Art & Culture

Wassenberg Art Center  The Wassenberg Art Center, located at 643 S. Washington Street was founded by prosperous peony farmer, Charles Wassenberg, who died in 1954 and left a trust fund to establish an art center “where art could flourish in Van Wert as the peonies have flourished in my garden.”    Today, the art center, which has been favorably compared with upscale galleries in New York and other large cities, presents an average of eight different and unique free exhibits each year.  It is also home to the Van Wert County Art Club and the Wassenberg Camera Club. They also offer classes and workshops for people of all ages.  For a schedule of exhibits and classes contact them at (419) 238-6837 or visit the Festival of Events at this web site.

Van Wert Civic Theater  Organized in 1959, the Van Wert Civic Theater is a mainstay in the cultural life of the Van Wert community.  The award-winning Van Wert Civic Theatre is recognized as one of the premiere community theatres in the state of Ohio. As a member of the Ohio Community Theatre Association, VWCT has become a consistent winner of awards for both acting and technical performances in state-wide competition. The all volunteer theatre group produces five shows per season, offering a balanced variety of comedy, drama and music, in their own 170-seat playhouse, and also sponsors a summer youth theatre program.

The 2006-2007 season's shows revolve around the theme of families: their trials and triumphs. The season will open with House for Sale, a comedy-drama by Ron Hill.  Next will be the comedy A Christmas Story, written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark and adapted by Phil Grecian.  Side Show, a touching musical with book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger, will be the third offering of the season. The season will conclude with Over the Tavern, a comedy-drama by Tom Dudrick.  Additional information can be obtained by calling 419-238-9689.

Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio  The Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, opened in the spring of 2007.  The Center provides the community a place for its cultural legacy. The 1,200 seat Auditorium, 200 seat Lecture Hall and spacious Grand Lobbyl offers many amenities that will be available for community and school use. This facility allows the Van Wert community to expand a thriving arts culture.

The Van Wert Area Performing Arts Foundation has established exciting programming providing culture, education and first-class entertainment in a state-of-the-art facility for people to enjoy and benefit from.

The Performing Arts Center is located at 10700 St. Rt. 118 South.  For more information contact them at 419-238-6722 or visit their web site at www.npacvw.org.  For a listing of scheduled performances you can also visit the Festival of Events on this web site.

 

Gymanfa Ganu  Venedocia, a small community 11 miles southeast of Van Wert, celebrates its Welsh heritage with a Gymanfa Ganu , a Welsh festival of song, held every year on the Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend. It has been an annual event since at least 1915.

The Gyumanfa Ganu is the biggest event of the year in Venedocia. People from all over Ohio and from many other states swell the village to several times its usual population as they pack into the Salem Presbyterian Church to sing in four part harmony. The church thunders with hundreds of voices praising the Lord with English and Welsh language hymns. The front doors of the church are left open and you can hear the singing a mile away to the east. Very few participants actually speak or understand Welsh, but you are given a Welsh hymn book which makes it easy follow along. A choral director and guest soloists, often Welsh natives, are part of the program. To obtain more information, contact the Salem Presbyterian Church at 419-667-2408.

Community Concert Series  Each year, the Community Concert Association brings Carnegie Hall quality music to Van Wert.  For over 50 years, the residents of Van Wert and the surrounding area have been treated to four or five excellent performances from September to May.  Attendance at the concert series is by membership only and, with the opening of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio, membership in the association will be open to increasing numbers of interested music-lovers.  For more information, contact the Van Wert County Foundation office at 419-238-1743 or visit their website at www.vanwert.com/foundation.

 

Off Stage Productions Off Stage Productions, "Where theatre comes to life",  presents two to three dinner theater shows each season. The meal is a buffet dinner, while the shows are usually comedies with adult themes. Performances fill up quickly, and reservations are required. For more information visit their website at www.offstagethreatre.com.

Fountain Park Summer Music Series  Fountain Park, located on the west side of downtown Van Wert, provides a beautiful setting for outside summer concerts.  Surrounded by trees, park benches, and a fountain, the park’s amphitheater offers a wonderful outdoor concert setting.

All concerts in the Fountain Park Music Series are free to the public, sponsored by The Van Wert County Foundation.  Most concerts offer a menu of summer cuisine, served by local churches and charity organizations.  Picnic tables are available, but you are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket and relax to some beautiful music and enjoy good food with friends, under the stars.  For more information, you may call The Van Wert County Foundation at 419-238-1743 or visit their website at www.vanwert.com/foundation.

Sanctuary Music Series  The Sanctuary Music Series is dedicated to bringing the gift of music to the church community and general public.  It has been said that “Music is a grand and glorious gift of God”.  With Van Wert’s rich heritage of churches and religion, a music series in some of its grandest cathedral and sanctuary settings seems most appropriate. 
These concerts are presented approximately three times a year on Sunday afternoons.  Cultural music which edifies our Creator is highlighted in this series.  The concerts are free and open to the public, offered as a gift to the community from The Van Wert County Foundation.  For more information contact The Van Wert County Foundation at 419-238-1743.

Garden of the Senses The Master Gardeners of Van Wert have created a garden in downtown Van Wert, located in an empty lot between two businesses that had been used as a parking lot. This lovely oasis, called the Garden of the Senses, today contains trees, flowers, herbs, and shrubs with raised beds and brick walkways curving around the flowers and trees with benches to stop and rest and enjoy the peacefulness of the garden. A pergola was built on the spot, which in the summer is adorned with hanging baskets and during the Christmas season houses a stately decorated Christmas tree. The Garden of the Senses can be viewed on Main Street just east of Balyeat's Coffee Shop.

Music in the Park Delphos, Ohio. A variety of music genre will entertain the crowd at the Music in the Park Series in Stadium Park in Delphos, Ohio. A short 16 mile drive to Delphos will allow you to enjoy concerts ranging from waltzes and polkas to Celtic traditions to jazz and big band music. The concerts are held on Sunday evening at 6:00. Food is available. For more information, contact the Delphos Ohio Chamber of Commerce at 419-695-1771 or visit their website at www.delphos-ohio.com/

Southern Gospel Music Expo presents four consecutives nights of Gospel music each spring (check the calendar of events for specific dates).  Hosted by the group, Trinity, the event features gospel artists from across the country.  Held in the Family Life Center of Trinity Friends Church, the concerts run from Thursday evening through Sunday evening.  More information is available by visiting their website at www.trinityfriendschurch.com or calling 888-504-8149.