Joseph Arthur at the 2nd Annual SongFest

                                                                   I learned about Joseph Arthur because of Chuck Prophet.

I’ve been nagging K. and T. to get Chuck for the Safety Harbor Music Fest. They are the dynamic-duo-plus-one (hey, Heather!) that brought us the first Annual Music Festival. And now this is the SECOND one. I see a pattern here. 

Anyway, just because my kid knows the Prophetmeister, doesn’t mean I have any influence at all.  On the other hand, Todd only has to show up at any concert and his magic grabs them. Musicians tell their handlers to find a way to schedule them for a SHAMc gig. I think it’s a Swedish thing.

I also think Todd was politely getting me off his back when he said he saw an artist named Joseph Arthur who had recently toured with Prophet. Todd asked him to play at this year’s
festival. The Arthur people booked him. (See, I TOLD you…)


My interest was piqued. I Googled and You-tubed the guy. It constantly surprises me just how much GREAT talent is out there.  I mean, really talented vocalists, writers, and musicians with so much charisma and so much to say in their music, are not as well-known as they should be. These artists, in my opinion, are better than, or at least equal to, the over-played pop stars of the commercial world. It’s a shame there aren’t more music festivals, car commercials, TV dramas, or late night talk shows to put these talents out there and cause people to say, “Who is that? Screw the car, what is that song in the background? I want more of that!”

And so we get to see Joseph Arthur, a veteran of the Letterman show, and actually has quite a
large following. He’s also a fellow Buckeye hailing from Akron, Ohio. Ohio produces superb
talent. We’re awesome people. [Here is a shameless shout out to Canfield.]

And this guy is a visual artist as well.  His paintings sorta remind me of Picasso or Keith Haring, but still feel original, colorful, and fun. He’ll be painting and performing live at Syd Entel Gallery for our SongFest Kickoff Party on the Friday night before the festival, the 27th of March from 6 to 8 p.m. His paintings have been to Berlin, Singapore, SXSW … and now Safety Harbor! Can you stand it?

According to my virtual stalking, he was discovered by Peter Gabriel. That’s a name we know,right? Although, I’m not sure how a person is discovered if they’re already here. Just sayin'.

If you type Joseph Arthur's name in Pandora, you’ll  find that he’s been grouped with bands like The Shins, Iron and Wine, Death Cab for Cutie, and the Weepies. When I read bios for these bands they all mention Leonard Cohen as an influence, as does Arthur. I sometimes worry about the deification of Cohen, but his writing is so impeccable and carefully  thought-out, that he will never be over-stated. I actually prefer to hear renditions of his work by other artists, because they seem to become new over and over again.

Arthur writes his songs impeccably, too. He tells stories. He finds new ways to describe
ordinary experiences, inner struggles. Some of his songs are presented like poetry, similar to
the talking style of Patty Smith or Bob Dylan. Travel as equals or not at all. He mentions God a
lot, and themes of redemption. His visual acumen comes through in his performances. See
Currency of Love. He’s good to watch. His band is good to watch. And when songs grab us
visually, they become visceral.

He took on a daunting project in writing a tribute to Robin Williams. Who can properly honor
such a soul as his without running the danger of trivializing it? Joseph Arthur managed it well. 
Venues like the Second Annual Safety Harbor Music Festival, an inspiration of The Safety
Harbor Art and Music Center, bring these talented musicians to our community so that people
who don’t necessarily listen to Community radio, or get to go to many concerts; can experience
imaginative and varied styles of music packed in to two days. Music should be a feast from
savory to sweet. Out on the sloping lawn by the water, with friends around, is one of the best
ways bathe in it, breathe it, move to it, or eat a taco and drink a beer to it. The music will float
on the breeze and through open windows. Joseph Arthur will be the soundtrack to your splendid evening. 

He’ll take the waterfront stage on Saturday evening, March 28th. For a list of all the bands or solo
artists, and a rundown of where and when they can be enjoyed, click here. 

See you at this and all the other SongFest events!
- Deb Klein

 

Download the free SHAMc app to receive updates on all of our pop-up concerts and events. It's easy! Just go to the app store on your phone and search for SHAMc.

FEAST IV: Who, What, When, and Wow!

If you follow us on Facebook, you've likely seen all the recent postings about FEAST IV, happening this Thursday, May 9 at the Safety Harbor Museum and Cultural Center. 

Why and I excited? First, it's happening in OUR TOWN. Second, I get to present my idea and compete for a grant! Third, I am competing against two wonderful artistic women who are also my friends. I'll tell you about my idea, but I'd also like to highlight the art of the other two women who are going for this same grant. 

Heather Richardson is a wonderful mosaic artist. Her mosaics are created from glass, tile, found objects and can be seen throughout the county, including her most recent public art in Safety Harbor's newest park, Mullet Creek Park.

Heather is going for the grant so that she can teach basic community-based mosaic workshops to people of all ages.  During one of Heather's workshops students will create a small piece for themselves and once some skills are learned, they can help to create a piece or pieces to be donated to the community as a public art installation. "When people participate in creating something for their community it really gives them a sense of ownership and personal pride within their community," Heather said. 

Janet Lee Stinson is a beautiful soul who has brought the art of Journey Dance to Safety Harbor. She is going for the grant so that she can teach this free-spirited dance downtown at the gazebo in John Wilson Park. (The dance lessons will be free to anyone interested in learning them!)

Four different dances will be created around different themes that will build upon each other, and dancers may join for the journey of all four dances or drop in to sample just a few.  

“Safety Harbor is home to me and I am thrilled to see the way we are transforming in to a caring community through love and support of each other," she said. "What better way to catapult the future of this artistic community than with dancing?”

And my project? Well, I want to create a literary festival --- Safety Harbor's first Writers and Poets conference. I see this happening in about a year, starting small and hopefully growing into an annual or bi-annual event. 

I am a writer and also the founder of the Safety Harbor Writers and Poets group, which hosts talented local wordsmiths for open mics and workshops across the area. I also teach writing at the library, at the museum, and this summer I will be teaching a summer camp through the City for adolescents learning the art of good reporting and journalism. 

For this Writers and Poets Conference, I'll bring in a couple well-known authors or poets, perhaps a few local authors and poets, and we'll fill this town with word art! There will be discussions, workshops and most especially, writers will feel empowered. It's a way for writers to come together and experience the creative culture of Safety Harbor. I want to offer a way, even if it’s the smallest spark, for people who attend such a conference to begin their own journeys into writing. 

Please help make any of these artistic dreams come true. Click this link and purchase your ticket for only $20. You'll be given samplings of some of the best food our town has to offer, and you'll receive four tokens to vote for one or all the projects presented. Additional tokens will be available for purchase. The fun begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at the Safety Harbor Museum and Cultural Center,  329 Bayshore Blvd. South, Safety Harbor, FL 34695. 

When we come together, either by applying for grants, or by supporting such applicants, we make art happen in our community. I am thrilled that it's happening in Safety Harbor. Thanks, everyone.

No matter who "wins" the grant, this community is going to be better for it! I am cheering us all on!  

  

                                       

People Behind the Posts: Heather Richardson, Plank-Painting Organizer

Heather Richardson turned SHAMc's first community art project into a smooth, fun, well-organized event. As thunder and lightening promised rain, Heather set up tents in front of her Whimzeyland studio, Lilikoi, poured paint and gathered brushes.

Along with her dog, Tink, she recently purchased over 150 planks. She primed them all to get ready for Sunday's first hands-on SHAMc community art project.

In fact, "hands-on" is a great description of Heather. She's SHAMc's "right arm," always involved in creative ways to get the word out and to raise funding to make the center a reality. But she doesn't see it as work. "I'm just the messenger," she said. Kiaralinda disagrees. "Heather does whatever needs to be done. She's an integral part of SHAMc."

Kiaralinda and Todd visited The Flying Pig in Algoma, Wisconsin in May and were inspired by an art installment created by the community there. They saw fence posts on display--artwork decorating both sides of each post--and they knew it was something they could take a step further for SHAMc. "We talked to Heather and it just grew from there," said Kiaralinda.

About fifty artists participated in Sunday's "Picket the SHAMc" event, some professional artists having traveled from far away, and even more claiming "I'm not an artist." But all were ready to create a SHAMc fence post . . . even though it rained enough to fill buckets!

Not only is Heather an artist, she has experience running a business--a good thing for SHAMc! Her mom is a potter and Heather ran that business for twenty years. Later, she spent ten years hand-painting silk and did the art show circuit. Now her art is mostly mosaics. "Someday I’d like to make it my job," she said.

Beside her mosaics, Heather expresses creativity as a specialty gardener and landscape designer, and is a member of the Garden Fairies. She also works at E & E Steakout Grill in Belleair Bluffs.

The plans for the posts are not only to border the construction wall around the center. "We hope to put up sections in the linear park on Bayshore so people can enjoy them and start thinking about it, and wonder what they are," Heather said. "Every one of the planks are by people in the community who have participated to beautify the city."

Heather will run a booth at The 8th Avenue Pub this Sunday, July 3rd (more information below). The Pub is hosting a fundraiser to benefit SHAMc. The cover charge is $5.00 and food proceeds will be donated to the Art and Music Center. "We’ll sell T-shirts and people can write on a plank, maybe add something about what art means to them."

Which post did Heather paint? "I had my hands on all of them," she said. But along with friends and fellow artists, Shannon and Siobhan, the three are responsible for the beautiful sign now on the SHAMc property.

"I want families and kids to get involved in this," Heather said. "The most important thing is getting people to know what SHAMc is and getting excited about it. That’s my mission right now."

For more information on this project, contact Heather at IMPURPLE@MAC.COM.

If you are a one of many of our painters, I'd love to write about you. Everyone was an artist on Sunday and we want to know all the "People behind the posts." Please e-mail Laura at LEKSINK@GMAIL.COM if you were one of our participants. There are many stories to follow!