Entertainment Briefs — Aug. 3

The Lakes Area Music Festival presents “Three Statues” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, at the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts at Brainerd High School. The chamber music concert features “lush textures and soaring melodies for winds, strings and piano,” according to a news release.

French works by Maurice Ravel and Francis Poulenc sit alongside a new work for cello and string quartet by Indian-American composer Reena Esmail, which takes its inspiration from Hindustani singing traditions.

Contributed / Lakes Area Music Festival

Grant Gershon said of Esmail’s work in the Los Angeles Times, “She’s able to channel this incredible empathy and complex understanding of the human experience into music that’s crystal clear, beautiful, thought-provoking and unlike anything I’ve ever heard before.”

Tickets can be purchased on a “name-your-price” sliding scale, to ensure universal access to world-class performances, via the festival’s website at www.lakesareamusic.org or by calling 218-831-0765. General inquiries can be made at 218-275-5263.

Performances in the Park continues with Churchyard at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, in Gregory Park in Brainerd.

Churchyard is in its 19th year performing a mix of traditional, contemporary and favorite gospel as well as original tunes and was formed in the fall of 2003 to expand the music ministry at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crosby.

Contributed / The Center

The makeup of the band has gone through changes, but the primary focus of bringing gospel music with a bluegrass flavor has remained the same.

Performances in the Park is a collaboration between the Brainerd Parks and Recreation Department and The Center. Those attending should bring a blanket or lawn chair. The rain site during inclement weather is The Center at 803 Kingwood St.

The Brainerd Book Club will meet at 1 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Brainerd Public Library at 416 S. Fifth St. for its next book discussion: “The 7 ½ Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton.

In the novel, Hardcastle will die every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Bishop wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others.

Library staff members lead the discussion and often recommend related books and other materials available through the library.

Copies of this book are available for checkout at the front desk of the Brainerd Public Library at 416 S. Fifth St. The Friends of the Brainerd Public Library support this book club by providing the funds to purchase 10 copies of a title for patrons to borrow.

Enjoy a beer and help out Acorn Hill at the same time from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, with every dollar of beer sold benefitting the nonprofit organization.

Interested in learning more? Representatives from the organization will be on hand to talk about its impact on the community.

For more information, call 218-270-8072 or email info@jackpinebrewery.com .

The Crosslake Ideal Lions has arranged a fabulous slate of live music coming to Crosslake's Town Square at 35770 Allen Ave.

Rockin Hill Band is a seven-piece group from St. Cloud and Brainerd that has entertained lakes area audiences for years with their unique blend of blues, rock and jazz classics. The group will perform from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Town Square.

Join the Lakes Area Music Festival from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 8, for a block party in the heart of downtown Brainerd.

A string orchestra will play pop music and familiar classical favorites. Bring a chair and grab a beer at Sage on Laurel and enjoy music outdoors.

Free and open to the public; no tickets required. Presented in partnership with Brainerd Restoration.

Join others for a two-part workshop at The Crossing Arts Alliance in downtown Brainerd on Saturday, Aug. 6, for making a collage and paper printing with Lisa Ackerman.

In the first part of the workshop, students will learn to print their own colorful papers by monoprinting on a gelli plate with acrylic paints and explore adding texture through mark-making, and create a full-color selection of prints.

After a short lunch break, students will return to use those papers to create a collage on a wood panel. A template will be provided to guide students through the creation of a terrarium scene. There will be a discussion layout and techniques for adhering and finishing the image.

Students will keep their 5 by 7 gelli plate, brayer, glue stick and paint set after class, a retail value of $62, according to organizers.

Contributed / The Crossing Arts Alliance

The class is $80 per person. Crossing Arts members, as a benefit of membership, will receive a $10 gift card when attending the class.

To enroll, call 218-833-0416 or visit www.crossingarts.org/workshops . Pre-payment is required. Cancellations made less than 48 hours before class may not be eligible for a refund.

The Benson Family Singers will close the Music in the Park Series in Staples at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7, in the Northern Pacific (NP) Park at 625 Sixth St. NE.

Hailing from Faribault, the Bensons are a family music group consisting of Peter and Rachelle, along with their four sons David, Aaron, Luke, Paul and daughter Keziah.

Expect to hear a variety of music from the Benson family, including barbershop, bluegrass and gospel. They specialize in tight, a cappella harmonies and also play a variety of instruments, including guitar, banjo, bass, violin and mandolin.

Contributed / Kian J Wentzlaff

Together, they have performed for many shows, festivals, fairs, churches and private events throughout the country.

For more information about this band, visit their website at www.bensonfamilymusic.com .

The Music in the Park Concerts are held in on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. and will run through August 7. For more information on the Music in the Park series, check out www.staplesmotleyarts.org.

The Music in the Park Series is funded by the Staples Host Lions Club. The series is organized by the Staples Motley Area Arts Council, with the assistance of the City of Staples.

The Friends of the Pine River Library are holding another summer book sales at the Commercial Building on the Cass County Fairgrounds in Pine River from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday.

They invite the public to search for treasures among the wide range of hardcovers, paperbacks, books on CD, DVDs and VHS. Many antique books have been added for this sale.

The sale is neatly organized, with sections of fiction, nonfiction, large print, children’s, junior, young adult (YA), westerns, Christian fiction and more.

New this year, the sale format is “Pick Your Price,” asking for freewill donations instead of having set prices.

The Friends of the Pine River Library goals are: to get books out of boxes and into readers’ hands and raise funds to support the Pine River Public Library building and programs.