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  • 31 Jul 2020 11:48 AM | Anonymous

    At this time, we have elected to cancel the in-person 2020 Main Street Art Walk originally scheduled for Aug. 21 in Hoxie. We will be restructuring the event to a virtual format with full details to come. Thank you and stay healthy!

  • 05 Jun 2020 5:24 AM | Anonymous

    We are excited to offer six additional weeks of FREE virtual art classes this summer beginning June 9 through July 24! Visit the events page for more information and to register!

    Kiddos Ages 4 & Up

    Youth Ages 8 & Up

    Adult Recess

  • 01 Jun 2020 4:17 PM | Anonymous

    Main Street Arts Council new logo

    We are so excited to present to the world our newly redesigned logo, better representing our mission of promoting the arts, encouraging creativity, and acting as an advocate for the arts.

    The logo was designed by Madison Otter, Great Bend, who is a current graphic design student at Fort Hays State University. Madison is serving as the marketing intern for our virtual 2020 Main Street Summer Theater Festival, a position made possible through the Dane G. Hansen Community Intern Initiative facilitated by K-State Research and Extension.

    The street lamp element in the logo was chosen to represent the typical “Main Street,” often a beloved feature still seen in most northwest Kansas communities. The humanesque figure next to the street lamp is meant to evoke the senses of energy and movement, both being important elements of the arts whether performing, music or of the fine arts genres. The figure’s head is meant to represent the ignition of idea, creativity and passion for the arts through the evocation of its flame-like design.

    The colors in the logo were also chosen to strongly portray components of our mission. Magenta symbolizes harmony, passion, and creativity, with Aqua representing joy and creativity.


  • 18 May 2020 7:49 PM | Anonymous

    Registrations are currently open for the Main Street Arts Council’s 2020 Main Street Summer Theater Festival which has been restructured to a virtual format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “With so many unknowns related to the virus and out of concern for the safety of our participants, staff and volunteers, not to mention the amount of preparatory time required, we believe modifying this year’s festival is the best decision for us at this time. We are excited, in essence, to break down a typical show into its various components, allowing us to continue to provide educational, musical and performance opportunities for youth in northwest Kansas, ages 5-18, in a new medium,” said Karl Pratt, MSAC executive director.

    Participation in the festival components remains free of charge to youth from the designated festival counties, including Cheyenne, Gove, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, and Wallace. Preference will be given to youth from these counties, though those in the surrounding areas are still encouraged to apply/participate. This is made possible, collectively, through the tremendous support of Dane G. Hansen Community Fund grants from the ACE Foundation, Cheyenne County Community Foundation, Gove County Community Foundation, Sheridan County Community Foundation, Sherman County Community Foundation, Thomas County Community Foundation and Wallace County Foundation. All organizations are affiliates of the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation based in Bird City.

    Additional financial support for our student director internship program was made possible with a grant from the Friends of the Cottonwood Ranch, as well as our selection into the Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth, Inc. Intern program. And a marketing intern position was made possible through the Dane G. Hansen Summer Intern Initiative facilitated by K-State Research and Extension.

    “We are so grateful to our funding organizations as well as our business sponsors and individual donors for their support of our program and belief in our mission to help spread the arts across the region,” noted Pratt. “We simply can’t say ‘thank you’ enough!”

    The festival includes the following components:

    1) Theater Workshops - June 1 through July 24

    • Workshops will be held weekly for 30 minutes, broken into age groups of 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-18 years.
    • Topics will include a variety of acting exercises with weekly “homework” assignments.
    • These will be held throughout June and July.

    2) Skits and Scenes Program - June 1 through July 24

    • Participants will be cast into monologues, duets or small ensemble skits/scenes based on age (broken into age groups of 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-18 years) and ability.
    • Individual skit/scene rehearsals will be scheduled with each receiving, at minimum, one rehearsal per week for 10, 20 or up to 30 minutes depending on length.
    • Skits/scenes will be recorded, edited and made available for public viewing throughout the summer.
    • Participants will have the opportunity to participate in up to two different skits/scenes throughout the summer.

    3) Dance Program - June 1 through June 26

    • Participants will rehearse a dance routine culminating in individual participants recording themselves and submitting them to be edited into a comprehensive video that will be shared online.
    • Rehearsals will be held twice weekly for 30 minutes each broken into age groups of 5-7, 8-12, 13-18 years. Each rehearsal session will be recorded and posted to the private MSAC Vimeo page for practice purposes in between sessions.
    • The program will last for four weeks in June.
    • ***Age groups are suggestions; if individual student dance ability permits them to join a higher age group, we are happy to accommodate such requests.

    4) Virtual/Zoom Musical Production of "Mirror Image" - June 1 through July 31

    • The full-length musical “Mirror Image” will be produced virtually for students grades 7-12, including graduating seniors, only.
    • Participants from all seven designated festival counties as well as the surrounding areas will be eligible, though, casting will be limited to 31 participants.
    • Rehearsals will be held Mondays through Thursdays for up to an hour in length, held weekly throughout June and July.
    • As part of the recording process, participants will record themselves singing and acting scenes individually, submitting videos to be professionally edited (both sound and video) through a contract with the professional audio/video engineering firm, Arts Laureate.
    • The final video will be made available for public viewing on our website at the conclusion of the summer.

    Adjustments to the program schedules may be made as needed.

    Those wishing to participate are required to register online at www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/msstf2020 where they can also find more detailed festival and schedule information as well as audition requirements. A priority deadline of Friday, May 29 has been set. Those wishing to register after that date are asked to contact the arts council at mainstreetartscouncil@gmail.com to ensure availability.

    The arts council is led by Karl Pratt, executive director, and Bonnie Cameron, creative director/founder. They are assisted by Jan Moore, regional office manager. While based in Hoxie, the Main Street Art Council aims to serve the northwest Kansas region.

    Along with the summer theater festival, the arts council is currently offering FREE Virtual Art Classes for all ages via Facebook Live. Visit www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/events to learn more and register, then plan to follow along on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mainstreetartscouncil. At this time, the annual Main Street Art Walk is still scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21. A determination of whether to continue with the live event or reformat to a virtual offering as well will be decided at a later date.

    All MSAC programming is made possible through the financial support of paid members, donations, and grants. To support MSAC in its endeavor to promote the arts, encourage creativity, serve the Arts community, and act as an advocate for the Arts, please consider paid membership. Varying levels are available for both individuals and businesses, each offering a multitude of benefits and advertising premiums in acknowledgment of support.

    Visit www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/join-us for more information and to join today.

    Contact Pratt at mainstreetartscouncil@gmail.com with questions related to the summer theater festival or other general inquiries.

  • 08 May 2020 1:20 AM | Anonymous

    We are pleased to extend our virtual art classes, featuring weekly Facebook Live sessions for all ages, through the end of July 2020!

    Tuesdays
    2 p.m. - Kreative Kiddos (ages 4 and up)
    3 p.m. - Kreative Youth (ages 8 and up)

    Fridays
    3 p.m. - Adult Recess

    Visit our Events page for more information and to register.


  • 15 Nov 2019 3:11 PM | Anonymous

    View photos from the 2019 Main Street Summer Theater Festival.

  • 22 Aug 2019 10:14 PM | Anonymous

    Each school year, the Main Street Arts Council awards scholarships to qualified students, ages High School Senior and under, interested in furthering their studies and talents in the arts. The scholarship program is designed to identify and encourage talented students who demonstrate excellence in Dance, Music and the Visual Arts.

    Learn more and apply today! (Deadline:  September 15, 2019).

  • 16 Aug 2019 2:13 PM | Anonymous

    By Karl Pratt, executive director

    The Main Street Arts Council, based in Hoxie, invites all area art enthusiasts to the annual “Main Street Art Walk” scheduled for Friday, Aug. 23 from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Hoxie.

    Enjoy an evening of art, food, fresh air and fun as you make your way through Main Street viewing the artworks of more than 20 area artists.

    New this year, a raffle drawing for three great prizes will be held in conjunction with the evening’s event. Those interested can pick up a map at the check-in table (to be located on the corner of Equity Bank), visit all artists and acquire his/her signature, then drop off the map (with participant name and contact information) at The Living Room, 721 Main St. for a chance to win. Prizes include a $35 gift card to The Elephant Bistro & Bar, a Patron-level membership with the Main Street Arts Council, and an art supplies gift basket.

    A silent auction featuring donated works from the participating artists will be set up and available for bidding from 5 to 7:45 p.m. at The Living Room. Funds raised help support area student scholarships to study the arts and music.

    Food vendors, including Mama Deb’s Cookin’, Christie’s and Dustin & Kylie Bell’s BBQ will be set up throughout the evening.

    Artists participating this year with their designated business host location include Kay Azzara, The Elephant; Sally Cameron, First State Bank; Bonnie Cameron and Abby Killingsworth, Community Impact Center/Hoxie Rec; Jackie Campbell and Jessica Campbell, Eland Law Office; Jana Getz, Hoxie State Insurance; Charlie Hein and Shirley Popp, Farm Bureau; Diane Pratt, Helaina Heskett, Hilde Heskett, Brylie Lindeman, Taegen Lindeman, Bailynn Moser, and Adleigh Ziegler, The Living Room; Terence Koehn, The Sheridan Sentinel; Michelle Morris, Cressler Creations; Kenzie Nondorf and Emma Weiner, Oscar’s; Karl Pratt, Pratt Real Estate; Bonnie Stasser, Equity Bank; Alvin Wildeman, Jennifer's Cuts; and Thomas Zimmerman and Rodney Zimmerman, The Hoxie Times.

    All MSAC programming is made possible through the financial support of paid members, donations, and grants. To support MSAC in its endeavor to promote the arts, encourage creativity, serve the Arts community, and act as an advocate for the Arts, consider paid membership. Varying levels are available for both individuals and businesses, each offering a multitude of benefits and advertising premiums in acknowledgment of support.

    Visit our Membership page for more information and to join today.



  • 16 Aug 2019 10:28 AM | Anonymous

    By Jessica Heflin, marketing intern; Karl Pratt, executive director

    The Main Street Arts Council (MSAC) completed the last round of performances in the 2019 Main Street Summer Theater Festival on July 21. The festival, which featured five shows in five towns, began with rehearsals all throughout June and culminated in nine performances the first three weekends in July. 

    Approximately 160 area youth between the ages of 5 and 18 from all over northwestern rural Kansas participated in the festival, performing for family and friends throughout the region. Towns and shows in this year’s festival included Goodland:  Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland JR”; Quinter: Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka KIDS”; Hoxie: DreamWorks’ “Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR”; Colby: Disney’s “Cinderella KIDS” and Atwood: Disney’s “The Lion King JR”


    The 2019 shows were made possible in part thanks to the generosity of Dane G. Hansen Foundation Community Fund Grants received from the Sherman County Community Foundation, Thomas County Community Foundation, Gove County Community Foundation, Sheridan County Community Foundation, and the ACE Foundation/Rawlins County Community Foundation, respectively. All foundations are affiliates of the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation, Bird City.

    Grant support from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, directly, aided with staff fees for festival directors, choreographers and student director interns. A grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission and National Endowment for the Arts also assisted with staff fees.


    Participation in the festival was free to all cast members thanks to the generosity of these grant funders, members of the MSAC and from ticket sales.Without the help of the community, this would not have been possible for the youth to experience. Culture and creativity are important in a child’s life, and the MSAC sincerely thanks all who contributed to helping make the theater festival possible and a success!

    Along with the summer theater festival, the arts council sponsors various programs for the community to participate in and learn about different aspects of culture and expressions of art and music. These include adult theater production(s), community choir, art classes, and the annual Main Street Art Walk, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 23 from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Hoxie.


    All MSAC programming is made possible through the financial support of paid members, donations, and grants. To support MSAC in its endeavor to promote the arts, encourage creativity, serve the Arts community, and act as an advocate for the Arts, consider paid membership. Varying levels are available for both individuals and businesses, each offering a multitude of benefits and advertising premiums in acknowledgment of support.

    Visit our Membership page for more information and to join today. Contact Executive Director Karl Pratt at mainstreetartscouncil@gmail.com for more information.

  • 14 Jun 2019 10:16 PM | Anonymous

    By Jessica Heflin, marketing intern; Karl Pratt, executive director

    The Main Street Arts Council (MSAC) announces the 2019 Main Street Summer Theater Festival. Area youth ages 5-18 from Northwest Kansas are rehearsing throughout June and early July as they prepare to perform shows based off musical movie classics. Shows, dates, and locations include:

    • July 6, 7, Goodland:  Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland JR”

    • July 6, 7, Quinter:  Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka KIDS”

    • July 12, 14, Hoxie:  DreamWorks’ “Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR”

    • July 13, 14, Colby:  Disney’s “Cinderella KIDS”

    • July 20, 21, Atwood:  Disney’s “The Lion King JR”

    The 2019 shows are made possible in part thanks to the generosity of Dane G. Hansen Foundation Community Fund Grants received from: Sherman County Community Foundation ($4,000 for “Alice in Wonderland”); Thomas County Community Foundation ($8,862 for “Cinderella”); Gove County Community Foundation ($7,000 for “Willy Wonka”); Sheridan County Community Foundation ($4,902 for “Madagascar”); and Rawlins County Community Foundation ($12,905.20 for “The Lion King”).

    Participants in “The Lion King” cast get the added bonus of working with native African artist Baba Wague Diakite and his wife and fellow artist, Ronna Neuenschwander, a Hoxie native, who together will conduct a special traditional “bogolanfini” (mudcloth) workshop where they will experience the art, history, culture and music of the Bamana people of West Africa. Diakite and Neuenschwander will be traveling from their home in Seattle, Washington to conduct the workshop held in conjunction with the production for the second time in festival history.

    Participation in the festival is free to all cast members thanks to the generosity of these grant funders, members of the MSAC and from ticket sales, which are available for purchase online at www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/msstf2019 and/or at the door of each performance.

    Additional grant support from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in the amount of $8,800 will assist with staff fees for festival directors, choreographers and student director interns.

    The arts council is led by Karl Pratt, executive director, and Bonnie Cameron, creative director/founder. Pratt is a native of Hoxie who graduated from Fort Hays State University, Hays, in 2014 with a B.M. in vocal performance. He currently serves as choir director at the Colby United Methodist Church and is the board liaison to the Sheridan County Community Foundation while also maintaining a private voice and piano studio with approximately 30 students across northwest Kansas. Cameron studied vocal performance at the University of Colorado, Boulder and finished her master’s degree at the Hanns-Eisler Conservatory in Berlin, Germany, before singing opera professionally across Europe for ten years. In 2011, Cameron and her husband, Carloff Wiltner, returned to the region to pursue her true passion for bringing culture and high-quality learning/performing opportunities to rural Kansas. She founded the arts council in 2015 but has been producing children’s theater in the area for the last eight years.

    Board members of the council include Renee Spresser, president; Mackenzie Best, vice president; Ellen Weiner, secretary/treasurer; Sheyenne Dillehay; Aaron Heim; Lu Neuenschwander; and Shirley Popp.

    Along with the summer theater festival, the arts council sponsors various programs for the community to participate in and learn about different aspects of culture and expressions of art and music. These include adult theater production(s), community choir, art classes, and the annual Main Street Art Walk to be held this year on Friday, Aug. 23.

    All MSAC programming is made possible through the financial support of paid members, donations, and grants. To support MSAC in its endeavor to promote the arts, encourage creativity, serve the Arts community, and act as an advocate for the Arts, consider paid membership. Varying levels are available for both individuals and businesses, each offering a multitude of benefits and advertising premiums in acknowledgment of support.

    Visit www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/join-us for more information and to join today.

Email us:
mainstreetartscouncil@gmail.com

Address:
PO Box 458
Hoxie, KS 67740

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