Despedida Blas and Elisa

A couple of weeks ago we said farewell - or despedida - to Blas and Elisa.  Greg and Helen threw a great party for them and there wine and food and music in just the right proportion.  Here are Blas and Elisa with our own Fairy Alison who welcomed Elisa into the Ukulele Dolls during her stay in Newport.  Lots of love in the pic.  We wish Blas and Elisa the very best for the rest of their travels in Australia, and all the best as their open a Newport Style Open Stage when they get back to Barcelona later this year.  Despidida.

Live @ Newport - Theme Night

What a brilliant night: Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Simon and Garfunkel would have been chuffed. Eighteen soloists, choirs, duos, trios and other various combos strummed, blew, sang, beat, plucked, stomped and hummed until midnight! The wine flowed from the Newport Bowls Club Bar and there was much love in the room. The night was bookended by the Ukulele Dolls and the Angelicats and in between … well I’ll let the photos tell the story. We also sang Happy Birthday to Maurie who turned 82, welcomed travelling Irish storyteller David Doyle and had a raffle to get Jackie to Rome for the Federation for European Storytelling Conference. What did we

do with our spare time before the NFFC?

Enjoy the pics and if you would like me to send you photos of your performance, please contact me and I will send. jackie@jackiekerin.com.au.

All taken with my trusty pocket digital set on ‘auto’. I managed to get an in focus (sort of)  shot of everyone.

You can also enjoy the continuing conversation and more photos on Facebook. Type in Live @ Newport - Theme Night

pics: 

Ukulele Dolls: Homeward Bound

Willin Women: Bridge Over Troubled Water

NFFC wishes Maurie a happy birthday

Adrian, Gael and Ric: I wish I had a river 

David Doyle, travelling UK storyteller is invited to draw the raffle with Katherine and Michael.

* Special thanks to Clive Bourne who was on sound for the night … it can’t be easy!

posted by Jackie K

Rotary, NFFC team up to Make A Difference

 Here is the 'class photo' of some of the helpers at the working bee on Sunday.  The Scout Hall has been transformed - with builders, electricians, general handy men and women all finding ways to bring the Scout Hall back to its former glory.  The hall has an interesting history - the Dragon painted on the wall is the emblem of the Newport Scouts, and way back in the 1930's the troop marched through Melbourne with their Dragon to raise money to build the hall.  A couple of the helpers on Sunday had either been cubs, scouts or leaders at Newport and so they were able to tell stories of times when it was a strong group, and a vital part of the community (many will remember the 'bob a job' days).  The current leader of the western region scouts and cubs was at the workshop and he is really keen to recruit new members and make it an active club again.  There was plenty of energy around on Sunday, and the new look of the hall and surrounds will serve to increase its visibility, and promote the opportunity to the young people, and their parents, in the area. 
Anyway a big thank you to all of the people who took part in the workshop, and to John and Therese of Rotary for taking on such a big project and making a real difference to our communty.  Fantastic - well done. 

                                                                Strategy meeting

                                                                           Lunch Time

                                     The Scouts Totem (repaired) goes back up on the wall

                                         No before picture - but you can imagine what it was like

                                                     Ted Smith - NFFC'er, guitarist and painter

                                                        The Hall - Pride Restored

Open Stage and A Packed House

April's Open Stage was a full and fun night of music making, poetry and some storytelling.  The Community Hall was reaching its limits for seating but everyone was able to find a space to enjoy the evening.  Lots of photos (sse below for slideshow) give a 'roll-call' of who was playing / reciting / reading.  The evening finished off with a couple of Spanish and Mexican songs from our Spanish friends Blas and Elisa.  They came to Newport 7 months ago because they heard it was a good place for music, and they have added to the vibe with performances at the Open Stage, the Substation, busking around Newport Williamstown, Altona and more.  Now they are moving on to Tassie, Sydney and Darwin to complete their 12 month sabbatical.  Its been lovely to meet Blas and Elisa and we wish them all the best for the rest of their travels and hope they can come back again in the future.  The last few snaps on the reels of pics if Elisa with Alison and the Uke Dolls who have taken Elisa under their wings. 
All in all, a great night.

Celebrating the talents of NFFC member Leonie Kervin

Leonie is a long-time member of the Folk Club and her contribution and participation is legendary. When she first arrived on the scene, Leonie sat quietly nursing her guitar that she hadn’t yet learned to play. Well … That was just a phase. From quiet beginnings, she has gone on to play with various combos, written her own songs, is a foundation member of the Bush Orchestra and sings with the choir. During this time the Club has also come to appreciate and benefit from Leonie’s talent as a visual artist. She has curated photographic exhibitions for the Newport Folk Festival and hosts the Life Drawing Workshop, which has grown into one of the signature events in the Festival program.

So it was no surprise that the NFFC threw itself into celebrating the launch of her latest exhibition! Leonie was selected to exhibit in the 2013 Art in Public Places coordinated by Hobsons Bay Council and showcasing artwork by western region artists in businesses and other places across the city.

The works in Leonie’s exhibition reflect her passion for depicting the human body with explosive energy and colour. The canvases and drawings, hang in Muse Hair Gallery as if they belong.

At the launch, there was standing room only, as friends and family gathered to celebrate and view the work.

Red stickers are popping up quickly so if you were keen to purchase one of the pieces, it would be advisable to get a move on!

Congratulations Leonie; you brighten our lives, open our eyes and enrich our souls!

Simon Leverton lends his voice to the occasion. 

Alan Davies rounding up the choir. Its like herding cats!

Greg O'Leary and Rob Richmond: the music spilled onto the street.

Exhibition Venue: Muse Hair Gallery

Links to Leonie:

leoniekervin.wix.com

Life Drawing blog (workshops and classes)

River Studios (studio)

posted by: Jackie K (ukulele wannabe and Choir)

Leonie's Art In Public Spaces!

What a great launch for Leonie's 'Art in  Public Spaces' Exhibition.  Leonie, a long time member of the folk club who runs the Life Drawing classes each week, became involved in this year's program and selected the Muse Hair Gallery in Douglas Pde Williamstown.  This turned our to be a wise choice - the mirrors and lines of the studio worked so well with Leonie's nudes - especially the long fugures set between the mirrors.  The launch included food, wine and music of course with Bruce Williams supplying the pa, Greg and Helen on fiddles, Isabel singing her own compositions, the Newport Community Choir in full voice and Gerry Nelson playing some cool fingerpicking blues and tunes.  Leonie will be v pleased to see the red stickers that are already up against a number of the works - fantastic effort Leonie and congratulations from all at the folk club. 
The exhibition will be open for the next few weeks so call in and have a look - one of many exhibitions in the area.  Also look out for the annual 'Paint the Gardens' exhibition and competition at the Williamstown Gardens next Sunday 2 - 4pm.  Lots of art, and the Newport String Quartet will set the mood between 3 and 4.  See you there.