Art of the Story 2019 performer spotlight: Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr.

Hear Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr. perform at the 2019 Art of the Story festival:

• Thursday, May 2, 7 - 8 p.m at the Tigard Public Library
• Friday, May 3, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Christ United Methodist Church
• Saturday, May 4, 1 - 2 p.m at the Jessie Mays Community Center
• Saturday, May 4, 6:15 - 9:30 p.m at the Festival Finale Showcase Concert at the Arts & Communication Magnet Academy (ACMA) Auditorium

The Reverend is a native Detroiter and an inspirational storyteller and musician celebrating the history, humor and power of American Roots music. A 2018 Kresge Fellow, his deep love for traditional African American and American traditional music is shared in live performances that interweave timeless stories with original and traditional songs.

For more than thirty years Robert has entertained and educated audiences of all ages. At the heart of his message is the belief that our cultural diversity tells a story that should celebrate, not just tolerate.

Rev. Robert Jones makes his home in Detroit while performing throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. While Robert has been a featured storyteller at venues such as the National Storytelling Festival, the late Kathryn Windham’s “Tale Tellin’ Festival”, he is also an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, accomplished at guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo and fiddle.

Acclaimed photographer James Fraher writes about Robert: “Perhaps the world’s most highly educated blues musician, an ordained minister, a longtime DJ, and a living encyclopedia of blues history, the Reverend Robert Jones is comfortable among juke joint loud talkers, fancy-hatted church ladies, and PhDs alike."

Learn more about Robert at www.revrobertjones.com

Art of the Story 2019 performer spotlight: Jasmin Cardenas

Hear Jasmin Cardenas perform at the 2019 Art of the Story festival:

• Wednesday, May 1, 7 - 8 p.m at the Sherwood Center for the Arts
• Thursday, May 2, 7 - 8 p.m. at the Banks Public Library
• Friday, May 3, 7 - 8 p.m at the Cornelius Public Library
• Saturday, May 4, 6:15 - 9:30 p.m at the Festival Finale Showcase Concert at the Arts & Communication Magnet Academy (ACMA) Auditorium

Cardenas is a bridge builder and believes in the power of stories to unite us. She joyfully made her national debut at the 2016 National Storytelling Festival’s Exchange Place stage. One of the first Latina’s to receive The Race Bridges Storytelling Fellowship, Jasmin uses storytelling and theater to pursue justice and humanity. She launched the bilingual Cuentos Aqui Storytelling literacy program for the Chicago Public Libraries. Her stories are available on podcast.

A professional actress, director, writer and Chicago native, Jasmin has performed at Steppenwolf, Goodman Theater and Adventure Stage Chicago, among others. Her one-woman show ¿ Niña Buena? toured throughout Chicago and to an international festival in Mexico. Currently Jasmin is focused on working class stories with her collective The Workers’ Theater, made up of low wage workers in America. A proud SAG-AFTRA member - her TV credits include NBC's Chicago Fire, Showtime’s The CHI & ABC’s Betrayal. Learn more about Jasmin at www.jasmincardenas.com and listen to a story at www.soundcloud.com/2ndstory/episode-32-jasmin-cardenas-nina-buena

Art of the Story 2019 performer spotlight: Lawrence Howard

Hear Lawrence Howard perform at the 2019 Art of the Story festival:

• Tuesday, April 30, 7 - 8 p.m at the Walter's Cultural Art Center
• Saturday, May 4, 6:15 - 9:30 p.m at the Festival Finale Showcase Concert at the Arts & Communication Magnet Academy (ACMA) Auditorium
  

Originally from New York, Lawrence Howard knows how to take listeners on a journey through the rich landscape of story. One of the founders of Portland Story Theater, he delivers stories that resonate with adult audiences. Lawrence draws from his rich repertoire of adventure, personal and mythic tales, as well as rhyming narrative poetry, to create compelling story programs for people from all walks of life. He is best known as the creator of the Armchair Adventurer series, which brings to life the Heroic Era of Antarctic Exploration at the turn of the 20th century. He can recite hundreds of bawdy limericks and likes to brew his own ginger ale. Learn more about Lawrence at www.lawrencehoward.name/about.htm

Art of the Story 2019 performer spotlight: Kelly Hoffman

Hear Kelly Hoffman perform at the 2019 Art of the Story festival:

• Sunday, April 28, 2 - 3 p.m at the Tualatin Public Library
• Tuesday, April 30, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Forest Grove City Library
• Wednesday, May 1, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m at the Aloha Community Library
• Friday, May 3, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Garden Home Community Library Annex
• Saturday, May 4, 6:15 - 9:30 p.m at the Festival Finale Showcase Concert at the Arts & Communication Magnet Academy (ACMA) Auditorium

Take sheer physical power coupled with dynamic cadences, throw in a rich and varied life filled with powerful personal experiences and you start to get an idea of what an evening with Kelly is like. Hoffman has been telling stories to delighted audiences since grade school, only now when she does it she (usually) doesn’t get in trouble! Kelly has been performing on stage for over 16 years for audiences of all ages.

Throughout her life, Kelly has been a member of the Merchant Marines, a Firefighter, an Officiant, a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Mom, a Wife, and a Storyteller. She has also been a winner, a loser, a fighter, a lover, a jerk, a kind woman, and everything in between. Kelly has two master’s degrees, each focusing on the healing benefits of storytelling in society and in families. Her passion for story comes from the pure joy, connection and community created when the right story is told at the right time in the right way to the right people. Whether a story of courage or comedy, you’ll find yourself relating, connecting and cheering for all the right reasons.

Art of the Story 2019: Older & Wiser Story Showcase

Washington County Aging, Disability, and Veterans Services, Beaverton City Library, and the Older and Wiser Storytellers sharing their unique stories and the experience of aging in our community.
Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District Elsie Stuhr Center are proud to partner to present

This program for adults takes place at the Elsie Stuhr Senior Center in Beaverton on Tuesday, April 30, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

This is a new festival showcase featuring Cynthia Butts, John Wylder, Janis Collins, Chuck McConnell, and Frances Hunter.

        

Art of the Story 2019: Adult Story Slam Contest

The Art of the Story kick-off program is an Adult Story Slam Contest. This Slam is a competition within a set time limit, placing emphasis on a storytellers content and performance. The 2019 contest features Janet Liu, Patrick Gannon, Sankar Raman, Norina Beck, and Mike Devenney.

This program for adults takes place at the Beaverton City Library on Saturday, April 27, 7-8 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Each story must be an original work. First person, real life adventures are expected. Fiction, folktale/myths are not allowed. The five tellers each have 10 minutes to tell their story from memory.

This Slam is judged by the audience! The winner receives a cash prize and the opportunity to tell a story at the Festival Finale May 4 at the Sherwood Center for the Arts.

Learn more about the participants.

Art of the Story 2019: Student Story Slam Contest

This year, the Art of the Story festival includes a Student Story Slam.  A Story Slam is a competition within a set time limit placing emphasis on a storytellers content and performance. It’s great entertainment! Each story must be an original work. First person, real life adventures are expected. Tellers have 10 minutes to tell their story from memory.

This Student Slam is judged by members of the Portland Storytellers’ Guild. While this event is not open to the public, the Student Slam winner receives a cash prize and the opportunity to tell a story at the Festival Finale on May 4. For more Festival events and information, visit www.wccls.org/festival

Meet the contestants:

AISHWARYA MARATHE : A Seamless Night.
Aishwarya Marathe has lived on three different continents and is Indian by origin. At present, she is a junior at Arts and Communication Magnet Academy. Aishwarya has participated twice at Lakewood Theater's "Young Playwrights Festival," a semi-professional experience in workshop and staged-reading format. Besides writing plays and prose, Aishwarya performs on the violin and oboe in her school orchestra and in an ensemble, and she has been learning Kathak, an ancient form of Indian Classical Dance, for ten years. She is also being vocally trained in Hindustani music. Her strong connection to her Indian heritage form the base for her writing, whether to explore a new aspect of her background or to give people of color a voice.


GRAYSON WRIGHT : Cookies Were Never so Complicated.

Grayson Wright is 18 years old and has attended Arts and Communications Magnet Academy since the 6th grade. Grayson has been writing her entire life and prefers to write short stories and poetry. The thing Grayson is most passionate about is architecture and she'll be studying it at the University of Oregon next year. Grayson, author of various opinion editorials, is very outspoken and is a huge social and political activist.

Announcing 2019 Teen Summer Reading Art Contest Winners!

First Place Artwork by Amelia Querbach

Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) is proud to announce the winner of its 2019 Teen Summer Reading Art Contest: Amelia Querbach!

Amelia is a student at Meadow Park Middle School. Teens around Washington County voted for this ethereal design as their favorite depiction of the 2019 Summer Reading slogan, "A Universe of Stories."

Amelia receives a $200 gift certificate for Amazon.com and her art will appear on countywide Teen Summer Reading publicity this summer, including posters and bookmarks.

2nd and 3rd place winners were also awarded. These individuals will also receive gift certificates to Amazon.com ($100 and $50, respectively). The 2nd place artwork by local student Emily Lian was chosen to be featured on 1-inch buttons.

Second Place Artwork by Emily Lian

Local students Emma Hill and Ava Reynolds tied for Third Place, and both received prizes.

Third Place (tie) Artwork by Emma Hill

Third Place (tie) Artwork by Ava Reynolds

Teens can join the Summer Reading Program at their local Washington County Library starting June 1.

Announcing a new event calendar!

WCCLS is excited to announce that we are implementing a new event calendar on April 23, 2019.  We have selected this new calendar because of some great new features that will make it easier and more useful to the public.  Those features are:

• Modern, responsive design
• Online registration for events
• Integration with our new catalog – the same look and feel, and you can search for events from the catalog search box

Here’s a sneak peek of what the new calendar will look like. 
The main event listing:

A detailed event page:

We’ll be keeping the same URL for the calendar (calendar.wccls.org), so any bookmarks or saved links to the calendar will still work after the new calendar is available.

Garden Home Community Library CLOSED for Expansion April 7-20

What does the closure mean for you?

• Items checked out recently at Garden Home are due on or after the library reopens on April 21. This does not affect due dates of any items checked out at other libraries.
• No WCCLS items may be returned to Garden Home during the closure, as book drops will be locked. If you wish to return items, you may do so at another WCCLS member library.
• Holds with a pickup location of Garden Home have been set to INACTIVE status through Sunday, April 21. If you wish to receive items sooner, you will need to select a different pickup location and reactivate each hold. Library staff can help you make this change.
• Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services through Garden Home are suspended during the closure. If you would like to request an item from outside of WCCLS, you may request it through another member library.
• Library programs in the Annex will be held as scheduled, but no new Annex reservations will be accepted for this period.
• The library will be growing from 1,996 to 3,449 square feet, with more room to read, study, learn and play. Garden Home staff is excited to welcome patrons back to a bigger, better work-in-progress on Sunday, April 21, and stay tuned for details of a Grand Opening event in June!

Keep up with expansion news and photos: https://www.gardenhomelibrary.org/expansion