Juanita Wallace Jackson will perform at the Robert H. Jackson Center at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Mrs. Jackson's talents as an operatically-trained contralto will be featured at a free concert that will be open to the public. Entitled "Honoring the Legacy," the program recognizes the legacy of the spiritual and will showcase music interwoven with narration and complemented by African-American poetry. Mrs. Jackson will be accompanied by Elizabeth Fountain from Montross, Va., who has been working with her for almost 20 years. Mrs. Fountain is a chamber pianist performing member of the Friday Morning Music Club in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Jackson's husband, John Arter Jackson, will narrate the program.
Mrs. Jackson, who has been singing in public since she was 5 years old. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, she holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati and Miami University of Ohio. Classically trained, she has performed in concert throughout the east coast and the Midwest. Appearances include performing the title role in Bizet's Carmen and performing as an alto soloist in Handel's Messiah, Vivaldi's Gloria, and Mozart's Coronation Mass. She has also done Summer Stock and sings with the Jamestown Choral Society. A previous solo concert in Jamestown was attended by a standing-room only crowd.
Mrs. Jackson regularly performs with the Motet Choir at the Chautauqua Institution, where she served as vice-chair of the Board of Trustees and as chair of the Development Council. She was president of the Association of Major Symphony Orchestra Volunteers, the Women's Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra and the Friday Morning Music Club in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Jackson serves on the board of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, where she is also involved on the task force for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at the Kennedy Center. She was a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, has served as a board member for the United Arts Organization of Greater Washington (D.C.) and on the Board of Visitors of the School of Music at the University of Maryland, College Park.
There is no admission charge for the concert at the Jackson Center, but reservations are recommended. An offering will be taken.
Proceeds will benefit the Robert H. Jackson Center and the National Society of Arts and Letters.
The Robert H. Jackson Center's mission is to advance the legacy of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson. Mrs. Juanita Jackson and her husband are enthusiastic supporters of the Robert H. Jackson Center. Their contributions include Mr. Jackson's service on the Jackson Cetner's board. Mrs. Jackson is the founder and first president of the newly formed Chautauqua, N.Y., Area Chapter of the National Society of Arts & Letters, which had its chartering meeting at the Jackson Center on July 31, 2010. The mission of NSAL is to recognize and promote promising young talent.
Donations to both organizations are deductible as provided for organizations defined in Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. For reservations and more information, call the Robert H. Jackson Center at 483-6646 or e-mail info@roberthjackson.org. The center is located at 305 E. Fourth St., Jamestown.