The Carousel Project Announces ‘Campaign 2014’“First Rider” Fund Raising Effort
KINGSPORT – The Kingsport Carousel Project of Engage Kingsport and the City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts announces -Campaign 2014 beginning July 15, 2013. -Campaign 2014 will invite 2014 carousel supporters to become -First Riders of the finished carousel with their donation of $100. Each $100 donor receives 6 -First Rider tickets for the Kingsport Carousel. We anticipate families, workgroups, Sunday school classes and others will want to participate in -Campaign 2014.
The Carousel Project is a volunteer-led effort to produce hand-carved, hand-painted animals and install them on a working vintage 1956 Allan Herschell carousel. Successful fundraising to date has the Carousel on track for completion in early summer 2014 at the Kingsport Farmers Market site. The public is invited to participate in this phase of funding which will help to refurbish our 1956 Alan Herschell machine and build a gift shop connected to the Pals Roundhouse which will house the beautiful carousel.
-Campaign 2014 will kick-off on July 15, 2013. -First Rider tickets are available at Able Printers, Blue Ridge Property offices (all 3 locations), the Carousel Carving Studio (2nd floor, Lynn View Community Center), the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Kingsport Association and the Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts located on the second floor of the Renaissance Center.
For more information contact the City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts at (423) 392-8414
Kingsport Carousel Project
The story of a volunteer-led community project:
It started as one mans dream to have a carousel for the Kingsport community. He talked to a few fellow Kiwanis members into investigating the idea and the Four Horsemen took charge. At about the same time, a group of friends of the arts, who wanted to support a greater involvement in the creative community, formed Engage Kingsport, Inc., a non-profit community organization. Engage Kingsports mission is to support and expand the work of the Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts. Engage Kingsport adopted the Carousel Project as its first major project.
Currently the Carousel Project has a carving studio at the Lynn View Community Center where carvers and painters can be found working on their hand-crafted animals Monday through Saturday. In March 2012 volunteers completed painting unique Kingsport scenes on rounding boards for the carousel. The work continues until the 1956 vintage Herschell frame is in its own roundhouse connected to the Kingsport Farmers Market. Completion date is set for early Summer 2014.
About the City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts & Engage Kingsport:
City of Kingsport Mission: The mission of the City of Kingsport is to provide economic, educational and quality of life opportunities that create a safe, vibrant and diverse Community.
The City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts, part of the City of Kingsport, connects, coordinates and engages the public with a creative community. It operates a public art program, concert and theatrical events, the Kingsport Carousel Project, the Carousel Fine Craft Show and a broad range of support to the areas arts organizations. They work in tandem with Engage Kingsport, a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization, in order to facilitate their objectives.
The City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts and Engage Kingsports goals are to collaborate with a variety of arts organizations as well as non-arts organizations, with the aim of increasing opportunities and outlets for artists of all types. As Kingsport becomes a destination for artists and art enthusiasts, new markets and opportunities emerge. The City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts and Engage Kingsport are dedicated to cultivating cultural assets and promoting them as vehicles for economic development within our community.
For more information contact the City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts at (423) 392-8414
