Original Artist Grind To Feature Fresh Air

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Created on Friday, 14 March 2025 16:05

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SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

One of the acts at Saturday’s Original Artist Grind will celebrate fresh air on a winter’s night.

Another is the result of a collaboration by composers, choreographers, costume designers, dancers, a writer and a light designer.

Grind co-producer Jeanne Stolberg said those acts and six others are in the spirit of the “original” theme of this Grind, which will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Performing Arts Center.

“The idea of this grind is to feature original work,” said Stolberg, who will mix sound at the event.

During the year, Monthly Grind organizers pick themes for each show, but two are produced with recurring themes: this one and the Fiddle Grind.

“This is very popular for performers, they look forward to it every year,” Stolberg said. “They contact me early every year to sign up for this particular grind. ... I think it’s because the show fills up fast – there’s a lot of creative people out there.”

Most of the acts are singer-songwriter numbers, performed by the songwriters.. There are small groups, a slide show featuring scenic design from productions in the Performing Arts Center, an original dance, and work by vocal artists.

Singer-songwriters Tom Begich and Sarah Sledge will fly down from Anchorage to be part of the show (and visit with long-time buddy and Grind founder Jeff Budd).

Begich and Sledge will perform near the beginning of the show, and collect suggestions from the audience to incorporate into lyrics for a song Tom will write and perform at the end. The act is always a highlight of this Grind.

Another aspect of this show is an art exhibit in the lobby for the audience to enjoy before the show and during intermission. The band BellyMeat - Gary Gouker, Ted Howard and Ernie Eggleston - will perform after lobby doors open at 6 and again during intermission.

Ben Hughey and Maia Carter will be the emcees. The program lineup:

-- Maia Carter (harp and vocals)

-- Greater Sitka Arts Council's Sitka Community Theater - Bailey Craig, performing sample from the musical “Rock of Ages.”

-- Holland Tunnel Orchestra - multimedia (video and guitars)

-- Sitka Studio of Dance - A la Merce (original dance piece). Ted Howard, Rick Fleishman, composers, musicians; choreographers Melinda McAdams, Laura Turcott; costumer Rita Christianson; light designer Rach Roach; poem by Blossom Teal-Olsen; and dancers Esme Ainslie, Eir Christianson, Aezlynn Nichols.

-- Summerfall - singers and songwriters Debby LeVeck (violin/viola) with Jim Shepard (guitar). Annika Krafcik (cello) is featured as a guest performer.

-- Vern Culp, Lily Perez and Annika Krafcik will perform two original songs.

-- One of the acts is a recording of a poem read by writer John Straley, formerly of Sitka, accompanied by video and live music by J Bradley.

-- Tom Begich, performing the piece inspired by the 10 words. from the audience.

The combo of Culp, Perez and Krafcik formed through a shared connection to Galankin Island, where Culp lives. Krafcik played in a pit band with Galankin resident Amy Sanchez, who directed Culp to Krafcik when he needed a cellist for his group. Both Perez and Culp’s wife, Ruth, are in the Ocean Wave Quilt Guild.

“(Perez) made the mistake of saying she was a singer,” Vern Culp said.

Culp said his song, “Wisconsin Starry Night,” came from long, long time ago and from spending time in bars, which at the time “were filthy with smoke.”

“Going outside and breathing that fresh clean air - that was the inspiration,” he said. The other song whose title might ultimately be called “Palisades Paradise,” is about the recent fires wiping out whole neighborhoods in California. By coincidence Krafcik’s father’s house was about three blocks from the end of area burned by the Palisades fires.

Perez said this has been her first experience learning and singing a song written by someone who is in the same room. “It’s been kind of exciting, as a former musical theater, a cappella kind of person.”

Visual artists whose work will be displayed in the lobby or in a slide show are Pat Kehoe, Yvonne Heitzner, Bobbi Jordan, Janet Berlin, Zev Roschy, Sophia Bigelow, Evelyn Austin, Lulah Entwistle, Ashton McKeehan, Jim Kirkness, Mimi Goodwin, Marshall Barg, and production set designers.

The Grind is part of the Greater Sitka Arts Council, which is currently organizing the Spring Art Walk that will take place 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 5.

Tickets to the Grind are $5, and the audience is invited to bring a dessert. The bakers making the best desserts given prizes after intermission. Free beverages will be available.

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