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At Region One Arts Day, ‘don’t hurry, don’t worry’

LAKEVILLE — Calliope Brass, a brass quintet (plus puppeteer and storyteller) kicked off the annual Arts Day at The Hotchkiss School on Wednesday, March 13.

Arts Day sees fourth-grade students from all six Region One towns come to the private school campus for a day of performances and workshops with artists of all stripes.

Joel Schapira gave the morning workshop group instructions for making A Room With a View using a cigar box and a wide range of materials.

“The view is up to you,” he said to the children. “It’s your room. Make it real or imaginary.

“Don’t hurry it, don’t worry. You don’t have to finish.”

He assured the students that after the session, their “rooms” (plus any extra materials they wanted to put in the box) “will make its way to you at your school.”

Charlie Noyes was demonstrating the printmaking process down the hall. 

“Oops,” he said. “The green sort of splurched into the blue here, but I’m not going to panic about it.” He then used the occasion to discuss what happens when colors are blended.

Amber Cameron led her group in a sequence from the musical “Cats.” She had the children (and teachers) leaping around the dance studio in no time.

At the lunch performance, the Calliope Brass players spoke about their instruments: French horn, trumpet, trombone and bass trombone.

The final activity was a preview of “Rip Van Winkle,” from the Housatonic Musical Theatre Society. (The show opened two nights later; see story and photos, Page A3.)

The participating artists were: Joel Schapira, Diane Schapira, Charlie Noyes, Henry Klimowicz, Geoffrey Stewart, Amber Cameron, John Marshall, Dave Wonsey, Lisa Marsan and Heather Holohan-Guarnieri.

 

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