For the 35th time, the Clatskanie Arts Commission (CAC) will present its Annual Performing Arts Series, once again inviting the community to share and enjoy the arts.
Elsa Wooley is a board member and organizer for the (CAC) and is proud to have kept this series going year after year for three and a half decades.
“We are very proud of the accomplishment,” Wooley said. “As we see arts organizations in the county or around the state closing, I think it’s a real tribute to not only the people who have been working on the Arts Commission but also the community that they would support something for 35 years.”
The CAC owes its inception to three local piano teachers, Helen Kleger, Natalie Lowrance, and Virginia Victor, who, with the help of community fundraising, purchased a grand piano for Clatskanie High School for the spring recitals and to be used by the school music department. Wooley has been involved with the CAC from the beginning through the piano teachers and her husband, Donovan “Dee” Wooley, who was the music teacher at CMHS.
The CAC is a non-profit corporation, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization created to provide a variety of entertaining programs and events that enrich the lives of the people of the Lower Columbia River Region.
Performing Arts Series
When the Performing Arts Series started, it consisted of four piano performances by professional pianists. Wooley explained how the series evolved over the years.
“When it began, it was basically just pianists. After a while, even the piano teachers figured out people can only stand so much piano playing,” Wooley said “It broadened in baby steps. We got local performers, who were very affordable; our budget was really small. Now, we have grown into bringing international acts and world-renowned performers. People are always so surprised when they come, and they say, ‘Wow! How did they ever show up in Clatskanie?’”
And it isn’t by accident that the performers do come to Clatskanie. Wooley said it takes a lot of hard work to coordinate, but the CAC has a “really good reputation with a lot of agents and a lot of performers.” Because of the positive experiences they have when they come to town, Wooley said it’s grown into a “world wide performance series.”
Though attendance at the performance series has taken some time to recover after the pandemic, Wooley said last year’s series was well attended, with many of the shows featuring a packed audience. In addition to the Clatskanie community, Wooley said there are people who come for the series from Astoria, Longview, and around the county as well.
The season will kick off with the annual Big Band in the Park concert sponsored by Donna Garlock. The show is a free concert on Labor Day, Sept. 2, from 2-4 p.m.
Other performances include:
Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024: Cellist Gideon Freudman and the silent movie Sherlock Jr. by Buster Keaton
Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024: Oregon Symphonic Band in concert at CMHS
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024: Celtic Christmas with the Men of Worth and Friends
Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025: Piano Heist
Saturday, Feb. 23, 2025: Louie Foxx’s One-Man Side Show of Magic and Comedy
Saturday, Apr. 5, 2025: Trevor Panczak & his Country Band
All Saturday programs begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday programs at 3 p.m. All programs except OSB are at the Birkenfeld Theatre, 75 S. Nehalem.
The arts series came somewhat full circle last week as piano teacher Corrine Kaczmarek, brought some of her piano students to practice on and present their recital on the grand piano at the Birkenfeld Theatre. Student Kyle Schopf was the inspiration for the event. Though he only started a few months ago, one of his goals was to play on a grand piano. Schopf was joined by classmates Dominic W. Nowlin, Jeremiah Lang, Wes Hamilton, Eli Dobbels, Anna Dobbels (Eli’s mother), and Taka Wiggins in playing on the piano at the Birkenfeld Theatre.
“To me, it’s a wonderful experience knowing how proud the piano teachers of more than 35 years ago were when their piano students could play on that grand piano, and now it’s happening again after 35 years,” Wooley said. “It’s just very heartwarming.”
Visit clatskaniearts.org or call Elsa Wooley at 503-728-3403 for more information or to order tickets.
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