The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG) is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the Ithaca (New York) City School District to support and celebrate all the arts for all the kids. FABG is an affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative.

Latest News

Wine, Dine and Stay!

Posted Sun, 08/09/2009 - 12:24pm

Donate or advertise now to be entered in a prize package including hotel stay, wine, dinner for two, and more!

Help host the Sankt Annae Youth Choir of Copenhagen, Denmark in October

Posted Thu, 08/06/2009 - 5:10pm

A few years ago, the IHS Choir hosted the Sankt Annae Youth Choir from Copenhagen, Denmark. Our guests had such a great time, they’re coming back again! They will visit from October 5 - 8 and once again we are looking for host families.

The responsibilities consist of providing one dinner, one bag lunch, three breakfasts and three nights of lodging. See complete itinerary below. If you are interested, please email Art Loomis, aloomis@icsd.k12.ny.us, IHS Choral Director....(read more)

Summer Time - Refresh for Next School Year

Posted Mon, 08/03/2009 - 8:27am

Summer is a great time to restart your brain, your creative juices, and take a break from the busy schedule that comes with the school year. Consider doing something totally different with your students - paint together, play music together or go to one of Ithaca’s performing arts events.

Summer is also a good time to plan for next school year. In August you can check the district’s fine and performing arts calendar and mark dates down. Look at grant deadlines and think about how to help your school. Consider how a volunteer role might fit into your life. The boosters have many doable jobs waiting for a bit of your energy.

Contact us by clicking on the contact tab for more info.

Lee Strebel Memorial Award

Posted Sun, 06/07/2009 - 3:12pm

Haley Evanoski named Lee Strebel Memorial Award Winner

Haley Evanoski was named the 2009 Lee Strebel Memorial Award for Enthusiasm in the Performing Arts recipient. Haley accepted the award at the Ithaca High School’s Underclassman Award Night June 4, 2009 in Kulp Auditorium. The Lee Strebel Memorial Award is presented each year to an Ithaca student who has not only participated in the performing arts at the high school level, but has shown extraordinary spirit in that pursuit. The award is given in loving memory of Lee Strebel, an Ithaca High School student who died suddenly during his freshman year in February of 2006. In his short time at the high school, Lee became a standout in the drama department after playing the leading role of George Gibbs in Our Town....(read more)

Ithaca High Band Does Outreach

Posted Wed, 06/03/2009 - 3:59pm

On Wednesday May 27th, the IHS Band Director Nicki Zawel arrived with her Woodwind Quintet students at Caroline Elementary School, and for a half an hour the musicians played to a full cafeteria of very excited students. The Caroline students proudly identified the five instruments played by the Quintet with Zach Montague on flute, Dan Snedeker on bassoon, Madeline Zehnder on clarinet, Josh Endo on french horn, and Kailey Eldredge on oboe. They listened carefully and eagerly answered questions about music asked by Mrs. Zawel. To enthusiastic applause, the Quintet played selections that included themes of musical conversations, animals, a masquerade ball and ended with a shortened version of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf narrated by Mrs. Zawel....(read more)

New York State Music Association Success!

Posted Sun, 05/24/2009 - 10:01am

District students just completed participation in the NYSSMA solo festival, held May 8 and 9 in Groton, where each student played a solo and was adjudicated by a NYSSMA representative....(read more)

Thanks for voting on the 2009-2010 Budget!

Posted Wed, 05/20/2009 - 9:08am

Thanks to all those who voted on May 19th. The Ithaca City School Budget proposal passed. Now our job is to monitor how the 2009-2010 school year goes with the arts cuts that remain. Please provide feedback to your principal, central administration and the board of education. Let the Fine Arts Boosters know what is happening by posting to this web site.

Welcome to the Fine Arts Booster Group Web Site

Posted Sat, 05/02/2009 - 7:52pm

This is our web home. We will use this interactive site to host discussions among our membership and the greater community, as well as to gather resources that have been spread over multiple web sites in the past.

In addition, if you want to become a member, donate or advertise in the school performance booklets or playbills, you can do that here.

Please let us know what you think as you explore the new site.

Board of Education Adopts Budget

Posted Wed, 04/29/2009 - 3:11pm

On April 21, the Ithaca City School District Board of Education adopted the budget to present to the voters. The school budget vote is May 19, 2009 from noon to 9:00.

The arts items that made it back into the budget reflect some of the top priorities registered in our website ranking poll....(read more)

Update on Budget Discussions

Posted Sun, 04/12/2009 - 10:32am

Update:

Thanks for the show of support at the April 6 public hearing. The majority of speakers were students who voiced strong support for after school co-curriculars. There were petiitions from DeWitt (over 100), AIDA (426), Booster poll (98 and counting). The poise and passion of all the student speakers was particularly moving. Thank you!

Co-curriculars (after school music and drama) seem likely to be added back. Elementary band/orchestra at grade 3 and 4, too. However, we still have cuts in music and art staff at DeWitt, music or art staff at Ithaca High, drama, music, art staff at LACS, and the District Liaison positions reduction.

We will follow the Board news as they progress towards the final budget to be adopted April 21.

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