Wickenburg Children's cultural Organization News 

2009

WCO receives a grant from
Arizona Commission on the Arts with funding from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

A grant to assist WCO with operating expenses was received for the 2009-2010 season. This and other donations are vital to continuing our programs. 


A.   Wallace Denny Funds Through Arizona Community Foundation Bring WCO closer to goal for a Youth Orchestra

 (Janurary 2009)

The late A. Wallace Denny, husband of the late of Edith Litchfield, whose family established the city of Litchfield Park in 1920, carried on his wife’s love for music through a charitable gift of $350,000 to the Arizona Community Foundation.  After his death, his heirs have continued the fund for the same purpose.

The Denny family hopes the fund will inspire other donors to invest in music education as well, and the fund is accepting contributions. While a wide variety of music knowledge and appreciation is desirable, the Denny’s have a clear preference for classical music. They want children to have a chance to experience music and gain competency in an area that is often the first to be cut in school budgets.

 

The Denny’s expressly created a charitable field-of-interest fund at the Arizona Community Foundation that may cover a wide range of needs (capital, programmatic, scholarship) so that ACF’s grants committee has a wide degree of latitude to choose the most deserving programs in western Maricopa County.

 

The Wickenburg Children’s cultural Organization (WCO) was a recipient of these funds this year.  The local request includes funds for a planning session in July made of education and music professionals who will create a detailed outline and materials for a Youth Music Camp in the summer of 2010.  WCO is very pleased with the list of professionals who have agreed to become part of this process.  Mathew Britton, Wickenburg School District instrumental instructor and team leader for this project, Kay Anderson, piano teacher, Kathy Anderson, elementary school teacher, Dee Bybee, retired teacher with a curriculum construction background, Rebecca Duncan, music teacher for the Nadaburg School District, Trista Kruckenderg, violin instructor with involvement with the West Valley Youth Orchestra and the West Valley Music Camp, Lydia Quince, instructor with music in her background, Dana Rainey, violin instructor at Morristown School, Marina Rauh, violin instructor in elementary schools, Lucille Thompson, Head Teacher at Morristown and past recipient of the Arizona School Administrators Association’s Arts Administrator of the Year award.

Members of the WCO board will also take part in the planning process.  In addition to the funds for the Planning Sessions, WCO was granted funds to be able to loan much needed instruments to the High School music program as well as software that enables students to write their own music.  Both of these projects allow WCO to make a giant step toward its ultimate goal of an area Youth Orchestra. 

Any person or group who may wish to share in the support of this goal may donate to the WCO by contacting them at 928-684-7473, 623-584-9591 or by writing to P.O. Box 2687; Wickenburg, Arizona 85358.

 

NAME CHANGE AND MISSION MODIFICATION

On March 3, 2009 the Board of the Wickenburg Children's cultural Organization (WCO) voted to change the name of the child centered organization.  Previously it was the Wickenburg Cultural Organization and prior to that the Wickenburg Chamber Orchestra.  Neither name actually gives a clue as to the mission of the organization: 

"The mission of the WCO is to enrich the lives of children through music and the arts and help preserve the Garcia Little Red Schoolhouse."

The board hopes this will make the mission more clear and assist WCO in obtaining support to fulfill its mission.

 

Aguila's own Jennifer (stage name Jen) Anaya starred in the Cape Fear Regional Theatre's presentation of West Side Story as Maria in January and February 2009.  Jen graduated from Wickenburg High School and received scholarship support for music camps and college from WCO and other local organizations.  WCO follows Anaya’s  career and she came back to Wickenburg in 2008 to help with a fund raiser to help this organization reach out to and help musically inclined  hopefuls as they have for her.

 

 

 

 

Photo of Jen Anaya (Maria) and Jeremy Jonet (Tony)

2008

Wickenburg Cultural Organization received a Wellik Grant for the second phase of the Garcia Little Red School House Renovation.  While completing the first phase of the school house renovation with a Wellik Grant and other funds, as with all renovations, other issues facing the building were discovered.   These, including systems that had been installed twenty four years ago were identified as needing upgrades.

Preserving this historical gem of the Town of Wickenburg is the goal of this grant as well as part of the mission of the WCO.  

“The mission of the WCO is to enrich the lives of young people through music and the arts and preserve the history of education of the Wickenburg area through the Garcia Little Red Schoolhouse.”

The renovations have and will help increase the use of the LRSH for community events, music lessons and much more.

The restoration is being completed in a manner in keeping with the building’s architecture and without sacrificing its character.  We have increased the number of community events and the guest book shows a definite increase in Garcia LRSH visitors.  WCO feels this project is very much in the spirit of the Wellik Foundation mission and thanks the foundation for making these improvements possible.

WCO thanks the late Robert J. Hoffman for his work and dedication to the restoration project.  Hoffman, who had ties to Wickenburg, helped coordinate all of the sub projects requiring specialists and completed many himself with more than just skill.  Hoffman had his heart in the project since he could see children are receiving the major benefit of the LRSH.  He was known to his friends as someone who defended the causes of children and will be remembered.

The A. Wallace Denny Fund provided $75,000 in grants this year, in an effort to draw attention to the valuable and worthwhile activities in western Maricopa County dedicated to providing or increasing music education for children.  Arizona Community Foundation manages this fund.

This year’s grant recipients include Wickenburg Cultural Organization for its “Music Matters” programs.  The grant makes possible a pilot string instrument program in schools that do not have music specialists.  This year Morristown and Aguila School Districts are participating.  WCO hopes the program will be so successful that more individuals and foundations will support it and allow it to expand to other schools next year.

Wickenburg Cultural Organization’s Little Red School House expands hours for the Fall.  The LRSH will be open from 10 am until 2 pm Tuesday through Saturday beginning August 22.

In September 2003, in recognition of WCO's work for the community, Meridian Bank donated the beloved, historic Garcia Little Red Schoolhouse to the organization. The 101-year-old building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can see a growing collection of memorabilia dating back to 1884, including photographs, documents and yearbooks.  Tours are provided and special historical events take place in the LRSH to keep the rich history of the building and early education in Wickenburg alive.

The WCO partners with the Desert Caballeros Western Museum to maintain an exhibit in the building that resembles an authentic schoolroom from the early 1900s.  For a donation to WCO one may ring the historic school bell perched atop the building.

Currently the building is undergoing needed refurbishing thanks to a Wellik Foundation Grant.  As with all such projects, once the work begins, additional needs are unveiled.  To assist with the funds needed to accomplish these tasks, WCO is staging a drawing for five hundred dollars in Bashas’ gift cards, donated by Bashas’ Supermarkets.   Tickets may be purchased for the drawing at the LRSH or by calling 928-684-7473.  The winning ticket will be drawn at the October 2 WCO board meeting.  A second place winner will receive a southwestern lap robe donated by Vivian Helmsworth.

PRESS RELEASE FOR THE WICKENBURG SUN
WEEK OF AUGUST 20, 2007

LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE GETS A NEW ROOF

Wickenburg’s beloved historic Little Red Schoolhouse is getting a new roof to replace the crumbling wood shake roof that was installed over 20 years ago.  Wickenburg Cultural Organization (WCO) leadership was concerned the shake shingles were falling off every time there was a strong wind causing the possibility of injury.  There were also concerns that there is a risk of a lightning-caused fire that could destroy the building.

Thanks to the Wellik Foundation, the Schoolhouse now will have a new metal roof that is fire retardant and will give the building a historic look.  The original roof was wood shingle, but the WCO Board decided to go with metal since it is truer to the period when the school house was built and similar to other restored historical buildings in the community.

Vi Wellik was a great benefactor to the town of Wickenburg and always interested in the history, traditions and well-being of the town.  The WCO Board expresses immense gratitude to the Wellik Foundation for contributing funds for the new roof.

The Wellik grant also provides funds for the remodeling of the basement in order to construct instrument storage and a clean, well-lighted practice and teaching room for music students and instructors.  There will also be space for the WCO’s growing sheet music library and historic documents related to the history of the Schoolhouse and education in the Wickenburg area.

PRESS RELEASE FOR THE WICKENBURG SUN
WEEK OF MARCH 13th, 2006

Horse Racing and Fund Raising for the
Wickenburg Cultural Organization

Bob and Mary Ellen McKee’s Hidden Springs Ranch, a world-class thoroughbred training facility in Peeples Valley, will be the site of the Wickenburg Cultural Organization’s annual spring fundraising festival on April 1, 2006 from noon until 4 p.m.

The “Boots and Denim” event will feature live music, tours of the racing facilities, and a fiesta lunch served alongside the unique horseshoe-shaped lake in which trainers exercise the horses. Live and silent auctions will feature art, jewelry, and vacation trips. Proceeds of the event support the music programs of the Wickenburg Cultural Organization and the historic Little Red Schoolhouse.

The ranch has over 100 horses that are being trained on its five-furlong race track..

“Opening the Ranch and its grounds on behalf of the WCO is an extremely generous gift from the owners Bob and Mary Ellen McKee”, said Marcie Amory, organizer of the event. “The Ranch is in a beautiful setting and this is a rare opportunity to view this world-class facility which is not generally open to visitors.”

Tickets for the event are $125 per person. For more information and to order your tickets, call 928-684-7473 or 928-684-3429.

The Ranch is located on Highway 89 in Peeples Valley.

The WCO has been bringing the gift of music to children throughout the area since 1994. The WCO services schools in Wickenburg, Wittmann, Morristown, Aguila, Yarnell and Congress to provide classical music in the classroom daily, and ensures that students in each school have the opportunity to hear the Phoenix Symphony live each year. The WCO also awards annual music camp and college scholarships.

ARTICLE APPEARING IN THE WICKENBURG SUN -
WEEK OF JANUARY 16th, 2006

Music Scholarships Led Jennifer Anaya To Pursue Dreams in New York

 Jennifer Anaya, formerly of Aguila, is now living in New York City and auditioning for parts on Broadway. Jennifer studied voice and cello while growing up in Aguila and attending Wickenburg High School. Since childhood, her dream has been to become a performer. She is now pursuing that dream professionally in New York. Scholarships from the Wickenburg Cultural Organization helped Jennifer attend summer music camps during high school, and helped make her studies at ASU feasible. She graduated from ASU in 2003 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance.

Jennifer recently wrote to the WCO telling of her auditions and offers of parts. She commented on the impact the scholarships are having on her life. “I want to thank you for the enormous part you have played in getting me to this point. The scholarships to music camp and ASU are what made me the performer I am and there are simply no words to express how thankful I am. In a time when the performing arts are being touted as a luxury and a waste of time, you are truly defending their honor.”

The WCO is looking forward to future updates from Jennifer, and it continues to keep in touch with other former scholarship winners as well. This year, the WCO is once again making scholarships available for young musicians who want to attend a summer camp or to attend college to study music. “We want to help insure that children and young adults have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and aspirations,” says Dianne Baker, Director of the WCO. “If you are studying music and need financial help to do so, we want to hear from you.” Applications are due by March 24th, and it’s not too early to begin work on the application packages. This year’s winners will perform at a public recital on Friday May 5th. For more information and an application package, you can contact the WCO at 684-7473 or by e-mail at music@wco.org.

PRESS RELEASE FOR THE WICKENBURG SUN
WEEK OF DECEMBER 19th, 2005

Meridian Bank Makes Donation for Phoenix Symphony Educational Concert

Max Fowler, Branch Manager of Meridian Bank, has presented the Wickenburg Cultural Organization a check for $1,500 in sponsorship of an educational concert by the strings section of the Phoenix Symphony. The WCO made the arrangements with the Symphony to perform for area elementary students at the Webb Center this coming February. “The Bank is very proud to be partnering with the WCO and the Webb Center to make this concert available to the children of Wickenburg and surrounding towns,” said Fowler. “We feel that this is a unique opportunity to provide a music experience that otherwise would be out of reach for so many of our students.”

This year, as in previous years, the Wickenburg Cultural Organization offered to pay for tickets to Symphony concerts in downtown Phoenix for area elementary schools that were willing to make the trip. “We found that while a few schools were willing to make the trip, some schools were opting out due the to challenge of busing, the cost of gasoline, and the extended time commitment needed for the excursion,” says Dianne Baker, Director of the WCO. “We were able to negotiate a contract with the Symphony to bring the strings section to Wickenburg this coming February and perform at the Webb Center, our partner in this event. This is a very generous gift from Meridian Bank and we are deeply grateful for their support.”

The WCO quickly filled the Webb Center with students from several elementary schools and will be providing educational aids to the teachers in preparation for the concert. “We want to extend our thanks to Joel Levin at the Phoenix Symphony for helping with the arrangements, and to Cathy Weiss at the Webb Center for agreeing to co-sponsor the concert,” says Baker. “We hope to make this an annual event for the children of Wickenburg and surrounding towns.”

Submitted by Dianne Baker, Director, WCO

PRESS RELEASE
FOR THE WICKENBURG SUN - WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21st, 2005

Garcia Little Red Schoolhouse Home to New Exhibit

The Garcia Little Red Schoolhouse is now home to a replica of a 1905 classroom. The Wickenburg Cultural Organization, owner of the Schoolhouse, partnered with the Desert Caballeros Western Museum to create this exciting new exhibit. Dianne Baker, Director of the WCO says, “This is a wonderful life-size view of a schoolroom complete with a teacher and students. We are very excited to have had the expertise of Mary Ann Igna and Nathan Augustine of the Museum guiding the research and collecting of items for the display.”

The idea for the exhibit came to Dianne after her first visit to the Museum and viewing their street scene. She talked to Royce Kardinal, Executive Director of the Museum, and suggested using the Garcia Little Red Schoolhouse to expand that street scene to include a schoolroom.

“This has been a wonderful opportunity to partner with the WCO, which is fortunate to be housed in one of Wickenburg’s most historic buildings,” said Museum Executive Director Royce Kardinal who was once herself a student at the Little Red Schoolhouse. “The new classroom replica gives us a chance to help tell Wickenburg’s story outside of our own walls.”

“The residents of Wickenburg, and visitors to the Town, have shown a great interest in early education here, and have been very supportive of keeping the Schoolhouse open and alive with its history,” said Dianne. “We wanted to make the experience of visiting the building even more authentic and educational. We appreciate the excellent depiction of a street scene that the Museum created and are happy that they agreed to expand their depiction to include the Schoolhouse. This helps history come to life, and brings many memories back to those who went to school here.”

The Schoolhouse has copies of class books dating back to 1928, vintage photos of the School and students, and written histories of education and the early residents of Wickenburg. The public is invited to the Schoolhouse to see the exhibit, and teachers are welcome to bring their classes for an educational visit. The WCO welcomes donations of authentic schoolroom items to display for others to enjoy. If you have something you want to donate, you can contact them at 684-7473 or by e-mail at music@wco.org.

Submitted by Dianne Baker, Director, WCO

The WCO, a 501 (C)(3) non-profit, is located in the Garcia Little Red Schoolhouse on Tegner Street and maintains the history of the Schoolhouse for the public to enjoy. If you would like more information on the WCO and its music programs, or would like to contribute to its scholarship fund, you can contact Dianne Baker, Director, at 684-7473.

WCO Newsletters

WCO Newsletter #9 - November 2005

WCO Newsletter #8 - February 2004

WCO Newsletter #7 - June 2003

WCO Newsletter #6 - August 2002

WCO Newsletter #5 - April 2001