OSO OFFERS ‘POP’ SEASON FINALE Fresh, new faces at FAFO

By Ocala Gazette Staff

What do you get when you pair music inspired by Andy Warhol with classic tunes such as “Rhapsody in Blue?”

The Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s (OSO) season finale concert, “(POP) Music Americas: from Rio to The Big Apple.”

The concerts will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on April 29 and 3 p.m. April 30 at the Reilly Arts Center, at 500 NE 9th St., Ocala. They will feature iconic pieces such as George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” with pianist Evan Haile, and new works such as Michael Daugherty’s “Fifteen: Symphonic Fantasy on the Art of Andy Warhol,” which will have its Southern U.S. premiere during the event. The symphony was inspired by Warhol, perhaps the world’s most recognizable proponent of pop art, and the title from his quotation, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” according to the news release.

Also featured will be “Danzón No. 2” by Arturo Marquez and “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7,” a Brazilian homage to Johann Sebastian Bach by Heitor Villa-Lobos.

Before the concerts, there are two free events:

• Coffee with the Conductor, 10 a.m., April 14, at the Marion Theatre: Maestro Matthew Wardell will offer a look at the pieces and composers.

• OSO Open Rehearsal for Students and Families, 7 p.m., April 28, at the Reilly Arts Center: Guests will hear from the conductor and watch musicians up close. Pizza is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. RSVP to info@ reillyartscenter.com.

Tickets for the April 29 and 30 concerts range from $15 to $40 and may be purchased at reillyartscenter.com or via the box office, at (352) 351-1606.

Mca Grants Available For Arts Educators

The Korzenny Grant for Arts

Educators supports small grant requests by arts K-12 educators in Ocala and Marion County. The spirit of this fund is to encourage arts educators who are developing artists and art education for the future. The

Several new appointees are getting to work planning two of the area’s signature events.

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

Fine Arts For Ocala’s (FAFO) new President Billye Mallory said she believes art is “important for selfexpression and societal reflection” and that she wants to do her part “to ensure Ocala’s art community always feels appreciated and prioritized.”

Mallory is among a number of new faces at FAFO, a local nonprofit organization that organizes the annual Ocala Arts Festival and the Symphony Under the Stars event. She and new Administrative Coordinator Ashley Morgan signed on earlier this year, along with some new board members.

A University of Florida graduate and fourth-generation Ocala native, Mallory said civic involvement runs in her genes. Her grandparents, Frank and Pamela Stafford, “have been super involved in Ocala,” she said. “I feel like I got that from them.” potential art installations that will be set up throughout the festival for photo ops and a likely addition of street performers, entertainers, and interactive games. There are also plans under way for interactive art to engage attendees.

For her day job, Mallory works at Renstar, a medical research facility, recruiting patients for studies, and helping out with marketing and promotions.

Through the sponsorship of the David and Lisa Midgett Foundation, FAFO’s Emerging Artists program, which is part of the Ocala Arts Festival that takes place in the fall, has recognized local artists on the rise over the past few years. The artists show and sell their work alongside established artists, and they participate in the juried competition and work with mentors to advance their careers.

“Open container rules are in effect this year again,” Sykes added. “We are going to encourage each business downtown to participate in selling to-go food and drink items.

“Downtown businesses will be able to set up outside their entrances if they wish, if they are not blocking foot traffic or causing problems,” he said. “We have our first meeting with the city coming up at the end of the month, so around that time we’ll definitely start getting a solid yes or no on many of these topics.” grants were inspired by Betty Ann and Felipe Korzenny.

Morgan is the only new FAFO appointee who has a paid position, Mallory explained.

“The rest of us are volunteers. So, as you can imagine, that’s quite a hefty role,” she said.

Mallory praised Morgan’s organizational skills, which, according to the new president, makes her the ideal replacement for Maggie Weakley, who was a well-known, highly regarded driving force at FAFO since 2014 and a noted artist in her own right.

“We’ve been in transition, switching everything to Ashley, and it’s been a lot over the past year for sure, but everything has been so smooth between the two of them,” Mallory said of Morgan and Weakley.

Requests may be submitted for up to $1,000. A review committee will consider the applications, which may be submitted online at any time. To learn more, go to mcaocala.org

Local Student Earns Scholarship

Purple Pansies, a volunteer run nonprofit fighting to end pancreatic cancer, has awarded a scholarship to Keri Turner, a Silver Springs student who attends Savannah College of Art and Design.

“Purple Pansies is proud to provide the resources students need to continue their education,” said founder Maria Fundora in the press release. “It is our goal to continue to support and bring pancreatic cancer awareness to the younger generation.”

Scholarship eligibility is for students who have lost an immediate family member (parent or guardian) to pancreatic cancer, or who have a parent, guardian, grandparent or immediate family member who has survived or is fighting pancreatic cancer. Applicants were selected based on essays about their experience and how the scholarship would make a difference in their lives.

“While pancreatic cancer had only physically affected my mom and grandpa, this disease took away so much more than just that. Not only had this sickness taken away my family members, but it had also forced me to leave behind my childhood,” said Turner in the release. “My college funds were used to pay for my mother’s treatment and medicine; this has left me unable to afford the tuition costs. This scholarship would allow me to take my skills, passion and ideas to an industry I’ve only ever imagined being able to join.”

Applicants interested in the next phase can visit purplepansies.org/ scholarship. The deadline to apply is May 5.

Two new FAFO appointees have shown their work as emerging artists in the festival: Teddy Sykes, the new chair of the Ocala Arts Festival, and Ryan Neumann, his co-chair.

“Teddy Sykes is an artist himself, as is Ryan Neumann. We’re understandably excited to see their vision for the festival come to life this fall,” Mallory said.

Charlita Whitehead will serve as the new Symphony Under the Stars chair, and Neumann’s wife, Kat Neumann, will be cochair of the symphony event, which is held each year on Mother’s Day in partnership with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra.

According to Sykes, the 2023 Ocala Arts Festival event map and parking will stay the same. The festival is spread out on streets around the downtown square.

“We’re looking to add additional seating options in various locations throughout the event grounds,” he said. “We’re also going to see what options we have to add more shaded areas, so visitors aren’t always in direct sunlight.”

Sykes said the festival committee will likely partner with other local arts organizations to custom-paint several picnic tables “to be both on display and be available for visitors to sit down at and use.” The tables may or may not be auctioned off to raise money after the event. That’s still to be determined.

Also, there’s been discussion about

“They’re both so organized and efficient,” Mallory effused, “and, of course, we were very saddened to see Maggie go, but we’re excited to see what’s to come from her as an artist.” Morgan, who has a bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in marketing and accounting, and a master’s in education leadership, wrote on Instagram that her most inspiring moments at the Ocala Arts Festival came to her as a child walking around downtown and seeing all the artwork from elementary students.

“Especially when it was my own art on display with world-renowned artists,” she added. Another cherished, more recent memory took place a few years ago when she attended Symphony Under the Stars for the first time.

“It was my first Mother’s Day the year I had my son,” she said.

In between its big events, FAFO supports art education through scholarships and various community programs, and local artbased organizations.

“As a local artist and collector, I have been truly honored to be involved with FAFO. My fellow board members are a great group of humans who really care,” said Ryan Neumann. “The upcoming festival will continue a long tradition of celebrating the arts here in Marion County. Everyone on our team is genuinely dedicated to bringing positive experiences to the people.”

To learn more about Fine Arts For Ocala, visit fafo.org.

FAFO’s new appointees:

Billye Mallory - President

Ashley Morgan - Administrative Coordinator

Charlita Whitehead - Secretary and Symphony Under the Stars Co-Chair

Katrina Neumann - Symphony

Under the Stars Co-Chair

Teddy Sykes – Ocala Arts Festival Chair

Ryan Neumann – Ocala Arts Festival

Co-Chair

Board members: Sondra Collins, Brooke Hutto, Carley Lovell, Dawn Lovell, Karan Gaekwad and Chona Tanner