September 20, 2005                                                          
 

'Carousel of the Arts' Salutes Arts Diversity
at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO. – Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks is a favorite destination for water sports, recreation and fun. But the Lake area's lively arts scene offers even more reasons to visit.

Throughout the year, Lake visitors can see thought-provoking artwork, attend live theatre, enjoy a musical or dance performance, meet an author and more. Now, the months of October and November are set aside to celebrate the Lake of the Ozarks' annual Carousel of the Arts, which salutes the region's diversity in the visual, musical and performing arts, and literature.

"Cultural tourism is a growing trend and the Lake of the Ozarks increasingly is becoming a great place for visitors to experience the arts," says Carol Zeman, art director for the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau and an active member of the Lake-area fine arts community.

One reason the arts are thriving at the Lake, notes Julie Lentz, president of the Lake Area Arts Council, is that so many creative and artistic people now live in the area. "We have hundreds of talented people who have moved here from all over the world," she says. "Many have been at the top of their field as performers or teachers and they don't want to stop practicing their art. As a result, we have a very strong arts community and we work hard to keep residents and visitors aware of what's going on." The 23-year-old Arts Council is the umbrella organization for Lake of the Ozarks regional arts groups.

# Active Artists
Numerous artists, from nationally recognized names to enthusiastic amateurs, live and work in the Lake area. Many are members of the National Acrylic and Oil Painters Society (NOAPS), based in Lake Ozark. Martha Mitchell, one of the original founders of the Lake Area Arts Council, explains, "A number of the fine artists and art appreciators loved living here but missed the arts. We realized there was a Watercolor Society but nothing for oil and acrylic painters, so we formed NOAPS," she says.

The group has grown over the years and has become a prestigious organization, Mitchell notes. Its 15th annual Best of America! Exhibit will feature works by 86 artists from throughout the nation. The show will be held Nov. 6-20 at the Stone Crest Mall as part of the Carousel of the Arts.

Year-round, however, works by artists from the area, region and beyond can be viewed at the more than 20 galleries located throughout the Lake area. Most of them will showcase special exhibits of paintings, sculpture, fiber art, jewelry, handicrafts and more during the Carousel of the Arts' Area Wide Visual Arts Tour and Gallery Walk, Oct. 9-Nov. 20. In addition, the Ozark Brush and Palette Club offers exhibits, guest speakers, demonstrations, workshops and competitions throughout the year. The Lake Area Photo Club also sponsors regular exhibits, competitions, seminars and more.

# On Key, On Stage
The Ozark hills also are alive with the sounds of classical music from the Lake Area Community Orchestra (LACO), Lake Area Strings and Greater Lake Area Chorale. Formed in 1987, the Lake Area Community Orchestra presents 12-14 concerts a year in winter and spring series. The group performs at churches,
parks and other venues around the Lake area.

One of LACO's original founders, music store owner Dick Wilson, who has played French horn with the Kansas City and St. Louis Symphonies, says, "It's a challenge to maintain an orchestra when you don't have the cultural output offered by a college with a big music program. But a hardcore group of us here
carry on." Also, he adds, "a lot of people have moved here from the bigger cities and they're used to culture and entertainment, so they come to all the concerts and musicals we produce."

Wilson also was involved in starting the Lake Area Strings in 1996. Currently the group is a quartet, and performs at public and private functions throughout the region. The Kansas City Lyric Opera and the Missouri Pops also make annual visits to the Lake of the Ozarks and attract large audiences.

Going strong since 1962, the 65-voice Greater Lake Area Chorale performs secular and sacred choral music from the present to the past in spring and fall concert series at various Lake locations. Director Michael Lindeman, a singer and former music professor at Central Methodist University, says the group
originally was formed to offer the public an opportunity to sing Handel's "Messiah." Today, "I'm doing things that are more challenging musically to get the group really focused," Lindeman says. "We have several experienced singers and generally, people who just love to sing. Without a doubt, although we are
a community organization, we could match any semi-professional group out there." The Chorale's sing-along "Messiah" for the community is a highlight of the holiday season.

Lindeman also serves as the musical director for the Lake Area Performing Arts Guild (LAPAG), a 23-year-old, 120-member organization that presents a musical -- such as "The Melody Lingers On," the recently produced Irving Berlin review -- plus two other shows each season. The group also offers an annual talent showcase and holiday show and participates in the national "Origins" one-act play competition. LAPAG member Charlotte Schaefer says, "There's wonderful talent here at the Lake. We have a lot of people who can act and sing and dance. And we have outstanding community support too."

Lake-area residents and visitors also support a 20-piece, big-band jazz ensemble as well as an active jazz society that presents Dixieland, ragtime and traditional jazz concerts on a monthly basis. The Ozarks Blues Society sponsors regular jam sessions at clubs and nightspots around the Lake.

# Readers and Writers
The Lake area also boasts a busy literary scene. The Lake of the Ozarks Writers Guild is less than two years old but already has more than 40 members, including published authors of romance novels, mysteries, historic novels, children's books, poetry, plays and more. Guild President Bob Anderson is the
author of two novels based on Old Linn Creek, the former county seat of Camden County that was submerged beneath the Lake of the Ozarks when Bagnell Dam was completed in 1931. "I find the history of that town quite fascinating," Anderson says.

In conjunction with the Carousel of the Arts, the Guild will sponsor its second annual book fair, Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Stone Crest Mall. As last year, the event will feature Missouri artists on hand to sign, sell and read from their works. "We're expecting up to 30 authors from our group as well as Kansas City and St. Louis," Anderson says. Proceeds will benefit the Lake Area Arts Council.

# The Carousel of the Arts
In addition to the book fair, NOAPS activities and gallery walk, numerous other special arts events and exhibits are planned for the Carousel of the Arts. These include a concert by Kansas City guitarist Douglas Neidt, Oct. 9; the Landing on Main Street Art Expo, Oct. 14-16; the Ozark Brush and Palette
Club Fine Art Winter Exhibit, Nov. 1-Dec. 31; Jazz Band dance, Nov. 12; and several Blues Society jam sessions.

The Carousel of the Arts also will include the Missouri Life Weekend, Oct. 21-23 at The Lodge of Four Seasons, celebrating Missouri's culture and history through story and song; and the annual Dixieland Jazz Festival at the Country Club Hotel & Spa, Oct. 27-30.

"Somebody is always doing something down here for the arts. The arts scene definitely is growing up around the Lake," Mitchell says. "We hope people who want to visit even for a short time will look at a schedule and pick their dates based on a scheduled performance or exhibit."

For more information about the arts at the Lake of the Ozarks, contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE or visit www.funlake.com. More information about the Carousel of the Arts is available online at www.carouselofthearts.com.

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