WCAA is proud to present Los Olvidados (The Forgotten Ones) by acclaimed director Luis Bunuel on Sunday, February 21. Released in 1950, the film is set in the slums of Mexico City and presents an unflinching and unsentimental look at the lives of the people who live there and focuses in particular on the children as they struggle to survive the unrelenting grip of poverty.

Bunuel won the best director award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1951 and the film was one of the first selections for UNESCO’s Memory of the World program.

Los Olvidados is the second film to be presented in the Wayne County Arts Alliance’s winter film series featuring classic movies by top directors from all over the world. The program, shown by arrangement with the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation, will be presented at 7:00 p.m. at the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, 32 Commercial Street, in Honesdale. A donation of $5.00 per person is suggested, to help support the activities of the Arts Alliance. The film will be preceded with a short introduction and followed by a discussion. For more information, contact the Arts Alliance at (570) 253-6850 or visit http://www.waynecountyartsalliance.org/_.

Dear Members,
The WCAA office and arts education center update is nearly complete. Students and teachers are delighted with the new lighting. the removal of the false ceiling that makes the room feel larger and the fresh coat of paint. Classes are underway and a renewed energy is pulsating through the WCAA arts center. We're excited that you are a part of this vibrant new year supporting the arts in Wayne County.

At our annual membership meeting we shared with you that the board members had to make some difficult decisions in order to keep the arts sustainable in our community. Bill Bower, our newly elected treasurer, has diligently helped us understand our profit and loss since he came on board the last quarter of 2009. Each committee chair and the committee volunteers are creatively finding ways to cut back without sacrificing programs. The board had to make a difficult decision in two important areas that would significantly and could prove to keep the WCAA alive and well for 2010: 1) Cutting back the hours of the Executive Director and 2) Forfeiting the additional room that held an office and conference room.

Up until the end of the last quarter we had promised to enlarge the arts education room by moving the office to the other room and removing a wall in the present arts education room. The Board decided for the fiscal health of the WCAA, the additional room would have to be relinquished. We made the decision to give the arts education room a facelift, practice careful scheduling and save money by leaving the wall intact for the daily running of the WCAA business. At the January board meeting, we were pleasantly rewarded with a financial report that shows the arts alliance operating in the black. Hurrah!

The committees reported that programs are in the planning stages with ongoing support from members and volunteers. We're looking forward to the success of the May Day Wonderland Tea Party, the Children's Summer Studio Arts program, the 2010 Studio Tour, Summer Arts Project, and quarterly writer's workshops. We greatly appreciate your understanding during this difficult economic times and thank you for your enthusiasm and support for the WCAA.
Warm regards,
Tamara Murray
WCAA Executive Director
Cherie Matthews
Vice President
Hana Gorman
Art Education Chairperson

The WCAA Writer's Workshop is thrilled to offer a writing seminar "The Art of Critique Without Brutality" by noted author, editor and storyteller Christine San Jose.

A love of language has led Christine San Jose to a lifelong involvement with the process of thinking, reading, writing, and dramatization. A gifted storyteller, English-born author, editor, and teacher Christine San José worked as senior editor of Highlights for Children magazine. Her best-known works are the picture books she has published, many based on classic tales. San José's titles include Cinderella and The Little Match Girl. Christine is a popular and dynamic speaker at writers’ gatherings throughout the country.

The first in WCAA's new quarterly writing seminars, the program will be held at the Wayne Co. Chamber of Commerce on February 27 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Exceptional writers don't magically fall out of the sky. Successful authors labor hours upon hours to write their novels. It's practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. They also understand the importance of "critique" and became better writers because of it. This workshop will help local writers discover out inconsistencies in their plot, point of view problems, sentence structure problems, stilted or unrealistic dialogue as well as a host of other problems. With the graceful guidance of editor Christine San Jose, writers will learn the importance of “chopping” off the dead wood, to reveal the strong, lively text within.

The cost is $25 for WCAA members and $35 for non-members. For information about this program and other upcoming events, please call the office at 570-253-6850.

Join Acclaimed Historical Fiction Author Clara Gillow Clark on Saturday February 20 at Quotes Coffee House from 2-4 in Forest City. Ms. Clark will read some of her work and be available to answer questions from aspiring authors and sign copies of her books. No fee….unless you want coffee or tea!

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