Happy Birthday to the Boonshoft’s oldest animal resident

A birthday party for the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery’s oldest living animal is being planned for Saturday, Jan. 7

Rajeev, the Burmese python that weighs 155 pounds and is nearly 16 feet long, is turning 27 this month. According to the museum folks, that translates to about 190 human years. Rajeev has been at the museum since 1991.

The party gets underway at 1 p.m. and will include snake activities. In honor of the occasion, Rajeev — who normally eats every 10 days — will be treated to four to 10 rats in one sitting. Other ambassador animals will be on hand to meet the party-goers.

Birthday celebrations are also being planned for other Boonshoft animals. American River Otters Splasher and Diver will turn seven on March 19, the meerkats will turn 10 on July 30 and the bat-eared foxes — Wyatt and Finn — will celebrate their 11th birthday on Nov. 19.

The museum, located at 2600 DeWeese Parkway in Dayton, is open to the public 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $14.50 for adults, $12.50 for seniors (60+) and $11.50 for children (ages 3-16). Children under 3 and members are free. For information call (937) 275-7431 or visit BoonshoftMuseum.org

Springfield plans Baroque Bash

Violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama will join the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and music director Peter Stafford Wilson at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14 in the Clark State Performing Arts Center for their MasterWorks II performance.

Featured as a “Face to Watch” in the Los Angeles Times, Ngwenyama’s performances as orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician continue to garner great attention. Her performance at the White House, commemorating the 10th anniversary of NPR’s “Performance Today,” also featured artists Wynton Marsalis, James Galway, and Murray Perahia. A portrait of Ngwenyama was televised nationally on “CBS Sunday Morning” with cultural correspondent Eugenia Zukerman and she was featured on the Emmy Award-nominated PBS program “Sound of Strings” in the “Musical Encounter” series, hosted by cellist Lynn Harrell.

The repertoire for the Going for Baroque concert will include Bach’s “Brandenberg Concerto No. 3,” Jean Baptiste Lully’s “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Suite” and Handel’s “Viola Concerto” and “Water Music.”

The Opening Notes and Performance Prelude will be combined for this concert and will feature Lowell Greer and the Natural Horns of North West Ohio at 6:30 p.m. in the Turner Studio Theatre. The Horns are a community group of professional hornists that travel from all over the Midwest to study and practice the natural horn. Dr. Greer is an acclaimed expert and instructor on natural horn performance and he has also become a maker of fine reproductions of these classic instruments.

Tickets online at www.springfieldsym.org or call Clark State Performing Arts Center Box Office at (937) 328-3874.

Artist-in-Residence at Vandalia library

Artist Leesa Haapapuro will be Artist-in-Residence in the Vandalia Branch Library’s Opportunity Space for the month of January. During her tenure, she’ll have studio hours and offer free classes to the public. Haapapuro will be working on a permanent art installation for the Vandalia Branch Library’s Quiet Reading Room, and she welcomes participants of all ages to contribute and collaborate on the project.

Free January classes will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Mondays, 5-7 p.m. on Tuesdays and 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Her artist studio hours will be from 1-3 p.m. on Fridays, plus one hour before and after each class.

In addition to collaborating on the library’s permanent art installation, participants age five through adult are invited to design and create their own mosaic piece for temporary display on the Library’s windows. They can take their art home after the display comes down.

The Vandalia Branch Library is located at 330 S. Dixie Drive. For more information visit the Events Calendar at DaytonMetroLibrary.org or call (937) 463-BOOK.

“Signs of Suicide” exhibit at K12

The goal of the SOS (“Signs of Suicide”) project is to create awareness and a visual voice about the subject of suicide, often referred to as a silent epidemic.

The exhibition, presented by K12 Gallery and TEJAS, is traveling to 20 locations throughout the Miami Valley and will be at K12 Gallery throughout the month of January. The SOS imagery works to dispel myths and inform the public about facts associated with suicide among young people aged 13-25. The artists involved with the project have all lost a loved one to suicide.

Suicide is a public health crisis with more than 20,000 victims in Ohio over the past 15 years, nearly triple the number of homicide victims. In Ohio, suicide has claimed more than 1,100 teens since 2000.

The exhibit consists of 15 panels with 30 large paintings. K12 founder and executive director Jerri Stanard says she’s hoping that when people see the artwork and read the statistics it will help them identify and reach out to a loved one who might have said something that could be a sign that they are struggling.

An opening reception for the free SOS show is slated for 6-9 p.m. on Friday. In addition to guest speakers from suicide prevention agencies, the artists will be on hand and Stanard will talk about how the traveling exhibit was created.

The colorful K12 Gallery — you can’t miss it! — is located at 341 S. Jefferson St. in Dayton.

Troy High School Alumni will display their work

The Troy-Hayner Cultural Center is hosting an exhibition entitled “stARTed in Troy: Artwork from Troy High School Alumni.”

The fine art exhibit will feature the works of Troy High School graduates who are working as professional artists. The show, which incorporates a variety of media, will run from Jan. 6 through Feb. 12. Participating artists include Tim Bowers, Gabbie Braun, Alex Klein, Dana Leonard, Colleen McCulla, Kris Meigs, Chris Rank, Bill Smith, Seth VanKirk, Tony Weber and Lee Woolery.

The free opening reception is slated from 5-6:45 p.m. on Friday. The Hayner Center is located at 301 West Main St. in Troy. For more information, visit www.troyhayner.org or call (937) 339-0457.

Orff music classes for children at St. George’s

Have you heard of “the Orff approach?” The concept originated with composer and music educator Carl Orff and his associate, Gunild Keetman, in the 1940’s. It’s rooted in the notion that children learn best through play and is now being offered at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 5520 Far Hills Ave. in Washington Twp.

St. George’s Orff Ensemble will resume its regular classes for children ages 6-12 on Thursday, Jan. 5 Voice teacher and music educator Christin Rondeau says on any given Thursday, the class can also be found learning — and improvising — dances to folk songs, collaborating on interpretive movement pieces to accompany a story or poem and playing games in which students work together to keep a steady beat.

“In an Orff class, students’ ideas and interpretations are welcomed and valued, and the class learns to work together to lead, follow, and collaborate, ” she said. “By the end of the class, students will usually find themselves behind Orff instruments — small xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels — designed to be played by children.”

Registration is open to all Miami Valley students ages 6-12. The fee is $40 per month and need-based scholarships are available. To register email Christin Rondeau at orff@stgeorgeohio.org.


Each week arts writer Meredith Moss shares news about the people and events making arts news in our region.

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