A talented group of young adults is getting ready to perform High School Musical at the Leeds Arts Council on July 21-23 and 28-30 at 7 p.m. and July 24 and 31 at 2 p.m.
Victoria Boyce, director and choreographer of High School Musical, with the help of assistant director Jon McClaran is choosing not to stick to the status quo. Instead, they are putting a few spins on the already head-bopping original.
ROBIN McDONALD A native of London, England, Robin came to Alabama with his parents in 1966. He is a graduate of Emory University with a BA cum laude, and Columbia University with an MA, both in art history. Returning to Birmingham, he switched careers to graphic design and photography. In 1979 he became the art director of Horizon magazine, a national arts magazine. 1981 he received a Gold and a Bronze Medal from the Art Director’s Club of New York for his work on Horizon. Since 1984 Robin has been a freelance graphic artist and photographer with a studio in Leeds. He has been the designer of Alabama Heritage magazine since 1991, and has been recognized by the CASE awards for academic publications. He is the author of two books published by the University of Alabama Press: Heart of a Small Town: Photographs of Alabama Towns (2003), and, with Valerie Pope Burns, Visions of the Black Belt: A Cultural Survey of the Heart of Alabama (2015). He is an active member of PaperWorkers Local, a printmaking cooperative in Birmingham. Robin’s photographs have been included in three exhibitions at the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery of the Alabama State Council on the Arts, and in a juried exhibition at the Gadsden Museum of Art. In 2021, he had a one-man show at PaperWorkers Local in Birmingham. This is his second exhibition at the Leeds Art Center. RHYTHM OF THE WEST PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBIN McDONALD I made my first trip to the American West more than fifty years ago, as a teenager. Having grown up in England, I fell in love with the vastness of the western landscape. My family and I made two more trips to the West in the next five years, but I had not had a chance to make the same sort of rambling road trips until recently, when my younger son Shaun moved to Denver. In May and June of 2019, we visited some of the places I had not seen since that first trip in 1966. In many ways it was like seeing them for the first time. These images are from the first half of the trip, across Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, to California. They are studies of the stunning landforms and breathtaking skies of the desert Southwest, some taken at the iconic sites, some just by pulling over to the side of the road.
The Leeds Arts Council is pleased to announce their first theatre camp designed specifically for students in grades 1-8! We will be producing Seussical Jr. while teaching theatre basics that your child can bring into any theatre experience. This camp is great for students with or without theatre experience and everyone will learn something through this process!
The workshop will be held July 25-August 5 at the Leeds Theater and Arts Center, in downtown Leeds. The workshop is a two-week workshop, with students attending 8 am to 12 noon, Monday through Friday. There will be three performances: Friday, August 5 at 7 PM, Saturday, August 6 at 2 PM and 7 PM. The theatre camp will be directed by Natalie Godsey, Harper Soileau, Meghan Godsey, and Olivia Soileau, college students who have participated in and been counselors for theatre camps in Leeds and Trussville for over 10 years.
Seussical Jr. is a story all about the power of imagination! Transporting audiences from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, the Cat in the Hat narrates the story of Horton the Elephant, who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people called the Whos. Horton must protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, and he must also guard an abandoned egg that’s been left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and emerge triumphant!
The cost of the workshop is $225 per child. If more than one child from a family attends, the cost of any additional child will be $200. Each child who attends the workshop will have a part in the play and will appear on stage. Tickets to all three performances will be open to family and friends of students for $6 each.
Enrollment will be limited to 25 students. Online registrations can be paid by credit card. Click on the button below to complete your registration form. We are looking forward to a great workshop!
We would love for your child to be a part of this experience, so if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the Seussical Jr. team at laccampjunior@gmail.com.
Seussical Jr. is a story all about the power of imagination! Transporting audiences from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, the Cat in the Hat narrates the story of Horton the Elephant, who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people called the Whos. Horton must protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, and he must also guard an abandoned egg that’s been left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and emerge triumphant!
The cost of the workshop is $225 per child. If more than one child from a family attends, the cost of any additional child will be $200. Each child who attends the workshop will have a part in the play and will appear on stage. Tickets to all four performances will be open to family and friends of students for $6 each.
Enrollment will be limited to 25 students. Online registrations can be paid by credit card. Click on the button below to complete your registration form. We are looking forward to a great workshop!
We would love for your child to be a part of this experience, so if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the Seussical Jr. team at laccampjunior@gmail.com.
Please join us for a wonderful evening of musical entertainment with Brandi McClaran and her fantastically talented friends. All proceeds go to Leeds Arts Council to purchase sound/light upgrades. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at lac.booktix.com. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Leeds Arts Council- in cooperation with Leeds Community Chorus- is proud to present: Community Chorus Spring Concert
The performance will be on May 15th at 3 pm at the Leeds Theatre and Arts Center, 8140 Parkway Drive, Leeds. All tickets are $10. For questions or reservations please email leedsartscouncilal@gmail.com
Rose Colored Glasses: A Tribute To The Town N’ Country Jamboree! March 26th, 7pm // $15
The Town N’ Country Jamboree Show ran in Leeds Alabama for 13 years in the former movie theater. It was hosted by The Brasher Brothers family and showcased musical acts both locally and regionally. This show pays tribute to the family, friends and supporters of vintage country music! We can’t wait to entertain you
Janice McDonald Cook is a lifelong artist who devoted 33 years to teaching in public school as she raised her family of four with her husband, Jim. As a small child, she was encouraged by her parents, especially her mother, to follow her path of creativity! Her mom was an artist herself who sparked that desire to be an art educator in both Janice and her twin sister. A native of South Alabama and a graduate of Troy University, she did master’s work at Samford and SCAD. She is a member of the Birmingham Museum of Art, Leeds Arts Council and Cahawba Art Guild. Past member of the Birmingham Art Association. She has received several awards from juried shows in the past from the Southern Roots Exhibit, the Carrollton Art Council (GA) , the Birmingham Arts Association. Janice was honored as the Secondary Art Educator of the year 2000. In her retirement, she is active with teaching Art to Special Needs Adults and the Elderly at various programs and, of course, making her own art as a small way to thank our Lord for His constant blessings and to encourage a greater appreciation of the importance of the Arts in our schools and daily lives.
Leeds Arts Council Receives $10k Grant | Leeds Arts Council is excited to announce that they are in receipt of a $10k grant. Alabama State Representative Dickie Drake presented Leeds Arts Council with a check for $10,000 Monday evening through the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. These funds will be used for much-needed roof repair. Those present for this presentation were Board Members and friends: L-R: Brandi McClaran, Ricky Christian, Steve Karr, Dell Smith, Rep. Dickie Drake, Sandra Bailey, Mandi Rae, Christa Soileau, Doris Jarvis, Patricia Noell, Linda Miller (Chamber Board), John Gregory. This is not the first time that Drake has helped Leeds Arts Council in their time of need. Drake also presented a $10k check to them in 2019 through this community service fund so the arts council could purchase a new HVAC system to replace their worn-out system. Leeds Arts Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the visual and performing arts in the local and surrounding communities. Organized in 1985 as part of the Jefferson County Community Schools and then, became a separate entity in 1993 gaining its 501(c)3 status. Leeds Arts Council presents live plays, live music and concerts, acting classes, arts and theatre summer camps and so much more all throughout each year. Leeds Arts Council is located at 8140 Parkway Drive, Leeds, AL 35094. For more information, please visit their website at www.leedsartscouncil.org and their Facebook page.Photo courtesy of @donabonnett #LeedsArtsCouncil#donation#CityOfLeedsAL#leedshappenings#everyoneleeds#theatre#art#LeedsTheatreAndArtsCenter#historicleeds#leedsalabama#buildingcommunity Dickie Drake