DANCE - FINE ARTS - MUSIC - THEATER - WRITING

ARTBITS by Richard B. Harper


VOLUME 16 * * All Arts News On the Web * * February 23, 2012

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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CALL FOR ARTISTS

      The Artist in Residence cooperative in Enosburg Falls wants new 2D and 3D artists to be part of their multi-medium art gallery on Main Street. (They'll keep the old ones, too.)
      An arts cooperative is an member-owned, member-controlled association. Cooperatives are legal entities, often with professional facilities and services such as studios, workshops, equipment, and exhibition galleries. The members share the benefits and liabilities of the cooperative which means members are on the hook to share the bills but they gain economies of scale for exhibits and supplies and the intangible synergy of being part of a larger whole.
      The A.I.R. will consider pottery, fiber arts, painting, photography, sculpture, stained glass, and more to build the new season's list of Franklin County artists on display.
      Jurying takes place March 2.
      All artists submitting work must be willing to pay an annual membership fee, work five days each year at the gallery, and be on hand for their respective featured artist reception. Receptions are typically held on the first Sunday of each month. All artists keep 100 percent of their gallery sales. Karen email for more info or a membership form.
      The Artist in Residence features fine art, fiber arts, whimsical art, stained glass, sculpture, lamps, pottery, folk art boxes, scarves, hats and more by 45 Franklin County and surrounding area artists. Found at 321 Main Street, the gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. plus the first Sunday of each month, noon to 5 p.m.


ART ON THE WALLS

     Rotating art @ Chow is back!
      St. Albans artist, Karen Day-Vath has taken on the curating duties for the Chow Bella restaurant and Twiggs @ Chow rotating arts exhibit. "My focus is to scout out potential artists from the community and organize the restaurant's art gallery," she said.
      An exhibit of two new artists, Tinka Theresa Martell and Longina Smolinski, has opened at both the restaurant and at the Martini Bar. Ms. Martell and Ms. Smolinski are abstract artists whose "style and palette compliment each other's work," Ms. Day-Vath said.
      Ms. Martell of Fairfax works with several different media but most enjoys working with small scale collage, in copper and ink. Her large scale works are often three dimensional. She has been painting for 20 years.
      A native of Poland, Ms. Smolinski has lived in Vermont for over 20 years. She experiment with bright colors and thick pastes of paint to create layers of color and paint and wax on canvas, wood, or sculptures.
      Ms. Day-Vath's own work has moved to Twiggs @ Chow. The work of all three artists will remain through April and all art work at Chow Bella is for sale.
      Email to suggest other artists or for more info.


ON STAGE LIVE

ESSEX JUNCTION--On Tap at the Lincoln Inn keeps the rock rolling with Justice on Friday night at 9 p.m. The band has Gary Greeno on lead vocals; Scott Belisle on bass and backup vocals; Todd Dunn, lead and rhythm guitar; Mike Fredette, drums; and Scott Guptill, rhythm guitar and backup vocals. Call 802.878.3309 or email for more info.


MORRISVILLE--Young Tradition Vermont presents Lissa Schneckenburger and Kellen Zakula at River Arts on Friday at 7 p.m. Singer/songwriters both, they update tradition and bring captivating, upbeat, original pieces to the stage.
      The event is part of a series of traditional music and dance presented throughout New England and Quebec. Partial proceeds benefit the Tom Sustic Fund.
      Admission is $10 at the door. Advance reservations are available by email. Click here for more info.
      Email or click here for more info about Young Tradition Vermont.


FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

RICHFORD--Thanks to an excellent response to their 2011 appeal letter, the A.A. Brown Library reached "98% of our goal, just $90 short of the $4400 we hoped to raise through the letter campaign." The amount raised exceeded the $2,000 needed to qualify for a matching donation from Maple Mountain Woodworks.
      The library has now finished the first phase of energy efficiency updates to the building. They will receive a $7,100 Federal grant through Northwest Regional Planning and a "Human Services and Educational Facilities Grant" of and additional $6,000 from the Vermont Department of Buildings and Ground Services to complete the updates this year.


ST. ALBANS--The St. Albans Public Library is also adding e-readers to the collection with the addition of three brand-new Kindle Touches, one new Kindle Fire, and a Nook Color. The Kindle Touches are pre-loaded and available for check out for a three-week loan period. The Kindle Fire and Nook Color will be available for in-library usage only.
      Tonight is Classic Movie Night. Barbara Stanwyck month concludes with the 1946 film, My Reputation, at 6 p.m. Recently widowed Jessica Drummond (Ms. Stanwyck) meets and falls for army Major Scott Landis (George Brent) while skiing. Tongues begin to wag and her children end up in the middle.


CLICK HERE: ART SITE OF THE WEEK

     Artist, architectural designer, builder, teacher Alisa Dworsky of Montpelier co-founded the award winning design-build company Terra Firma. She works on architectural and public art projects. Her own site has drawings, prints, installations, and sculpture plus news, her bio, and contact info. The Terra Firma blog showcases their recent work including some answers to the question, "Can we update the cabin that Henry David Thoreau built for himself?"


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 © 2012 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.