Nov. 30th Featured Artist: Bonnie Cargol

Watercolor Artist Bonnie Cargol will showcase various subjects including landscapes, waterscapes and floral designs. 

Nov. 30th Featured Artist: Kelsie Bahr

Since graduating from Pepperdine Universtity with her vocal major and studies in piano and composition in 2006, Kelsie Bahr has worked Pierce and King county as a session singer and a pianist with her vocal work appearing on radio station IDs, jingles, a host of movies, film trailers and video games including DreamWorks productions MerryMadagascar in 2009, Shrek the Halls in 2008, as well as the Tudors Tv show, Forbidden Kingdom featuring Jackie Chan, Letters to God, Halo andWorld of Warcraft. Kelsie has continued her wide diversity of work, performing back up for Eric Benet at a private event in honor of acclaimed author William Young hosted by David Foster in 2009, in the most recent gospel album by recording artist Phil Driscol, and with the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s fall vignette of West Side Story in 2010.

In addition to her session work and coaching in both vocal and piano disciplines, she recently released her first EP of all original music last November "Out of the Blue" which is available on itunes. In it she fusses her love of soul, funk, gospel, jazz and pop into a fun, throwback mix of dance music as well as ballads that she has begun to spread in venues around pierce county. With her appear drummer Jason Bahr, artist Osama Afifi on bass, and saxophone aficionado and arranger Cliff Colon. More information as well as access to her music may be found on her website www.kelsibahrmusic.com.

Oct 26th Featured Artist: Kimberlee Wilson

Glass Artist Kimberlee Wilson’s repertoire includes handcrafted vases, bowls, jewelry and garden designs featuring her signature 24K gold Dragonfly decal fused into the glass.

Artist's Statement:

I have always appreciated and collected glass art pieces, in a variety of forms, from cut and stained glass, to blown glass, and to my chosen medium of kiln-fused. Soon after I took my first basic fused-

glass training, I started making glass jewelry, and gradually moved onto larger and more complex projects. As my understanding of kiln operation and material properties increased, I took additional advanced training for specialized techniques.

I design and handcraft each glass art piece in my home studio in Enumclaw, Washington. I take a tremendous amount of pride in the quality and workmanship of every item. I love creating functional fused-glass pieces, such as vases, bowls, and serving trays for the home. My other passion is garden design. I love to create garden- themed pieces like birdbaths, and a wide variety of interesting and customer-specific outdoor landscape décor.

Each item I produce includes my “signature” of a 24k gold Dragonfly decal, fused into the glass.

www.dragonflyglasscreations.com

Oct. 26th Featured Performer: Nick Stokes

"From Real to Surreal: A Reading of Short Plays Seldom Encountered"

Includes:

Toss, Catch, Fetch

Was Is Will Be, Music

Puttin' Him Down

Sing

Jacob's Rape

Have and Have Not (Or Cornucopia)

Six one-act plays by Nick Stokes never before seen in the South Sound. Ranging from funny to tragic and real to absurd, the plays will be read by an ensemble of three actors.

Age:

PG-13. Nothing graphic (sex, violence, language), but mature subject matter.

photo - Jason Ganwich

Bio:

Nick Stokes’ plays, shorter (JACOB’S RAPE, THE CHORE, AN/OTHER) and longer (DUELS, ROCK AND RIVER, DUSK,) have been seen and heard with Northwest Playwrights Alliance, 14/48 theater festival, Brownbox Theater, Arts Crush, Spark and Echo Arts, Blood Ensemble, Open Circle Theater, Probably Forgettable Productions, iDiOM Theater, and others. Artist Trust, the Tacoma Arts Commission, and Richard Hugo House have awarded him for his playwriting. His novel AFFAIR is currently in serial publication online at The Seattle Star and his short writings can be found in stray literary magazines such as Mixer, Waccamaw, Prick of the Spindle, City Arts, Word Riot, Opium, and KNOCK. Of his plays THE SOUND WE MAKE and WHITEOUT, staged in Old City Hall in 2009, the Tacoma News Tribune said, "Two great new plays from a Tacoma writer, about Tacoma issues, staged in a Tacoma landmark with great originality -- this is a show that deserves a full house, every night." He lives with his burgeoning family in Tacoma; he packs mules in the backcountry of Montana; he's virtually at nickstokes.net.

Sept 28th Featured Artist: Jaynce Sukow

Janyce Sukow is best known for her realistic renderings of wildlife, pets and nature. A highly-commissioned artist for over 3 decades and recipient of numerous awards, she also finds great joy in portraiture as well as still life paintings. Her media of choice is pastel and oils. She is dually gifted in art and music having recorded

and won several awards for her compositions, and has taught piano for almost 30 years. Art education includes University of Nebraska, Scottsdale Center for the Arts (AZ) and Portland School of Art (Maine).

Janyce has been an active member in Oil Painters of America, NW Pastel Society, Music Teachers National Assoc. and Aglow International. Her work is represented by the Proctor Art Gallery in Tacoma. She and her husband have resided in Washington State the past 25 years and are proud parents of 3 grown, gifted children.

http://www.janycesukow.com/

Sept. 28th Fall Arts and Concert Series featuring: Washington Contemporary Ballet

Founded in 1987, Washington Contemporary Ballet is dedicated to the pursuit of educating our students in the understanding and appreciation of all forms of dance.  WCB has trained more than 2000 dancers since its inception, many are enjoying professional careers in dance as performers, instructors and directors.

The Washington Contemporary Ballet School is a Non Profit 501(c)(3) organization. WCB admits students of any race, color, creed, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available at the school.

http://www.wcbdance.org/

Meet our Artists - The Eclectic Jazz Quartet

The Eclectic Jazz Quartet is playing March 30th, 7pm in the Civic Building Atrium.

The Eclectic Jazz Quartet began as a jazz workshop in University Place. Its members, Peter Adams, Osama Afifi, Brian Smith, and Andrew Sherbrooke, have individually played jazz, latin, and rock for decades, and have now come together to present a repertoire of modern and traditional jazz, featuring interpretations of standards from the American Songbook, as well as elements of Pat Metheny, Cedar Walton, and more.

Meet our Artist - Hale Bill and the Bopps

Hale Bill and the Bopps will be performing April 27th at 7pm in the Civic Atrium.

Hale Bill & the Bopps, a group that hales from and bops around the Puget Sound region, plays traditional Scandinavian dance music in mostly traditional ways, and includes some original tunes in every set. Anticipate a variety of sounds coming from fiddles (including the Norwegian hardingfele and the Swedish nyckelharpa), keyboards and voices.

Playing this night are: Leslie Foley, Irene Myers, Bill Boyd, Gina Boyd, and Mary Nelson.

Meet our Artist - Jim Sheasley

Jim Sheasley will be showing his work May 18th 7pm in the Civic Atrium.

Jim started his serious art career in the fall of 1997 when he began studying with Eric Wiegardt, a signature member of National Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society. Jim has also studied with Tony Couch and well as Frank Webb; both of who are former students of Edgar Whitney, another nationally known watercolor artist.

Jim has previously shown his works at the Roche Gallery in Port Townsend, and Gallery 607 in Tacoma. He has been a featured artist at the Hank Taylor Gallery in Montesano and the Steilacoom Community Center.

He is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists and the Northwest Watercolor Society. His paintings have been juried into the Puyallup Fair Art Show, Ocean Shores Art Show, Edmonds Art show, Coos Bay, Oregon Art Museum and Ventura County, California Art Museum.

Jim is considered as a contemporary realist. His venue includes such subjects as ships, lighthouses, seascapes, landscapes, architecture, flowers and portraits.

Meet our Artist - Peggy and Karla

Peggy Thorndill and Karla Epperson will be performing cello and piano music 7pm May 18th in the Civic Atrium.

Margaret (Peggy) Thorndill, cello, received her Bachelor of Music degree from Washington State University and completed her Master of Fine Arts degree in cello at California Institute of the Arts. She free-lanced in the Los Angeles area for four years prior to becoming a member of Singapore Symphony Orchestra for three years. She plays in Tacoma Symphony, is a member of Seattle String Quartet, and South Sound Trio.

Karla Epperson, piano, received her Bachelor's of Music degree from University of Puget Sound and spent her career teaching in the Olympia public schools before beginning the string program for the Bethel School District in 1994.

Karla is an accomplished vocalist and pianist as well as a cellist. She played with Tacoma Symphony Orchestra for many years. She conducts Tacoma String Symphony and String Philharmonia groups for Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, and since 2001, she has conducted the Debut and Encore orchestras for Peninsula Youth Orchestra.

Meet our Artist - Alexis St. John

Alexis St. John will be showing her work 7 pm April 27th in the Civic Atrium.

Hello. I'm Alexis. I create whimsical paintings and drawings using my
own unique characters. My intention is to drop the viewer into the
middle of a story. The art can spark imagination (especially in young
viewers) and stories emerge. Recently, I've been motivated to create
my own stories about the characters. With the book publishing industry
faltering, it seemed that high tech was the way to go. I am currently
working on several ipad games and books that feature my work.

Visit her website: www.alexisstjohn.com

Meet our Artist - Susan Massey

Susan Massey will be showing her work 7 pm March 30th in the Civic Atrium.

In 2005, Susan Massey received a Certificate in Drawing from the Gage Academy of Art in Seattle. Massey continued her studies from 2006-07 in the Drawing & Painting Atelier at Gage. Massey is an artist who works exclusively on paper, either in graphite or carbon dust. Her detailed drawings depict a deep interest in the surface and textures of objects found in nature. Massey's work possesses a stillness or quietness that is passed on to the viewer. She teaches drawing and has exhibited throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Her work can be viewed on her website: susanmasseyart.com