DANCE - FINE ARTS - MUSIC - THEATER - WRITING

ARTBITS by Richard B. Harper


VOLUME 6 * * All Arts News On the Web * * November 28, 2002

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.


      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.


GIVING THANKS

      Although the Pilgrims first celebrated the bountiful harvest of 1621 with a three day feast, it was not until October of 1777 that all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration. That day also marked the victory over the British at Saratoga. George Washington announced the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789 with limited success; Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863.
      I asked area artists and AAC board members what they were thankful for.
      Melinda Arceneaux-Swearingen at BFA said "I am thankful for the 3,000 People of the Light, those people who by their sacrifice opened the eyes of a whole world. For ordinary people who acted in extraordinary circumstances so very well. All of us are heroes. That is what I am thankful for today."
      Watercolor artist Keith Gallup is "thankful for my fun year in art this year" He has done several shows in Stratton and Manchester including a new series of 8x10 miniatures for Manchester. "I came up with the same kind of large floral watercolors, shrunk to that 8x10. It's pretty exciting. We go to Georgia in the winter and do shows down there. I'm excited about my own watercolors because they are taking another turn." Mr. Gallup is moving away from completely realistic depiction into a looser, more flowing style.
      AAC Director Anne Harper gives "thanks to my children for giving me the opportunity to be a good mother (I hope). I am also thankful that we live in a country that lets us be free. Free to think our own thoughts and free to speak our views. We may not all agree on all things, but we do have the opportunity to air our views."
      AAC Director Kate Kinney said, "I give thanks that I'm still able to work and provide for my family."
      Artist and art teacher Patrick Murphy said, "I'm thankful for the time to do some new paintings, and the time to unwind and reflect." Mr. Murphy has about 700 young children so time is important to him.
      Musician and music teacher Marilyn Sink gives "thanks for family and friends!"
      Performer and AAC treasurer Tim Stetson said, "As corny as this may sound I am thankful for being alive, my family and friends and renewed interests in the fun things in life."
      Lauren Young of Lauren's Lyrics is "giving thanks for the love and peace my family shares. I am truly blessed with my children, their spouses and my grandchildren. I pray that those families who are not communicating will somehow find it in their hearts to forgive and work out their differences whatever they may be."
      After doing a dozen quick interviews for this column, I would be most thankful for a phone cord that never tangles.


      Artist Meredith Roberts is Thankful Because:

"No warplanes fly overhead, no bioterrorism attack,
I live and breath without pain.
My child admires me and gives me no flack;
She now thinks I have a brain.
I am wealthy with family, friends, humor, and love
My partner is loving, and kind;
He understands me, help him Lord above.
I am blessed with a sound mind."


BURLINGTON CONCERT, LOCAL BENEFIT

      The FlynnSpace presents Cape Breton fiddler Jerry Holland and Scottish singer Norman Kenney in concert of traditional Scottish music on Sunday, December 1, in the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington.
      This concert is part of a series of intimate performances designed to strengthen and sustain the Thomas Sustic Fund to support families with children with cancer. The series features a wide variety of folk and traditional musicians performing high quality concerts in an intimate setting.
      Norman Kennedy is an unaccompanied singer of traditional Scottish songs. He brings a wide repertoire of the old songs, the music of Scottish singers of the last generation, to the stage with echoes of Jeannie Robertson of Aberdeen in much of his work. Mr. Kennedy made his home here after an invitation to sing at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964 and spends his time in spinning, weaving, singing and storytelling. This concert will draw from the body of old songs.
      Fiddler and recording artist Jerry Holland has roots in Scottish, Irish, and Cape Breton dance music. He has produced a broad range of influential Celtic music tunes, books, and recordings and has performed and shared the stage with Winston Fitzgerald on The John Allan Cameron TV Show.
      The concert is supported by the Burlington Violin Shop, the Champlain Valley Festival, Crossroads (the Point/WNCS), Messenger Print and Design, Parent to Parent of Vermont, Professional Postering and Distribution, Quickstep Design, and the St. Andrews Society of Vermont.
      Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 the day of the show, and can be purchased in through the Flynn Box Office (863-5966) or on-line at the Flynn. Proceeds will benefit the Tom Sustic Fund.


CLICK HERE: ART SITE OF THE WEEK

      Thanksgiving Art makes our memories of more than just a special occasion. Some of the fun and activities are available online.
      Thanksgiving on the Net, a Celebration of America's First Thanksgiving, offers fun holiday activities for the entire family. The site has stories of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, a holiday puzzle to play, and holiday pictures for the kids to print and color.
      Did you wonder this year where to find the words and music for Thanksgiving songs including We Gather Together and Tommy, the Turkey Star? Rosie's pages for families and kids of all ages include the Rhubarb Review, Grandpa Tucker's Rhymes and Tales, and, of course, Tommy.
      Get in tune with free Thanksgiving music through the Holiday Spot with a collection of fast downloading midi files especially for Thanksgiving. They also have recipes, history, jokes, games, screen savers, and more.
      Royalty Free Clip Art offers free downloads of clip art, web graphics, pictures, and photos as well as a search engine for other graphics, photos, and art online.


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!


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      This article was originally published in the St Albans Messenger and other traditional print media. It is Copyright © 2002 by Richard B. Harper. All rights reserved. Archival material is provided as-is. Links are not necessarily maintained (if a link in this article fails, try Google.com or your favorite search engine).
      Thanks to recent misuse of copyright material on the Internet by individuals and archival firms alike, we emphasize that your rights to this article are limited to viewing it and printing it for personal use only. You must receive explicit permission from the All Arts Council and the author before reprinting or redistributing this article in any medium.