Kelly Posenauer’s story of moving to Lynchburg for school and staying is not uncommon in a college town like this one. Originally from Pennsylvania, she came here to attend Liberty University. While she knew that her heart was in children’s education, she wasn’t sure if teaching was the route she wanted to take. Instead, she chose Interior Design, while her passion for children’s education remained, though unrequited. Years later, the perfect opportunity came along. A neighbor of Kelly’s at the time was an employee of the Academy Center of the Arts, (then the Academy of Fine Arts), and informed her that the position of Director of Education was open. Unsure if she met all of the requirements, she decided to apply and ended up securing the position. Now, nearly ten years later, she’s planned, overseen, and executed countless visual and performing arts classes for not only children, but people of all ages in the community. “With education, we get to serve all different ages, and especially with our outreach programs, all demographics, and it’s really cool to see how that has expanded through the years” she says. Kelly loves the opportunity she has to play a crucial […]
Outreach in Action
Our goal at the Academy “is to overcome barriers in the community in order to better serve underserved and underrepresented populations, [and to] reach those with the arts who don’t have access,” said Evan Smith, Director of Community Outreach. One of the best ways we complete this mission is through camps and classes designed to provide children, from toddlers to teens, with access to arts and culture in the safe and nurturing environment the Academy provides. “Our engagement in the arts for arts sake is not enough in telling our story,” said Geoffrey Kershner, Executive Director. Referencing an article from Americans for the Arts entitled The Top 10 Skills Children Learn From the Arts, he continued, “it has been proven that all 10 of these tangible life skills,” including creativity, confidence, problem-solving, perseverance, and other skills, “are acquired through arts activity. It is these very skills that are enhancing the effectiveness of the overall program and create value in what we are providing.” The Academy’s partnership and collaboration with the Lynchburg area YMCA is a perfect example of this mission in action. The 6-week “Summer Learning Loss Prevention” camp provides rising 3rd graders with the chance to participate […]
Bridges Participants Experience the Arts
Here at the Academy Center of the Arts’, our mission is to serve the community through arts and culture, and outreach is a crucial aspect of that mission. When a chance for the ACOA to partner with the Bridges Residential Treatment Center arose, it was yet another perfect opportunity to put this mission into practice. Bridges Residential Treatment Center is a program by Centra which houses children ages 6 through 17 who suffer from chronic mental health problems. The program is dedicated to providing a therapeutic, nurturing environment in which these children can feel safe and be encouraged to thrive. While the Bridges program provides excellent opportunities and resources, many of the children in the program don’t have access to traditional art classes or arts education on a regular basis. For Kelly Posenauer, Director of Education at the Academy, the route we chose to take the program was obvious. “Art,” she says, “is basically an avenue for healing…and a way to create open communication”. She says that, because of the children’s mental health problems, “in a traditional classroom setting, [they] often act out and don’t get the attention they need, so they don’t get to participate in […]
A New Record for Empty Bowls
The Academy Center of the Arts, Centra, Framatome, and the Bank of the James are proud to announce the success of the tenth annual Empty Bowls event, which raised over $9,000 to benefit the Lynchburg Daily Bread and the community members they serve. Empty Bowls was held on Saturday, March 24, 2018, with a record number of 496 attendees. During Empty Bowls, attendees selected their own beautiful, handmade ceramic bowl, donated by local potters, and enjoyed delicious soup tastings with bread, dessert, and beverages, all donated by local restaurants and individual donors. Over 50 businesses, community organizations and individual donors contributed to the event. In 2017, proceeds from Empty Bowls totaled $7,931.49. This year, we are thrilled to announce that the event raised $9,318.49! “Empty Bowls has become an event that the community looks forward to supporting every year,” said Geoffrey Kershner, Executive Director. “We’re very proud to be able to present this check to the Daily Bread, and to support our community members in need.” The donated funds will directly impact the Lynchburg Daily Bread, allowing them to continue to serve meals in our community. “We are so thankful for the tremendous community support of Empty Bowls, led by […]
Disney’s Aladdin Jr. Kicks Off with Free Performance for YMCA Campers
Last Friday, July 21, 2017, 400 Lynchburg and Altavista YMCA campers visited the Academy Center of the Arts for a first-hand look at Encore Jr.’s 2017 production of Disney’s Aladdin, Jr. Encore Jr., one of the Academy Center of the Art’s youth theatre programs, is made up of 40+ middle school students from the greater Lynchburg area. Each summer, following the high school-aged Encore camp, Encore Jr. puts together a full ‘junior-level’ show with just two weeks of rehearsal time. In addition to learning their lines and costuming, campers also take time for dance and vocal work, to create a full, stage-ready musical production. On Friday, the performers mesmerized their young audience as they brought Disney’s Aladdin, Jr. to life on stage. The story, similar to the Disney classic, follows Aladdin as he vies for the attention of the beautiful princess, Jasmine. Using a genie’s magic power to become a prince in order to marry her, Aladdin runs into a bit of trouble when Jafar and his minion Iago figure out his plan. In the end, Aladdin is able to outsmart Jafar using wit, help from his magic carpet, and a little bit of magic to save the day! According […]
Altavista YMCA Campers Experience the Arts
Through the support of the W.C. English Foundation, the Academy Center of the Arts launched our first Summer Arts Week, in partnership with the Altavista Area YMCA. From June 19th through June 23rd, over 250 campers, ages four to thirteen, took visual and performing arts classes with Academy Center of the Arts and Kid Pan Alley instructors at their local YMCA. Through this program, campers were able to participate and develop their skills in drawing, creative writing, drama, and improvisation. While a few campers had experienced these activities in the past, the majority of them were experiencing these areas of the arts for the first time! “What made [Summer Arts Week] so neat was seeing the kids have so much fun while learning new skills,” said Evan Smith, Director of Outreach at the Academy Center of the Arts. In addition to the arts, campers also developed “skills like public speaking, teamwork, confidence, and creativity which they can use throughout their lifetime.” In addition to the classes listed above, another 90 campers also had the opportunity to participate in a songwriting class and public performance with Kid Pan Alley, company led by Paul Reisler that dedicates itself to […]
Press Release: Academy Center of the Arts Launches New Summer Arts Week in Altavista
Contact: Evan Smith Director of Outreach (434) 528-3256 x114 esmith@academycenter.org For Immediate Release: 06/14/02017 ACADEMY CENTER OF THE ARTS LAUNCHES NEW SUMMER ARTS WEEK IN ALTAVISTA (Altavista) Through the support of the English Foundation, the Academy Center of the Arts is proud to launch the first 2017 Summer Arts Week in partnership with the Altavista Area YMCA. Both organizations are excited for the opportunity to work together as they strive to make meaningful impact on the lives of youth in the Altavista community. Last summer, the Academy was fortunate to provide six weeks of arts programming onsite for 150 youth as part of the Central Virginia YMCA’s Summer Learning Loss & Prevention program. In an attempt to reach more youth, particularly in more rural communities, this new Summer Arts Week in Altavista we will reach approximately 350 youth and will engage them in both visual and performing arts. The Academy will bring the program Kid Pan Alley to the region as a part of the week. Kid Pan Alley teaches song structure, rhyme scheme, and collaboration. In two ninety-minute sessions, the children brainstorm, write a song, and rehearse their songs. There will also be a […]
A Recipe for Success
We are extremely proud to announce the success of our ninth annual Empty Bowls event benefiting the Lynchburg Daily Bread on March 18. The Lynchburg Daily Bread is a local non-profit that has provided hot meals for the hungry 365 days a year, for the last 35 years. In 2016 alone, they served 60,485 meals to the homeless and hungry of the community. During Empty Bowls, attendees were able to select and keep a beautiful ceramic bowl that were hand made and donated by local potters. They then enjoyed a delicious soup tasting with bread and beverage, all donated by local restaurants and individual donors. This year a portion of the bowls were made by men and women from the Continuum of Care’s event Share the Love. Each bowl was selflessly made by these individuals knowing they wouldn’t get to keep their handiwork, but instead they would be used to raise funds for the cause. We are always so excited to see such altruistic acts, including the many service providers and resource workers who stopped by to make a bowl to contribute as well. Last year’s Empty Bowls event enabled us to give a $5617.71 check to The LynchburgDaily […]
Educate and Inspire: VA Rep’s “I Have a Dream”
Young students from RS Payne Elementary School hustled from their buses to their seats in the Academy’s Warehouse Theatre last Wednesday, March 15, in anticipation for the performance of “I Have a Dream” by the Virginia Repertory. Virginia Repertory is known and commended internationally for excellence as a touring theatre company for young audiences. Having been based out of Richmond since 1975, they tour in Virginia and across the country, producing educational plays to schools and public venues. The performers captivated their young audience on Wednesday, as they brought to life the moving and inspiring story of one of the most influential and charismatic leaders of the American Century, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Depicted in “I Have a Dream”, after the arrest of Rosa Parks, Dr. King puts into action his philosophy of nonviolent protest. Inspiring the nation, he gains recognition and becomes a dominant force in the Civil Rights Movement during its decade of greatest achievement. The story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is saturated with real life value and important lessons that are even relevant in current society. The Academy feels it is important for the young minds of today to be reminded of the social […]
Step Afrika
Students poured into the auditorium of Dunbar Middle School while the announcements blared over the intercom. Step Afrika dance troupe was here to perform and the excitement was audible. As first-year principal and new Academy Center of the Arts board member Derrick Brown attempted to settle the energetic crowd, a uniformed officer turned to me and mentioned how the din is always a precursor to special events. Principal Brown introduced Shaun Spencer-Hester who spoke about the life and contributions of her grandmother Anne Spencer. She was a renowned icon of the Harlem Renaissance as a civil rights activist, poet, and a former librarian at Dunbar. Before Step Afrika took the stage, a group of young girls from the school performed an elaborate step recital, building on the now almost tangible anticipation of the student body. Finally, Principal Brown invited Step Afrika to take the stage. The dancers began in a circle facing each other, singing, stepping, clapping, and dancing. They were as impressive vocally as they were visually. As they progressed into each new routine, it was obvious that they had practiced choreography extensively. The music and rhythms they created were completely unaccompanied by music, and yet they stayed in […]
