Nashville, TN – The community is invited to a panel discussion on end-of-life care on Tuesday, April 24 at the Center for the Arts, 110 W. College St. in Murfreesboro. This event is free.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, contact Faye Northcutt-Knox at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 615-896-4663.

This panel discussion is offered by The Gift Initiative, a community education collaborative created to help adults plan for care in advance of illnesses. The Gift Initiative is led by Alive Hospice with the support of partners from Vanderbilt University, Saint Thomas Health, The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and a growing list of organizations and individuals who recognize the need for better education about the benefits of planning in advance for serious illness and end-of-life care.

The Gift Initiative is made possible by grants from Humana Communities Benefit and First Tennessee Foundation.

Murfreesboro, TN - Again this year, the Center for the Arts in Murfreesboro, in partnership with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, (RSCO), is working to prevent our children from becoming victims of crime and senseless injury. The Center for the Arts will be hosting a safety day on Saturday, April 28 for children ages 6 thru 17 and their parents.

The Sheriff’s Office will conduct crime prevention classes at the Center for the Arts for different age groups. The classes will range from Proper 911 usages to Dating Safety, and Trends in Designer Drugs. The RCSO and the Center for the Arts believe that education is the best step to prevention.

Ages 6-10 meet at 9:00am until 11:00am

Topics:

• 911
• Stranger Danger
• Eddie Eagle Gun Safety
• Q&A
• Ages 11-17, meet 12:00pm until 2:00pm
• Topics:
• Synthetic Drugs
• Dating Safety
• Q&A

For more information, please visit our website at www.boroarts.org, or call or visit The Center for the Arts: 615-904-2787, 110 W. College Street, one block off the historic Murfreesboro square.

The mission for The Center for the Arts is to enhance the quality of our community by providing a variety of arts and opportunities, which will educate and entertain people of all ethnicity, ages, and income levels. The Center for the Arts will advance art awareness through quality theatrical productions, musical performances, art exhibits, educational programs, life-long learning and community activities thus improving overall quality of life in our community. The Center for the Arts is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.

The Center for the Arts made a Sponsor Appreciation presentation to Leslie & Mark Akins, M.D. of Mid-State Surgery. The Akins sponsored the Center for the Arts productions of Cabaret which ran February 10-26, 2012.

Seen in the photo from left to right are Tim Smith, The Center's office manager, Denis Pessar, Cabaret's director and Leslie & Mark Akins, M.D. of Mid-State Surgery.

The Center for the Arts is very appreciative to the Akins for their support. Without the support of sponsors like the Akins, the Center for the Arts would not be able to fulfill the mission to provide quality family theater in the Murfreesboro area.

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Over the last few months, savvy ‘Boro shoppers may have seen a white 2011 Nissan Rogue sporting the words Win Me! conspicuously parked at popular Murfreesboro destinations, such as The Learning Circle, Jozoara or the Avenues.

The offer is no gimmick trying to sell time shares. The car, donated by Nissan of Murfreesboro, is the subject of a raffle benefiting the Center for the Arts. The winner will be drawn in a reverse lottery at the Center’s annual fundraiser, Backstage Bash on March 17.

Event co-chair, David LaRoche, said that people are often surprised at the big prize. “When I approach people about buying a raffle ticket to support the Center for the Arts, they aren’t expecting a brand new vehicle as the prize.”

The raffle tickets are $50 each and are being sold at a number of locations throughout Murfreesboro. One hundred percent of the earnings of the raffle go to support the Center for the Arts in Murfreesboro.

LaRoche explained, “Nissan of Murfreesboro supports the Center through donating this car for raffle. We anticipate earning $15,000 or more to support the Center based on raffle ticket sales alone.”

Hopeful Rogue drivers can see the car and purchase tickets wherever the car is displayed, or by contacting the Center for the Arts.

Friday, March 2^nd Maple Street                6:00-7:00
Saturday, March 3rd      The Avenue               11:00-2:00
Sunday, March 4th         JoZoara's                  * All Day
Thursday, March 8th      The Learning Circle              *All Day
Friday, March 9th           CFTA                        6:00-7:00
Saturday, March 10th     The Avenue              11:00-2:00
CFTA                        6:00-7:00
Sunday, March 11th       CFTA                        1:00-2:00
Wednesday, March 14th   DVF                        *All Day
Friday, March 16th         CFTA                        6:00-7:00

The car is also usually on display at the Fast Signs location.

Backstage Bash

The Rogue is part of the Center for the Arts’ annual fundraiser, Backstage Bash, a swinging street party featuring the big band, Music City Swing. The party begins on the street with cocktail hour at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and Music City Swing taking the stage at 8 o’clock.

Money raised by the event will be used to continue bringing visual and performing arts to Murfreesboro for both children and adults. Tickets for dinner and the concert can be purchased for $100. Tickets for entry in the concert portion only are just $35. All event tickets can be purchased on backstagebash.org, at the Center for the Arts box office or by calling 904-ARTS.

The 2012 Backstage Bash benefitting the Center for the Arts is sponsored by Nissan of Murfreesboro, Adams Family Foundation, The LaRoche Family Foundation, Dempsey Vantresse and Follis PLLC, Barker & Christol, LLC Advertising and Public Relations, Stewart's Special Events and Fast Signs. Media sponsors include The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro Post, Murfreesboro Pulse, WGNS Radio, VIP Murfreesboro.

The event committee is co-chaired by David and Brook LaRoche and Phil and Adrianne Barnett.

About the Center for the Arts

The mission for the Center for the Arts, Inc. is to enhance the quality of our community by providing a variety of arts and opportunities to educate and entertain people of all ethnicity, ages, and income levels. The Center for the Arts will advance art awareness through quality theatrical productions, musical performances, art exhibits, educational programs, life-long learning and community activities thus improving overall quality of life in our community.
The Center for the Arts is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.

About Music City Swing

Music City Swing is Nashville’s finest example of what a big band can be, proving that music from any era can swing. This 21-piece band plays music from the 40s through today in its own hard-swinging, big-sounding way.

For more information, visit:
www.backstagebash.org

www.boroarts.org

www.facebook.com/backstagebash

www.musiccityswing.com

The Center for the Arts is proud to announce auditions for its upcoming production of The Color Purple, sponsored by The Murfreesboro (Noon) Rotary and The Murfreesboro Breakfast Rotary.

Auditions will be held Sunday, February 26th and Monday February 27th from 6:00pm-8:30pm. The Color Purple will run May 11th-27th with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00pm and matinees on Sundays at 2:00pm.

The Color Purple takes place in the early part of the twentieth century in rural Georgia. Celie, a young girl of 14, is abused by her father daily. Celie’s father forces her into marrying Mister, a mean and cruel farmer who verbally and physically abuses Celie. The only solace and comfort Celie has in the world can be found in her sister, Nettie. However, after allowing Nettie to stay with him and Celie, Mister sends her away. This traumatizes Celie. Her outlook seems bleak and hopeless until Shug Avery arrives who encourages Celie to become stronger and to stand up for herself. The Color Purple tells the inspiring story about the bonds of sisterhood, friendship, and love.

The Color Purple is based on the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker. The novel was adapted for the stage by Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Alee Willis, and Stephen Bray. Auditions will consist of cold readings, dance, and music. All actors will be asked to sing at least 16 bars of a prepared piece of music. An accompanist will be provided. Be sure to bring sheet music or cd. A large cast will be required for this production. The Center for the Arts encourages actors, singers, and dancers to come out and audition for this unforgettable musical.

The Center for the Arts is located at 110 W. College Street, one block off the historic Murfreesboro square. For more information, visit our website at www.boroarts.org, or call us at 615-904-2787.

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The Center for the Arts is pleased to announce "Converging Paths", an exhibition of recent works by Rhett Moser and Kelly McCormack, which opens in the gallery Saturday, February 4th. The show is comprised of paintings, installation and small sculptures focused on strong linear composition and geometric abstraction.
Both artists are life long natives to the Nashville/Murfreesboro area will have received a B.F.A. degree from Middle Tennessee State University In May of 2012.

McCormack says "Growing up in Nashville, I was exposed to large amounts of trash polluting the streets, with plastic grocery bags being the majority of the litter." Kelly uses the same plastic bags adhered to canvas and panels using a heat gun to create interesting and beautiful texture and pattern in her works. Keeping with environmental theme McCormack pulverizes paper and other various materials to create pulp and handmade paper she incorporates into sculptures and installations. Her intent is to illustrate the beauty that can be made from that which was once discarded,

Moser grew up in Murfreesboro. He was inspired to draw from watching his Father. After a brief time studying engineering, Moser returned to Murfreesboro to study Art. As a child, Moser was constantly constructing things. He said "LEGOs were always my favorite. I feel my aesthetics focus on balance, form, and geometry because of this childhood hobby." What's also evident when viewing Moser's work is the attention paid towards construction. Moser builds large panels in varied shapes to further heighten his focus on linear composition and geometric abstraction. Some of the pieces are generated from topographical imagery and maps of Murfreesboro and neighborhoods in London, a city he hopes to soon visit.

An opening reception will be held Saturday, February 4th from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. To preview some of the works included in the show, please visit Kellymccormack.carbonmade.com or Rhettmoser.carbonmade.com. The Center for the Arts is located at 110 W. College in Murfreesboro. For more information please call (615) 904-2787 or email Thomas Green, Curator, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Center for the Arts is pleased to announce Haute Metal opening in its gallery Saturday and showing until February 2.

The show combines and contrasts a series of masculine, oftentimes weathered assemblage and sculpture made from rusted, aged and discarded materials with an array of glitzy, over-the-top mixed media collage based on the perceptions and ideologies of human beauty. The show is comprised of the recent works of two artists, Whitney Keels and Gerry McMahon.

Keels and McMahon are both native to the middle Tennessee area, born in Mt. Juliet and Nashville respectively. Both artists are also graduating seniors at Middle Tennessee State University, Keels receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and McMahon in Sculpture.

Keel’s work included in the show is predominately mixed media and collage. The pieces focus on the lengths people go to gain acceptance from other individuals in the strife for physical perfection.

Keel says “We are constantly inundated with magazines, television shows, and other media that glorify these ideals of perfection.”

Combining mixed media and collage in her work reflects the complexity of low self-esteem and self-deprecating behaviors. McMahon’s work, conversely, employs discarded, sometimes rotting wood and parts of old machines.

He says “a length of rope, some links of a rusty chain, and random old nuts and bolts provide me with not only the materials I need to work, but also the reason for my work.” These small objects and parts are metaphors for parts of the individual self that are sometimes kept deep inside. “We all tend to hide our broken pieces so that we can blend into the preconceived perfections of our society.”

An opening reception will be held for the artists on Saturday January 7^th from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The show will be on display until the end of January. The Center for the Arts is located at 110 W. College, Murfreesboro, Tn. Individual works can be accessed via the web at gmcmahon.carbonmade.com and whitneykeels.carbonmade.com. For more information please call (615)904-2787, or email Thomas Green at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Center for the Arts and Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund will present Guys and Dolls, directed by Logan Huber, beginning January 6^th thru January 22^nd with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. (new show time) and matinees on Sundays at 2:00pm.

The Center for the Arts opens another fantastic year of theatre with Broadway’s most bold, brazen, and charming musical, Guys and Dolls! The bright lights of the Big Apple will shine on The Center for the Arts’ stage, true love will be found, and the scandalous acts of gangsters and gamblers will be put to an end. You won’t want to miss the razzle-dazzle of this classic musical!

Guys and Dolls tells the story of crapshooters Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson that live in mid-20^th century New York City. All of the coolest gamblers are in town for Nathan Detroit’s newest gambling development "The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York." However, Nathan needs a thousand dollars to get the game started! So, Nathan bets a thousand dollars that Sky will not be able to take a local Salvation Army girl, Sarah Brown, to Cuba. While Sky attempts to woo Miss Brown, Nathan does his best to stay clear of his marriage-obsessed fiancée, Miss Adelaide. From these two story lines, a hilarious comedy ensues. In the fashion of Nathan Detroit, we bet you will love Guys and Dolls!

Guys and Dolls is based on two short stories by Damon Runyon entitled “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” and “Blood Pressure.” Runyon’s stories were adapted for the stage by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Music and lyrics are by Frank Loesser. Guys and Dolls features Broadway hits like “Luck Be a Lady,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” Since its opening on Broadway in 1951, Guys and Dolls has received numerous awards and recognitions, and it has been a favorite of theatre companies across the country. This show has been an absolute favorite among audiences for decades!

Guys and Dolls will play at The Center for the Arts January 6^th thru 22^nd with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00pm and matinees on Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets start at $15 for adults, $13 for students, seniors, and military, and $11 for children (12 and under). Tickets for all performances can be purchased online at www.boroarts.org, by phone at 615-904-2787, or in person at The Center for the Arts, 110 W. College Street, one block off the historic Murfreesboro square. Groups of 10 or more may reserve discounted tickets by calling The Center for the Arts at 615-904-2787.

ANNUAL BENEFIT SUPPORTS THE MURFREESBORO ARTS

Win A Car – Dance All Night – Support The Center for the Arts

In just three years, The Backstage Bash benefitting The Center for the Arts has become one of the community’s most popular events. The third annual block party swings into action on Saturday, March 17^th, 2012 on College Street in front of The Center for the Arts with a soundtrack provided by Music City Swing.

The Bash, a distinctive fun event, is the Center for the Arts’ primary fundraiser. Don your spats and tails or bedazzle your jeans for a fun night of dancing in the streets.

Nissan of Murfreesboro continues its support of the Bash by donating a 2011 Nissan Rogue to be raffled at the event. Raffle tickets are only $50 each and can be purchased at supporting businesses throughout Rutherford County and anywhere the Backstage Bash car can be found. This year, purchasers of two tickets are automatically entered in a drawing for a cash prize of $1,000.

Look for the white Nissan Rogue as it tours the county promoting Backstage Bash, including an appearance at The Avenue on December 17 and Jozoara Coffee on December 18!

The event begins on the street with cocktail hour at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and Music City Swing taking the stage at 8 o’clock.

Money raised by the event will be used to continue bringing visual and performing arts to Murfreesboro for both children and adults. Tickets for dinner and the concert can be purchased for $100. Tickets for entry in the concert portion only are just $35. All event tickets can be purchased on boroarts.org, at the Center for the Arts box office or by calling 904-ARTS.

The 2012 Backstage Bash benefitting the Center for the Arts is sponsored by Nissan of Murfreesboro, Adams Family Foundation, The LaRoche Family Foundation, Dempsey Vantresse and Follis PLLC, Barker & Christol, LLC Advertising and Public Relations and Fast Signs. Media sponsors include The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro Post, Murfreesboro Pulse, WGNS Radio, VIP Murfreesboro.

The event committee is co-chaired by David and Brook LaRoche and Phil and Adrianne Barnett.

About the Center for the Arts

The mission for the Center for the Arts, Inc. is to enhance the quality of our community by providing a variety of arts and opportunities to educate and entertain people of all ethnicity, ages, and income levels. The Center for the Arts will advance art awareness through quality theatrical productions, musical performances, art exhibits, educational programs, life-long learning and community activities thus improving overall quality of life in our community.
The Center for the Arts is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.

About Music City Swing

Music City Swing is Nashville’s finest example of what a big band can be, proving that music from any era can swing. This 21-piece band plays music from the 40s through today in its own hard-swinging, big-sounding way.

For more information, visit:

www.backstagebash.org

www.boroarts.org

www.facebook.com/backstagebash

www.musiccityswing.com

The Center for the Arts is pleased to announce "Perimeters," a solo exhibition featuring new landscape paintings and drawings by artist Glenn Merchant.

This show features a cohesive body of works executed in oil, pastel and charcoal. The vibrant color filled landscape images hover between being incomplete sketches and fully realized paintings. The work explores the psychological tension between suburban sprawl and rural memory.

Glenn Merchant was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Tennessee. He earned his BFA in painting from Middle Tennessee State University. Along with being a practicing artist, Merchant is an active visiting artist and arts organizer. He is the owner of Moxie Art Supply in downtown Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Moxie offers quality art supplies and hosts workshops and classes for the general public.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, December 3rd from 5 to 7p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The Center for the Arts is located at 110 W. College Street, Murfreesboro. (615) 904-2787. Moxie Art Supply is located at 316 N. Maple Street, Murfreesboro. (615) 849-1131.