Entertainment Briefs - Feb. 13

■ Jelloslave to perform

Jelloslave, the two cello, drum and tablas quartet, will perform two times in the Brainerd lakes area: The first concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cultural Center in New York Mills; and then at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Francis Music Center in Little Falls.

Jelloslave - featuring Jacqueline Ultan and Michelle Kinney on cellos; Greg Schutte on drums; and Gary Waryan on tablas - will perform their improvisational music featuring original compositions and an eclectic repertoire that takes the audience on a journey through time and genre from Bach to Led Zeppelin and Leonard Cohen, folk music, jazz and the music of the world.

The performance is made possible from the 2013-14 Minnesota State Arts Board touring grant.

■ Author Jean Olson to sign book

BAXTER - Author Marlys Jean Olson of “A Caregiver’s Calling” published by WestBow Press will sign books from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Book World in Baxter.

“A Caregiver’s Calling” is intended to assist and encourage parents, those caring for a loved one, as well as those in caring professions such as doctors, nurses and those who work in care centers and home care situations. Olson is a chaplain at Essentia Health-St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd. She has a lifetime of working in ministry through nursing homes, home care, hospitals, education and as a guardian ad Litem in the court system.

■ Crosby students
to perform concert

CROSBY - The Crosby-Ironton High School seventh and eighth grade boys/girls/mixed choirs, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and A Cappella Choir will present their annual Winter Concert at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 in the Mayberry Auditorium.

The choirs are under the direction of Wayne Ellingsen and accompanied on piano by Bryan Johnson. Admission is by donation of $5 for adults and $3 for students.

Opening the concert will be the seventh and eighth grade boy’s choir singing two sailor songs titled “Come Sail Away With Me” and “I’m Bound Away.” They will finish with an African American song titled “Jimmy Crack Corn” featuring soloist Jason Staley. The seventh and eighth grade girls will follow with “Manx Lullaby” featuring flutist Michaela Stangel, “The Journey” featuring soloists Marlee Zender and Megan Erickson and “She Sings.” The 114 members of the two choirs will then combine and close with “Blow, Bugle Blow.”

The Concert Choir will next present four songs demonstrating a variety of styles of music. There will be a three part quodlibet titled “Alleluia,” a Scottish Folksong titled ”Mairi’s Wedding,” an early Shaker song titled “Simple Gifts” and “Sing With Jubilation.”

The Chamber Singers will follow the Concert Choir with two madrigals and a novelty number. They will sing “I Cannot Conceal It,” “O, Occhi Manza Mia” (sung in Italian) and the humorous and difficult song made famous by The King’s Singers, “Short People.”

The A Cappella Choir will conclude the concert with more songs including their contest selections. Songs include “How Can I Keep From Singing” arranged by Walker, “Pilgrims’ Hymn” by Minnesota composer Paulus, “Sure On This Shining Night” by Lauridsen, “An Afro-Celtic Diddle” by Coolen” and “Tshotsholoza” (Go Forward) arranged by Ames featuring tenor soloist Pagon LaQuier percussion by Spencer Felten.

■ Music and toddlers event

The Brainerd Public Library will be a workshop on how to use music to help teach toddlers at 1 p.m. Saturday.

This workshop is free and geared towards parents and early childhood professionals. The award winning Teddy Bear Band professionals will use its band style when teaching new skills to toddlers.

Certificates will be available after the workshop for those who would like to use the workshop for continuing education credits. This is a free workshop open to all adults available through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Register by calling the library at 829-5574.

■ Heartland Poets to meet

Heartland Poets, an area chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets, will meet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the large room of the Brainerd Public Library. The meeting will begin with an open reading by those present who will read their poems or those of favorite poets. Afterwards a brief business meeting will be held to discuss upcoming literary events and writing/publishing opportunities. Bring copies of poems-in-progress to read and for review.

This meeting is free and open to the public. Contact heartlandpoets@gmail.com or call 838-0968 for more information.

■ New display at Jaques

AITKIN - “Four Artists, Four Seasons, Fritz Loven Park” will be on display starting Friday and will continue through March 22 at Jaques Art Center in Aitkin, with a reception from 12-3 p.m. Saturday.

The exhibition features visual art of Carol Hanson, Judith Kuusisto, Mary Hendricks and Mona Warren.

Fritz Loven Park, located in Lake Shore, is a place of natural beauty and inspiration. Described as the “Golden 80,” the park has within its boundaries a winding trout stream called Stony Brook, features a panoply of wildflowers and high bush cranberries. The changing seasons became the inspiration for a “deep study” of subtle changes in the landscape. The artists share their inspiring observations in their watercolor paintings.

The art collection continues to evolve with new pieces being added. “Four Seasons, Fritz Loven” has been presented at galleries in the area including the Great River Art Center in Little Falls, The Crossings Art Alliance Q Gallery in Brainerd and at the Nisswa Women’s Club.

■ ‘Imagine Color’ on display

LITTLE FALLS - The Central Minnesota Watercolorists exhibition “Imagine Color” is on display at the Great River Arts’ main gallery in Little Falls through March 1. The opening reception will be held from 12-2 p.m. Saturday and will feature live music by harpist Amanda King.

Central Minnesota Watercolorists began as a small group of artists who held their first official meeting on 1981. As the group developed and expanded they began hosting members exhibitions and encouraging professional development. The 20 members featured in “Imagine Color” present an elite collection of watercolor painting techniques that fill the gallery space with color and wonder. Through a variety of themes the artists exemplify traditional and nontraditional elements of watercolor painting that offer viewers a great representation of the diversity water color encompases.

For more information on the exhibition go to http://greatart.org/currently-displayed/ .

■ Festival of the Arts
local artists sought

PEQUOT LAKES - The Pequot Lakes Festival of the Arts, a community wide celebration of artistic talents for the past 30 years, is seeking artists who would like a table at the festival scheduled April 3.

Students from elementary, middle level and the high school will have items of their art work on display during the festival. Local community artists are encouraged to set up a display and show your artistry. Those interested should call Dave Guenther at 218-568-9252.

Performing artists and local community performing groups are invited to perform on the stage of the Pequot Lakes Theater during the festival. Those interested in performing should call Pequot Lakes Community Education at 218-568-9200.

■ SongBlast! to
perform in Little Falls

LITTLE FALLS - The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce invites all Chamber and community members to its 125th annual meeting scheduled Feb. 27 at the Falls Ballroom.

The featured entertainment is SongBlast! SongBlast!, consisting of two dueling guitars Pat Balder and Glen Everhart, have spent their lives writing, performing and loving all genres of popular American music. Balder knows every rock ‘n’ roll classic and Everhart knows about every acoustic guitar-based hit ever to grade the air waves.

Tickets are $30 per person which includes a meal. RSVP by noon on Feb. 21 by calling the Chamber at 320-632-5155 or at www.littlefallsmnchamber.com .

■ Annual Write Basics
Conference scheduled

The second annual Write Basics Conference is scheduled from 12:30-4:30 p.m. March 1 at Arrowwood Lodge in Baxter.

The conference is presented by the Brainerd Public Library. Mystery author and poet Mary Logue will present a workshop on the basics of self-editing and revision that will not only help writers when it comes time to submit their work to an agent or publisher, but also will improve their skills as a writer.

Author and former associate editor for a “big six” publisher Ashley Shelby will instruct attendees on the art of the book proposal and query letter, a crucial step in finding a literary agent. Writers of all interests and skill levels are invited to participate in this free conference.

Logue of Minneapolis is an award-winning poet and mystery writer and has translated 28 books for children from French into English. Her first children’s picture book, “Sleep Like a Tiger,” was published in the fall of 2012 and named a School Library Journal “star.” She has published adult mysteries, including the Claire Watkins series, and a series under the pen name Mary Lou Kirwin; four collections of poetry for adults; multiple books of nonfiction for young readers; and mysteries for young adults. Logue worked as an editor in children’s publishing for many years and taught writing at Hamline University and at The Loft Literary Center.

Shelby is the author of “Red River Rising: The Anatomy of a Flood and the Survival of an American City,” which was praised by Salon, the Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, Library Journal and other media outlets. Before moving back to Minnesota, Shelby was an associate editor at Penguin Group (USA) Inc. in New York, where she specialized in political and social issue nonfiction, memoir and narrative journalism. She specialized in first-time authors. She was recently awarded a Promise Award from the Sustainable Arts Foundation for her novel-in-progress. She is also a teaching artist at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, where she teaches courses on book proposals and narrative nonfiction.

This free Legacy Program is funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota’s art and cultural heritage.

To register for the conference, or for more information, contact the Brainerd Public Library at 829-5574.