Angela Mortellaro, starring this weekend in the Dayton Opera production of “Lucia di Lammermoor,” had the honor of singing the National Anthem on Tuesday when President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden paid a campaign visit to Dayton.

“When I got onto the stage, I realized how many people were there,” Mortellaro said. “It was really exciting, and the audience was totally into it; a lot of people were singing along. It was really cool!”

At Tuesday’s Mid-Day Arts Cafe, Opera stage director Kathleen Clawson told the crowd that she defines opera as “a story told through music and spectacle.”

Seats are still available for this afternoon’s 3 p.m. opera performance at the Schuster Center. Ticket prices are $36 to $92;    student rush tickets are $15 for any open seat with a valid ID. The box office opens at 1 p.m.

Gem City Ballet performs today

The classical ballet company directed by Barbara Pontecorvo will host a performance this afternoon at 2 p.m. in Springboro.

The Gem City Ballet program includes the 1860’s classic ballet, Pas de Quatre; a tutu ballet, Overture; a new short-story ballet for Halloween, The Gift; Undine’s Solo; and Suite Aretha.

Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $10 for adults, $5 for students, seniors and children. The dance concert will be held at the Stuart Sebastian Performance Space, 20 Commercial Way, Springboro.

Arts Alliance has changes in store

The Mason Arts Festival is about to get a new name, a new location and even a new day of the week.

The popular event will now be known as the FallFair Arts Festival and will move to Cottell Park, 5947 Irwin-Simpson Road, in Deerfield Twp. The day also will be changed from a Sunday to a Saturday and is slated for Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013. According to executive director Meredith Raffel, the changes are designed to enhance the event.

Next year’s FallFair Arts Festival will feature more than 100 local and regional artists, who will sell and demonstrate their work throughout the day. Plans are to include sculpture, painting, photography, fabric, jewelry, ceramics, glass and more.

The Snyder House that resides on the grounds of the property will serve as a gallery space for the festival. Guests will also be treated to performing arts, music and children’s activities.

The FallFair Arts Festival will be a juried and judged event. Artist, performing arts and vendor applications will be available in January. For more information: www.masonarts.org.

Tipp City sponsors short story contest

The Tipp City Area Arts Council is sponsoring A Holiday Short Story Contest open to both adults and children who live in Tipp City and the surrounding areas.

Stories should be on a holiday theme and no more than 5,000 words. Judging will be based on originality, creativity and artistic quality. One prize will be awarded for each age group: grades 4-6, grades 7-8, grades 9-12; adults Age 18+. Prizes will be awarded on Nov. 30, 2012 at the Community Christmas Concert at the Lutheran Church.

The contest ends on Nov. 16. For information, see www.tippcityartscouncil.com

Fraze Pavilion Ticket Office moves for winter

Fraze FanFare, a ticket office for Fraze Pavilion, will open at the center atrium at Town & Country Shopping Center (Stroop and Far Hills) in November.

Fraze Pavilion General Manager Karen Durham says her organization has been talking about an off-site winter location for the ticket office for the last several years.

The idea is to sell gift certificates for the holidays as well as an assortment of Fraze merchandise and summer concert tickets.

For more information, www.fraze.com, or follow Fraze on Facebook or Twitter.

Russell Means featured in Andy Warhol portrait at DAI

For those in our region, the passing of Native American activist Russell Means on Monday may have brought to mind the imposing Pop art portrait that hangs at the Dayton Art Institute.

Means, an Oglala Sioux, died at the age of 72 and became famous in 1973 when he led a group of Native Americans in a symbolic takeover of Wounded Knee.

The portrait was created by Andy Warhol in 1976, as part of his American Indian Series. You’ll find it in the DAI’s contemporary gallery.