The Ripon Arts League has brought musical concerts into the community on the stage of the Ripon High School multi-purpose room for many years and has already scheduled its next season beginning Sept. 18 with the Americus Brass Band.
The continual musical entertainment often brings 300 to 450 music lovers in the audience with the seasons running from September through March at a cost of $35 for all six shows, according to RAL president Kit Oase.
The RAL was founded in 1993 by a select group of Ripon citizens who wished to bring a variety of musical performers to Ripon when Ripon Unified School District Superintendent Joe O’Leary served as its first president.
The group knew it had to educate the public to the intent of its productions and offered the first concert free to the public featuring the Townsend Opera Players of Modesto. John Mangelos was a director of the opera group and had asked that they perform a free Christmas concert to stir public interest.
During the intermission, the audience was told what they could expect in the future if they signed up with a $30 membership and 120 of them became the initial members.
“We didn’t have any money but printed up 500 tickets and handed them out to everyone we could think of to attend that Christmas concert,” O’Leary said. “One hundred fifty showed up and were told if they enrolled that night they would become charter members.”
Its second year in 1995, there were 200 members who had joined the Ripon Arts League with it continuing to grow in size every year.
The organization was co-sponsored by the Ripon Chamber of Commerce and the Ripon Unified School District. From that opening night sign up the RAL has grown to over 500 members promoting the arts in the greater Ripon area. Many of the members come from nearby communities including Manteca, Escalon, Salida, Modesto, Turlock and even Lodi.
O’Leary said the city was initially looking at forming an Arts Commission and considering a venue for public performances to provide a location. The formation of the RAL came with the assistance of members of the Lambda Psi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi in Ripon including Jeannie Rudd and Jackie Ballatore. The planning and possible construction of a new arts building for the community was abandoned with the passage of a 1985 bond issue for a multi-use room at Ripon High School that could also serve as an arts center with a stage and side dressing rooms along with sound equipment with a portion of its redevelopment funds.
The multi-use room was constructed in 1992 and O’Leary retired in 1993, and many Ripon residents had already been attending Modesto concerts in high school auditoriums.
“There was definitely an interest in the arts in Ripon,” O’Leary recalled. “Letters explaining the RAL plans were sent to the churches, the school district and Bethany Home. A steering committee was formed in 1993 to create a Kindred Arts Committee. Some 15 interested citizens met in the old city hall building and the bylaws were created and the admission fee was set.”
Memberships can be transferred to friends or relatives if a member is unable to attend a concert. An individual may join any time during the year.
The 2018 Silver Anniversary Concert Series begins in September with the Americus Brass Band and then on Oct. 18 is the Jason Coleman Tribute to Floyd Cramer. Nov. 13 brings Swinging Blues Stars followed by Joni Morris — Pop Tunes of the ‘50s in February, and then Tom Rigney and Flambeau ending the season on March 12 of next year.
Those original 15 RAL directors included: John Mangelos, Leo Zuber, Jackie Ballatore, Michele Bartels, Joann Deegan, Susan Durant, Barbara Feichtmeir, B. J. Huizenga, Bob Ide, Wayne Layman, Claudia Nepote, Bruce Nickel, Ed Phippen and Jeannie Rudd.
B.J. Huizenga retired from being the pastor of a local church and moved back to Iowa and the original group stayed pretty much together for the next four to five years, O’Leary said, with Jackie Ballatore still serving as membership chairman today.
“It was kind of amazing how it happened – all just came together in the formation of the RAL,” he said.
For information on joining the RAL and gaining admission to all the concerts call Jackie Ballatore at 209. 599.3476. Student admission/membership is just $5 and two memberships for the year is $100 as a supporter of the RAL.
To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.
