Firehouse features award-winning poets, artist, circus performer
Four award-winning artists — Bellingham poet Roberto Ascalon; Bellingham circus artist Esther de Monteflores; Tacoma poet Allen Braden and Tacoma visual artist Christopher Paul Jordan — perform in their various disciplines at Firehouse Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 28, at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1314 Harris Ave., hosted by Artist Trust, with emcee Brian McGuigan, who coordinates the organization’s grant-making, career development programs and resources.
Artist Trust is a not-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to support and encourage individual artists throughout Washington State. The goal of Artist Trust on Tour is to connect artists from different disciplines and regions, and create community among artists. The “On Tour” cities chosen are the five most arts-minded areas in Washington, according to the Creative Vitality Index , are Bellingham, Spokane, Seattle, Tacoma and Port Townsend. Each event showcases the work of four artists from different disciplines who have been supported by Artist Trust’s grant-making and professional development programs.
Happy hour starts at 6 p.m., with beer from Aslan Brewing Co. and Boundary Bay Brewery. Performances begin at 7 p.m. It’s free, but RSVP at Brown Paper Tickets. Artist Trust will also host two workshops on Saturday, April 30, at Make. Shift, 306 Flora St. “Submitting a Competitive Grant Application” is from 9 a.m. to noon; and “Photographing Your Work Samples” is from 1 to 4 p.m. Fee is $35 general, $30 for Artist Trust member. Register for the workshops at artisttrust.org/index.php/for-artists; email info@artisttrust.org or call 206-467-8734 for details.
Music in the Parks
Pack up the picnic basket, grab the sunscreen and your dancing shoes, because after a two-year hiatus, live music is back at Boulevard Park this summer, as well as at Maritime Heritage Park and Elizabeth Park, all sponsored by Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department (the Eldridge Society for History & Preservation co-sponsors the concerts at Elizabeth Park).
Food will be available for purchase, and picnickers are encouraged to recycle and compost. Alcohol is not permitted in the parks.
Here’s the schedule:
Elizabeth Park, 6-8 p.m. Thursdays
June 23: Midnight Legend
June 30: CC Adams Band featuring Mary Ellen Lykins
July 7: Scary Monster & The Super Creeps
July 14: Flattery
July 21: The Sweet Dominiques
July 28: Swing Connection featuring Cheryl Hodge
Aug. 4: bandZandt
Aug. 11: Sonja Lee Band
Aug. 18: Out of the Ashes
Aug. 25: The Naughty Blokes
Boulevard Park, 7-9 p.m.
July 2: Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme
July 16: Picoso
July 30: Snug Harbor
Aug. 13: Maggie's Fury
Maritime Heritage Park, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 10: Baby Cakes
Aug. 17: Polecat
Aug. 24: The Staxx Brothers
Horror radio drama debuts May 3
Starting Tuesday, May 3, SPARK Radio (102.3FM), the non-commercial, community-based low-power radio station licensed to and operated by Spark Museum of Electrical Invention, is broadcasting an original historically-based horror radio drama series, “Bellingham Terror.” Created by Bryna and Riley Sweeney, “Bellingham Terror” features about 40 local actors and the sounds and locations of 1935 Bellingham.
“Our goal was to create a series that sounded and felt like a part of Bellingham history, but with a supernatural flair,” said co-creator and star Bryna Sweeney in a press release.
“Take the witty banter of the ‘Thin Man’ movies, added in a little of the ‘Twilight Zone’ and set it in depression-era Bellingham. That’s “Bellingham Terror.”
Episodes revolve around historical events and locations in Bellingham, touching on such landmarks as the Mason Block in downtown Fairhaven, the Blue Canyon Mine in south Whatcom County and the burning of Fairhaven High School in 1936.
The series will be broadcast at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and at 1:30 p.m. Saturdays. Ten episodes have been produced for the first season, and each episode runs 30 minutes, and will be available to stream at bellinghamterror.com.
Margaret Bikman: 360-715-2273, mbikman@bhamherald.com, @bhamentertainme
This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 11:00 AM.