STUFF YOU SHOULDN'T MISS

      ArtBits always features a calendar of the goings on of Franklin County artists. Check out these events around Franklin County. Each issue includes the entire text of our weekly newspaper column.

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      Stop in for the AAC CoffeeHouses at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. These gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and workshops. We come together on the second Wednesday for a booked musical performance and an art exhibit at Simple Pleasures in St Albans. On the fourth Wednesday come to the Kept Writer in St Albans for acoustic Open Mike Night featuring music, readings, and more from the best new artists in Vermont.

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AAC/WLFE ALBUM OF THE WEEK

      The AAC/WLFE Feature Artist Showcase spotlights songs from Maalox Mylanta and You--A Gastrointestinal Love Story, Tyrone Shaw and the Oleo Romeos' new CD, tomorrow morning. The Feature Artist Showcase is broadcast on Fridays at 8:20 a.m. on WLFE-102.3 FM, when there is a new release by Franklin County artists.
      The Oleo Romeos include Tyrone Shaw, vocals and guitar; Doug Southworth, keyboards and harmony; Will Patton, bass and mandolin, Casey Dennis, bass; and Eric Belrose, drums. "The real heavy lifting on guitar is Ted Mortimer," Tyrone said.
      Maalox Mylanta and You, a mix of blues, rockabilly, country, country rock, and swing, is the Oleo Romeo's first CD. Recorded at West Street Digital, it is available at Bakersfield General Store, Borders, Kept Writer, Lynn's Market, Pure Pop, and Rail City Market.

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"4H AIN'T JUST COWS AND COOKING"

      Sue Nadeau and the 4H are starting a performance oriented dance studio in St Albans.
      "We'll do a little jazz, hip hop, tap, theatrical, some improv and avant garde, and a lot of technique," Sue said, all the normal things you do in dance class. "Eventually, we will put together performances at the festivals and community centers."
      The class is open to all kids in grade 7-12. No previous dance experience is necessary, but if you have dance shoes [jazz shoes or ballet shoes] bring them.
      Space is limited to 16. The class will meet Wednesday nights from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Barlow Street School in St Albans. Call Sue Nadeau (868-3511) to register.
      "There is no cost," Sue said, "but at some point we will have to work out ways to do costuming and stuff (although her mom has volunteered to sew)."

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COUNTDOWN TO THE HOME SHOW

      Expo 2001 will feature Art. The Rotary Club of St Albans will fill both handball courts of the Collins Perley Sports Complex with fine oil and watercolor paintings, photography, digital art, and sculpture.

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      Bob Brodeur's lifelong love of photography will be displayed in his scenic Vermont landscapes at the Home Show. His photographs are golden warm and intimate. His exhibit will include the East Orange Church, Taylor Park, and Covered Bridge in East Fairfield.
      Bob studied with Vermont Life photographer Dr. Henry Lampert at the Church Street Center. He is now concentrating on the comely barns of Vermont. He has been an NMC artist of the month and a feature artist at the Sugar Mill Co-op, Simple Pleasures, and Highgate Welcome Center Galleries. A series of photocards for the Vermont Commissioner of Agriculture are notecards with Vermont covered bridges and round barns. He has photographs in private collections in Africa, Europe, and most of the United States.

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      Watercolor artist, poet, and AAC board member Joy Mashtare will do almost anything get "people into the arts and supporting the arts."
      Joy was influenced by Henri Matisse. A leader of Les Fauves (the Wild Beasts), Matisse used strokes of bright, clashing color in his portraits, still lifes, and interiors. Joy uses watercolors to "represent the natural world which is composed of 90 percent water." Some of her paintings are completely non-representational but include realistic landscapes and still lifes. She has been a featured artist at the Highgate Springs Welcome Center, Simple Pleasures, and Kept Writer Galleries. Her exhibit will include Tabor's Point Whimsical Fish, Spring Morning, Native Spirit Bird, and the Oriental Garden series.

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      The All Arts exhibit at the Rotary Home Show opens Friday, March 9 and continues through Sunday March 11. We will raffle a well-known work by Vermont artist Corliss Blakely to raise funds for ongoing programs. Many of the works will be available for sale.

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COFFEEHOUSE

      Programming note: We will hold a special Valentine's Day AAC CoffeeHouse at the Kept Writer.
      Folk singer Jim LaClair will perform at the monthly AAC CoffeeHouse at the Kept Writer next Wednesday, February 14, at 7 p.m. Jim began playing guitar in the 1960s folk boom. Heavily influenced by Joan Baez, Gordon Lightfoot, and Bob Dylan, he likes traditional folk with a topical message. Diane Lumbra will join Jim on stage. Joy Crane will also read and sign love poems for Valentine's Day. Don't forget to bring your honey.
      The All Arts Council sponsors the CoffeeHouse with music, networking time, and "show-and-tell" at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. Admission is always free, but donations are appreciated.

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ART ON THE WALLS, MUSIC IN THE HALLS

      The Kept Writer in St Albans will host a CD release party for singer/songwriter Tom Bisson, tomorrow at 7 p.m.
      The Oleo Romeos play a pre-Valentine's Day dance at the Somerset Inn in Enosburg Falls, tomorrow at 8 p.m. The popular Franklin County group is celebrating the release Maalox Mylanta and You.
      The stunning images of Vermont Life photographer David Juaire will begin an exhibit at Simple Pleasures on Valentine's Day. David's work will remain at the Cafe through March 14
      AAC Director Joy Crane's abstract watercolors began a month long exhibit at the Kept Writer this week.
      The scenic photography of Bob Brodeur is featured this month at the Highgate Springs Welcome Center, immediately south of the U.S.-Canadian border crossing.

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CLICK HERE: ART SITE OF THE WEEK

      This year, we are wandering around the virtual state of Vermont to look at the online homes of arts organizations, galleries and artists, film and theater sites, and musicians. We have started with the Local Arts Service Organizations:
      Catamount Film and Arts Company in St Johnsbury cultivates northern New England's artistic voice by supporting regional artists, local arts education, and performing cultural outreach around the Northeast Kingdom. Although their schedule is out of date and the 800 number listed is no longer theirs, their site explores a diversified program of music, theater, dance, film, literature, and visual arts exhibits. Last year, their arts education initiatives reached about 5,000 people.
      Uniform Resource Locators (URL) like the Catamount address let you specify how to reach an Internet resource. The access method (http) tells your browser how to communicate with your Internet server. The "//216.157.9.207" specifies the computer on the Internet that hosts the site you want to reach and the "/nonprofit/catamount/" shows actual file you want to see. Although every Internet address is simply a series of numbers, most sites register a "domain name" such as "AllArtsCouncil.org" because it is so much easier to remember.

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FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

      ArtBits features a quick weekly peek at the bookshelf or night stand of the folks you know in and around Franklin County. That popular feature has a page of its own at the Franklin County Bookshelf here on the AAC site.

SUPPORT LIVE ARTS IN YOUR TOWN!

All Arts Council of Franklin County

Dick Harper, Chair
P.O. Box 1
Highgate Springs, VT 05460
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