Tex Appeal September 2016 *

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AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

Features

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Beethoven to pops

TSO gears up for new season

Symphony lovers in Bell County who are familiar with the artistic offerings of a big city like Dallas or Houston don’t have to travel far to enjoy the sounds of a professional orchestra. The Temple Symphony Orchestra, founded 23 years ago by Musical Director and Conductor Thomas Fairlie, is gearing up for its 201617 season with a selection of performances that range from classical to pops.

By CATHERINE HOSMAN

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VIVE LES ARTS

An extended theatrical family

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Find your creativity at Salado Village Artists

Five years ago, longtime Houston resident Judy Sparkman retired from her job, packed up her belongings and set out for a new life in Central Texas. Key in hand, she unlocked the door to her new home in Salado. Little did she know she was also on her way to unlocking a creative side she never knew she had.

By DANIELLE EVERETT

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

When the Vive Les Arts Societe began looking for a new leader, it seemed as though Traci Tipping had been rehearsing for the role since birth.

A dancer since age 3, she had already appeared in a few VLA shows — notably “Beehive” in 2000, photos of which can be seen in the theater’s lobby during intermissions. “Her name came up and it just seemed to be a perfect fit,” said Bary Heidtbrink, who along with his wife, Summer, serves as chairperson of the VLA board. “She’s really taken the ball and run with it while she’s been here.”

In her two years as executive director of Vive Les Arts Theatre, Tipping has created a work family that is almost as established in the community as her birth family. “I’m from Killeen. I’ve been here my whole life,” said Tipping.

By MANDY SHELTON

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Night sculptor

Explore the Pogue Gallery

At schools, churches, libraries and hospitals across Central Texas and beyond, you may have paused and reflected before on one of Dan Pogue’s bronze sculptures. For almost 50 years, he has been sculpting, molding and casting such figures for public display.

By FRED AFFLERBACH

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

Departments

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TexTalk Neighbors Jane Boone of the Temple CAC

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TexTalk FLAVOURS Las Brazas Pollos Asados in Killeen

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TexTalk BEAUTY Jane Boone opens her bag

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TexTalk SCENE Temple Daily Telegram Bridal Expo

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TexTalk CALENDAR Upcoming events in September

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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WELL-CONNECTED

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ON the COVER VLA’s Traci Tipping. 39 Photograph by MITCHEL BARRETT

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

TexTalk WELL-FED HEAD Bob Boilen’s “Your Song Changed My Life”

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TexHEALTH

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Believe Pediatric Therapy

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TexADVENTURES

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PROFILES

64 ADVERTISER’S INDEX

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Pogue Gallery in Marble Falls

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TexTHERAPY

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

From the Editor

Tex Appeal Life & Style in Central Texas

Dear Readers,

The more I learn about Bell County and its surrounding cities, the more amazed I am at the artistic offerings available in our section of Central Texas.

Residents don’t have to travel too far to enjoy a fine restaurant, gallery opening, Broadway-style play or symphony.

This past April, the city of Temple introduced the new Temple Cultural Arts District that includes the Cultural Activities Center, Central Texas Art League, Central Texas Orchestral Society, the Czech Heritage Museum, Temple Symphony Orchestra, Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum, Temple Civic Center and Temple College of Visual Arts.

Together, these cultural organizations introduce locals, visitors and newcomers to a world of visual and performing arts usually found in a larger city.

Although not a part of this district, in Killeen, Vive Les Arts Theatre continues to bring Broadway plays to Bell County. A community theater, aspiring actors and performers of all ages are welcome to audition for the role of their dreams.

Vive Les Arts! Say hello to Traci Tipping, the director of VLA as she continues to steer the theater into the second decade of the 21st century. Audition for a part in a play, or just come and enjoy an evening of entertainment, Page 39.

On Sept. 17, the TSO opens its 2016-17 season with “A Classical Delight.” Meet Conductor Tom Fairlie, TSO board President Andy Montgomery and Executive Director Jan Salzman as they prepare for new performances, Page 33.

Meet your neighbor, Jane Boone, marketing director of the Temple Cultural Activities Center. Founded in 1958, it went through many changes to become what it is today, thanks to generous donations from community leaders and the public, Page 12.

For a quieter side of the arts, Salado Village Artists is a group led by President Judy Sparkman, where artists of every genre gather to work on their art. From painting to quilting to glass mosaics, each artist has his or her specialty and they are willing to share their expertise with aspiring artists, Page 45.

Travel west on Farm-to-Market 1431 in Marble Falls and stop in to visit the Dan Pogue Gallery and Foundry. Pogue, a long-time resident of Marble Falls, has created sculptures from small to giant, and many grace the fronts of churches, schools and libraries across Texas and beyond. In downtown Marble Falls, many of his sculptures can be seen as part of the Arts on Main Street series, Page 59.

Wherever you are, whatever your aspirations, take a break, pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage and enjoy the September Arts issue of Tex Appeal Magazine.

Catherine Hosman

Tex Appeal Editor edittexappealmagazine@gmail.com 254-501-7511

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Published by FRANK MAYBORN ENTERPRISES, INC. KILLEEN DAILY HERALD 1809 Florence Rd., Killeen, TX 76540

TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM 10 S. Third St., Temple, TX 76501

Publisher SUE MAYBORN Editor CATHERINE HOSMAN Editorial Director ROSE FITZPATRICK Editorial Assistant DANIELLE EVERETT Photographers/Graphic Designers

M. CLARE HAEFNER JULIE NABOURS Contributors FRED AFFLERBACH MITCHEL BARRETT MANDY SHELTON Advertising 254-778-4444 254-501-7500

Tex Appeal Magazine is published monthly by Frank Mayborn Enterprises, Inc. 10 S. Third St., Temple, TX 76501. The cover and content of Tex Appeal Magazine is fully protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in any manner without prior permission.

Subscriptions: For the United States, $24 per year, 12 issues.

Mail check to P.O. Box 6114, Temple, TX 76503-6114.

Questions about subscriptions, call 254-778-4444.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Tex Appeal Magazine, P.O. Box 6114, Temple, TX 76503-6114.

How to contact us: Advertising: Call 254-778-4444 or 254-501-7500.

Editorial: Contact Catherine Hosman at 254-501-7511 or email edittexappealmagazine@ gmail.com.

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DID YOU KNOW?

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Log on today to find the current issue and older editions of Tex Appeal.

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Contributors FreD AFFLERBACH is an award-winning writer and novelist, college graduate at age 50, and former long-haul trucker. His stories and columns have been published in daily newspapers across Texas. His novel, “Roll On,” debuted in 2012, and is an interstate odyssey about a man afflicted with an incurable wanderlust despite pressure from family and friends to settle down. Fred lives in Cedar Park with his wife, Diane, and enjoys perusing Central Texas backroads with a keen eye out for roadrunners, old trucks and lipstick sunsets.

MITCHEL BARRETT is an award-winning photographer and owner of Mitchel Barrett Photography. Although originally from the British Virgin Islands, for the past 12 years he has come to call the city of Killeen his home. He developed his love of photography while attending high school and the KISD Career Center, and has enjoyed life behind the lens ever since. When not busy taking photos, you can probably find him at the movies with friends or at home with his family and two dogs.

Mandy Shelton is a fifth-generation Texan and a graduate of Florence High School.

She attended Southwestern University as an undergraduate and earned a master’s degree at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Shelton works at Central Texas College, where she publishes curriculum for the Online High School. She was named Young Professional of the Year in 2015 by the Greater Killeen Young Professionals. Her writing and photos have appeared in several newspapers, magazines and literary websites. She enjoys volunteering at the Florence library and hanging out with her dog, Biscuit.

JOIN the Tex Appeal TEAM

Tex Appeal Magazine is looking for photographers and freelance writers with experience photographing and/or writing features for a newspaper or magazine. We are seeking candidates from the Central Texas area. Candidates must be detail- and deadline-oriented and good storytellers, and must be familiar with AP style. Ability for writers to take photos is a plus, but not required. Interested candidates may send their resumes and three to five recent stories and/or photographs for consideration to edittexappealmagazine@gmail.com.

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neighbors 12 flavours 16

beauty 18

scene 20

TexTalk

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Jane Boone is the marketing director for the Temple Cultural Activities Center.

A creative force TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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TexTalk neighbors

Marketing director keeps things running smoothly at

Temple Cultural Activities Center Story by CATHERINE HOSMAN Photos by MITCHEL BARRETT and contributed by Jane Boone

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s the marketing director for the Temple Cultural Activities Center, Jane Boone wears many hats. If she is not coordinating the new adult and children’s classes for the upcoming season, she is selecting entertainers that bring their brand of music, from classical to country, to the stages of the CAC. Donning her gallery director’s hat, Boone and her staff bring in a diverse selection of artists from the community to display their creations from paintings to 3-D textile wall hangings. Children get to hone their acting skills when the Missoula Children’s Theatre Group rolls into town. After auditioning, if they are selected, they have one week to learn their parts before performing in front of an audience.

Boone said because the staff is small, everyone does more than what their job title says. As the marketing director, her primary responsibility is to get the word out to the community of all the upcoming classes, performances and events at the CAC. She also helps to create the menu of activities and classes at the center and said, “every facet of the CAC is offered to the public.”

Boone has been part of the CAC tapestry for nine years. Since coming on board, she said she has witnessed the positive changes the arts bring to community and how people can enrich themselves through the arts.

“The older generation, that population of stakeholders who for so many years have set an example, now we welcome their children and grandchildren — it’s a passing of generations into the facility.”

Each year Boone said the center adds new programs that reach out to diverse audiences. They find their target 12

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Jane Boone is the marketing director for the Temple Cultural Activities Center.

niche and learn what types of programs the children, in particular, want to participate.

CAC outreach Member groups play an active role in the activities at the CAC, with the

Women of the Alpha Delta Kappa Honorary Organization for Women Educators, Gamma Iota Chapter, meet at the CAC to utilize the resources of the creativity at the CAC and enjoy team building activities and fellowship with their chapter. Seated, from left, are Gina Seidel, Pam Dayhoff, Joyce Novak, Tanya Jenkins, Tina Coppin, and Wilhemina Mills; Standing, from left, are Shirley Hoelscher, Jennifer Murphy, Pam Major, Shirleen Chandler, Carol Nelson, Jo Ann Leibowitz and Linda Tyson.

“The older generation, that population of stakeholders who for so many years, have set an example, now we welcome their children and grandchildren — it’s a passing of generations into the facility.”

— Jane Boone

Contemporaries being the fundraising arm of the organization. Since 1975, the Contemporaries have raised nearly $2 million for the CAC. Marianne Stringfellow, former Contemporaries president, has been an active participant with the CAC for more than 30 years.

As part of the CAC outreach, the Contemporaries raised separate funds to continue the Hands-on-Art and Arts in Education programs for third-graders

from local ISDs. With Hands-on-Art, children get to “travel” to other countries to learn a little about that country’s art. In the past, children have visited Australia and Ireland. This year, Japan will be the focus.

“One hundred children at a time come in to the CAC, broken into groups and ushered through four different activities,” Stringfellow said.

One activity is the introduction of the

children to an art gallery where they learn about art and gallery etiquette at the same time; another activity takes them into the theater where they learn about lighting, props and make believe with the help of stage director Byron Lovelace. They even get to don costumes and put on a 10-minute play; the third activity is an art project, and the fourth activity is all about movement. “Children are little sponges at that age,” said Stringfellow.

Another outreach project of the Contemporaries is Arts in Education.

“Every year we contract with various professional artists from around the area who perform for two days at the CAC,” Stringfellow said. Three performances a day entertain 1,500 elementary and middle school children.

“The entertainment depends on the age group it is slotted for,” she said.

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“Member groups are an extension of our organization but are very important to who the CAC is today,” Boone said. “We are expanding the walls to all of Central Texas, bringing in people from all over.

It’s taken a lot of baby steps to get to this point.”

“Jane is very tech savvy and for what we do at the CAC the communication is so much better. It’s immediate,” Stringfellow said. “Jane’s use of technology has really improved the communication of those things that are essential to the organization. Now if there is an issue we need to deal with, we don’t have to get on the phone and spend hours talking with people. One email sends a message to everyone involved. It’s a time saver for everybody.”

Creating smiles Born in Temple, Boone grew up in Westphalia, one of three daughters to parents Johnny and Shirley Polach. She grew up in a close-knit rural farming community where friends and neighbors looked out for one another.

Living out in the country meant having to drive to town for school and shopping, but it also meant kids learned early how to be resourceful, creative and use their own imagination at home.

“It was a form of optimism, hope and we can be creative,” said Boone, who shares her life with her husband, Brock, executive director of the CAC, and two children. “We can all be inspired to create. It’s a core value of all people.

If you can be creative or resourceful, you have the hope to see beyond the situation at hand and it’s very powerful.”

Boone said she always had a passion for creativity and learning new things. She sought out experiences both academically and in life.

“During college I had many wonderful professors in diverse subjects that helped me balance my well-rounded personality,” said Boone, who graduated from the University of Mary HardinBaylor. She studied communications, physical fitness and sports science, and secondary education. “I loved to learn and challenge myself and wanted to have as many options to work in a career and fulfill all my passions.”

Before following her artistic drive that led her to the CAC more than nine years ago, she worked as an orthodontic 14

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

The CAC offers creative classes for all ages from glass mosaics to ballroom dancing.

A short history of the CAC The Temple Cultural Activities Center, today a 501(c)3 organization, was co-founded by Nora Lee Mayhew (Mrs. R.E. Wendland) and Raye Virginia McCreary (Mrs. H.K. Allen) in 1958 on the heels of a successful three-day arts festival sponsored by the City Women’s Federation.

According to www.cacarts.org, the two women “gathered up anyone with any interest in the arts, carefully mixing the best of local talent with professionals from all around the nation.

“A few years after the founding of the CAC by Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Wendland, Azalee Matthews (Mrs. Kiefer Marshall) was hired and served in whatever capacity she was needed from serving tea to scheduling concerts, arranging art classes and she even washed windows. Her husband volunteered and gave people rides to the CAC, hung exhibits, and made repairs. In 1962, she helped to raise funds to purchase an old church building to become the CAC’s permanent home. Her benefactors, however, contributed even more funding to build a new building. After Mrs. Marshall died in 1970, the Center’s benefactor followed through with a matching fund donation of nearly $500,000 and built the Azalee Marshall Cultural Activities Center. Further funding over the years by local civic leaders, grew the center into the facility we know today while continuing to advance the arts in Central Texas.” technician, learning on the job the arts and sciences of that specialty.

“It opened my mind to a completely different experience of helping people and working with diverse ages,” she said. “I learned something new, a different trade, and learned under passionate doctors.”

Working as an orthodontic technician, Boone said it gave her the opportunity to give back and help people get back their smile.

“It was a cool balance.”

Now she puts smiles on faces through the myriad offerings at the CAC. “I felt I owed it to myself for the time invested in college to find a fit to use those skills and give back to my community in a different way and to show I was appreciative of my college education,” she said.

“Jane reaches different segments of people (in the community). She is talented and dedicated to the Cultural Activities Center,” Stringfellow said.

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TexTalk flavours

A man and his grill

Las Brazas celebrates 10 years in Central Texas Story by DANIELLE EVERETT Photos by MITCHEL BARRETT

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t just about any time of the day, a mouth-watering, smoky smell wafts down the 200 block of East Rancier Avenue in Killeen. The scent is so tempting, it stops some passersby in their tracks in search of the source. It doesn’t take long to discover the aroma is coming from the commercialsize grill outside Las Brazas Pollos Asados.

Restaurant owner Adan Sanchez, 36, said you’ll find him firing it up throughout the day. Even when he’s not cooking, the smell lingers, calling to customers.

“I know it’s crazy, but sometimes I have nothing on the grill and the people are asking, ‘What are you cooking right now?’” Sanchez said. In one case, he said he had to open the cover for a customer to prove he wasn’t cooking.

This fall, Sanchez marks the 10th anniversary of Las Brazas. When he first opened his business, he said he did not have a lot of money and thought a grill would be a low-cost way to cook for his customers. He applied for a permit to use the grill outside his restaurant and a tradition was born. Sanchez said the name of the restaurant, Las Brazas, actually translates to the wood fire, or charcoal that is very red.

While the grill does its work outside, Sanchez and his family are inside the restaurant preparing a variety of dishes, each one an original recipe of Sanchez’s.

Sanchez was born and raised in Chiapas, Mexico, and moved to the United States 18 years ago. He always had a love for food and making fresh, delicious meals for friends and family.

That led him to his decision to open Las Brazas in Killeen in 2006. Sanchez described most of the food on his menu as authentic Mexican cuisine. Customers can choose from a long list of burritos, 16

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Adan Sanchez is the owner of Las Brazas Pollos Asados in Killeen.

enchiladas, tacos and tortas. All items are made hot and fresh to order, including the tortilla chips. While chicken is a popular choice, al pastor, carnitas, fajitas, steak and ground beef are tasty options, as well. The Las Brazas menu also offers some American-inspired options, such as

the carne asada and fries with cheese, or the hot dog a la Veracruz, which is a hot dog wrapped in bacon and served with lettuce, mayonnaise and Mexican cheese.

Sanchez said he aims to please the melting pot of cultures that is the United States.

“We make food for everybody,” he

IF YOU GO Location: 206 E. Rancier Ave., Killeen Phone: 254-526-2326 Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday.

Eat in or take out. said. “If you like spicy, we have spicy. If people cannot eat red meat, we have very good chicken.”

For those with an insatiable appetite, Las Brazas offers what it deems the giant burrito. The wrap fills an entire plate and can be filled with whatever the customer orders — typically a mix of meat, rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream and pico de gallo. Another jumbo-sized menu item is the Mexican street burger. Sanchez said it’s made with ground beef, three cheeses, avocado, lettuce, tomato, chorizo, ham and a hot dog.

No matter the customer’s order, Sanchez said he wants his customers to leave happy.

“The best gift a customer gives me is

Tacos al Pastor (Casero Style) 2 pounds of pork shoulder, cut or sliced to your preference 5 ounces white onion, chopped 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, chopped ¼ tablespoon cumin 2 tablespoons vinegar ½ cup water 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, if cooking in pan Tortillas Cilantro and additional chopped onion for topping, optional 1. Combine all ingredients and let marinate for 30 minutes.

2. There are several ways to cook the meat.

To grill: Heat grill to 350 degrees, cook pork slices, turning about every two minutes until done To pan fry: Heat vegetable oil in pan on high heat. Cook the pork mixture in pan on high stirring often, about ten minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until meat is fully cooked.

3. Serve on your favorite tortilla.

4. Top with chopped cilantro and onion, if desired. when I go to clean the table and the plate is empty,” he said. “That gives me the best energy to make better food, and that’s very important.”

Las Brazas is open Monday through Saturday for customers to dine-in or carry-

out. While the restaurant primarily serves lunch and dinner, it also offers breakfast on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Catering services are available.

Sanchez shared his recipe for tacos al pastor.

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Beauty in the Bag

beauty TexTalk

By CATHERINE HOSMAN

How do you stay beautiful on the go?

Each month Tex Appeal peeks inside the bag of one busy woman to reveal her best beauty secrets and must-have essentials.

Jane Boone

Marketing director Temple CAC

The ESSENTIALS she CARRIES Philosophy Animal Cracker Lip gloss: This product provides a high gloss shine for a long time. The color is soft and natural which I prefer most days for a nice sheer look.

Mary Kay Coral Bliss Lipstick: On the days I need a little lip color or for special occasions I use this lipstick. It’s just the right shade of color—not too soft or not too bold—and it goes with almost everything.

Mary Kay Peach Satin Hands: I keep lotion with me for myself and kids to quickly sooth dry skin affected by the summer rays.

Duct Tape Wallet: My daughter and her friends have created the Girls Duct Tape Shop.

They make duct tape items and the proceeds go back to charity. My pink and daisy wallet is

functional, unique, and kid created.

Duct Tape purple lined makeup purse: This durable, fashionable print bag has a special touch since my 10-year-old daughter made it for me.

Wood-turned pen: A pen is handy to take notes on the go, and it’s special because it’s homemade.

Duct Tape Pen: From the Girls Duct Tape Shop.

Pencil Eraser: I keep this handy when my kids are doing math and school work on the go.

Nobody is perfect, so having an eraser is handy.

Cellphone: I like to snap pictures, so having my cellphone handy makes this easy. Also it helps me have access to locations, numbers and addresses whenever I need them.

Photographs by MITCHEL BARRETT

Most valuable TOOL in her BAG

Bottle opener/scissor/ screwdriver multi-purpose tool: This tool is multi-purpose and helpful in lots of different situations. It can open bottles, screw in nails, and has come in handy several times over the years.

Altoids: It helps freshen my breath and calm my nerves with the mint flavor if needed.

Do you have a helpful hint you can share with readers?

Give of yourself as much as you can to others. I personally try to give as much of myself in all I do. The reward, or return, always seems to be so much greater and even better than I can imagine.

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TexTalk scene

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Bridal showcase offers everything needed to plan dream wedding

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1. From left, Marilyn Cates, Kristian Kunkel, Amy Hendrix and Karen Kunkel at the Temple Daily Telegram Bridal Expo.

2. Katie Veazey and Caegan Michaels.

3. Melissa Digiacomo and Lacye Velasquez.

Photos by MITCHEL BARRETT 20

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scene TexTalk

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8 6 4. Candace Gaida with Ashlee Steffek and her mother, Susan Steffek.

5. Silvia Copenhaver, the owner of Main Street Bridal, poses for a photo with her daughter, Victoria.

6. From left, Consuelo Solorzano, Dominga Reyes and Fatima Reyes.

7. Abigale Flugum, a bride to be, with her matron of honor, Vicky Johnson.

8. Dawson and Leanne Clark.

More photos on page 22 TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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9. Steve and Debbie Underwood.

10. Victoria Hough and Chelsea Wiatrek.

11. Kimberly and Kayla Goralewicz.

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12. Janette and Ken Shuler.

13. Eloisa Garcia and Maria Gandara.

14. Cynthia Riley and Marina Mungia.

15. Brittany Brooks and Pat Bryce.

16. Terri Bryce with Krista Haun.

Photos by MITCHEL BARRETT TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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TexTalk calendar

Friends of Temple Public Library Used Book Sale Sept. 1, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sept. 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sept. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This is Friends of the Library’s primary fundraiser. Proceeds from the book sale is used to purchase items for the library.

Temple Public Library 100 W. Adams Ave. Call 254-298-5556 for more information.

ABRACADABRA! Magic Act Sept. 1, 6 to 9 p.m.

Join Temple Parks and Recreation for a fun-filled magical evening to kick off Healthy Aging Month. Watch closely and laugh out loud as a strolling magician performs sleight of hand card and coin tricks that will amaze and amuse everyone.

Magician performs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Photo booth available from 6 to 9 p.m.

Free and open to the public Sammons Community Center 2220 W. Avenue D, Temple Call 254-298-5403 or visit TempleParks.com for more information.

Belton Senior Activity Center Dances 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Sept. 1, Bobby Dean, Timeless Country Sept. 15, Shorty Grisham & Friends, dancers are encouraged to dress with a 1950s flair for a sock hop themed event 842 Mitchell St., Belton Call 254-939-1170 for more information.

From left, Bailey Goodrum and Josh Frausto hang tight Sept. 6, 2015, at the Central Texas State Fair at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton.

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Central Texas State Fair Sept. 2, 5 p.m. to midnight Sept. 3 and 4, noon to midnight This year’s event promises to offer a variety of entertainment for the entire family. The fair includes an allnew carnival, a new demolition derby, professional bull riding, a rodeo and live musical acts.

General admission, $8 Kids 12 and younger, free Bell County Expo Center 301 W. Loop 121, Belton Call 254-933-5353 or visit centraltexasstatefair.com for more information.

calendar TexTalk

The Fun Flashers tent stayed busy with Susy Poteet blowing bubbles and selling light-up gifts and toys for the glow run during the inaugural Howl at the Moon Glow Fest.

Howl at the Moon Glow Fest Sept. 3, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sept. 4, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Spend an exhilarating Labor Day weekend at Emancipet Killeen’s second annual Howl at the Moon Glow Fest and enjoy two days of family fun and dog-friendly, action-packed activities for adults, kids and dogs.

The family-friendly event will feature the Heart of Texas Dock Dogs aquatic competition, local vendors, food trucks, and interactive activities for people and their dogs. All proceeds benefit

Emancipet Killeen.

Single day admission is $5 for adults and $3 for kids 12 and up. Kids under 12 are free with paid adult admission.

Killeen Rodeo Grounds 3201 S. W.S. Young Drive, Killeen Call 254-289-5623 for more information.

Apron Strings: Ties to the Past Sept. 3 to Oct. 20 This temporary exhibit features 51 vintage and contemporary examples that review the apron’s role as an emotionally

charged vehicle for expression with a rich and varied craft history that is still viable today. The exhibition serves as an excellent tool to bring together diverse parts of the community through shared experiences with, and memories of, a common, everyday textile.

Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum 315 W. Avenue B Call 254-298-5172 or visit www.rrhm. org for more information.

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TexTalk calendar

Homespun History Day Sept. 3, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Take a step back in time and learn about traditional crafts like weaving, pottery, leather-working or basket-making.

Watch the experts demonstrate their skills and try out some of these handmade crafting techniques.

Free admission Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum 315 W. Avenue B Call 254-298-5172 or visit www.rrhm. org for more information.

Seventh Annual Puppypalooza Sept. 10, 8 to 11 a.m.

This free, fun and dog-friendly event for all ages will include demonstrations, adoptions, dog and owner games, swimming, pet advice and more. Dogs need to be on a leash.

Free admission Carl Levin Park 400 Miller’s Crossing, Harker Heights Call 254-953-5465 for more information.

SOPoly Fest Sept. 10, 12 to 9 p.m.

Siva Ori Polynesia presents Killeen’s first SOPoly Fest. Free to the public, you won’t want to miss live entertainment, an array of food and craft vendors, music and an exciting fire show. Learn about new cultures, taste new foods, purchase crafts and products from vendors, meet

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AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

A dog plays in the water during last year’s Puppypalooza in Harker Heights.

new people and have a good time.

Free admission Killeen Amphitheater 2201 E. Veterans Memorial Blvd., Killeen Call 254-458-8976 for more information.

Harker Heights Food, Wine and Brew Festival Sept. 10, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Festival-goers can listen to music being played from the shady hilltop overlooking the venue while sampling a variety of beverages and culinary delights.

Advance tickets, $20; regular tickets, $25 Kids ages 13 and up, $10; kids 12 and under, free

Harker Heights Community Park 1501 E. Farm-to-Market 2410 Call 254-699-4999 for information or visit www.hhfoodandwine.com.

Salado Pocket Music Series Sept. 10, 1 to 4 p.m.

Kick off fall by coming to Salado to shop, eat, antique, and explore. The Salado Chamber of Commerce/Tourism Bureau co-sponsors the Pocket Music Series on the second Saturday of the month through September. Visitors will be entertained while musicians perform at various businesses.

Free Call 254-947-5040 or visit www. salado.com for information.

calendar TexTalk

Film and Food Fridays Sept. 16, 7 to 10:30 p.m.

Film and Food Fridays encourage family and friends to “let the good times reel” as a family-friendly movie is shown on an inflatable screen. The food truck opens at 7 p.m. and the free showing of “Zootopia” begins at 8:30 p.m.

Carl Levin Amphitheater 400 Miller’s Crossing, Harker Heights Call 254-953-5466 or visit www. ci.harker-heights.tx.us for more information.

Salado Chocolate and Wine Weekend Sept. 16 to 18, times vary by day Chocolate and Wine Weekend is sure to please the most passionate of chocolate lovers. Chocolate and wine will be paired, a chocolate trail can be followed and a “Death by Chocolate” contest is in the works. Participants can buy tickets for individual events.

Ticket prices vary by event.

Village of Salado Call 254-947-5040 for more information.

Belton Market Days Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Shop among a variety of vendors who offer everything from antiques and handmade jewelry to unique clothing and Texas barbecue. Every third Saturday, downtown Belton is lined with outdoor booths along Central Avenue beginning at Penelope Street.

The Temple Symphony Orchestra rehearses in April. The new season opens Sept. 17 at Temple College.

Call 254-939-5699 or visit downtownbelton.com for more information.

Train Whistle Jamboree Sept. 17, 2 to 9 p.m.

This year’s annual jamboree will have fun for the whole family including a petting zoo, magician, music and carnival games. The fireworks show begins at 9 p.m.

Free admission Church of Christ Campgrounds South Main Street/Old Nolanville Road, Nolanville Call 254-698-6335 for information.

Temple Symphony Orchestra: A Classical Delight Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.

Enjoy an evening of classical music from Amadeus Mozart, Gioachino Rossini and Sergei Prokofiev. Jan Scott will play the clarinet and John Fairlie will play the bassoon. Tickets can be purchased at the door, online or over the phone at 254-778-6683.

Adults, $25; Students and children ages 6 and up, $5 Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center at Temple College 2600 S. First St., Temple Continued

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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TexTalk calendar

Uncle Lucius Texas Music Series at the CAC Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.

Hailing from Austin, Uncle Lucius is a band whose rootsy blend of classic rock, blues, soul, and country flavors has won a loyal fan following. This performance is part of the Texas Music Series at the Cultural Activities Center.

Advance tickets, $23; at the door, $27 3011 N. Third St., Temple Call 254-773-9926 or visit www. cacarts.org for more information.

Killeen Downtown Jazz Fest Sept. 24, 5:30 to 10 p.m.

The jazz festival includes live music and local vendors. Food and beverage will be available for purchase.

Free and open to the public Avenue D and Gray Street, Killeen Call 254-501-7815 for information.

Temple Parks Foundation Food Truck Extravaganza Sept. 24, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Bring the family to the Santa Fe Depot Gardens for a day of great food, live music and family-friendly events.

From burgers to Samoan to Korean and then dessert — there is a food truck to satisfy every appetite.

Santa Fe Depot Gardens 315 W. Avenue B, Temple Call 254-298-5774 for more information.

Car and Craft Show Benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Sept. 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There will be great cars, vendors, concessions and activities for the entire family plus raffles and prizes. All of the money raised through vendor and registration fees, concessions, raffles and donations will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Free admission for spectators Seaton Star Hall 10842 State Highway 53, Temple Call 254-718-9502 for information.

Rachel Barton Pine Texas Music Series at the CAC Sept. 25, 4 p.m.

Heralded as a leading interpreter 28

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Customers line up outside of food truck Fina’dene. Temple plans a Food Truck Extravaganza on Sept. 24.

of the great classical masterworks, international concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine thrills audiences with her dazzling technique, lustrous tone and emotional honesty. Presented by the Central Texas Orchestral Society of the CAC. 3011 N. Third St., Temple Call 254-773-9926 or visit www. cacarts.org for more information or tickets.

Vista Real Estate Golf Tournament Benefiting the Belton Senior Activity Center Sept. 26, 11 a.m.

This second annual event will include prizes for first, second and dead last finishers. There will also be a drawing for a grand prize winner. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. The putting contest starts at 11 a.m. and the shotgun start is at noon.

Wildflower Country Club 4902 Wildflower Lane, Temple Call 254-231-0209 for more information.

Country and Western Dance Sept. 29, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Texas Rose Event Center will

have a country & western dance featuring the Old Friends Band. The band will play all your favorite dance tunes. Guests are asked to bring snacks and finger foods to share.

Admission, $5 893 E. Farm-to-Market 93, Temple Call 254-773-7754 for more information or to make reservations.

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe Tribute Show Sept. 30, 6:30 to 10 p.m.

Celebrate the conclusion of Healthy Aging Month and watch as these three celebrity personalities from the past come to life for an evening of dancing and entertainment. Don’t forget your camera as photo ops with Frank, Dean and Marilyn will take place after the show.

Free Sammons Community Center 2220 W. Avenue D, Temple Call 254-298-5403 or visit TempleParks.com for more information.

Email upcoming events to edittexappealmagazine@gmail.com.

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35 artists share the magic of music

By M. CLARE HAEFNER

M

usic is a universal language. Whether instrumental or with words, and regardless of age or style, music speaks to us all. It can soothe heartache, calm rage, incite euphoria — mirror whatever emotion we feel in the moment.

Almost all of us have an affinity for some kind of music, and throughout our lives, we use it to develop a soundtrack to accompany the highs and lows. Most of us remember the first album we purchased, the song playing during our first kiss or after our first breakup, the songs we played over and over and over as teenagers, the ones that keep us company during a workout or a long road trip.

But what inspires the artists who create the songs we love?

That’s what Bob Boilen decided to find out in his new book, “Your Song Changed My Life” (William Morrow/Harper Collins, 2016). The host and creator of National Public Radio’s “All Songs Considered” offers a collection of interviews with “35 beloved artists on their musical journey and the music that inspired it.”

The book begins with Boilen’s reflections on his favorite music and the song that changed his life, the Beatles “A Day in the Life” off Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in the summer of 1967 when he was a teenager in New York. It was the first time he realized how powerful music can be — how one song can change the way you view the world.

“A Day in the Life” inspired him “to seize opportunities, to take chances, because we only get one shot at life,” he writes.

As a music lover whose catalogue includes classical, orchestral music, jazz, blues, rock, pop, country, bluegrass, hip hop, big band, Broadway and everything in between, I was familiar with almost all of the artists included in Boilen’s book.

While only a couple are favorites of mine — Chris Thile of Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers, and Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters — I enjoyed reading about all the artists’ inspirations and the common thread they all have — the idea that music creates magic.

Several artists took inspiration from the Beatles and Bob Dylan, others from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” and newer artists from Pearl Jam and Nirvana, but all made connections with a song that inspired them to find the artist within themselves.

They also inspired me to listen to songs I’d left on the shelf awhile and to discover ones I’m less familiar with. Quite a few of the artists’ inspirations were unexpected — even to Boilen who attends more than 500 live shows a year and listens to thousands of other artists who send samples to his office. Thinking Colin Meloy of The Decemberists would name something by Shirley Collins, Boilen was surprised his pick was Hüsker Dü’s “Hardly Getting Over It,” but soon realized the connection — the fearlessness the band had in creating that song inspired the sense of adventure and surprise Meloy infuses in his music.

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AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Other connections are interesting. Annie Clark, who performs as St. Vincent and grew up in Dallas, started exploring music after a box of CDs fell off a truck in front of her house.

Michael Stipe of R.E.M. found inspiration in the bubblegum pop of the 1960s, then in the famed New York Club CBGB and in Patti Smith’s “Birdland” off her album Horses. Smokey Robinson was inspired by himself. After writing “Shop Around,” he reinvented the art of songwriting to create something all artists want — timelessness. Many of them have achieved that, and are likely writing songs that will inspire artists to come.

“A song can be a call to action,” Boilen writes, “to pick up an instrument or a pen, to find your voice, to spill your soul and change your life — and, perhaps, someone else’s.”

Read this book and see which songs did that for his selected artists, and, perhaps, realize how their connections to music and other artists resonate with yours.

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Conductor Thomas Fairlie directs the string section of the TSO. 32

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Members of the string section of the Temple Symphony Orchestra perform. The new season includes classical music to pops performances.

From Beethoven to pops

The Temple Symphony Orchestra performs it all Story by CATHERINE HOSMAN Photos by MICHAEL MILLER and courtesy of DAVID PEREZ-GUERRA

S

ymphony lovers in Bell County who are familiar with the artistic offerings of a big city like Dallas or Houston don’t have to travel far to enjoy the sounds of a professional orchestra.

The Temple Symphony Orchestra, founded 23 years ago by Musical Director and Conductor Thomas Fairlie, is gearing up for its 2016-17 season with a selection

of performances that range from classical to pops.

Fairlie, who recently retired as the director of the Division of Fine Arts at Temple College after 23 years of service, was building a band program and jazz ensemble when he was inspired to begin the TSO in 1994.

“That summer I got a call from Don Nelson, director of marketing for Scott & White at the time, and he asked me to put a professional orchestra concert together. Scott & White had been bringing in an outside group for an

annual concert and it was Don’s idea for us to have a holiday concert performed by a local orchestra instead of bringing in an outside group.”

Conducting an orchestra was new for Fairlie, so he spent six weeks at an orchestral conducting institute that he said “was the most intense educational experience I’ve ever had in my life.”

“I had to learn and conduct a new score every day for six weeks,” he said.

As a young professional orchestral before moving to Temple, he said Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

33

founding the TSO was a natural progression in his musical career.

At the time, Fairlie said there wasn’t a “whole lot going on in terms of locally produced music” in Temple. With $10,000 seed money a symphony was born.

Performance ready Preparing to conduct an orchestra requires a creative process that begins months before an actual performance.

“With the symphony, it’s the actual craft of learning the music and putting it together with musicians, and that never ceases to fascinate me,” Fairlie said. “The mental process of learning the score and the art of conducting from a musical standpoint is an all encompassing job.

There are so many skills involved, physical coordination and the ability to make a musical phrase happen. Every time I find a new piece, it’s like starting over. It takes months to put a piece of music in your head.”

Fairlie said he spends a couple of hours a day studying scores before rehearsals begin. He musically visualizes his orchestra and what he wants the piece to sound like. He said when he studies a score the goal is to be able to hear that score in his head before he puts it in front of an audience. And when he stands in front of his orchestra, baton in hand, he knows what he wants the music to sound like even before he gives a downbeat.

“Everything I have to do as a conductor — which has a lot to do with facial expressions, how I use my hand — I have to learn the piece and know what I want to do and what I want it to sound like. The orchestra will know what it is going to sound like by what I do, not by what I say,” said Fairlie, from his home in Ohio.

Fairlie is adjusting to his new life as a retired educational professional. He’s in the Midwest, about to embark on a family camping trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where he will park their RV at a site overlooking Lake Superior and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

“I’ve had two jobs for 23 years and now I’m at a time in my life where I want to focus on family, my wife, Mary, and do some of the things that I like,” he said.

In a couple of weeks following his UP adventure, he will be back in Temple 34

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

getting ready to rehearse for the TSO’s first performance of the season, “A Classical Delight,” offering concertos

by Mozart and a symphony by Sergei Prokofiev.

Even though he is retired from his career with Temple College, Fairlie said he has no plans to slow down from conducting.

“It’s really a passion and a love for me; I’m not tired of it. It keeps me mentally engaged.”

It takes a board Maintaining a symphony costs money and the TSO’s Board of Directors has been instrumental in its planning,

fundraising, public relations and artistic development.

Andy Montgomery, president, has served on the board for four years. He works closely with Jan Salzman, TSO executive director, to ensure that the board committees are working together to create a seamless musical season.

“There are five or six committees,” Montgomery said. “The House Committee makes sure the performance goes smoothly, there are finance, accounting and audit committees, and a grant committee that continuously looks for outside funding sources to support the symphony.”

Montgomery said they are planning

ABOVE: Tom Fairlie rehearses with members of the Temple Symphony Orchestra at Temple College.

AT RIGHT: An orchestra member marks sheet music.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Wind and string musicians watch Fairlie for cues during rehearsal.

Photos by Michael Miller

to launch an endowment committee that could serve two purposes: To help change the mindset from fundraising to endowments to ensure the longevity of TSO, and to have money to put an orchestra on the stage.

“We want to make Andy Montgomery sure the symphony is endowed in perpetuity,” said Salzman.

TSO, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization currently has an endowment of $100,000, but Montgomery said he hopes to see it increase Jan Salzman to $1 million in less than five years.

The second purpose of an endowment it to have the money to put an orchestra on the stage.

“A performance can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $45,000 depending on repertoire and soloists,” Fairlie said.

Without an endowment in place, the TSO board and committees plan their season, create a budget and ask

themselves, “What can I perform/ present?” With an endowment, they would have the ability to ask, “What do I want to see in a performance?”

“This is not a community orchestra,” Salzman said. “It is a professional orchestra whose musicians need to be able to earn a living.”

Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

35

Thomas Fairlie conducts the Temple Symphony Orchestra during a rehearsal at the Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center at Temple College. Photo by Michael Miller

All the music for performances is chosen by Fairlie who must work within a budget.

“Having an endowment will help us to increase our budget and give us a cushion for when the economy ebbs and flows and people can’t give much to an organization,” Fairlie said.

Overall, the musicians that make up the orchestra remains consistent, however, Fairlie and Montgomery said there are times when a piece may require larger instrumentation and calls for additional musicians, or someone may leave for other opportunities.

“Additional musicians are selected through audition and are brought in based on musical needs,” Fairlie said.

In addition to their seasonal concerts, the TSO provides a grantfunded community musical outreach to 36

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

“With the symphony, it’s the actual craft of learning the music and putting it together with musicians, and that never ceases to fascinate me.

The mental process of learning the score and the art of conducting from a musical standpoint is an all encompassing job.”

— Tom Fairlie

older adults. Older adults with physical impairments or who are indigent may not be able to attend a symphony so the TSO goes to them.

“Last year we started a program with the Central Texas Housing Authority and took a quartet to play for older adults in nursing homes, senior living

environments and to the Veterans home,” said Salzman.

“Temple is unique that they are the first Central Texas city to have a symphony of this caliber,” said Montgomery. “The orchestra has become an integral part of life for Temple and the surrounding Central Texas community.”

Call 254.501.7500 (Killeen) or 254.778.4444 (Temple) to reserve an ad today.

View the magazine online at texappealmag.com.

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

37

Traci Tipping is the executive director of Vive Les Arts Theatre in Killeen. She’s also seen at right performing in “Beehive.”

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AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Vive Les Arts

An extended theatrical family Story by MANDY SHELTON File and contributed photos

W

hen the Vive Les Arts Societe began looking for a new leader, it seemed as though Traci Tipping had been rehearsing for the role since birth.

A dancer since age 3, she had already appeared in a few VLA shows — notably “Beehive” in 2000, photos of which can be seen in the theater’s lobby during intermissions. “Her name came up and it just seemed to be a perfect fit,” said Bary Heidtbrink,

who along with his wife, Summer, serves as chairperson of the VLA board. “She’s really taken the ball and run with it while she’s been here.”

In her two years as executive director of Vive Les Arts Theatre, Tipping has created a work family that is almost as established in the community as her birth family.

“I’m from Killeen. I’ve been here my whole life,” said Tipping, a fifth-generation Killeenite and seventh-generation Texan. “I would not be anywhere without my family.”

Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

39

A photo of her ancestor Joseph Dennis hangs in the Bell County Museum, commemorating his role in the county’s formation. Tipping’s forefathers fought in the Battle of San Jacinto and the Civil War, and a great-great-greatgrandmother, Lucinda Vance Tincup, walked the Trail of Tears. “Yes, lots of history,” Tipping said. “Conder Park is named after my grandfather’s twin brother who passed away in World War II.” The Killeen High School graduate and former Kangarette experienced her own Texas legend in 2004 when she became a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.

“I did it for one season,” Tipping said. “It was fabulous.”

In the family tradition, her cousin Ashley Elmore Emmons is another DCC alumna from Killeen. “We go back and get to perform every year for alumni games,” Tipping said. “It’s fun to get to go in the new stadium.”

It was Tipping’s college sweetheart who lured her away from the Cowboys.

“My husband — he was my fiancé at the time — was in Houston getting his doctorate in pharmacy, so he was coming to visit me every weekend,” Tipping said.

“That one year was all I could do; I had to go be with him.”

The couple met at Tarleton University, and when it came time to choose a wedding venue, Bell County beat out Dallas, Houston, and Will Tipping’s hometown of Rio Vista. “It was actually at the Methodist church here in Killeen — the old one downtown,” Tipping said.

“It’s also where my mother was married.”

After hanging up her pompoms, Tipping put her business degree to work as a district manager for Automatic Data Processing. She then became a professor of dance at Central Texas College, teaching ballet, jazz, and Zumba.

Even after taking over at VLA, she still finds time to teach dance classes in the community.

Tipping currently lives outside Salado, where her eighth-generation Texans, 8-year-old Grace Rebecca Tipping and 6-year-old William Wyatt Tipping, attend school. The locale was middle ground for Traci and Will Tipping: Bell County for her, small town for him. Her parents, Kendall and Rebecca Curb, still live in Killeen, and her twin brother Travis is even closer. “He lives in Salado right down the road from us. He’s 40

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Heidi Lewis who plays Mary Poppins floats on to the stage during a July dress rehearsal at Vive Les Arts Theatre.

married and has two kids. It’s great. We’re real close,” she said.

Community theater As she begins her third season at VLA, Tipping is preparing to welcome a new member to her theater family.

Audiences might remember Jerry Morrison as guest director of “Boeing Boeing” and “The Nerd” during the 201516 season. “He directed both of those and we just loved him,” Tipping said. “He’s

been directing for quite a long time so he’s very well seasoned and I really think he’s going to be an attribute.”

Morrison begins work at the VLA on Sept. 20. One of his duties will be helping to steer the play reading committee, which Tipping has tasked him with to select plays that “help the community, help bring people in, help the theatre.”

The committee currently reading for the 2017-18 season includes five members, with Tipping and Morrison acting as

Chimney sweeps practice a number during rehearsal for “Mary Poppins” at Vive Les Arts Theatre in Killeen.

“It just takes a lot of different pieces to put on a production. When I hire the directors and the people that come in, I trust them fully and I know that they are going to do a good job.”

— Traci Tipping

Crystal Hansen as Tansy McGinnis, Jerry Juliano as Axel Hammond and Jordan Brinkmann as Willum Cubbert dance during a dress rehearsal for the VLA’s production of “The Nerd.”

facilitators. “I tried to pick people that had knowledge of plays, I tried to pick people from the community, I tried to pick people of different age groups,” Morrison said.

“And they change every year,” Tipping added.

“So we’ll be working with a new

committee every year,” Morrison said. “I think it’s really important that we focus on family friendly, both in language and situation. I’m not saying that a 5-year-old can come to every show and be absolutely amazed, but a 5-year-old can come to every show and not be traumatized.”

Support for the nonprofit is a mix

of sponsorships, memberships and funding from the city of Killeen and Texas Commission on the Arts. VLA has only three full-time employees — Tipping, Office Manager Michelle Anthony and Technical Director John Arceneaux — but each season, the theater welcomes legions of volunteer workers from the community.

“And I’m so thankful,” Tipping said. “We couldn’t survive without our volunteers.”

For aspiring actors, the first step Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

41

Ashley Dunn, far right, leads while singing Little Eva’s “The Locomotion” during the Legends of Motown show rehearsal at the Vive Les Arts Theatre in Killeen.

toward stardom is as easy as showing up to a VLA casting call.

“They just come to auditions and if they make auditions then they start rehearsals. And that’s basically it,” Tipping said. Rehearsals are in the evening, and “we work around people’s schedules all the time,” she said.

“We have all open auditions at VLA,” Morrison said. “I have a lot of shows that I want to possibly produce, and I am looking for dancers — also, always looking for choreographers.”

The theme for the 2016-17 season, Morrison said, is “musicals, musicals, musicals.”

“Over the years we have done surveys,” Tipping said. “What were highly likable were the musicals and the comedies.”

Offering a preview of the upcoming season, Morrison summarized: “‘Spelling Bee’ is a very entertaining, cute musical.

‘Aida’ is more of a sweeping saga. And of course ‘Little Mermaid’ speaks for itself.”

“That’s our huge summer musical for this coming season,” Tipping said.

She added that the show was developed from the 1989 Disney film. To that end, she said Morrison is looking forward to implementing a “cinematic process of very smooth transitions,” in his direction of life under the sea.

“I’m not a big scene change person, I like to do it like a film-type of staging where everything is fluid and we never really have to sit and wait for any kind of 42

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

A scene from “Mary Poppins” at Vive Les Arts Theatre in Killeen.

scene changes at all. If you saw ‘Boeing Boeing’ and ‘The Nerd’ you can kind of see it’s more important to me to keep the show moving than to have scene changes,” Morrison said.

Beyond the 2016-17 season Morrison said “that VLA is going to focus on familyfriendly theater.”

“I don’t mean cotton-candy fluffy shows, I’m talking about shows that have a great story, are well written and have a some type of a hook to the community,” he said. “So we’re looking at sports, we’re looking at sci-fi, we’re looking at Comic-

Con, we’re looking at Texas — we want to do some quintessential Texas shows.”

The chance for professional growth also has Morrison eager to join VLA. “I have really enjoyed doing research into new and exciting plays that are out there that will be family-friendly,” he said.

“He’s going to bring just some really cool ideas,” Tipping said. “I’m excited about it.”

The selection of family-friendly shows keeps the 40-year-old cultural institution accessible to the next generation of arts aficionados. During her tenure, Tipping

Traci Tipping is seen in a performance of “Cats.”

has started a relationship with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Texas. “The partnership with the Boys and Girls Club is going extremely well. We had a summer program with them, there is an afterschool program coming up,” Heidtbrink said. “We also display their artwork in the Meadows Gallery.”

“And then of course the poetry slam, where they get to come and showcase their talents,” said Tipping. “That’s free to the public.”

VLA also opens its doors to visitors from the local schools several times each season. “We do partner with Killeen ISD,” Tipping said. “They come here and we put on a show.” On Oct. 11 and 12, elementary students will be given the opportunity to see “Peter Pan” on the VLA stage during the school day.

“Typically within a week or so after receiving the invite, the shows are all booked,” said Karen Herrera, director of fine arts for Killeen ISD. “Not only is this culturally enriching for our students but it helps fine arts teachers satisfy a critical element of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.”

In addition to the Killeen ISD and BGCCT partnerships, the theater hosts children’s camps and acting workshops.

This summer saw the debut of Grace Rebecca Tipping in the children’s workshop performance of “Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn.”

“She’s a natural,” Tipping said of her daughter’s performance. “I think it’s in her blood.”

A New Role Since her own days in the spotlight, Tipping has seen the curtain rise on an arts management career that is still keeping her on her toes. “There’s not a typical day,” she said. “We’re always doing different things.”

“Her previous background with dancing and other endeavors just kind of made her the perfect fit for what we wanted to try and achieve here,” Heidtbrink said of Tipping’s leadership at VLA. “It just takes a lot of different pieces to put on a production,” Tipping said.

“When I hire the directors and the people that come in, I trust them fully, and I have a lot of trust in their work and I know that they’re going to do a great job.”

Tipping attends every VLA opening night and says she is privileged to see her VLA family pouring their hearts and souls into each show. “I cry at mostly all of the opening nights of shows because I know how hard the cast, crew, volunteers and staff have worked just to make this a magical experience for our patrons.”

For Morrison, there was an instant creative connection. “I think we hit it off really well right away. Traci brings such a face to the theater, such a wonderful enthusiasm to the theater, and I’m kind of more in the background.”

Still, Tipping seems to be enjoying her role behind the scenes as well. “My favorite part is watching the very beginning of rehearsals,” Tipping said. “We all work together as one big family, really, because it takes more than one person. It takes a family to make this run.”

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Judy Sparkman says it can take a lot of time to get each mosaic’s design just right. She moves the individual pieces of glass around until she’s satisfied.

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Express yourself

Creativity is contagious at Salado Village Artists Story by DANIELLE EVERETT Photos by MITCHEL BARRETT

F

ive years ago, longtime Houston resident Judy Sparkman retired from her job, packed up her belongings and set out for a new life in Central Texas. Key in hand, she unlocked the door to her new home in Salado. Little did she know she was also on her way to unlocking a creative side she never knew she had.

As someone who worked at an engineering firm, married an engineer and was the daughter of an engineer, art had always been far from Sparkman’s mind. That would all change when her cousin, Helen, a Salado resident, invited her to a Salado Village Artists gathering.

“I told her, ‘I can’t join the group! I don’t do art!’” Sparkman said.

Her cousin wouldn’t take no for an answer and encouraged her to bring her needlework to the group. Before she knew it, Sparkman was among some of Salado’s most artistic and creative minds and would soon come to understand what the group was all about.

Members describe Salado Village Artists as a nonprofit, “civic-minded group of people aspiring to become wonderful artists.” The group meets weekly at an old converted schoolhouse in downtown Salado to work on projects like oil and watercolor painting, sculpting, jewelry making, stitching, crafting and photography. Sometimes the artists work independently and other times they work collectively in a workshop setting.

Some members are award-winning or professional artisans, while others have relatively limited experience. But the more experienced artists are eager to share their knowledge with others in the group.

As it turns out, their creativity can be contagious.

At first, Sparkman participated in a painting workshop led by another group

Judy Sparkman’s cousin Helen Alexander creates a beautiful landscape using a variety of oil paints.

member, but found it wasn’t for her. She kept an open mind and continued her search for a new art form to enjoy. She eventually participated in a SVA mosaics workshop, led by fellow member Mardie

Bernard, and it sparked a creative light inside her mind. As Sparkman sifted through the pieces of beautiful, brightly colored glass and began laying a pattern Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Ellie Cornell, left, and Helen Alexander collaborate as they each create a landscape scene with oil paints.

Members describe Salado Village Artists as a nonprofit, “civicminded group of people aspiring to become wonderful artists.”

Art lines the walls of the Salado Village Artist’s studio. Members’ work also hangs in Salado’s banks and library.

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in her work area, she realized she was actually enjoying herself.

“I was surprised to find I had this creative side,” she said.

The workshop propelled her to create more mosaics. She now beautifies birdbaths, bee and butterfly baths, sun catchers, Lazy Susans, tables, address plates, rocks and anything else on which she can glue and grout glass designs in her home garage-turned-art studio. Inside, hours fly by as Sparkman pours her energy and attention into each colorfully

Sylvia Hodges concentrates as she uses oil paint to create a lifelike pink hibiscus flower.

creative endeavor. People know her best for her bee baths she started creating after learning about the pollinators’ need for a safe place to drink fresh water.

Sparkman said her newfound passion would have gone on undiscovered had it not been for the help and encouragement from members of SVA, as well as some patience and desire on her part.

“Sometimes you just don’t know what you can do,” she said.

The same can be said for what you

can be. Sparkman, the same woman who not long ago said she could never do art, is the new president of SVA. She assumed the position in January and is now heavily involved in planning upcoming events, workshops and community outreach initiatives.

“It’s been fun,” she said of her time as president thus far. “I’m kind of high energy and I try to be positive because there’s so much negativity in the world.”

Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Cathy Neese works on an art project while attending a regular Tuesday Salado Village Artists meeting.

An artist’s palette creates a rainbow of colors to blend into an original painting using brushes in a variety of sizes.

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Rows of brightly colored glass fill the countertop in Judy Sparkman’s home art studio. She’ll cut the glass into pieces and use them for her mosaics.

At a regular Tuesday SVA meeting, an upbeat, positive energy certainly does fill the room as the artists file in, armed with brushes, easels, markers, paints and quilting materials. The artists get to work, creating beautiful landscapes, flowers, portraits and other projects.

Some artists are quiet and focused. The only sound you’ll hear from them is the occasional clink, clink, clink of a brush as it swirls around a mason jar full of water. Meantime, others are actively collaborating with one another, talking about their work and sharing art supplies.

Their conversations sometimes lead to laughter that fills the bright, airy studio.

“These are really, really talented people,” said SVA member Sheryl Russell.

“This is an organization of the most upbeat, interesting, accomplished ladies [and men] who are all givers. Everyone here is a constant volunteer.”

Because SVA is able to rent its studio at essentially no cost from Salado Independent School District, the group makes a point of giving back to area kids.

For the last three summers, SVA has held two-hour art afternoons for kids ages 7 to 12. The artists have helped little ones create everything from T-shirts and greeting cards, to decorative rocks and watercolor paintings.

Russell believes the time the group spends sharing its love of art with the

Jerry Goodman joined SVA in 1984. She and her late husband, Dick Goodman, helped transform an old school house and bus barn into SVA’s current studio.

children will have a big impact on their future.

“It teaches you to think, it teaches you to absorb, it teaches you to be observant,” said Russell. “So it’s enriching.”

SVA also supports Aware Central Texas with donations and makes the Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Each mosaic begins with a pattern. Judy Sparkman lays one out for her next bee bath. BELOW: Sparkman started creating them after learning about bees’ need for fresh water.

stockings for its annual Christmas on the Farm event in December. In preparation for this year’s event, the group has already made more than 500 stockings.

Another big event SVA has gotten involved in was last year’s arTexas art contest for people around the state and even the country. SVA received about $6,000 in donations and entry fees and was able to use that money to give out prizes and a student scholarship. There’s now talk of holding the event every other year.

With all the time the group members spend with one another, they tend to get close. They have dinners, celebrate birthdays and holidays and have weekly get-togethers outside the art studio.

“I’ve been with them so long, it’s just kind of like my extended family, and I think most people in here feel that way,” said Jerry Goodman, a member of SVA since 1984. “It’s not only our group that we work with, they’re like family.”

As president, Sparkman is on a mission to add members to the SVA family and to raise awareness of the group.

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“I don’t want the group to die or fade away,” she said. “I want it to stay. It’s been around 33 years and it needs to continue.”

Sparkman and the other members encourage anyone in the Central Texas community and beyond to join them,

whether they’ve done art their whole lives or have little to no experience.

“You can come and know absolutely nothing,” said Goodman. “You will learn.

And if you don’t learn, you’ll have a good time anyway.”

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Page Dolan uses a rubber ball, a mirror and a warm smile to connect with Dalton Richmond.

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TexHealth

Just believe

Believe Pediatric Therapy spreads hope Story by FRED AFFLERBACH Photos courtesy of Rob Peoples

W

hen children with special needs arrive at Believe Pediatric Therapy in Temple they have only one job to do — PLAY! They can bounce up and down on a trampoline. Walk across a short suspension bridge in which the wooden steps under their feet wiggle and wobble.

They pull themselves up a climbing wall made from recycled tires — playing games such as these links the physical with the mental, says owner and physical therapist Julie Melton. First, engage the child through an exercise as simple as bouncing a balloon in the air, then incorporate word play or counting.

“There is an old phrase that says play is the child’s occupation,” said Melton.

“Here we have to make an environment that is fun and play-based. That’s how they learn and that’s how we’re going to teach them.”

Speech therapist Katherine Spence believes if you get the body moving, the mind will follow. Her students play baseball, bowl and climb obstacle courses.

“We try to make speech fun. It’s boring to sit at a table and just drill. They don’t want to do it. They pick an activity. I pick what we do within the activity and we go with it.”

Office manager Terri Wallace believes the day was a success if a child leaves a session and feels like she played rather than performed a boring set of repetitive exercises. “I want them to have fun. This is not the doctor’s office. This is cool.”

According to the Association for Play Therapy, children can communicate Continued

Owner Julie Melton said the staff at Believe look at their occupation not as a job but as a ministry.

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Laurianne Sanders and Lauren Monroe incorporate a rubber ball and mechanical horse with physical therapy for Christian Matulik.

through play even when they do not have the verbal skills to express their thoughts and feelings. Lessons that include play time also help promote cognitive development and resolve inner conflicts.

“In play therapy, toys are like the child’s words and play is the child’s language,” wrote Gary L. Landreth in “Play Therapy, the Art of the Relationship.”

A focused approach Believe Physical Therapy works with children who have special needs such as autism, neurological disorders, cerebral palsy or brain injuries. Therapists have taught children who have had strokes and even a few who used ventilators. “We want to serve the tough children, the medically fragile children. We want to serve the kids that nobody else is qualified to serve,” Melton said. “I know that our team has the experience, and has the desire to serve those children.”

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“Over the last 15 years, I have dealt with dozens of therapists and clinics. It is very difficult to find staff that treats the whole child. They (Believe therapists) work very, very well together. They collaborate among each other to give the best possible care and to meet his needs.”

— Sandi Butzow

That team of about a dozen therapists was assembled because they were highly regarded in their field, Melton says, and they live in the community they serve.

Believe therapists also visit homes to help children who are unable to travel to the center.

Sandi Butzow’s son, Brandon, 15, has been working with Believe therapists at home and in the community for 10

years. Although Brandon was born with a neurological disorder, Angelman Syndrome, he bowls, plays basketball and swims.

“Over the last 15 years, I have dealt with dozens of therapists and clinics. It is very difficult to find staff that treats the whole child. They (Believe therapists) work very, very well together. They collaborate among each other to give

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Therapist Katherine Spence playing with Lian Arciniega.

the best possible care and to meet his needs,” Butzow said. “I can text them. I can call them. I can e-mail them. They’ve been able to be a sounding board and share their knowledge to help guide our decisions as a family.”

Sammie Brisbin’s 17-year-old daughter, Shawna, was born three months premature at 1 pound, 13 ounces and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. She weighs

60 pounds today. Although Shawna is non-ambulatory and non-audible, she communicates through her eyes. Shawna has been working with Believe therapists for seven years, both in the clinic and at a public pool. One of her favorite activities is riding the mechanical horse. “It’s a little, slow gait, which makes the child feel like they’re walking. It helps their Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

55

diaphragm get stronger,” Brisbin said.

“The motion on the horse can strengthen that diaphragm where they can start making sounds and eventually talk.”

A new mother’s leap of faith About 11 years ago, Melton was approached by a colleague who suggested that she open her own business helping children with special needs. After all, Melton, a licensed therapist, had been helping these children in their homes for several years. Melton was nine months pregnant with her first child, yet she believed. She started with two patients, using horses as a treatment tool. Today she owns and operates two facilities: one in Waco and the other in Temple.

A year ago, Believe Therapy (formerly Hope and Believe Pediatric Therapy www.hopetherapyforkids.com), made another leap of faith and moved to a larger building. A growing population of students and staff had outgrown the original location. So Melton found a 3,000-square-foot former health food store on Avenue M. Remodeling and decorating on weekends and evenings was a team effort in which staff gave new life to secondhand objects. One day Melton made a U-turn on her drive past Lake Waco and wrestled into her trunk a discarded tire that is now part of the climbing wall.

Wallace converted a broken ironing board into a bright yellow wall rack in which baskets now hang and she cut open a few pillows, yanked out the stuffing and glued it to some cardboard panels. Looking up at sky-blue walls in the big gym, you’re eye is drawn to these homemade, cotton candy clouds.

Along with their new home on Avenue M, the staff at Believe has a new friend. Temple businesswoman Sue Hamby leased the building she constructed 28 years ago to Melton because she believed in how these therapists were making a difference in the lives of children with special needs.

Hamby had worked with autistic children in Florida. And in 2010, the Bell County Commissioners’ Court recognized her as advocate of the year for people with disabilities. Hamby says she’s thrilled with what the staff has done to retrofit the building. But more importantly, she believes in the value of their work.

“They are making a difference in the 56

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

ABOVE: Children at Believe Therapy improve their breathing and balance by riding this mechanical horse.

Lauren Monroe assisting Christian Matulik.

AT RIGHT: Staff members all received a Believe necklace like the one Lauren Monroe is wearing at the company Christmas party last year.

lives of special needs children. I can see in the short time I’m there, what a difference they make,” Hamby said. “They have a tremendous passion for what they are doing and it shows. It’s not a job to them, it’s a passion. And it’s a commitment to make a difference in the lives of others.

Sometimes they (special needs children) think having a disability, they can’t do anything. But if you moved away that d-i-s, they have ability. They have a different kind of ability.”

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Using these faces of Jesus Christ, Dan Pogue explains three early steps in creating a bronze image. From left, a clay model, a silicone mold and a wax mold.

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TexAdventures

Night sculptor

Pogue Gallery and Foundry welcomes visitors Story by FRED AFFLERBACH Photos contributed by ROB PEOPLES

A

t schools, churches, libraries and hospitals across Central Texas and beyond, you may have paused and reflected before on one of Dan Pogue’s bronze sculptures. Children sitting cross-legged looking up at a woman reading. A mother holding her infant child close to her breast, crisp wind tugging at her hair and skirt. Christ kneeling and praying before a boulder, looking toward the heavens. Pogue’s poignant, sturdy bronze figures of people, animals and angels run the gamut from whimsical to abstract to spiritual. For almost 50 years, he has been sculpting, molding and casting such figures for public display. And you can meet the man behind the bronze images — and his wife, Marti — on a day trip to their gallery and foundry near Marble Falls. The gallery is a showcase of table-sized sculptures in which galloping horses, soaring eagles, dancers and even some jewelry stimulate and captivate the imagination.

“I’ve been very fortunate. I got to do all these pieces that I enjoy doing. It’s kept me pretty busy,” Pogue said, reflecting on his long career. “I’ve done sculptures for a number of different states and other countries, Scotland, Mexico, Canada.”

Pogue says he feels a special relationship with whatever subject he’s working on at that time. But a shimmering bronze of an African antelope, called Sitatunga, holds a special place. “I guess it belongs to them,” Pogue said. “But it’s still a part of me. I put so much time into those things; it feels like it’s become a part of me.”

Sitatunga is now on display outside a Continued

Sitatunga is now on display outside a Marble Falls café.

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Dan and Marti Pogue welcome visitors to their gallery where you can learn how he built this stallion from Styrofoam before covering it with clay.

Marble Falls café.

Creating a sculpture After touring Pogue Gallery and Foundry, Dan and Marti hand out a stepby-step guide that ushers you through the lengthy and tedious process of creating a bronze sculpture. Pogue first creates a clay sculpture of the figure he will later cast in bronze. Then he builds a mold around the figure, using silicone, and cuts it away.

After crafting a ceramic shell from that mold, one that can withstand a 2,000degree furnace, it’s time to pour molten bronze into the molds. This process is called casting. After everything cools, the various molds are painstakingly chipped away to reveal the assorted bronze pieces.

A large sculpture such as “Warrior,” a 60

AUGUST 2016 | TEX APPEAL

15-foot bronze of a man in full armor brandishing a sword while sitting atop a stallion, was created from more than 100 pieces. Pogue then welds the brass sections together and sands away abrasions and imperfections. Finally, he applies a protective chemical coating called a patina.

A monumental sculpture, one that is life-size or larger, can take several months, even a year or more, to complete.

Much of Pogue’s work is commissions from churches. He’s created numerous bronze statues of Jesus, and singular ones of St. Thomas More, St. Michael and Our Lady of Guadalupe. “It does play an important part in my life because we are Christians,” Pogue said. “It gives me the opportunity to actually sculpt some of the things I believe in.”

Visitors to the Pogue Gallery and Foundry will find a wide variety of work for sale. BELOW: “New Discoveries” sits on Main Street in Marble Falls near the public library’s entrance.

If you go Pogue Sculpture Gallery and Foundry is located seven miles east of Marble Falls at 7670 E. Farm-toMarket 1431. Admission is free. Call first: 830-693-9544. On the web: www.danpoguesculpture.com.

Dan and Marti Pogue met in Oklahoma City in 1961, at a local drive-in like the one featured in the “Happy Days” sitcom. She attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman while he enrolled in a technical college. Dan says he was pulled toward three-dimensional art over painting because he liked the tactile sensation of working with his hands, molding clay, then sandblasting, welding, and carefully applying the patina. (The patina draws out different hues and colors from the bronze.) In the 1960s, Pogue learned under noted sculptor Keating Donahoe and he later studied in Europe.

The Pogues moved to Austin in the Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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“One Trick Pony” can be found inside the visitor’s center in Marble Falls.

Sculpture on Main Each fall, Marble Falls celebrates and welcomes a new group of sculptures with a celebration of music, food, and of course, art. Twenty winners are selected from a field of hundreds and for one year will be placed for public viewing along and near Main Street in downtown. This year’s event is slated for Dec. 2.

Throughout the year, visitors and locals may visit the works for free. Sculpture on Main aspires to cement Marble Falls’ reputation as an art destination in the Texas Hill Country. More at www.hlcarts.com.

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St. Michael the Archangel: The model for this statue was made out of Styrofoam, instead of clay, and covered with a special cement before a molds are built around it for casting. The bronze statue made from this model stands 16 feet tall before St. Michael’s Catholic Church and School in Houston.

1970s. For many years, Dan worked as an art director for a ring manufacturer by day and in his studio creating and casting bronze by night. “I’d come home and work till midnight and go to art shows on the weekend. Go to South Texas or Oklahoma or wherever and do art shows,” Pogue said.

“We did fairly well. Then I decided I could probably make a living doing this.”

Recent work honors Floyd Tillman In 2015, a group of Marble Falls musicians, community leaders and country music fans set out to honor a

local singer-songwriter with a bronze statue. When it came time to select the artist, the choice was easy — Dan Pogue.

Pogue says research is an integral part of the creative process. So, to make an authentic depiction of Floyd Tillman, who lived in Marble Falls for 20 years, Pogue visited the Heart of Texas Country Music Museum in Brady.

“Dan took photos of the suits and guitars and hats and measured them all and made them to the exact size on the bronze,” said Tracy Pitcox, museum curator and Tillman’s former manger.

This life-sized bronze of country singersongwriter Floyd Tillman pays homage to the musician who influenced Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. It can be seen on South Main Street in Marble Falls.

“Mr. Tillman had been dead for several years but it’s neat that he (Pogue) was able to get the measurements because of the stuff that we had.”

Pogue then bought a guitar at a pawn shop and modified it to resemble the one he took pictures of at the museum. The result, Pitcox said, was remarkable. “I was absolutely amazed at what Dan had created.

It was such a great likeness of Floyd with his smile and his guitar. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated what Dan had done to create that bronze.” The Tillman statue today sits on the south end of Main Street in Marble Falls, near Lakeside Park.

The Pogue’s have been instrumental in developing the burgeoning art culture in Marble Falls. On various travels across the United States, they discovered small communities that had assembled public, outdoor sculpture gardens. So they helped build a consortium of business and city leaders, and art aficionados, to form an alliance that founded the Sculpture

on Main Project. Every fall for the last eight years, a new group of sculptures are installed along the Main Street corridor, complimenting the popular shops and restaurants and enhancing tourists’ perception of Marble Falls. The revolving bounty of sculptures creates exposure for the artists, and the works are for sale.

“Because you end up working with the Arts Alliance, and you have community theaters, and any kind of galleries,” Marti Pogue said, “it brings all that kind of thing together and enhances that part of your tourist trade also. And it teaches children about art.”

Nowadays, the Pogues are semiretired. They gladly open their gallery and foundry doors to shoppers and visitors, but give tours by appointment only.

Marti stays busy as a child advocate and volunteering at the Methodist church. But looking back on a lifetime of creativity, Dan recently pondered the future. “That’s a good question, what do we do now?”

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TexTherapy

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

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