'Art on the Porch' Friday at Bliss Mansion launches 2015 Jazz and Beyond Festival

The Mile High Jazz Band is delighted to present the 12th Jazz & Beyond Festival from August 7 - 23. To help launch the citywide music festival, Capital City Arts Initiative [CCAI] will host artists selling their art at the Bliss Mansion prior to the 7pm concert. The art sale will take place Friday, August 7 from 3-6:30pm on the porch, 608 Elizabeth Street, Carson City. The free events include art for sale, music, food, and a lovely home and garden to tour. The public is cordially invited.

Numerous local artists will have their artwork for sale in Art on the Porch. William Hutchison will have the Dangerous Toys glass sculptures and his hand-blown glass ornaments. Carol Brown will have hand-made books, blank greeting cards, and small prints. Louise Noel will have her brightly colored paintings on silk. Debbie Howell will have her landscapes created with crushed colored-glass. Ken Heitzenrader will show his watercolor landscapes. Audrey Markowitz will have her Zentangle drawings. Cyndy Brenneman will show her watercolor still-lifes. Paul Ford will have Nevada landscapes made with local soils, recycled materials, and acrylic. Claudia Knous will have her hand-dyed silk scarves. Mischell Riley will give a bronze sculpture demonstration. Susan McCormick, Terri Akins Calleas, and Vickie Workman Detomasi will bring the renowned "Miss Dixie Vintage Bus" from Fallon with art, craft, handmade goods, and jewelry to sell.

There is a story about the "Miss Dixie" bus sent by its owners/resident artists: "Dixie Valley is two hours east of Fallon and a long time ago folks lived out there. After the Dixie Valley School was closed, the kids had to ride the school bus into Fallon — over 2 1/2 hours each way. When the Navy bought out the Valley, the little school bus came to Fallon and morphed into the School District’s maintenance bus. They painted it white, removed the seats, loaded it up with tools and it traveled from school to school doing repairs. Finally, the Churchill County School District put the bus on its auction list; Terri was the high bidder. We named the bus 'Miss Dixie' in honor of its former home, load her up with all kinds art, crafts, and vintage treasures — and off we go."

During the afternoon, you can take a free, guided-tour of the Bliss Mansion, a 15-room Italianate-style Victorian mansion completed in 1879 by Duane L. Bliss. At the time, it was the biggest and most elaborate home in Nevada.

If you're hungry, A Catered Affair food truck will be onsite from 4-8pm serving their delicious food.

The music will begin in the Bliss Mansion garden at 7pm with Cherie & John Shipley with "Take This", a dynamic innovative jazz act. They arrange many of the tunes they play, presenting customized, original jazz versions. Cherie has been a favorite vocalist in the area since the 80's and John is a founding member of the groundbreaking jazz-fusion recording group Hiroshima. His jazz and R&B piano/keyboard talents are a draw for true music aficionados. Saxophonist Doug Coomler, guitarist/vocalist Paul Covarelli, and drummer Steve Self will join "Take This" for the concert. For the concert, please bring lawn chairs or a blanket for seating. Low chairs get the best spots - in front near the stage.

Additional art events during the Jazz & Beyond Music Festival:
Saturday, August 15, 10am-3pm at Greenhouse Garden Center: Art show and music by Jakki Ford and Peter Supersano, 11-2pm.

Saturday, August 15, 7:30-10:00pm at Brewery Arts Center Black Box Theater: Exhibition and live painting by Rosie Laird at the Speakeasy Swing Dance Party. Ticketed event.

Tuesday, August 18 at the Community Center, 5-7pm: CCAI art show and sale in the lobby before Lloyd [Otis Day and the Knights] Williams, 7-9pm. Ticketed event.

The Jazz & Beyond Festival is supported by the Mile High Jazz Band Association, City of Carson City, and private donations. For additional information, see jazzcarsoncity.com.

The Capital City Arts Initiative is an artist-centered organization committed to the encouragement and support of artists and the arts and culture of Carson City and the surrounding region. The Initiative is committed to community planning and building for the area's diverse adult and youth populations through art projects and exhibitions, live events, arts education programs, artist residencies, and its online projects.

CCAI is funded in part by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Nevada Arts Council, City of Carson City, U.S. Bank Foundation, Nevada Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the John and Grace Nauman Foundation.