July at the Arts Center

Summertime is here and with it come lots of exciting new opportunities at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center.
The new display in the Sorenson Gallery, scheduled to open early this month and to be up for the rest of the summer, has paintings by Bemidji artist Alice Blessing. Blessing takes fingerpainting to a whole new level, wearing latex gloves and using acrylic paints to create portraits of people and pets that are nothing short of amazing. Check out her Web site at www.aliceblessing.com and then stop in and see her work.
This year’s summer theater production will be Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, from which the musical Hello, Dolly!, was adapted. Rehearsals will begin Sunday, July 18, for the August 18th-22nd performances. Anyone interested in having a part in this production, either on stage or behind the scenes, should contact director Whitney Stuckey at 218-230-5507 or e-mail her at whitney@gerla.net
On Tuesday, July 20, at 7 p.m., the film Food, Inc., an Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature, will be shown at the arts center. Learn surprising truths about what we eat and how it’s produced. Free tickets are available, both at the library and at the Fosston Farmers Market.
The “Make a Splash - READ!” summer reading program is continuing with more special programs each Wednesday in July. On July 7, staff from the Headwaters Science Center of Bemidji will do a demonstration on the unique properties of water, and on July 14, Itasca Park staff will present a program about boat building on the Mississippi, then give the kids a chance to build their own boat using natural materials. There will be a movie on July 21, and on July 28, Cheryl Winkelman will be there to help everyone try watermelon sculpting. All these programs are at 1:30 p.m.
Another special program, A Splash of Magic, is scheduled for Thursday, July 22, at 6:30 p.m. Aimed at preschoolers through fifth graders, this 45-minute magic show helps kids explore the wonderful world of water. There is lots of audience participation and you may get a little wet. It should be fun.
Fosston Crazy Days will be July 30-31. During that time, the library will get into the act by having a used book sale in the front entry of the library and on the sidewalk. Stop by - there’s sure to be some great bargains.
Writers’ group continues to meet the fourth Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. New members are always welcome