off quarters?

I'm confused.

- Well, it's, you know, I was very intimidated by this concept.

When I first heard of this word.

- Please explain it to me.

I'm a simple person.

- Basically, you come to the quarter auction.

- With quarters?

Or do you bring your own quarters?

- But you can buy them.

- You can purchase a roll of quarters.

- Okay.

- Or you can write us a check and get the all-in paddle

and then you're good for the whole night.

- I don't know what that is.

- It's a paddle, you hold up.

Whenever you wanted to bid on something.

But he says you already paid your, whatever you make it.

- Right.

- 30, 40 dollars.

- Dependent, depending upon the value of the item,

it would be either one, two or more quarters or a bid.

And if you're bidding on that one,

you stick your quarter in the bucket

and you hold up your side.

- Okay.

- And if your number is called, then you get that.

- Nice.

- If you didn't bid on it and your number is called,

then they, we'd write it.

- Okay, we do it again.

- No bid.

- No bid, no bid.

- And we go again.

- Yeah, going.

- So we usually have about, oh gosh, 50 to 60 items

with all the art and lots of the downtown people donate gift cards

or something from their shop.

So people at Tip City are very generous.

- Yeah, and we'll put together a basket that's sort of like a theme

and it may have a gift certificate in it from a downtown merchant

and then some other things that are kind of related to that

in that same basket.

- Like we might do a book basket

and the book shop downtown will give us the certificate

for a purchase and then we'll add,

I think you did one when you had cozy things

like a cozy, blanky and tea and, you know,

the book nook basket.

(laughs)

- That's so cool.

I like that.

Where do you hold that?

- That'll be at the Chips Center this year.

- That's the quarter option and that's August 6th.

- August 6th.

- Okay.

- No way.

- No way.

- Is it August 8th?

- Yeah, that's right.

- They actually,

- Wrong date, wrong date,

- Oh, it says August 6th.

- I'm so sorry.

- We can't exchange it.

- Yeah.

- No, that's my,

well check your schedule, folks.

- Something else is.

- We're working on that date.

- It's August 26th.

- I dropped the city.

- I'm gonna say it,

- I'm like, oh my gosh.

- That's not your son's birthday.

- Yeah, not my son's.

- So he can be there.

- Well, if he comes to come down from Michigan,

we're blessed.

- And then you've got your great shot photography.

We talked about that.

That's in September.

And then you've got your arts,

affair holiday stuff,

which is always very exciting.

So much stuff happening around that time of year

and the holiday affair is a big part of that.

- And then the short story.

- Oh yes.

- Yes, yes.

- And that's open to all ages.

Children through adults.

And these also will be compiled into journal

that anybody who is selected for it gets a copy of it.

And there are additional copies that are available.

And there's usually a little,

little small prize that comes along with it.

And we announce those and give those out

at the Christmas concert of the typical community band,

which is also at the tip center.

- Yes, so much happens at the tip center.

- Collaboration there.

- And then you've got your children's art exhibition.

That's part of the year end thing.

- Well, it's going to,

it'll probably end up being,

we're not quite sure yet.

We're revamping it.

- It says on here.

- To be announced.

- Right, so I just announced it.

I'm sorry.

- Yes, that's all right.

- I over-stepped my authority.

- Absolutely, the date has not been selected yet

because we are working on exactly how that's going to happen

because we have a new person who has been willing

to share that for us.

- Yes.

- And it's not a board member.

It's somebody else.

- Breaking news, but this has a list of community events

where you're participating.

So the June 2nd tip city public library reading program

kick off.

And the reading program this summer is based on art.

The visual arts primarily, I think,

but when I talked to Wendy down there,

she said, really, they might branch out.

So they're looking for people to come in and help them.

I don't know if she's got everybody in place yet,

but they're looking for people artists to come in

and help them with their reading program during the day.

So that's nice.

And then July 19th is the Monroe Federal birthday block party.

That's going to be huge.

- I'm very excited.

- I'm very excited about that.

So you guys are going to get a booth.

- We have a booth there.

And we'll have some kid activity.

- Right.

- We'll probably drag out our easels or do something.

- Yeah.

- Something like that.

- Art stuff that they can create with.

- Some kind of sidewalk chalk, that kind of thing.

Well, street chalk in this case.

- Yes, exactly.

And then National Night Out, we just mentioned that.

That's on August 5th at Kyle Park.

And that's the city's,

I think it's the city putting that on the parts of the park.

- It's the city police department.

- I think the police department takes the lead on that.

- The EMS helps too, I believe.

- And I think they may be doing booths for the July 4th.

I don't know yet.

So Janice would know that.

I'm not sure.

I know they wanted to expand that event.

So, but I don't know if they're actually doing that or not.

And then August 1st and September 5th is the artist hop

at first Fridays.

I don't know anything about that.

- Well, you know Steven Sally Watson,

down at Hotel Gallery,

I'm sponsored for Fridays for years and years and years.

We were gonna try to do all four first Fridays

'cause they do one in June, July, August and September.

But the first one is the Jeep show.

And it's gonna be so crazy.

- It's gonna be that either.

- We're not gonna try to have our artists come.

- It's a lot going on.

- The second one's the fourth of July.

And people will want to be with their families, I think.

So we just opted for the last two.

- I forgot about that.

- And basically it's just the artist could come

and set up and paint or sell something

- And get them in cell jewelry or paintings or whatever they want to do.

- So it's sort of artist pop up.

- Yes, it's an art, yeah.

- And then be on the sidewalk.

They'll be on the sidewalk.

We don't have to close street down or anything.

- Okay, you guys are doing too much.

I'm not gonna read anymore.

That's the last thing I'd like to know.

- That's the last thing I'd like to know.

- But that is a lot.

I mean, if you look at all the stuff

you guys are doing.

- We have a more thing that's not on the list right now.

- You guys are doing all the stuff you're doing

and then you're also participating in all this other stuff.

Plus your board meetings.

You guys are doing a lot.

- Yes, it is.

It's very exciting.

You have more?

- One more.

- Oh my goodness.

Did you just add it during this podcast recording session?

- Oh, I just thought of just remember that.

- Oh, boy.

- It's not on the list yet.

- You just invented it.

- I just kind of remembered because you know I'm old.

(laughs)

- I don't know why you're talking about where are we?

What are we doing?

- Oh, what?

We have a project, community project

that we have been working on.

And COVID hit and then the artists just had issues

and we couldn't ever finish it.

- Oh, I know you're, I know where you're going with this.

- It was going to be called Songbird, but now is--

- This is a sculpture.

- A sculpture.

It's a community, yeah, it's a sculpture.

- It's a big one.

- It will be, yes.

I went to the city and talked about it.

- Yes, it was big.

- So it's a big tree that will be down at Canal Lock Part.

And we found a metal sculpture artist,

Marie Mack is how she goes by Macon Hayes or real last name,

but Marie Mack is putting it together for us.

So she is in the process of making it

and then we will have the grand opening of the sculpture

in the-- - The unveiling.

- The unveiling.

- You have big curtains or something,

you're gonna have a round and drop them or something.

- Probably not.

- Okay.

- But we do have that coming up.

Tip City Foundation graciously have been so patient with us.

- This has been going on a long time.

- Yeah, years.

- And they were gracious enough to change the direction

on their grant because they did not have to do that

and they were right.

- Right.

- So it's still a community sculpture that much is the same,

but the concept, the artist concept is different.

And it'll be great.

- That's good.

Do you know the date on that?

- We were hoping we could get it done this spring,

but I haven't.

- Summer.

- It's just so busy.

I'm really thinking--

- Are you doing anything?

- You're just sitting around staring at the window

and doing nothing?

- We built a raised bed yesterday.

(laughing)

- So you're thinking summer for that unveiling maybe

something like that?

- Well, probably late summer, maybe even September

because I just feel like I really wanna make sure

that it's all in place before we do the reception for it.

- Invite the City Council for that.

That would be good.

- And the Tip Foundation.

- And that's it, can now lock park.

- Yeah, can now lock park down by the roller mill.

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