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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us June 8, 2006 MARCELLA RUIKIS, of the band Living On Dreams , will be performing on the Cypress Stage . Submitted Photo The Briscoe School comes to life with artists and music from across the nation On the weekend of June 10 and 11, the grounds of the old Briscoe School will come alive for the second annual, Midsummer’s Dream Art and Music Festival. The park-like setting of the old elementary school will burst with art, music, dance and all the magic that one would expect from a festival of this magnitude. The festival hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. On Saturday, an “After-Party” continues the festivities, as Los Angeles musical phenomenon, Drew Rouse, takes to the stage from 8 to 10 p.m. This year’s event will host over 100 local and regional artists and crafts people, three stages of music, hands-on-art projects for kids of all ages, and various other art related events, including a silent auction and a children and youth art exhibit in the hall of the Briscoe ArtWing. Artists will be on hand throughout the weekend to talk about their art and give patrons the opportunity to purchase items. Handmade creations on display throughout the weekend will include pottery, clothing, hats, fine woodwork, metal art, original oil and watercolor paintings, jewelry, hand blown glass, exotic plants, handwoven items, stained glass, garden art, handcrafted soaps and body care, face painting, handmade instruments, wooden toys and more. The grounds of the old Briscoe School are ideal for such an event. Under the boughs of the 100 year old cypress tree all weekend. Fifty art booths will grace the grass alongside Main Street. The athletic field in back of Briscoe will host the main stage and another 50 art booths, as well as food booths, and the kids craft project area. The Art Over 100 art booths will be scattered throughout the grounds and every one of them will offer unique, handcrafted, original pieces— from fine art to wearable art, from metal sculpture to functional pieces with whimsical charm. Midsummer is a festival devoted to displaying the very best art and fine craft the Rogue Valley has to offer. SINGER AND SONGWRITER Drew Rouse will play on the Main Stage at the Midsummer Festival. Among the 100 plus artist’s showing at this years event, is Lake Oswego artist, Roger Long. “I have always been taken with the magic Roger is able to tap into when dealing with his main subject matter, the salmon of the Pacific Northwest, and the beauty which makes Oregon so special,” said Festival Director Marcus Scott. Roger, 65, said he was put on this earth to record the world around him and hopes to inspire other people in the Northwest to care for that world as well. He knew as a small boy growing up in Klamath Falls, Ore. that he was going to record nature. “Roger is a devoted naturalist and has a passion for his work as an artist that goes beyond the canvas. He is all about protecting what we often take for granted,” said Scott. “He is quite the character to boot.” Another artist at this years event is Nancy Bright. Bright is a graduate of Southern Oregon University where she won several awards in art and creative writing. Her studio is located in Eugene, Ore. Bright’s work has been seen in the nationally broadcast films “Angels, The Mysterious Messengers” and “Angels II: Beyond the Light.” Her art has been featured in magazines such as “Magical Blend,” “Midwifery Today,” “Angel Times,” and “Mother’s Underground.” While her art includes a variety of themes and styles, the work that is closest to her heart and that she considers her “true” art are images from the “Journeys Line,” Bright’s visual biography. These paintings are reflections of her inner spirit, inspired by thoughts and emotions born out of life experiences, dreams and visions. MIDSUMMER’S DREAM MUSIC LINEUP SATURDAY | JUNE 10 MAIN STAGE 10:00 - 11:00 RUTENDO MARIMBAS 11:30 - 12:30 THE McKAIG WILSON BAND 12:45- 1:30 CIRCUS TRIBAL BELLY DANCE 2:00- 3:00 ANNIE MAC BAND 3:00-3:15 DANCING PEOPLE COMPANY 3:30- 4:00 CHRIS & SEAN DUO 4:30-6:25 Inger Jorgensen and BOHEMIAN SOUL w/Jeff Pevar 6:30 - 7:30 DENBAYA African Drums w/ Dibo Camera 8:00-10:00 DREW ROUSE CYPRESS STAGE 10:00 - 11:00 JOE CROWELL 11:30 - 12:30 CANTRELL MARYOTT 1:00 - 2:00 BACK PORCH SWING 2:30 - 3:30 CRIS KELLY & FRIENDS 3:30- 4:00 UNITED CAPOEIRA ASSOCIATION w/ Paulino Arteaga SUNDAY JUNE 11 MAIN STAGE 11:00 - 12:00 MOORE BROTHERS 12:30 - 1:30 OPUS 3 1:30- 2:00 CAPOEIRA DANCE w/ Paulino Arteaga 2:00 - 3:00 BEET GREENS 3:00-3:30 HULA O’ KAHAWAI 3:30-4:30 CAST OF CLOWNS 4:30-5:00 DANCING PEOPLE COMPANY 5:00-6:30 JEFF PEVAR PROJECT w/ ROUGE SUSPECTS CYPRESS STAGE 11:00 - 12:00 LIVING ON DREAMS 12:15 - 1:15 MONTANA SOUL 1:45 - 2:30 THE YIN PROJECT 2:45 - 3:30 CLAY BUSTIN 3:45- 5:00 TRIPOLAR Two of this year’s artists will be both singing on stage as well as displaying their creations in their art booth. Cantrell Maryott and Marcella Ruikis will be changing hats throughout the weekend with these two commitments as well as being the two stage managers. Cantrell, a recent transplant from Tucson, Ariz. to Ashland, lives the full time life of an artist. “[Cantrell] does it all. She is a gracious volunteer working to make this festival happen, she is a creative spirit and soulful performer,” said Scott. “I can’t wait to see what she brings to the festival, both her art and her song.” In her art studio, Cantrell creates sculptures with found objects, such as wood and metal. Cantrell began collecting these types of objects during childhood walks in the Sonoron hills and arroyos where she said “old and misshapen parts, rusty and washed with an ancient patina, became mysterious treasures.” Just as Cantrell enjoys creating harmony in her visual and vocal arts, she said she loves finding “a connection between the doings of a people and the forces of the land, a sacred connection found in the most disjointed elements and brought together in harmony” Marcella Ruikis is a multi-talented artist and vocalist whose evocative style winds through her singing and her painting. She sang jazz and blues for years in San Francisco, Portland, Lake Tahoe, and Santa Fe, collaborating with artists such as Eric McFadden, Paul Dunn and Tony Coleman. Over the last year she has been working with Kent Heyward in the Living on Dreams Band, expanding her repertoire to include an eclectic mix of funk and fusion dance tunes. Her warmth, humor and unique voice have delighted audiences at various local night spots and social gatherings. Marcella Ruikis will play on the Cypress Stage, Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. with Living On Dream’s, then again on the same stage from 3:45 to 5 p.m. with her other ensemble, Tripolar. In her studio, Ruikis surrounds herself with music as she creates vibrant, colorful silk paintings. She is a self taught artist. Like breathing, her pieces are created in the moment. She has developed her own unique methods of expression. Ruikis and her mom, Susan, were both recently recognized with a mother/ daughter art show at the Paschal Winery in Talent. The Music Thanks to the generous support of Ashland’s Economic and Cultural Development Commission, this year’s event is loaded with the best of the Rogue Valley’s musical talent. Special guests from outside the region will also excite the crowds and get a groove on. Midsummer’s Dream is proud to announce that over 28 different performances will grace the local and main stages, while Southern Oregon Songwriters Association will host an indoor stage in the hall of the ArtWing to accompany the Children’s Art Exhibit. According to Musical Coordinator Inger Jorgensen, “the three Stages represent an ecclectic mix of dancers and musicians including marimbas, celtic music, folk, swing, bluegrass, jazz, funk, R&B, and rock. Revered musicians such as Jeff Pevar (guitarist with Crosby, Stills, & Nash), Dibo Camara (West African drummer), and Drew Rouse of the L.A. music scene, come together with seasoned professional musicians who live here in the Rogue Valley because it is such a rich and vibrant place to be. The world will begin to see Ashland not only as a theatre destination, but as a hot spot for Art and Music.” Highlights on Saturday include The McKaig Wilson Band on the main stage from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Utah Phillips calls Maggie McKaig and Luke Wilson “two of the finest folk musicians, singers, and songwriters performing today.” Maggie McKaig and Luke Wilson are joined by Scottish musician Murray Campbell on violin and oboe. The trio plays originals, and as well draws from traditional repertoires of Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Canada and the United States, and what Maggie likes to call Russian circus mazurkas for listening and dancing. Their new CD, “Storm Sessions” will be available at the festival. Again on Saturday, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Inger Jorgensen, Jeff Pevar and Joe Diehl make up the body of the band known locally as Bohemian Soul. Bohemian Soul have composed a eclectic mix of heart-felt and original tunes blending soul, funk, blues, R&B and rock. Bringing soulful vocals, harmonies and an earthy groove, (with drummer Teri Cote and bassist Bob Di Chiro), Bohemian Soul bring a fresh sound and a love of music. Following Bohemian Soul is Denbaya, a group dedicated to the drum, dance, and culture of West Africa. This performance group consists of several local students of drum and dance, as well as Mohammed “Dibo” Camara,, a master drummer from the Susu ethnic group of Guinea, West Africa. The headliner Saturday Night is L.A. musician Drew Rouse. Singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, Rouse is a maverick in the acoustic music world. Rouse is on the main stage from 8 to 10 p.m. On Saturday, the local stage will feature the music of Cantrell Maryott from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cantrell Maryott is a world traveled singer songwriter. “Whether she’s performing jazz, folk, blues, rock, country or avant-garde vocal art, Cantrell’s music feels familiar and comforting, but also engaging. When she sings in that deep, rich voice, the sound feels as if you’ve been living with it for a large part of your life,” said Gene Armstrong of The Tucson Weekly. Also on the local stage Saturday is Back Porch Swing Jazz. Self-described as Ashland’s own “Django Band,” Back Porch Swing breaths new life into the acoustic jazz of the 1930’s popularized by Django Reinhardt and Stephan Grappelli and their band “The Hot Club of France.” On Sunday the main stage welcomes Opus 3 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Opus 3 play highly interactive modern acoustic jazz, including original compositions, as well as music by such greats as Charles Mingus, Bill Evans, Michael Brecker, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, Wayne Shorter, and Bela Bartok. Opus 3 is made up of David Scoggin on piano, Jim Calhoun on bass, and David McClure on drums. The headliner Sunday on the main stage is The Jeff Pevar Project. Jeff Pevar is an accomplished guitarist, singer and songwriter who has toured and recorded with some of the music industries finest, including Ray Charles, Crosby, Stills and Nash, James Taylor, Joe Cocker, Donald Fagen, and many others. Jeff will be performing with local favorites, The Rogue Suspects. This grouping will feature guitar driven, R&B music and some unexpected guests. The History Midsummer’s Dream is a culmination of a vision within the local artist community for well over a decade. Twenty years ago, a group of artists got together and proposed the creation of an open air weekend marketplace along Ashland Creek in the alley behind the plaza. That was the beginning of The Lithia Arts Guild of Oregon. The Lithia Arts Guild worked with Parks and Recreation of Ashland to create what we all now know to be The Lithia Artisans Market of Ashland (LAMA). Working in partnership with the City of Ashland, LAMA has now been recognized by the New York Times as one of the top small-town art and craft markets in the country. From May through October the marketplace shines along the creek on what is now called Calle Guanajuato. Nearly two years ago, the board of the Lithia Arts Guild of Oregon (LAGO) had the foresight to recognize an opportunity for the artists of the Ashland area. Turning the old Briscoe Elementary School into an art center was an idea which had never been tried in Ashland. It was an ideal solution to provide affordable studio space for local artists; a venue to expose the greater community to art with festivals and workshops; and a model method of using common space for the enrichment of the community. The Mission This year’s theme is honoring the artist in everyone. The collective mission is to make Midsummer’s Dream into a festival that allows community members to take common space and make it into a community place to gather and celebrate the arts. Second, the festival plans to establish this annual juried art event, which draws enthusiasts from throughout the Northwest region, increases interest in Ashland among regional artists, and increases exposure for local artists and businesses. The Benefit This event also doubles as a fundraising venture to benefit both the Briscoe ArtWing and The Ashland School District. Four cents of every dollar spent at the festival goes directly to those charitable causes. The event is free but donations are greatly appreciated, and donations go to the Lithia Arts Guild and the many projects it has on the drawing board. Not only does this event help the ArtWing and School District, but it helps every artist who participates. These artists and craftspeople are the alternative to the mass produced, imported goods available today in most every store throughout the country. Dollars spent locally recycle through our locally owned grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, and farmers markets, etc. For more information, contact Marcus Scott at (541) 535-3733, or e-mail [email protected] . DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Ceramic Piggy Banks Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Mailing Lists Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hammocks Water Filter Custom Made Computers Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams