Event brings together Opera Carolina, The Mint Museum, and ArtSí
Opera Carolina, The Mint Museum, and ArtSí are joining forces to present “Arte * Poesía * Música,” a first-of-its kind collaboration featuring a bilingual fusion of visual art, poetry, and musical performance.
The public is invited to purchase tickets to the concert on May 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street. Tickets are $15 and are available at mintmuseum.org/happenings or by calling 704.337.2000. A reception with participating artists and performers featuring light food and beverages is included in the purchase price.
The event is supported by the Foundation for the Carolinas, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Latino Initiative of The Mint Museum, which is supported by The Hearst Foundations and the Duke Energy Foundation.
The event follows two years of “Art Poetry Music” (APM) concerts held by Opera Carolina to bring together Asian, Russian, and Western cultures, and to build community through the power of art. For the first time, this event focuses on bilingual and Latin American influences. APM features regional Latin-American artists performing classical and Latin music, enhanced by the creative talents of regional painters and poets. Opera Carolina artists sing music from famous Zarzuela (Spanish folk-opera) with music by David Solis Olson, Aris Quiroga, Reinaldo Brahn, Rhythm Plus Group and many more.
“This event is a statement of the power of music to bring people from all walks of life together,” said James Meena, general director & principal conductor of Opera Carolina. “This concert will be another powerful way to introduce newcomers to two of our shining cultural institutions: The Mint Museum and Opera Carolina. APM is our way of saying ‘welcome, come join us in celebrating art and community.”
“This first-time collaboration with Opera Carolina and ArtSí Charlotte aligns perfectly with the Latino Initiative at the Mint by showcasing the talents of local Latino artists – musicians, poets and visual artists – and their culture, and at the same time bring a first-class concert for both the Latino community and the community at large to enjoy,” said Claudia Soria, Latino Community Education Liaison for the Mint, and ArtSí director.
“ArtSí is honored to work with Opera Carolina on the concert highlighting Latin American and Latino artistic production and local Latino talent. We appreciate the support and look forward to future collaborations,” said Dr. Michele Shaul, chair of the ArtSí board and Professor, Art Department of World Languages, as well as Director, Center for Latino Studies at Queens University of Charlotte.
For more information about the event, see mintmuseum.org or operacarolina.org.
ABOUT OPERA CAROLINA
Founded in 1948 by the Charlotte Music Club as a small group of volunteers, today Opera Carolina is the largest professional opera company in the Carolinas with an operating budget of more than $3 million for the fiscal year 2015. The mission of Opera Carolina is to inspire the region’s diverse community through the presentation of Opera, Operetta, and Education & Outreach programs that elevate the quality of life in the Carolinas. Opera Carolina is a community resource with a commitment to artistic excellence and community service.
ABOUT ARTSI:
ArtSí is a community initiative that advances the Latino arts and culture in the Charlotte region and that facilitates connections with the Charlotte arts community at large. ArtSí is run by volunteers, and it serves a membership base of over 200 individuals, from Latino artists to art supporters, and its work is backed by a group of well-known and respected local organizations that support its mission. Organizations supporting ArtSi include: the Mint Museum, Queens University of Charlotte, Levine Museum of the New South, McColl Center for Visual Art and Innovation, and the Latin American Contemporary Art Gallery (LaCa Projects).