The WE ART THE PEOPLE FOLK FESTIVAL 2011 was terrific!!!!! I had several people, both vendors and attendees tell me that this was the best organized year ever for the festival. Also heard some folks say this is their favorite Abq. festival!! This is a great mid September tradition for OFFCenter and hopefully will be for years to come. The kids area was hopping all day long with beautiful hats and pin wheels emerging from the art making tent, children having fun with hula hoops, and being thoroughly entertained by Pink Elephant and Clan Tynker! The group paper tube sculpture and giant coloring book/painting canvases were great.... can't wait to see the new OFFBags made from the canvas. Come shop for one in the OFFCenter retail shop in the studio! I got a fantastic henae design on my entire arm and enjoyed seeing lots of lovely painted faces walking all around the park. Thanks to all the dancers and musicians too for creating such a festive day. It's a gift to see all the art vendors and witness the enormous variety of creativity in our community. Yea for Chami and all the other folks who worked so hard to make the 2011 We Art the People Folk Festival happen so wonderfully! Better and better each year :) Hope to see lots of fun 2011 Folk Fest pictures here and on the website soon!

June First Friday Coffeehouse with Jasper!

Friday, June 4

Come listen and dance to the popular eclectic rock and roots band trio JASPER.

JASPER features Frank McCullough III on electric guitar and banjo, Terry Bluhm on stand-up bass, and Jefferson Voorhees on drums and percussion. All three members contribute vocals.

Special guest: Singer/songwriter George Page

~Singer-songwriter Bonnie Bluhm hosts.
~Doors open at 5 pm. Music starts 6 pm and ends about 8:30pm.
~Ongoing art exhibit is SHELTER.
~Admission is free and coffee and refreshments will be available.
~The OFFCenter Art Shop will be open featuring the work of over 100 local folk artists.

All ages welcome! A community art making table will be set up for you and your family to make art throughout the evening. See you there! Big Fun Tonight!!

A Pass The Hat Production.

SHELTER Exhibit Opening -- Friday May 7

FIRST FRIDAY EXHIBIT opening:

“SHELTER: A Refuge for Mind, Body and Soul”
Friday night, May 7th, 2010 5-8pm free

Whether in a tent, in a friend’s company, or by reading a good book, everyone seeks refuge from the world’s stresses and dangers. Once sheltered, we begin the process of restoration.

An open community exhibit running through June 8th.

iCreate guitar class graduates will provide music.

Koffi Earns His Strings!

Today, Kay graduated Koffi after he completed 12 weeks of guitar instruction. Koffi cruised through his 5 song recital and received a new guitar for his efforts. Anyone can join iCreates Beginning Guitar class which is held weekly on Wednesday's between 3:30 and 4:15pm in the studio. Congratulations Koffi! Please keep the music coming...

Thank you, Rooster's Downtown

Special thanks to Rooster's Downtown, just down the road from us at 320 Central Ave. Rooster's will donate coffee and snacks for our upcoming First Friday Coffeehouse on Mar. 5

Which...
in case you haven't heard us shouting about it already...
will feature...

WAGOGO!

There, we said it Again!

Come on by from 5 to 8 for our First Friday (Artscrawl) Coffeehouse. Wagogo will play starting at 6:00. Gift shop and gallery, open of course.

FREE, but we won't turn down your donation when we pass the hat.

WAGOGO is coming March 5!

First Friday Coffeehouse, Mar. 5th, 5 to 8pm

FREE!

Join us for a rollicking return visit from Wagogo, to celebrate the tail end of our Art of Devotion exhibit, and to celebrate just being here in general!

Last year there was room to dance, shop, meet new friends, and enjoy free coffee and snacks.

Our gift shop will be open, and art will also be available for sale in our gallery.

Live performance by Wagogo beings at 6pm

(We will pass the hat for the band, and for donations to OFFCenter)

Sharie's Studio Journal

Greetings to all I've been out of the studio for a week and will be for another week but I know things don't stop because I am otherwise committed. The ongoing classes/workshops like the drawing classes and guitar lessons continue and the writing group happens so please check out the calendar for dates and times. There are upcoming new workshops there too so keep looking at the schedule and for announcements for these. If there is something you think would be a great media or thechnique to learn or teach in a work shop contact Ron in the studio and tell him what your idea is.

Last weeks First Friday Coffee House was a lot of fun with great snacks and good music. Watch the calendar for the next one in December. TTFN Sharie

First Friday Coffeehouse with Norm Everett Fri. Nov. 6!

First Friday Coffeehouse is November 6, 2009, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
and He's Back!
The yodelling, throat singing, wild & wacky one & only...

NORM EVERETT
and his band Namronth

opening with singer/songwriter Bonnie Bluhm

Coffee! Snacks! Gift Shop Open!

plus, the Dia de los Muertos exhibit "Threads from the Dead: Who Are You From?" continues.

Come join us -- it's Free and we welcome you to our Community Arts studio!

Play It Again John...

John Ortiz completed his recital today at the OFFCenter Studio and earned his new guitar after his 12th lesson. He is planning to continue taking classes so he can work on reading. He currently plays only by ear. Congratulations John! May you have great enjoyment from your playing..

iCreate offers ongoing beginning and intermediate guitar instruction Wednesday afternoons throughout the year at 3:30pm at OFFCenter and throughout the week at other locations around town. New students and instructors are always welcome.

The Rogue Bindis

The Rogue Bindis performed at this year's Folk Art Festival, dancing in the grass to happy crowds. This lovely photo is by Elaine Russell, one of the vendors at the show.

First Friday Coffeehouse with Tortuga!

First Friday Coffeehouse
Friday Sept. 4
5 to 8 pm

Bring a friend or two and come hear the jazz fusion sounds of Tortuga , featuring Pax and friends playing for your enjoyment. It's Free!

Our gallery will be filled with Folk Festival puppets, masks and other festive paraphernalia.

Coffee and delicious refreshments will be available along with the usual great supply of one of a kind local art work on sale in our shop.

A Pass the Hat Production, hosted by Bonnie Bluhm.

Our Second Guitar Class Graduate!

Congratulations Terry!
Today Terry Begay has the honor of being the first comedian to earn an iCreate guitar, and to get the most compliments from listeners who happen to be creating art while he plays music. Terry composes and improvises with great flair and skill. All iCreate guitar class students are eligible to earn an instrument by completing the program requirements which are:
1) attend at least 12 classes
2) learn 5 songs by heart
3) perform the 5 songs to others

Exhibition: Earthquakes & Hurricanes

OFFCenter Featured Artist Series

West Coast -- Land of Earthquakes,
Southern Gulf Coast -- Land of Hurricanes,
Two Artists Meet
in the Land of Enchantment

Henry Kennison: native of New Orleans, survisor of Hurricane Katrina, presents his multi-media art in many styles.

Ayren Valery: Native of California, survivor of two major earthquakes, presents her photos in montage style.

Opening FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2009
5-8 pm
(exhibition thru Friday, Aug. 21, 2009)

Solo guitar by Becky Shreck

PLUS a Memorial Retrospective for Stephanie Anderson
Stephanie Anderson's art will continue to inspire a significant community of art makers and remind us of the amazing artist, friend, and shining light she was to all who had the fortune to know her. This exhibit is in her honor.

Click to download a color flyer from our website.

Artmaking at Summerfest 2009

OFFCenter will host a free artmaking booth during Albuquerque Summerfest 2009, with unique take-home and collaborative art activities each night.

Saturday evening was Cajun night, and we guided many new friends in mask making, bead stringing, hair beading and making shakers to dance to that Zydeco beat! We might have done a little dancing ourselves!

Pictured here are a couple of happy mask making friends.

We have a graduate!

Congratulations! Savannah Moya is the first graduate from our iCreate sponsored free Wednesday afternoon guitar class. Savannah learned five songs by heart and performed the songs solo for an audience of open studio artists last Wednesday to complete the program. For her hard work she received a free guitar from iCreate instructor Kay! All students are eligible to earn an instrument by completing the program requirements which are: 1) attend at least 12 classes. 2) learn 5 songs by heart. 3) perform the 5 songs to others.

First Friday Coffee House.

Sharie's Studio Journal

Well First Friday came and went and if you weren't there I am sad you missed out on some great music and some Irish humor. I'm pretty sure that the band member Brian has "kissed the Blarney Stone." This is a great opportunity for you to meet new friends, see friends you may not have seen for a while or just listen to some good music, look at art and even buy some art. Sharie

Our Piano

Sharie's Studio Journal

Pianos are wonderful instruments--my Dad told me once that if I learned to play the piano I would be able to learn to play any instrument I wanted. I have heard others agree with his statement so I have to believe it to be true. We have a piano in the studio at OFFCenter. I don't recall every being in a room with a piano that children were not drawn to it. The expression on their faces full of curiosity--wanting to touch those black and white keys to see and hear what sound will come from them. The will look around to see if anyone is watching --especially Mom or Dad--wait to see if someone will tell them NO! don't touch. Then regardless of that possibility those little fingers find their way to the keyboard and then they press however many keys their little hand can reach at one time and WOW sound their eyes get wider a smile spreads across their face and it is on---- more sounds more keys and in their mind you know they are on stage preforming their little heart out. We have artists who are multi talented and they will on occasion take a seat at our piano and play. This is always a treat and most other artists will express their appreciation for the musical offering. You know pianos need to be cared for and periodically need to be tuned. We have an artist who has sent us a new friend to OFFCenter. Sally Thank you for sending the piano tuner. He reported that it was really flat but no more (for now). So if you don't consider yourself an artist of visual art but can make music that is art too come on in and play for us and with us as we make art & make friends and buy art. By the way there are guitar lessons available check our calendar on our web page for dates and times. See in the studio Sharie

Holy Water & Whiskey at First Friday Coffeehouse!

Bonnie Bluhm hosts:

HOLY WATER & WHISKEY

Albuquerque's Premiere Old-Timey Folk Trio

June 5, 2009 ~ 5-8 PM

Music Starts @ 6 PM

• Coffee & Refreshments
• Check out our one-of-a-kind Art Shop and our current exhibit, "Shelter."

FREE EVENT! A Pass the Hat Production!

Opening -- SHELTER: Space, Place & Belonging May 1, 2009

Friday, May 1, 2009 5-8 pm

An Artscrawl Event

First Friday Art Opening

5:00 p.m. Video screening of "Garbage Warrior," a timely portrait of visionary Taos architect Michael Reynolds

6:00 p.m. Music with singer/songwriter Cole Mitchell AND also The Two Roses, Folk Harp & Flute Duo.

The show is an inquiry about where we live -- how it defines us and our relationship to our environment and each other.

A grand warmup to the 4th Annual Albuquirky House Tour on Saturday, May 2, 1-4 pm (Call OFFCenter for tickets!)

First Friday Coffeehouse with WAGOGO

OUR SECOND First Friday. Get it? Friday, April 3, 2009, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Live music performance @6:15 p.m. with Wagogo, a musical blend of Chicano influences, Northern Mexico folk songs, warm calypso island grooves, & the captivating spirit music of Zimbabwe AND

our ongoing art exhibit -- Exquisite Corpse: A Surrealist Game, exploring the mystique of accident, a collective collage of images and words.

And...see our unusual, one-of-a-kind handcrafted art for sale in The Shop! And, Henry's cookin' some down home Louisiana style.

FREE EVENT -- A "Pass the Hat Production"