Category Archives: News

Memorial Auditorium Fall Events

Prairie Arts Chorale
Brandon Hurley, director
Sunday, November 7 – 4pm
Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students.
Available at the door and online.

*Dawson-Boyd Arts Association is a recipient of an operating support grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council made possible by the voters of Minnesota, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Due to the construction project at the school, the lobby entrance to Memorial Auditorium is temporarily unavailable. Please use the smaller door on the same side of the building. For event details, please check our website or our Facebook page at Dawson-Boyd Arts Association – Memorial Auditorium. Thank you for your support and understanding!

New Traveler Stage Curtain installed at Memorial Auditorium

There may not be performances on stage right now at Memorial Auditorium, but this month a significant and long-awaited improvement was completed. The gold traveler stage curtain, circa 1960s, was replaced earlier with a new black curtain, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Dawson-Boyd Arts Association, Dawson-Boyd School District, community donors and a grant from Southwest Minnesota Arts Council.

“We are delighted to see this new curtain installed,” says performing arts director Luanne Fondell. “The gold curtain may have fond memories for generations of people, but it was very worn out!” According to Fondell, the curtain had been mended many times and had also lost its fire-retardant properties over time. When researching the project, other improvements were required as well. For example, all the “dog chains” used to hang the existing front curtain were no longer acceptable.

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association launched the fundraiser campaign to replace the gold curtain last November during the annual Give to the Max Day for non-profits in Minnesota. Later in the winter, Fondell wrote a grant to Southwest Minnesota Arts Council through its Equipment & Facilities Improvement grant program.   The $10,000 grant was awarded in March and the Arts Association began working with Centre Stage Manufacturing in Sauk Centre to order the curtains. The process of dying and sewing the curtains took approximately twelve weeks. DBAA previously worked with Centre Stage when the back stage curtain was replaced in 2010.

Others who have helped with this project are audience members who designated gifts to this curtain project and also contributed to the “coffee bowl” in the lobby during performances. “Our thanks to every single person who helped with this project,” says Fondell. “Each donation makes a difference when big projects like this are done. We can’t wait to use it!”

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association receives SMAC grant funding for sound enhancement

The Dawson-Boyd Arts Association recently received a $4,000 Equipment and Facilities grant from Southwest Minnesota Arts Council for the purchase of a new digital sound board and an input-output rack to accommodate more microphones and more monitors for performing artists. This new equipment increases the capabilities of Memorial Auditorium as a performing space and has already been used in recent productions the auditorium.

This activity is funded in part with a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council made possible by the voters of Minnesota, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Tickets on sale this week for groovy Riverfest Show: Sirens of the 60s set for Saturday, June 25

sirrensDawson-Boyd Arts Association presents the Girl Singers of the Hit Parade and their production “Sirens of the 60s” during Riverfest Weekend in Dawson at Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, June 25 at 7:30pm. This is the final performance of the Arts Association’s 15th season.

Colleen Raye, Debbie O’Keefe and Katie Gearty are the Girl Singers who bring their talents to the stage to perform classic 60s tunes from the female artists of the era. Not just a campy show, it celebrates the vocal prowess of singers like Dionne Warwick, “Walk on By,” Cass Elliot with The Mamas and The Papas, Marilyn McCoo and the 5th Dimension, Lesley Gore, “It’s My Party,” Barbra Streisand, “People,” Petula Clark, “Downtown,” Shirley Bassey,“Goldfinger,” and scores of other vocalists, including Tammy Wynette, folk singer Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary, Nancy Sinatra, Dusty Springfield and Carole King. Mixed with dynamic vocals, excellent musicianship, laughs, reminiscing and sing-a-longs, ”Sirens Of The 60s” creates an evening of exceptionally groovy entertainment!

Event sponsor is Dawson Co-op Credit Union. Tickets are on sale beginning Friday, June 17 by calling the box office at 320-769-2955 ext 246 or online. This is a reserved seating performance. (Tickets on sale to Arts Association Members tomorrow, June 16.)

Celebration of Strings at Memorial Auditorium on May 20

Artaria posterThe Artaria String Quartet of St. Paul is completing an artist residency with the Dawson-Boyd High School string program and will be sharing their work in a concert this Wednesday, May 20 at 7:00 pm at the Memorial Auditorium.

Adults are $5 Students are $3.

The concert will feature high school students, an adult string ensemble and music by Artaria String Quartet.

Small print: This is not an Arts Association sponsored event – sorry but no sponsor passes, gift certificates or school music booster buttons may be used for admission.

 

 

Harpist Stephanie Claussen to perform free concert Sunday afternoon in Dawson

Claussen_posterHarpist Stephanie Claussen of St. Paul will present a concert this Sunday, January 11 at 3:00pm at Memorial Auditorium in Dawson. Claussen, a recipient of an Arts Tour Minnesota grant through the Minnesota State Arts Board, is touring to five cities in Minnesota to present a concert, along with a question and answer session and optional harp lessons for interested musicians.

Claussen specializes in Early and Renaissance harp music. She earned her Bachelors of Music in Performance at the University of Minnesota under the instruction of Kathy Kienzle, principal harpist of the Minnesota Orchestra. She has performed with numerous symphony orchestras and collaborated as a folk and Irish harpist at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. Her diverse repertoire includes classical, folk, pop, sacred and early music for the harp.

There is no charge to attend this concert.

Annual Wine & Beer Tasting Fundraiser – Nov 22

We are so excited and thankful to announce the Dawson Liquor’s Annual Wine & Beer Tasting…

Saturday, November 22, 2014 6:00-8:00pm
Dawson VFW Tickets: $20 in advance $25 at the door

Live music by Ross Anderson & Pete Lothringer
Proceeds to benefit Dawson-Boyd Arts Association Memorial Auditorium “Stairs to the Stage” Campaign

Tickets available at: Dawson Liquor Store Dawson City Building Minnwest Bank Dawson Co-op Credit Union Memorial Auditorium Box Office

For call us at 320-769-2955 ext. 246