Spotlight : T. rex exhibit helps MAC roar in May
As they say in the world of show biz, Sue has legs.
Extremely long legs.
Sue is the star dinosaur attraction of “A T. rex Named Sue,” the exhibit which opened April 28 at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.
The numbers for the first month are in, and they are eye-popping,
Attendance at the MAC has quadrupled over the same period last year – up 422 percent, to be precise.
About 9,200 people have visited the museum over the first four weeks. A normal May attendance would be around 2,200, according to the museum’s Jill Strom.
And that total doesn’t even count the 4,200 kids who have visited the museum on school trips so far.
Even more significant to the museum’s bottom line: Sales in the museum’s store have tripled.
Strom said she expects attendance to remain strong all the way through to the close on Sept. 2.
She said that lines and overcrowding have not been much of a problem so far: “We’ve discovered that our galleries can hold a heck of a lot of people.”
The missing banner
Remember the giant “Sue” banner that was stolen off the side of the MAC in early May?
It never was returned. Maybe some thief is using it as an extra-extra large poncho as we speak.
However, Emerald Outdoor Advertising, a local company, stepped up and is making a new banner for free, according to Strom.
SACC turns 20
The young singers in the Spokane Area Children’s Chorus have been raising their voices in harmony for 20 years now.
The group’s 20th Anniversary Gala will celebrate this milestone on June 23, 7 p.m. at the Spokane Masonic Center Auditorium, 1108 W. Riverside Ave.
Chad Mitchell, leader of the ‘60s singing group the Chad Mitchell Trio, will be a guest performer. Randy Shaw, the KREM-2 anchor and bandleader, will emcee.
The evening will also include performances from many SACC alumni and current members of the group’s touring ensemble.
Attendees can browse through displays and recordings from the group’s past.
Tickets are $25, available in advance by calling (509) 624-7992 or at the door.
A limited number of tickets that include a pre-concert buffet beginning at 5 p.m. are also available for $50, in advance only, by calling the above number.
The ArtFest winners
The 2007 ArtFest in Browne’s Addition last weekend drew big crowds of art-loving – and heat-tolerating – patrons.
Here are the winners of the juried competition:
Laura Saville, ceramics: Juror’s Choice Award.
Casey Klahn, drawing: Juror’s Choice Award.
Karma Lloyd, furniture: Juror’s Choice Award.
Jeani Holder/Michael Baines: Ceramics Merit Award.
Elizabeth Haughton: Jewelry Merit Award.
Stan Miller: Painting Merit Award.
Randall Roberts: Photography Merit Awards.
Craig Windom: Recycled Materials Award.
Wei Liang, painting: Winner of the Spokane Art Supply Artist Girt Certificate.