First Thursday and artistic & musical happenings around the area

By Laurel Murphy

Happy Holidays!

Get ready to pace yourself. There is plenty to do!  First Thursday alone has nine activities. And be sure and check out Columbia River Reader’s Efuto Contest for you eFuto folk!

First Thursday – December 3

1. Broadway Gallery, 1418 Commerce, Longview

Lower Columbia Wood Carvers are the features artists. Reception: 5:30 – 7:30pm. Live music by Dave Mongeau, Dian Norman and John Kramer.

2. Longview Public Library Koth Gallery, 1600 Louisiana, Longview

The Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild Holiday Exhibit. (Exhibit runs December 3 – January 6.) Open until 8:00pm.

3. LCC Gallery at the Rose Center, 15th & Washington, Longview

College Archive Exhibit: A Legacy of Learning. (Exhibit runs through December 15.) Open until 7:00pm.

4. Museo at the Merk , 1339 Commerce, Longview

Mitzi Christensen will be the feature artist in the window. Linda McCord will be giving free children’s art classes with watercolor pencil and pen and ink. Hours 5:00 – 7:00pm. Live music by John Henry.

5. Teague’s Interiors Mezzanine Gallery, 1267 Commerce, Longview

Featuring Celebrating the Trinity – A juried show of works of faith – continues. Paintings, bronze, batiks, and Icons. Also celebrating Men’s Night at Teagues (Buying the perfect gift). Open until 7:00.

6. Totally Crazed Ceramic and Fused Glass Studio, 708 Triangle Mall, Longview

Featured artist(s) to be announced. Reception: 5:00 – 7:00pm

7. Columbia River Reader, 1338 Commerce (The Merk), # 108, Longview

Holiday Festivities. Meet and greet Columbia River Reader writers and staff. Reception: 5:00 – 7:00pm. Live music

8. The Bistro, 1329 Commerce Avenue, Longview

Wine Tasting featuring Folie a Deux Winery. Paintings by Leon Lowman. Live music by The Vegas Brothers. Door Prizes. Reservations Recommended. Hours: 5:00 – 8:00pm.

9. Cowlitz County Historical Museum, 405 Allen, Kelso

“Castle Rock”: Local writer Vicki Selander talks about her new book about Castle Rock’s history and its early role in our county. Programs begins at 7:00pm.

DECEMBER EVENTS:

Through December 2: Winners of the Monticello Camera Club/Longview Recreation Department photo contest. Various hours. Koth Gallery, Longview Public Library, Longview

December 2: Chapter 6: six-man a cappella group that presents a family friendly show. Community Concerts. 7:30pm. R.A. Long Auditorium, Longview

December 3-5: Alice in Wonderland: An Acid Trip, a classic story re-imagined for a mature audience. LCC Center Stage Theatre. 7:30pm. LCC Rose Center for the Arts, Longview. Tickets: 442-2682

December 3-5: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged): Rainier Junior-Senior High School Production of comedy with three actors who race through all of Shakespeare’s work. 7:30pm. Rainier School Auditorium, Rainier

December 4: Kelso Tree Lighting Festival and Holly Jolly Bazaar. 5pm – 8pm. Kelso Train Station, Kelso

December 5: Winter Festival, the Cowlitz County Historical Museum’s annual winter celebration featuring holiday traditions from Iceland, New Zealand and Thailand and celebrating Rudolph the Reindeer’s 70th birthday. 10am-4pm. 405 Allen, Kelso.

December 5: Longview Home for the Holidays Parade and Civic Center Tree Lighting Festival. 5pm. Downtown Longview

December 6: Northwest Jazz Orchestra: ‘Big Band Christmas’ Concert. 3pm. Calvary Community Church. 38th and Pennsylvania, Longview

December 8: LCC Community Choir: Fall Concert featuring Lumiatra from Portland’s Beati Chorum. 7:30pm. Wollenberg Auditorium, LCC Rose Center for the Arts,

December 8 – 9: S.L.I.P. (Student League of Independent Potters) Pottery Show & Sale. 11am – 7pm. LCC Rose Center for the Arts, Mezzanine. Information: 360-442-2510

December 10-13: ‘A Christmas Pudding’, candle-lit evening of story telling graced with music. Loves Street Playhouse. 7:30pm; 3:00pm on Sunday. Loves Street Playhouse, 126 Loves Avenue, Woodland. Tickets:shop.lovestreetplayhouse.com

December 11: Evergreen Brass Quintet. Clatskanie Arts Commission. 7:30pm. Clatskanie Mid/High School, Clatskanie. Information: www.clatskaniearts.org

December 12: Christmas in Rainier, tree lighting celebration & holiday decorating awards. 5pm. City Hall, Rainier

December 12 – 13: ‘Messiah’. Annual Longview Community Church Production. Sat. 7:30pm, Sun. 3:00pm, 2323 Washington Way, Longview

December 15: KLASS: New group for students in 3rd to 12th grade; concert with Kelso High School band. 7:30pm. Kelso High School Auditorium, Kelso

December 15th: Mark Morris High School After Hours Jazz Choir Dessert Concert. 7pm Tickets $7 adults and $5 students.

December 17th: MMHS Choral Winter Concert. 7:30pm FREE LCC Rose Center, Wolenberg Theater.

December 18-19: ‘The Nutcracker.’ Evergreen Dance Studio Production. 7pm. R.A. Long Auditorium, Longview

December 19: Rainier Marina Market, Indoor Saturday Market. Last day of the season to buy locally made and grown products. 115 East “A” Street, Rainier

December 19th: MMHS Chamber Choir performs at the Festival of Lights at the Grotto in Portland 8pm.

December 20: Tomaseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas: Irish music and step dancing in a farmhouse in the west of Ireland on the night before Christmas. Presented by CTPA. 3pm. Wollenberg Auditorium, LCC Rose Center, Longview. Information: www.columbiatheatre.com or 575-8499.

OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Artists: The Koth Gallery has openings for artists to display their work from January 28 to February 17 and from March 11 to March 30. The Gallery is also seeking groups or individuals that would like to display in the glass case in the Koth Gallery. Openings for the glass case are from December 10 to January 6 and then it is available after January 28. Information: Karen Straube, 360-442-5300.

Call for Artists: The Columbia River Reader is sponsoring an Efuto Contest. (Efuto is the art of decorating envelopes – you know, those things that often contain handwritten letters that are delivered to you by a federal government employee.) Artists are encouraged to send up to three decorated (any medium) envelopes of any size or color to the Columbia River Reader, P.O. Box 1643, Rainier, OR 97408. Deadline: January 15, 2010. Information: The November 15 – December 14 Issue of the Columbia River Reader has examples of Efuto and contest rules on page19. The story is also available on the CRR website: www.crreader.com.

CLASSES

December 2: Square Dance Lessons. Longview Square Dance Center, 1041 Industrial Way, Longview. Information: Bob Leu, 360-425-0583

December 3: Gifts from the Kitchen. Presented by WSU Extension. Participants will: make 3 sample gifts to take home, taste some sample products, see how the mixes and products go together, get packaging and decorating ideas and receive a Gifts from the Kitchen ideas book. $20.00 per person. Paid Pre-registration is required. 6:00 until 8:00 pm. Cowlitz County Administration Building, 207 N 4th Ave, Kelso. Information:360-577-3014 ext 0