Arts Minded: Get ready for dining, dancing and more

Talk about it

It’s spring and it’s GALA time again.

You remember the CAB GALA? Where you can fill your tummy with elegant hors d’oeurves from The West Wind, your soul with art on display and on sale, your body with dancing, your gambling urge with the art raffle, and your social impulses with all the great people who come.

All the things you’ve always associated with the GALA are here Saturday, May 9.

But this year that’s not all: In 2009, you will get all you expect from the GALA, but there are some additions. Not only will we have pieces to raffle by well established local artists, “objects d’art,” to bid on, we will have artists actually doing their art. Several artists in different media have agreed to demonstrate their crafts throughout the evening.

Vera Wang will draw from life; Mark Tomlinson will bring his clay and tools to craft a tile piece before our eyes; Krista Spieler will demonstrate how she creates wee baskets that inspire us; David Markson will work with the audience to paint a piece and, of course, Zaney Janey will demonstrate henna temporary tattoos. And she’ll use members of the audience as her canvas.

That’s not all that’s new. This year, for the first time, Chris Silver and Friends will play their very special brand of blue grass. After Chris, of course, Generation II Big Band will play for us to tango, to swing, to “dip” and to just plain slow dance romantically as it always does. And, in between, we’ll get to see Isis Aurora do its belly dancing magic.

The raffle artists this year are Bob Fritz in clay, Jackson Schwarz with glass and Lynn Jermal with her very special brand of socially relevant flat art.

Even with all that, ticket costs have not gone up one little bit. For Community Arts Base members buying ahead, tickets will be $20, as they were last year. At the door tickets for members will be $25.

For non-CAB members, advance purchase tickets will be $25 and at the door $30. But, any non-member who joins CAB before the end of 2009 can take $5 off their membership.

Is that a deal or what?

And where can you buy tickets ahead of time? As usual, the Whole Earth Grocery and The Dish and the Spoon Cafe will sell tickets. Tickets can also be purchased at the Phipps Center for the Arts. And, of course, you can find CAB Board members and fellow travelers selling tickets just about any place you go.

All the places listed below will be frequented by CAB enthusiasts selling tickets. Arts performances are always good venues to find us.

As I said it’s spring, and the GALA is just one of many arts events to enjoy it with.

Theatre is big this season:

“A Don’t Hug Me County Fair:” Midwest premier at St. Croix Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, Hudson; running weekends through May 16; for reservations call 386-2394, ext. 333 or go to: www.stcroixoffbroadway.com.

The arts combine with social messages:

Paradise Lost? Climate Change in the North Woods: A gallery exhibit blending art and science on loan from UW-Madison. This exhibit’s addresses how climate change affects our environment, and how we can take action to alter the course. Artwork and writing by area artists and students augment the display. River Falls Public Library through April 26.

Unity in the Community: Wednesday, April 29; UW-RF Center Mall; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Veterans’ Park, 5:30-7:30p.m. Celebrate local diversity and inclusivity with ethnic food, music, dance, art, poetry and more. Free and open to the public.

Hammond Arts Alliance Celebrates Earth Day: Foster Art Vault in the basement of the Hammond Bank; April 25, 5-9 p.m.; featuring The Old Deluders Jug Band and artists Ted Beverly, Mike Bartsch, Jennifer Butcher, Rich Chrutowski, Thea Ennen, Heidi Freier, Greta Hammelman, Nick Lasar, patrice marvin, Doug Peterson and Jolanda Stammler.

There’s art on the road:

St. Croix Valley Studio Tour “2009 art OPENer:” See where art happens from the gallery to the backyard; a studio drive for a spring weekend; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3; pick up a brochure at any of these venues and follow the map for more art SEASONS on the St. Croix and Casanova Glass (both on Second Street in Hudson.

Stone Soup Gallery Opening: Weekend of May 2 and 3, featuring art by Jane Nicol, compositions of metal and texture; Jeff Nicol, wood turner; Keith Larson, rustic furniture with recycling in mind; 1025 Davis St., Hammond; 715-795-2221.

Annual Upper St. Croix Eartharts Studio Tour: An auto art crawl with an earth friendly theme; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3; download a brochure at: www.earthartswi.org.

And, of course, there’s music:

Original concert by commissioned composer: UW-RF, Abbott Concert Hall; April 29, 7:30 p.m.; annual concert featuring original work by a composer commissioned by the UW-RF Music Department.

Junghoon Lee, visiting artist from Seoul, Korea: Performing opera aria and various types of art songs; UW-RF, ACH; Saturday, May 2, at 3 p.m.

And check the River Falls coffee and wine establishments for live music just about any time of the weekend and often on weekdays.

Tags: arts, minded, news, entertainment, sue, beckham