09/22/2015
Fulton is a hi-need, lo-income small town in the snow-belt of Central New York. It was abandoned in 2003 by Nestle’s after more than 100 years of fine chocolate and generations of families devoted to the company. Just over a decade later, Fulton struggles with record unemployment, rising drug and crime rates, and devastating mental health issues in a county ranked last in the state on critical measures of obesity, smoking, alcoholism and teen pregnancy. Fulton needs hope restored before an entire generation is lost to despair and poverty.
Four years ago a group of residents came together to start talking, find a solution and make a difference. They proposed an arts center…A place for all the arts to come and work, a stage, an art gallery, studios for rehearsals and painting and sculpting or making music. Here would be a place for anyone, everyone to come and make art, explore art, see art, experience art, create art and leave transformed, filled with hope and possibility.
They believed a community without the arts has no color or momentum in its lifeblood. “The arts remind us of the miracle of life and birth – the rebirth of our city – and each piece of art, created and conceived whether on a canvas, a stage, or as music to our ears, demonstrates the potential in each of us to create. And when we see ourselves or our children as creators – or our neighbors creating newness in their lives – we begin to create new experiences in our own lives, new ideas, new strategies, and hope is restored.”
So faithfully week after week, the group started doing art – an art festivalin the streets, art hanging in offices around town, an art gallery in an empty store downtown, children’s art camp and theatre productions in a church. They moved up to shared space in the local community college and more than 50 children showed up to be in Wizard of Oz. More than 45 kids and adults followed with a musical Narnia, and even the first fullproduction of a Shakespeare play in the entire county. An afterschool art club for some of those desperate kids was organized and they had their own art exhibit – Face of Fulton – a few months later. The arts are having an impact on the city of Fulton in ways they hadn’t imagined.
Now they’re on to a full scale musical – the biggest they’ve ever done – and they need your help! “Oliver” Is the classic Charles Dickens novel brought to life telling the tale of a poverty stricken orphan – an all too familiar fact of life for some of the kids. Eight year old “Oliver” has perfected his English accent and The Artful Dodger is polishing his quick wit. Parents are helping out wherever they can and all we need is a little help from our friends.
“It’s a Fine Life” with the arts, and we want you to “Consider Yourself At Home” with us, because you know that “I’d do anything for you” and as “We’re Reviewing the Situation” we’re wondering “Who will Buy” into this wonderful feeling of helping the show go on – turning on the lights and turning up the sound – so these kids can have the experience that will stay with them a lifetime, open new doors of opportunity and restore the hope.
And with your donation, you’re invited to our opening night reception where we’ll all feast on “Food, Glorious Food!” Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Gofundme.com/Funding-Oliver
We're bringing Broadway to CNY Arts Center this fall and we need your help!!! ! will be onstage for two wonderful weekends Nov 6-15, and will feature a cast of over 30 children and adults directed by Adam Schmidtmann. We're extremely excited for this production because of the suppo...
