‘ARTicipation Week’ begins Aug. 13
By Angie Landsverk
Community members have the opportunity to attend a variety of arts-related events the week before this year’s Arts on the Square begins.
The 11th annual arts festival is Friday and Saturday, Aug. 18-19, on the city square. See its full schedule in the Aug. 17 issue of the Waupaca County Post.
Like last year, the week of events taking place before the festival is being billed as “ARTicipation Week.”
The week includes numerous opportunities for people to listen to music and participate in art projects.
The Waupaca Community Arts Board organizes Arts on the Square (AOTS) and is excited about the week of events.
“There are more venues than last year, more community involvement,” said Marci Reynolds, the board’s president.
A number of downtown restaurants will host bands, the retailer’s group Waupaca King and In Between will sponsor its annual chalking contests, and the Waupaca Area Public Library and Waupaca Historical Society will also hold “ARTicipation Week” events.
Everything will lead up to the free street dance on Friday, Aug. 18, which kicks off AOTS.
The Reptile Palace Orchestra, a band from Madison, will play under the Main Stage Tent on East Fulton Street from 7-10:30 p.m.
“It’s different than any other band that’s come here before,” said Steve Laedtke, the board’s music and talent coordinator.
The instruments band members play include violin, guitar, synthesizer, accordion, French horn, clarinet, saxophones, electric cello, tambura, drum kit and percussion.
The members also sing in a variety of languages.
Reynolds describes the band as “very entertaining, very crowd engaging, very, very fun.”
As in past years, there will be fire spinning with Broegy Pease and Friends during the band’s intermission, with food and beverages available throughout the evening.
Community art
This year’s community art project begins Friday, Aug. 18.
“Paper and Place” involves using pieces of cotton and linen fabrics, plants and weeds, a bicycle powered paper beater, bike riders, water, screens, an outdoor turkey burner and community members to create paper.
From 4-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, local plants and weeds will be cooked and turned into soft fibers to beat by hand into pulp.
On Saturday, Aug. 19, the paper making process continues from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
That part of the process involves riding a bicycle to turn the beater.
It beats the fabric and plant fibers and makes pulp, which is transferred to vats.
The pulp is then dipped onto screens, with the water pressed out before the paper is wrapped to dry.
Participants will be able to take their paper home as a souvenir.
Joining the Waupaca Community Arts Board for this community project are the Waupaca Community Arts Center and Debbie Jircik, from Circle of Life Studio, in Eagle River.
Week of events
“ARTicipation Week” begins Sunday, Aug. 13, when downtown business owners begin chalking on their sidewalks.
Monday, Aug. 14
• Open Mic at 7 p.m. at Union Street Emporium. Refreshments will be served.
• Karaoke Night at the Waupaca Area Public Library from 6-8 p.m. as part of its “Art and Music Make Our World Better Week.”
Tuesday Aug. 15
• Music in the Garden at noon at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 415 S. Main St., featuring a Vivace Classical Music Quartet.
• The Waupaca Historical Society showing “Waupaca Circa 1938” at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., in the lower level of the Holly History and Genealogy Center, 321 S. Main St. The silent movie, set to music, will be shown for free. Popcorn will be provided by Rosa Theatre.
The film, taken in 1938 in and around Waupaca, features local businesses, people and sites around the city.
• Smartphone Photography 101 from 6-8 p.m. at the Waupaca Area Public Library. It will be a YouTube class.
• Two-for Tuesday in downtown Waupaca with The Silvas at Little Fat Gretchen’s from 6-8 p.m. and Rick Fulcer on acoustic guitar from 8:30-11 p.m. at Banjo’s Bar.
Wednesday. Aug. 16
• Summer Nights at South Park concert at 7 p.m., featuring Janet Planet and John Harmon with members of Street Life. A free lantern making art project begins in the park at 6 p.m. The painted paper lanterns will be used to decorate the tent for the Friday, Aug. 18 street dance.
Thursday, Aug. 17
• Waupaca, King & In Between Chalk O’ the Town competition judging and awards presented by the Waupaca Community Arts Board.
• Waupaca, King & In Between’s Adopt a Square on the Square from 3-6 p.m. Retailers donate treats and prizes for the children’s chalking event, ending with a 6 p.m. Waupaca Middle School band concert on the bandstand.
• Watercolor free paint at 6 p.m.. at the Waupaca Area Public Library. It is open to those age 15 and up, with all supplies provided.
• Live music on the deck of Simpson’s from 7-10 p.m. with Tony Wagner’s Mojo and Flipside.