Neil Jacobs performs for the Allegany Arts Association

April 25
David A Howe Public Library
Auditorium
Neil Jacobs in Concert

"For more than 25 years, Jacobs has circumnavigated the globe performing his exotic hybrid of gypsy jazz, flamenco, and Eastern European Folk on solo 12-string guitar" - Guitar Player Magazine

Neil Jacobs is truly a masterful performer on the 12 string guitar. With his own captivating style of playing that the St. Louis Riverfront Times describes as "mesmerizing" and the Austin Chronicle describes as "the rockin'est since early Leo Kottke". Neil covers the world vibe with music diverse as Gypsy, World, Balkan Folk, Jazz, Classical and Modern Fingerstyle, while transforming his 12-string guitar into his own personal orchestra. Neil draws inspiration from his world travels and experiences, and shares his fascinating stories with his audience.

"Jacobs has the ability to make his 12-string sound like 24 strings being played by three people" Malcolm X Abram, Akron Beacon Journal

"Imagine Russian cowboy music. Imagine flamenco joined with Balkan dances. Imagine one guy doing all that while sounding like a whole orchestra. That's what 12-string guitar virtuoso, Neil Jacobs, offered"
The Cleveland Sun Messenger

Visit www.neiljacobs.com for audio clips, photos and more of this extraordinary performer and be sure to watch his performance in April - a fund raiser for the Summer Arts Festival.

Harmonica Class with Rich Shear

2008 was the second year of popular harmonica lessons taught by Rich Shear. By day he's a mild mannered shoe store proprietor but in the evening Rich can wail on his harmonica with Steel Door.

Steel Door is the creation of left-handed guitarist Dwight Allen. Singing with the group are Dwight's wife Gail and daughter Lyndsey. Chris Dahill, Tom Kailbourn, Scott Grantier and sometimes Cort and Dan Dunham are also in the group. Rich not only spices the music with harmonica but also belts out mean Mick Jagger vocals.

Here are some photos of Rich in his newest-persona as harmonica teacher where he kept to the basics. He feels sure some of the kids will be hooked on the mouth harp and always play - just like him.

The Allegany Arts Association would like to publicly thank Rick Whitwood at the Music Alley for graciously hosting lessons in his store, gratis.

Photos by board member, Eleanor Cott.

Collecting the pottery

Wow, what a great turn out. Thanks to everyone for making it over by juggling football and middle school orientation and dinner and who knows what else. I only took a few photos because it was just so active.

A few semi-professional potters.

Madi running away from me.
Checking out the pottery
One of the tables of work.
Everyone thinking, "Can I take my stuff and go now?"

Kailee showing her mini zoo collection.

Kiln # 3

See you all in the park at the Main Pavilion (on the right near the river) Wednesday. I'll get there at 5 to unpack but expect all of you at 5:30. Bring a box if you made a lot of stuff. Slab plate - design from a plastic tray.

Logan's little guy - stuck to a tile but that helps hims stand up better.

Great purple bowl.

I can't even remember who won these - Rayanna, Mitchell? Nicholas? Alex?

Bridet and Leah made these beads. They made one more but the glaze ran so it stuck to the wire and I had to smash it with a hammer to get the other beads off the wire. Glaze is like that.

The Weinman family's bread bowl. May you enjoy using it for years.

This is a super little bread tray but I can't get the blog to post it in the correct orientation.

Nice lettering details on your plates, Katie.
This glaze was once a pretty pink. A bit of blue was spashed into it and now the whole bucket is purple.

It's Time to Travel Through Music

Greg Shelly directed 4 students in a song fest through the decades. The performance was at the Methodist Church in Belmont on August 8.

The program was sponsored by the Allegany Arts Association, the Allegany County Youth Bureau and the Camelot Choraleers. Pictured above are DJ Holmes, Ksa Curry, Imris Curry and Aaron Holmes. The sheep is anonymous.

Kiln #2

Miniature sculpture

Elephant
Large flat tray
Miniature Beetle
Tiny Lady Bug
Teeny Snails
Lizard large enough to eat the fly
Alligator large enough to eat the beetle

Croc
Totally awesome and very tiny fly
Mini Moose - the most precious use of a teaspoon full of clay - ever!
Frog on lily pad
Who needs whitning strips?

Finished Pottery from Kiln # 1

Dessert plates for Peyton's house

The model toilet/candy dish and baby bird sculpture are proof that students make unpredicatble projects.

Two useful bowls

Pencil holders, a luminary and a baby penguin.

Big White Dog - Morgan, Nicholas, Rayanna and a few others working together.

This is the miniature campfire with seating logs and dropped hot dog.

A hat for Grandma's birthday. Rayanna was lucky to have her Dad stay with her last week to help her make this 7 pound hat which did not blow up.

Purses and a pencil holder.