September 1st 2010

Dear Friends of the Arts,

We are busy preparing for our 2010-2011 season. I want to thank you for your support last year and previous years. Our first concert is on October 2 and 3. Our Artist is David Burgess, a Latin guitarist. He was here several years ago and we have had requests to bring him back. On Saturday night, October 2 he will play after dinner at the Indian Hills Country Club in Fairfield Bay.

David is praised by critics worldwide. His international appearances as soloist have taken him to concert halls throughout North and South America, Europe and the Far East. He has acquired one of the largest collections of Latin America guitar music. He has played in Carnegie Recital Hall, Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center.

This Concert is a Buffet at the Country Club for $20. Seats are limited and reservations can be made by calling 501-253-7909. There will be a cash Bar from 5-6PM, Dinner at 6PM. Concert will follow dinner and is sponsored by First Service Bank. On Sunday Afternoon, October 3 at 2PM, he will play at the Clinton Auditorium. The concert is Free and sponsored by First Service Bank. David will appear in 3 schools on Friday.

Our next Concert is Neil Rutman, Artist-in-Residence at the University of Central Arkansas, from where his students have won top prizes in such competitions as East-West Artist in New York City. He has also played all over the world, among them Queen Elizabeth Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Tokyo's Bunka Kaikan. He is a former collegiate boxer and his vocation as coach for the boxing team at the University. This concert will be Sunday, November 7, 2pm at the Presbyterian Kirk of the Hills. This Concert is free also.

We will NO LONGER SELL MEMBERSHIPS IN NCAFA&E. All those who enjoy the arts will automatically be members. In addition, all Sunday Concerts will be FREE. We are shortening our concerts to two in fall and two in spring. However, we will retain the same aggressive schedule of concerts and events for our highly successful school programs we presented in past seasons.

There is one small problem with all this. We still must pay the artists and meet other expenses necessary to maintain the high caliber of the entertainment and educational events we sponsor. So we will need your sponsorship and support. We will be seeking advertisements, program sponsors, endorsements and donations from community (both businesses and individuals) as in the past. The upside to this is that ALL monies or services donated to the Foundation will be tax deductible, rather than just the amount which exceeded the value of the service or item received.

We are hoping that eliminating membership dues and ticket prices will help our patrons during economically stressful times, as well as interest people who have not attended our concerts in past.

We are looking forward to seeing you and your friends at our 2010-2011 concerts and special events. Thank you for your support the past 21 years. We will need donations no matter how small and your support.