Spring for the Arts Fundraiser
Tannery Pond Center presents: Spring for the Arts Fundraising Dinner
Date: Saturday, April 27th, 2024, 6:00 PM Cocktail Hour, 7:00 PM Dinner
Location: Garnet Hill Lodge
Cost: $100 per person
Cocktail Hour: Music & Cash Bar
RSVP online by 4/20: by clicking on the link above to pay for your ticket.
RSVP in person or by phone by 4/20: at Tannery Pond Ticket Window or by phone 518-251-2505. Payments may be cash, check or credit card.
The elegant evening kicks off at 6:00 pm with a delightful cocktail hour with music by Larkstrings duo (see more information below), Jessica Belflower (Violin) and Tara Hanish (Cello), followed by dinner at 7:00 pm. The picturesque setting for this special event will be the historic 1936 dining space at Garnet Hill Lodge, a generous donation by the owners Jim and Frances Rucker.
Nestled in the scenic beauty of the Southern Adirondacks, Garnet Hill Lodge, owned by Jim and Frances Rucker since 2016, will once again be the heart of artistic support. The Rucker’s gracious contribution ensures that every dollar raised from the $100 per person dinner ticket price goes directly to supporting Tannery Pond Center. These dedicated patrons of the arts will host their second Spring for the Arts fundraising dinner, donating the use of their lodge, delicious food, and attentive staff for the evening.
About the Venue: Garnet Hill Lodge was built in 1936 by local garnet mine owner Frank Hooper and the main Log House building is reminiscent of an Adirondack Great Camp. Located on a gentle hill overlooking pristine Thirteenth Lake, with miles of private trails and surrounded by forever wild protected state land, the Lodge is a special place that offers guests and visitors options for activity, as well as rest and relaxation. https://www.garnet-hill.com/
The dinner wines have been donated by Suhru Wines, located on the North Fork of Long Island. Founders and winemakers Susan & Russell Hearn, seasonal residents of Johnsburg, are delighted to contribute to this celebration of the arts. https://www.suhruwines.com/
The continued generosity of the Rucker's and Hearn's highlights their commitment to fostering vibrant visual and performing arts programs in our lower Adirondack region.
The event has been published in numerous places including: Adirondack Almanac, Post Star
Larkstrings
Violin: Jessica Belflower is an orchestral violinist, chamber musician, and educator. She is Assistant Concertmaster of Fenimore Chamber Orchestra, Principal Second Violin for Kinderhook's Concerts In the Village, a member of Glens Falls Symphony, and the violinist for Playhouse Stage Company. She frequently performs with the Albany Symphony, Albany Promusica, and Vermont Symphony. Jessica also concertizes in New York City, including symphony concerts at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Symphony Space. Equally at home in the pop music sphere, Jessica toured the West Coast with Andrea Bocelli, was featured nationally in John Tesh's PBS television special Piano • Gospel • Dance, and has played with Josh Groban, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Il Divo, among others. As an educator, Jessica is the violin faculty at Bard Simon’s Rock, works with Empire State Youth Orchestra, and maintains a private violin studio. She holds a Master's degree in violin performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder, under the tutelage of the Takács Quartet, and a Bachelor's degree from Arizona State University, where she studied with Dr. Katie McLin. Jessica lives in North Greenbush, NY with her son, Walden, and husband, James.
Cellist: Tara Hanish is a multi-genre cellist based in Upstate New York. She performs regularly as a member of the Glens Falls Symphony, Fenimore Chamber Orchestra and Catskill Symphony, and freelances throughout the region in orchestral and chamber music settings. A native of Michigan, Tara also called Cleveland and New York City home before landing in the Adirondacks. While in Cleveland, she spent a decade as Assistant Principal of the Akron Symphony (Akron, OH), and was a founding member of the Azalea Quartet, who were finalists in the Hugo Kauder and JC Arriaga International Chamber Music Competitions. With a passion for new music and exploring classical instruments in non-classical genres, Tara has long-enjoyed bringing cello and her improvising, writing and arranging skills to numerous bands and singer-songwriters. She currently writes, records and performs as cellist for You Bred Raptors?, an instrumental post-rock trio comprised of 8-string bass, cello and drums. You Bred Raptors? is based in NYC and tours often throughout the US. Tara has also enjoyed sharing the stage in support of renowned artists like Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, The Foo Fighters, Michael Buble, Kanye West, Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. As an educator, Tara maintains a private cello studio and is a Teaching Artist for the Empire State Youth Orchestra CHIME program. Tara holds a Professional Studies Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music (studio of Richard Aaron), Master’s Degree in Cello Performance from the University of Miami (studio of Ross Harbaugh), and Bachelor’s Degree in Cello Performance from the University of Michigan (studio of Anthony Elliott). Further cello studies include Suzuki teacher training with Pamela Devenport, Tanya Carey and Barbara Wampner, and improvisational studies with Eugene Friesen, Mike Block, and the community of the New Directions Cello Festival. Tara performs on a modern cello made by William Whedbee.
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