46 New Prague Area Directory / June 2013 - New Prague Times

18 New Prague Area Directory / June 2013ArtsThe Arts have long been, and continue to be a source ofpride in New Prague. The city has a tradition steeped inmusic, dating back to the community’s early days and itsCzech heritage.There is an old saying “To be Czech is to be a musician,”and evidence of Czech music can be found today, with theCzech Area Concertina Club, which meets regularly in NewPrague. The city has an active community band that plays invenues around the area and also is home to a communitybasedchoir, “Hymnus,” that sings sacred music and has performedin New York, Rome and London.Even in the schools, the musical tradition can be seen witha thriving vocal and instrumental music program at the highschool and middle school.Visual arts also play an important role in the community.One of the most visible art projects dates back to the 1980s,when a community revitalization program encouraged downtownbusinesses to have murals depicting New Prague’s historypainted on the sides of their buildings. While some ofthese murals have since been covered up or met with a wreckingball, many of them can still be seen today.The New Prague Arts Council supports various artistic endeavorsthroughout the community. One of the most visibleprojects, done in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerceand Community Education, involved a Community IntersectionsGrant in 2008 by the Metro Regional Arts Council.The grant helped fund four public art projects to enhance thedowntown business community. These projects included:• “Pride,” a stained glass piece by Rose Mary James that depictsNew Prague’s Czech culture, landmarks and traditions.•“Towering to our Future,” created by Kirsten Dahl-Shetka,features a tower that will hold sculpture panels created by seniorcitizens and youth from the community. The tower is locatedat Philipp’s Park, on the city’s west end.•Amural restoration on the wall of the former Remes Drugbuilding at Main Street and First Ave. NE dating to the early19th century was recreated to highlight a portion of the city’shistory.•Artist Cindi Gordon used local inspiration to create a seriesof paintings titled “Seasons of Tradition.” Each work is 48 x60 inches, and hand-painted depicting Czech-inspired traditionalthemes and characters, representing a single season.The Domaci Czech Dancers promote the Czech heritage ofthe community by performing at area nursing homes andcommunity functions. They also serve as ambassadors for thecommunity at festivals throughout the Upper Midwest.New Prague has a thriving theatrical tradition, with twocommunity theaters and a new professional theater groupbased in the area. The schools also have strong theatre departments,with the all-school musical often selling out eachof its performances."Towering to our Future" is an art tower in Philipp'sPark that holds sculpture panels created by senior citizensand youth from the community.