EVENTS

DSO IS COMING TO SOUTHLAKE FRIDAY JUNE 13

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra announces a special performance in conjunction with the Apex Arts League at White's Chapel United Methodist Church, 185 S. White's Chapel Blvd., Southlake, at 8 p.m., Friday, June 13. This performance will be the first time the DSO has performed in Southlake. Tickets, at $10 each, can be purchased at 214-692-0203 or at the door the evening of the performance.

"We're delighted to be collaborating with White's Chapel United Methodist Church and Apex in this Dallas Symphony debut concert in Southlake, and we hope it will be the first of many DSO appearances in Southlake, including, eventually, concerts in the city's planned performing arts hall," said DSO Vice President of Operations Mark Melson.

"Our program is designed to show off the skills of our great orchestra and to please both newcomers to symphonic music and long-time aficionados," says Melson. "Those who attend will be stimulated and moved by what they will hear."

Driven by community partnership and engagement, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra is proud to present annual community concerts in and around the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Awarded the 2006 Celebration of Diversity Award by Ernst and Young, L.L.P. because of its dedication to community, the DSO has entertained over 70,000 individuals through their community engagement efforts and continues to make the DSO a part of the community.

As a special benefit, APEX members may reserve their tickets early by e-mailing
gobbi@verizon.net. We will have your tickets ready for pick up at a special
APEX will call table. As a reminder, tickets are $10 payable by cash or check
the night of the concert.

APEX CONCERTO CONTEST WINNERS PERFORM
WITH SOUTHLAKE COMMUNITY BAND

On Sunday June 1 at 2:00 at Dawson Middle School the APEX Concerto Contest winners will perform with the Southlake Community Band. The band is under the direction of David Stone.

The winners are Brice Thomas (Tuba), Claudine Lucena (Bassoon), Ann Callahan (Clarinet), Aaron Messing (Trumpet), Ashley Wang (Flute), and Ryan Dickey (Euphonium).

Please consider attending this musical event. Your support of these fine local musicians is appreciated and a reception will follow the concert.

This First Annual Concerto Contest was open to students in the 5 North East Tarrant County school districts as part the APEX Arts League’s educational program.

ART IN THE SQUARE

Southlake Women’s Club (APEX Supporter) is proud to host this annual three-day juried art festival, held in the Southlake Town Square, Southlake, TX. Free to the public, we offer over 140 national and local unique artists, children’s arts and crafts, ongoing entertainment, “Headliner Entertainment” on Saturday evening, and a spectacular food court.

*****************************************************

The Apex Arts League and Smith Barney
proudly present

Crystal Award Winner
Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Sunday, April 6, 2008
3:00 until 5:00 p.m.
Reception 3:00 until 4:00 p.m.
Hilton Southlake Town Square
Southlake Town Square
$90 Apex Members
$100 Non- Members

*Benefiting the Apex Arts League

Limited Seating - Please respond by March 28, 2008

For information contact : Sherri Whitt 817-410-9663

PASSPORT TO THE ARTS LECTURE SERIES:
EXPLORE THE ARTS & ARCHITECTURE OF ITALY

The Apex Arts League Passport to the Arts Lecture
The Arts & Architecture Lecture Series II
Continuing the Journey of Italy

Presented By Thomas Noble Howe Professor, Southwestern University
Accompanied by a local traveler sharing her recent experiences at the site

Sponsored by Roxann Taylor & Associate, Realtors & Iantosca Travel

March 9, 200
3:00 PM until 5:00 PM
640 N. Carroll Ave. Suite 100
Southlake, Tx 76092

$20 Apex Members
$25 Non-members

Contact Lori Burr at 817-421-9314 or lodaburr@verizon.net

FORT WORTH SYMPHONY FREE CONCERT IN SOUTHLAKE

The Fort Worth Symphony will perform again this year at Carroll Senior High School Auditorium on Thursday, March 6 at 7:00PM. Tickets are available starting today, Friday, February 8 at the following locations: Southlake Public Library, CISD Administration Building (3051 Dove Road), and the Southlake Community Center (400 N. White Chapel).

The performance is free but a ticket is required for admission. There are 999 seats available and we expect a sold out crowd.

The APEX Arts League will have 70 special preferred seats for APEX members only. If you are interested in these tickets and are a member of APEX or wish to become a member, please e-mail your request to gobbi@verizon.net. These will be distributed on a first come first served basis. Please request only the tickets you will use with a limit of 4 per membership.

Tickets will be available at the APEX will call area the night of the event.

2ND ANNUAL HEART FOR THE ARTS!

APEX SPONSORED CONCERTO CONTEST
Cover Letter for Concerto Contest packet.doc
Contest Guidelines with color logo 11-12-07.doc
Contest Application with color logo 11-12-07.doc
Apex Concerto Contest 2008 required solos as of 11-18-07.doc

SCHOLA CANTORUM OF TEXAS   Details...
It’s not Christmas without the beautiful music of Schola Cantorum of Texas. At 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 9, this breathtaking group of more than 70 singers brings its “A Gift of Music at Christmas” to Southlake in a free concert at White’s Chapel United Methodist Church, 185 S. White’s Chapel Blvd.

The concert is being sponsored by the Apex Arts League, a local group whose goal is to build a regional visual and performing arts center in Northeast Tarrant County.

Highlights of the concert will include “Gloria!” by Douglas Wagner, which announces with great fanfare the biblical text “Gloria in excelsis Deo”; ancient and contemporary versions of “Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming”; Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “The Blessed Son of God”; “Magnificat in G” by Johann Pachelbel; Robert Young’s “Sleep Holy Babe”; and the spirited “Birthday Carol” by David Willcocks.

A carol sing-along for the entire audience, a Schola Cantorum Christmas-concert tradition, will add to the evening’s enjoyment. Guest conductor Jeffery Ames, Ph.D., assistant director of choral activities at Baylor University, will conduct the talented volunteer singers of Schola Cantorum, more than a third of whom are church choir directors or music educators. Alan Buratto will accompany on the piano and Robert MacDonald on the organ.

The group includes four people from Southlake and two from Keller, both of whom are high school choir directors. Schola Cantorum, founded in 1962 in Fort Worth, is known for its rich, resonant sound and its dedication to honoring the heritage of choral music. This audition-only group has performed hundreds of concerts to critical acclaim across the United States and Europe, and it also performs regularly throughout Tarrant County and Dallas. For more information, see www.scholatexas.com.

PASSPORT TO THE ARTS LECTURE SERIES:
EXPLORE THE ARTS & ARCHITECTURE OF ITALY

Presenter: Thomas Noble Howe, Professor Southwestern University
Currently working on restoring ancient Stabiae project

Who were the Roman Elite when Mt. Vesuvious erupted? How is your lifestyle similar? Travel with Thomas Noble Howe, presenter, as he shares the fascinating story of Stabiano and the Seaside villas of the Roman elite. Hear about the lifestyle of the elite at the time of the eruption, how they were lost, and how these ruins are looking today with amazing frescoes' and art collections. Travel with the Apex Arts League as we explore the arts. Come hear for yourself!

Sponsored By Roxann Taylor & Associates, Realtors & Iantosca Travel

Sunday Nov. 4, 2007
3-5pm
640 N. Carroll Ave. Suite 100, Southlake, TX

$20 Apex Arts League Members
$25 non-members

For additional information contact Lori Burr at 817-421-9314.

2ND ANNUAL WINE TASTING EXTRAORDINAIRE!

The art of Italian wines is the theme of Apex Arts League’s second Wine Tasting Extraordinaire, to take place 3-5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 28, at the home of Teresa and David Disiere. Everyone interested in Apex, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to build a regional visual and performing arts center in the apex of the Metroplex, is invited to attend.

Wine Styles of Southlake Town Square will provide the wines, and Jerry Mueller of Imperial Beverage Group will introduce wines from various regions of Italy. The event will also include a special saxophone performance by former Carroll drum major and current University of North Texas music student Chris Reza.

The event will take place on the lawn, and limited seating is available. The requested donation is $50 a person for members and $55 a person for nonmembers. Companion finger foods will be served. For tickets, contact Sherri Whitt at 817-410-9663.

APEX IS TURNING ONE YEAR OLD!
Come hear our First Annual Report... It may be music to your ears!

On September 26th, APEX will be reporting on its first year's accomplishments. We would like to invite all current and potential APEX members to join us Wednesday, September 26th starting at 7pm in the Southlake Town Hall's 3^rd floor meeting rooms.  

APEX's Chairman, Terri Messing is excited to be unveiling its First Annual Report to recap the years successes.  In addition, a few diligent and hard working committee members will be providing some insight into what's happening with APEX in 2008.

Anyone  interested in learning more ... or wanting to get more involved are encouraged to attend.

FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND WRR 101.1 FM TEAM UP
FOR A LIVE BROADCAST IN SOUTHLAKE TOWN SQUARE

SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS – Join the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and WRR Classical 101.1 FM at a live radio event at the Barnes & Noble in Southlake Town Square from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the FWSO musicians and WRR announcers, hear music samples from the Orchestra’s new season, and win fabulous prizes.

Patrons who subscribe to either the FWSO’s Symphonic or Pops series during the live broadcast will receive their choice of a CD featuring Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony recorded live at Bass Performance Hall or Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf featuring bilingual narration by actor Michael York, or a $10 Barnes & Noble gift certificate that can be used that day. Throughout the two-hour live broadcast, drawings will be held to give away books, CDs and more.

For more information, call 817-665-6500.

PUBLIC PAINTING EVENT TO BE RESCHEDULRED BECAUSE OF RAIN!

Heavy rains have washed out the JULY Quick Draw event which will be rescheduled for OCTOBER. More information will follow as it is available.

PUBLIC PAINTING EVENT IN SOUTHLAKE!

Artists who are quick on the draw have been choosen to participate in Apex Arts League's inaugeral QUICK DRAW event Tuesday, July 3rd to coincide with the City of Southalke's Independence Day Fireworks at Southlake Town Square.

From 5-7 PM, local area artists will transform blank canvas into a painting, and the public is invited to observe the process. Afterward, an awards presentation and art auction will be held.  Proceeds of these sold paintings will benefit the Apex Arts League.  The artists will have there easels stationed in the fountain area near Brio.

TWO WEEK SUMMER THEATER CAMP : In Southlake!

Apex Arts League announces Stage Blazers, a summer theater camp by the award-winning Theater Fusion and co-sponsored by the City of Southlake. The two-week session is divided into two age groups: students entering 3rd though 5th grade and students entering 6th though 10th grade. The camp will run August 6-17 from 8:30-3:30, with a public performance for family and friends on Saturday, August 18th
.
The Blazing Creativity Theater Program puts students on stage and behind the scenes. It emphasizes confidence-building exercises, problems solving skills, and communication enhancement techniques, all designed to promote positive social and self-awareness, as well as appreciation for the arts. This intense and challenging workshop caters to the entire student, stimulating the imagination as well as the intellect.

In addition, Theater Fusion will offer Backstage Pass, a two-day workshop for High Schoolers interested in learning the basics of on-camera acting and professional auditions. The workshop will be taught by industry professionals with experience in film, voice-over, and modeling.

Both programs will be taught by degreed and/or professional actors, directors, choreographers, musicians, technicians and educators.

For more information visit www.theaterfusion.net or call the City of Southlake at
817-481-5581

APEX SOCIAL EVENT: 

The Apex Arts League is

"All Keyed Up
for the Art's!" 
Join us for an exciting eveing.
Friday, June 1, 2007
7:30 until 10 :30 pm

Hosted by
Susan & Scott Simmons
2205 Vaquero Estates Blvd, Westlake

Enjoy a variety of Entertainment
along with a lite buffet
$50.00* donation per person
RSVP Required

*Benefiting the Apex Arts League
A 501c3 non-profit organization
Supporting the Arts and a future
Performing Arts Center

Please call Sheri Whitt for additional
Information 817-410-9663

OPERA IN A BOX:  Tuesday April 17th at 7:00 PM

The Dallas Opera Emerging Artists Program will bring “Opera in a Box: Follow Your Dreams” to Southlake on Tuesday, April 17, 7:00 p.m. in a free concert in the main sanctuary of White’s Chapel United Methodist Church, 185 South White’s Chapel Boulevard, Southlake. The concert is sponsored by the Apex Arts League, the music ministry of White’s Chapel United Methodist Church and the City of Southlake, with underwriting support from the Southlake Town Square office of Smith Barney.

“Opera in a Box: Follow Your Dreams” creates a portrait of what it takes to pursue a career in opera as seen through the eyes of four aspiring young opera singers. Using limited props and costumes, the singers present autobiographical portraits weaving their personal experiences with performances of selected scenes and arias from popular operas.

The production showcases the talents of The Dallas Opera’s 2006-2007 Resident Young Artist, soprano Ava Pine, as well as graduate students from the music division of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts. Musical highlights include “Adele’s Laughing Song” from Die Fledermaus, “Papegeno’s Aria” from The Magic Flute, “Habanera” from Carmen and “There’s a Boat that’s Leaving Soon for New York” from Porgy and Bess.

“Opera in a Box: Follow Your Dreams” will introduce both students and adults to the world of the opera in an entertaining and lively setting. The one-hour concert will be presented without intermission and is suitable for all ages.

The Apex Arts League is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring a regional visual and performing arts center to Northeast Tarrant County.

For further information, contact Tim Georgeff, tgeorgeff@whiteschapelumc.com, (817-481-4147) or Terri Messing, terri.messing@apexartsleague.org 

Introduction to Opera is Coming to Southlake, Texas!

The next APEX sponsored event  has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 17, 7:00 p.m. at White's Chapel UMC.  THE DALLAS OPERA Emerging Artist Program will do one hour with no intermission and is suitable for all ages.  Basically, it's an introduction to opera featuring four up and coming singers with some limited props and staging.  More info to come.  

U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors to Present Free Concert in Southlake

The internationally acclaimed U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors of Washington D.C. will perform a free concert Wednesday, March 14, at 7:00 p.m. at Carroll Senior High School, 1501 W. Southlake Boulevard, in Southlake.

The Jazz Ambassadors is the United States Army's premier touring jazz orchestra. This 19-member big band, formed in 1969, has received great acclaim both at home and abroad performing a diverse repertoire ranging from big band swing to contemporary jazz and patriotic selections. This concert is the only Metroplex stop on their current tour.

Of local interest, the current Jazz Ambas

sadors roster features seven University of North Texas-trained musicians. In addition, featured vocalist SFC Marva Lewis is a native of Denison. Members of the Jazz Ambassadors are selected by highly competitive audition process and represent some of the finest musical talent in America.

Though the concert is free, tickets to assure a seat are available at the Bicentennial Park Community Center in Southlake Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. or by emailing terri.messing@apexartsleague.org.

The concert is sponsored by Apex Arts League, the Carroll Independent School District and the City of Southlake. The goal of the Apex Arts League is to build a visual and performing arts center in the Northeast Terrant Area.

Southlake Program March 14th
About the Band, video presentation (820K)

For further information, contact: Terri.Messing@apexartsleague.org

NEWS

SOUTHLAKE TO HOST ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE

CONGRATS GO TO THE CREAM OF 2006 CROP

PLANS FOR AVENTERRA DEVELOPMENT EXPECTED

PLANS FOR SOUTHLAKE ARTS COMPLEX DEVELOPED

ARTS GROUP MAY GET FUNDS FOR CENTER FROM STATE

SOUTHLAKE TO HOST ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE
By Adrienne Nettles
January 2, 2007 Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) - B1 Metro 817-685-3820

SOUTHLAKE — The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra wants to get Southlake residents in tune with classical music. With the help of the city and the Carroll school district, the orchestra will perform a free concert Thursday exclusively for Southlake residents, to gauge their interest in the orchestra. " Southlake is such a thriving, wonderful community that shares the same values of the Fort Worth Symphony that we wanted to bring a concert to the city," orchestra President Ann Koonsman said. Those values include an interest in wholesome family entertainment, she said. The concert will also serve as a test project for the nonprofit Apex Arts League, which is preparing for a regional arts center to be built on Texas 114, Koonsman said.

The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Carroll Senior High School auditorium. Tickets are available at Bicentennial Park Community Center, 400 N. White Chapel Blvd.

CONGRATS GO TO THE CREAM OF 2006 CROP
By Adrienne Nettles
January 2, 2007 Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) - B1 Metro 817-685-3820

SOUTHLAKE — The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra wants to get Southlake residents in tune with classical music. With the help of the city and the Carroll school district, the orchestra will perform a free concert Thursday exclusively for Southlake residents, to gauge their interest in the orchestra. " Southlake is such a thriving, wonderful community that shares the same values of the Fort Worth Symphony that we wanted to bring a concert to the city," orchestra President Ann Koonsman said. Those values include an interest in wholesome family entertainment, she said. The concert will also serve as a test project for the nonprofit Apex Arts League, which is preparing for a regional arts center to be built on Texas 114, Koonsman said.

The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Carroll Senior High School auditorium. Tickets are available at Bicentennial Park Community Center, 400 N. White Chapel Blvd.  
 
Back to top

PLANS FOR AVENTERRA DEVELOPMENT EXPECTED
Adrienne Nettles
December 11, 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) - B1 Metro 817-685-3820

SOUTHLAKE - Plans for a sprawling 280-acre development offering residents a place to shop, dine, live and enjoy the arts are expected to be presented to the city within a few months. The long-awaited Aventerra project, being built by Newland Communities, will sit north of Texas 114 between Carroll Avenue and White Chapel Boulevard.

"We are working on a vision for a high-end, mixed-use development," said Miles Prestemon, a senior vice president with Newland. Prestemon said Newland has sold part of the 500-plus acres it bought in early 2000 for Aventerra but plans to move forward early next year with developing 280 of the remaining 350 acres along Texas 114. Prestemon said Newland's plans so far calls for houses, offices, stores and an arts complex. He had no additional details. "It's just too early," he said. "We're considering all kinds of housing products. It will be very high-end housing."

Asked whether the project would include town houses or lofts, Prestemon said, "We're contemplating that." Apex Arts League announced this year that it will build a multimillion-dollar art center with a performance hall, galleries, a sculpture garden, rehearsal rooms, a cafe and about 4,000 square feet of multipurpose space in Aventerra. Newland is expected to donate 3.61/27 acres to the city. Southlake, in turn, will allow the nonprofit arts league to use the land for the center.

"We are very excited about Apex choosing Aventerra for a performing arts center," Prestemon said. Jan Francis, a representative for Southlake Program for the Involvement of Neighborhoods, said homeowners living near the Aventerra site are concerned about the housing plans.

The resident groups, appointed by the City Council, keep track of issues and developments in their neighborhoods. The groups also hold meetings for developers, homeowners and city staff to discuss concerns. "There are a large portion of residents that were under the assumption that this would be 1-acre zoning for this property," Francis said. "If he comes in with smaller lots, then there will be some very unhappy residents."

Homeowners in Southlake, an affluent suburb of mostly 1-acre lots, have successfully protested similar developments that were proposed with town houses near their neighborhoods. Councilwoman Virginia Muzyka said other ideas for Aventerra have included a hotel and condominiums or town homes similar to those in the Dallas enclave University Park.

"It's hard to say anything about the project because so many different plans have been submitted to the city for Aventerra," she said. "I'm open to looking at whatever they bring before the council. Where we go from there will be interesting."

                  www.aventerra.com          www.cityofsouthlake.com  
Back to top

PLANS FOR SOUTHLAKE ARTS COMPLEX DEVELOPED
by Bill Teeter
October 30, 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) - - B1 Metro bteeter@star-telegram.com
817-685-3801
SOUTHLAKE — A nonprofit arts group has laid out plans for a regional art center in Southlake that would include a performance hall, classrooms and a community theater. The Apex Arts League’s proposed complex would also have art galleries, a sculpture garden, rehearsal rooms, a cafe and a 4,000-square-foot multipurpose space.

Apex draws its name from the idea that it would be at the top of a triangle with Dallas and Fort Worth at the lower corners. The group is talking to other cities and arts groups to drum up participation in the project, league President Debbie Reid said. The group envisions the center as a satellite where organizations such as the Fort Worth and Dallas symphonies, ballet troupes and other groups could perform, she said.

"We want it to be a regional facility and address all the arts needs of groups in the region," Reid said. If all goes as planned, the Apex Arts Center will be built at White Chapel Boulevard and Texas 114 near Southlake Town Square, she said.

Developer Newland Communities plans to donate 3 1/2 acres to the city. The city would then arrange for the site to be used by the arts league for the multimillion-dollar center. Newland would build stores, offices and homes next to it, Reid said. The land transaction won’t happen until early next year, said John Terrell, Southlake’s deputy mayor pro tem. The project would get under way only after the proposals have been aired in public meetings, he said.

The nonprofit league is planning a campaign to raise money for the center, Reid said. An estimated cost and construction timeline has not been worked out, officials said. But the performance hall would have 1,200 to 1,500 seats. Besides supplying an arts venue, the center would bring more business to Southlake Town Square, Terrell said. "Of all the amenities Southlake has, and as much acclaim as it has received in recent years, the arts is an area where things are still lacking, and there is an opportunity for not just Southlake but the whole area to kind of focus on those events," he said.  
 
Back to top

VINEYARD STROLL SERVES AS A TASTEFUL BENEFIT
by Joy Donovan
October 27, 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) - - E8 Life & Arts 817-685-3820

Fun facts to share at your next cocktail party:

• North Texans consume three times the national average of wine.
• We drink more wine than beer.
• We drink more wine than the French.

All these tidbits are according to Jerry Mueller, an executive for One Distributing. More important, he was the man who led the "Wine Tasting and Vineyard Stroll" earlier this week at Frog Pond Vineyard. The wine tasting, chaired by Southlake's Sherri Whitt, served as a benefit for the APEX Arts League.

Even before we started drinking wine, we were having a delightful time strolling the lush vineyard. If you had blindfolded me, spun me around a few times and dropped me from the sky, I would never have guessed I was in Southlake, Texas. Frog Pond Vineyard belongs to Debbie and Ray Reid, and it sits firmly within the city limits of Southlake.

From the neatly planted grapes to the bench overlooking a pond to the bright fall foliage, nothing looked like anything in the ’burbs. The weather was crisp, probably bordering on brisk, making the Reids’ outdoor fire pit a popular gathering spot before and after the stroll.

Among those gathered near the fire were Julie Minter, Tinki and David Webster George, and Sue Howery, all of Southlake.

Visitors had a choice of red or white wine before the formal tasting began. Then Jerry, our friendly wine connoisseur, led us through four wines at tables of eight decorated with rustic centerpieces of fall berries. The two whites and two reds, supplied by WineStyles Southlake, were accompanied by a spread of cheese and crackers, plus plenty of descriptive facts about the wines and the vineyards.

Our table — very fun people — didn’t really care too much about any of that, but we did care about where to get it and how much it cost. You know, the important stuff. The really important part was the evening’s true cause — a regional arts facility. The proposed project, I’ll admit, I thought was a nice, even lofty idea from some artsy types. I have changed my mind. This deal is gonna happen.

Apex Arts League, a nonprofit group chaired by Debbie Reid, has gone so far as to receive a donation of land in Southlake for its proposed building.
The core group, mostly Southlake residents, has expanded to include an advisory board of such heavy hitters as Denton Yockey, president and executive producer for Casa Mañana, who says he’s playing an active role in the planning.

If you want to know more, the Association of Regional Texas Artists in Southlake will host an art show from 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday in Southlake’s Georgetown Park.

I’m sure some of the artists would love to discuss the planned construction...and maybe sell you a painting, too.       
 
Back to top

ARTS GROUP MAY GET FUNDS FOR CENTER FROM STATE
Terry Lee Goodrich,
September 25, 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) - - B1 Metro tgoodrich@star-telegram.com
817-685-3812
SOUTHLAKE — An arts league pushing for a regional arts center will meet with a representative of the Texas Commission on the Arts on Wednesday, the latest step toward creating a venue for visual and performing arts and community events.

In August, the San Diego-based developer of Aventerra, at the northeast corner of the Texas 114-White Chapel Boulevard intersection, committed land for the building, to be called the Apex Regional Arts Center.

League members have no target date for construction and no cost estimate, although they anticipate a price tag in the millions, said Terri Messing, vice president of the nonprofit Apex Arts League, which formed in the spring.
The center would be a showcase for professional and amateur artists, actors, musicians and performers, she said.

"We’re excited about having the project on our site," said Miles Trestemon, senior vice president of Newland Communities, developer of Aventerra.
Jim Bob McMillan, deputy director of the Texas Commission on the Arts, said he will consult with the league about possible financial assistance.

"Most won’t be for brick and mortar," he said. But the state might subsidize performers for fundraising events for the project.

"People here have been talking about this for a couple years," Messing said. "We’ve named it Apex because this is kind of the apex of the Metroplex, and we pull in people from Carrollton, Coppell, Lewisville and Flower Mound.
"We don’t want to compete with Irving Arts Center or Bass Performance Hall [in Fort Worth]," she said. "We want to fill a niche."

Architect David Webster George of Southlake has volunteered to be a consulting architect, said Debbie Reid, president of the league, which includes community leaders, artists and educators.

"We haven’t started a capital campaign yet, and we won’t until we have finished architectural drawings," she said. "We want something high-tech, very flexible for different performances. We want a building that is environmentally friendly and energy-efficient."

An art show to raise money has been scheduled for Oct. 28-29 at the city’s Georgetown Park.

It will feature work by 14 members of the Association of Regional Texas Artists in Southlake.

Arlington artist Judy Gelfert of A.R.T.S. will be among those showing. She exhibits her oil paintings at privately owned galleries and occasional art events, but the proposed center would provide higher visibility in the future, she said.

For more information, contact Reid at 817-329-2075 or Messing at 817-251-4300.
IF YOU GO
What: Art show and auction
When: 2 to 9 p.m. Oct. 28 and noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 29
Where: Georgetown Park, 2435 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake
Cost: Free
Information: 817- 329-2075 or 214-394-9108
www.associationarts.com                                                      
 
Back to top