DANCE - FINE ARTS - MUSIC - THEATER - WRITING

ARTBITS by Richard B. Harper


VOLUME 24 * * All Arts News On the Web * * April 9, 2020

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.


     Franklin County's arts and music gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and occasional workshops. There are also booked and acoustic Open Mic Nights that feature music, readings, and more from the best new artists in Vermont.

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RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS

      The Haven Foundation does not give emergency grants but they do offer financial assistance for freelance professionals in the arts who face crisis.
      The foundation is giving cash infusions to the Actor's Fund, Author's League Fund, Artist's Fellowship, Authors League, CERF+, the Blues Foundation, the Jazz Foundation, Local 802, MusiCares, Music Health Alliance, PEN, and SAG-AFTRA.
      Members of the fine arts community who have lost their work to COVID-19 should click here for links to and info about these organizations.


      "Every artist needs a safety net." The CERF+ Emergency Relief Grants related to Covid-19 will focus on those infected with the virus who require intensive medical care.
      Every studio artist meets challenges in his or her career. CERF+ is "here to ensure that your career is able to sustain both" and they offer a safety net of resources and support to protect and sustain livelihood, studio and art.
      Today, we are dealing with canceled shows, exhibitions, conferences, and lost income but CERF+ has been providing support for 35 years. Founded as a grassroots mutual aid effort, it is now a major nonprofit focused on safeguarding artists' livelihoods nationwide. Their core services include education programs, advocacy, network building, and emergency relief.
      Click here for more info.


      COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources is a crowdsourced resource directory designed to serve independent artists and those interested in supporting the community. It is a free, aggregated list of free resources, opportunities, and financial relief available to artists of all disciplines. That means actors, designers, producers, technicians, stage managers, musicians, composers, choreographers, visual artists, filmmakers, craft artists, teaching artists, dancers, writers & playwrights, photographers, and more.
      Nicole Brewer, Ann Marie Lonsdale, Quanice Floyd, Tiffany Wilhelm, Brian Herrera, Hannah Fenlon, & Clementine Bordeaux. provided the original resources and inspiration. Click here for more info.


MAKING ART FOR THE WALLS

     Wildlife painter and illustrator and Milton Artists' Guild member Claudette Eaton talks about her process in this first video. She focuses on endangered wildlife but consider herself an advocate for all wildlife. Click here to watch.


      Painter Heidi Carlin's husband challenged her to create something solely from her imagination. She showcases her newest piece, a dragon. "I am very glad to have art to express, create and escape to, during such troubling, sad and challenging times." she said. She is a member of the Milton Artists' Guild. Click here to watch.


ART ON THE WALLS

     The 5th annual Swanton Arts Council Youth Art Show includes work from MVU, Sheldon, and Alburgh Elementary. The MVU Art Department created a Virtual Youth Art Show to showcase it. Click here to view.
      For the past 5 years the Swanton Arts Council has also honored one exceptional graduating senior of the the Missisquoi Valley School District. This year's finalists, Julia Horton, Mallory Bohannon, Zoe Kelley, Grace Kinney, and Samantha Fagga, can be found in the virtual gallery.


CALLS FOR YOUNG TRADITION

YOUNG TRADITION CONTEST (April 15)--The 2020 Young Tradition Festival has been canceled, but not the contest. Note the deadline. You don't have to be from Vermont to enter, but you have to be 25 years old or younger. Each of 10 finalist gets at least $100. Winners will be announced May 2. Click here for more info.


TRAD CAMP 2020--"Currently, we are holding tight and still planning on going ahead with YTV Trad Camp 2020." Camp Registration is open. Instructors and guests include Pete Sutherland, Oliver Scanlon, Sam Bartlett, Brian Perkins, Annika Amstutz, Ada Schenck, Anita MacDonald, Romy Munkres, and more. Any decisions about cancelling or postponing will happen not later than June 1. Click here for more info.


ALMOST LIVE ON STAGE

     With all venues shut down, we have to rely on ourselves for entertainment so sing from a manhole. Record yourself in the garage. Paint your fence purple and gold and Kelly green. OK, maybe not that.
      You're housebound? Your show is cancelled or postponed? You're bored? How about putting on a show?
      Get the band together and video or livestream a rehearsal every day. Or set up your easel and video a painting coming together. Read a few pages from your novel or a short story or a poem. Get in costume and video that play or the dance. Do some improv in your living room.
      We're locked down, too, and missing you. You'll get in a session and we'll like seeing you. Please share your efforts with your local arts council, too. And if the artist has a donation button, the audience can express appreciation through PayPal, Venmo, or other services.
      Here's a roundup for this week:


      Big Heavy World is gathering livestreams of Vermont musicians on their page. To be included, simply invite @bigheavyworld to be a joint host of your live streamed Facebook event, and private message or email them so they will share your content. It's good for artists and for Big Heavy World to drive traffic synergistically. Find them on Facebook to see what's new.


      The Vermont Folklife Center has launched Listening in Place. The project has a crowd-sourced Sound Archive to document Vermonters' daily experiences during the pandemic, plus a series of online Virtual Story Circles, where Vermonters can gather remotely to listen and share. Click here to take part.


      Summer Sounds favorite John Bartus will perform a new Social Distancing Concert Live from the Florida Keys from his studio in Marathon, Florida, thanks to Facebook Live every Friday at 7:30 p.m. Find him on Facebook for the link the the new live concert.


      Summer Sounds favorite Christopher Dean was live on a park bench on Wednesday afternoon. Find him on Facebook.


      Don & Jenn were live with a benefit concert at the Summer Street Music Series in Bradford. They have a donate button for community musicians affected adversely by COVID-19. Find them on Facebook.


      Bob Gagnon posted Jockey Full of Bourbon with Tony Gagnon on the 10-string cuatro. Find them on Facebook.


      Carol Ann Jones was live, twice, last Friday. Find her concert on Facebook. She and Batman came back to sing a "couple of requests" on Facebook and it turned into another event.
      Check her full Facebook feed for other events and for this Sunday's kitchen concert.


      Daniel Matarazzo of Drexel Hill, PA has another video. His Just Stay Inside is a parody of Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid. Mr. Matarazzo is active as an actor and music director around Bucks, Chester, and Philadelphia Counties. Click here for this song.


      Ben Patton plays Live from Isolation, a short solo acoustic set from his home to ours. Click here for the concert.


      My old friend Bob Post went live with guitar and harp in his living room on Wednesday afternoon. Find him on Facebook to enjoy.


      Vermont's own Nobby Reed Project plays All Men Are Created Equal . Click here to enjoy.


      Andrew Lloyd Webber will stream his musicals in the free YouTube series, The Shows Must Go On, every Friday at 7 p.m. for 48 hours. The 2012 production of Jesus Christ Superstar starring Tim Minchin, Mel C and Chris Moyles begins tomorrow. Clips of famous performances and behind-the-scenes footage also appear on the channel beside the full shows.
      Click here for Mr. Webber's YouTube channel for all the details.


      The Young Tradition Touring Group had to cancel its concerts and its Japan tour but they hope to produce a CD and a music video late this summer. Their raffle will continue until a winner is drawn on May 2 at 6 p.m. They still have a few tickets left at $10 each, 3 for $25. Click here for more info.


FREE STREAMING

     "Make right now sound a little bit better." Sirius offers free streaming until May 15. The offer includes the Talk, Comedy, and Entertainment channels; all music channels; the News & Politics channels which today aroe probably all coronavirus all the time; Sports channels; and even the Ad-free Xtra channels. Click here to "start streaming."


ART SITE OF THE WEEK

ST. ALBANS--The Village Frame Shoppe has a new project. Customers can find "joyclee" mini giclees (get it?) from their large database of artwork. A joyclee is a miniature giclee artist print that you can send to a friend with a message of encouragement they call a "Spark of Joy." Village Frame Shoppe prints a 4" x 6" image with a border so each joyclee fits a 5" x 7" photo frame or mat. They'll include your message, handle the wrapping, and mail it out.
      "Our hope is to have people connect with their friends with a simple note, and to bring some joy into their friends' days," Dan Patullo said. "Maybe, for a brief moment, take their mind off of what is going on in the world these days."
      Click here for a little more joy.


FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

     Major Jackson is celebrating his newest poetry collection, Seven Days' "Almost There," with a virtual book party on Facebook. It's a new weekly column gathering live streamed performances by local artists. Find them on Facebook


AROUND THE COUNTY--Franklin County libraries are temporarily closed but patrons may still check out books and movies at most. Check with yours to determine what changes they've made. They will arrange for you to pick them up or deliver them if they can. The libraries also have a wide selection of electronic books and audiobooks. Look for links to each at the Franklin County Bookshelf here on the AAC site.


Good News!

There are so many events around the region that we miss some of them.
Be sure to check these calendars for what's happening near you ...
All Arts Council of Franklin County
Cambridge Arts Council
Franklin County Regional
Chamber of Commerce
Island Arts
St Albans Community Arts
Swanton Arts Council
Young Tradition Vermont

Music!

Links to the Summer Music series in Franklin County
Summer Sounds
Summer Music at Grace
Downtown Summer Concert Series
Summer Evenings with
Vermont Treasures
Citizens Band
Wednesday Night Live
Enosburg Town Band


SUPPORT LIVE ARTS IN YOUR TOWN!


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Highgate Springs, VT 05460
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