Artist Natalia Pozos Velasco wins JM contest; work selected for JMArts holiday cards

SILER CITY, N.C. — Natalia Pozos Velasco, a second-year art student at Jordan-Matthews High School, was named winner of the school’s inaugural holiday card art contest during an award presentation on October 22 at Chorus and Coffee and Arts, the school's season-opening concert and reception.

Her painting, “Lighthouse on Christmas Eve,” will appear on holiday cards produced for sale by JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, to raise money for JM artists. Pozos Velasco received a certificate and $100 prize for creating the selected work of art.

Holiday cards feature the painting on the front with a blank area inside for personal messages. The back lists the name of the artist and work, along with a very short description of the art.

Preorders for JMArts holiday cards will be accepted starting November 1 at the price of $10 per packet of 12 cards with envelopes. Cards will be on sale soon after that at the NC Arts Incubator in downtown Siler City and Jordan-Matthews High School. Holiday cards also will be available at upcoming JMArts events — including the “Fairytale Character Breakfast” on November 2, “Path to the Woods” art show on November 4 and “Into the Woods” musical on November 14-16.

More information about JMArts, including a schedule of upcoming arts events and information on membership, is available online at JMArts.org.

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Artist Natalia Pozos Velasco, left, and art teacher Rahma Mateen-Mason display “Lighthouse on Christmas Eve,” the painting selected for JMArts holiday cards being sold in November to raise money for arts students at the school. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Cinderella and Friends Host "Fairytale Character Breakfast" on November 2 at JM

SILER CITY, N.C. — Cinderella, Snow White and their friends from “Into the Woods” will host a family breakfast at Jordan-Matthews High School early next month to entertain children and raise money to help high school artists excel.

“Fairytale Character Breakfast” is scheduled for Saturday, November 2, from 10 a.m. to noon. It features cast members from JM’s musical theater production, which holds three performances on November 14-16. Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf, Rapunzel, Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty are also planning to attend.

The menu includes pancakes, sausage and juice. But the real attraction will be a chance to meet characters, hear them sing an occasional song and take plenty of photos with beloved characters from children’s stories. Several large puppets designed by JM art students for the musical also will be on display.

Breakfast admission is $10 per person and seating will be staggered from 10 a.m. to noon. Because this is a family event, all children under age 12 must be accompanied by at least one adult.

JMArts President Rose Pate, who is organizing the character breakfast, says families should plan to spend about 30 minutes at the event. “A character breakfast is a wonderful chance for young children to have a theater experience in a familiar setting,” she said. “And our student actors really enjoy bringing these familiar characters to life.”

Reservations are now being accepted and may be requested by email at info@jmarts.org or online for anyone with a Google e-mail account through the “Fairytale Character breakfast” event page at JMArts.org. Once parties are scheduled, they will receive a confirmation with the reservation time and options to pay by cash, check or credit card.

All proceeds from the breakfast will be used by JMArts to help high school artists excel. That includes providing scholarships for summer study on university campuses, producing “Into the Woods,” purchasing art supplies and reducing the cost to students traveling this spring to explore the arts in New York City.

More information about JMArts, including how to become a member, is available online at JMArts.org. Tickets to “Into the Woods" are now on sale at JMArtsTickets.com.

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Cast members from “Into the Woods” will be in full costume on November 2, when they welcome children and their families to Jordan-Matthews High School for the Fairytale Character Breakfast. Among the actors scheduled to appear at the breakfast are, in front from left, Kayli McIntosh as Cinderella, Hannah Redding as Narrator and Jennifer Trejo Benitez as Witch. Also, in back from left, Wilson Ramos Meza as Wolf, Gisselle Aleman Moreno as Little Red Riding Hood, Jonathan Parra Rangel as Prince Charming and Conrad Suits as Baker. (Photo by Rose Pate)

PlayMakers "Wilder & Wilder" offers free performance at JM

SILER CITY, N.C. — PlayMakers Repertory Company offers a free performance of “Wilder & Wilder,” a medley of Thornton Wilder short plays, on October 17 at Jordan-Matthews High School.

The production is part of PlayMakers’ annual mobile tour designed to make outstanding theater accessible to communities throughout central North Carolina. This year’s three-week tour also includes stops in Fayetteville, Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro and Fuquay-Varina.

The event begins with coffee and cookies at 3:30 p.m. and continues with the performance at 4 p.m. “Wilder & Wilder” runs about 90 minutes, with a 70-minute performance and 10 minutes of audience activities before and after the play.

Earlier in the day, PlayMakers actors will lead a closed workshop for JM actors that includes exercises focusing on physical movement, dramatic interpretation and scene performances.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for our students and for the entire community,” said Rose Pate, president of JMArts, which works with English teacher Ting Lam to bring the annual event to Siler City. “We appreciate the relationship we have developed with PlayMakers."

This is the fourth season PlayMakers has offered a free performance at the high school. Last fall, the professional theater company based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill captivated the audience with an innovative performance of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth."

More information about JMArts, including a schedule of arts events this season and how to become a member, is available online at JMArts.org.

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Actor Adam Poole, right, interacts with audience members during last fall’s performance of “Macbeth” in the Jordan-Matthews High School Media Center. PlayMakers Repertory Company returns on October 17 for a free performance of “Wilder & Wilder.” (Photo by Chip Pate)