DANCE - FINE ARTS - MUSIC - THEATER - WRITING

ARTBITS by Richard B. Harper


VOLUME 4 * * All Arts News On the Web * * December 14, 2000

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 first and third Thursday of every month. These gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and workshops. We come together on the first Thursday for a booked musical performance and an art exhibit at Simple Pleasures in St Albans. On the third Thursday 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.

Programming note: we are changing the CoffeeHouse to a new date and time in January.
Watch this space for details!


GIVE TO GET

      Want to offset a looming tax obligation? One of the easiest ways to do so--and to help others in the process--is to make a charitable contribution before January 1.
      Here are four tips on giving from the Council of Better Business Bureaus:
      Stockholders who are planning to sell an appreciated stock before year end might consider putting their gain to use.
      "Giving stock is better than selling the stock and giving cash," says Bob Bose of Green Mountain Asset Management. If you give the stock directly to the charity, you can deduct its average price for the day you donate and avoid any capital gains tax. "Even smaller local groups can set up a brokerage account," Bob said. Donors can "instruct their broker to transfer that stock to [the recipient's] account. Many charities have an automatic rule that sells the stock when it shows up."
      Local organizations like the All Arts Council will be happy to give you their exact names (some sound alike groups can be confusing) and tell you about their volunteers and staff. They should have a brochure that describes the group's purpose such as sheltering the homeless or giving toys to children. It is also important to find out how much of your contribution they will use for the cause and how much goes to fund raising; many standards say at least 70 cents out of each dollar spent should go to the cause.
      The All Arts Council, for example, is an all volunteer organization that creates arts programs for Franklin County. We do not hire professional fundraisers, so your contribution goes to programming. That's true of most local charitable and community groups including the Franklin County Humane Society, Martha's Kitchen, and the United Way. The annual Franklin-Grand Isle Resource Directory lists over 100 worthy local organizations.
      Be very wary of high pressure phone calls and mail solicitations. As should be obvious in this column, I am very low key and subtle about asking for money. Don't give cash! Write a check made payable only to the full name of the group you want to help. That is spelled A-l-l A-r-t-s ...


CHRISTMAS AT THE OPERA HOUSE

      The Enosburg Town Band and Community chorus present their annual Holiday Concert at the Opera House at Enosburg Falls on Sunday afternoon. This family event celebrates traditional music in Franklin County's historic (and heated) theater.
      The Community Chorus will perform the world premiere of Chorus Director Jay Sheperd's arrangement of Silent Night.
      "It's very modern and difficult to do with 44 voices," Jay said.
      Their spicy holiday music will also include an Ed Lojeski arrangement of Mary's Little Boy Child that is "very similar to the Amazing Grace we did in July," Jay said, and the Ukranian Bell Carol, a tongue twister for the sopranos. Director Jay Sheperd is a carpenter who is "trying to retire" and Marian Ryel is piano accompanist.
      The Enosburg Town Band will perform traditional hymns and seasonal songs including Greensleeves, the Christmas March, and Bugler's Holiday.
      This Town Band is the oldest in Vermont with volunteer musicians ranging in age from 11 to over 70. They have never missed a season. Director Alisa Martin is a music teacher in Enosburg schools and lives in Enosburg with husband, Curt, and daughter, Jenna.
      The Chorus and Band join together for A Jubilant Christmas as well as the finale Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's Messiah.
      The Holiday Concert takes place at the Opera House at Enosburg Falls this Sunday, December 17, at 2 p.m. Admission is free but donations are appreciated. Call Jon Scott (933-6171) for more info.


STUFF YOU SHOULDN'T MISS

JEFFERSONVILLE--Cambridge CoffeeHouse presents Open Mike Night (acoustic) at Dinner's Dunn at the Windridge Bakery on Wednesday, November 15, 7-9 p.m. The Cambridge Arts Council sponsors the CoffeeHouse on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Admission is free but donations are appreciated. e-mail for info.


CLICK HERE: ART SITES OF THE WEEK

      This week, we continue to explore the museums and galleries of some United Nations countries.
      Thailand has museums chock full of photographs taken by King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Start with the Vimanmek Mansion for the overview. See the Royal Ceremonies photography museum (with links to all the others at the bottom of the page) and the two buildings of photos north of Vimanmek Mansion. Some sites require Shockwave, Quicktime or other plug-ins.
      Turkey's Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture says, "This is a must place to visit, both this Page and the country." The Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture version 2.5 has 269 paintings available whereas version 1.0 has but 182 paintings.


FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

      I asked some of our librarians for gift ideas for the book lovers on your list. Don't forget that the thirteen libraries in Franklin County collect books, too. You might buy two copies of the book you plan to give--one for your list and one for your library.
      Annette Goyne has ornaments on her mantlepiece with the A.A. Brown wish list. She suggests the Beatles Anthology by Paul, George, and Ringo (it's only $34 with the library discount) for adults and I Spy-Extreme Challenger by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Walter Wicks. Kids can find objects within photographs.
      Mary Pat Larrabee in St Albans said, "'Time Tested Plants: Thirty Years in a Four-Season Garden' [by Pamela J. Harper] is a good gardening book with what works and what hasn't. 'Winter Solstice' by Rosamund Pilcher is a light entertaining English story that fits the holidays perfectly." The new Laura Numeroff book, If You Take a Mouse to the Movies is very popular with ages 3-7.
      "People are asking for 'Who Moved my Cheese' by Spencer Johnson," said Marilyn Barney at the Swanton Free Public Library. Why Not Lafayette? by Jean Fritz is about the
"Reeve Lindbergh is also always popular here," she said.


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.


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      This article was originally published in the St Albans Messenger and other traditional print media. It is Copyright © 2000 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.