E C C O T A
lk ounty ouncil n he rts
"expanding the opportunity for public participation in the arts."
The Elk County Young Poets Society as they meet for one of their readings in the ECCOTA gallery.
Join ECCOTA April 8 for our 4th Annual Feed the Arts Soup Benefit. Held at the Sacred Heart Activity Center from 4 to 7. More details on the EXPERIENCES page.
Don't miss your chance to get branded at the Rendezvous. On Sat 2/27 ECCOTA will be at the Rendezvous branding carvings and selling wood cookies with the 2010 logo. More details on the EXPERIENCES page
Join us Wednesday Feb. 24 in the ECCOTA gallery for this free listening event. More details on the EXPERIENCES page
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THE LATEST......
Attention Elk County
4th & 5th graders:
ECCOTA is now accepting entries for our
Stone Soup Contest.
Download the full details, a copy of the Stone Soup Fable & an entry form by clicking on the PDF below.
Submission deadline is 3/26!
*ECCOTA is now accepting resumes for our 2010 Summer Interns. Learn more on our SUPPORT page.
*CANCELLED- The 3/13 ECCOTA Bus trip to NYC- unfortunately the bus trip has been cancelled due to a change in performance times.
*Feed the Arts Soup Benefit is April 8, 2010. Tickets on sale now! More info on our EXPERIENCES page.
*We've changed our look- Check out our latest classes and events and calendar info on our EXPERIENCES page.
Stone Soup Entry Form
MISSION STATEMENT
The Elk County Council on the Arts is dedicated to promoting the cultural enrichment of the residents of Elk County by expanding the opportunity for public participation in the arts.
The Council’s goal is to enhance the lives of county residents and the various local arts by offering experiences in the arts, providing educational opportunity and advice, and by supporting performers, musicians, artists, artisans and writers.
The Elk County Council on the Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The official registration and financial information of ECCOTA may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE INITATIVES, ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS
*The Pennsylvania Wilds Artisan Trail and Initiative(ECCOTA is a trail stop and Initiative partner)
*The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts our state's art council they work hard to fund art related projects and organizations throughout Pennsylvania (including ECCOTA)
*The Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania your one stop website for up to the minute info on arts advocacy related isues
FILL IN YOUR OWN BLANKS
Art on the Edge, life as art- a regional artist community started to bring all facets of art together!
In late 2009 the Art on the Edge group completed the artisan trail map- which includes 27 stops through local artist studios, galleries, farms, breweries and wineries.
The group is currently working on the 2010 calendar for meet ups.
Join the group on Facebookand stay up to date on the latest news and events.
2010 will also bring a website dedicated to just the artisan trail-
featuring a detailed map, photo galleries, info and more.
Click on the PDF icon to the left to download your own copy of the map.
art on the edge
2010
EVENTS, CLASSES & SUCH
A free listening event Wed. Feb 24 in the ECCOTA Gallery
Don't miss your chance to get branded at the Rendezvous. On Sat 2/27 ECCOTA will be at the Rendezvous branding carvings and selling wood cookies with the 2010 logo.
Join us Thursday April 8 at the Sacred Heart Activity Center for this Soup-er fundraiser. Tickets are $7 each.
Brenda Nicklas talks with a customer during the 2009 Taste of the Arts Show- as part of the Tasting in the Wilds.
FEBRUARY
2/20-2/28- 11th Annual Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous
2/22- ECCOTA posts entry forms for the Stone Soup Contest. Open to fourth and fifth graders throughout Elk County. Submission deadline is 3/26.
2/22- Art of the State postmark deadline
(Head to our OPPORTUNITIES page then check under EXHIBITS for more details)
2/24-For the Love of Wood- 7-9 pm Open Mic and listening event
2/26- PPA Program Stream postmark deadline
2/26- ECCOTA Gallery has extended hours- 10-7 pm
2/27- Don't miss your chance to get branded at the Rendezvous! ECCOTA will be at the Rendezvous branding carvings and selling wood cookies with the 2010 logo.
2/27- ECCOTA Gallery has extended hours- 10-5 pm
MARCH
3/1-Art in the Wilds postmark deadline
3/13- CANCELLED- ECCOTA Bus trip to NYC- unfortunately the bus trip has been cancelled due to a change in performance times.
3/20- ECCOTA's Youth Concert , 3 pm at St. Anne's Church in Wilcox.
3/26- Submission deadline for ECCOTA's Stone Soup Contest.
APRIL
4/8- ECCOTA's 4th Annual Feed the Arts Soup Benefit
Sacred Heart Activity Center, St. Marys 4-7 pm
Tickets $7 in advance and at the door
4/23-PA Wilds Artisans postmark deadline
4/30- "Spring's Things" exhibit opens in the ECCOTA Gallery
4/30- Elk County Concert Choir Dinner Theater at the Royal Inn
MAY
5/1-Elk County Concert Choir Dinner Theater at the Royal Inn
5/16- Ridgway Wine and Herb Tour
JUNE
6/4- Local Arts Event Grant postmark deadline
(Head to our OPPORTUNITIES page then check under GRANTS for more details)
6/7-6/11- Summer Theater Camp
6/11 & 6/12 Summer Theater Camp performances
6/18- PPA Project Stream postmark deadline
6/18- Taste of the Arts postmark deadline
JULY
7/24- Tasting in the Wild and Taste of the Arts Show- Ridgway Firemen's Grounds, 12-7 pm
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
•PPA Project Stream application deadline is June 18, 2010. Project Stream funding is available for arts related projects running between Sept 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011. Grant award amounts for up to $3,000, individuals and non arts related organizations are welcome to apply- contact Abbi Peters 814-772-7051, eccotadirector_windstream.net for more information. Applications will be open in May on the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts website.
2010 EXHIBITS, ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS
Date Specific
•For the Love of Wood: During the month of February the ECCOTA Gallery will be highlighting our regional woodworking artists, photographers, pieces and events inspired by the lumber heritage of our region. If you are an ECCOTA Gallery artist that works specifically with lumber or you have pieces that highlight the lumber of our region and you would like to bring them in for February please contact Tina Clancy and set up an appointment to drop off your work by January 29, so we may arrange the Gallery for February's display. And join us Wednesday February 24 from 7-9 pm in the ECCOTA Gallery as author PJ Piccirillo and musicians Mark and Bekki Titchner of Fieldstone lead an evening of pure listening pleasure. Piccirillo will read from his novel Heartwood and the Titchners will perform live. The floor will be open to artists, performers and lumber lovers alike who care to share their stories in good company. If youd like to present or share you may contact Abbi Peters 814-772-7051, eccotadirector_windstream.net in advance or just join us that evening.
•Art of the State: 2010 Call for Submissions: Exhibit Dates: June 27-September 12, 2010. A juried exhibition open to established and emerging Pennsylvania artists creating paintings, photographs, sculpture, crafts or works on paper. Entry forms are available on the State Museum website. Postmark deadline is February 22, 2010. For more information, contact exhibit co-sponsor The Greater Harrisburg Arts Council at 717-238-5180.
•Fourth Annual "Art in the Wilds" Fine Arts Show will be held June 26th and 27th, 2010. All artists interested in presenting will be juried for acceptance into the show. The postmark deadline for applying is March 1, 2010. To learn more about applying and to download an application visit the Art in the Wilds website.
•Springs Things Exhibit- runs April 30-May 31, 2010 in the ECCOTA Gallery. A multi media exhibit featuring those things that start emerging with spring. Two deadlines- March 2- confirm your participation and April 23 delivery of your work. Contact Abbi Peters 814-772-7051, eccotadirector_windstream.net for more information and confirm your participation.
•Interested in becoming a juried PA Wilds Artisan? The next postmark deadline for the jury process is April 23, 2010. Click herefor more information and to apply.
•June 18, 2010 is the postmark deadline for the jury process for the Taste of the Arts, fine art show held within the Tasting in the Wilds. Applications and more details to follow.
Rolling Deadlines
•Art on the Edge, life as art- A regional artist community started to bring all facets of art together! The Art on the Edge group has completed the artisan trail map and is currently working on the 2010 calendar for meet ups. Join the group on Facebook , and send a message if youre interested in hosting a meet up in 2010.
•The Footlighters, Elk County's Community Theatre, since 1956! Contact Michael Ames at 772-9275 if you would like to know more about this group and how you can participate; help is always needed on and off stage.
•Contact Tina Clancy 814-772-7051, eccota_windstream.net if you are an artist interested in teaching a class in the ECCOTA Gallery.
Upcoming opportunities for juried shows and exhibits
ECCOTA GALLERY ARTISTS
Listed alphabetically- artists in blue link to websites
Appalachian Arts
Ray Beimel
David Bochert
Charlie Wheeler Band
Concert Choir of Elk County
Lisa Connelly
Tom Copella
Stephanie Distler
Lori Elias
Elkwood Arts
Fieldstone
Kathy Fitzgerald
Kathleen Foley
Goblin Chocolates
Susan Harris
Gaius "Doc" Hanawalt
Dave Haring
Jennifer Herbert
Dorothy Hook
Kane Depot Preservation Society
David Kuntz
Connie Leslie
Pat McDannel
Jim Merritt
Brenda Nicklas (Laughing Dog Mosaics)
Jack Northrop
Mary Norton
Molly O'Bryon-Welpott
Augustine Oglesby
Paul O'Hara
Dick Pasi
PJ Piccirillo
Lynda Pontzer
Patricia Prechtl
Grover Slater
Paul Staniszewski
Kathy Stone
Joyce Thames
Don Thorwart
Robert Vrboncic (Future Antiquities)
Perry Winkler
Katie Weidenboerner
The ECCOTA Gallery
is proud to feature
over 20 juried
PA Wilds Artisans
look for the tag next time
you browse our gallery
BECOMING AN ECCOTA ARTIST
All artists displayed in the ECCOTA Gallery have been accepted through a jury process with our Gallery Committee.
The Gallery Committee convenes the third Tuesday of each month before the Board of Director's regularly scheduled meeting.
Please download the PDF to the right if you are interested in becoming an ECCOTA artist.
ECCOTA
artist nfo
0910
RESOURCES
American Music Therapy Association
Americans for the Arts
Appalachian Arts Studio
Arts Erie
Arts in Education Partnership
Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania
DuBois Area Council on the Arts
Elk County Historical Society
Flemish House Art Gallery
National Endowment for the Arts
Northern Tier Cultural Alliance
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
PANO (Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations)
Pennsylvania Wilds Artisan Initiative
Ridgway-Elk County Chamber of Commerce
Ridgway Heritage Council
St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce
OPPORTUNITIES
PA Wilds Artisans Stephanie Distler and Brenda Nicklas pose next to the PA Wilds Artisan Display at the 2009 Taste of the Arts Show.
Students rehearse during the 2009 Summer Theater Camp - School House Rocks!
Getting served during the 2007 Feed the Arts Soup Benefit.
Sponge painting during a Free or Three class.
Help Support the Arts in Elk County-
Become a member of ECCOTA today!
2009-2010 Membership
Membership valid from September 1, 2009 to August 31, 2010
All members receive ECCOTA's bi-monthly newsletter, invitations to special ECCOTA events and discounts on ECCOTA Classes and Bus Trips.
Did you know? You can double the impact of your gift if your employer offers matching gift contributions. The process is as simple as completing a standard matching gift form from your employer and mailing it to ECCOTA. Just check with your HR manager to see if your employer has a matching gifts program.
Memberships are available to fit every budget.
$12 Senior Citizen
$15 Individual
$30 Family
$50 Advocate
$100 Sustainer
$250 Benefactor
$500 Angel
$1,000 Dream Maker
$5,000 Lifetime Patron
Click the PDF icon to the right to download a membership form
membership
registration form
MEMBERS
2009/2010 SEASON SPONSORS
Please support these local businesses and organizations.
(Sponsors in blue are linked to websites)
We thank them for supporting the Arts in Elk County during the
2009-2010 Season!
Premier Sponsors
Osram Sylvania
The Talking Phone Book
Diamond Sponsors
Stackpole-Hall Foundation
Silver Sponsors
ARC Metals
C/G Electrodes LLC
Cliffe's And The Prescription Center
CNB Bank- Ridgway
Metco. Industries, Inc.
Nelson Behavioral Center
Bronze Sponsors
Carey Mac's Salon
CNB Bank-Johnsonburg
Eastern Sintered Alloys, Inc.
F&A Contracting
Innovative Sintered Metals, Inc
National Fuel
Northern Tier Settelment Services, Inc.
Printing Plus+, Inc.
SK Office Supply
Wapiti Woods
West End Studio
Call ECCOTA at 814.772.7051 for more information on becoming a season sponsor.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are the heart of ECCOTA. From baking cookies to helping fold newsletters our volunteers make all the difference in how ECCOTA gets things done.
If you'd like to become a volunteer call or email ECCOTA today.
SUMMER INTERNSHIP
The Elk County Council on the Arts is now accepting applications to fill the 2 positions for Arts Assistants. This is a summer internship with funding graciously provided by PHEAA and the Stackpole Hall Foundation, and students must qualify per PHEAAs guidelines to participate in the Summer Work Study Program.
If you are interested in the position, please visit the PHEAA websitefor an application and information regarding participation eligibility.
Position Details:
*Available start and end dates: The position will be open from May 14 to September 15, 2010. With exact start and end dates flexible to the students school schedule.
*Available hours: 40 hours/week- includes working weekends and evening hours in the gallery or at events.
*Pay: PA Minimum wage
Duties will include but are not limited to:
•Develop, plan and instruct classes and workshops for children
•Assist with planning and implementation of ECCOTAs Summer Theatre and Visual Arts Camps.
•Plan and promote ECCOTAs Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest, Anything Art Show and Open Mic.
•Sales and administrative work in the ECCOTA gallery
What else? This position requires an organized thinker who works well with a diverse day. This is not an internship that will put you in a cubicle filing for six hours everyday (although at any given moment you could end up organizing files and supplies in our basement).
Instead this is an internship that will allow the right person an opportunity to explore many facets of arts based education, planning, programming and funding right here in the heart of Elk County.
Per PHEAA's regulations an arts related major is required and the right candidate must work well with children.
Interested students should send a copy of their PHEAA application, cover letter and resume to the
ECCOTA Gallery, Attn: Abbi Peters.
For questions regarding the position contact Abbi Peters 772-7051, for questions regarding eligibility and the application process visit thePHEAA website orcall 1-800-692-7392.
SUPPORT
"Horse Racing" during ECCOTA's 2009 Annual Gala.
The ECCOTA gallery during the 2009 Holiday Cheer Tour.
Ornament making during ECCOTA's 2009 Holiday Open House.
Students tye dye t-shirts during an ECCOTA Free or Three summer class
HISTORY
The Elk County Council on the Arts had its beginning as an organization known as the Artists League of Elk County, founded by individuals interested in promoting and preserving the culture and art of the area. In 1984, the organization incorporated and its name was formally changed to the Elk County Council on the Arts. A board of thirteen members, representing each of the thirteen municipalities and townships, was implemented to channel local and state funds to individuals and groups endeavoring to promote the arts in Elk County. The first project funded was the Picture Lady Program, an art appreciation program serving the elementary schools of Elk County. In 1988, the Stackpole-Hall Foundation launched a five-year plan to distribute one million dollars in Elk County among six general areas of service. The Elk County Council on the Arts was asked to study the area of cultural development, and received the first grant from these monies. This funding provided the means for hiring a full-time executive director in 1989 and opening an office and gallery to promote and market the work of local artisans. Further support was obtained from human service programs and volunteers.
Although ECCOTA began publishing a newsletter in 1986, 1990 saw the publication of The Sylvan Review, a regional anthology of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and artwork, written and edited by area residents. By 1991, ECCOTA had outgrown its first facility and moved to larger quarters, where it could hold more classes and exhibits. One of ECCOTAs main functions at this point was to distribute grant and other monies to local organizations in support of programs that endeavored to bring cultural events into Elk County.
ECCOTA soon began scheduling performances from outside sources for the entertainment and enrichment of community residents. Past programs include international performers such as a Japanese Puppet Theater troupe, Andes Manta, African dancers and the world-renowned Peking Acrobats. National stars such as Riders in the Sky have also performed in ECCOTA programs. In the mid-90s, ECCOTA hosted an annual Big Band Sound night featuring great jazz groups such as the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Carmen Mico Orchestra, and Guy Lombardos Royal Canadians. The arts council also began to sponsor bus trips to musicals, concerts, and other events to supplement their own programs. Although modern costs have forced the organization to raise prices from the original bus trip fee of $1, these trips remained popular for many years. ECCOTA contracted with the Elkwood Arts Program in 1994 to display and sell the handiwork of persons with disabilities. In 1995, ECCOTA implemented a series of classes designed to teach local artists how to create traditional crafts, produce them at home, and market them. These Cottage Industry classes were taught at the council offices and included batik, weaving, tile-making, paper making and calligraphy. In 1999, ECCOTA held a WoodzArt Celebration featuring a judged art show, craft displays and sales, music and demonstrations in the theme of the surrounding forest. In addition to these and many other classes, the council developed summer youth programs and classes with the help of college students whose employment was partially funded by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency and the Stackpole-Hall Foundation.
2005 saw the start of a Summer Concert Series in Elk County, which the arts council has remained very active in presenting and administering along with a committee of local officials. Our summer youth programming also continues to grow, developing from a week of Kids Art Classes to a full Summer Art Camp and, in summer 2008, a Summer Theater Camp.
ECCOTA has moved a total of five times since the first gallery, eventually settling at 237 Main Street in Ridgway, PA. The last move was due to a tragic water line break that flooded the previous gallery. With the help of the local community, ECCOTA was soon on its feet again in a new space that has become a very active sales gallery, classroom space, and community resource. In 2008, ECCOTA opened a second gallery spaced entitled ECCOTA Extended inside the Elk County Courthouse in Ridgway.
In recent years, ECCOTA has continued to support artists by administering grants such as the Local Government and Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts Project and Program Stream Grants. The arts council continues to seek funding for those who desire to support our motto of bringing the arts back home. Classes continue at the ECCOTA Gallery and other locations in many art areas and for many skill levels. The board and staff continue to look for new opportunities to bring the arts to the residents of Elk County.
2009/2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ruth Casaro, President
Sara Mae Gerber, Vice President
Katie Weidenboerner, Secretary
Steve Frank, Treasurer
Gloria Almquist
Lois Deviling
Maureen Donachy
Liz Hammer
Coleen Kronenwetter
The Board of Directors regularly scheduled meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month in the ECCOTA Gallery at 7 pm.
The Board of Directors do not hold a regularly scheduled meeting in July.
2009/2010 ECCOTA Officers left to right:
Ruth Casaro, Katie Weidenboerner, Steve Frank
and Sara Gerber
STAFF
ECCOTA currently employs one permanent full time Executive Director, a permanent part time Office Manager and temporary part time sales assistants.
Abbi Peters, Executive Director- Peters was born and raised in New Jersey, in 2000 after attending Kutztown Univeristy for Art Education and Fine Arts she moved to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles Peters gained broad administrative experience while working in the magazine, fashion and music accessories industries. In 2007 Peters and her husband, artist Charles Wish relocated to Ridgway after purchasing a Georgian Federal school house built in 1909. The couple continues to renovate the 6,000 square foot building that serves as their home, work studio and eventually a culutral library and work/live space for visiting artists. Peters joined ECCOTA as a member of the Board of Directors in September 2007, she sat on the Board until May 2008, when she stepped down from the Boardand was hired as the Executive Director to replace the former Executive Director Andi Willis.
Tina Clancy, Office Manager- Clancy was born and raised in Altoona, PA. A mother of three, her family was relocated to Ridgway from West Virgina in 2000. Clancy began working for ECCOTA in September 2007.has a background in customer service, sales and cafeteria management.
ECCOTA receives additional staff support through a part time training employee funded by the Pathstone'sSenior Training and Employment Servicesprogram. Pathstoneprovides work-based training and employment opportunities to low-income individuals aged 55 and older that will foster increased prospects for economic self-sufficiency.
Executive Director Abbi Peters in the ECCOTA Gallery
The Council’'s goal is to enhance the lives of county residents and the various local arts by offering experiences in the arts, providing educational opportunity and advice, and by supporting performers, musicians, artists, artisans and writers.
WHO WE ARE
Visit us:
Contact us:
email: eccota_windstream.netaddress: 237 Main St. Ridgway, PA 15853telephone: 814-772-7051 fax: 814-772-7049hours: Tues-Fri 10-5 Sat 11-3 (closed in Jan) Closed Sun and Mon M
email: eccota_windstream.net
address: 237 Main St.
Ridgway, PA 15853
telephone: 814-772-7051
fax: 814-772-7049
hours: Tues-Fri 10-5
Sat 11-3 (closed in Jan)
Closed Sun and Mon
M
2010 All Rights reserved tel- 814.772.7051 address -237 Main St. Ridgway, PA 15853 contact us at:eccota_windstream.net
