ELLEN'S BIG SHOW
Benefit for the Greenfield Public School and Artspace

On Thursday, May 21, 7:00 p.m. at Greenfield Middle School, comedian Ellen Villani will host Ellen's Big Show. The fundraising event will feature comedy and music. Net profits from the event will be split between the GPS Dollar Club and Artspace's Strings for Kids program that serves 3rd graders in the Greenfield elementary schools.

Performers on the program are pianist, songwriter and singer Seth Glier of Shelburne, Jennie McAvoy, singer and guitarist, of Deerfield, students in the Strings for Kids program, and members the Artspace String Orchestra.
Twenty year-old singer, songwriter, and pianist, Seth Glier has come a long way from singing the national anthem at his Little League baseball games. Now he shares the stage and tours with the likes of John Mayer, Ellis Paul, Cheryl Wheeler, Peter Mulvey, Tim Reynolds, Erin McKeown, Jonathan Edwards, Mark Erelli, and Livingston Taylor. "Glier takes his audience to a place that is unknown without his intoxicating groove," wrote Performer Magazine. His debut record, WHY, pre-sold out of its first pressing three weeks before its' official release. The Vineyard Times calls him, "a star in the making." Glier has performed hundreds of shows throughout the east coast including three sold-out nights at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, and performing for more than 25,000 people on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Livingston Taylor says, "Listening to Seth's music gives me hope for what's to come. The next generation is alive and well."

Jennie McAvoy's music combines the magic of the traditional ballad singer with the intimacy of the folk- chanteuse. Her voice-she's a trained mezzo- soprano-is at once angelic and wise. It floats above the current of a rock-solid, deftly fingerpicked acoustic guitar (think Joan Baez or Elizabeth Cotton) on either her vintage Martin or her handmade Nickerson. She has performed in NY, CT, NH, MA and Quebec. Jennie is very much part of the local folk scene performing at St. James Coffeehouse, Energy Park, Artspace and Coffee and Soul in Greenfield, MA. Most recently she appeared at the Spanish Peaks International Celtic Festival in Southern Colorado, where she shared the stage with many talented Scottish musicians, including singer Ed Miller and harpist Patsy Seddon. Jennie has opened for Mary Black, Greg Brown, the late and great Vassar Clements, Brooks Williams, Lui Collins, Richie Havens, The Persuasions, Levon Helm, Livingston Taylor, Garnet Rogers, and Alasdair Fraser.
Tickets for Ellen's Big Show are available at World Eye Bookshop, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and Artspace: $12 Adults, $10 Seniors, and $8 Students. Call 772-6811 for reservations or stop by the office M-F, 1- 6 pm.


Guitar Day May 17
One Day Intensive for Teens and Adults

Brooks Williams and Gail Wade will work with intermediate to advanced guitarists during a daylong guitar intensive on Sunday, May 17, 2009, 10 am - 4:30 pm. Fingerstyle, bluegrass, blues, rock, jazz, folk! Come celebrate the guitar by spending a day playing together and making connections with other guitar enthusiasts from around New England.
Guitar Day is a daylong guitar workshop that features technique building, a song circle, and a duos and trios session where attendees collaborate on a piece of music together. This is a hand's-on workshop with lots of playing and jamming! What to bring: an acoustic guitar, a capo, flatpicks or fingerpicks, a slide (if you've got one).
Schedule:

1. Song Circle (morning): We'll begin the day by playing a few standard acoustic guitar songs. Chords and lyrics will be provided.
2. Workshop #1 (morning): AWAKENING THE RIGHT HAND (presented by Gail Wade). Get your right hand rockin' with some new chords and rhythms in this exploration of picking and strumming styles. From the alternating bass of bluegrass to the shuffle of blues to the swing of jazz, we'll expand our chops.
3. Workshop #2 (morning): AN INTRODUCTION TO OPEN-G TUNING (presented by Brooks Williams). G- tuning, aka Spanish tuning, is used by everyone from blues greats Robert Johnson and Son House to folkie Tom Rush, from songwriter Joni Mitchell to Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards. Check out how expansive it sounds by learning the basic chords and a couple of classic songs. Bring a slide if you've got one and we'll talk about slide guitar as well!
4. Duos and Trios (afternoon): Workshop attendees will divide into groups of two or three and work on a tune together. Bring a favorite tune - or choose a tune from Brooks' extensive library of songs. The duos and trios will play their works in progress for each other at the end of the afternoon..
Fee for Guitar Day is $35. 413-772-6811 to register or email at info@franklyarts.com.

Summer Classes
Register Now

Adult Pastel Drawing (4 wks) Wednesdays 10-12 noon June 10-July 1, 2009 Fee: $96 - includes materials. Instructor: Becky Clark
Fascinated with vibrant color and line work? Want to work with a new medium? Becky will introduce you to the immediate gratification of pastel. This class will allow you to build skills and confidence in your handling of the medium. For beginners and those with drawing experience, the sessions will include drawing exercises and opportunities to create finished artworks. The class will be an open environment of sharing knowledge and posing questions. Lots of individual attention. Topics for class discussions include composition, value ranges, perspective, color and light. If you work from photographs or already have sketches or objects you wish to work with please bring those along. Materials provided, but if you have your own materials you're welcome to use those.

ARTSPACE SUMMER 09 INTENSIVES FOR KIDS All classes for children are 9 to noon, Monday - Friday, unless otherwise noted. All Intensives are $160

July 6 -10 Prints, Patterns, Books, & Collages with Rhonda Wainshilbaum Ages 6-10 Spend the first half of the week decorating papers. Make marbleized paintings, tissue paper tie-dyes, saran wrap prints, paste paper, and liquid water color paintings. Then use these beautiful papers to make Eric Carle style collages, books, cards, gift bags, boxes, and more.

July 13-17 Summer Strings Intensive with Anna Wetherby & Cecilia Berger Ages 6 - 14 Violin, viola and cello students are invited to participate. Students must have 3 months study experience with private teacher or 1 year of group lessons. Participants will play in parts in large and small ensembles. Students will improve their sight- reading, rhythm and listening skills. Posture and holding the instrument correctly will be stressed. Will have a break for snack each day. Concert performance on Friday.

July 13 -17 Magic Vessels with Rhonda Wainshilbaum **1- 4 p.m. ** Ages 8-12 Students will look at whimsical Mayan vessels and ornate Rococo pottery. Students will create their own extravagant vessel with paper mache and mixed media. We will read myths and folk tales about magic containers, like the stories of genies and magic lamps. Students will develop and write stories about their own magic vessels. These tales will be written on handmade scrolls that will be stored inside the vessel.

July 20- 24 Beginning Guitar Intensive Ages 9-15 Guitarist Gale Wade will lead this weeklong intensive. Come learn new songs and play with other guitarists! Learn how to read guitar tablature! Concert on Fridiay.

July 27-31 Clay Week with Rhonda Wainshilbaum Ages 8-12 Learn hand-building skills of pinch, slab, and coil, as well as wheel throwing. Learn about glazing and surface decoration. Make decorative tiles, sculpture, wind chimes and some pottery you can really eat out of!

August 10-14 Intermediate Guitar Ages 9-15 Brooks Williams will lead this weeklong intensive. Intermediate guitar players should be able to strum or pick the basic chords (D, G, A, E, C, Am, Em). Concert on Friday.

August 10-14 Sculpture Week with Rhonda Wainshilbaum Ages 7-12 View sculptures from various times and cultures. Then create sculptures realistic and abstract, large and small, in a variety of materials: wood, boxes and tubes, clay, paper mache, paper and wire. We will create an environment large enough to walk through, and each student will make a large paper mache animal. Students will learn about negative and positive space, balance, unity, and variety.