For Platte City Friends of the Arts, their mission is simple – enriching lives and building community through the arts.
On April 23, the group will host their seventh annual tea, A Fairy Tale Tea, featuring an original fairy tale chosen by the hostess, either Grimms Brothers or Hans Christian Anderson, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Eighteen Ninety Event Space in Platte City.
Platte City Friends of the Arts, from left, Susan Anderson (Board Chair 2009-2019), Terry Cox Durand, Debbie Dance Uhrig and Sharon Short.
In 1999, local residents, Sharon Short, Debbie Dance Uhrig and Lisa Stephens founded Platte City Friends of the Arts and soon Terry Durand joined the board.
The group first hosted a concert featuring a California artist at Snow Creek. A second Snow Creek concert that included a dinner followed, along with an art show. They then began a community orchestra. The founding members are grateful and proud of the continuing interest that the community and the past and present board members have shown to the arts in Platte City.
After 24 years of the group’s service to the community, they are now hosts or sponsors for the Platte City Community Band, Adult Area Artists Art Shows, PCR-3 Schools Art Shows, PCR-3 Fine Arts Scholarships, Outdoor Summer Music Concerts, College Scholarship Singing Contest, Indoor Community Band Concerts, Partnerships with Weston Community Theatre and Art in the Park. All the arts events, programs and experiences provided are free of charge and planned for all ages.
Current board member, Susan Anderson, served as board president for 10 years and is a charter member and co-chair of the Platte County Tea Planning Committee.
“The first year was a shared fund raiser tea with Platte City Friends of the Arts and Weston Community Theatre, neighboring nonprofit arts organizations, Anderson said. “The theme of the first tea was A Downton Abbey Tea. The Downton Abbey series finale had recently aired on KCPT and was the talk of the town. Each tea table featured a character in the drama. The tea was named the Platte County Tea as attendees were from Parkville, Platte City, Weston and other areas of the county and they continue to be each year. Also the arts events funded by the tea provide free arts experiences for all in Platte County.”
The second tea in 2017 was Tea Around the World featuring tea growing countries and regions. Tea on Broadway in 2018 featured favorite Broadway shows, Tea and a Good Book in 2019, presented favorite good books chosen by the table hostess.
Due to the pandemic there was no tea in 2020. In 2021, the tea returned in a virtual form with A Roaring 20’s Tea with tables featuring a form of art popular in the 1920s.
“Tea attendees picked up their boxed tea foods from the venue, then went home to watch the tea virtually, table hostesses showed their tea tables by live stream,” Anderson said. “Some family and friends who were vaccinated or comfortable being with their small group in homes did, and some watched the event from their own homes. Entertainment was live from the Eighteen Ninety Event Space.”
Last year the theme was Petals in My Tea with tables featuring particular flowers. In 2024, to honor the 150th Kentucky Derby, the tea theme will be Tea at the Derby. “The ideas are already flowing and hats are planned,” Anderson said. “We learn so much from each tea theme as we research how to decorate the tables. We saw the correlation as we studied for the Roaring 20’s Tea, those living in that time period had gone through a pandemic from 1918 to 1920 and here we were 100 years later experiencing a pandemic.”
While all the teas are fun and creative for the planners in making the theme come alive, Anderson said it is important for the events also to be educational and it is important for the events to be tied into the arts as entertainment showcases with vocal and instrumental music, theatre arts and dance.
“The upcoming Fairy Tale Tea will have amazing tea table decorations and beautiful table settings, delicious, traditional tea treats catered by The Farmers House, entertainment showing samples of the arts: vocal music, instrumental music, dance and theater art, wonderful silent auction items to bid on and hopefully win, door prizes of flowers and plants, and of course, a fun themed selfie station, while enjoying the featured brewed tea provided by Adventures with Tea,” Anderson said.
The tea will be emceed by the Platte City Community Band Director, Jim Edwards.
The teas are very important to the Platte City Friends of the Arts. The tea organizers and planners begin in January and work about four months each year to ensure every detail is precise. It’s a very large and popular event and a quarter of a year is spent not only planning theme details, decorations, entertainment and food, but also solicitation of volunteers, sponsors, table hostesses and silent auction donations.
“We are a 501c3 nonprofit arts organization,” Anderson said. “The Platte County Tea, a fund raiser for the Arts is the one major annual fund raiser to help support our arts budget. We apply for grants and receive some, plus we have local businesses and individuals who are members and sponsors of Friends of the Arts, however we depend on the income from the tea to be able to continue all the programs and events that are provided free of charge to the community. Friends of the Arts sponsors the Platte City Community Band which currently has 45 members and provides four free indoor concerts per year for the community’s enjoyment. We have awarded a $1,000 Fine Arts College Scholarship annually for 20 years. And we present the outdoor summer music concert series on the courthouse lawn. The cost of the summer music series has increased with the years.”
Anderson said studies have shown how important art is for children and adults, including brain development and elasticity and mental health. Art relieves stress, raises self-esteem, creativity, and provides opportunities to connect and socialize, while helping children and adults learn and thrive.
“A community benefits from experiencing a variety of arts experiences and by supporting them financially,” Anderson said. “All in the community can benefit from ‘free of charge’ arts experiences.
Usually, 150 to 180 people attend the teas. Many of the teas have sold out because there is a limit on how many tables of eight can fit in the space, since the dance floor area is used for the entertainment and the silent auction display. Those interested in attending are encouraged to purchase their tickets early, especially this year, because no tickets will be sold at the door.
A new early bird discount will be introduced this year. If those who wish to attend purchase a tea ticket through March 23 it will only cost $45, after March 23 and through April 10 the cost is $50.
The Platte City Friends of the Arts hosted the Platte County Community Band Concert on March 12. Upcoming events include: the PCHS Annual Art Exhibition with judges provided by the Friends of the Arts, along with rosette place ribbons, cash prizes and a reception from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., May 7 inside the high school, followed by a Platte City Community Band Concert at 3 p.m.; Outdoor Summer Music Concerts on the Courthouse Lawn, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. second Saturday evenings of June, July and August, activities for children include sidewalk chalk, bubbles and dancing; Worldwide
Make Music Day, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 21 on the courthouse lawn - band musicians are welcome to join others in making music together knowing others are doing the same around the world; Art in the Park at Platte Ridge Park – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sept. 23, enjoy art exhibits, make and take art opportunities, arts entertainment and observing artists as they create art.
For the last months of the year, the community band will perform an October and December Sunday afternoon concert, plus a brass ensemble from the PCCB provides live holiday music at the Platte City Holiday Lighting Celebration and patriotic music at the Platte City Veterans Day Observance.
Year-round, Friends of the Arts provides a monthly rotating art display in the lobby of city hall and other art displays as requested, such as the recent January and February art displays in the Platte City library.
Fine Arts Scholarship applications are being taken through the month of March - see the application on the Platte City Friends of the Arts website.
Providing free, family-friendly, quality arts experiences for the community members of all ages and watching lives enriched and the community built through the arts are some of the many rewards of being a member of the Platte City Friends of the Arts.
“We welcome volunteers and new board members,” Anderson said. The board meets monthly for one hour. There are committees including: visual arts, fine arts scholarship, summer music, community band, fund raisers, members and sponsors, Art in the Park and the Tea Planning Committee.”
For more information, email: pcfanews@gmail.com or go to the Facebook pages: Platte City Friends of the Arts, Platte County Tea, Fundraiser for the Arts, or Platte City Community Band. The website is at plattecityfriendsofthearts.com.