Sisters celebrates the arts at OPB event

Celebrating Oregon Public Broadcasting's ongoing support of the Sisters Country energetic arts community, Sisters Movie House and Thyme Restaurant will host a fundraiser on Thursday, May 20, with something for everyone's creative appetite.

There are two components to the event, the first being an OPB film retrospective, a 25-minute tribute to the many Central Oregon artists featured over the years on its popular "Oregon Art Beat" program.

Directly following each screening, 2006 Sisters Folk Festival songwriting contest winner Beth Wood will perform a half-hour musical set to be taped live for an Art Beat segment scheduled to air at a future date.

Times for the film and music are 5 and 7 p.m. and tickets are available at Sisters Movie House for $25 each.

Wood hails from the high plains of Lubbock, Texas. She is a modern-day troubadour with a melodic voice, poetic lyrics, and distinctive guitar stylings. Her music has been described as "soulful, organic, free-range and barefoot with a high-energy communication of joy."

She plans to play some of her favorites as well as material from an upcoming album to be released this fall.

"When I first came to the Sisters Folk Festival in 2006 I quickly realized what a special place and deal it was," said Wood. "After winning the songwriting contest I got to return the next year as a performer and staff member of the Caldera Songwriting Academy so it just deepened those connections. It really helped me to find my place in the Oregon music scene. It was an unexpected and wonderful surprise."

Following the late showing, there will be an

after-party at 8:30 p.m. with OPB staff and many artists highlighted in the film at the new Thyme Restaurant, with Dennis McGregor, Brad Tisdel and Peter Heitoff performing. Beth Wood and friends will also sit in for a few songs.

Art Beat hosts Jeff Douglas and KC Cowan will be on hand. There will be appetizers and specialty wines served by Thyme owners, Jen and TR McCrystal. Tickets for this event are $50 each and include entrance to the

7 p.m. film screening and concert. Tickets are limited to 50 people.

"It's a community celebration and our way to support OPB in Central Oregon," said Brad Tisdel, executive director of the Sisters Folk Festival. "OPB has become an official media sponsor for the 2010 Sisters Folk Festival and we want to acknowledge that commitment and our new partnership by supporting them in this event. Patrick Lombardi and Pete Rathbun will be running sound that evening for the live Beth Wood concert. It'll be a cool night of music, food and good friends for a great cause."

Lisa Clausen of Sisters Movie House recalled how the whole event got started while walking her dog and running into a neighbor she'd seen on Oregon Art Beat.

"I started thinking, wouldn't it be great to come up with some sort of short collage of the Central Oregon artists depicted on the program and show it at the Movie House," she said. "So I talked with Kathy Deggendorfer and it really got rolling. She put me in touch with Cheryl Ikemiya, the director of leadership giving at OPB and things all blossomed from there."

In addition to the activities at Sisters Movie House and Thyme, Sisters Folk Festival will be unveiling this year's 2010 festival poster by Dennis McGregor and official concert lineup at approximately 6:30 p.m., right after the 5 p.m. film screening and Wood musical set.

For tickets or more information contact Sisters Movie House at 541-549-8833.