This year’s Nutcracker — the first that combined the Dayton Ballet with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra as a result of a new arts alliance — has made box office history.

“We have a record for attendees, which is 15,757 people for eight performances, which exceeds the 14,172 who attended all nine performances in the Schuster Center’s opening season Nutcracker in 2003!” says David Budvic, director of marketing and communications, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance.

The total revenue for Nutcracker 2012 ($455,222) was up over 60 percent compared to last year’s Nutcracker 2011.

Museum on Wheels heads for Hamilton

“Beauty Has No Age,” a program developed by the Cincinnati Art Museum, will come to the Carruthers Signature Ballroom at The Fitton Center for the Creative Arts in Hamilton at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 9.

The lecture, part of the Celebrating Self Luncheon series, will examine exceptional works created by artists in their later years and thoughtful portrayals of older adults in art over the centuries. A Cincinnati museum docent will be on hand to present a lecture and take questions from the audience.

Celebrating Self is a casual and informative luncheon series featuring regional speakers on a variety of topics and food catered by Coach House Catering. The ballroom opens at 11:30 a.m. with a buffet lunch and musical entertainment by Treva Boardman. Celebrating Self is presented by Ohio Magazine and Fort Hamilton Hospital, Part of Kettering Health Network.

The cost for museum members is $18 and nonmembers $23. For tickets, call (51) -863-8873, ext. 110, or go online to www.fittoncenter.org. The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Ave. in Hamilton.

Jack Earl wins state award

Ceramic artist Jack Earl, who lives in Lakeview, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, is in the news: He was recently named a 2013 recipient of the Governor’s Award for the Arts.

It’s an ideal time to see more than 100 examples of Earl’s work that are on view through Jan. 6 at the Springfield Museum of Art. Included are clay pieces as well as paintings from museums and collections across the country.

The exhibit, which encompasses Earl’s entire career, is one of Springfield’s biggest shows in years and is on view in three galleries. Four of the pieces featured in “Jack Earl: Modern Master” are on loan from the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum.

To celebrate Earl’s upcoming prize, the 2013 Governor’s Award for Individual Artist, a film crew from the Ohio Arts Council recently visited the museum and interviewed Earl and museum curator Charlotte Gordon. The film clip will be featured during the Arts Day Luncheon in May in Columbus. For more information, call (937) 325-4673 or go online to www.springfieldart.museum.