Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 20, 1993 TAG: 9308190030
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Donna Alvis-Banks
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The sound of music in the New River Valley this week is a medley of everything from electric blues to bluegrass.
The Fret Police will play the blues tonight at Pulaski's Jackson Park. The free concert, co-sponsored by the town and the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley, is part of a series of outdoor concerts in the park this summer. Tonight's entertainment runs from 6:30 to 8:30.
Bring lawn chairs or blankets for the outdoor seating. If it rains, the entertainment moves to Pulaski Middle School.
On Monday, the Marching Virginians will welcome in the new school year with a "Bach's Lunch" concert on the Alumni Hall lawn at Virginia Tech. The marching band will present a preview of spirited music for the coming football season.
The concert starts at noon. It's free, and you're welcome to bring a picnic lunch to eat while you listen.
Tuesday's treat is authentic Southern gospel music. The Whitts will perform at Radford's Bisset Park in this free outdoor concert. It starts at 7 p.m. at the park gazebo.
The little Giles County community of Narrows is where you'll find the bluegrass. Harvest Moon, a string band from Blacksburg, will perform Thursday at 7 p.m. in the town park. This, too, is part of a series of outdoor concerts in Narrows this summer. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children or those who have patron tickets.
\ GOING, GOING, GONE! The Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce is putting on an auction and buffet dinner to raise funds for community development efforts in the county. It's happening Saturday, starting at 5 p.m. at New River Community College in Dublin.
The auction features lots of merchandise and services, as well as some great trips. Now's your chance to visit Boston, Williamsburg, Nashville, Myrtle Beach or the Great Smoky Mountains.
The evening promises a hearty buffet meal and entertainment by The Old Pros Combo. The cost is $15 for couples or $10 for individual tickets.
For more information, call the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce at 980-1991.
\ GOOD TIME FOR A GOOD CAUSE: It's official. Saturday is "Jeff Fisher Day" in Narrows.
The mayor has proclaimed the day to honor Fisher, a former town employee who is terminally ill with cancer. Friends of the 29-year-old father of three have planned a day full of activities. They're hoping members of the community will come out and make donations to help with Fisher's medical bills.
The day gets off to a lively start at 9 a.m. on the lawn in front of the Old Narrows High School. The Silver Eagle Band, Ivory Night and Southern Country will play live music throughout the morning. Food concessions, including baked goods, ham biscuits, hot dogs, snacks, sweets, coffee and soft drinks, will be available until 1:30 p.m.
Activities resume at 5 p.m. at the Narrows Town park. Highlights of the evening will be an auction and a benefit concert featuring six bands. Here's the entertainment schedule:
\ 5-6 p.m. Split Second, country rock from Narrows
\ 6-7 p.m. Judy Richardson and the Blue Rose Band from West Virginia
\ 7-8 p.m. The Singing Nippers, gospel music from Pulaski
\ 8-9:30 p.m. Bad Habitz, country rock from West Virginia
\ 9:30-10:30 p.m. Shadow Riders, country rock from Narrows
\ 10:30 p.m.-midnight Good Time Express, country music from West Virginia
All of the bands are donating their talents for the cause. Contributions for the Jeff Fisher Fund will be accepted Saturday or may be mailed to First Virginia Bank in Narrows SW, 300 Main St., Narrows 24124-1317.
If it rains Saturday, all events will move inside the Old Narrows High School.
\ SEEING THINGS: Artist Wynne Hodges likes what she sees in faces and places.
"I tend to do a lot of portraits and still-life paintings," she says. "I tend to pick out people who are interesting to me."
Hodges, who did her undergraduate work at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, has recently completed graduate work for a master's degree in fine arts at Radford University. An exhibition of her paintings opens Monday at the Norwood Gallery in Radford.
Although she's only 22, Hodges already has a reputation as a fine artist. She will join the faculty at Radford University this fall as an adjunct professor.
You're invited to meet Hodges and feast your eyes on the faces and places she paints. A reception for the artist, complete with music and refreshments, will be held Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery.
\ IMAGES: Hand-colored photos by Aileen Fletcher and paper designs by Jennifer Spoon are on display this month at the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley in Pulaski. The gallery exhibit runs through Aug. 27.
Fletcher, a free-lance photographer and art instructor at New River Community College, says her photographs "tend to be introspective and mystical."
"I am always looking for the extraordinary in the everyday object and situation," she says.
To achieve that quality in her photos, she applies oils and watercolors to a lighter-than-normal print. She has won several awards for her work in hand-colored photography.
Spoon, a professor of art at Radford University, also works as a free-lance designer and illustrator. She, too, has won many awards for her artwork and graphic design.
The gallery will have a meet-the-artists reception Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.
The Fine Arts Center is at 21 West Main St. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
by CNB