Festival group changes name
Published on Mon, Mar 11, 2013Read More Entertainment
Christian gospel a cappella with South African traditions
What: Concert by Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts
Where: Port Angeles High School Performing Arts Center, 304 E. Park Ave.
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12
Tickets: $17-$30; available online at www.jffa.org, Pacific Mist Books in Sequim, Port Book and News in Port Angeles. Call 457-5411.
Going into its 20th year, the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts recently announced its parent organization has changed its name and logo.
The new Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts (JFFA) serves as the umbrella organization for the Memorial Day Weekend festival, its monthly concerts and education components.
Dan Maguire, executive director for the festival, said that with the old name he often explained that the organization offers many events and that the switch made sense.
“We’ve been talking about it for a long time,” Maguire said. “We do so much more than just the festival.”
The agency’s board of directors approved the change in December 2012 and enacted it recently.
Maguire said the three components remain the same.
The Juan de Fuca Festival continues this Memorial Day with almost 100 performances on four stages over four days in Port Angeles.
Its concerts present world-class performances almost monthly: The next show presents Ladysmith Black Mambazo at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12. The combination of Christian gospel and South African music plays at the Port Angeles High Performing Arts Center.
Maguire said the group played in 2008 and brought in more than 1,000 people.
The educational aspects continue to spread art awareness to young people via different avenues:
• Book It Theatre: Port Angeles elementary schools annually enjoy theatrical performances by Seattle’s nonprofit Book It Theatre.
•Youth Day at the Festival: Prior to the festival, JFFA presents three shows with festival performers to local school children.
•Master Classes/Workshops: JFFA provides master classes to children when possible through the year and at the festival.
•Summer Discovery Arts Camp: JFFA presents a one-week Discovery Arts Camp for children ages 5-10 about creative movement, theater and the visual arts.
• Children’s Art Shows: JFFA organizes an art show for area students for display at the festival.
Maguire said a majority of the organization’s revenue comes from contributions rather than tickets.
“We thank the local community for making the past 20 years possible and we also thank them in advance as we look toward a sparkling future for the Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts,” he said.
