Beck Center Holds A Free Community Celebration Of The Arts 5/17, Open To Public

To show appreciation to the community for its recent overwhelming support, the Beck Center for the Arts welcomes the public to a Community Celebration of the Arts on Sunday, May 17, 2009, Noon to 2 p.m., at the Beck Center for the Arts.

This fun event is free and open to families of all ages. Attendees can enjoy an afternoon of hands-on arts experiences, including:

· Dancing with students from Beck's Dance Workshop,

· Acting with Beck faculty and learning improvisational theater skills,

· Drumming and playing music with early childhood music staff,

· Making shakin' egg instrument to play along to favorite music,

· Creating a community arts mural that will be displayed at Beck Center,

· Chalking art creations in Beck's front yard gathering space, and

· Touring backstage of both theaters and seeing where the magic happens.

Entertainment throughout the event will be provided by students from the Beck Center's arts education program and The Academy of Rock Stars. In addition to free giveaways and prize drawings, free refreshments will be served.

Attendees who sign up for 2009 Summer camps and classes onsite will receive 10% off tuition.

For more information, call the Beck Center at 216.521.2540 x10.

To position the Beck for long-term sustainability, the Beck Center's Board of Directors has launched a Strategic Growth Initiative, entitled Open for Imagination. The campaign goal is to raise money to create a working capital fund by August 31, 2009. Tax-deductible donations may be made online at www.beckcenter.org or mailed to Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, OH 44107.

One of the region's largest arts organizations, Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional Theater Productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery exhibits featuring local and regional artists.