Just a quick posting to let you all in on what’s happening with arts coverage at the Pioneer.  Today’s arts column was put together by Grace Gorker who is the news clerk at the Pioneer. She will be covering the arts while we’re on vacation–more on that later.  Grace will be filling in for me until our return on April 14. There will be a whole new look to arts coverage at the Pioneer beginning on Thursday (yes, back to Thursday!) with interviews, arts news briefs, profiles and whatever else will fit on the page–stays the same second page but will add color for the photos. Perhaps I might even bring back the “3 questions for” feature that people seemed to really enjoy. Please do not hesitate to bring arts news to my attention whether it be a profile on someone with a Bemidji connection or an up-and-coming artist in all genre. The articles on the artists no longer living in Bemidji were brought to our attention by their relatives and friends–thank you very much. The profile on watercolorist Grace Privratsky was done because of an email from the manager at Birch Haven Village. I will admit to be a little nervous about the coverage as I have done it myself through various trips and medical occurrences (like the two new knees that I am now sporting) but it’s time to “pass the baton” so to speak to Grace for awhile. You can still use my email at prall@bemidjipioneer.com for press releases as Grace will be monitoring it for information.  Oh! I don’t want to leave out a big thanks to Steve Wagner the editor for supporting me in this and all efforts to bring the arts coverage to Bemidji and places far away–Cal Rice told me that he received emails from Norway and California regarding his recent profile.

Please Bemidjians, contact the Amigo Theaters about bringing in classical events. The last time I checked, they had only received 6 emails in support of this–I know we can do better than that!  Click here for their website or email dblack@cectheaters.com. I’ve been told that emails are sent directly to the owners.

There are some really important arts events coming up soon.  Bemidji Community Theater will be on stage at the Chief Theater with “The Piped Piper” right after Easter. Northern Lights Opera will be having auditions for “The Music Man” in April for their summer production in Park Rapids. The summer season for the Paul Bunyan Playhouse and Long Lake Theater will be starting in a couple of months. Loon Opera Company will be producing Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” in June in Bangsberg Hall and that’s just a few of the upcoming events.

I have been communicating with Icebox Radio Theater” for about a year now and the great news is that they will be on station KXKE in Grand Rapids starting April 7th. You can get a sample of their radio dramas by attending the premiere of the Great Northern Radio Show at the Chief Theater on April 7. Seating is free and the audience is being asked to be at the Chief no later than 4:30 to get into a live 5-7  p.m.  broadcast of this show which will feature actors, musicians, singers —all people you know–and a special guest performance of the Icebox Radio theater.  A story on the producer Aaron Brown will be in Wednesday’s Pioneer Preview. Wow! Am I sorry to be missing this event.

Last is a bit about our trip to Hong Kong, Manila, Indonesia (Borneo, Sulawesi, Komodo, Bali and Semarang) and then Singapore.  I will be bring a computer and camera for stories and pictures in future issues of the Pioneer. We will be gone for 21 days in all.

That’s all she wrote as we are trying to get to the movies this afternoon to see “The Artist.”