Son del Barrio will bring the exciting Latin sounds of Salsa and Merengue to Summer Breeze on Sunday, July 27.  Music begins at 7:30 pm in Norman’s Andrews Park Amphitheater at Daws and Webster.  Bring refreshments and enjoy this free concert presented by The Performing Arts Studio.

Salsa, a type of Latin American dance music incorporating elements of jazz and rock, and Merengue, a Caribbean style of dance music typically in duple and triple time, are both filled with high energy.  Listeners are encouraged to dance and forget about their cares. 

With an average of 15 years experience in the music business, the members of Son del Barrio (Sound of the Neighborhood) are no strangers to the world of Latin music. Their passion for the music they play can be heard as they “drive hypnotic rhythms and deliver enchanting melodies.”

Painter Caldonia (Donia) Rhotan Corbitt has moved back to Oklahoma just in time for her high school reunion.  How better to celebrate that reunion than having an exhibition of her work hung in the Performing Arts Studio Gallery for her classmates and the general public to enjoy. 

“Journeys to the Tiger’s Eye, and More” will be on exhibit in the PAS Gallery, 200 South Jones Avenue from July 13 through September 21. 
A reception for the artist will be held on Sunday, July 20, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.  The public is invited to meet the artist and enjoy the paintings, music by Dennis Borycki, and refreshments.  There is no admission charge.

A special reception for Donia’s classmates will be held on Friday, August 1, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

“Antidotes and Home Remedies,” a new poetry book by Jim Chastain, will be launched at the July 13 Second Sunday Poetry Reading in the Norman Depot, 200 South Jones Ave.  “The book is a combination of health-related poems and some of my most popular poems from the last few years.” Chastain says. “There will be snacks, music, a little poetry, and lots of fun with friends. Please save the date and make plans to be there!”  The free event begins at 2:00 pm.
 
Chastain’s memoir, “I Survived Cancer, but Never Won the Tour de France,” a collection of essays and poems, was published in October of 2006 by HAWK Publishing and was named Top Ten Nonfiction of 2006 by the Austin Chronicle. The book covers Jim's five year battle with cancer and includes “a series of horror stories that will cause you to choke on your doughnut with laughter” Jim says.  His first poetry book, “Like Some First Human Being,” was released in late 2006.

His many poetry credits include recently published poems in World Literature Today, Oklahoma Today, Blood & Thunder, and The Blue Rock Review. Chastain has been a featured reader at the Oklahoma Festival of the Arts, Full Circle Bookstore, The Benedict Street Market series, Scissortail Creative Writing Festival, and the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival.  A sample poem follows:

Weird Bird

A weird bird lives inside me
and thinks that I'm his tree.
He flies around inside my head
and whispers stuff to me.

But when I tell my buddies
these things that I have heard,
they tend to give me funny looks
and tell me I'm absurd.

It doesn't seem to help a bit
to give my solemn word
and say those thoughts came not from me
but from my head's weird bird.
    Jim Chastain

Chastain also writes feature articles for the award-winning magazine Oklahoma Today and for the Oklahoma Gazette alternative weekly and has been a film critic for The Norman Transcript for more than a decade. His film reviews have also appeared in The Edmond Evening Sun, The Enid News and Eagle and The Briefcase.  Jim is a founding member of the Oklahoma Film Critic's Circle.

An attorney for the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, Chastain refers to his job writing opinions for the Court as the "very essence of creative writing."

For more information on Jim Chastain, visit www.jimchastain.com.  For more information on  Performing Arts Studio programs, call 405-307-9320.

The Performing Arts Studio is a nonprofit organization located in the Norman Depot with a mission to create and present excellent and innovative fine arts programs for the enrichment and education of our community.

The Norman Downtowners Association and the Performing Arts Studio present Johnny and the Blue Cats at the Friday, July 11, Lunchtime Concert.  A complimentary light lunch will be served beginning at 11:45.  Dessert will be provided by Hiland Dairy. 

Lunchtime Concerts are held on the north lawn of the historic Norman Depot, 200 South Jones Avenue.  Some chairs will be available, but lawn chairs are welcome.  In the event of rain, the concert will be moved inside.

John Johnson grinds lenses to prescription and makes expert repairs to broken frames by day at his MidTown Optical business located downtown at University and Main.  In his off hours, John makes music. 

Johnny and the Blue Cats, a seven piece horn band, have been together for more than 10 years, Johnson says.  Their sound is well honed and much loved by many in Norman and the Oklahoma City area.  The Blue Cats are becoming a tradition at Lunchtime Concerts, having played each year of the series by popular demand.  It will be a lively concert!

The Norman Downtowners Association encourages folks to take time before or after the concert to visit some of the many unique shops, restaurants and services which have joined the outstanding businesses already established downtown.  Norman’s Arts District is evolving with something new added almost every month.  The Norman Downtowners Association represents all of downtown in offering the Lunchtime Concert Series as a special treat for the people of Norman.

For additional information on Lunchtime Concerts or PAS programs, call The Performing Arts Studio at 307-9320.