Beatrice Cole, with Mary Catherine Reynolds and Louise Goldberg, will treat jazz fans of all ages to a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7 at the historic Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave.
The concert is produced and sponsored by The Performing Arts Studio and Jazz in June.
A native of Crescent, Cole received her early formal training from Joan Dodd Jones and her local church. Her public performances began as lead vocalist for such groups as The Impacts, Beatrice & The Beginnings, and Rumors Band.
Known for singing jazz, blues, pop and standards, Cole has performed at a number of metro-area venues, including Nikz, Makers Cigar & Piano Lounge and Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. She won the Jazz in June vocal contest in 1987 and has been recognized by the Pioneer Woman Museum as one of Oklahoma’s leading women artists.
Reynolds and Goldberg also are known as the duo Miss Brown to You. Reynolds is a classically trained vocalist and instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass and saxophone. A resident of Oklahoma City, Reynolds also plays in The Sisters of Swing band and participates in traditional, country, jazz and pop music projects.
Goldberg, who holds music degrees from Boston University and Oklahoma City University, has performed jazz, reggae, Latin, rock and folk music. A music director for numerous shows at Carpenter Square Theatre in Oklahoma City and the Pollard Theatre in Guthrie, she recently worked on Oklahoma City Theatre Company’s production of “Always, Patsy Cline” at the Civic Center Music Hall.
For more information about the jazz concert and other PAS programs call (405) 307-9320.
Jazz concerts at the PAS are made possible in part by grants from the Norman Arts Council, Oklahoma Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts.
An exhibition of drawings and paintings by Norman artist Nick Wu will open with a reception for the artist at 2 p.m. Feb. 7 at the historic Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave. Presented by The Performing Arts Studio, “Art of Portraiture” will run through March 28. There is no admission charge.
Wu specializes in portraiture characterized by spontaneity of expression and realism and a skillful control of light, tone and texture. Although he received some formal training in China, he is largely self-taught. “My parents encouraged me to develop my art at an early age by taking me to various art studios, where I became familiar with the works of llya Repin, Nicholai Fechin and Richard Schmid,” he explained. “Those artists have had a lasting impact on my use of light and color.”
Wu works with great speed, completing oil portraits of live models within three hours and pencil drawings within 30 minutes. “Drawing is the most important foundation technique for any visual art, including painting,” he said. Wu demonstrated his drawing technique at the Depot during the December 2009 and January 2010 Second Friday Circuit of Arts.
Gilkyson’s performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the historic Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave.
Born into the music business – her father, songwriter Terry Gilkyson, penned such hits as Dean Martin's "Memories Are Made of This” and "The Bare Necessities," from the 1967 Disney classic The Jungle Book – Gilkyson was singing on her father's demo recordings by the time she was in her early teens.
She released her first album, Eliza '69, in 1969. For the next decade, she continued to write and perform before returning to the recording studio for her second album, Love from the Heart, in 1979.
In the early 1980s, Gilkyson lived in Europe and toured with Swiss New Age harpist Andreas Vollenweider. She returned to the United States and relocated to Austin, Texas.
Award-winning Norman poet Mark Hardick will read from his work Jan. 10 as part of The Performing Arts Studio’s Second Sunday Poetry Reading series.
The event is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the historic Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave.
Born in Avery, Okla., during the Great Depression, Hardick and his family moved to a 40-acre farm when he was two years old. Recalling those times, his poetry contains many references to rural Oklahoma. After an education in science and literature, Hardick taught high school and college English, as well as technical writing, all of which also influence his work.
In 2008, Hardick won the Norman Galaxy of Writers’ first place award for poetry and the Crème de la Crème award for short story. In 2009, he served as the organization’s competition chairman.
There is no charge for the poetry reading. For more information, contact The Performing Arts Studio at 307-9320.
The concert will be held at the PAS’s home, the historic Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave.
Sampson, whose soulful music and powerful performances have garnered a loyal and diverse fan base, has frequently appeared at the Blue Door in Oklahoma City, opening for such artists as Patrice Pike, Christine Kane and Susan Gibson, who wrote “Wide Open Spaces,” which catapulted the Dixie Chicks into country music stardom. Sampson has co-headlined at the Blue Door with Kristie Stremel and joined Ray Wylie Hubbard and Kevin Welch there for their 2003 and 2004 annual tributes to Woody Guthrie.
Nationally, Sampson has entertained in the subways of Boston, where she developed a following that quickly led to club dates in the area. She also toured Texas and Oklahoma with Bitch and Animal of Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. Sampson regularly plays outdoor festivals, including Amnesty International’s “Groovefest,” as well as the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Paseo Arts Festival and Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts.
In November 2008, she released her fourth album, Good for the Meantime, recorded with Travis Linville.