HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH I 's

HOLIDAY MESSAGE,

AND END OF THE YEAR GIVING

Her Majesty Elizabeth I is pictured at a recent Shakespeare in the Park

fundraising, which showed the costumes of Robert Pittengen.

Her Majesty paused upon leaving, saying, "Your Queen loves you,"

as indeed she does, and does Lynn Adams, executive director

of the Oklahoma Children's Theatre, http://www.oklahomachildrenstheatre.org/#

who portrayed Her Majesty.

  Photo by Nancy Condit

By Nancy Condit

With the year's end comes the opportunity to donate to Oklahoma City's smaller

arts and community organizations, including the ones discussed in this blog.    All of the groups listed are 501 (c) 3 s.

While dance normally comes first to mind for this blogger, BLAC, Inc. (Black Liberated Arts Center) was hit particulaarly hard this year when the touring gospel group Mary Mary was forced to cancel the their tour just as they were coming to Douglass High School.  This was BLAC, INC.'s major fund-raiser for the season.  For more information, go to http://www.blacinc.org/home.  Donation information is not available until after the first of the year.  This writer encourages you to be creative.

Dance comes first to mind for this blog writer.  All of these groups are 501 (c) 3 s.

Perpetual Motion Modern Dance is currently raising money to support their 2012 season at http://www.perpetualmotiondance.org/.  RACE Dance Company is currently raising money for a space of their own where they can offer classes.  Their next performance is in February.  For donations, go to http://danceclassesoklahomacity.com/donate/, and to follow their performance schedule, go to https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=76027743612&v=wall.  Hartel Dance Group's website notes that "Donor contributions make performances possible."  They are also raising money to turn the fifth floor of the Magnolia Building an alternative performance space that will benefit the Oklahoma City performance community as well as young artists looking for an affordable space to present their work to the public. Go to http://www.harteldancegroup.org/Support.html for more information.

Theatre UponaStarDanceSwan involves children in the spontaneous dance of the annual midsummer Fairy Ball, The Magic Lantern, held around Halloween, and other events that are open to all young people. Donations to present events that put flowers in children's hair and give them the paper to make costumes can be made at http://www.thepaseo.com/ and clicking on the "Become a Fairy Godmother" link on the righthand, lime,  side of the website.

In the visual arts, both IAO, Individual Artists of Oklahoma,  http://www.iaogallery.org/become_member.htm, and [Artspace] at Untitled, http://www.artspaceatuntitled.org/about_us/ could use support. 

In theater, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park is in the middle of their fund drive.

Contact the 27 year old theater at http://www.oklahomashakespeare.com/.

In music, Brightmusic has presented chamber music since 2003.  Their artists include members of the OKC Philharmonic and teachers of music at Oklahoma City's surrounding universities.  For more information, go to http://brightmusic.org/support.

Two community services are in continual need of support.  The Guild of St. George assists the poor, working poor and homeless with utility bills, prescriptions, picture IDs and birth certificates.  It is located in St. Paul's Cathedral in downtown Oklahoma City.   can be reached at http://stpaulsokc.org/donations.  Mark your check for the Guild.

Infant Crisis Services provides emergency supplies and referral services to children from birth to six years old.  Contact them at http://www.infantcrisis.org/.