Visual Art News

Upcoming Gallery Shows, May – July 2022

*Please note that the Board of Directors voted in favor of waiving the gallery fees for ACCC Members for all future exhibits (except the ACCC awards exhibit that will be featuring a cash prize). Non-member pricing will remain the same.

Announcing the ACCC Awards Exhibit

Classes are Back

We are planning to offer a great variety of Arts classes this year – including new offerings and repeats of previous favorites. To start the spring out, Katie Trent is planning two popular glass fusing classes for kids and adults.

Fused Glass Heart Pendants will be offered Saturday, April 30, 9-10 am in the Chaska Community Center. In this class, participants will create 2 beautiful custom heart pendants using bits of clear and colored glass. These pendants make great Mother’s Day or teacher gifts. The pendants will be ready for pick up the following week at the Gift Shop. The cost is $25 and includes all of the materials, including a leather necklace and pretty gift wrappings for your pendants. This class is for ages 8 and up, though a younger child would be welcome with a supervising teen or adult.

Paint Pour Fused Glass Art will be held Thursday, May 19, 6:30-8:30 pm in the CCC. During this class, you will create a colorful design on glass with enamel paints to make a plate or bowl. A variety of techniques will be demonstrated and you can choose your own colors. Once dried, the instructor will fuse your designs onto a solid color base and then slump them into the mold of your choice. Your beautiful plate or bowl will be ready to pick up at the Gift Shop 1-3 weeks after the class. The cost of the class is $75 and includes all the supplies to make one piece. This class is for ages 14 and up.

You can sign up for classes here.

Music News

New Song Collective
Plans are underway for the next New Song Collective to be held on April 7 at the Chaska Community Center Theater. This event will be celebrating women composers. We’ll share more details in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions about upcoming Music Events, please contact Steve Kelzer at music@artsofcarvercounty.org

Literary News

Celebration of Poetry Event – April 11, 2022

April 11, 6:30 PM, Shepherd of the Hill Church, 145 Engler Blvd, Chaska

April is National Poetry Month. The poets and writers of the Arts Consortium of Carver County are holding A Celebration of Poetry. The public is cordially invited to attend. There is no cost but donations are welcome. Our celebration will be held on April 11 at the Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church in Chaska at 6:30 PM. Students and adults will read favorite poems (their own or someone else’s) and talk for a few moments about why they love writing and/or reading poetry. Refreshments will be served. If you are a poetry lover yourself or if you have always been curious about why people like poetry, do join in our celebration. Masks are encouraged. 

Students and Adults who would like to be in the program must respond by April 4th to poems@artsofcarvercounty.org Include the title of your poem, your name, and that of the author of the poem you will read if it is not yours. You do not have to send the poem in advance. Parents or teachers may submit the information for their students; if so, please include the student’s school and grade because we like to acknowledge their success. We hope you will join the celebration!

CLICK HERE for the website and additional details.

If you have any questions about upcoming Literary Events, please contact any member of the Literary Committee of the ACCC at literary@artsofcarvercounty.org or the ACCC Store at (952) 443-3200.

Norwood – Young America Springfest Artisan Fair

This year the Literary Committee is sponsoring a table at the NYA Springfest Artisan Fair, June 4, 2022 from 9-3 pm in Norwood-Young America. We invite any and all authors/writers who have in print/hard copy books to come and sell your works and interact with current and future readers alike. Table space is free to writers/authors and there will be room for about 3-4 authors who sign up for a 1-2 hour block to “man the booth” along with a Literary Committee member. This is a great way to sell\get selling experience if you’ve never done a fair/event before. If you are interested in selling your works at the table, please email Amy at literary@artsofcarvercounty.org for more information on how to sign up.

Poetry Reading in Victoria

ACCC member, Susan Coultrap-McQuin, will do a Poetry Reading on April 14 at 6:30pm in the Victoria Library/ City Council Chambers and on Facebook (www.carverlib.org), 1670 Stieger Lake Lane, Victoria.  She will read poems from her new book What We Bring Home as well as some new work. She will also talk about the art of writing poetry.  Her book is for sale in the Arts Center.

If you have any questions about upcoming Literary Events, please contact any member of the Literary Committee of the ACCC at literary@artsofcarvercounty.org or the ACCC Store at (952) 443-3200.

Artist Spotlight – Chaska Valley Family Theatre

Chaska Valley Family Theatre just closed its production of Bright Star at the Chaska Community Center Theatre on March 27, 2022. Directed by our Executive Director, Zachary Hedner, this production featured many local actors, singers, dancers, musicians, painters, and artists. This show also highlighted detailed scenic painting that was taught in one of our classes by Board Secretary Hannah Johnson and Anne Krocak.

Bright Star has also presented in collaboration with our exhibit Whispers to the Past. Together the collaboration attracted over 2,000 audience members and attendees of the gallery. Written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star opened on Broadway in 2016. Chaska Valley Family Theatre presented the regional premiere of this relatively new work, bringing meaningful theatrical and artistic programming to Carver County.

Visit Chaska Valley Family Theatre’s website for upcoming productions.

Chaska Valley Family Theatre

• Wednesday – Friday: 11-6
• Saturday: 9-4

We invite you to consider volunteering at the Arts Center. It’s a great way to learn more about the ACCC and see what’s for sale as our inventory is constantly being updated. We offer complete training; no retail sales experience is necessary. Simply complete the Volunteer Form on our website and we will get you in touch with a trainer.

Any ACCC Member with artwork in our Gift Shop or in an Exhibit who works 6+ hours in the Arts Center Gift Shop in a given month will earn an extra 10% commission on the sale of their work for that month. See our How to Submit Art page for our Gift Shop or the Exhibitions at the Arts Center page for future shows.