(Grafton, WI)  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact NSAA Marketing Director Angela Mack at angelam@northshoreacademyofthearts.org

or NSAA Program Director Paula Christensen at paulac@northshoreacademyofthearts.org

Grab your hard hat and come ready to build!  Imagine having enough K’Nex building toys to create a massive stay cable bridge or enough Legos to design and build an entire city!  Architect John Peine will be teaching children between the ages of 6 and 13 about architecture and engineering through directed building exercises that will yield a K’Nex bridge and a complete city that will grow as time goes on!  Creativity, organization, cooperation, problem solving and fun are all highlighted during the camp.  Session one begins for ages 6-9 the week of July 23rd from 9 to 11:30 am.  Session two for ages 10-13 begins the week of July 23rd from 12:30 to 3:00 pm.  The early registration fee is $105 before May 15.  Visit www.northshoreacademyofthearts.org to register online.  For assistance, call the Registrations Office at 262.377.3514 or email info@northshoreacademyofthearts.org

John Peine lives in Wauwatosa, WI and has taught Business Practice for the Interior Architecture program at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD).  He has also taught Architectual Technology and the History of Architecture at the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC).  At Mount Mary College, he taught the History of Architecture and the History of Interiors.  He has also taught architectural classes for both adults and children at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

(Grafton, WI)  Italian native, NSAA Program Director and Arts Mill Director Paula D. Christensen is keeping very busy as always.  Not just with her directing duties at the NSAA and NSAA Arts Mill but doing that which she loves the most….making art.

Paula was recently awarded a blue ribbon for her oil painting at the Cedarburg Cultural Center Ozaukee Art Exhibit.  She was also awarded two guitars to paint by the the Grafton Arts Board.  Her designs will soon be hanging in the heart of Grafton’s Paramount Plaza.  In addition, she was juried into the exhibit “Drawing the Line” at Gallery 224 in Port Washington.  The Village of Shorewood recently commissioned her to paint a large heart for their public art event, “I Love Shorewood”.  Her work is shining everywhere bringing beauty to the community and warming the eyes of the viewers.

For more on Paula’s work,  see her blog or watch her paint in her NSAA Arts Mill Studio.

The NSAA Arts Mill announces

“KENNEDY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-ART SHOW”.

Celebrate the artwork of John F. Kennedy Elementary School – May 2^nd through 14th!

The Opening Reception for this exhibit will take place on

Sunday, May 6^th, 2012 from 1-3pm

NSAA’s Arts Mill – 1300 14th Avenue Grafton, WI 53024.

(Grafton, WI)  The NSAA Arts Mill in Grafton (1300 14^th Avenue, Grafton, WI 53024) is pleased to announce a special event designed to celebrate children’s artwork.

“Kennedy Elementary School’s Art Show” is a free and fun event featuring a variety of mediums from all of the children of John F. Kennedy Elementary School. The exhibit will be on display NSAA’s Arts Mill – 3^rd Floor Gallery from May 2-14. Our Opening Reception, for all participating artists and guests, will include music and refreshments.

Located in the Historic Grafton Mill building, the NSAA Arts Mill features artists studios, boutique & gallery/banquet space.  We also invite you to tour our one-of-a-kind cooperative, see studio artists ‘live’ at work, browse through our art gallery and shop the Arts Mill Boutique featuring wonderful handmade home and personal accessories as well as antique furniture.  A portion of the profits from NSAA’s Art Mill help fund arts programming through our satellite location, The North Shore Academy of the Arts.

The NSAA Arts Mill is a division of the North Shore Academy of the Arts, a Wisconsin not-for-profit company dedicated to offering high caliber opportunities in the performing, visual and literary arts to all ages.

For more information on NSAA’s Arts Mill , check out our website at:

http://www.theartsmill.org

If you would like more information on this event, or to schedule an interview with Adria Willenson, please email adriaw@northshoreacademyofthearts.org

The North Shore Academy of the Arts (NSAA) Visual Arts Department continues to expand with the addition of the NSAA Arts Mill.  Their commitment to the community is very high…..

Bayshore Town Center-Square Kids

NSAA continues Tuesday Programming at Bayshore Town Center- Square kids. Free family art activities from 11:30 -1:30 thru August.

Ladies Night Out in Grafton

August 2nd stop by the NSAA Arts Mill ladies!

5th Annual Town Square Chalk Art Festival

Saturday, August 20 10am- 7pm
This is an event you don’t want to miss! Come stroll the streets surrounding Bayshore Town Square and watch local artists create amazing works of sidewalk chalk art and take part in free art activities by NSAA.

Saturation Show 2011

Join NSAA’s Arts Mill on August 5th & 6th for our 3rd Annual Saturation Show Our featured photographers include:

Adrienne Shea, Andy Berggren, Dave Chandre, Josh Eral, M Randall Pasternak, Marcia L. Getto, Michael Nowotny & Tony Frontier.August 5th, 7-11pm: Artist Reception with Music provided by Tony Frontier.

August 6th, 1-5pm: Free Children’s Workshop with Flavio Martin Morante.

Located at the NSAA Arts Mill, 1300 14th Avenue, Grafton WI 53024

Funding provided by the Greater Milwaukee’s Mary Nohl Fund.

MORE VISUAL ARTS EVENTS…….

Read our February newsletter edition of Arts Mill and Boutique OPENING SOON!

I’m so proud of the cast and crew of Beauty and the Beast, both the CPAC team and the Schauer Center Team! When I see everyone working together I’m reminded again about the impact of our mission– to reach even beyond the arts. 

We are nearing our grand opening of the Arts Mill. I look forward to our community enjoying this new division of NSAA. We still have opportunities to volunteer and donate. There are two naming rights still available. (Send me an email if you are interested in learning more about this sherib@northshoreacademyofthearts.org). 

Our Kids4Kids project will be launched soon. Kids4Kids is a program where Homestead High School Students work together with the mission of helping foster kids. We will be joining them in an exciting venture that will culminate in a presentation for the community. Stay tuned for more information. 

Camp Rock and Hairspray are beginning within the next two weeks. I’m looking forward to being more involved in these shows as our focus at NSAA continues to be on programming through enriching opportunities. 

Visual Arts, Imagine Me, Dance Classes, Zumba, upcoming UBM and Yoga, CCC and Paul McGill.   (He’s coming this Monday–you won’t want to miss it)….we strive to offer you a wide array of opportunities in the arts so that there is something for everyone! 

As winter continues to blow its beauty, I hope you are able to find the moments to appreciate your unique creativity and how it helps you to see the world in vivid light. 

“When we are writing, or painting, or composing, we are, during the time of creativity, freed from normal restrictions, and are opened to a wider world, where colors are brighter, sounds clearer, and people more wondrously complex than we normally realize.”– Madeleine L’Engle

For Immediate Release

December 27, 2010   

Contact: Sheri Bestor  Cell:  262.719.4633                              

Arts Mill in downtown Grafton secures initial funding; Construction Underway Soon.

The “Arts Mill” in downtown Grafton to transform the Grafton Mill building into a vibrant community for artists, performers and residents of the north shore communities. 

•  The new “Arts Mill”  created by the North Shore Academy of the Arts will help make downtown Grafton a tourist and entertainment destination.
• The one-of-a-kind Arts Mill to include studio space for 20 artists, a boutique, gallery and banquet space.
• Kapco to provide lead $10,000 gift and up to $5,000 in matching funds.
• Community members are encouraged to contribute now so that the $5,000 match can be secured.
• The historic building will receive many upgrades that will transform the space into a vibrant arts community. 

(Grafton, WI) The New Year will be an exciting start to North Shore Academy of the Arts’ second decade of offering Southeastern Wisconsin programming and opportunities in the visual, performing and literary arts. 

WIth the expansion of the soon to be opening “Arts Mill” NSAA is striving to become the hub of arts in Grafton.  

“Moving into the historical Grafton Mill is like coming back home,” said Sheri Bestor, Founder and President of NSAA. “We began there with three small rooms ten years ago and now we’ll be occupying the second and a portion of the third floor.”  

“We have many artists who have already committed to occupying studio space with us. The high talent and variety of mediums will be an asset to the project,” said Paula Christensen, Director of NSAA’s Studios and Gallery. “I’m confident that we can fill all our spaces once we’ve committed to the upgrades.”

To make the space the perfect location for art studios and a gallery, there are several updates that need to take place before the move can happen.  That’s where the community comes in, lead by Kapco. 

“We’ve always been able to count on Jim Kacmarcik and the Kapco team to support our endeavors in the arts for our community.  Neil Willenson, the Vice President of  Community Relations at Kapco, has secured a generous,” said Bestor. 

“Kapco is pleased to be the lead contributor to the exciting Arts Mill project.  We have always admired the vision of NSAA Founder Sheri Bestor and have partnered with this fine organization for many years.   We know our funds will be utilized to transform the Grafton Mill building into a vibrant center for the visual and performing arts.  To encourage community participation in this important endeavor, In addition to our $10,000 lead gift,  Kapco will also match up to $5,000 in contributions received prior to spring 2011.     We are hopeful that the entire community will embrace what will soon become a one of a kind artistic and entertainment destination,” said Jim Kacmarcik, President of Kapco Metal Stamping.

 NSAA  envisions this project to be a community wide endeavor.

“We are working to make this building and what is within, a pride of Ozaukee County. The public will now be able to enjoy live artists working, be able to shop for high quality unique gift items. purchase art work, enjoy the special events held in the gallery, all while appreciating the amazing views and charm of the old building.  Our plans include making sitting areas near the river, and hopefully working with the village to expand the river walk.”

 ”We’d like the public to be able to be a part of this excitement.  So give us a call and we’ll give you a paint brush. We guarantee your contributions will be appreciated and you’ll have made a difference in what will become a long lasting special place for community members,” said Christensen.  

But that’s not all NSAA will appreciate. Make a donation, any size, and help NSAA reach their goal of raising $5,000 that will be matched by Kapco. 

“We’ve had only positive feedback about the project. We appreciate, already, all of the support and donations that have been coming in,” said Bestor. 

The public is encouraged to donate to the project by: visiting our website, www.northshoreacademyofthearts.org, or mailing the donation to: nsaa, 1111 Broad Street, Grafton WI 53024 

Artists interested in renting studio space: Paula, at paulac@northshoreacademyofthearts.org 

Artisans interested in selling their products in the store can contact: Adria, at adriaw@northshoreacademyofthearts.org

For more information (website) www.northshoreacademyofthearts.org 

About NSAA:  North Shore Academy of the Arts is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization offering quality opportunities in the visual, performing and literary arts to all ages.

A Note from NSAA Founder and President

Paula sent out an invitation for volunteers to come to NSAA last Saturday and help with the Circle of Friends event. Circle of friends is a group of special needs individuals and we were providing them with opportunities in the arts.

I stood listening and watching for a while.  Parents bringing their children, young and not so young, into our academy. Teenagers, giving up their weekend afternoon to help. Our devoted staff, giving up holiday time with their families to give to other families.  I watched the singing, dancing and laughter down in the theatre room, the creating, and gluing and smiles in the art room. I saw the learning from one person to another. The honest giving and receiving from each individual involved.

 The afternoon was filled with unwrapping of all sorts.

Here are some of that gifts that I received:

that listening to someone shake the maraca while they laugh, is beautiful music.

that watching a teacher dance with enthusiasm and joy can get you  up out of your wheel chair to join along, even if the only way your feet can move to the rhythm is through your heart.

that while the list of “to dos” don’t get done when you come to an event such as this, their priority shifts. Dramatically.

that if you can’t express your joy through words, you can through music

that it pays to nurture your talents-because even at a young age you can mentor others

that even if it seems you aren’t painting or dancing or singing, in your own way, you’re experiencing art just as deeply

that teachers -especially those at NSAA, have a rare and unique gift of patience and giving and bringing out  the best in someone else by nurturing what’s within

that our old building, despite its shortcomings, is home for good things

and mostly, here is what I was given… the realization that we all have special needs, in one way or another. A need  to express ourselves in unique ways; to discover our talents.  To feel accepted for who we are and for being allowed to be true to what’s within.  And to have the opportunity to give, and to be given to.  

Paula and I stood together on the balcony as people were beginning to filter out.  The last event of the year, of the decade at NSAA, was coming to a close.  We stood in silence– after all these years of working together, little needed to be said. I know we were both thinking through the ups and the downs of the past  ten years–together with our team, all the trials of working on fixing up the facility, the financial challenges,  the journey of finding instructors, the endless editing of brochures, the shows produced, the classes taught, the late nights til three in the morning, the early mornings til late nights. At times, we’ve both had our doubts.

That afternoon shifted those doubts.  We shared the same thought,

“This is why..”

To all of you–Scott  and Paula, our amazing volunteers, staff, board members, artistic and advisory boards, parent committee members, parents, and families, kids and babies, the elderly,  visitors, CPAC, Hartford, Bayshore, our consultants, the Village of Grafton, Mequon Jewish Preschool, organizations we’ve teamed up with,  our donors, even those who have told us time and time again our bathroom is less than desirable and that they aren’t happy with auditions….thank you. We wouldn’t be here without you.

You are our circle of friends.

We look forward to the next ten years as our circle continues to grow.  We hope that together, we can honor the special needs of each other–

 To imagine, discover, create, dream.

North Shore Academy of the Arts.

May your celebrations this season be warm and joyful, may you have opportunities to give and be given to, and may all you  unwrap in the upcoming year, be bright and true.   

Sheri