DANCE - FINE ARTS - MUSIC - THEATER - WRITING

ARTBITS by Richard B. Harper


VOLUME 13 * * All Arts News On the Web * * January 8, 2009

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 live music and more at the Fairfax Music Sessions at the Foothills Bakery in Fairfax most Saturday afternoons at 1 p.m., at various restaurants around Franklin County throughout the week, at the Bayside in St Albans Town most Sunday afternoons, and the Cambridge CoffeeHouses at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of every month.
     These gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and occasional workshops. The booked performances and acoustic Open Mike Nights feature music, readings, and more from the best new artists in Vermont.

      Find links to these events and more in our Spotlight!

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ART ON THE WALLS

ENOSBURG FALLS--The Artist In Residence Gallery features different artists each month. This month, the spotlight is on clay works by Barbara Colgrove, papier-mache sculptures by Becky Wright, and painted porcelain by Kitten Ellison. The A.I.R. will also feature artwork by EFHS students. The Gallery will host its monthly reception this evening from 5 - 8 p.m. The exhibit runs through the month of January.
      The Artist in Residence art cooperative features paintings, fiber arts, stained glass, sculpture, lamps, pottery, folk art boxes, scarves, hats and more by 45 Franklin County and surrounding area artists. It is owned and operated by the artists and sponsors. The Village Frame Shoppe is located within the coop as a resident framer. The Blue Crayon, a small private studio, is available there for individual or small group lessons. The gallery, located at 349 Main Street, is open Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m.


ST ALBANS--The Northwestern Medical Center Gallery hosts Evan Speer this month. Mr. Speer, son of NMC emergency department employee Marie Speer of Swanton, is exhibiting photographs that capture the landscapes and people of southeast Asia. He is currently a Junior civil engineering student at UVM and shot this collection during a recent student exchange program in Thailand.
      The show continues through the end of January.


ON STAGE LIVE

FLETCHER--Dancing with the Stars is the theme for a Family Dance Contra Dance with caller Mark Sustic and musicians Frank Heyburn and Fiddleheads at the Meeting House Saturday evening at 7 p.m. Young people from 5 to 20 learning and perform the traditional fiddle tunes associated with northern Vermont make up Fiddleheads.
      Absolute beginners are welcome. The suggested donation is $5 or $10 for families. Call Mark Sustic 802.849.6968 or email for more info.


ESSEX JUNCTION--The Lincoln Inn brings the Nobby Reed Project kicks off the first WCLX Blues night of the New Year tonight. Summer Sounds favorites Rumbledoll play tomorrow at 9:30. Call 802.878.3309 or click here for more info.


LOOKING FORWARD

      2009 will be another busy year in the arts with over 250 concerts, exhibits, recitals, and shows from more than 40 organizations. The list is again so extensive that I ended up with a column more than twice as long as usual. I have divided this roundup into two columns, too. This week, we will look at upcoming All Arts Council and Opera House events. Next week, we will preview our Other Major Presenters' plans and the Five Franklin County Festivals.
      Happy New Year!

1609 - 2009
      2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s travels by sail, oar and paddle to find, explore, and map our lake. Groups up and down the lake plan special events for young and old to celebrate the anniversary as well as the resources, the history, and arts of the region. click here for more info.

ALL ARTS COUNCIL WISH LIST
      Volunteers and a permanent base make up the "back room" a Local Arts Service Organizations like the AAC need to offer marketing and technical help, have resources, store stuff, and to host meetings and exhibits, and concerts and workshops for artists, other groups, and local presenters. If you have space to lend for the year, Email theAll Arts Council .
      AAC will hold exhibits for artists in all media and pays actual cash money for bands and solo performers. If you are one or know one, email the All Arts Council .

ALL ARTS COUNCIL ACTIVITIES
      The AAC will celebrate its 24th year with three main goals: continuing our popular programs, continuing our support of artists and other presenters, and continuing our partnerships.
      The AAC will maintain two permanent gallery exhibits: the AAC/Opera House Gallery in Enosburg Falls and the Highgate Springs Welcome Center Gallery. We may also host several one-time shows. Email the All Arts Council if you would like to suggest or host a show.
      Summer Sounds, Franklin County's premiere outdoor concert series, continues with a lineup of bluegrass, classical, country, folk, jazz, pop, opera, and classic rock-n-roll. Assuming the Towns continue their support. The concerts are always on a Sunday night, always in a Town Park, always at 7 p.m. and always free.
      The Grand Holiday Crafts and Fine Arts Tour of Franklin County will take Christmas shoppers to Enosburg, Fairfield, Franklin, St. Albans, Swanton, and more.

2009 AT THE OPERA HOUSE
      The Opera House also plans a mix of major productions, touring, and community events. In conjunction with the AAC, they will host exhibits of artwork by Franklin County artists in the downstairs Gallery. The OHEF will bookend the 2009 season with bluegrass. Spring begins with "A Fire in the Sugarhouse with Banjo Dan and the Midnight Plowboys" and Autumn ends with Big Spike. The annual fundraiser will be held in April as a 5- course meal with the entertainment of Encore and magical touches. They hope to have children's residency program with Jon Gailmor.
      OHEF will host several Quadricentennial Celebration events. They will offer the one-man play "Teddy Roosevelt." Mountain Roads plans to do "Little Women." Dance workshops will take place throughout the July and August. The fall will include a hunting expo, an extreme sports show, the talent show, and a Christmas arts & crafts show.
      "I am looking for interested parties to present a community musical in mid summer," Executive Director Suzanne Hull-Parent said.
      Email for more info.

CLICK HERE: ART SITE OF THE WEEK

     What better way to start the new year than by plugging our own All Arts Council site, yes? The site is large and packed with current and historical info about the arts in Franklin County. It has this article and all a dozen years of its predecessors, some half million words about the regional arts scene, plus information about the All Arts Council and other arts organizations, annual reports, the AAC book shelf, calendar, and Christmas gifts, help wanted pages, links to area artists and to other interesting artsy sites, member benefits, and even looks back at the ArTrain, FloodStock, and the Palettes of Franklin County, Vermont. There is much, much more.


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 © 2009 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.