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Appalachian Summer Festival attracts visitors to Boone |
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Tuesday, 10 July 2007 |
by LINDSAY CRAVEN | Shanel Boston | The Appalachian
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Lifestyles Reporter
The
summer is bringing Appalachian State University and the surrounding
communities together with the 23rd annual An Appalachian Summer
Festival.
This
extensive multidisciplinary festival began with the opening of a silent
auction on June 4 and ends with an outdoor concert and fireworks
display featuring Wynona Judd on July 28.
The festival is one of four programs presented by the Office of Arts and Cultural Programs.
“The
festival began back in 1984. At that time, university administrators
were interested in finding a way to reach out to the surrounding
community with an appealing arts program that would attract visitors
onto the campus during summertime," Denise Ringler, Director of Arts
and Cultural Programs, said.
 Active Image | Wynona Judd
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“During this same time, seasonal residents Arnold and Muriel Rosen,
active arts patrons from South Florida, approached the university with
a proposal to establish a summer arts series connected with the
university,” Ringler continued. “The two ideas were ‘married’ and
formed the root for what would eventually become ‘An Appalachian Summer
Festival’.”
The planning for the summer-long festival is a year-round process for
the staff. Planning for the next year begins as soon as the previous
season ends.
According to Ringler, the festival staff consists of nine full-time
staff and the Turchin Center staff who focus on the visual arts portion
of the festival. There are 35 to 45 student staff who provide staffing
duties as members of the backstage/technical crew, box office staff,
marketing staff and assisting with artist relations.
“Students are absolutely essential to the operation of the festival
each season, and we strive to provide a dynamic and interesting work
environment for students with an interest in the arts, or for students
who simply wish to develop professional skills or to help launch their
careers in other fields,” Ringler said.
Volunteers also play a major role in making the festival a success each
year, Ringler said. There are over 60 volunteer staff members each year
that serve as ushers and various other tasks.
Ticket prices are kept affordable by support of corporate sponsors that
underwrite the programs throughout the summer. Ticket prices are 30 to
40 percent lower than the same performers in other comparable venues
and there is an additional discount for students, Ringler said.
 Active Image | The Old Crow Medicine Show
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The funds raised by ‘An Appalachian Summer Festival’ cover the costs of
presenting it and for the past few years the budget has remained
balanced, Ringler said.
“The budget for the festival averages approximately $800,000- $850,000
per season. Fortunately, most of this funding is raised by the festival
itself-- through a combination of earned income (ticket sales) and
fundraising revenue (gifts from corporate sponsors, foundation grants,
and individual donations), meaning that the festival is generally not
reliant on the university for cash funding each season,” Ringler said.
Ringler said that although the university does not have to fund the
festival, the uses of its facilities such as Farthing Auditorium,
Valborg Theatre and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and because
they can use the same staff who program the academic year and there is
no need to hire additional permanent staff for the festival, they save
large amounts in the budget.
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