The Bellingham Herald invites nonprofit organizations offering homemade crafts and foods in Whatcom County to participate in our free annual holiday bazaar guide. It's one of the most popular annual features of the Herald, and I'm organizing it.
The 2012 Bazaar Guide will publish in The Bellingham Herald on Sunday, Oct. 14.
To be included, please enter your event in our online calendar by Friday, Oct. 5.
You need to be a registered user of our website to post something to the calendar. Go to bellinghamherald.com/reg-bin/int.cgi?mode=register to register.
Once you register, an email will be sent to the address you registered with. You need to click on the link in that email to confirm you want to register.
Once you've registered, you go to the calendar at calendar.bellinghamherald.com/, go to "add to our listings" and click on "Create an Event."
Be sure to select the category "Bazaar" and enter the times and dates of your event, as well as the charity the proceeds will benefit, if any, in the "event description" field.
Once you fill out the form and submit it, we will approve the event - usually within one business day. You'll get an email confirming that your event has been accepted. That email will also contain a direct link to your submission, should you want to change it.
BLEEDINGHAM FILM FESTIVAL AT PICKFORD
Bellingham Film Festivals has organized a horror-themed event just in time for the Halloween season. The Bleedingham Film Festival will take place on the Saturday before Halloween, Oct. 27, at 9 p.m. at the Pickford Film Center. This new film festival will feature short films that showcase the bloodcurdling creativity of filmmakers in the greater Bellingham area.
A panel of non-participating judges will review the films. Bloodies (trophies) will be awarded for best effects, best story, best sound design, best cinematography, best editing and most unique film.
Submissions are sought for the films, which may be up to 15 minutes in length (but there's no limit to how horrifying they may be.) Select films will be shown across the state.
Submission deadline is Oct 22. Details: bellinghamfilmfestivals.com.
WHATCOMICS TO HIGHLIGHT TEEN ARTISTS
Whatcomics: Calling all teen artists! Submit your drawings for publication in Whatcomics, a book published yearly to highlight the talented teen artists in Whatcom County. To participate, you need to be a teen, live in Whatcom County and use an 8.5-by-11 sheet of white paper. All work and characters must be made up by you. Entry deadline is Oct. 31. Details: wcls.org or contact Tamar Clarke at 360-384-3150, ext. 276.
ALTERNATIVE LIBRARY HAS MOVED
The Bellingham Alternative Library, a counterculture hub and do-it-yourself lending library has relocated to Bellingham's downtown's arts district. The library, known for its unusual titles and ample graphic novel selection, makes the move after operating for more than four years out of a Forest Street home.
Library volunteers hope the move will help to make more people aware of the nonprofit cooperative and bring the organization more regular patrons. The library has set up shop in a custom-built studio in the basement area of local art and music nonprofit Make.Shift Art Space, at 306 Flora St.
"We're really enthusiastic about the move," said Alternative Library founder Cullen Beckhorn, in a press release. "We feel like we're in a good position to bring the library to a wider audience, and we think Make.Shift will provide the perfect sort of creative ambiance that the library thrives on."
"The Alternative Library is an amazing resource that has been under the radar for too long," said Cat Sieh, director of Make.Shift. "The library is a perfect complement to the eclectic creative atmosphere Make.Shift represents."
The library opened its doors at the new space for the first time Sept. 7, during downtown Art Walk. The library will continue to be open Monday-Saturday, from 2 to 7 p.m. and is accessible through the loading ramp entrance on the side of the building.
Membership to the Alternative Library is open to anyone and everyone. Library members are asked to make a monthly donation of $5, and in turn are able to check out up to five items at a time for up to 30 days. Members also determine how the collection will develop through their participation in the democratically run request system, and all donations the Alternative Library receives go entirely to keeping the lights on and expanding the book selection.
The all-volunteer library staff plans to host more regular workshops and educational events that would be free and open to anyone.
Beckhorn started the library just over four years ago, converting all of his personal book and graphic novel collection to library stock. From its inception the library collection has swelled to over 4,000 books, serving more than 500 patrons. The library features a diverse and eclectic selection of titles. In addition to a comic book trade paperback and graphic novel selection from a plethora of publishers, the library boasts a collection of rare and out-of-print material, self-published and DIY 'zines, work from local artists and authors.
For more information about the Alternative Library, visit: altlib.org. More information about Make.Shift: makeshiftproject.com.
ABOUT BEHIND THE SCENES
Behind the Scenes focuses on the people who make the arts and entertainment world of Whatcom County happen. It appears in Take Five, The Bellingham Herald's entertainment section, each Thursday. Margaret Bikman is the Entertainment News Coordinator at The Bellingham Herald.
Reach MARGARET BIKMAN at margaret.bikman@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2273.
