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The Augusta Mini Theatre continues to flourish after three decades
By DEBORAH MOODY
Augusta Focus Staff Writer :
Tyrone Butler was an insightful visionary
with big dreams; his career target was to
become a singer. Moreover, Butler's percep
tion was his catalyst. “When I was young, I
stuttered. I realized that when I was on stage
in a play at school, that the stuttering went
away,” he explained. Butler believed others
had similar goals in pursuing the fine arts,
thus in 1975, the Augusta Mini Theatre
was founded as Augusta’s first community
arts school at the Wallace Branch Library. “I
wanted to give persons without the finan
cial means the opportunity to participate in
the arts,” the Founder/Director expressed.
Thirty-one years later, his dreams have
continued to flourish into the Augusta
Artist Profile: Nancy
Wellington Bookhart and
"The Lost Scrolls of Poverty’
By DEBORAH MOODY
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
Nancy Wellington Bookhart is a bun
dle of exuberance, tenacity and intellect
who chooses to triumph in life through
her gift of capturing her feelings adroit
ly through her art. When broached with
the subject of the force for the Williston,
NC native’s recent artistic renderings,
entitled The Lost Scrolls of Poverty, this
passionate collagist and painter frames
her words as sl:i?llfixlly as she creates her
work.
When, and how did you first become
interested in art?
NWB- Sherry Woodard was the
inspiration for me to begin my quest for
art. We were in biology session of class
in the fifth grade. Sherry had the artis
tic ability to recreate that book-cover
design verbatim. Everyone crowded
around her to praise her, and ask her for
pointers of how they could get their
cover to look like hers. I was one of
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Photo by Renee Norris
The Augusta Mini Theatre’s Director, Tyrone J. Butler and Drama
Instructor, Judith Simon-Butler hold a representation of a very gener
ous gift from Proctor and Gamble to their capital campaign.
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them that crowded around. I made a
decision then out of my competitive
spirit, or one longing to achieve some
thing I could have ownership of.
How long have you been painting?
NWB- I have been working as an
artist since 1977, but not aggressively in
pursuit of a professional career in art.
Who or what has influenced your art,
and in what way?
Scc Bookhart, page 16
AUGUSTA FOCUS
Sunday Best -The Search for
American’s Next Great Gospel Star
Now for the first time ever, BET
Television is producing a new show
that will search the country to find the
best and most inspiring gospel singers
for the launch of, “Sunday Best: The
Search - for America’s Next Great
Gospel Star!”
From Patti Labelle to Mariah Carey,
these stars began their careers singing
gospel hymns in church. Across
America this Sunday, wherever gospel
is sung — future superstars are belting
out the blessed word. Sunday Best
aims to find them — and help them
share their gift with the world.
Gospel music transcends all colors,
backgrounds, socio-economic classes
and musical styles. Its influences are
present in Blues, Rock and Roll,
Country, R & B, and many more gen
res. Some of the most successful artists
today credit gospel music or singing in
the church choir as being a huge inspi
ration in their lives and music careers.
Building off American Idol’s
immense popularity, Sunday Best will
aim to reach the masses spreading
Mini Theatre breaking ground on a $2.2
million dollar educational facility ar 2546
Deans Bridge Road that will house dance,
drama, art and music studios with pro
grams especially accessible to the areas
underserved children, teens, and senior cit
izens. “The next big move is the grand
opening of the new arts school in about a
year,” Buder informed. The Augusta Mini
Theatre is blessed with a rich talent pool
and an abundance of creative people, and,
as a result, the quality and aspirations of the
theater group are quite high.
Butler's wife, Judith Simon-Butler,
ardendy shares his ambition to make the
study of the arts accessible to all. Simon-
Butler coordinates and/or directs several of
See Augusta, page 16
hope and compassion in our nations
time of war and strife. They will not
only highlight traditional gospel songs
but expand to include contemporary,
urban and praise and worship music as
well. This producers are promoting the
television show as a fun, exciting, pow
erful and spiritually uplifting hour of
prime time television.
Sunday Best is scheduled to pre
miere on BET October 2007. They
will begin shooting the first week in
August, with auditions in Los Angeles,
Atlanta and Detroit. Atlanta open
auditions are scheduled for Saturday,
August 11, 2007, 9 AM until 5 PM at
the Renaissance Atlanta Hotel, located
at 590 W. Peachtree St. in Atlanta,
GA. Closed Call Backs will be sched
uled persons selected the next day.
Call 1-888-PSALM-95 for more infor
mation.