UA Arty Party April 22 to Benefit the Arts

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama will literally roll out the red carpet for guests Saturday, April 22 for the third annual Arty Party. Silent and live auctions, dinner and a special tribute to long-time UA dance leader Edie Barnes, professor emerita of dance in the department of theatre and dance, will highlight the evening.

The Arty Party will begin at 6 p.m. in Smith Hall on the UA campus. Barnes is being honored for bringing the UA dance program to national recognition.

The gala, entitled “A Night at the Ritz,” will also feature the UA Jazz Ensemble and jazz and swing era dance performances by students in the UA department of theatre and dance, performing as the Ritz Revue.

The auctions will offer a selection of popular goods and services donated by local artists and businesses. They include a catered dinner and wine tasting for 12, a tailgate lunch for 15 at a UA game day, a fur coat, a football autographed by Mike Shula, an all-inclusive hunting trip, a spa package, football tickets to the President’s Box in Bryant Denny Stadium, a trip to New York, including a VIP tour of Radio City Music Hall, among other items. More information can be found on the College of Arts and Sciences website by clicking on the Arty Party logo at www.as.ua.edu.

The Arty Party annually showcases and raises funds for the fine and performing arts at UA. This year it will highlight the UA dance program. Funds raised will help establish a Visiting Dance Professionals Workshop Series and support scholarships in the fine and performing arts.

Business sponsors for this year’s event include Harrison Construction and Bank of Tuscaloosa.

The event is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Board’s Fine Arts Committee. The committee’s chair is Milla Green and Stella Moore is co-chair, both of Tuscaloosa.

Arty Party committee members include Cissy Fuhrman, Wilson Green, Bob Land, Jan Mize, Mary Jean Weaver and Claire Black Wilson of Tuscaloosa;

Marjorie Forney, Marsha Aldridge King, Millie Hulsey, Carolyn Lowe, Shannon Denney, Helen Mills, Tricia Noble, Barbara Stone and Rae Trimmier of Birmingham; Susan Helmsing and Brandly Monroe of Mobile; Katie Mitchell of Decatur; Carla Simmons of Jasper; William Price of Amarillo, Texas; and Woody Woodruff of Franklin, Tenn.

“We had a spectacular event last year and are looking forward to seeing the UA dance program shine this year. UA dancers represent some of the best in the nation. We have also been hard at work selecting some fine items for the auction and think there will be something for everyone,” Green said. “I think The Arty Party provides a fun event for our guests while raising money for a great cause.”

Individual tickets may be purchased for $100, patron tickets for $150, sponsors for $1,500 and benefactor sponsorships for $2,500. Tickets may be purchased by phoning 1-800-365-2302 or 205/348-7007. Patrons, table sponsors and event benefactors receive special recognition at the event.

Area artists featured in the auctions will include Peter Ivy, Lowell Baker, Ben Burford, Anne Monfore, Margie Phelps, Maureen Shotts, Mary Jean Weaver, Craig Wedderspoon, and Gail Windham.

Professor Cornelius Carter, interim director of dance in the department of theatre and dance, said the UA dance program has a strong national reputation because of the longstanding interest and hard work of Edie Barnes.

Barnes was director of the dance program at The University of Alabama from 1987 to 2005. During her 18 years of leadership, she shaped the dance program into a respected academic training ground for professional dancers and brought nationally renowned dancers to Alabama to teach in the program.

She was instrumental in bringing the American Ballet Theatre, the nation’s premiere dance company, to The University of Alabama to establish the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive at UA in 1997. This was the first time this national dance company had partnered with an academic institution to offer a three-week residential training program for some of the nation’s top young dancers. The ABT Intensive at UA is now in its ninth year. Founded in 1940, the ABT is known internationally for establishing the American identity for ballet.

Barnes’ diverse background includes training and performance with the Washington Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet, and the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance in New York City. Her choreography has been presented nationally and internationally with her work being featured on NBC’s Today Show and CNN. Barnes has also been cited as a dance expert in the New York Times.

“Edie set the highest professional standards for our dance program. She wanted our dance program to be a training ground for professional dancers. She dedicated herself to that goal and inspired faculty to work toward it. She built partnerships with professional dancers and companies, creating important affiliations with The University of Alabama,” Carter said. “Today we are known for producing well-trained, professional dancers, thanks, in large measure, to Edie Barnes.”

The auctioneer for the event will be Granger, Thagard and Associates of Birmingham. The event will be hosted by Dr. Robert Olin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and his wife, Mrs. Lin Olin.

The College of Arts and Sciences is Alabama’s largest liberal arts college and the University’s largest division, with 355 faculty and 6,600 students. It offers the state’s most comprehensive arts education programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level.