WXXI’S ARTS INFOCUS, A NEW TV SERIES THAT SPOTLIGHTS ARTISTS HERE AT HOME AND BEYOND, PREMIERES JANUARY 16TH ON WXXI-TV

WXXI’S ARTS INFOCUS, A NEW TV SERIES THAT SPOTLIGHTS ARTISTS HERE AT HOME AND BEYOND, PREMIERES JANUARY 16^TH ON WXXI-TV

(Rochester, NY) January 13, 2015 – Arts InFocus, a new, half-hour weekly program that spotlights arts and culture in the Rochester region and beyond, premieres Friday, January 16 at 8:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Hosted by WXXI’s Evan Dawson of Connections, WXXI’s daily live, call-in radio talk show, the series presents in-depth stories and profiles of some of the area’s finest artists and arts organizations, as well as those beyond our state line.

Arts InFocus is a collaboration with several PBS stations across the country – sharing content with each other to spotlight the amazing arts and cultural scenes of communities nationwide. The series airs Fridays at 8:30pm on WXXI-TV and on select PBS stations across the country. It serves as a perfect lead-in to Friday night’s PBS Arts block, a series of programs that highlight music, theater, performers, and artists. Arts InFocus repeats Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV and is available on demand at WXXI.org/artsinfocus (beginning January 16).

WXXI-produced segments of Arts InFocus include:

• From the Top, the popular NPR series that presents musical performances of America's outstanding young classical musicians, recently traveled to Rochester’s Kodak Hall at the Eastman School of Music to tape a live show that featured Rochester-area students. This segment features Alexander, NY soprano Emily Helenbrook and Pittsford cellist Annie Jacobs-Perkins. Airs  1/16.
• Vijay Iyer, one of jazz’s great young musicians, returned home to Rochester last summer to perform at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. Airs 1/16.
• Tru Art, a dance group comprised of talented inner-city urban youth dedicated to making a change and difference in their community through dance and instruction to a younger generation. Part 1 airs 1/23 and Part 2 airs 1/30.
• Joey DeFrancesco, a Grammy-nominated musician, who gave an energizing performance on his organ during the 2014 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.  Airs 1/23.
• John Gurche, a paleo artist and author of a new book called Shaping Humanity.  His book tells the human evolutionary story with art, especially sculpture. John is Artist-in-Resident at the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, New York. Airs 1/30.
• Ward Stare, Rochester native and music director of the Rochester Philhamornic, described as "one of the hottest young conductors in America" by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and "a rising star in the conducting firmament" by the Chicago Tribune.  Airs 2/6.
• John Ballou, also known as Jack Bear, is a letterboxer, sells hand-carved stamps through his company JackBear Stamps. Airs 2/6.

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WXXI is the essential, life-long educational media resource for the Greater Rochester area. WXXI puts the community first with programming that stimulates and expands thought, inspires the spirit, opens cultural horizons and promotes understanding of diverse community issues. WXXI also has a long-term affiliation with Little Theatre, which helps enhance the cultural life of the community and strengthens two of Rochester's most vital arts institutions. Log on to wxxi.org for more information about our services and programs.