An Evening with Carroll Arts provided guests with a chance to view local art exhibits, enjoy entertainment and hors d oeuvres Saturday night at Long Heights Baptist Church in McKenzie.
An Evening with Carroll Arts provided guests with a chance to view local art exhibits, enjoy entertainment and hors d oeuvres Saturday night at Long Heights Baptist Church in McKenzie.
The night concluded with the “Friend of the Arts” award presentation. Past president of Carroll Arts and a recipient of the special award herself, Glynda Rich, presented the award to a duo this year, husband and wife Keith and Melissa Herris, who were a couple of the entertainers for the night.
“For 2018, the recipients represent amazing talent, great commitment to fostering the arts and willingness to lend talent to so many wonderful performances at The Dixie, Bethel University, church, and Carroll Arts performances,” said Rich. “We tonight express our appreciation for the beautiful musical experiences we have been blessed to share with Keith and Melissa Herris.”
Keith Herris is the chair for the Division of Music and Religion and professor of music at Bethel University. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from Michigan State University as well as a Master of Music degree in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall. He is the pianist and musical director for the annual “Christmas on Broadway” production at The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center. He is the music director at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in McKenzie.
Melissa Herris holds a bachelor of arts degree in musical theatre performance from the University of Northern Colorado. She spent time in the “field” professionally before meeting her husband, Keith, in New York City two months after 9/11. A favorite at The Dixie, she has appeared in several productions there including “Oklahoma” and “The Sound of Music.”
They are the parents of three daughters, Noelle, Natalie, and Navaeh.
Artists who displayed their works included Jeanifay’s Jewelry, Glynda Rich, Julia Winters, Tracy Edlin, Linda Coleman, Robert Poglifsch, Beth Bodwell, Madison McCaskill, Jason Cole and high school art competition winners.
Besides the Herris couple, other performers included Wayne Bannister, Alex Klyuyenko, and Madison Graves.
Bannister, who is president of Carroll Arts, and served as master of ceremonies, sang a selection of songs. Klyuyenko, who is assistant professor of physics and mathematics at Bethel University and a native of Ukraine, played several selections on the guitar. Madison Graves, who is majoring in health and human performance at University of Tennessee at Martin, did an exquisite dance routine.
Bannister gave some background on the organization.
Carroll County Arts Council was organized on June 21, 1994 as a rural, nonprofit community organization.
It sponsors a number of annual events. Among them are a high school art competition for county students, storytelling events at Huntingdon Heritage Festival, Summer Creativity Camp for elementary and middle school students, Evening with Carroll arts, annual Trivia Bowl and the Southern Fried Funnies at McKenzie’s Southern Fried & Sweet Tea Festival.
