The 2017 Artist In Residence with Frederick Hodges was a great experience. He got rave reviews from all 11 of the schools he visited during the week of Feb. 5 to 9. The kids loved how much he involved them and the assembly was frequently very loud. The teachers were very happy with the amount of history he shared and the way he interacted with the kids.

The Sedalia Area Literacy Council purchased 11 copies of the book "Treemonisha" to give to the schools' libraries, so the teachers can reinforce the experience any time during the year. We had great coverage from the media, with a front-page story in Tuesday's paper, and a live interview on both radio stations on Monday. Frederick also played at the volunteers' appreciation reception at the Liberty Center and spent time talking to the guests. He played for a silent movie at the Liberty Center on Thursday and has helped the interest in silent movies grow. All in all, we kept him very busy during the week he was here and it was a great experience.