The Franklin Academy Jazz Band is an annual tradition of the HerbFest benefitting the Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment, http://www.gjcae.org.

The video of the performance @ HerbFest that occurs annually and free to all.

  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WAKE FOREST, NC….APRIL 27…..

 

   "Yum Yum”, the life-size bronze statue by prominent sculptor J. Seward Johnson, has been on loan from the Sculpture Foundation for nearly a year. While preparing for her eminent departure in May,  Elizabeth Johnson, President of the Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment (G.J.C.A.E.), contacted the Sculpture Foundation to see if there was still time for one final celebration of the public art that has been so enjoyed by the community the past year. “I was so pleased that The Sculpture Foundation agreed to extend our contract for another 6 months, with no additional charges!”, said Johnson. “I am so delighted to see community members and visitors constantly interacting with the sculpture of this little girl. She has been dressed up for Halloween and in the snow, had her picture taken with visitors, been the center of a major promotion by the downtown merchants and even has her own twitter page! I now intend to ask the DRC to work with us to plan a celebration of our additional six months”, said Johnson. “We want to make the most out of this opportunity in hopes that the community will support more public art in future.”

 

The idea of bringing a piece of Johnson’s work began when the late Susan Neeley, local resident and supporter of the arts, along with her husband, Drew Bridges, owner of the Storytellers Bookstore, saw Johnson’s work in another city. Upon some further research Ms. Neeley discovered that other communities have used Johnson’s work to mount a large scale display of public art that engages the viewer and creates a sense of excitement in the host city. Ms. Neeley engaged the assistance of the G.J.C.A.E. to bring this project to fruition.

 

The Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment is a 501 © (3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts and arts education within the Wake Forest community. www.GJCAE.org

The Storytellers Bookstore is located at 100 E. Roosevelt, downtown Wake Forest. www.storystorewf.com

The Sculpture Foundation, a not for profit entity that encourages the placement and sharing of public art.  The Foundation’s Director, Paula Stoeke, notes that “One key purpose for Public Art is to initiate dialogue within communities.” Mr. Johnson and The Sculpture Foundation have 30 years of experience working with municipal and private collections to bring a unique experience of the sculptural arts to public spaces.

For more information on this release:

Elizabeth Johnson, President, GJCAE      919-306-3857

Paula Stoeke, Director, The Sculpture Foundation            (310) 264-2400 (Santa Monica, CA)

 

 

Listed Below Are Some Of The Herb Gardens Created By The Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment, HerbFest and The Cotton Company by donating herbs, perennials, vegetables to various organizations.

Organization                                                    Approximate Date:

Susie Powell Gardens                                       Spring 1999 - Present
Franklin Academy Schools                              Spring 2000 - Present
Various Downtown Business Landscapes      Spring 1999 - Present
DuBois Area Private Gardens                         Spring 2009
Hillside Nursing Center                                   Spring 2010
Community WorkForce Solutions                  Spring 2010
DuBois Community Gardens                         Spring 2010

Wake Forest Garden Club                              2005, 2007
(24 private residences)    

Wake Forest Birthplace Museum                  2008, 2009                      

Do you listen to music? Do you tap your pen or slap your leg to the beat or rhythm of music you really like? Do you sometimes make up rhythmic patterns in the middle of class or a meeting when you are bored? I feel confident you answered yes to all of the above questions. Guess what? You may not consider yourself a singer or a trained musician, but you are a musician. It is a condition of being human. And a GOOD one.

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My first installment of this series focused on the idea that music does not "make" you feel things. In this session, I want to take this a step further and explore how WE affect music and may ultimately be effected by it. Let's start by making a list of your three favorite songs. I know it's tough to pare it down to three but give it a shot. Okay, do you have your three? Great!

First, is there anything similar about these songs such as style, tempo, lyrics or even artist? Second, how old are the songs and can you relocate certain points in your life when you listen to each song? Third, do you think of specific people when you listen to each songs? Let's make a list: type of music, points in your life, and people. The last one, people, always gets me. I am very sentimental and I believe we are the "sum of who we know" (topic for future writing and book.

Remember this, if you are thinking of certain feelings, events, or people those feelings are exclusive to you!! If you hear the song, "Don't Stop Believing", by Journey, maybe you feel nothing because you never listened to it at the time it was on pop radio in 1981-82. Maybe you think of the person you were dating or broke your heart when the song was on the radio. Or maybe you think of the series finale of THE SOPRANOS. That was the song playing on the juke box while the Soprano family was sitting down to dinner when the screen went to black. In that case listening to this song allows you to express emotions as to whether or not you liked the way the series ended.

The point is that YOU do the feeling, remembering, and people associations associated with music as it relates to you. When we hear a new piece of music or song we may categorize it in our mind initially based on style. I encourage you to keep your ears open and explore all kinds of music. If you do not like a certain piece or style of music there is NOTHING wrong with you. You just don't like it. Just as you don't like certain flavors of ice cream. You don't know why and it does not matter. You stick to the flavors you like. Sometimes you can try a new flavor and get hooked quick. Music is the same way.  Don't be afraid to listen to and enjoy as many flavors as you can.