YOU’RE INVITED!

A Celebration of Arts & Education
GARNER Arts Center’s 2023 Gala

Friday, November 3rd

Dye Works Event Space
GARNER Historic District
55 West Railroad Avenue, Garnerville, NY 10923

5:45 PM - Cocktail Hour
7:00 PM - Dinner & Awards
9:00 PM - Afterparty (click here)
w/ Mac & Cheez Balkan Power Trio with Two Sides

Join us in celebrating honorees, Dr. Kris Felicello and Elliott Forrest, for GARNER Arts Center’s “A Celebration of Arts & Education” Gala! Together, we will highlight art, education and its lasting impact on children and adults alike. Expect an evening of artistic surprises, including dance, music, visual art, conversation and Special Recognitions.

This year brings us closer than ever to realizing GARNER’s mission of advancing its North Rockland home into the thriving arts, business & cultural district we have always envisioned. Come celebrate!

Honorees:

Dr. Kris Felicello
Superintendent, North Rockland Central School District and co-author of the Amazon best-selling book, “The Teacher & The Admin: Making Schools Better for Kids.”

Elliott Forrest
Peabody award-winning broadcaster, WQXR Host, Producer and founding Executive Artistic Director of ArtsRock, bringing professional performing arts to Rockland County for over fifteen years.

Emcee:

James Robert Calder
Globally-recognized director and performer in theatre and film; Head of Movement at Tisch Graduate Acting Department of New York University (NYU) and Artistic Director of Continuum Theater Festival at NYU La Pietra, Florence, Italy. Winner of the David Payne Carter Excellence in Teaching Award - Tisch School of the Arts, NYU.

Click the names of the Honorees/Emcee to learn more.

Special Recognitions:

Ileana Eckert
Former Superintendent, North Rockland Central School District &
Interim Superintendent, South Orangetown Central School District

Karen Baumann
North Rockland Central School District Arts Coordinator

Magdalena Truchan
“Maker of the Year”

Meet Our Honorees

DR. KRIS FELICELLO

Dr. Kris Felicello has been in the field of education for over 25 years as a Teacher, Coach, Athletic Director, Assistant Principal, Principal, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, and he is currently the Superintendent in the North Rockland Central School District in Rockland County, New York. Kris obtained his Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from St. John’s University in 2011.

Dr. Felicello is a leader who wants to make schools a better place for students.  He firmly believes that it is essential to build relationships and foster students’ social-emotional development to ensure a positive and productive educational experience for all students.  Throughout his career, Dr. Felicello has embraced technology as a means to improve schools, however, he cautions that technology should be utilized only when it supports positive instructional practices.  

Kris co-founded “The Teacher and Admin” education blog with his colleague and friend Gary Armida.  They also co-authored the best selling book “The Teacher and The Admin: Making Schools Better for Kids” released in October of 2019.  Kris and Gary have enjoyed contributing to the field by examining various areas of education providing insights from both a teacher and  Administrator and a teacher’s perspective. 

Dr. Felicello has presented at the NYS Athletic Administrator Conference, New York State Association of School Personnel Administrators Conference, New York State Curriculum for Advanced Technological Education Conference, and at the OMEGA Institute.  Dr. Felicello is a TEDx speaker who discusses educational reform in his talk entitled “If not us, who?” He has also served as an adjunct professor, and professional development leader, and continues to be a student of the latest trends in education.  

Although Dr. Felicello is passionate about his career and improving our education system, his first priority is his family.  He enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife Rebecca and 3 sons Justin (22), Andrew (20), and Scott (19).

ELLIOTT FORREST 

Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, director, producer, designer, filmmaker. Afternoon host on New York’s Classical Radio Station 105.9FM, WQXR and WQXR.org. Founding Executive Artistic Director of ArtsRock.org of Rockland County, NY, for 15 Seasons bringing professional performing arts to the community, including on-stage interviews with Harvey Fierstein, Chita Rivera, Brian Cox, Alec Baldwin, David Hyde Pierce, Robert Klein, Lewis Black, and others. Co-creator, Producer, and Projection Designer of the National Tours of AN EVENING WITH ITZHAK PERLMAN and MICHAEL FEINSTEIN CELEBRATES JUDY GARLAND. Director, award-winning documentary with violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins FACE TO FACE: FORGOTTEN VOICES HEARD, which premiered at Carnegie Hall. Host of the national radio concerts of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Hosted more the 60 concerts on-stage at Carnegie Hall. Co-Director and Projection Designer: NY Production with Trinity Wall Street, Sets by Beowulf Borritt and Lights by Ken Billingtion, National Tour and PBS-TV Special of CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD by Craig Hella Johnson. Executive Producer, The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park on the Radio of RICHARD II. Director, AIDS NEWS, MCC Theater, NY.  Directed several productions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL with Scrooges David Hyde Pierce, F. Murray Abraham, Brian Cox, Tony Roberts and Kathleen Turner. He regularly produces, directs and designs symphony concerts: LA Philharmonic, The NY Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Pasadena Pops and the Little Orchestra Society in venues including the Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl and Lincoln Center. Orchestra narrator: Saint-Saens’ CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS, PETER AND THE WOLF, Stravinsky’s SOLDIER’S TALE, Britten’s YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE, LINCOLN PORTRAIT. For 12 years, Host, A&E Television BREAKFAST WITH THE ARTS . Co-host, THE LATE, LATE RADIO SHOW with Tom Snyder. Theater Grad, University of Texas, Austin.

elliottforrest.com

Meet our Emcee

James Robert Calder

Head of Movement at Tisch Graduate Acting Department, winner of the David Payne Carter Excellence in Teaching Award - Tisch School of the Arts. Artistic Director of La Pietra Summer Theatre Festival – Florence, Italy, Directed works in New York City at Lincoln Center Institute, Pearl Theatre, Classic Stage Company, with workshop presentations at The Public, New York Theater Workshop and HERE. Jim has been a movement consultant on PERICLES at Berkeley Rep, (Director Mark Wing-Davey), PASSION PLAY by Sarah Ruhl (Director Mark Wing-Davey) and THERESE RAQUIN starring Keira Knightley, (Director Evan Cabnet) on Broadway. Jim has performed at The Old Globe, P.S. 122, and throughout Europe with Teatre De La Grappe. He was the lead actor and creative consultant in PBS’s NODDY & FRIENDS TV. Jim trained at Ecole Jacques and performed under the direction of Jacques LeCoq in numerous TV specials in France. 

Can’t Attend the Gala?
Join us for the After Party!

Doors Open: 9:00pm
Dye Works Event Space
Tickets: $35 (in advance & at the door)
Cash Bar

MacNCheez Balkan Power Trio with Two Sides

Don’t miss a really fun time with MacNCheez Balkan Power Trio with Two Sides. Come dance with us!

The MacNCheez Balkan Power Band is an acoustic group specializing in traditional and modern village and urban folk music from the southern Balkans.

Their repertoire features music from Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greek, and Turkey and is strongly influenced by Roma and Ottoman cultures and traditions. This music is typically performed for social-cultural occasions such as weddings, holidays and annual village festivals celebrating the seasons.

Tim Allen (saxophone), Matthew "Max" Fass (accordion) and Johanna Dun (percussion) bring an ancient-modern musical synthesis from the regions where East and West overlap and present it in their own style to audiences throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond.

Modeled after the traditional village wedding bands found throughout the Balkans, MacNCheez is a highly flexible band that can play acoustically on the street, in a parade or bring the party to larger venues using their distinct amplified sound set up. Traditional village dances can be taught on the spot.