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Highlighting the vast array of artists and opening lines of communication between artists and arts-related organizations is one goal of Arts FUSION, a one-night celebration of the arts to be held Aug. 5 at The Renaissance Center in Dickson.

Arts FUSION will bring together Visual Arts, Theatre, Music and Dance for a celebration to increase awareness about the thriving arts community in Middle Tennessee, according to Bob Kucher, senior director of Visual Arts and Theatre at The Renaissance Center and coordinator for the event.

“Demonstrations, performances, exhibits and guest speakers will represent all the fine arts disciplines and create opportunities for artists and arts organizations to network and learn more about the area’s arts heartbeat,” said Kucher.

“There has always been communication between artists and arts organizations in the Nashville area, but those in the surrounding counties have had a more difficult time finding that network for support. By involving organizations from Nashville like the Tennessee Repertory Theatre with those in smaller counties, like Wood and Strings Puppets in Centerville, we hope to expand this network and create many more opportunities. The Renaissance Center, which has become a focal point for the arts in the rural areas, is a wonderful venue to facilitate this gathering.”

Arts FUSION is co-hosted by The Renaissance Center, an arts and technology education center in Dickson, and Community Arts Development (CAD) of Dickson County, a new organization promoting the arts in Dickson County. The celebration coincides with The Renaissance Center’s sixth anniversary on Aug. 5.

Arts FUSION is free and open to artists, arts organizations and anyone interested in getting involved in the arts community of Middle Tennessee.

“Our main goals are to bring artists and arts organizations from all over the area together to increase awareness, to create lines of communication and provide networking opportunities through the creation of artist rosters as well as create partnerships between arts organizations,” Kucher said. “Hopefully, artists will be able to find new avenues to display their talents, whether they be visual arts, music, dance or theatre, and arts organizations will be able to learn more about and share information with each other.

“To truly take the arts community to a higher level will take all of us working together.”

Arts FUSION begins at 6 p.m. with a reception and social hour. Participating artists and arts organizations will have displays throughout The Renaissance Center’s rotunda and hallways. The center’s Visual Arts Gallery will feature a display consisting of works contributed by several different participating galleries.

The Arts FUSION program begins at 7 p.m. in the center’s Performance Hall. The program consists of guest speakers, presentations and performances in the areas of theatre, visual arts, dance and music. The program concludes with an address from guest of honor Rich Boyd, executive director of the Tennessee Arts Commission.

The guest speaker for the Theatre Arts portion, sponsored by Performance Costuming Studio, is Rene D. Copeland, associate artistic director at the Tennessee Repertory Theatre. Performances will include an excerpt from the play Art by the Renaissance Repertory Theatre Company and a performance by Bianca Paige.

Plaza Arts is sponsoring the Visual Arts portion with guest speaker Anne Henderson, director of education at The Frist Center for Visual Arts. In addition to the special exhibit in the Visual Arts Gallery, The Renaissance Center’s East and North Wing Galleries will feature photograph collections by Michael Moryc and the Tennessee Association of Craft Artists will have displays and demonstrations throughout the center.

Mark Wait, dean of the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt, is the guest speaker for the Music section, sponsored by The Harp School, Inc. Performances will include tenor Brad Diamond, harpists from The Harp School, Jeff Bright and the Weapons of Mass Percussion from Dickson County High School.

Community Arts Development of Dickson County is sponsoring the Dance portion, with Judy Woodruff, executive director of the Tennessee Dance Association, as guest speaker. Performances will include presentations by the Nashville Ballet and Dalton Akins, a champion clogger from Dickson.

Following Boyd’s keynote address, there will be rooms available for artists and organizations from each discipline to get together for additional discourse and the exchange of information. Arts organizations such as CAD also will be working to create rosters of artists.

Participating organizations include the Arts Council of Cheatham County, Clarksville-Montgomery County Arts and Heritage Developmental Council, Community Arts Development of Dickson County, Gaslight Dinner Theatre, The Harp School, Inc., Houston County Arts Council, Humphreys County Arts Council, Maury County Arts Guild, Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Museum Advocates, Nashville Ballet, Patchwork Players, The Renaissance Center, The Renaissance Players, Renaissance Repertory Theatre Company, Tennesseans for the Arts, Tennessee Alliance for Arts Education, Tennessee Art Education Association, Tennessee Art League, Tennessee Arts Commission, Tennessee Association of Craft Artists, Tennessee Association of Dance, Tennessee Watercolor Society, Watkins College of Art and Design and Wood and Strings Puppet Theatre.

Any artist or organization wishing to participate should RSVP to Kucher at (615) 740-5565 or bob.kucher@rcenter.org.

Galleries contributing to the exhibit in the Visual Arts Gallery include Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery, The Renaissance Center Visual Arts Gallery, The Arts Company, Appalachian Center for Craft: The Gallery, Studio 123, Tennessee Art League, Tennessee Watercolor Society and others.

Galleries wishing to participate should contact curator Curtis Southerland at (615) 740-5519 or curtis.southerland@rcenter.org.

The Renaissance Center is located at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.