String master Joe Craven is making a rare Truckee appearance in February on behalf of Arts for the Schools, a nonprofit that brings world-class acts to Truckee-Tahoe for the benefit of local students.
Craven has been variously called a virtuoso, a magical performer, and an unmatched fiddler. An entertainer who defies easy labels, he has surprised and delighted audiences from Strawberry to San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festivals by transforming everyday objects into instruments of percussion and rhythm.
Ticket sales to events like this help support Arts for the Schools’ broader mission of bringing professional dancers and artists to inspire Tahoe/Truckee students.
“We are ensuring that every student gets exposure to performing arts and arts and culture, no matter what their socio-economic background is,” said Raine Howe, executive director of Arts for the Schools (AFtS).
The nonprofit brings famous performers to the region — often at discounted rates — to perform for K to 12th grade students in the schools or at off-site performances as part of field trips.
“We are in a geographically isolated area, and part of this is to help our kids understand that there is a whole world outside of these snowy mountains,” Howe said.
The nonprofit pays on average anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 to bring various artists to perform for students. The programming is supported by donations to the nonprofit and the money raised at private performances, such as Joe Craven’s upcoming show at the old park and rec center in downtown Truckee.
“It cultivates the arts for us, and we don’t have a lot of outlets for that in our community,” said Cindy Maciel, InnerRhythms Board president, which now partners with Arts for the Schools. Maciel’s 17-year old daughter, Samantha, has studied dance since the age of 2, and her recent opportunity to participate in workshops with professional dance companies visiting Tahoe through AFtS has really raised the bar for her, Maciel said.
“It was an amazing experience, not just for Sam, but for all the dancers,” she said. “It pushed them outside their comfort level. The professional dancers respected them as artists, and didn’t just look at them like little kids.”
Arts for the Schools was founded in 1984. Part of its mission is to fund professional artists who offer instruction at no cost to students in grades three through five as well as at-risk high school students. This year, for the first time, that programming is being funded by Measure A, a $135 parcel tax that supports programming in the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District.
Other acts this year will include the fine art puppeteers “Figure of Speech,” the critically acclaimed Missoula Children’s Theater, Zydeco artist Cedric Watson, and cultural programming that carries on a 30-year tradition of bringing artists from all over the world to this rural community. The full schedule will be announced in March
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