Visitors at the opening reception of a photography gallery featuring the work of local photographer Timothy C. Brown at the Chenango Arts Council. The organization is currently seeking artists to exhibit their work in the Mariea Brown and Raymond Loft Galleries, as well as musicians to play background music for each show's opening reception. (Photo from the Chenango Arts Council Facebook page)

NORWICH — The Chenango Arts Council is looking forward to an exciting month, with the return of their movie series, new casting workshops, and a search for artists, musicians, and instructors in the month of February.

Every Wednesday in February at 7 p.m., visit the Martin W. Kappel Theater, located at 27 West Main Street in Norwich, to enjoy a free screening of an 80s adventure movie and free popcorn.

Movies shown this year include "Adventures in Babysitting" on February 7, "Romancing the Stone" on February 14, "The Goonies" on February 21, and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" on February 28.

"We just decided 80s movies and specifically adventure movies are just so much fun, and it’s so cold and dreary out, we thought it would be a good choice for the time of year," said Chenango Arts Council Administrative Assistant Mary Beth Miller.

The Arts Council screens free movies for the month of February every year, and the series always follows a set theme, such as iconic movie duos and romantic comedies in previous years.

This program is offered in partnership with Guernsey Memorial Library.

In addition to the free movie series, the Chenango Arts Council will also be hosting two life casting workshops taught by artist Kim Carr.

On Saturday, February 17, Carr will be teaching workshop participants how to create plaster casts of faces from noon to 4 p.m. Participants can either have a mold of their own face made by another student, or bring a friend and make a mold of their face. Molds will then be used to make a detailed plaster casting.

From noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 24, Carr will be leading another workshop where she'll teach students how to make plaster casts of their hands or feet. Participants are also welcome to bring an item to hold in the cast to add meaning to their work.

Workshop students can also bring a loved one such as a child or partner to hold hands with for the cast. Students who plan to do so must indicate that on their registration form.

Participants should wear clothes they are comfortable getting dirty. The classes are $65 for Arts Council members and $70 for non-members. To sign up for either workshop, visit ChenangoArts.org or call 607-336-2787.

The Chenango Arts Council also has an ongoing call for artists who would like to display their artwork in a gallery exhibit in the Mariea Brown and Raymond Loft Galleries.

Interested artists should send an artist statement/show proposal and at least eight photos of their work to info@chenangoarts.org for consideration by the Chenango Arts Council's gallery committee. Artists may also include a resume, if applicable.

"The artist resume is just if they’ve done shows, and if you don’t have a resume if you are just getting into it or you’ve never really shown your work, we’re still very, very open to that and would like to hear from you," Miller explained. "If you have a resume, just so we can see kind of part of your history and things. The artist statement and the pictures are probably more important to the process."

All mediums are welcome for consideration, from painting and drawing to sculpture, photography, ceramics, mixed media, and more. Artists do not have to be Arts Council members to be considered for a gallery exhibit.

Miller said the Chenango Arts Council is always seeking artists for gallery exhibits. Depending on the entries they receive, she said exhibits may be scheduled through this year and into 2025. The length of gallery shows will vary depending on the artist and the Arts Council's schedule.

"Some of them are a couple of weeks and some of them can be a month or more. It just depends on the artist, the show. We’re pretty flexible per show on what the needs of the artist are and what our schedule is," she said.

Artists are also welcome to sell their artwork that's displayed in the gallery, if desired. Miller said for all pieces sold, the Arts Council receives a 25 percent commission.

Thanks to a grant from the Pearl and Everett Gilmour Foundation, the Chenango Arts Council is able to include live background music at gallery show opening receptions, and they are seeking musicians interested in the opportunity.

"We’re open to different things. Kind of background music sort of things, instrumental, but we are open to singing as well," said Miller. "We’re getting a few different styles in our submissions, so that’s very exciting."

Musicians can email info@chenangoarts.org or call 607-336-2787 for more information.

The Chenango Arts Council is also seeking instructors for art-related workshops. Applying instructors should be well-versed in the medium they will be teaching, but Miller said they don't have to have previous teaching experience.

To apply, submit a proposal including what the workshop would be, needed supplies, and a desired fee per person to info@chenangoarts.org.

There's more on the horizon for the Chenango Arts Council, such as ceramics workshops that are already scheduled for April. Keep an eye on ChenangoArts.org and the Chenango Arts Council Facebook page for more information on upcoming workshops and events.