There is just one week left of the month of July and I can’t help wondering — where has the summer gone?

Here at Yankton Area Arts, we are in full Summer Arts Festival mode. We have been working practically non-stop on vendor selection, T-shirt designs, park logistics and of course lining up our art festival volunteers.

Speaking of volunteers, Yankton Area Arts is always looking for help during the festival; so if you are interested, please stop into the GAR Hall Art Gallery and learn more about the opportunities we offer. The Summer Arts Festival and Riverboat Days will be here before we know it, and I can’t wait to see the park full of art lovers!

In the meantime, there are still lots of art opportunities left yet this summer. For those of you who enjoy fine arts, next week will be your last chance to view current exhibit “Landscapes and Woodworking” featuring the works of painter Sean Conrad and wood turner Frank Denton. This is a terrific show and is a wonderful display of original works, so please be sure and stop by the G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery before it is gone!

Our annual Mighty Mo Photo Show will open on July 30, and since our entry deadline was a little earlier than usual, we have seen a few late submissions. The exhibit committee will welcome late entries; however, please note that the show will be juried at the beginning of next week. If you have an image you been thinking about entering into the exhibit please bring it to the gallery before then. Yankton Area Arts will host a reception and awards ceremony to recognize the photographers on the evening of Friday, Aug. 6, and the public is invited to attend.

Yankton Area Arts would also like to encourage the public to get out to the Tuesday evening Summer Pops Concert series. This past week, the Dakota Jazz Collective put on a terrific show. The band had just participated in the Sioux Falls Jazz Fest and they sure brought a large portion of the excitement from their weekend show down to the amphitheater! Thank you to Jim Speirs for bringing his group to Yankton and treating our audience to his special guest vocalist Jamie Lynn!

The next concert also features a jazz band: the Little Chicago Syncopators out of Sioux City. This group features New Orleans style jazz and just recently performed a concert at the Gayville Hall where they received fantastic reviews. There are only three more concerts on our schedule for the summer, so please plan to spend at least one Tuesday night enjoying the music in the park before the series comes to an end. Check out our website at www.YanktonAreaArts.org for more information on the Summer Pops Concert Series and a complete schedule of the remaining shows.

There is one last item to mention this week: the 150th Anniversary Yankton Calendars. We have them available at the G.A.R. Hall for purchase and they are selling like crazy. If you want to purchase one of these great community calendars, be sure to stop down at 508 Douglas Street. It’s a big anniversary for Yankton to celebrate in 2011 and we want to help kick things off by getting these calendars into as many homes as possible! And of course, coming by the gallery to get your calendar is a fantastic excuse to stop and enjoy the art!

YAA Calendar of Events:

• through July 27 — “Landscapes and Woodworking” featuring Sioux City painter Sean Conrad and Beresford wood turner Frank Denton at the G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery.

• July 27 — Summer Pops Concert featuring the Little Chicago Syncopators at the Riverside Park Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; free and open to the public.

• July 30-Sept. 7 — The 2010 Mighty Mo Photo Show featuring the works from area photographers at the G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery.

• Aug. 3 — Summer Pops Concert featuring Poker Alice at the Riverside Park Amphitheater, 8 p.m.; free and open to the public.

The G.A.R. Hall Gallery and Yankton Area Arts are located at 508 Douglas Avenue, Yankton. The gallery is open to the public free of charge 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 1-3 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information contact the office (605) 665-9754, info@YanktonAreaArts.org or visit the website at www.YanktonAreaArts.org.