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Downtown Clarksville Came to Life for the Seventh Annual Frolic on Franklin Street Arts Extravaganza

Clarksville, TN  – Frolic on FranklinThe community street fair featured 30 booths allowing local artists to showcase their talents and to sell their arts and hand-crafted items to the public. The booths featured a wide selection of photography, paintings and drawings, pottery, jewelry, glass items, and more.

The event also included a variety of entertainment and kids’ activities including the Kenwood High School Hi-Steppers, the Cumberland Winds Woodwind Quintet, the Northeast High School Exit One Show Choir, Red River Breeze, and the Loose Hinges. The evening closed out with the “9 to 5 The Musical” staring Bailey Hanks.

The 7th Annual Frolic on Franklin Street
The 7th Annual Frolic on Franklin Street

Cynthia Marsh professor of Visual Communication/Printmaking at Austin Peay State University was on hand with a team of assistants making small items with the Goldsmith Press.  Austin Peay State University purchased the letterpress and type collection in 1997, and it has received both local and national renown for the works produced from this facility. The Goldsmith Press, which has been awarded 11 regional and federal grants, has proven to be a valued teaching tool and a coveted platform for artists, designers and writers.

Cynthia Marsh is a fan of Frolic on Franklin Street
Cynthia Marsh is a fan of Frolic on Franklin Street

“The letters on the Goldsmith press were created over hundred years ago, are leftovers from the period of time where people did what was called public notices; in the sense that we look at the Goldsmith press as being one of the last true bastions of democracy, people can come here and say whatever they want and you put it out there in public, so it’s kind of the true essence of the freedom of the press enshrined in our Constitution,” said Marsh.

The Roxy Gala
The Roxy Gala

At the Roxy Gala, a veritable who’s who of Clarksville gathered to enjoy a fine dining experience under the tents on Franklin Street. The meal was provided by the Bound’ry from Nashville, Tennessee, and featured  filet of beef and crab cakes, tuna and raspberry salad, mushroom demi, parmesan roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, an array of desserts, and wine from the Beachaven Winery. Roxy actor and musician Ted Jones provided background music for the diners on his harp.

After dinner several bidding wars were underway on items in the silent auction as the deadline approached. At one item. No sooner would one person get done writing down a higher bid when several of the people standing nearby would move in to put in theirs.

A Bidding War
A Bidding War
An Olen Bryant piece closes out the art auction
An Olen Bryant piece closes out the art auction

At the live auction Sammy Stuard the CEO and President of F&M Bank served as the auctioneer for the evening as donated items from local artists of note were auctioned off one by one helping to raise money for the new Roxy Regional Center for the Arts.  Jeffrey Ellis from Broadway World Nashville was on hand for a special presentation to 9-to-5 star Bailey Hanks.

Closing out the evening was a showing of the new Roxy musical 9-to-5, which opens the 30th season for the Roxy Regional Theater. It stars Bailey Hanks as Doralee Rhodes,  Lital Abrahams as Judy Bernly, Amanda Morgan as Violet Newstead, Colin Ryan as Franklin Hart, Jr. Rounding out the cast are Jama Bowen, Ryan Bowie, Matt Casey, Kaitlin Doughty, Emily Eden, Michelle Foletta, Ted Jones, John McDonald, Rob Rodems, Jill Twiss and Matt Varelia.  The musical is directed by Tom Thayer and choreographed by Jessica Davidson. If you want to see it, the musical runs through October 13th.

A image from the Roxy's production of 9-to-5
A image from the Roxy’s production of 9-to-5

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Bill Larson
Bill Larson
Bill Larson is  is politically and socially active in the community. Bill is a member of the Friends of Dunbar Cave. You can reach him via telephone at 931-249-0043 or via the email address below.
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