Flash Mob Appears Downtown

A unique flash mob converged on downtown Salina and left its mark. Its arts mark.

Downtown light poles and trees are now wrapped in bright colors to kickoff National Arts and Humanities Month.

October is National Arts & Humanities Month. It’s a coast-to-coast collective recognition of the importance of culture in America. The month-long event was launched by Americans for the Arts more than 30 years ago as National Arts Week in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1993, it was reestablished by Americans for the Arts and national arts partners as a month-long celebration, with goals of:

FOCUSING on equitable access to the arts at local, state, and national levels;

ENCOURAGING individuals, organizations, and diverse communities to participate in the arts;

ALLOWING governments and businesses to show their support of the arts; and

RAISING public awareness about the role the arts and humanities play in our communities and lives.

Locally in Salina there are many arts-related things to do throughout this month. They include among others:

October 1-4: “Birdwatcher” is a mixed-media installation at the Salina Art Center, by Fidencio Fifield- Perez.
Also at the SACenter are the exhibits “Widening Circles” by Eileen Roscina (Oct 1-11) in the South Gallery and “Zenith” by A. Mary Kay (Oct 1-Nov 1) in the Education Wing.
October 4: “Listen Together,” the first of five 2020-’21 Virtual Chamber Concerts, featuring the Salina Symphony Wind Quintet and String Quartet online, at https://www.ƒacebook.com/SalinaSymphony.
Oct 4: “The Thanksgiving Play” opens at Salina Community Theatre on October 16 and runs Thursday to Sunday, October 16 through November 1, in the Kephart Theatre.
Through October 12: “Return of the Dinosaurs,” a special exhibit at Rolling Hills Zoo. The Zoo will also hold its popular annual Pumpkin PaZOOla event on Saturday, October 10.
Daily Facebook prompts encouraging the public to create or explore arts and culture in Salina, will be posted or shared on the SAH and Salina Creates Facebook pages.
Salina Arts and Humanities is partnering with teaching artists and local cultural organizations this fall to present thoughtful, curriculum-based online content for students and educators.
SculptureTour voting for the “People’s Choice” sculpture continues through October.
Salina Arts and Humanities staff, arts commissioners and community artists will add some creative sizzle to the downtown area all month long, so be on the lookout.
A variety of downtown businesses and venues will participate in First Friday programming. Check out the Salina Arts & Entertainment calendar at SalinaAE.com for details.
Kid’s Connection, a new program from Salina Media Connection, showcases storytelling, dancing, sing- ing and other kid-friendly activities, from artists and cultural organizations. The program targets kids five to 12 and airs on public Channel 21 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mon-Fri, alongside SMC’s YouTube channel.
Classes in acting, dancing, visual arts, and many other forms of expression for kids, families and adults are ongoing, at multiple venues throughout Salina.
The Smoky Hill Museum opened in mid-September with its new exhibit “The 1950s: Beyond The American Dream,” which is Part 2 of a year-long focus on an influential, transformative decade that many know or remember.