Lussier Community Education Center April 4 Community Dinner and Program to Celebrate Dane County Waters with Photographs and Poems
March 28, 2014
Sue Jones (608-224-3764), Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission
Pam Andros (608-266-5915), Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission
Susan Ramspacher (608-833-4979),Lussier Community Education Center
Land & Water Resources
(Madison, WI) On April 4, the Lussier Community Education Center is expanding its monthly free community meal to highlight winning photos and accompanying poetry from “Beyond the Water’s Edge” and to host a program featuring remarks by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi.
Each month the Center (55 S. Gammon Road in Madison) hosts a community meal prepared by neighborhood chefs. The April 4 dinner (free and open to the public) will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the program at 6:00 p.m. and a gallery walk until 7:30 p.m. for attendees to view the work of 15 photographers and 20 local poets whose creative talents were tapped in the “Beyond the Water’s Edge” contest celebrating 25 years of service from the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission.
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said, “I encourage neighborhood residents and all who care about Dane County lakes, streams and wetlands to join us for this community conversation about how we can all work together to improve Dane County waters.”
Lussier Community Education Center (LCEC) Executive Director Paul Terranova said, “We love the idea of bringing the beauty of Dane County waters into the Center through photography and poetry. I am honored to have a poem included in the exhibit along with three other poets with direct connections to the LCEC.”
“Beyond the Water’s Edge” is a creative investigation of Dane County lakes, rivers and wetlands and was created through a partnership of Dane County, the Center for Photography at Madison, and Verse Wisconsin. The exhibition is free and open to the public through April 30, 2014 during the Center open hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The exhibition also features a map and descriptions of 25 special water-related places in Dane Countyfor area resident exploration and enjoyment. The Dane County Office of Lakes and Watersheds encourages residents to check this out online, as well, at http://tinyurl.com/DC25places, and to plan spring visits to these local gems.
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“Beyond the Water’s Edge” Honorary Co-Chairs -- County Executive Joe Parisi, County Board Chair John Hendrick, former Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission Chair Melissa Malott, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission Chair George Gonzalez.
“Beyond the Water’s Edge” Sponsors and Steering Committee Representatives – Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission (Rebecca Power and Sue Jones), Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission (Kelly Parks Snider and Pam Andros), Center for Photography at Madison (Bill Pielsticker and Rebecca Power), and Verse Wisconsin (Sarah Busse and Wendy Vardaman).
Photography Jurors – Bill Pielsticker (President, Center for Photography at Madison) and Pat Dillon (accomplished artist and author)
Poetry Curators– Wendy Vardaman and Sarah Busse, Madison Poets Laureate
About the Lakes and Watershed Commission– A coordinating and advisory agency within Dane County government, the Commission's charge is to protect and improve water quality, as well as the scenic, economic, recreational, and environmental value of Dane County's water resources. Learn more about the Commission’s work at www.danewaters.com.
About the Lussier Community Education Center (LCEC)– The Center is an innovative, inter-generational, green built, community center on the grounds of Jefferson Middle and Memorial High Schools on Madison’s west side. The LCEC lives out its mission -- building community, creating opportunities, and enriching education – through out-of-school time programs (K-12), adult employment programming, food security programs, and much more.
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