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Concerts in the Country is a multidisciplinary arts dynamo in the outposts of Washington D. C.. Since 1978, co-directors Marianne Ross and Ric Wagner have created, performed, produced and presented annual Artfarms, Magical History Tours of small towns, multimedia theater events, art and historical exhibits and documentary videos.
Were not just music.
We encompass such diverse media as puppetry, theater, dance, performance art, water sculpture, vaudeville, photography, oral history, environmental installations. instrument invention, as well as traditional and experimental music.
Our events are site-specific. What is site-specific? The common theme in the diversity of our media is interest in the SITE that is the location as an inspiring element.
We were not always in the country.
Back in the 1970s, Marianne and Ric, along with other artists interested in cross-fertilizing media, frequently presented workshops and performances in such non-traditional city spaces as warehouses, alleys, swimming pools, gymnasiums, planetariums, museums. These "sets" energized the pieces with new themes and a sense of exploration for both artist and audience.
From there we expanded to the many exciting rural environments nearby: caves, ponds, streams, quarries, fields, hills, barns and silos. These sites led to an interest in the surrounding rural communities and to relationships with their members as sources of oral histories. This blend of site and story inspires our advocacy of environmental and site preservation, and continues to be a rich source of inspiration for our ongoing multidisciplinary art.
Among our many projects:
Artfarm
Magical History Tours
The World in Montgomery County
Medicine Show
Farmarama
Fast Forward to the Past
Creations
Before the Flood
After the Flood
The Boyds Negro Schoolhouse Historic Exhibit |