From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-170-august-at-the-library/

From Kachina doll drawings to bookmaking, from opera to artist, the Bainbridge Island library offerings for August are sure to inspire!

On Saturday, August 1 from 2-3:30 Opera aficionado Norm Hollingshead will  introduce us to the splendor of ancient Babylon, the yearning of a nationless people and the heartfelt trials of a pair of star-crossed lovers in Nabucco, Verdi's epic account of King Nebuchadnezzar as brought to life by the Seattle Opera.

An open house for Barbara Winther's collection of Kachina doll drawings, from her book, The Time of the Kachinas, will be held Friday August 7 from 5-7 pm. And on Wednesday, August 19, from 5:30 to 8 pm Artist Susan Callan will teach grades 7 to adult the ancient art of handmade books -- call 842-4162 to register, as space is limited.

On Wednesday, August 26 from 7-9pm Anne Bulmer Brewer will share the story of her new BARN-inspired jewelry creations, and on Friday, August 28 from 1:30 to 3 The Salon will again meet to share stimulating conversation. A short article or essay to frame this month’s topic and stimulate ideas will be posted on the library’s web site at: www.bainbridgepubliclibrary.org

Lots of fun and art opportunities at the library this month: don't miss it!

Credits: BCB host, tech, and audio editor: Joanna Pyle; BCB social media publisher: Diane Walker.

In this podcast, two board members of the well-known island nonprofit Squeaky Wheels invite you to join one of the island's great annual outdoor bicycling traditions. They describe the upcoming "Bike for Pie" event, for Sunday morning, August 9th.

Squeaky Wheels president Ross Hathaway and club treasurer Bruce Bachen describe this year's event to BCB host Peter Harris (who is also on the board of Squeaky Wheels).

Bike for Pie is a very special, fun event for bicycle riders of all abilities and features after-ride festivities at Waterfront Park that include live music and some great, freshly-baked pie. This is a great way to experience Bainbridge Island and to spend a summer Sunday morning with your family, friends and neighbors!

Bike for Pie offers two routes that allow riders to choose how they want to experience riding on scenic Bainbridge Island. Both rides start and end at Waterfront Park, near the Winslow ferry terminal, making it convenient for riders coming over on the Seattle ferry.

Family Route

The family ride is 8 miles and is fairly flat. Part of the route goes along Murden Cove with great views of Seattle. See the family route map for details.

Challenge Route

For those looking for more miles and hills, the Challenge route is 32 miles long with elevation changes of 2300 feet. This route includes an extra rest stop, sponsored by Friends of the Farm, and this year’s stop will be at a new location, Johnson Farm. See the challenge map on the Bike for Pie website.

The event is a fundraiser for the Squeaky Wheels nonprofit. A discount is available for those who register by August 1.

Credits: BCB host: Peter Harris; BCB audio editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters.

In this podcast, we meet organizers and participants in the ambitious Bainbridge Island arts community project called "Earth Art Bainbridge."

They talk with BCB host Reed Price about their goals and plans and the many opportunities for community members to join in.

Earth Art Bainbridge is the brainchild of local activist, computer scientist, and author Beth Robson. She hopes that people will start thinking now about how to explore their response to our changing climate using art – whether the medium is music, theater, poetry, photography, painting or performance.

Barbara Sacerdote, the Executive Director of Arts & Humanities Bainbridge says her organization is fully supportive, saying “if any community can do this, Bainbridge Island can.”

Also part of this discussion are:

• Kathleen Thorne of Bainbridge Performing Arts and Island Theater; both groups have plans to support the project;
• Leslie Schneider of OfficeXpats, who will be organizing a speed-lecture show, “Ignite Bainbridge,” as part of Earth Art Bainbridge;
• Joel Sackett, accomplished photographer, who is the project’s lead artist; and
• Janet Knox, poet and scientist, who is among the project’s early announced participants.

For more information and to indicate your possible interest in participating, visit the Earth Art Bainbridge website.

Or, contact the organizers through their website.

This project is sponsored and supported by: Sustainable Bainbridge, Arts & Humanities Bainbridge, Artopia Creative, OfficeXpats, Island Theater, Bainbridge Performing Arts, Ignite Bainbridge, Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District, Bainbridge Public Library, the Bloedel Reserve, and the Bainbridge Community Foundation.

Credits: BCB host and audio editor: Reed Price; BCB social media publisher: Barry Peters.

From BCB...  http://bestofbcb.org/wu-168-bonnie-and-clyde-return-july-30/

In this podcast BCB host Lyssa Danehy deHart chats with playwright Michael January about his new play, “The Legendary Bonnie and Clyde.”

This play tells the story of the notorious couple, but it’s told in a special language that is part part blues lyrics and part old scripture. Michael has fused the two together to create something new which sounds somewhat pseudo-Shakespearean, but also a little bad-ass. In using the mythology of both the bible and the blues, Michael has made these characters seem epic and larger than life.

Come to see the live version of a Radio Show with sound effects and acting, then listen to it again later to be reminded of our nostalgic past when radio was King and our imaginations were part of every production!

Credits: BCB host, tech, and audio editor Lyssa Danehy deHart; BCB social media publisher: Diane Walker.

From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-167-wheres-waldo-in-winslow-july/

Where IS that Waldo?  Apparently, he and his clones are hanging out in 25 locations in Winslow and at the Bainbridge Public Library.  For the fourth year, Eagle Harbor Book Co. is sponsoring on Bainbridge Island the nationwide, very popular Where’s Waldo adventure during the month of July.

Eagle Harbor Books’ events coordinator, Victoria Irwin, joins BCB host Channie Peters in the studio to talk about this fun activity inspired by the popular Where’s Waldo books. Participants can pick up a passport at Eagle Harbor bookstore or at any participating store. Then visit the stores where Waldo is lurking - these stores have a Waldo sticker on an outside window.  

Now the fun begins - find the six inch tall cardboard Waldo in the store (or library).  Once you have located him, the store staff will stamp your passport with a fun stamp unique to that store.  After collecting 10 stamps, you will receive a very cool Waldo button in the bookstore.  And the more stamps you accumulate in your passport, the more prizes you get.  The final celebration and prize giveaway will be on July 31st at 11 a.m. in the bookstore.

This is a fun month-long event for Bainbridge Island and for visitors.  There’s still time to find at least 10 Waldos, or even all 25 and win lots of cool prizes donated by store co-sponsors.

Credits: BCB host Channie Peters; BCB audio editor Jonathan Coonan; BCB social media publisher: Diane Walker.

Greg Robinson, Executive Director & Curator of Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA), talks about the newly installed exhibitions for the June-to-September summer shows at BIMA.

There are five solo exhibits and two group exhibits.  The solo show artists include Horst Gottschalk in the upstairs main gallery; Pierr Morgan, award winning children’s book illustrator; David Eisenhour (“SWARM” bronze jelly fish hanging in window), Caroline Cooley Browne’s paintings in the Bistro; and master metalsmith, Heikki Seppa.  The group shows include the latest rotation of artists’ books curated by art museum founder, Cynthia Sears; and selections from the art museum’s permanent collection.

Especially fun for children, families and adults of all ages are the art activities created by Pierr Morgan, some of which will be displayed on the wall of the gallery.

These shows will continue until September 20th.

BIMA is located at the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305. It is open daily from 10am to 6pm, and is free of charge to the public.  There is a bistro and a museum shop featuring unique art and crafts from the Puget Sound region.

Credits: BCB host: Channie Peters; BCB audio editor: Tim Bird; BCB publisher: Barry Peters.

In this podcast, Waterfront Park director Sue Barrington describes the travel program operated by the Parks and Recreation District -- including an upcoming deadline to join a local group traveling to the exotic destination of Cuba.

The deadline is imminent -- Friday July 17th -- to qualify for the best discount pricing for this year's special group tour. It's an October 17th nine-day trip to Cuba.

Stops in Cuba will include UN World Heritage sites, a cigar factory, the famous King Ranch, backstage with a ballet company, and an educational tour of the Bay of Pigs Museum. There will be a stay in three different cities including three days in Havana. Fly through Miami to Havana, travel by bus for rest of Cuba travel.

Sue says that this year presents an opportunity to go to Cuba while it is still authentic. Traditional Cuba may increasingly be inundated by tourist features. This may be a ‘last chance’ to experience the real thing.

The Parks and Recreation District travel specialist can be reached at 206 842-1616. Or see the travel information for the 50+ program on the website.

Previous successful trips include Costa Rica and the Panama Canal.

Local outings and itineraries for this summer and fall include:

• Woodland Park Zoo
• Diablo Lake
• The Elwha River & Lake Crescent
• The Olalla Bluegrass Festival
• Blackberry Festival in Bremerton
• The Columbia River & Mt. Hood
• Protection Island
• Lake Cushman & Hurricane Ridge

Meet the members and volunteers at Waterfront Park Community Center by visiting the Senior Center's website.  Check out the video on that web site that shows Senior Center activities.

Credits: BCB host: Joanna Pyle; BCB audio editor and publisher: Barry Peters

The new book "Downwind: A people’s history of the nuclear west" recounts stories of lives devastated or terminated by our government’s nuclear testing and uranium extraction. The book portrays communities that were dreadfully affected - sheep ranchers, uranium miners, native Americans, ordinary families - in the Four Corners region of Utah.

Seattle-based author Sarah Alisabeth Fox documents, through extensive historical and scientific research, and through hundreds of interviews with affected individuals, the Cold War conspiracy of official silence and secrecy. The book reveals how agencies and mining companies attempted to hide the devastating impact on lives and livelihoods from nuclear testing and uranium mining in the decades following World War II.

In this podcast interview, Sarah talks with BCB host Channie Peters about her upcoming book reading at Eagle Harbor Books on Sunday, July 19th at 3 pm.

She describes her reasons for doing this research and writing this book, and what she hopes will come from shining a light on this part of American history.

In the book, Sarah writes: "Long after the dust has settled and the politicians have claimed victory and the historians have penned their summaries, cancers and illnesses will continue to manifest in the bodies of ordinary people, erasing the supposed boundaries between soldier and civilian and making us all survivors and potential victims of a war we thought had ended.  It is time for a new accounting of the Cold War, one in which the so-called folktales of the ordinary people who witnessed it firsthand are accorded the credibility and attention they deserve."

Sarah hopes that we will join her on July 19th for a stimulating discussion from your questions - about nuclear testing and energy, about our relationship with our government, what they tell us and what they want us to believe in the name of national security and patriotism.

Credits: BCB host: Channie Peters; BCB editor and publisher: Barry Peters.

How do you design, build and install a 10 foot steel sundial, one of the biggest in Washington? Why have a sundial in a place where it rains a lot? 

The answers to these questions and many more will be answered on Sunday, July 19th at 1 pm at the Ritchie Observatory near the southern parking areas along the service road in Battle Point Park.  The free public event is hosted by the Battle Point Astronomical Association (BPAA).

In this interesting interview, meet Bill Baran-Mickle, a renowned metal artist who designed and built the sundial, and Frank Petrie, a BPAA board member and professional civil engineer, who was one of the main collaborators in the financing and engineering of the project.

The elegant and massive 10-foot sundial on a 3-foot base is a stunning work of public art financed with private funds raised from individuals in our community as well as from others far afield.  This sundial represents a confluence of art and science set adjacent to Bainbridge Island’s night sky observatory. This exciting dedication will be an opportunity for our community to experience this beautiful sculpture and ancient time piece together with the artist and many of those who have worked for many years to bring this installation to fruition.

Credit: BCB host: Channie Peters; BCB audio editor: Tim Bird; BCB social media publisher: Barry Peters.

Kristin Tollefson, Education Director of Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA), and Susie Burdick, executive director of the Kids Discovery Museum (Kidimu), talk with BCB host Channie Peters about the third annual Family Art Day, coming up on Saturday July 18th from 10am to 4pm.

Kristin and Susie describe a fun-filled collaboration between the two museums located at the Island Gateway Plaza for Family Art Day.  There will be performances by: Bainbridge Performing Arts Theatre School Summer Camp, Kohala Hawaiian Dance Group, and the lively band Ranger and the ‘Re-Arrangers’.  Activities will include (but are not limited to) a self-guided scavenger hunt, and a book-signing and more very cool art activities with BIMA artist Pierr Morgan.

And there will be family-friendly menu items for sale at the BIMA bistro (at least as fabulously tasty as last year!)

This event is sponsored by the A.Y. Petter Family Advised Fund at Kitsap Community Foundation, the Leslie & Michael Lebeau Philanthropic Fund at Bainbridge Community Foundation, and the Bainbridge Community Foundation.  Other community co-sponsors are Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District, Bainbridge Performing Arts (BPA), Bloedel Reserve, Bricks 4 Kidz, Coates Design Architects, KitsapArt - School of the Arts, Kitsap Regional Library, and Paper Products.

Island Gateway Plaza is located at the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305, just a short walk from the ferry or downtown Winslow.

For more information about exhibits and activities at these two attractions, visit BIMA's website and Kidimu's website.

Credits: BCB host: Channie Peters; BCB editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters.