CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY ARTS EXPO

The Third Annual Cape Fear Community Arts Expo was held on Saturday, June 4, 2011.  What an incredible event!  READ ON! (WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS ON VIMEO... CLICK HERE!!)

The day began with an exposition of art in the lobby of the Hannah Block USO Community Arts Center in Downtown Wilmington.  Several talented artists participated and I am so grateful for their contribution to the event.  Participating artists included  Lawrence Dixon - Oil and Water-based paintings and prints; Rachard McIntyre - portraits and sketches; Glenna’s Originals -  Handmade Beaded Jewelry, Cynthia Mitchell, Custom crafted jewelry & accessories; Abbate Ceramic – Renato Abbate (pictured below), Ceramic wares and art; Ronald Williams Art - Original Watercolors & Giclee Prints; Days Gone By - Joanne Slappy-Various portraits and paintings – mixed media.  

 In addition to the wonderful visual arts, The Little Teapot (Harold and Barbara Squires) of Maysville, NC sweetened things up with their homemade Confections and Concoctions.  (The chocolate cake is to die for!!)  They showed how a Victorian-style tea party is supposed to be.

After the Art show, which ran from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m, transition began for the entertainment extravaganza. The Mistress of Ceremonies was Ms. Rhonda Bellamy, former news editor and local radio personality heard on WGNI and Coast 97.3.  Opening the evening was Snipes Academy Drum and Percussion Troupe, led by Dave Dimuro. The talented students played remarkably and set the stage for what was to come next. Avon Armfield and Melissa “Missy” Shuford wowed the audience with their poetic dialect and spirited delivery, and stimulated their minds with their positive and thought provoking messages.  Of particular note was the poem Threefold by Avon Armfield, which documented the recent tragedy in Japan. Backed by El Jaye Johnson and the Port City All-Stars, Threefold painted a vivid and chilling picture of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that has crippled an entire nation of people.

Following the poetry, Charnita Allen, an expo mainstay, shocked the audience with a polished medley of Patsy Cline's "Crazy" and "Your Cheatin' Heart."   Charnita, who normally sings opera (yes, opera!), concluded her set with an amazing jazzy version of "Summertime", backed by El Jaye and the Port City All-Stars.  Then the Port City All-Stars concluded the first set with a fiery percussion feature, led by Mike Hanson (congas and percussion) and Morey Jenkins, Jr. (drums).

After a 15 minute intermission of light refreshments and door prizes, the second set began with a performance by Roxanna and Rebecca Goudarzi, singing Adele's hit song "Rolling in the Deep."  See the rehearsal video below: 

"Rolling in the Deep" from ralph angeles on Vimeo.

Then Susan Savia, a local blues, folk, and all around great singer, guitarist and harmonica player, graced the stage and performed Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason." Then she broke into a cool version of "Sitting On the Dock of the Bay."  Talk about funky!  Then finally, she sang an original blues selection that made everything all right!

El Jaye Johnson and the Port City All-Stars then took things to the next level with a cool-cat version of Miles Davis' "All Blues." The song featured El Jaye Johnson and Howard Dickey, Jr. on trumpet. El Jaye finished out his set with his signature, dynamic performance of Prince's "Purple Rain". The crowd lost it when he threw his guitar behind his head for the final guitar solo of the night!

The show finale, however, was a special treat for everyone in attendance. Roland Grise Middle School's  TRASH CAN THERAPY, led by band director Pete Frank, brought the house down with an incredible display of drum line precision by eight middle school students using buckets, trash cans, and get this... LADDERS!  

The show, without question, was a huge success.  We were able to raise much needed funds for the Community Arts Center, but it could not have happened without the help of our Sponsors and Supporters: 

Gold Sponsor - Dr. Hormoze Goudarzi (pictured) of Vein and Laser Center of Wilmington;

Silver Sponsor - Cape Fear Credit Union (Melody McBroom, Wilmington Branch Manager);

Larry's Florist, Finkelsteins Music and Jewelers, Cape Fear Entertainment, Modern Music, Dry Case, and Mid-Atlantic Productions. 

Also I would like to thank Donna Green of the Hannah Block Historic USO Community Arts center for all her help in making this event a reality.

Additional thanks to the following sponsors:

Mr. Ivey Hayes – Silent Auction Donations

Mike’s Music & Health Studios – Sound

Ralph Angeles Video – Video Journal

Silvester Allen - Video Production

 

 The Musicians and Performers

Mike Hanson, Morey Jenkins, Jr., Kevin KolbHoward Dickey, Jr., Susan Savia, Roxanna Goudarzi,Rebecca Goudarzi, Charnita Allen, Laura McLean, Ian BeanDave DiMuro and the Snipes Academy Drum TroupeTrash Can Therapy

 

To all the Artists, Poets, and Vendors who participated,Any and all volunteers who assisted, AND YOU, OUR GUESTS! 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Artists and Vendors

Featured Artists and Formats

Missy Shuford

Avon Armfield (pictured below)

Sponsorship opportunities are available to support this culturally rich annual event.  A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Community Arts Center to assist with the ongoing educational programs for the local arts community and youth programs.  If you would like to contribute please download the Sponsorship Form here. Thank you in advance for your support.

Musicians Who Performed

El Jaye Johnson (guitar, vocals, keyboards, trumpet)

Mike Hanson (percussion)

Morey Jenkins, Jr. (drums)

Kevin Kolb (keyboards)

 Howard Dickey, Jr. (trumpet)

Susan Savia (guitar, vocals and harmonica)

Roxanna Goudarzi and Rebecca Goudarzi (piano and vocals)

Charnita Allen (vocals)

Laura McLean (acoustic guitar)

Ian Bean (drums)

We wish to sincerely thank the supporters for this event, which include Gold Sponsor - Dr. Hormoze Goudarzi (pictured above) of Vein and Laser Center of Wilmington; Silver Sponsor - Cape Fear Credit Union (Melody McBroom, Wilmington Branch Manager);Larry's Florist, Finkelsteins Music and Jewelers, Cape Fear Entertainment, Modern Music, Dry Case, and Mid-Atlantic Productions. 

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