FROED One Government Center Fall River, MA 02722-7700 Tel 508-324-2620 Fax 508-677-2840 info@froed.org		CENTER OF LOCAL ARTS The Herald News, Thursday, November 5, 2009 - Page B2 For all the talk - especially during election times - of the need to develop the arts in Fall River, many of us fail to realize what the city already has. While further development to support the arts is always welcome, perhaps what is really needed is a greater focus on the thriving arts community that already exists inside Fall River. From painting and sculpture to theatre and music, visual and performing arts are thriving and growing at various venues in Fall River, something outsiders have certainly noticed but that Fall Riverites themselves seem not to recognize as much. The Narrows Center for the Arts, at 16 Anawan St. in Fall River, is one of the most successful arts venues in the city. From its humble start as a tiny open mic spot in an art gallery on Martine Street, the center has blossomed into a prominent destination for area music fans and a respected gallery for visual arts lovers. From local upstart bands to Grammy award-winning stars, musicians are routinely flocking to The Narrows, a venue whose reputation is growing into a bona fide destination for big-name acts. One of the biggest is headlining The Narrows Center’s eighth anniversary celebration Saturday night. Famed blues musician Susan Tedeschi will take to the small stage Saturday before an intimate crowd of 280, the center’s capacity. Even at $75 a ticket, the show has been sold out for weeks, matching the success of other stars like Richard Thompson, Ritchie Havens, Los Lobos and David Bromberg. Other big names are on the schedule this season, including jazz, blues and folk stars like Leon Redbone, Johnny Winter, Joe Louis Walker and Marc Cohn. The success of the big-name acts has helped The Narrows Center increase its budget from just $21,000 its first year to $575,000, allowing it to consistently increase the number and quality of musicians it books. It also allows the center to keeps its prices down for most shows, making it accessible to most. In fact, 70 percent of the shows have ticket prices averaging $25 or less, offering an unmatched value for the quality of the performances the center offers. And it’s not only about the music. The Narrows Center also has a growing visual arts gallery. Resident artist studios overlook the performance space and artists from throughout the area display their talents there. The center even hosted the 2008 Pulp Function exhibit in association with the renowned Fuller Art Museum in Brockton. The Narrows Center has offered art classes and hosted city fifth-graders, who got a tour of the museum and experienced a concert by local musician Mark Small. But despite all the Narrows Center has to offer and its growing reputation in art circles outside the city, Fall Riverites don’t seem to be embracing it yet. About 80 percent of the center’s audience last year came from more than 15 miles away, many making the trek from Boston. Visitors from 22 states have attended shows there, but less than 10 percent of Fall River’s population has visited. The Narrows Center is the centerpiece of Fall River’s thriving arts community, which should be experienced more and be better supported by local residents. Visitors to the center come from all around and “spend money at restaurants, hotels and liquor stores, but more importantly, they leave with a good feeling about Fall River,” said Narrows Center Executive Director Patrick Norton. It’s time Fall River residents experience that same good feeling. For more information on the Narrows Center and a list of upcoming shows, visit www.ncfta.org Back