June Jam funds scholarship, community

The Greenville Area Arts Council will soon be jamming out for a cause; with a silent auction and live music, Greenville residents can look forward to another night at the Ritz.

The Greenville Area Arts Council (GAAC) is organizing their second annual June Jam event, which will be held at the historic Ritz Theatre in downtown Greenville.

“It’s our way of thanking the community for their support,” said Nancy Idland, the director of the GAAC. “We are a 42-year-old organization, and our community has been extremely supportive for all of those years. This is our opportunity to say thank you.”

The June Jam will begin with a silent auction at 6 p.m. There will be a wide variety of items auctioned off, from gift baskets and jewelry to larger items, donated from businesses and individuals within the community.

Proceeds from the silent auction will go to the GAAC’s Roberta Gamble Art Scholarship. The scholarship honors Gamble, who helped restore the theater and helped found the GAAC in 1982.

“She made a difference in a lot of people’s lives here growing up and encouraged them in the arts, and we decided to do a scholarship in her honor,” said Mary Ann Hamilton, a volunteer with the GAAC.

The Roberta Gamble Art Scholarship is a non-scholastic scholarship that does not require recipients to use the award for educational purposes. The scholarship will be awarded to someone from Butler County based on need.

“[The GAAC] will be giving away the scholarship to someone who is interested in enhancing their life through the arts,” Idland said. “Whether they be going to college and seeking a degree that has to do with the arts, a church choir who needs a piano, or a young person who wants to take saxophone lessons.”

The event will feature live music starting at 7 p.m., following the silent auction. The jam session will include local musicians, who have performed at the Ritz Theatre previously.

Additionally, Edward Johansen, a performer from Sweden who has performed at the Hank Williams Music festival, will perform at June Jam.

“I think [June Jam] is something that’s good for our community, that brings people together,” Hamilton said. “It’s nice to have something that everyone can get on board with, and it also helps point out the importance of the arts in our community.”

The GAAC’s June Jam will happen on June 27 starting at 6 p.m at the historic Ritz Theatre. Attendance is free and open to the public.

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