P.O. Box 4203
New York, NY 10163
212- 933-0688



Winter 08.

Greetings to all performing arts members.  This past winter has been a time of preparation for the summer convention, and the beginning of an exciting new program.  The summer convention is quickly approaching.  It will be held in Dallas TX this year.  It will run from June 29 to July 6.  Now is the time to make your reservations.  To find out more on how to make your reservations, visit our website at WWW.PADNFB.ORG or the main NFB site at WWW.NFB.ORG, or call the performing arts main office at 917 903-5650.  At this year's convention we have an eventful general performing arts meeting.  The meeting of the performing arts division will be on July 1 from 1 to 4PM.  The room location will be in the convention agenda.  As it is an even numbered year, we have the performing arts elections.  All elective seats are up. Please come to the meeting for the elections.  You will have a say in the future of this division.  All dues paying members can run for office and vote.  The president will talk about the events over the past year, and what he envisions for the upcoming year.  We encourage everybody to participate in this very important election.  

We will also have speakers this year.  You will be able to hear what it is like for a blind person to run a record label, and how one might get a label started.  You will also be able to hear the life story of one of the artists on our 2007 Sound in Sight album.  There may also be other surprises, as the division will continue to look for more ways to make this meeting interesting for all.

We also have the annual talent show this year.  The talent show will be on July 2 at 7PM.  The convention agenda will have the room location.  The talent show coordinator is working hard to make this a great talent show.  You may be able to perchis your talent show ticket in advance at our fund raising table.  You can also register to perform in the show at the fund raising table.  

The division will have a fund raising table.  We will have albums for sail.  We hope to have raffles, and we also hope to bring back some items that proved to be popular in the past.  Items are still being selected.  

As you know, one of the purposes of the division is to help blind performing artists to pursue their entertainment related goals.  In February of 2008, President Holston introduced the Mary Anne Parks, Performing Arts Division scholarship program.  The scholarship program is named after Mary Anne Parks, who was the division secretary from 2005 to 2007.  She died in a car accident in August of 2007.  The division approved the program along with a subsidy program at their March leadership meeting.  The division will begin fund raising for the program immediately.  The proceeds' from the talent show and the sail of select albums will go towards the scholarship program.  If you would like to donate to the program, or get more info on it, contact the performing arts main office.  

The President also selected 2 people to run the scholarship and the subsidy program.  In March of 2008, the leadership approved the following people.  
For Scholarship Coordinator, Lisa Ostrow was approved.  Lisa Ostrow, 41, from Franklyn Massachusetts.  She is a singer song writer with bachelors in art, Slovak language, and literature from Harvard.  She currently conducts interviews as an assistant to the Harvard board, and she is on our Sound in Sight album. 
For the assistant coordinator, Romeo Edmead was approved.  Romeo Edmead, 28, from Brooklyn New York.  He has a bachelors in Radio and Television from Brooklyn college.  He currently works for the Ziegler magazine, a publication that is distributed world wide.  He is also on the New York state NFB scholarship board.  These people will run most things associated with these programs.  Lisa Ostrow is expected to be at the division general meeting.  Romeo will also be at the convention, and may introduce himself at the talent show.   

As the division grows and becomes more active, people are needed to commit a little more time to the day to day business of the division.  One of our long time appointed board members has found that it has been increasingly difficult to help run the division and also pursue his increasingly busy life.  As of March 17, Derek Swarez has resigned his appointed board seat.  Derek was first appointed to his seat in 2005, and served 3 great years in leadership.  Derek helped run the selection process for our biggest project to date, The Sound in Sight album.  He also made a critical private donation to the project.  Without his help, the project may have not been able to be completed.  He also lent his talent for the album as he is singing lead with Los Ciagos Del Barrio on Brown Eyed Girl, the 10th track on the album.  He also can be found on the upcoming Music of the Movement album.  His vocals and production is greatly appreciated.  Derek will still work with us on future projects.  President Holston will deal with the vacancy in the next few months. 

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like the division to address any issues, please make your feelings known.  Please contact the division by phone or e-mail.  

Acting Secretary: Mindy Jacobsen.
President: Dennis Holston, Performing Arts Division.