Discovery Dance hosts 'Big Hands'

Dan “Big Hands” Colvin plays original songs with a touch of honky-tonk and a lot of soul for Discovery Dance’s next community event, set for 7-10:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 20 at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge, 555 Otto St. Admission is $10.

A West Coast swing lesson with Janice Eklund is at 7 p.m., followed by dancing from 8 to 10:30 p.m. New dancers are encouraged to attend.

Colvin is the former front man for the California-based Big Daddy's Rhythm and Blues Band. His style might be described as a little bit blues, a little bit country, a little bit soul, according to a press release.

Colvin fronts the band with vocals, guitar and sax. He is accompanied by lead guitarist Jesse Savage from Gig Harbor, bassist Joshua Colvin and Tom Svornich on drums.

‘Michelangelo’s Art of Storytelling’

How is it possible to tell an outrageously heretical and sometimes obscene story on the Sistine Chapel ceiling and get away with it?

How is it possible, using only pictures, to tell a story of the evolution of consciousness based on humanistic, Jewish kabbalistic, neo-Platonic and esoteric-Christian philosophies?

Those are the questions George Hastings is prepared to discuss at the first of a three-part lecture series taking place at 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22 at the Chimacum Grange, 9572 Rhody Drive.

The first lecture, “Michelangelo’s Art of Storytelling,” explains the techniques and methods that Michelangelo used to tell his story while keeping it secret from Pope Julius II. “The Evolution of Consciousness According to Michelangelo,” the second presentation, at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 19, tells Michelangelo’s story from beginning to end. The third presentation, “The Way Forward According to Michelangelo,” at 2 p.m., Sunday, March 12, examines in detail many esoteric aspects of his story.

Debutones debut on the Coyle

The Debutones make their Concerts in the Woods debut at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22 at the Laurel B. Johnson Community Center, 923 Hazel Point Road, Coyle.

The band brings to light hidden gems of acoustic roots-based songs with stories and melodies––some country, some folk and some bluegrass, according to a press release. Released in late 2015, the group’s first CD, “Please Come Home,” landed at no. 21, and then 40, on the “Top Album” and “Top Artist” lists on the U.S. FOLKDJ-L charts in February and March 2016.

"The Debutones make music that is thoughtful, beautiful, with a lushness and sincerity in its message,” writes Jim Nunally of John Reischman and the Jaybirds.

The group is composed of founders Debby Nagusky and Don Share on guitar and vocals; Greg Glassman, vocals and bass; Julian Smedley, vocals, violin and viola; and Bob Knetzger, dobro and banjo.

PoetryMusic performs at county library

Join jazz duo PoetryMusic for a multimedia musical experience 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25 at the Jefferson County Library, 620 Cedar Ave., Port Hadlock.

The duo’s performances, featuring Chris Lee on vibes and percussion, and Colleen O'Brien on vocals and cello, combine jazz with poetry – from Shakespeare to Robert Frost and Maya Angelou – and visual images.

For more than 30 years, the two musicians have been performing as the eclectic chamber jazz duo (and sometimes trio) Primal Mates, The Chris Lee/Colleen O'Brien Group and PoetryMusic, their latest project.

Northwind seeks artists

The Artist Showcase at Northwind Arts Center in downtown Port Townsend is calling on artists to submit 2-D and 3-D artwork for one of Northwind's most successful programs.

Application deadline is Feb. 15.

The Artist Showcase encourages excellence in the arts by providing an ongoing professional exhibit space in Northwind. Artists are juried into the showcase for a period of nine months. According to a press release, the artist’s work is presented in a curated show, hung by Northwind and rotated monthly; the artist is not required to staff the exhibit space; and the artist takes away 70 percent of the sale price of that person’s art.

In exchange, Northwind provides jurying of artists for acceptance into the Artist Showcase; Northwind receives a monthly fee of $50 from artists who are accepted. Northwind provides trained volunteer

staffing, as well as a prime downtown location with professional lighting.

A panel of one outside juror and one Northwind curatorial staff person is to determine which artists who submit work to the Artist Showcase are accepted annually. The 2017 juror is Martha Jordan, director of the Winslow Art Center on Bainbridge Island. For online application go to:

tinyurl.com/j5dymvs.

(Compiled by Leader reporter Katie Kowalski.)