(Photo | Courtesy of Ovation)
Arts Across The Heartland on Arts Advocacy Day
Ovation, America’s only arts network, is set to celebrate Arts Advocacy Day with the world premiere of Arts Across the Heartland. Providing an intimate look at how cities across the country are making a difference in their communities through the power of art, this one-hour original documentary will air Tuesday, March 5 at 8pm ET/PT as part of Ovation’s commercial-free Arts Advocacy Day programming event.
In addition, Ovation will be featuring Stand For The Arts PSAs throughout the day, which feature a diverse selection of artists and art programs making a difference in their communities. The PSAs will also encourage viewers to go to standforthearts.com and sign up to become an arts advocate. For every signature, Ovation will donate $1 to an arts organization up to $25,000, which will be donated to an arts organization.
Arts Across the Heartland takes a deep dive into the important work being done by arts organizations in the heartland of America, such as Suzie Cappa Art Center in Rapid City, SD, where artists with and without disabilities work and sell their artwork; the Mississippi Museum of Art, which partners with the UMMC Mind Center for “Art in Mind” weekly arts classes for people living with early to moderate dementia; and the Utah Symphony, where musicians have created the Haiti Orchestra Institute, a musical outreach program that trains Haitian musicians to rehearse and perform in an orchestra. Arts Across the Heartland travels to these and other cities across the U.S., including Bend, Nashville, Tennessee; Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Lynchburg, Virginia.
“We often hear about arts organizations — museums, dance and theater productions, exhibitions – in our country’s biggest metropolitan cities, but it’s those arts programs in America’s heartland that are arguably making even more of a difference in peoples’ lives,” said Scott Woodward, EVP Programming and Production, Ovation. “Arts Across the Heartland is a moving portrait of individuals and communities transformed by the power of art. We are delighted to premiere this extraordinary special on Arts Advocacy Day along with a full slate of arts programming, and all entirely commercial free.”
Arts Advocacy Day is an annual event hosted by Stand For The Arts partner Americans for the Arts that brings together a broad cross section of America’s cultural and civic organizations, along with more than 700 grassroots advocates from across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts. Ovation will celebrate Arts Advocacy Day with a full 24-hour, commercial-free schedule kicking off at 6am ET, which will include a diverse lineup of artist profiles and documentaries spanning a myriad of arts: music, dance, musical theater, painting, fashion, the culinary arts and more.
“With our signature arts advocacy platform, Stand For The Arts, Ovation has a long-standing commitment to supporting the arts both on and off our air,” said Liz Janneman, EVP Network Strategy, Ovation. “As a private independent network, we continue to be a fierce advocate for the arts. Acknowledging Arts Advocacy Day with a full-day network takeover is an important part of our mission…and our brand.”
The day-long program also includes the following U.S. premiere specials and documentaries:
A Season at the Juilliard School (U.S. Premiere) – Step inside the most prestigious performing arts school where Miles Davis and Pina Bausch studied.
Les Misérables: The History of the World’s Greatest Story (U.S. Premiere) – From Victor Hugo’s classic French novel of the nineteenth century to Tom Hooper’s award-winning blockbuster, Les Misérables has undergone one of the most successful transitions from book to stage to screen. In this new documentary, the scintillating journey of Hugo’s universal story is traced from book to stage to screen with contributions from many who have starred in or helped to create this entertainment phenomenon.
David Hockney – Time Reclaimed (U.S. Premiere) – He is a major figure in the pop art movement; one of the most popular and influential artists of his generation. The motifs and colors of his canvasses have been widely reproduced and are now part of the 20th century art pantheon, changing the way we view the world.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (U.S. Premiere) – Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work will be presented through a major exhibition at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris on the last term of 2018.
Nina Simone, The Legend (U.S. Premiere) – In this intimate portrait of the artist, family and friends reveal her strengths and weaknesses. Musical excerpts abundantly illustrate her rich repertoire.
Johnny Cash: Music in Review (U.S. Premiere) – The program features interviews with Johnny and the reflections of a team of leading critics and working musicians, including ‘Cowboy’ Jack Clement, Bob Wooton and ‘Fluke’ Holland from The Tennessee Three. This penetrating review draws on rare archive footage of Johnny Cash from around the world tracing the career of ‘the man in black.’
All episodes and PSAs will also be available on the Ovation NOW App.