DANCE - FINE ARTS - MUSIC - THEATER - WRITING

ARTBITS by Richard B. Harper


VOLUME 10 * * All Arts News On the Web * * February 2, 2006

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 ChowBella or at the Overtime Saloon in St Albans 8-10 p.m. most Wednesday evenings, 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.


PETUNIA PALETTES?

      Probably not, but the Palettes of Vermont project flowered in St. Albans City Hall last Friday. More than 30 people from all over Franklin County joined folk artist Warren Kimble to kick off individual and group projects in area exhibits and events. The AAC, A.C.E., the Bishop Street artists, the Maple Festival, S.A.F.F., two schools, and individual artists, photographers, writers, and community members were on hand with ideas ranging from a new giant Guinness Record palette to palette crop circles to scrapbook palettes.
      A steering committee will form in St. Albans City Hall tonight at 6 p.m. Call Ms. Bresnahan (524.1500) for info.
      The Palettes project is a brushfire racing through Vermont. Just two weeks after the official launch at the State House, all 6,000 palettes have been reserved by artists, arts organizations and community groups around the state. The AAC and S.A.F.F. have reserved palettes for area artists in all media. Email theAll Arts Council to request yours.
      "We expect to distribute palettes by February 24," Diane Scolaro, Development Director at the Vermont Arts Council, said Monday. The production schedule depends on the Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association.
      18 Franklin County artists also signed up to create palettes for the statewide marketing promotion. The AAC and S.A.F.F. will serve as pick-up points for those local artists as well. The Arts Council will package and label each palette with the artists' name plus info about the promotional time line and how to send images of the artwork to the Arts Council. Those packages will be available next week.


MARK YOUR CALENDARS

ENOSBURG--The Opera House at Enosburg Falls is getting ready for some big doings. The new season kicks off next Saturday, February 11, as Michael Arnowitt plays Gershwin at the Keyboard.
      The all-Gershwin program will feature piano solo versions of Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris. Also on the program will be a selection of Gershwin’s own piano arrangements, including The Man I Love, Summertime, That Certain Feeling, I Got Rhythm, and Someone To Watch Over Me. Mr. Arnowitt will perform some of Gershwin’s own improvisations on his tunes, all transcribed from piano rolls and disc recordings of the 1920s.
      Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and $5 for children under 12. Tickets are available at Enosburg Pharmacy and Merchants Bank Enosburg, and at Better Planet in St. Albans. Gershwin at the Keyboard is sponsored by Roby's Piano Shop, The Jon Scott Memorial Fund, Champlain Chevrolet, Anna Taylor Caleb, and the Tyler Place.


COLCHESTER–The Vermont Youth Orchestra will host a CD Release Party for violinist Soovin Kim next Saturday, February 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Elley-Long Music Center. The event will include a performance by Mr. Kim and pianist Pei-Yao Wang, followed by a party and CD signing with the artists. Vermonters will be among the first to purchase Mr. Kim’s newest recording, Niccolo Paganini’s 24 Caprices For Solo Violin, soon to be released on Azica Records.
      Mr. Kim is one of the most accomplished musicians to graduate through the VYO ranks. A violinist with the VYO from 1987 to 1991, Mr. Kim is well-known for his spectacular virtuosity and has an established reputation for character, nuance and excitement in his performances as concerto soloist, chamber musician and recitalist, both in the U.S. and abroad. During the 2005-06 season, Mr. Kim performed works by Vivaldi and Sarasate with the Eurasian Philharmonic in Korea; Mozart with the Indianapolis Symphony; Prokofiev with the Duluth Symphony, and the Brahms concerto with the Bucheon Philharmonic.
      Tickets to the release party are $5 per person. Tickets are available in advance at the VYOA office by calling 802-655-5030 or at the door on the night of the performance. For more information, click here.


ON STAGE LIVE

PLATTSBURGH--The Palmer Street Coffeehouse presents Diane Zeigler tomorrow evening at 7:30pm. A popular performer in the Summer Sounds series, Ms. Zeigler has won six national songwriting awards. Her songs capture a sense of place and community and the landscape of Vermont and her own experiences with death and loss. Her songwriting reflects her own focus on family, place, and community.
      Call 518.561.8096 or email for more info.


MONTPELIER--On Saturday, the Green Mountain Jazz Series hosts a Jazz Jam from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the Will Patton Duo at 9 p.m., all at the Langdon Street Café. Call 802.223.8667 or email for more info.


FAIRFAX--The regular Music Session continues Saturday with acoustic instrumentalists playing traditional songs at the Foothills Bakery, 1-4:30 p.m. Admission is free by donation.


WATERVILLE--Cambridge Arts Council presents community dances on Saturdays at 7 p.m. in the Waterville Town Hall. The evening will feature contras, squares, circles, play parties and singing games and all dances will be taught. Bring a partner, the entire family, or come alone. Caller Mark Sustic offers dance instruction. Frank Heyburn and Michele Lajoie play. Guest musicians with acoustic instruments are welcome. Admission is $5 per person and $10 for families at the door.


ST. ALBANS--The Overtime Saloon offers Open Mic with Abby Jenne and Friends every Wednesday at 8 p.m. Abby encourages performers of all kinds to attend. If you need instrumental accompaniment, e-mail with the title/artist of song you wish to perform. click herefor more info.


CLICK HERE: ART SITE OF THE WEEK

     Kathleen Berry Bergeron is a Vermont "representational contemporary" watercolor artist. Her work was featured in Vermont Magazine's Arts and Cultural issue. Her site has a gallery, biographical info, and Studio News including details about her adult watercolor classes, workshops, and demonstrations.


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!


AAC dancing logo

All Arts Council of Franklin County

Support Free Speech on the Internet
Dick Harper, Chair
P.O. Box 1
Highgate Springs, VT 05460
email us

Go to [ Dick Harper | All Arts Index | ArtBits Archive ]

      This article was originally published in the St Albans Messenger and other traditional print media. It is Copyright © 2006 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.