Where else but at the Arts Council’s annual Giralda Festival can you relax on the gracious lawns of the former Dodge estate, shop for original artworks and/or jewelry, savor ice cream from a vintage ice cream truck and enjoy the thrilling sounds of the outstanding New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (with soloists from Opera New Jersey) under conductor Emil de Cou -  all for a highly affordable price?

L-R: Family fun with parachute; 2012 Giralda Conductor, Emil de Cou; Happy crowds enjoy 2011 Giralda.

Additionally, this year’s festival includes children’s Art Activities (origami and other art tables), and an Art Show and Sale  – not to mention desserts, beverages and snacks available for purchase from Kings Supermarkets, The Artist Baker and the vintage ice cream truck.

L-R: Opera NJ soloist Heather Johnson sings with NJSO under Gerald Steichen; artist Wayne Masiello; 3 generations of Marazzo family with their antique ice cream truck.

In keeping with Giralda tradition, there will be very generous prizes for the most inventive picnics and the fabulous 50/50 raffle, which nets some lucky person a big cash prize (often over $1,000)!  Invite that special someone, friends, family, neighbors, club members or college chums to share a picnic and help support the important work of the Arts Council of the Morris Area, an award winning private nonprofit which for 39 years, has been bringing the arts to the center of community life.

L-R: Prizewinning picnics: The Crater Family’s Pirate’s Cove; The Powder family with Simple Elegance; The Canul family with Racing Picnic.

Time: Gates open at 4pm for activities and picnics (no pets, no BBQs). The concert starts at 6pm.
Location: Giralda Farms Corporate Park, Dodge Drive and Madison Ave. (Rt. 124), Madison, NJ 07940
Rainsite: The Mennen Sports Arena, 161 E. Hanover Ave.,Morristown. (Doors open at 4pm for activities and picnics [no pets, no BBQs]. The concert starts at 6pm).

Tickets: (take advantage of lower pricing for advance tickets!)
In advance: Adults, $15 adults (16 and over); Children, $4;  under 4, free.
At the gate: Adults, $20 adults (16 and over), Children, $5;   under 4, free.

Advance Tickets can be purchased at:

• Kings Supermarkets (MorristownandChatham)
• Gary’s Wine and Marketplace (Madison)
• Arts Council of the Morris Area online at www.morrisarts.org or (973) 285-5115, x14

If you require special accommodation, please contactKadie Dempsey(973) 285-515, x17.

Contact: For general information, call (973) 285-5115, ext.18 or contact Karin Becker at (973) 285-5115, ext. 14 or via email at kbecker@morrisarts.org.

In the event of uncertain weather, please check the website www.morrisarts.org or call (973) 285-5115, ext. 14 AFTER 12 pm on the day of the concert for the latest updates.

The Arts Council wishes to thank our sponsors: Open Spaces Management Association; RXR et al; Pfizer; Maersk Inc.; and GRC Management Corp. The event is also sponsored in part by BASF – The Chemical Company; investors Bank; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Kings Supermarkets; and J. Weber Designs. Media sponsor: The Daily Record. All proceeds benefit the many programs and services provided to artists, arts organizations, schools and the community by the Arts Council of the Morris Area.

Proceeds from the concert benefit the Arts Council of the Morris Area’s many arts programs and services in the community.

 Become a part of the Giralda tradition and bring your friends, families, classmates, neighbors or come by yourself to welcome summer with the Arts Council in this fun and most affordable way!

The Board of Trustees of the Arts Council of the Morris Area is delighted to announce that Tom Werder will succeed Anne Aronovitch as Executive Director of the Arts Council, effective May 21, 2012.  His selection caps a thorough search and review of many highly qualified candidates. “We are delighted that Tom is joining the Arts Council of the Morris Area. The timing could not be better, given that we are in the process of completing a 5-year strategic plan and that next year marks our 40^th Anniversary,” said Alan Levitan, President of the Arts Council’s Board of Trustees.

Werder brings broad-based and extensive experience at the helm of nonprofit arts organizations to the Arts Council. He served as the Managing Director of Two River Theater Company in Red Bank, as Executive Director of the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, based in Union, and as Managing Director of George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick.  Prior to that, he was the Managing Director of Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine, where he was also a member of the Executive Committee for the Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance, an organization charged with the creation of a Downtown Arts District and credited with the revitalization of the city’s downtown area. On a national level, he was twice an Executive Committee member of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT) and a member of numerous collective bargaining committees.  He has served on the board and executive committees of Dance/USA and Dance New Jersey.  Tom received his MFA in Theatre Management from the Yale School of Drama and his BFA from Purchase College (SUNY) where he was lighting designer and stage manager. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Arts Council of the Morris Area.  I’ve admired the Arts Council’s work for years and I’m excited to work with the community, the dedicated board and talented staff to continue to find creative ways to bring the arts to the center of community life in Morris County.”

Please join us in saying farewell to Anne E. Aronovitch and to celebrate her four years of leadership at the Arts Council of the Morris Area by attending a cocktail reception held in her honor.

Thursday, June 7 from 6-8pm
at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum
353 East Hanover Avenue, Morristown

Click Here to RSVP

If you can attend, please RSVP by May 30. Anne has asked that, in lieu of a gift, donations be made in her honor to the Arts Council of the Morris Area to support the work to which she has been so passionately dedicated.

For tickets call Box Office 973-408-5600

Session B 7/9 – 7/20 registration deadline 7/2               Session B 7/9 – 7/20 registration deadline 7/2            Session B 7/9 – 7/20 registration deadline 7/2

Session C 7/23 – 8/3 registration deadline 7/16             Session C 7/23-8/3 registration deadline 7/16             Session C 7/23 – 8/3 registration deadline 7/16

Session D 8/6 – 8/17 registration deadline 7/30            Session D 8/6 – 8/17 registration deadline 7/30

Session E 8/20 – 8/31 registration deadline 8/13          Session E 8/20 – 8/31 registration deadline 8/13

Students work with a team of artists and altermate daily through classes in acting musical performance, playwriting and play production.

ptnj@pmailus.com