Academy Center of the Arts

Serving our Community Through Arts and Culture

Archives for October 2018

Meet the Staff: Tyler Herron

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by Morgan Yeatts   Tyler Herron knew from a young age that lighting design was the career he wanted to pursue. He remembers telling his parents that, someday, he was going to be a lighting designer for a mega church. Growing up, he gained experience working with the lighting design crew at the church he attended in Hope, Arkansas, and at the age of 12, was invited to go on tour with David Phelps, Christian southern gospel singer, and work with his lighting team.   Tyler attended Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas, with the intended major of theatre with an emphasis in technical theatre. Part way through his degree, he got a job at as lighting designer for a mega church in Little Rock, bringing his youthful predictions to fruition. When he got the opportunity, he left school to work there full time, and stayed for over 5 years, gaining invaluable experience through hands on work.   A time came when Tyler felt that he needed a change, a new challenge, so he began applying for lighting design jobs all over the nation. “I needed to find someone who would take a chance on me,” he said. Although he had […]

Mavis Staples Headlines Historic Academy of Music Theatre’s First Public Event

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The Academy Center of the Arts has announced Mavis Staples, Grammy award-winning R&B-gospel singer and civil rights activist, as the headlining artist the first event of the Historic Academy of Music Theatre’s Opening Week Activities on Thursday, December 6, 2018, at 7:30pm.   “The evening will celebrate the integration of the Historic Academy of Music theatre, a space that was previously segregated when it closed in 1958,” said Geoffrey Kershner, Executive Director of the Academy Center of the Arts. “We chose Mavis Staples as our headlining artist for this event because of her significant accomplishments as a civil rights activist and her continuing efforts to serve as a positive force for social equity”.   Mavis Staples began singing with her family, The Staple Singers, in Chicago in the 1940s, later performing in Montgomery, Alabama for none other than Martin Luther King, Jr. Lauded as one of the greatest gospel singers of all time, her powerful voice has underscored some of the United States most pivotal and dramatic periods of social change, weaving herself into the very fabric of gospel, soul, folk, pop, R&B, blues, rock, and hip hop over the last 60 years.   Mavis Staples is both a Rock […]

Lynchstock Music Festival 2018

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by Morgan Yeatts   The Academy Center of the Arts is proud to be presenting the sixth annual Lynchstock Music Festival! Since its beginning, Lynchstock has been one of the most attended and loved events in Lynchburg. This year, the festival will be held in the fall rather than the spring, on the 20th of October, a Lynchstock Music Festival first. It’s the perfect opportunity to break out the flannels and kick the fall vibes into high gear!   This year’s lineup is one of the best yet, with headliners COIN and Dr. Dog. There will be a wide variety of artists representing numerous genres, including many of Lynchburg’s own talented bands and artists. A few Lynchstock veterans, Joel Robert Kaiser and Vacation Manor, will also be returning to their hometown for this exciting day of music and community. Other artists include The Dundies, Oceanic, L.A. Dies, Apple Butter Soul, Tony Camm and the Funk Allstars, and many others!   For those of you who have attended Lynchstock in the past, you already know what goes down at this amazing event, from the performances, food trucks, local vendors, spoken word poetry, and inspiring vibe. However, if you’re a newcomer to […]

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