The Bellingham Herald

Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood and Make.Shift are proud to present photographer Molly Landreth’s Embodiment exhibit from May 13 through May 27 at Make.Shift/Jinx Art Space, 306 Flora St. Landreth will give an artist talk on May 18 at 6 p.m. at Make.Shift. Says Landreth:
“Embodiment: A Portrait of Queer Life in is an archive and a journey through a rapidly changing community and the lives of people who offer brave new visions of what it means to be queer in America today. Stopping in churches, parks, high school classrooms, back yards and bedrooms, I have collaborated with individuals from both urban and rural areas for over six years. With this ever-growing archive of portraits, I aim to highlight a national experience while acknowledging its many diverging, overlapping and at times conflicting parts. Created as a joint effort with participants who boldly stand in front of my lens, Embodiment reveals images of love and survival, creative forms of gender expression and the ever-changing anatomy of a family. It is my hope that these photographs will become a lasting archive for generations to come.”

Check out these events throughout Bellingham:

Kimya Dawson performs in an all-ages benefit for Bellingham Girls Rock Camp at 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 13, at The Old Foundry. Tickets: $12 in advance. “Kimya Dawson brings her anti-folk sound right to the edge. She somehow finds a way to remain sarcastic yet pure as she constantly plays with the line between precious and profound. She is performing in Bellingham to support the Bellingham Girls Rock Camp, a not-for-profit summer camp that is dedicated to empowering young women ages 8-15 through music and education. The camp aims to raise enough funds to be able to offer this opportunity to the young women of the community for little to no cost.” More information: facebook.com/events/390313170987810

Tour local artists’ studios in Blaine, including Sylvia Hayden (pictured), from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 12-13, in Blaine, Birch Bay, Custer and the surrounding area. For details, call 360-933-4513 or see blaineartists.com. Map are available at Blaine Visitors Center.

The Big Rock Garden Party all-ages Mother’s Day event at Big Rock Garden Park, 2900 Sylvan St., Bellingham, starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 13. Walk the wooded trails, discover the sculpture collection, see the rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom and enjoy music and refreshments. Free shuttle bus leaves from Bloedel Donovan Park or park at Silver Beach School and walk the trails to the park. More information: 360-778-7000.

Attend the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Bellissima!, also artistic director Roger Briggs’ final concert, at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 13, at Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St. The show will be an afternoon of melodies by Bizet, Puccini, Mascagni and others, conceived and produced by Bellingham’s Jack Frymire, with a cast of Northwest singers. Tickets are $12 to $39, available at 360-734-6080 and mountbakertheatre.com.

Bellingham Sings and the Whatcom Sound Jazz Singers host Brasileira, featuring B.C. vocalist and pianist Jennifer Scott, Rene Worst on bass, Cory Weeds on saxophone and Bellingham’s Jud Sherwood on drums, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, May 12-13, at Amadeus Project, 1209 Cornwall Ave. Brasileira will perform the music of Ivan Lins, Elis Regina, Jobim and some originals. Whatcom Sound Jazz Singers will open the show. Tickets, $16, are available in advance at Brown Paper Tickets. Details: 360-676-1024.

Here’s the lineup for the fun at Fairhaven College’s courtyard:
11 a.m. Wyatt Parks & the Mute Choir
12:10 p.m. Cassiopeia
1:20 p.m. Hot Damn Scandal
2:35 p.m. The Bellingham Circus Guild
3:45 p.m. Learning Team
4:55 p.m. Feather & Bone
6:05 p.m. The VonVettas
7:15 p.m. The Endorfins
8:25 p.m. E-Clec-Ticity
9:35 p.m. Polecat
11 p.m. SOL
Afterparty with The Root System

The Bellingham Festival of Music and the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra have forged a new collaboration to help support music education in Whatcom County schools. The two organizations will work together to bring music to children across the county through the “Musicians in the Schools” and “Beethoven in the Schools” programs.
Whatcom Symphony Orchestra and Bellingham Festival of Music have long worked individually to support music education in the county. The “Musicians in the Schools” program brings Whatcom Symphony musicians into the classroom to demonstrate orchestral instruments and inspire children to participate in their school instrumental music program. “Beethoven in the Schools” is presented for third graders, and features WSO Concertmaster and Festival violinist Grant Donnellan in Ludwig van Beethoven costume. Through interactive storytelling, he introduces musical concepts of inspiration, composition and musical language.
To launch this new collaboration, The Festival and the Symphony are so-sponsoring the Calidore String Quartet for a 10-day residency. The Calidore String Quartet is the 2011 gold medal winner of both the prestigious National Fischoff Chamber Competition and the 2012 National Chesapeake Bay Chamber Competition.
The purpose of the residency is to help inspire an interest in music among those middle and high school level music students not reached by the Beethoven-in-the Schools or Musicians-in-the-Schools programs. During their residency, the group will visit all Whatcom County middle and high school orchestra classrooms to inspire and teach through performance, master classes, and dialogue with our local string students.
In addition to school visits, the Calidore String Quartet will offer four local performances. They will be fundraising events with all funds raised going to in-school programs. They will be performing at WWU Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 9; Ferndale High School at 7 p.m. Friday, May 11; Christ the Servant Lutheran Church at 3 p.m. May 12; and Whatcom Middle School at 7 p.m. May 16. The event at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church will include both a performance and master classes.
Students will be admitted free to all these performances and to the master classes. Suggested admission for adults is $10. All donations will go to Whatcom Symphony Orchestra’s and Bellingham Festival of Music’s “Music in the Schools” programs.
In addition, the quartet performs Tuesday, May 15, at the Jansen Art Center, 321 Front St. in Lynden. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. Details: 360-778 3600.
For more information on the concerts in Bellingham and Ferndale, contact Karen Berry, 360-733-9371; kberry49@hotmail.com or Mary Passmore, 360-671-5612.

Amanda Grove, my hardworking friend at Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department, once again has lined up a stellar roster of musicians to perform at Boulevard Park, Big Rock Garden Park, Elizabeth Park, and for the first time, at Woodstock Farm off Chuckanut Drive. Here’s what’s coming to you, free of charge, this summer (all ages welcome):
BOULEVARD – SATURDAYS 7-9 p.m.
June 16: Tubaluba: Funky New Orleans brass band
June 30: Global Heat: A hip-hoppin’, rock fusion, funk rapping, break dancing good time!
July 14: The True Spokes: Refined, renegade rock
July 28: Picoso: Original salsa, son, and Latin
Aug. 11: Cody Beebe and The Crooks: Roots, rock and Americana
BIG ROCK – SUNDAYS 3:30-5 p.m.
June 17: Thomas Harris Trio: classic and original instrumental jazz
July 15: Bar Tabac: Cinematic exotica (original soundtrack music and classic film themes, with Eastern European influences
Aug. 19: Tocato Tango! “Argentine tango with a sultry twist”
WOODSTOCK FARM – SUNDAYS 2-4 p.m.
July 1: Ranger and The Re-Arrangers: Gypsy jazz featuring hot violin
Aug. 5: Hejira: Global jazz
Sept. 9: The Bryan Forsloff Group: Funk and R&B-based contemporary jazz
ELIZABETH PARK Thursdays 6-8 p.m.
June 28: Witherow and Gibson Band: Foot-stomping contemporary folk music
July 5: Quinton Rundell: Songwriter and acoustic rock singer
July 12: Ruvara Marimba: Joyous dance music of Zimbabwe
July 19: Lindsay Street: Farflung Celtic music for the adventurous
July 26: Jaded Lovers: Goodtime country rock and roll
Aug. 2: What the Chelm: Bellingham klezmer band
Aug. 9: Big Bad Monkeys: Youth marimba band, in combination with marimba band Kuungana
Aug. 16: bandZandt: Classic rock laced with shots of jazz and blues
Aug. 23: Skamania: Ska-reggae-Carribean dance music
Aug. 30: The Offshoots – Upbeat original rock ‘n roll
For details, call 360-778-7000

The Wild Buffalo just announced the lineup for the 8th annual Urban Music Festival in downtown Bellingham, featuring two days of music June 1-2 with headliner Acorn Project, plus performances by Polecat, Snug Harbor, My Dad Bruce, Medium Troy, Dream Science Circus, the Prime Time Band (playing the music of Michael Jackson), and a free alley concert June 2 featuring Yogoman Burning Band and Vaughn Kreestoe.

There will also be the arts & crafts show “Boutique in the Buff” from 2-8 p.m. plus a silent auction sponsored by Gathering Glass Designs. $15 advanced tickets (for both nights) are available online at wildbuffalo.net through June 1, and each night costs $10 after that.

This just in from Doug Broersma:
Who will perform: Toppers Finland Tour Chorus (in their debut performance!), barbershop quartet Antique Gold (2006 International Seniors Champion and Jorma Kivilahdi, accordion player from Vancouver, B.C.
When: Saturday, May 5
Where: Jansen Art Center, 321 Front St, Lynden, WA (the old revamped city hall)(it’s gorgeous!)
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Cost: $15 suggested donation

A group of Western Washington University Art History students are hosting a fundraiser on May 1 at various locations on Western’s campus to benefit the victims of the March 2011 tsunami that ravished Japan as a result of the powerful 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the northeast coast. Students in Art History 411, a seminar focused on contemporary Japanese visual culture, have organized “Do Art! Honor Japan: A Celebration of Japanese Visual Culture and Fundraiser for Victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake” to help with relief efforts.
They will host interactive events and workshops, or “teach-ins,” celebrating Japanese culture on Red Square and in the Fine Arts Building. The students will also be making objects such as ink-painted kanji bookmarks and shibori tie-dye bracelets to be sold on that day; all proceeds will go to Peace Winds America, a nonprofit organization in Seattle known for its effective distribution of donations to Great East Japan Earthquake victims. This event is being co-sponsored by the Japanese Student Association. Attendance is free and open to the public.
Events take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information about the fundraiser, contact Julia Sapin at (360) 650-3670 or Julia.Sapin@wwu.edu.

Caprice Teske, director of the Bellingham Farmers Market, is hoping young vendors will come to sell their wares this Saturday, April 28. Here’s what she says:
Looking for one-of-a-kind jewelry, note cards, magnets, bookmarks -– and duct tape wallets? You won’t want to miss the first Kids Vending Day for the Bellingham Farmers Market 2012 season on Saturday, April 28!
“Our Kids Vending Days on the last Saturday of the month, April through October, are always a highlight for participating children and their parents, as well as for the other Market vendors. It’s great to be able to offer this much variety to the community while providing an outlet for kids’ creativity and hard work,” notes market director Caprice Teske. “Kids Vending Days give young entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn about creating products, selling, and customer service, as well as a way to earn money from items they make or grow.”
Complimentary children’s activities promoting sustainable practices, nutrition, and fun will be offered in front of the Depot Market pavilion on Railroad Avenue on Kids Vending Days. On April 28, spring planting activities will be featured, presented by the staff of Common Threads Farm and incorporating seedlings and supplies provided by Market vendors Sunseed Farm and the Backyard Beans and Grains Project.
Industrial Credit Union anticipates being on hand to provide tools and information to help these young entrepreneurs create successful businesses.
Kids interested in vending do not need to pre-register, but they should arrive between 9:30 and 9:45 a.m. to set up the tables and chairs they bring, and to sign in and pay their $5 vending fee at the information booth.

Here’s an update from Leah Hinchcliff on the memorial for Lisa Mills, former member of Swamp Mama Johnson, who died in a motorcycle accident in April. The event takes place May 12 at the Conway Pub & Eatery, 18611 Main Street, in Skagit County.
4:30 p.m. Motorcycles Meet
5 p.m. Motorcycles Leave
5-6 p.m. Memorial Ride
6-6:30 p.m. Guests Arrive
6:30-7:30 p.m. Ultra Violets perform
7:30-8 p.m. Speakers/visiting
8-9 p.m. Swamp Mama Johnson members play
9:30 p.m.-Visit/drink/karaoke
Open to the public. Those who want to join in the ride need to be at Conway by 4:30 p.m.