Celebrate the majestic landscape of the Pacific Northwest, get involved in poetry and have fun at some pre-Halloween events.
Jazz Kids!
The Bellingham Youth Jazz Band (BYJB), is back in session and director Mark Kelly is looking for students to fill the chairs. The BYJB is Kelly’s major contribution to the development of music skills in the county’s seventh- through ninth-grade kids. For the past 25 years, Kelly has won numerous awards and accolades for this work, which fills a need for pre-high school musical education.
The Jazz Project adopted the BYJB as part of its regular concert programming in 2001. The BYJB is open to all interested Whatcom County seventh- through ninth-grade musicians (saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, guitar, drum set, vocals) who are currently enrolled in band, orchestra or choir programs. Interested students should pre-register by phone or email, then show up with their instrument on their first rehearsal night.
Weekly rehearsals are Wednesdays at the First Baptist Church, 110 Flora St. Students should arrive by 6:45 p.m. For more information: 360-676-5750 or jazzproject.org.
Juried exhibit at the J
“Illuminations: The Photographers of Cascadia” opens with a reception at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at Lynden’s Jansen Art Center, 321 Front St.
The exhibit includes more than 100 photographs from 19 photographers whose work has been published in “Adventures Northwest” magazine over the last 10 years. The exhibition will run through Jan. 6. The photographs have been selected by guest curator John D’Onofrio, publisher and editor, who has exhibited his own photography in galleries, museums and other venues throughout the western U.S.
In addition to the featured artists, the exhibition will also highlight images by numerous local photographers from the community who have submitted their work through a juried process. The exhibition will offer a dazzling diversity of artistic visions ranging from majestic landscapes to the intimate details found in the shadows of a forest floor.
A screening of the film “Cascadia Dreams” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. The film blends images and video with a musical score that will be performed live by world flute master and international recording artist Gary Stroutsos.
With photography and video by D’Onofrio, Lance Ekhart and Brett Baunton, “Cascadia Dreams” is an audiovisual meditation on the beauty of the region’s sacred mountains, rivers, beaches and the Salish Sea, and is an official selection of the 2022 Friday Harbor Film Festival this October. For more details, go to jansenartcenter.org.
All about “Reading Rainbow”
“Butterfly in the Sky,” directed by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb, tells the story of one of the most beloved PBS children’s programs, “Reading Rainbow.” The film screens at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at the Pickford Film Center, 1318 Bay St., as part of the cinema’s “Doctober” series.
For more than 25 years, the series set the standard for literary children’s television. Thanks to its un-condescending approach, plus its immersive documentary-style adventures, LeVar Burton and the creative team instilled a love of reading in millions of children. The show ended in 2006, but the interviews from all involved and even some of the featured children who wrote book reports all suggest that RR is forever. The film is presented by WWU Children’s Literature Conference, and a Q&A with Sylvia Tag of the conference follows the film. Find out more at pickfordfilmcenter.org.
Let’s do the Time Warp again!
Skagit County’s Theater Arts Guild is thrilled to return to the stage with “The Rocky Horror Show,” the original kitschy rock ‘n’ roll sci-fi gothic musical, showing at various dates from Oct. 21 through Nov. 4 at the Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., in Mount Vernon.
Whether you’ve seen the show a dozen times before, or this is your first night out, this year’s production is sure to bring a few surprises. Directed and choreographed by Mike Jenkins, the cast features talent from Skagit Valley, Seattle and Bellingham.
In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, and ultimately, Dr. Frank-N-Furter as he unveils his latest muscular creation, “Rocky.” Audience participation and callbacks encouraged. Prop bags will be sold before the show for $5. This show has a suggested rating of PG-13. Get the particulars at lincolntheatre.org.
Original tunes and classic favorites
Pianist Cindy Minkler presents a concert of her original, classical and favorite songs from 3:30–5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, at the FireHouse Arts and Events Center, 1314 Harris Ave. Donations are appreciated.
Minkler is enrolled in the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a bachelor’s degree in music education and piano performance. Since then, she’s been an educator, graduation speaker, freelance pianist, piano teacher and performer. In the 1990s, Minkler was seen on the hit dramedy television show “Northern Exposure.”
Minkler produced two original piano CDs, “Chronological Growth” and “Holdin’ Me Up.” In 2003, she was invited to perform at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco where she featured her original composition, “Battle of the Little Big Horn.” Minkler performed and won an award at the 2009 West Coast American Indian Music Awards Show.
After completing her Music Therapy degree at Western Michigan University in 2017, she returned to the Pacific Northwest and began working as a music therapist with various age groups and populations. For the past 10 years, she has been the pianist for Lummi Island Congregational Church. Info: firehouseperformingarts.com.
Poetry organizers sought
The Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest is seeking new volunteers to help organize the annual Whatcom County event.
Volunteers do not need to be poetry writers; they only need to appreciate poetry and want to promote it in the county. Interested participants should contact Joan Packer at torchlite@yahoo.com or 360-714-1306.
Founded in 2006, the contest is a free annual event held each spring and open to county residents of all ages and all levels of poetry experience. From each year’s submissions, two respected Washington poets select 20 winning poems. Walk Award poems are displayed for a year in front of Bellingham Public Library. Beautiful placards of both Walk and Merit Award poems are also displayed for a year inside Whatcom Transportation Authority buses. Winning poets are invited to read at a public awards ceremony each May.
The contest is a part of the Whatcom Poetry Series, a nonprofit organization. Read more about it at thepoetrydepartment.wordpress.com/sue-boynton.
Before attending an in-person event, check with individual venues to make sure it is taking place as scheduled.
Margaret Bikman’s column runs every Wednesday. Reach her at margaret.bikman@gmail.com.
