Like so many other businesses and arts organizations, the pandemic had a strong impact on the Garfield Center for the Arts’ operations and income. Despite the building being shuttered to the public, its staff kept up a very busy, weekly schedule of online public entertainment offerings in the form of GCTV – a series of Wednesday night concerts, theatrical presentations, improv, movie nights and other programs. GCTV is presented for free via the GCA’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Recently, the GCA also put up its first online ticketed event with a video production of this year’s Short Attention Span Theatre. It was greatly successful both artistically and in the revenue it generated. More ticketed events are planned.
This shift to an online presence was done with both the Garfield Center’s desire to continue its programming in some fashion, but also with community engagement in mind. Turning these efforts over into a revenue-generating process was slowed only by the necessary learning curve of producing entertainment for the camera instead of for the stage. The lack of continuing revenue has been difficult on the organization, so an emergency appeal letter went out over the summer to ask the community for help.
The Garfield Center is thrilled to announce that its appeal successfully raised $7,725.00 from area donors. The funds were matched by a Garfield Center benefactor, bringing the total to $15,450.00 in total donations.
The Garfield Center for the Arts extended its deepest thanks and appreciation to our Chestertown and Kent County community, and our supporters abroad, who continue to help us be a part of our area’s thriving cultural and arts entertainment scene.
The Lute Concerto in D Major, written for two violins, bass, and lute, is now most frequently played on the guitar. It exhibits a clarity of form, harmonic treatment , and rhythmic and melodic vitality – features that make Vivaldi’s music so attractive.
Lagana took his professional education to a new level by obtaining a Masters in Music at Towson University with a dual focus on both jazz and classical guitar performance. While at Towson, Lagana was awarded second prize in the prestigious Sidney Lieberman Competition. Normally won by pianists, Lagana was the first guitarist to be recognized in the history of that competition. Lagana’s work in higher education has not been limited to musical performance: His in-depth analysis of the work of Pat Metheny was published by Just Jazz Guitar magazine in two issues in 2005 and was endorsed by Metheny himself. Following up on his academic successes, Lagana has served on the faculty at Towson University as well as in his current position at University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
