AT OUR BEST

Jones Center in a spin

Orchestra maestro feted

Greenwood Gearhart played host May 22 to a reception in honor of Corrado Rovaris, Artosphere Festival Orchestra music director. The event took place at the Fayetteville home of Mary Ann and Reed Greenwood, with Lindsey and Brock Gearhart as cohosts. The orchestra performed as part of the Walton Arts Center’s seventh annual Artosphere: Arkansas’ Arts + Nature Festival May 10-27.

The orchestra is made up of more than 90 musicians from symphonies and programs around the world. They performed three main concerts this year — Russian Masterworks, Heroic Beethoven and Live from Crystal Bridges: Mozart in the Museum. The arts festival also included chamber music performances, family activities, performing arts and community events in several venues around Northwest Arkansas.

Next up for the arts center is the Art of Wine Festival. The festival will feature the Winemaker’s Dinner on Thursday, Uncorked! Wine Tasting on Friday and the Premier Tasting on Saturday. Proceeds from the wine festival help support the arts center’s arts education programs, such as the Colgate Classroom Series, arts integration training and resources for educators, Arkansas History through the Arts and the semester-long Student Volunteer Corps volunteer opportunity for high school students.

Among those gathered with Greenwood Gearhart were Hannah and Greg Lee, Sheri Rothwell and Woody Bassett, Susan and Tony Hui, Cynthia Coughlin, Barbara Putman and Peter Lane, Nancy and Dick Trammel and Margaret Whillock.

The Jones Center and Cheryl and Gene Long, honorary hosts and Sassafras Springs Vineyard owners, welcomed the Friends of The Jones Center giving circle members for an exclusive wine tasting Thursday evening at the winery in Springdale. The evening yielded $50,000 in pledges for the nonprofit organization.

The Friends group’s donations help support The Jones Center’s general operations, and the community center was able to launch a number of programs — a dance movement class, a lunchtime spin class and introduction to ice hockey skills — over the past year.

Kelly Kemp, center director of advancement, shared with guests “what’s fresh at The Jones Center,” including a number of additional new programs beginning this month. New offerings include Kids Fit, an introduction to exercise for 4- to 9-year-olds; Yoga in the Park on Saturdays in June and July; a one-week basic skills skating class; basic swimming and water safety skills for adults; infant swim instruction; and Master’s Swimming for advanced swimmers.

Co-hosts for the evening of tasting among the vines included Julie and Rick Roblee, Anna and Carl George, Lynn and Joel Carver, Denise and Hershey Garner, Mary and Dick Stockland, Tina and Nate Hodne, Cyndy and Ken Hatfield, Shirley and Pete Esch, Sue and David Van Bebber, Johnelle Hunt, Dorothy and Al Hanby and Nicole and Corey Bender.

For more event photos — nwadg.com/photos/society.

An Evening with

Corrado Rovaris

Who: Walton Arts Center, Greenwood Gearhart What: Greenwood Gearhart played host to a reception in honor of the Artosphere Festival Orchestra music director. When: May 22 Where: Fayetteville home of Mary Ann and Reed Greenwood Next: Art of Wine Festival, Thursday-Saturday Information: (479) 443-5600

Wine tasting

Who: The Jones Center What: The nonprofit organization welcomed supporters for an intimate wine tasting. When: June 2 Where: Sassafras Springs Winery in Springdale Next: Big Night in Chicago, Oct. 29 Information: (479) 750-8090

Columnist Carin Schoppmeyer can be reached by email at [email protected].

Upcoming Events