Cascadia Weekly: A Spirited Affair: Of art, music and kindness

Great article by Amy Kepferle in the Cascadia Weekly about the Bellingham Women Songwriters Showcase tomorrow (Thursday, December 22) night at the Honey Moon. It's going to be a great show. Benefiting Art for Food. 

VISUAL

A Spirited Affair

Of art, music and kindness

By Amy Kepferle

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

If the urge to snarl the words “bah” and “humbug” has been stronger than the yen to wish your fellow citizens “happy holidays” this year, we’d like to draw your attention to an event custom-made to bring out the Christmas spirit in all but the Grinchiest and Scroogiest among us.

Specifically, we’re talking about the Bellingham Women Songwriters Showcase, an event taking place Thurs., Dec. 22 at the Honey Moon. With a tagline of “art, music and kindness,” the three-hour seasonal soiree will combine live music, visual art and poetry in an intimate venue known for its inclusivity and warmth (not to mention its killer mead).

Spearheaded by local musician Tanya Hladik, the showcase—the third songwriter spotlight and benefit she has put on since last May—will also raise funds for Art for Food. Although entry is free, tips and a portion of the art sales from colorful works by Rose Drummond, Tal Connor, Virginia Rose MacDonald, and Art for Food founder Meghan Yates will go toward purchasing gift certificates for the needy to local grocery stores and coffeehouses. Donations of winter hats, scarves, gloves and new socks for the Interfaith Coalition’s Coffee and Sandwiches Together (CAST) program will also be accepted.

“It’s such a beautiful way to combine art, community and outreach,” Hladik says. “It really parallels what I’ve been doing with the Bellingham Women Songwriters Showcase, so it seemed such a perfect choice to collaborate. Helping the hungry is always pertinent, but this time of year feels especially important. Art for Food was something Meghan began when she was living in Maine, and it also feels good to be helping it come to life here in Bellingham.”

Throughout the evening, patrons can sip festive libations and peruse and purchase the art while listening to musicians and storytellers Marie Eaton, McKain Lakey, Stephanie Walbon, and Maren Day, as well as Hladik and Yates. There will also be creative input from poet Elizabeth Vignali.

If you leave the Honey Moon Thursday night feeling feeling noticeably merrier than you did before, Hladik and the talented roster of local wonder women will have been successful in their mission to bring light to a season that has felt decidedly dark—both literally and figuratively.

“I feel like more than ever, with times being wintery and the political climate feeling discouraging, that it is important to get together with purpose,” Hladik says. “It is essential that we stay inspired and hopeful, remembering the vision we hold for this earth, our communities and our families, and keep voicing it in any way we can.

“It also feels like an especially important time to contribute what we can in ways that feel good and uplifting. We are hoping to provide such an occasion for this at the showcase. It will also be an evening about using our creativity to solve problems—something I think will be important to remember in the days ahead of us.”