Entertainment Briefs - July 18

■ Mortensen to present
next organ recital

BAXTER - Gayle Mortensen, will be the next recitalist in the Lakes Area Summer Organ Recital Series, at noon Wednesday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Baxter.

Mortensen will be perform “Pastorale” by JS Bach; “Dance with the Saints” by Colin Mawby; and variations on “Holy God, We Praise Your Name” by Jeffrey Blersch. Mortensen is the music director at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and educational assistant for the Pillager Public School District. She is a graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, with a degree in music education and a graduate of Concordia University in St. Paul certified as a director of Christian education. She also teaches private piano and organ lessons.

For information by contacting Cathy Taylor at cathy@cathysmusicstudio.com .

■ Vagabond in the bandstand

The Vagabond Music Group will be performing at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 18, in the bandstand at Gregory Park

The Vagabond Music Group has been entertaining groups throughout central Minnesota, from Little Falls to Pine River and Brainerd to Wadena, for more than five years. Music will range from the ‘40s and ‘50s and include a bit of country.

Bandstand performances are a collaborative between Brainerd Parks and Recreation Department and The Center. Concerts in the Park are free and open to all ages to attend. Bring your lawn chair or a blanket, relax and enjoy the sounds of the bands.

The rain or heat/humidity location will be The Center in Brainerd. If concert is moved indoors to The Center, 803 Kingwood Street, Brainerd, signs will be posted on the bandstand and it will be announced on WJJY radio.

Funding for the concerts has been provided by community donations and by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Five Wings Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

■ Brown Bag Lunch author planned

Nathan Jorgenson, author of three books, is the next author in the Brown Bag Lunch Summer Authors’ Series planned from 12-1 p.m. Monday at the Brainerd Public Library.

His current book is titled “A Crooked Number” and is a prequel to his highly acclaimed first book “Waiting for White Horses.” The book begins when Grant Thorson, a freshman dental student, is smitten with a beautiful professor and asks her out on a date to a baseball game. It is the story of friendship, love and all the forks in the road that lead young people to the best part of their lives. The book was an USA Best Book 2011 Award Finalist.

Jorgenson, who grew up in rural Minnesota, decided to convert a story he had written for his father into his book, “Waiting for White Horses.” The Mulligan followed and then the current book.

■ Record attendance expected
for Moondance Jam

WALKER - Moondance Jam is gearing up for a record three-day crowd this weekend at the Moondance Fairgrounds near Walker. The rock and classic rock festival opened itsgates for early camping and the pre-jam party on Wednesday, with national acts hitting the main stage Thursday through Saturday.

“The last few years we have been lucky to have a big band like Motley Crue set the table for the weekend and bring fans in early.” said Moondance events owner Kathy Bieloh, “But what surprised us this year is the huge number of single day tickets sold for Friday and Saturday. We are gearing up to handle huge crowds all three nights and are so happy with talent we have up and down the lineup. I really think this is going to be another special year and am so excited to see everyone again.”

In addition to headliners Motley Crue, Slash and The Offspring, the main stage will feature Cheap Trick, Bachman & Turner, Theory of a Deadman, Buckcherry, Halestorm, Blue Oyster Cult, Johnny Rivers, Head East, Sweet and more. In all there will be more than 50 national and regional acts on the main stage, MDJ (Moondance Jam) Saloon stage, Lazy Moon acoustic stage and the upgraded Tiki Bar stage. Full schedules for all of the stages and bands, including the Pre Jam Party, can be found at www.moondancejam.com .

Single day and three day tickets, three and four day general camping, camping four day upgrades and lawn chair tags for Moondance Jam 22 will be available at the gate.

■ Printmaker’s work featured
at Ripple River Gallery

AITKIN - Through etchings, monoprints and stratographs, printmaker Anna Marie Pavlik considers the interrelationship of humans and the natural environment.

Ripple River Gallery’s new exhibit of Pavlik’s works on paper opens Friday, and will continue through Aug. 11. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception from 2-4 p.m. Sunday.

Pavlik will also lead a workshop on pasta machine printmaking from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. With two rollers, similar to an etching press, a pasta machine can serve as a mobile printing press. With the use of felt blankets, pressure can be evenly applied to a small plate. The workshop will explore collagraph, monotype, the use of styrene plastic for intaglio and relief printing. Cost of the session is $20, which includes materials.

Pavlik, a Minnesota native now living in Frankfurt, KY, holds a bachelor of arts degree in studio arts from the University of Minnesota, Duluth; a certificate in drafting and a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. She was employed at Minnesota, Mining and Manufacturing before turning to printmaking full-time. Her intensive study of the intaglio printing process has resulted in the development of several bodies of work exploring narrative themes.

Pavlik’s work is influenced by her sensitivity to and concern for the environment, in both a natural and social context. She has served as artist in residence at Amistad National Recreational Area in Texas, at Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, Denali National Park in Alaska, Buffalo National River in Arkansas, Acadia National Park in Maine and at Joshua Tree National Park in California.

Pavlik’s work has been exhibited nationally and has received numerous awards. Her work can be found in public and private collections nationwide.

The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

For information or to reserve a place in the workshop call 218-678-2575 or e-mail ripplerivergallery@gmail.com .

■ Auditions for ‘Cinderella’ set

STAPLES - The Staples Motley Area Arts Council auditions for Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre’s original musical production of “Cinderella” will be held from 5-7 p.m., July 28, at the Centennial Auditorium in Staples.

Up to 77 young people, ages seven to 18, are needed to play the roles of Cinderella, the stepsisters, the pumpkins, the macho mice, the cool cats and chicks, Dinah the Cat, Mikey and his band “The Mistakes” and King Cash the Promoter and his assistants.

Two professional actors will play the roles of the stepmother and the fther and will also direct the production.

“Let’s Go to the Hop,” set in the 1950s is the theme of the original musical production by Daniel Nordquist and Deborah Pick. The play features a great deal of dancing, singing and lip syncing. No advanced preparation is necessary.

All auditioners are required to be in attendance the full time. The cast will be announced at the end of the two hour audition. There is a registration fee. Each cast member will receive a rehearsal schedule for the remainder of the week.

Performances will be at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., Aug. 2 at Centennial Auditorium in Staples. Tickets for the performance will be available at the door.

This week-long Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre residency is being sponsored by Staples Motley Area Arts Council. For information, contact Amy Hunter at 218-894-1925 or at Amy.coachamy.gmail.com.

■ Poetry celebration

“Woodtick Poets,” an annual summer poetry retreat, is celebrating its 25th anniversary on Horseshoe Lake in Merrifield from July 18-21 and the Heartland Poets plan to host an event to commemorate the annual event.

Susan Stevens Chambers of “Woodtick Poets” will perform a poetry program from 7:30-9 p.m. Friday at Sunshine Kitchen and Moonshine Lounge in Brainerd. This event is free and open to the public.

More information contacts Charmaine Donovan at 838-0968 or charmainedonovan@gmail.com .

■ Art on display at medical center

LITTLE FALLS - Little Falls artist Ainez Hayunga’s recent work will be on display at the Family Medical Center in Little Falls through early fall.

Hayunga began painting in her free time as a young mother, until 20 years ago when she expanded to painting with a group of friends in the Scandia Valley Town Hall. Primarily Hayunga works in oil paints, but has had many opportunities within the community to paint backdrops and murals as well.