Manhattan Piano Trio Dolphin Gallery Holiday Exhibit

Sita Milchev, “One Night Only” Mendonoma Chamber Chorus, “The Season In Song”

and (of course) Festival of Trees

S KETCHES November 2015

A Special Performance Benefitting Gualala Arts, RCMS and KGUA-FM

November 2015 - Page 2

The Manhattan Piano Trio is an ensemble that embodies, in the deepest sense, the borough that provides its namesake: these three American musicians represent starkly different backgrounds, and yet connect on a fundamental level to enjoy making music together. Wayne Lee, violinist, is a native of San Francisco; Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, cellist, was born in Reykjavik, Iceland; and Milana Strezeva, pianist, is originally from Chişinău, Moldova. Hailed by critics as "a grand departure from the usual" (News Herald), the Manhattan Piano Trio is one of the most creative, exciting, and dynamic young ensembles in America. Now celebrating its 10th season, MPT is among the busiest groups in the classical music scene, having performed hundreds of concerts for enthusiastic audiences in almost 40 states, and in venues such as Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, and the Ravinia Festival. Program will include Variations in E-flat major, Op. 44 by Ludwig van Beethoven, Common Ground by Nico Muhly and Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

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The November and December 2015 exhibit at the Dolphin Gallery features artists

who are either Dolphin volunteers or Gualala Staff members who support the

Dolphin. The artists included in the show are Scott Chieffo, David "Sus" Susalla,

Sharon Nickodem, Carol Chell, Steve Chell,

Barbara Dunsmoor, Joyce George, Larain

Matheson, Tom Eckles, Walt Rush, Charity

Mulford, Paul Brewer, Cece Case and Nancy Kyle.

The artistic media include photography, ceramics,

fiber, jewelry, watercolor, oil painting, glass,

encaustic and mixed media. Come to the opening

to meet the artists and see some great Art!

Dolphin Gallery 39225 Highway One

Gualala CA (707) 884-3896

OPENING RECEPTION: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 5 P.M. - 7 P.M.

EXHIBIT REMAINS THROUGH DECEMBER 30. ADMISSION IS FREE

Dolphin Gallery Volunteers & Gualala Arts

Staff present The Holiday Exhibit

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Presents

Sita Milchev will be singing Broadway songs from as far back as 1935 by the Gershwin’s, and songs from the great Broadway shows of the 1940’s 1950’s and 1960’s to more recent shows of 2000. You will hear some melodies that will get you to tap your feet and beautiful ballads that will bring back memories of days gone by. Many of the songs will be familiar to you and some melodies from shows that are not so familiar. There will be something for everyone to enjoy.

Sita has been singing for 59 years, and her professional singing career spans over 4 decades, performing all over the world from the Plush Room in San Francisco and New York City’s Carnegie Hall to Israel and Bulgaria. She Attended the SF Conservatory of Music and the Juilliard School of Music as a vocal major in Opera.

Come hear Sita’s beautiful singing and listen to anecdotes of her singing career as she chronicles some of her fascinating experiences through the years. Accompanying her will be Don Krieger on Keyboard, Craig Alexander on Drums and Eric Kritz on clarinet. Also joining her for a special “Cameo Performance” is long time local thespian and singer Sam Parsons and returning from a long sabbatical from Gualala Arts Center stage, Rhonda Harrison. No-host champagne, wine, and beer bar will be available before the show and at intermission.

The Mendonoma Chamber Chorus specializes in fine a cappella music from the 15th through 20th centuries. This soprano / alto / tenor / bass chorus will be joined again this year by professional mezzo-soprano Jennifer Beattie of Philadelphia. Regular local members are Marjie van Gunten, Jane Schuler-Repp, Pat Wilson, Linda Eastman and music director Roland Stoughton.

The program this year includes many pieces being performed by the group for the first time, as well as favorites from past years such as the Tchaikovsky adaptation "Plum" and the Spanish villancico "Riu, Riu, Chiu."

The Chorus' members in general have classical music training, and the group sets itself the goal of refining the quality of performance with each passing year. Thanks to all the loyal followers who have provided encouragement and motivation in this endeavor! And to all who are at loose ends in the few days after Thanksgiving -- we hope to see you on November 29 at Gualala Arts Center!

The Season In Song Mendonoma Chamber Chorus

5th Annual Holiday Concert Sunday, November 29, 4 p.m.

$10 in advance, $5 more day of performance. Children and youth 17 & under are free and

encouraged to attend

Sita Milchev “One Night Only”

Saturday, November 21, 7 p.m. $20 Advance, $5 more day of, youth 17 & under free with adult

Photo by Lucienne Allen

Jennifer Beattie

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The Gualala Arts Twelfth Annual Festival of Trees will

transform the entire Arts Center into mid-19th Century Gualala.

Highlights include festively decorated booths displaying

handcrafted wares and demonstrations in both the Coleman

Auditorium and the Burnett Gallery. The Gualala Arts Interest

Groups will fill the Burnett Gallery with a wonderful display of crafts handmade by our own Pacific

Piecemakers Quilt Guild, Fiber Arts Group, Woodcarvers and Woodworkers groups, Basket Makers and

Beads n' Beyond.

Holiday cookies, breads, puddings, fruitcake and an assortment of

confections will be available for sale at Mrs. Claus' Bake Shoppe &

Confectionery. Local bakers and candy makers donate goods from

their favorite holiday recipes (many handed down through the

generations) to this appetizing shop. New this year will be an

amazing offering of whole pies and cakes for sale, so be sure to bring

your sweet tooth and take home the perfect dessert to go along with

those Thanksgiving leftovers! And, if you’d like to be part of the

creative crew making these delicacies please see page 12 for details

on how to participate and contribute.

A wide variety of vendors have committed to participate in this year’s Festival, offering an impressive array of

choices to mark off your holiday shopping list. Just a few examples of the kind of offerings you can expect:

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Festival-goers will be greeted in the foyer by the Old Gualala

Mill Cookhouse where we will be offering sandwiches, clam

chowder, slices of pie, cake and cookies for lunch, as well as

fresh coffee, hot chocolate, chilled apple juice, and hot-spiced

apple cider For the adults, there will be the yummy winter

beverage called "Scrumpy" available as well as spiked egg nog. Refreshed, you may continue shopping for those

perfect gifts.

Be sure to go upstairs to check out our live trees for sale, each one beautifully decorated by a non-profit group,

the sale of which benefits Gualala Arts. Also upstairs, new this year, we will have a kids shopping area where

kids will be able to shop for small gifts for a family member.

Crafts for the children has now moved into the Clay Studio downstairs at the Arts

Center. It will be open 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Friday & Saturday. For

the delight of children of all ages there will be daily visits from

Santa Claus, along with Mrs. Claus, his sleigh and reindeer

and a snow flurry direct from the North Pole in the DePrima

Terrace!

The Festival's end time Friday has been extended to 6p.m. this year so that Festival goers

and vendors can all can enjoy the tree lighting around 5:15 p.m. and sing Christmas

carols to close out the day while enjoying complimentary hot cider and home baked

cookies. Santa has put together two very special baskets that will be raffled off, prizes

awarded at the end of the Festival on Saturday. You don’t need to be present to win. The

basket will be on display at the Arts Center in early November and tickets will be available at the Arts

Center up to and during the Festival of Trees.

New this year, in the foyer we will have a “Tree of Life”, it will be up till New

Year's. Support the arts by purchasing a leaf in honor of or in memory of

a loved one.

November 2015 - Page 8

Upcoming Workshops

Interpreting the Landscape in Watercolor Instructor: Don Andrews Monday - Thursday, November 16 - 19, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. $375 members; $415 non-members - Check availability (707) 884-1138 Through the language of watercolor, artists can explore the world around them in fresh, exciting and personal ways. The lessons in Don’s landscape workshop are geared to a better understanding of that personal exploration. Each day, Don will stress a major visual concern; light, color, granulation, organizing nature and utilizing negative space are just a few subjects to be addressed. Don’s class isn’t geared to any specific level of achievement; rather artists at all levels will benefit from a more intimate understanding of the painting possibilities available in the exciting world of landscape painting. This workshop will be packed with demonstrations, discussions, individual help, personal and group critiques.

Assemblage: The Art of Everyday Discovery Instructor: Barbara Fast Saturday & Sunday, November 7 & 8, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. $50 members; $60 non-members - Sign-up by October 23; after that, check availability “Assemblage” is defined in the dictionary as “an artistic composition made from scraps, junk, odds and ends (as of paper, cloth, wood, stone or metal).” This workshop will encourage participants to use many different materials to create a unique assemblage artwork. The goal of the workshop is to have fun, explore the artistic possibilities in different everyday materials, and complete a finished piece that will be entered in an Assemblage Exhibit scheduled at the Gualala Arts Center in January 2016. Barbara Fast, now retired from a demanding career as a pediatric surgeon, has long been a collector of objects she has found beautiful or interesting. Many of these objects have been incorporated into art pieces of her design and construction. She has collected several boxes of rusty metal and enjoys creating “rusty art”. Self trained as an artist in several courses at Gualala Arts and elsewhere, Barbara was specifically asked to teach this workshop due to her recognized skills in multi-media art.

ONGOING CLASSES CLAY STUDIO with Doric Jemison-Ball Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. MARTIAL ARTS with Lini Lieberman-Erich Mondays & Wednesdays, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. DRAWING & PAINTING with Genny Wilson Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. LIFE DRAWING Wednesdays, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. AEROBICS with Debbie Langwell Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturday, 8 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. TAI CHI with Justine Rosenthal Mondays, 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sign-up in person at the Gualala Arts Center Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends noon - 4 p.m. or by phone at (707) 884-1138. Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted. Classes must be paid in full at sign-up. Payments can be refunded (minus a $25 non-refundable fee) until the “Sign-up By” date. After that date, no refunds will be provided. If the class does not fill, you will receive a full refund.

DETAILED INFO ON THESE AND OTHER CLASSES, AND SIGN UP FOR EMAIL ANNOUNCEMENTS OF UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE AT GUALALAARTS.ORG

If you are interested in conducting a Gualala Arts Workshop, the Workshop Committee wants to hear from you. Please contact Info@GualalaArts.org or call (707) 884-1138. The 2016 Workshop schedule is starting to be put together now and the committee welcomes talented and enthusiastic instructors who want to share their skills and experience.

HOW TO REGISTER

November 2015 - Page 9

Gualala Arts

Readers Theater Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7 p.m.

Shooting Stars By Molly Newman

A brash, breezy study of a women’s basketball team on tour in small town mid-America in 1962 Contact Mary Sue Ittner at (707) 884-4824

New members and listeners are always welcome

Gualala Arts

Book Club Thursday, Nov. 12, 1:30 p.m.

November Selection Clair of Sea Light

By Edwidge Danticat At Gualala Arts Center. Contact Pam Todd at

(707) 785-3843

Help Wanted, Groups, Etc.

A SPECIAL PROJECT VOLUNTEER REQUEST As we prepare for our annual holiday mailing we find ourselves in need of a few extra

volunteers available in the mid-November time frame for a few hours

of dedicated work. Although the package is still underdevelopment,

the production and mailing preparation process will involve

some tasks that can be done in the comfort of your own home as well as others to be completed as

a team here at the Art Center. The schedule and exact timing needs will be established soon but if you

can find a few hours to donate around the middle of the month please give Susan a call at

(707) 884-1138 and see if “all the schedules can align.”

Festival of Trees Volunteers Still Needed We still need volunteers to help make the annual Festival of Trees

Fundraiser (Nov. 27 & 28) a huge success. Food, cashiers,

setup and take down, clean up, and many other roles need to be

filled to make this important holiday event run smoothly. In particular,

Mrs. Clause’ Bake Shoppe is in need of some homemade goodies (i.e.

homemade cookies, breads, pies, cakes, candy, etc.) to sell during the

Festival. To help us out or for more information, please contact:

JoAnn Aiken - (707) 785-3808 or email kimamy@mcn.org

Wilma Klagenberg - (707) 785-3530 or email benwilma@mcn.org

Tricia Schuster - (707) 622-2740 or email tricia@schuless.com

EXPECTING OUT OF TOWN GUESTS? VISITING HERE YOURSELF?

If you are hosting out of town guests, or you happened to pick this up at the Gualala Arts Center or Dolphin Gallery while visiting our beautiful coast, the Visitor Info link at GualalaArts.org can help with the following:

Lodging Restaurants Beaches & Parks Art Galleries Info on the Arts

Help us keep this web page current! Let us know if any of the information needs updating by calling (707) 884-1138. We cover both the Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts on these web pages, and some hotels & inns offer Gualala Arts discounts - just ask when you call!

November 2015 - Page 10

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS TO SHOW THEIR WORK

DEADLINE EXHIBIT/EVENT November 20, 2015 Gualala Salon

November 20, 2015 Let Them Eat Cake!

Open Aerial Exhibit

For more information, including registration forms, visit GualalaArts.org Call to Artist page

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rich Schimbor, President Roland Stoughton, Vice President Peggy Berryhill, Second Vice President Don Krieger, Treasurer Alan Grossman & Lynn Bailey, Co-Secretaries David "Sus" Susalla, Executive Director Board Members: Phil Atkins, Chris Beach, Rosemary Campiformio, Teri Cooper, Karen Hay, Andrea A. Lunsford, Alfredo Orozco, Richard Pfeifer Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961.

S KETCHES

Editor: Gualala Arts Staff Art Director: Mark D. Hancock Mailing Staff: Violet Arana, Trudy Armer, Marilynn & Dick Balch, Irma Brandt, Pat Chaban, Marion & Paul Fishman, Ann Graf, Nita Green, Colleen Jackman, Lee Kosso, Harmony Susalla, Karen Tracy and Harriet Wright Sketches is printed on 30% recycled paper out of concern for the planet. Taking care of trees is a part of our job.

Sketches copyright © 2015 Gualala Arts, Inc.

S KETCHES ARTICLE DEADLINES

ARE ALWAYS THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH BEFORE THE ISSUE. SEND

YOUR SUBMISSIONS TO PR@GUALALAARTS.ORG IN

ADVANCE OF THE DEADLINE!

Gualala Arts Info & Call to Artist

Call to Artist

Our thanks to Canon USA for their generous donation that allows us to

print S KETCHES with color covers!

You can leave a legacy for the arts by remembering Gualala Arts in your estate planning. Help bridge the gap in perpetuity. P l e a s e r e m e m b e r G u a l a l a A r t s in your estate planning. Contact David “Sus” Susalla at (707) 884-1138 for more information.

Legacy for the Arts Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving from the Gualala Arts Staff and Board of Directors!

November 2015 - Page 11

A Message from the Executive Director . . .

What a great experience . . .

I would like to thank Sus for giving me this month’s Message from the Executive Director page to write my farewell to Gualala Arts. Back in December 2012 he took a chance and hired me to be the Publicity Coordinator for Gualala Arts. I brought writing skills, the ability to quickly learn new software, some level of an artistic eye but most of all a desire to become a contributing part of the amazing community that makes the Gualala Arts Center and Dolphin Gallery the artistic heart of the coast that so many of us call home to a job that became a passion and a soul fulfilling experience for almost 3 years.

I quickly came to realize that the responsibility to publicize over 100 advertised events and festivals and over 1,000 scheduled classes, workshops, lectures and exhibit openings every year required an exhausting amount of effort, attention to detail and most of all communication with the many artists, event owners and volunteers that make sure that everything that happens at the Arts Center is world class and a wondrous example of what this unique venue offers to the community and our visitors. As my friend and radio partner Joel Crockett loved to say, “there is always something going on at the Gualala Arts Center” and I embraced and loved the responsibility to let both the local community and the world at large know that they could come to the most magical and beautiful place in the world and find the unexpected. How special to be responsible to publicize world class concerts (thank you Fred Adler in particular!), live theater to rival the best of the Bay Area’s community theater groups, art exhibits that took chances, put their tongue in cheek, challenged the viewers to consider new media or ideas, or introduced artists from all over the world to this special corner of paradise, fundraisers that were creative, unique and steeped in the history and passion of an art community that prides itself on being fiercely independent, stubbornly iconoclastic, boundary stretching, challenging of the status quo but most of all creators of some of the most beautiful and awe inspiring art available anywhere. How could I not throw myself into the task of making sure that this showcase of art from the heart and soul was shouted out to the world so that people near and far would want to come and see what this stunning architectural gem nestled in the coastal redwoods had to offer virtually every day of the year?

I only have a page to pen my farewell, but could have truly taken up all 12 pages of this issue to thank all the special people that have made my time at Gualala Arts some of the best days of my life. I couldn’t have done this job without the wonderful support, friendship and camaraderie of Susan King, Scott Chieffo, Sus and Sara King. They were my co-workers, high-fivers when things went great, walls to pound my fists on in frustration when they didn’t, sounding boards, backstops, shoulders to cry on, but most of all they were my family. I also have to thank my big brother, Jim Grenwelge, for being the best mentor ever and giving me the confidence to be the curator of a

Gualala Arts exhibit - a daunting tasks for anyone - and helping me understand what it means to love Gualala Arts as more than an organization, a place, a building, a group of people working together towards a common goal. Jim taught me that it is always and only the art and the heart that matters, and as long as you bring both of those to whatever you do then you can always be proud of yourself and know that the time you gave to it was time well spent.

My time at Gualala Arts was truly well spent. I will be forever thankful that I was part of something that will always be more than just an organization that promotes public interest and participation in the arts - I was part of a magical, mystical, creative, frustrating, supportive, chaotic, challenging, artistic, egotistical, beautiful, spiritual but most of all ever evolving and growing organization that will continue to be the artistic heart of this unique community we call home. I will miss being a daily part of it, but I know that Gualala Arts will continue to thrive no matter what.

Come visit me at the Point Arena Lighthouse . . . Mark Hancock (Former) Sketches Art Director & Gualala Arts Publicity Coordinator

Friday 12/4 Exhibit Gualala Arts Center opening reception of Gualala Salon & Salon des Refusés Friday 12/4 Exhibit Gualala Arts Center opening reception of Let Them Eat Cake Saturday 12/12 Concert Ernest Bloch Bell Ringers - Holiday Concert for the Coast Sunday 12/20 Concert Laura Leigh - A Christmas Treasury of Song Thursday 12/24 Festival Nine Lessons and Carols Friday 12/25 Closed Arts Center and Dolphin Gallery closed for Christmas Day Thu. - Sun. 12/14 - 1/3 Arts Center Holiday hours noon to 4 p.m. every day

To purchase tickets in person to any Gualala Arts performance or event visit the Gualala Arts Center or Dolphin

46501 Old State Highway

P.O. Box 244

Gualala CA 95445

(707) 884-1138

info@GualalaArts.org

GualalaArts.org

U.S. Post Paid Nonprofit Org.

Permit #1 Gualala CA

95445

More info is always available at GualalaArts.org

CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN DECEMBER Up to date event listings are always available at GUALALAARTS.ORG!

Donations Needed TIME TO BRIDGE THE GAP . . . AND BEYOND!

As we move into 2016 we need your help in “Bridging the Gap” in our funding to keep Gualala Arts alive and vibrant, the Gualala Arts Center doors open and the venue as warm and welcoming as it always has been. Please remember Gualala Arts in your year-end contribution choices. Your donations in December will certainly help as we plan our 2016 budget. As always, unexpected expenses seem to raise their ugly heads every year. You will receive our annual fundraising letter in the mail soon. Please give generously!

Gualala Arts is a 501(c)(3) corporation under the Internal Revenue Code, tax ID 94-6121872 and your donation may be tax deductible, check with your tax advisor. Call (707) 884-1138 for more information.