October 17, 2011 Arts marathon supports local arts school
One of the local artists participating in CSMA's Arts for All Marathon, Ed Marion, shows us some of his self-portraits. © Danielle Torres 2011
By Kayla McCormack & Danielle Torres
Fingers tap against drums while a soprano delivers a lilting half octave in descending order from down the hall, as a warm melody seeps out of cello from yet another practice room. All of the overlapping notes float up the stairs and flood the art gallery. This is the scene at the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA), a thriving part of the Ithaca downtown community.
The CSMA is a nonprofit organization that has been providing arts education to the Ithaca Community since 1960. This month, artists across the Ithaca area are coming together to support the CSMA in their fourth annual Arts for All Marathon. The marathon started on October 3 and will last until the 29th. Its goal is to raise funds for the need-based scholarships to the arts education programs at the school. Last year’s marathon raised $20,000. This year’s goal is $30,000.
“CSMA is all about people of all age learning all of the arts. Part of our mission is to be accessible to everybody of all ages of all walks of life,” said the school’s executive director Robin Tropper-Herbel who was also part of the first marathon. “To achieve that we have a need based scholarship program” he said. “We felt that as a fundraising event it was important to have something that fit and matched what we do here at CSMA.”
Ed Marion, an Ithaca based artist who participated in the event, fully supports the CSMA and the marathon. “It’s a super worthwhile cause,” he said. “The way it’s presented to creative people is that you make your marathon. You take 26.2 days and you do something, make it a monetizable event that will raise money for the school. And that way it’s incredibly creative so the sky’s the limit on what you can do.”
Many downtown businesses, such as the William Henry Miller Inn, support the event. Lynnette Scofield, the inn’s owner, is enthusiastic for the event.
“The arts stay with you for your entire life. I feel that part of what I do today is because I was so exposed to the arts as a young girl,” Scofield said. “CSMA is a really important downtown…all in all, it helps all of us.”
The fundraiser provides an opportunity for local artists to share their creativity with the community. Marion is challenging both his and the buyer’s creativity – asking the purchaser of his painting to pick the subject matter.
So far, no one has taken him up on his offer to do a painting of anything for a $100. “I really think that speaks to, more than anything, people’s general unease about their comfort level with making art themselves because what I’m doing is inviting people to tell me what to make.” Marion said.
For a closer look at CSMA Featured artist Ed Marion, take a look at this slideshow: Click here!
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