W E E K L Y G U I D E T O A R T S , I D E A S , A N D E V E N T S I N C E N T R A L V E R M O N T

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Rescuing Restaurant PhoebeExhibition of Local Artists to Benefit the Popular Montpelier Eatery

story on page H.2

The walls of Restaurant Phoebe (52 State Street, Montpelier) hung with the works of local artists. Photos by Annie Tiberio Cameron.

Page H.2 • April 2, 2009 H O R I Z O N S The Bridge

Buy Art

Restaurant Phoebe Hosts ‘Art Stimulus Package’ During April and May

edited by Tim Tavcar

Restaurant Phoebe is hosting a benefitart show during the months of Apriland May.

Phoebe art curator Annie TiberioCameron will launch the show to benefit therestaurant and support a community effortto keep the restaurant doors open duringtough economic times. In this exhibit,restaurant patrons can view 32 works by 24artists in various media. All artwork hasbeen donated by the artists, and the piecesare priced to sell.

Cameron said she was pleasantly sur-prised by the very generous reaction of theregional artists from whom she solicited art-work. "Their response was not only gener-ous, but they truly got what is going onhere. They allowed a rock-bottom price tobe placed on their donated pieces, in thehopes that each will sell quickly right off thewalls. Turns out this will be a great place toget some unusual art bargains—sort of anart stimulus package here in downtownMontpelier!" said Cameron. She states thatprices for each piece will be listed on a slid-ing scale. You can own the art for the listedrock-bottom price, or pay anywhere up towhat would be a normal price for the piece.One hundred percent of the proceeds willbenefit the restaurant’s bottom line.

Participating in the show are paintersMeryl Lebowitz, Jack Sabon, Kari Meyer,Linda Berg Maney, Missy Storrow, RobinLaHue, Susan Batchelder, Jane Pincus,Cindy Griffith, Burton Cary, Cora Brooks,and Judy Greenwald; photographers include

Annie Tiberio Cameron, Andrew Kline,Ethan Hubbard, Peter Arthur, Bill Stein-hurst, Sandra Shenk, Karin Rae, ArleneHanson, and Gary Seaton. Additionally,there is a graphite drawing from MarkHeitzman, and several etchings and pho-tographs from J.H. Aronson.

Phoebe patrons should note the two etch-ings from J.H. Aronson, whose extraordi-nary views of Italian towns from the singu-lar bird’s-eye view are found in major U.S.and European collections, including those ofthe Metropolitan Museum, the New YorkPublic Library Print Collection, and the Gal-leria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy.

This diverse group of artists is drawn to-gether by a single purpose—to recognize thedifficulties of a favored Montpelier eateryand to give something of themselves to aidin the effort to stabilize the financial healthof Restaurant Phoebe.

At an artists’ reception party on Thurs-day, April 16, at Phoebe’s, from 5 to 6 p.m.,some of the artists will meet and greet artpatrons and share refreshments. Don’t missthis opportunity to own some unusually spe-cial and—in some cases—rare pieces of artthat are priced well below market value.Make Restaurant Phoebe a destination notonly during April and May but also year-round to enjoy some of the best locallygrown and prepared meals anywhere in theregion.

For more information or to schedule aninterview, please call Annie TiberioCameron at 802-223-2204 or e-mail annie@a-tiberio.com.

Above, David’s Shop by Meryl Lebowitz, oil on board. Left, a “townscape” by J.H. Aronson, black-and-white etching. Photos of artwork by Annie Tiberio Cameron.

RestaurantPhoebe Art ExhibitApril–MayArtists’ ReceptionApril 16, 5 to 6 P.M.

Right, Snowy Owl by PeterArthur, black-and-white photo.

‘You Come, Too’: Spring with Robert FrostEvening Readings of Robert Frost’s Poetry

submitted by the VAC

Robert Frost’s poetry is known for its ability to evoke the seasons of New Eng-land in all their complexity of contradicting emotional states. Join Peter Gilbert,the Vermont Humanities Council’s executive director and the executor of Frost’s

estate, in reading and discussing some of Frost’s spring poems at the HumanitiesCouncil at 11 Loomis Street in Montpelier. The readings will occur on April 15, May15, and June 10 at 5:30 p.m.

Poems from the Frost oeuvre scheduled to be read and discussed include the following:

Gilbert invites participants to read thepoems in advance or upon arriving. Refresh-ments will be served. RSVPs are encouragedat (802) 262-2626, ext. 307, but spur-of-the-moment participants are welcome. Discussionwill start at 5:30 p.m. and end by 6:30 p.m.

April 15“Blue-Butterfly Day”

“Two Tramps in Mud Time”

“Nothing Gold Can Stay”

May 13“Spring Pools

“A Prayer for Spring”

“Pea Brush”

“Putting in the Seed”

“Mending Wall”

June 10“The Tuft of Flowers”

“Rose Pagonias”

“Fireflies in the Garden”

“Hyla Brook”

Robert Frost.

The Bridge H O R I Z O N S April 2, 2009 • Page H.3

Langdon Street Café’s April Artists Serve Up a Menu of Myriad Musical Experiences

edited by Tim Tavcar

Something for everyone’s musical palates can be foundat Montpelier’s Langdon Street Café in the first fewweeks of April. From wild throbbing gypsy dances to

“acousta groove-grass” to traditional bluegrass to hauntingsinger songwriters, the folk at this joyously eclectic estab-lishment continue to delight local audiences with an aston-ishing array of local and touring talent. Here are a few high-lights on April’s calender.

April 8, 8 p.m.: Fishtank Ensemble ($5 at door)

The LA Weekly calls them “cross pollinated gypsy music. . . one of the most thrilling young acts on the planet.”Formed in 2005 and playing everywhere from the hippestLA clubs to festivals, cultural centers, museums, parades,and even on the street, the Fishtank Ensemble includes twoexplosive violins, the best slap bass player in the world, mu-sical saw, flamenco and gypsy jazz guitar, trombone, opera,jazz and gypsy vocals, accordion, and one little banjolele.From the smokey cafes of Bucharest to the gypsy caravansof yesterday, Fishtank Ensemble evokes the spirit of a pastage with the sounds of tomorrow. Tackling everything fromFrench hot jazz to wild Serbian and Transylvanian gypsyanthems, flamenco, and oddball originals, the band is a notto be missed event for world music . Everyone will love thisintoxicating mix of music!

Fishtank Ensemble formed around the arrival of thegifted young fiddler Fabrice Martinez. Originally fromFrance, he has spent the last seven years traveling aroundEurope in a mule-drawn caravan learning and playing folkmusic with the ensemble “Croque Mule." Much of thattime was spent living in Romania, often in Romani (gypsy)villages. Fishtank Ensemble formed in 2005 in the midst ofFabrice Martinez’s first visit to the United States. Afterhunting around for musicians with whom he could jam onhis violin, Fishtank Ensemble was born.

In late 2005, the band took to the road, performing upand down the West Coast for delighted audiences every-where. Some of the notable venues they have performed atinclude the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, Tangiers andThe Knitting Factory in LA, Don Quixote’s Music Hall inSanta Cruz, The Fez Ballroom in Portland, and The Fiddle-haus in Seattle. On the success of their first tour, the twobandmembers who lived in Europe agreed to relocate to theUnited States to focus on establishing the band as a uniqueforce in the folk and world music scenes.

April 9, 8 p.m.: Jatoba (donations requested)Brattleboro, Vermont’s acousta-groove-grass trio Jatoba

will be bringing their signature sound to audiences LangdonSt. Cafe. Jatoba is quickly becoming a Northeast touring fa-

vorite with their eclectic mix of instrumentation. Incorporating a unique blend of three extraordinary

acoustic musicians; Jatoba redefines their sound throughcollective songwriting and extreme rhythmic improvisa-tions. Through double bass, acoustic guitars, baritone gui-tar, mandolin, sitar, banjo, and harmonizing vocals, Jatobadisplays a very eclectic arrangement of acoustic instrumen-tation. Jatoba is Jason Scaggs, John Jamison, and JeffRichardson.

In the past few months, Jatoba has gone from a key localact to regional touring force with upcoming dates in NewYork, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and, of course, re-maining loyal to their home state of Vermont. They arequickly reaching out to their growing fan base from thestrum of the first chord with a mix of old standards, highlycreative original material, and the occasional nineties rockanthem played with an aggressive bluegrass style. Visit themat www.myspace.com/jatobamusic.

April 12, 4 p.m.: Honeysuckle (donations requested)

Honeysuckle is made up of Carol Hausner and Ed Scha-effer, forming a traditional bluegrass duet. Hausner andSchaeffer began their long musical partnership on a Sundayafternoon while jamming in Takoma Park, Maryland.

Known for her pure, heartfelt singing, compelling har-monies, and expressive songwriting, Hausner, who lives inMontpelier, started singing and playing guitar with her fa-ther in a corner of their New Jersey living room before mov-ing to the musical haven of Takoma Park. She has capti-vated audiences with traditional, contemporary, andoriginal bluegrass, country, and folk music at shows, festi-vals, and community gatherings in the mid-Atlantic statesand New England. These have included a Washington, DCappearance with Pete Seeger and a performance at the UNDecade for Women in New York City. In addition to hersold-out CD release concert at The Black Door in Montpe-lier in December and performing around the area, her mu-sical contributions around central Vermont have includedappearances at First Night Burlington 2008 and at a tributeconcert at the Barre Opera House last summer.

Ed Schaeffer was born and raised in Berks County, Penn-sylvania. He began his musical career playing classical gui-tar. This evolved into banjo pickin': Schaeffer played banjoin Reading’s Ripe & Ragged band during the 70s. thenturned to the Martin guitar, which allowed him to sing andwrite songs. Schaeffer moved to Silver Spring, Maryland,where he has lived for the last 25 years. There, he formedhis bluegrass band Rattlesnake Hill, named after a ridge inPine Forge where he was born. A host of Washington, DCarea pickers have passed through this band, including some

nationally and regionally known musicians. Schaeffer hasopened for Mary Chapin Carpenter and John Jennings,Hazel Dickens and Dudley Connell, Pete Kennedy, TheSmith Sisters, and Berline, Crary, and Hickman.

Honeysuckle has captivated audiences with both tradi-tional and original bluegrass duet singing at numerousshows and festivals in the Washington, DC, Maryland, andPennsylvania areas, including the Appalachian Jubilee inChambersburg, Pennsylvania.

For this special return Vermont performance, they will bejoined by veteran Vermont musicians Mark Greenberg onbanjo, Dan Haley on mandolin, and Noah Hahn on bass.

April 16, 9:15 p.m.: Rachael Sage (donations requested)

Multi-award-winning New York songwriter RachaelSage has penned quirky, melodic pop songs since she wasold enough to reach the piano keys. Over the course of hercareer, she has steadily built a loyal grassroots fan base witha rigorous international tour schedule, performing in inven-tive configurations featuring Wurlitzer, drums, trumpet,and string quartet. Like her musical idol Elvis Costello,she’s endlessly fascinated with the crafts of songwriting andarrangement and counts Buddy Holly, The Beatles, DavidBowie, and, perhaps most surprisingly, John Lee Hookeramong her biggest inspirations.

Her latest self-produced disc Chandelier was recorded bylongtime collaborator John Shyloski and mixed byGrammy-winner Kevin Killen (Elvis Costello, U2) and con-tains 13 tracks of what Performing Songwriter calls “en-gaging pop arrangements and gripping melodies." A musi-cally eclectic affair, the album covers a myriad of emotionsbut always comes back to one central theme: fragility.

A self-taught pianist, poet, and producer, Sage is a story-teller with what MOJO Magazine calls “warm, intelligent . . . NY indie charm.” The Village Voice has also describedSage’s music as “lovely and literate . . . folk-pop-rock, so-cially aware and eclectic.”

Calling all Bards! Bear Pond Books Wants YOU!The 12th Annual Open Poetry Evening Is Upon Us

The good folk at Bear Pond Books at 77 Main Street in downtown Montpelierhave been hosting this luscious literary feast of local poets and writers for 12

years, and the event never fails to draw a lively crowd of bards and their admirers.This year’s event takes place on Tuesday, April 14, at 7 p.m.

To be one of those whose words could be heard by the always appreciative andenthusiastic audience in attendance, you do need to sign up, and you do need to limityour poetry to five minutes. Sign up by phone (802) 229-0774 or come into the storeand put your name on the list. Space is limited so if you have a favorite poem to sharewith the glitterati of central Vermont, please reserve your spot soon!

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Page H.4 • April 2, 2009 H O R I Z O N S The Bridge

contributed by Joan Stepenske, Vermont Opera Theater

Opera Insights is the second of two informal andinformative opera programs to be presentedby Vermont Opera Theater this season. Each

event in the series features operas that are being pro-duced by various opera companies in Vermont,Montreal, and Boston and are attended by manycentral Vermont opera fans.

Everyone interested in opera will enjoy stage di-rector and actor Tim Tavcar’s informative and en-tertaining “juicy tidbits” about the composer, his-toric productions, and celebrated performers. Inaddition, each evening will end with a miniconcertof selections from the featured operas performed bylocal artists. On April 3 and 4, the operas will beLucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti, The BarteredBride by Smetana, and The Coronation of Poppeaby Monteverdi.

This session’s program features arias from TheBartered Bride and Lucia di Lammermoor, sung byDawn Fairbanks and John Gregory, and a duet fromThe Coronation of Poppea, sung by Ann Fitch andNora Zablow. Eliza Thomas will provide theevening accompaniment.

The programs will be held on Friday, April 3, andSaturday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the MontpelierUnitarian Church, 130 Main Street, Montpelier.Admission is $10 at the door, $5 for those under 18.These events are supported in part by a grant fromthe City of Montpelier Community Arts Fund.

B O O K R E V I E W

Vermont Opera Theater Presents ‘Opera Insights’

Dover Graye, by Shannon Lee Wolfby Phyllis Doyle Burns

Shannon Lee Wolf has beautifully combined ancientCeltic folklore with Native American lore and the spir-ituality of both to weave a compelling tale in her first

novel, Dover Graye.This is a riveting story of a young man, tragically torn too

soon from his shamanistic life in the 1700s in the ScottishHighlands and plunked down into a new life in Worcesterand Calais, Vermont, during the 1960s. Among an ex-tended family with varying beliefs, strengths, and weak-nesses, Dover finds himself faced with a task he is vaguelyaware of yet cannot see clearly.

From the moment of his birth, Dover Graye knew therewas much to resolve. Mystified and at times confused,Dover would have much to contemplate and explore withthe shrouded yearnings and memories that keep coming athim unexpectedly. Every nuance of his life is a reminder ofsomething from the past, something that he had to put backtogether in order to put everything—and everyone—inproper perspective.

Grandma Jo, part Abenaki, reawakens Dover’s knowl-edge of herbs and other plants, the creatures of the wild,and nature itself. Grandma Lilly will show him his path andgive him the wisdom of the ancient Celtic shaman—if onlyhe will be able to recognize the signs. Dover will spend hislife in the present seeking answers to shadows that continu-ally play across his mind and his heart. He is torn betweenhis two lives, longing for the past and the gentle loves inthat life and searching in the present for purpose and en-lightenment. Drifting between two worlds so radically dif-ferent, he struggles to find what he must do and where hebelongs.

Dover knew, deep within, that there was something hehad not finished—something reaching out to him for com-pletion. Could he ignore it and focus on the present, or musthe continue something from the past life, something just outof reach that he cannot quite grasp? Or is he to begin thislife anew, with a different purpose?

Wolf brings forth a new hero and a new, crisp writingstyle that will take you to the edge and beyond. She willchallenge your very belief system and put you in a placeoften heard of but seldom approached.

Dover Graye is a riveting page-turner that will leave youbreathlessly waiting to hear more from Shannon Lee Wolf.

Dover Graye is available at Bear Pond Books and BarreBooks and on Amazon.com. For more information, visit thebook’s website at www.dovergraye .webs.com

Phyllis Doyle Burns is BellaOnline’s folklore editor.

Shannon Lee Wolf is a writer and life coach. A longtimeresident of Vermont, she currently lives in Barre. She at-tended Montpelier High School under the name of SharonSpillman and graduated in 1980.

Right, scene from The Bartered Bride. Photo cour-tesy Vermont Opera Theater.

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through March and April.

To get your ad inthe paper, pleasecall 223-5112, ext. 11 or 12.

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