About 15 years ago, Marie DeJan sought an outlet through which she could practice her passion: singing. The longtime resident found there were no such groups in Tinley Park, and though it was winter when the notion hit her, her determination outweighed her dislike of long commutes and she joined a chorus in another community.
DeJan had devoted a few months to the effort until it occurred to her she could start a local group. With 12 other women, she formed the New Bremen Singers.
“We were a modest group [with few funds to operate]. After we started to grow, it became obvious we needed funding. So, I went to the [Tinley Park] Park District,” said DeJan, who suggested the New Bremen Singers and the Tinley Park Park District join ranks.
From that alliance sprang Arts Alive! It quickly grew from one to seven programs.
“There was an interesting group of people who really had a desire for the cultural end of things, and it just kind of blossomed,” said Sandra Wolff-Chevalier, Tinley Park Park District supervisor of recreation.
“They don’t have to leave home to be entertained or to [exercise] their talents. All they need do is step out their front door,” Chevalier said.
Local pioneers credited
She credited the pioneering efforts of people such as DeJan; Steve Platko, community band director; and Barbara Rose Whalen, the cultural arts coordinator for the Park District and director of the Tinley Park Community Theatre Guild.
“We are creating options for the community. That’s why we are here,” Chevalier explained. “Anybody who is content to get involved [in the arts] at their own pace or as a recreational outlet can. We are also giving people who may have hidden talents the opportunity for some exposure or to take it to the next level.”
Today, the Tinley Park Park District’s cultural outreach includes the Arts Alive! Community Chorale, the Arts Alive Community and Jazz Band, the Tinley Park Community Theatre Guild, the Poet’s Circle, the South Region Visual Arts Guild, a children’s chorus and a writers group (the theater guild and writers group are inactive, though they may start up again at any time).
Residents and non-residents can join an Arts Alive! program (some fees may be higher for non-residents). Most meet on a seasonal basis. Band and chorus members pay $10 annually to participate; members of the writers group, poet group and children’s chorus pay $40 per session. Art class fees range from $25 to $75.
The Arts Alive! chorale performs a variety of music, from show tunes to spirituals to jazz, at approximately 14 concerts annually. Last year, the group was invited to Branson, Mo., where they opened for the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. They’ve also performed at the Illinois State Fair as well as at events in Galena and Hobart, Ind.
“Next year, we hope to go to Toronto to perform in one of their festivals,” said Shirley Drobnak, the chorus director.
“We get to put Tinley Park on the map. Wherever we go, we take the village.”
Band on the run
The band, whose membership ranges from 50 to 75 people, also travels to various communities. They’ve even been to Tinley Park’s sister city, Budingen, Germany, once in 1994 and again last year for a millenium celebration.
The village also keeps them busy creating and performing original music. Platko wrote the music for “There’s No Place Like Tinley Park,” a musical marking the village’s 100th anniversary in 1992. He also wrote a march, “Broad Stripes and Bright Stars,” for the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in 1995 for a local veterans group. “Broad Stripes” later became the village’s official march.
Platko and the band get high marks for their performance and efforts.
“When people see the band and see that it’s Tinley Park Park District-sponsored, they are overwhelmed. The Park District gets some of the credit, but most goes to the group of talented people out there performing,” Chevalier said.
Recently, Platko, a Joliet resident and former Tinley Park High School band teacher, received a Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award from the Illinois Humanities Council for his use of the arts to increase the community’s understanding of its history. Platko was nominated for the award by the village and was one of 89 recipients.
Award-winning initiative
The Vogt Visual Arts Center, 17420 S. 67th Ct., is another award-winning Arts Alive initiative. The center won a Governor’s Hometown Award in 1997 for making a difference in the community, said Jennifer Weinert, director of the South Region Visual Arts Guild.
The center offers weekly featured artist shows, classes and ongoing gallery exhibits.
The guild, volunteers who include seniors and local artists, runs the center on a daily basis; members also recruit talent and coordinate gallery activities.
Writers and poets can take advantage of the camaraderie and coaching opportunities of the Poet’s Circle and writers group.
Anthony Janka coordinates both groups and said he enjoys seeing the “degree of satisfaction people get from adding a little punch to their work.”
Enrichment for kids
Though most Arts Alive! activities focus on older youths and adults, the Children’s Chorus introduces children ages 5 to 11 to various types of music, healthy voice and singing habits and lyric literacy.
“Music is not a cure-all, but it certainly can enrich their lives,” said Marie Grass Amenta, chorus director. “It’s a great alternative [to] routine sports activities and camps, like basketball, and it enhances their self-confidence.”
Amenta makes it a priority to expose kids to music they wouldn’t normally hear on the radio or in music classes at school. They may sing a spiritual, a patriotic song or something from a Broadway musical, said Amenta.
Children are also introduced to Bach and movement, using gestures and body movement to emphasize certain lyrics and explain the meaning behind the words of a song.
“Arts Alive! is a whole other avenue for people of all ages to explore and share their talents or just enjoy the entertainment,” Chevalier said. “We’ve tapped into a whole other form of recreation … the cultural end of it. And there are just a lot of talented people and a lot of interesting people out there who are displaying their talent in a number of ways.”
Mark calendar for summer Arts Alive! events
Clip this on your calendar to keep track of Arts Alive! events, or call the Tinley Park Park District for more details at 708-532-8698.
June: Arts Alive! Literary Review available. Contact Dave Chester for details about where the anthology is sold ($10 a copy) or log onto www.geocities.com/artsalive2001.
June 3: The opening of the Summer Concert and Picnic in the Park trilogy begins with the performance of the Arts Alive! Community Chorale and Community and Jazz Band in McCarthy Park, 16801 S. 80th St. Admission is free. Call the Park District for the time.
June 11-29: Art Camp for Kids offers instruction in a variety of art forms, including freehand drawing and black-and-white photography. Costs vary. Call 708-614-6503 for schedule and prices.
June 26-Sept. 2: Dollhouse Exhibit at the Vogt Visual Arts Center, 17420 S. 67th Ct. Dollhouses, buildings, room miniatures and and dolls will be displayed. Call 708-614-6503 for time and other details.
July 22: Summer Concert and Picnic in the Park continues with the Arts Alive! Community Chorale and Community and Jazz Band performance in McCarthy Park, 16801 S. 80th St. Admission is free. Call the Park District for the time.
Aug. 18: Arts Alive! Chorale and Community and Jazz Band will perform at the Illinois State Fair. For transportation and other details, call the Park District.
Aug. 19: Summer Concert and Picnic in the Park ends with the Arts Alive! Community Chorale and Community and Jazz Band performance in McCarthy Park, 16801 S. 80th St. Admission is free. Call the Park District for the time.
— Compiled by Tina Jenkins Bell
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An updated list of events and news is available on the Arts Alive! Web site at www.artsalive.org. For more information, call 708-532-8698.
