Fractal Folk

At Patuxent River Appreciation Days, better known as PRAD, attendees can learn more about the river in their midst and have their fun too. The 32nd annual Columbus Day weekend event will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 9 and 10 at Calvert Marine Museum.

Through the festival, advocates for the Patuxent River have sought to create awareness of and promote its economic and cultural impact. During PRAD, a "green village" will showcase exhibits, demonstrations, displays and educational activities.

Meanwhile, a juried art and craft fair will feature more than 30 artists, and an array of local authors and illustrators will sign books. The music stage will host performances by Tom Lewis, Fractal Folk, Calico Jack, Captain John and the Southern Maryland Concert Band.

Look for local food vendors in the parking lot and locally grown produce in the farmers market. Take a free boat ride aboard the Wm. B. Tennison, try toy boat building and enter the museum for free.

Bounty of the Patuxent returns to event on both days from noon-4 p.m. in the Corbin Nature Pavilion, where local wineries will offer wine tasting.

Don't forget about the annual PRAD Parade, a one-mile route on Solomons Island Road. Led by grand marshal Capt. Stephen A Schmeiser, Commanding Officer of Patuxent River Naval Air Station, the parade will start at 2 p.m. Oct. 10. Cash prizes will be offered for the best float.

The museum is at 14150 Solomons Island Road, Solomons. Call 410-326-2042. Go to www.pradinc.org. - SOMD News

On Sunday, August 2, the charitable spirit of Southern Marylanders managed to shine at the Tiki Bar on Solomons Island. Through the pouring rains, people gathered and enjoyed live music, massages, great food all while raising close to $30,000 for Kim of Kim’s Key Lime Pies.

The fundraising was to help Kim Mowrer of Kim's Key Lime Pie with being able to have some much needed Chemotherapy to continue her battle against cancer for which she has been fighting for the past couple of years. After Mowrer survived stage 4 breast cancer, doctors discovered that it had metasticized to her bones.

The event which was held from 1 to 5 p.m. was a great success with many businesses chipping in to help in addition to the supportive people that were in attendance. According to one of the event organizers they managed raise close to $30,000 with donations still coming in.

The live music was performed by Watershed with Richard and Dennis and special guest Lissie Deere; Fractal Folk; Swamp Dogs; Wildgood; Upstroke with Patti and Carl; The Dave and Kevin Trio, Dave Norris and Dylan Galvin.

Contributing business included: a pig roast from the Grill Sergeant, Beach Club Tanning
Blue Heron Inn, Bob Evans Restaurant (California), Bob Hall, Boomerangs Ribs, Bozick Dist, Calypso Bay, C D Café, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Dennis Smith, Digiovanni's Dock of the Bay, Grandmother's Store, Hair Port, Holiday Inn, Inner Equinox, Isaac's, J J's Tackle, Joan Bowen, Julia and Company, Maerten's Jewelry, Patuxent River Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Assoc., Pepper's Pet Pantry, Pink Coconut, Pro Fitness, Reliable/Churchill Distributors, Republic National Distributors, Ruddy Duck, Sail Solomons, S.M.I.L.E., Solomons Island Trading Company, Solomons Pier, Stoney's Kingfishers, Tiki Bar, Torpedoe Grill, Vincenzo's Grill, Zanhisers Dry Dock. - The Baynet

Port of Leonardtown Winery Opening Weekend May 21-23; First Wines “In Bottle”
All are invited to attend the official ribbon cutting (Toasting) of the Port of Leonardtown Winery on Friday, May 21 at 2 p.m. and enjoy the events planned during Winery Weekend— May 21-23. Entertainment by a Jazz Combo and tours of the winery will follow the 2 p.m. toasting.
The first outdoor concert of the Downtown Tunes season is scheduled for Sat, May 22 on the Historic Leonardtown Square. This free Jazz on the Square concert begins at 6 p.m. and features Gretchen Ritchie and Jazz Cabaret and Fractal Folk. After a dinner at one of Leonardtown’s fine restaurants, bring a blanket and a bottle of wine from the Port of Leonardtown Winery to enjoy the concert. The Winery is currently open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
A collaborative project led by the Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative, the Winery is housed in a former State Highway Administration Building in Leonardtown on McIntosh Run off Rte. 5. The building, built in 1940, has been modified using mostly recycled materials to house the winery vats and a tasting room. The tasting room’s bar features a restored bar from the former Pennie’s Bar in Leonardtown.
The Cooperative members bottled their first wines in April. Much of the 2009 vintage is now in bottle and resting. Six wines were released in May and at least two additional wines will be added this Fall. The six wines now available include Vidal Blanc, a dry white varietal; Chardonnay, mostly unoaked; McIntosh Run, a semi-sweet apple wine; Breton Bay Breeze, a semi-sweet white blend; Breton Bay Shoals, a semi-sweet white red blend; and Autumn Frost, a lusciously sweet dessert-style wine from Vidal Blanc grapes.
The building was renovated and equipment was installed in 2009. The Board of County Commissioners and the Town of Leonardtown both funded the project, the Maryland Agricultural and Resources-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) provided a $25,000 grant and the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission granted the project $65,000.
“This Winery represents an investment in our community’s agricultural economy and will become a tourism destination,” said Francis Jack Russell, President, Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County.
P.O. BOX 653??POTOMAC BUILDING??23115 LEONARD HALL DRIVE, LEONARDTOWN, MD 20650 PHONE 301.475.4200 X1342??FAX 301.475.8491??www.stmarysmd.com
“And the Port of Leonardtown Winery will become the southern tip of the Patuxent Wine Trail that includes wineries in Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties and will promote tourism in our entire region,” added Mayor J. Harry Norris, Town of Leonardtown.
The Wine Growers Cooperative is proud of the new wines and the winery. “This winery is a result of much hard work and focus on quality,’ said Caroline Baldwin, President, Wine Growers Cooperative. “Our members have sought out expert consultants and contributed many hours to produce our first production of wines and open the doors of the Port of Leonardtown Winery.”
The Winery supports Southern Maryland’s grape growers. By purchasing locally grown grapes, the winery provides an economic incentive for farmers to continue using their land for agriculture.
The Port of Leonardtown Winery features a tasting room, picnic area and is located near shopping, restaurants, canoe/kayak launch and a wildlife sanctuary. The Winery will be open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 pm. It will also be open until 9 p.m. on the first Friday of each month during Leonardtown’s First Friday events.
Contact the Wine Growers Cooperative at www.portofleonardtown.com or visit their blog at http://portofleonardtownwinery.blogspot.com/ for more information.
Photos are available upon request ### - St. Mary's County Government

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010

By DICKSON MERCER

Staff writer

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File photo by DARWIN WEIGEL
Visitors to Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park and Arts Center's annual ArtsFest will find a sculpture of an oyster tonger near the entrance. The event features continuous live performances and more than 100 artists.

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File photo by DARWIN WEIGEL
Lusby's Nicholas Parr, right, worked at his foot-powered treadle lathe during last year's ArtsFest. Below, children's performer Barry Louis Polisar will appear on the main stage at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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Submitted photo
Barry Louis Polisar will appear on the main stage at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Calvert County has a 30-acre sculpture park; many pieces are on loan from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Another way to look at it: Calvert County has a 30-acre, open-air art museum; along the walking path, it's up to you to decide whether, say, Israeli sculptor Menashe Kadishman's massive Jenga puzzle of steel pieces — "Open Suspense" — is as suspenseful as, say, nature itself.

That's what the grounds of Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park and Arts Center can feel like during some afternoons: a quiet spot to think.

This weekend, the site offers new energy: lots of people, constant sights, constant motion, constant sound.

Between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, more than 100 artists (painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, wood turners, photographers) will display their best stuff and perhaps even show you how they made it. All the while, live music will fill the air, as two stages (a main stage and "council ring") will host bands and solo acts in addition to spinners and weavers, a ballet troupe, belly dancers and a man who creates "healing sounds."

Artsfest was first held in 1993, the same year Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park opened in Solomons.

Here is more of what you might see and hear (and perhaps even smell).

Artists

The emerging artist: New York City's Kirsten Laursen Muth's multi-media works include silkscreen images and pillows plus collages which broadcast an array of colors and textures, not to mention her experiences from traveling and living in 35 countries.

The festival's emerging artist dreams of creating more artistic opportunities for women in some of the countries she has visited. You can visit her at spot 23.

Jensen Turnage Pottery: A classic potter, Russ Turnage of Lanexa, Va., who creates functional and decorative pottery, can be found in the tent circle, spot 7a.

Music-inspired paintings: Laurel's Michael Spears' mixed-media paintings incorporate charcoal, graphite, inks and paint. He's indoors at spot 7.

Not for kids only

A performance for children (and adults): With a boost from the Maryland State Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, ArtsFest will feature Barry Louis Polisar, an author, songwriter, storyteller and poet who has written songs for "Sesame Street."

No doubt, a lot of people who are not familiar with Polisar's name are at least familiar with his voice: His sweet, folksy tune, "All I Want is You," plays in the opening credits of "Juno," a 2007 Oscar nominee.

He performs at 1 p.m. Saturday on the main stage.

A book for children (and adults): A Cove Point artist and CalvART Gallery member, Mary Beth Harry, will sign copies of her new children's book, "Bay Babies," which she illustrated in collaboration with poet Cathy Green.

The book's intent is to introduce young children to the other "youngsters" (even the jumbo-sized ones) who call the Chesapeake Bay home.

Music

Local country: Stephanie Williams' 2008 album, "Real Fire," was recorded in Nashville. The Calvert County native grew up listening to Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn and has bridged those influences with today's female country singers. She plays at 2 p.m. Saturday.

A Broomes Island trio: No Hard Feelings will follow Williams on Saturday. The band, which blends mellow '90s vocals with more aggressive alt-rock instrumentation, plays a mix of originals and covers.

The lineup features Andy Hood (vocals, guitar), Nancy Elliott (vocals, bass and keys) and Shawn Elliott (drums).

Good eats: According to a press release, your food options will include Philly cheesesteaks, Italian sausage, crab cakes, beer-battered brats and sweet potato fries.

Cool beverages will include lemonade, frozen fruit smoothies and frozen coffee.

ArtsFest brings a chance to sample both wines and microbrew beers.

Getting zany: All visitors, of course, will have a chance to peruse more than 150 artists' booths.

But, either way, whether you decide to buy something or just look, you will also have the chance to create: The Discovery Tent will offer painting, clay and drawing activities. You can also check out demonstrations in the Studio School.

Kids, meanwhile, can feel free to be kids. The Zany Zone offers games, hula hoops and beach balls.

If you go

Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park and Arts Center will host its annual ArtsFest from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 18 and 19.

More than 100 artists will participate in a juried show and musicians will play continuously throughout the event.

There will be food vendors. Beverages for sale will range from lemonade to beer and wine.

The entry fee is $6; children younger than 11 get in for free.

Free parking is available in a field adjacent to the site; there is a handicapped drop-off area in front of the gates.

The event is at 13480 Dowell Road, Solomons.

Call 410-326-4640. Go to www.annmarie.org.

Live performances Saturday, main stage

11 a.m.: Jim & Kathy (folk)

Noon: Acoustic Stew (jazz fusion)

1 p.m.: The Seven*17 Band (gospel)

2 p.m.: Stephanie Williams (country)

3 p.m.: No Hard Feelings (rock)

4 p.m.: Fractal Folk (Folk, jazz, indie)

Saturday, council ring

11 a.m.: Doris Justis, Scott Morgan (folk)

Noon: Joyce K. Kinser (jazz)

1-3 p.m.: spinners and weavers

3-5 p.m.: Garret Music Academy

Sunday, main stage

11 a.m.: Scarlet Chord (Christian rock)

Noon: Captain John (folk, Celtic)

1 p.m.: Barry Louis Polisar (children's performer)

2 p.m.: Sahffi & Her Band (folk)

3-5 p.m.: Calvert Brass Consortium

Sunday, council ring

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Mark Giuffrida (healing sounds)

1 p.m.: Cutting Paper Dolls (belly dancing)

2-3:15 p.m.: Abigail Francisco School of Ballet

3:15-4:15 p.m.: Patuxent Voices (choral)

4:15 p.m.: COSMIC Flute Choir - SOMD News

Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Fractal Folk at Port of Leonardtown Winery June 4th
Fractal Folk at Port of Leonardtown Winery for First Friday

An Evening of Fusion Folk ~ 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Town of Leonardtown Online

By Andrea Shiell
Staff Writer

Sunday afternoon was still sunny and warm as nine of the 10 members of “Fractal Folk” serenaded the outside air with their own unique blend of country, blues, bluegrass and folk music. In between enjoying beers and barbecue, the area’s newest ensemble set the stage for its weekend rehearsal, crowding a makeshift outdoor stage with a mountain of brass, woodwind and stringed instruments.
Lead composer and arranger Krys Baker said that the band had originally been called the Baker Boys, and she laughed as she explained the reason for the band’s name change.
“It’s a segue from another group, when we were called the Baker Boys,” she said, explaining that with the addition of several women to the group, “we thought the jokes would get old pretty quickly.”
Still, it’s hard to imagine anyone joking about the members’ musical abilities.
Acoustic guitarist and backup vocalist Kevin Cofod has performed in a variety of bands, playing everything from jazz to blue- grass. Also joining the ranks are Lea Cox on percussion and viola; Catherine DiCristofaro on piano, percussion, trumpet and backup vocals; Greg DiCristofaro on flute, percussion, trombone and backup vocals; Nathan Earley on percussion and trombone; Tina Fratanuono on percussion and vocals; Dickie Hammett on drums and vocals; Valerie Ramirez on bass; and poetry enthusiast Michael Snider on mandola, mandolin and backup vocals.
Composer Krys Baker is not only a confident band leader, she also effectively juggles accordion, alto and tenor saxophone, guitar, hammer dulcimer, piano, clarinet and lead vocals, and even plays demos of the group’s original music to her students at George Washington Carver Elementary School, where she teaches in between band gigs.
With all the bodies onstage with multiple instruments, Krys said the band’s growth had only made performances more fun, and more eclectic than before, though finding venues with large enough stages had proven a challenge.
“There’s 10 of us in the band, and there aren’t many places with stages that can hold that many people,” said Baker, adding that individual members would often perform together in smaller shows and open mic nights throughout the county, saving their full appearances for the larger stages.
“Fractal Folk” will be performing at a summer picnic June 18 at the Naval Air Station Pax River and at the Rock Festival on Sept. 5 at Chancellor’s Run Regional Park.
For more information, go to www.fractalfolk.com. - The County Times - April 23, 2009