Big Read Finale in Lake Geneva Friday April 29, 2011

Sixty area students complete The Big Read Mural with artist Joel Schoon Tanis: Mural unveiling in Lake Geneva Friday April 29 at 7:30. Participating students include: Star Center School in Lake Geneva, Madison Elementary in Janesville, St. John the Baptist in Jefferson and Whitewater Middle School

Joel Schoon Tanis with area students.

Big Read Mural Project with children’s book illustrator Joel Schoon Tanis
Through visits and e-interaction, Michigan artist Joel Schoon Tanis has led students in hands-on exploration that explored the nature of translating words into larger than life visual representations. With Joel’s guidance, students will delve into specific works by Edgar Allan Poe to create visual art that captures the mood and emotions of the author’s work. Joel will work with students from four different area schools, including Lake Geneva’s Star School, to create four mural panels representing their impressions of a story by Poe. Joel will lead the group from early conceptualization to a final large scale artwork. Through his work with the students, he will use theme, mood and ideas to integrate the panels into a complete mural. The final mural will be unveiled at The Big Read Finale in Lake Geneva, WI on Friday, April 29, 2011 at Horticultural Hall.

The Big Read concludes with a special downtown Arts Alive gallery walk and Big Read Mural Unveiling at Lake Geneva’s Horticultural Hall on Friday April 29. Children’s book illustrator Joel School Tanis worked with students for four area schools to create a culminating artistic response to Edgar Allan Poe’s writing. Joining Joel will be the students and teachers who worked on the mural including classes from Star Center School in Lake Geneva, Madison Elementary in Janesville, St. John the Baptist in Jefferson and Whitewater Middle School. Posters of the mural will be available for signing by Joel and the student artists.

Twenty area libraries throughout Rock, Walworth and Jefferson County as well as schools, the UW-Whitewater’s Young Auditorium, the Irvin L. Young Library in Whitewater and the Arrowhead Library System have partnered together for a month long series of events to promote the benefits of life-long reading. Activities will revolve around The Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Events throughout the three county area will offer free activities from art workshops, author talks, music, dance, and numerous book club discussions.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with The Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Additional Sponsorship Support provided by American Family Insurance and Associated Bank. Media sponsors are the Janesville Gazette and the Jefferson County Daily Union.

Big Read Finale and Arts Alive Gallery Walk.
Horticultural Hall and downtown Lake Geneva, WI. Friday April, 29, 2011. 5pm-9pm.

Poe Unmasked! 5 PM- 6PM. Horticultural Hall. 330 Broad Street, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. Free. What is it about Edgar Allan Poe’s writings that still scares and fascinates us over 150 years since his death? In this discussion, we will explore the dark nooks and crannies of several of Poe’s works in order to try to understand their mysterious undercurrents, paying special attention to Poe’s uncanny ability to anticipate the fears and anxieties that would haunt Americans for generations to come. In addition, we will discuss the Poe that most of us don’t know–the trickster, the philosopher, and the student of medicine, law and psychology. Led by Robert M. Kachur, a professor of English at McDaniel College, where he teaches eighteenth-and nineteenth-century British literature, horror fiction, and seminars on Poe. A lecturer on Edgar Allan Poe for the Maryland Humanities Council, he is the author of publications on Poe’s short stories.

Fine Art Friday Art Walk in downtown Lake Geneva galleries and studios. 5:00 – 8:00 pm – (Participating Galleries: Sign of the Unicorn, Everart, J Marc Graphics, Gallery Matisse, Refined Rustic, Geneva Lake Art Association Gallery, C. Berger Gallery, Aislinge Gallery.) Pelajia Productions will be performing dramatic readings of Poe’s work at the galleries.

Lake Geneva Orchestra. Horticultural Hall. 6:30 – 7:15. Music provided by ensembles from the Lake Geneva Orchestra at Horticultural Hall.

Opening of the Geneva Lake Art Association Student Art Show. 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Featuring art work from Badger, Big Foot, and Williams Bay high school art students and students from the Geneva Lake Art Association Art School. Held at the Art Association Gallery, 647 Main St (High School student art awards presented at 7:00 pm) refreshments and music www.genevalakeart.org

Big Read Mural Unveiling with Joel Schoon Tanis. Horticultural Hall. 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM. Free. Noted children’s book illustrator Joel Tanis will unveil the 2011 Big Read Mural. Joel worked with students for four area schools to create a culminating artistic response to Edgar Allan Poe’s writing. Joining Joel will be the students and teachers who worked on the mural including classes from Star Center School in Lak, Madison Elementary in Janesville, St. John the Baptist in Jefferson and Whitewater Middle School. Posters of the mural will be available for signing by Joel and the student artists. 330 Broad Street, Lake Geneva, WI 53147.