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Blair Crimmins is unabashedly old school.  Specifically, 1920s Prohibition Era America old school. Crimmins, along with his band – The Hookers – are leading a Dixieland Jazz and ragtime revival. Creating a cacophony of sound with banjo, horns, and keys, Blair Crimmins & The Hookers take listeners on a time-altering journey, back to an era of speakeasies and bootleggers, at the Lincoln City Cultural Center on September 9 at 7 p.m.

“Blair Crimmins & The Hookers will make a jazzbo out of you,” writes James Man of Ink 19, a music publication in the Southeast U.S. “This ain’t your great-grandfather’s ragtime, and Blair Crimmins isn’t any quaint Dixieland revivalist.” 

Blair Crimmins began his current music career in Atlanta, Georgia, with a determination to bring Ragtime and 1920’s style Dixieland Jazz to new audiences. While playing small rock clubs around the Southeast he developed a sound that is at once modern while being deeply rooted in the past. Now four years, and five hundred shows later, he has toured the country playing large venues and has opened for acts such as Mumford & Sons and Preservation Hall Jazz Band. 

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Monday, September 9, 2019 @ 7:00 pm
$25 for adults / $23 for seniors ages 60 and up / $12 for youth. LCCC membership discount applies!

A multi-instrumentalist and music academic, Crimmins writes songs and arrangements for a classic New Orleans style horn section consisting of trumpet, clarinet and trombone. 

His debut 2010 release The Musical Stylings Of became a college radio sensation on WRAS Atlanta making him the most requested band on the air.  In 2012 Crimmins showed his musical diversity by writing and recording the full score for the independent short film “Old Man Cabbage”. The following year, Crimmins was the critics pick for Best Song Writer of 2013 in Creative Loafing’s Best of ATL issue.  

His last album entitled Sing-a-longs! went to #21 on the EuroAmerican radio chart and earned him a nomination at The Georgia Music Awards for Best Jazz Artist.  Blair Crimmins has now released his anticipated 4th studio album You Gotta Sell Something.  

“Atlanta’s genre-blending ensemble Blair Crimmins and The Hookers have been creating a sound that is both unique and inspired for years. Crimmins himself began developing it some time ago, honing in on the magic of ragtime and the 1920’s, coupled with some Dixieland jazz. The fourth studio album from Crimmins’ impressive creative mind is due out in February of 2017, and we haven’t been this excited in quite some time,” raves Impose Magazine.

To learn more or join the Lincoln City Cultural Center, visit lincolncityculturalcenter.org or drop by the LCCC Information Center off Highway 101, open from 9 am to 5 pm Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesday).

On Friday, Aug. 9, the Lincoln City Cultural Center will be overflowing with water: sculpture, painting, stories, science, conservation and collaboration, all about water and its role in the health of our world. This event, which is free to the public, is a collaboration between the LCCC, artist Liisa Rahkonen and artist Sandra Roumagoux. The project is called “Source2.”

Oil painting by Sandra Roumagoux entitled “Rising Tide”

The evening will begin at 5 pm with a reception for “Source2,” an exhibition of paintings by Roumagoux and paintings by Rahkonen, in the PJ Chessman Gallery at the LCCC. The reception, which includes a chance to meet the artists along with light appetizers and wine, will be followed at 7 pm by a free presentation in the adjacent LCCC auditorium. The program will include several speakers who will explore the spiritual, societal and scientific needs of water, as well as a dance performance and a heritage interview on video.

“Source2” will encompass “our relationship and responsibility to protect the living water around us ~ clean streams, rivers, estuaries, lakes and the sea. This show is about vulnerability and a call to action,” said Rahkonen.

Featured speakers and performers at Source2 will include:

Duncan Berry – photographer, entrepreneur and leader in the Cascade Head Biosphere Reserve Conservancy;Elizabeth Wilson – Board of Directors and longtime instructor in Peace Village Global, an international instructor in Peace and Social Justice through Pacific University; Jerri Bartholomew – Glass artist, professor and head of the Department of Microbiology at Oregon State University, who will speak on the current and future conditions of the rivers; Dancers from the LCCC Ballet Program – Led by Diane Christiansen, performing to “Time to Swim” by the Shook Twins; and,A recorded interview with Agnes Baker Pilgrim – Also known as “Grandma Aggie,” Takelma and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

Those who find themselves inspired to take action on clean water issues in the region will find information from local agencies and nonprofit organizations. Rahkonen is also planning a “Gratitude Wall,” which will thank local groups and individuals for the work they have already done. 

The “Source2” exhibit will include Rahkonen’s traveling installation that promotes healing and reflection. It’s called “BLame and EXcuse” or “BLEX,” and it’s a ceramic green bear cub in a nest of sticks and twigs. The onlooker is invited to write a blame, an excuse or a blessing on a piece of paper, and wrap the paper around a stick with a piece of tape. Then, the message stick is inserted back into the nest, where it will stay until the end of the show. When “Source2” is dismantled in September, the sticks will be gathered and burned so that the messages are released.

“No one will read your personal message, but if you are concerned, just hold the message in your mind, and make a mark to represent what you wish to release. Your intention is clear, and that is enough,” the instructions say. “Please write for yourself, your family, friends and community.… Read more “From spirit to science, “Source2” examines our responsibility to living water”

The Oregon State Budget, passed with just hours to spare when the Senate re-convened on June 29, included a game-changing investment for Lincoln City: A $1.5 million lottery bond allocation for the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza project. Rep. David Gomberg made the announcement before a crowd of supporters, media and donors at the Lincoln City Cultural Center on Tuesday, July 2. 

Rep. David Gomberg advocated for the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza to receive $1.5 million in Oregon lottery funds.

This show of financial support, added to the early investment by the City of Lincoln City and the individual donations already made or pledged the Cultural Plaza Campaign, will put the project on a fast track for construction in 2020.

The Plaza project will redevelop the 2.5 acres around the Lincoln City Cultural Center with new sidewalks, gathering places, public art and vendor amenities, along with improved parking and landscaping. Design highlights will include a meandering roadway for the west lawn, an outdoor classroom on the east side and a permanent location for the annual community Christmas tree. Under the guidance of landscape architects Shapiro Didway, the LCCC Board of Directors has taken this project from inception to design over the past 18 months. 

The Cultural Plaza funding request was included in the budget as part of a slate of five projects approved by the Cultural Advocacy Coalition. Other projects to be funded include Oregon Nikkei Center ($500,000), High Desert Museum ($250,000), Cottage Theatre ($375,000) and the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts ($1.5 million).

“We are so thrilled and thankful for the support of the State of Oregon, the Cultural Advocacy Coalition and all the legislators who helped bring this investment to Lincoln City,” said LCCC Board President Greg Berton. “Most of all, we thank Rep. Gomberg, who has been such an amazing champion for Lincoln City and the Cultural Center.”

“The community needs to know that in order to secure these funds, we promised $250,000 in individual donations — and we’re only halfway there.”

John Collier
LCCC Board Treasurer and Volunteer Project Manager

These capital construction funds will come from the Cultural Resources Economic Fund (CREF), which include lottery-backed bonds as well as general fund dollars and appropriations through the Department of Administrative Services. The money will be available for project reimbursement in spring of 2021. 

“The Lincoln City Cultural Center is about more than the visual and performing arts. It is about supporting the retirement community and tourism. And it is about enhancing our blossoming art industry. Converting the parking lots and playgrounds at the iconic DeLake School into a modern cultural plaza will benefit the entire community. I was pleased to advocate for this transformative funding,” said Rep. Gomberg.

Because the project is still in design, and these state funds will not be available for two years, the fundraising activities of the Cultural Plaza Campaign will continue as planned. The committee is selling commemorative bricks, and will offer more naming opportunities in the months to come. 

“This is such amazing news,” said board treasurer and volunteer project manager John Collier.… Read more “$1.5 million in lottery bonds pledged to cultural plaza project”

The LCCC Board of Directors and the Capital Campaign committee will be holding a press conference and announcement event on Tuesday, July 2, at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. The agenda includes a major announcement regarding the Cultural Plaza project and the development of the Delake School property.

Doors to the auditorium will open at 5:30 pm, with the announcement set for 6 pm. All local supporters, including donors and LCCC members, are invited to attend.

There will be complimentary grilled hamburgers, chips and beverages for the first 100 attendees, plus a drawing for a commemorative brick and other prizes.

Board members, staff and elected officials will be available for interviews from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, or by appointment on July 3. For more information, contact LCCC executive director Niki Price at 541-994-9994. 

RSVP (optional) via our Facebook Event

On Saturday, May 4, the Lincoln City Cultural Center will be setting sail – dressed up like a classic cruise ship and visiting ports of call around the Mediterranean – to support the arts in our community. It’s the fifth annual Culture, Of Course! Gala, and this year’s theme is “An Affair to Remember.” Tickets for this gala evening, featuring entertainment by cabaret vocalist Rocky Blumhagen, are on sale now at lincolncityculturalcenter.org or by calling 541-994-9994.

The adventure will begin at 5:30 pm, with the opening of the Jazz at Sea Lounge and the Desert Sands Game Room in the south end of the center. In the jazz lounge, there will be live music by Greg Ernst and Greg Berton, along with a silent auction filled with baskets and gift certificates. Next door in the game room, the adventurous can choose a surprise from the “Pyramids of Giza” – with every building block box guaranteed to contain a prize worth at least $25 and most boxes, a whole lot more. Or, have a little fun at the carnival-style wine ring toss, where you aim for the vintage you desire. Guests can enjoy a signature cocktail, the Pomegranate Royale, or a glass of Northwest wine or beer, as well as Mediterranean appetizers prepared and served by the students from the Taft High School Culinary Team.

At 6:30 pm, master of ceremonies Keith Altomare will move the guests into the auditorium, decorated in the luxurious style of a 1950s cruise ship like the one where Deborah Kerr met Cary Grant, in the classic film, “An Affair to Remember.” Dinner will be served buffet style, with food inspired by Mediterranean Sea ports of call and donated by generous local chefs and restaurants. At press time, the menu included seafood paella by The Side Door Café, halibut with mushroom risotto by Kyllo’s Restaurant, a vegetable lasagna by Lord Brixxton’s, lamb kofta by Old Line Lanes, spanakopita from Melany Berry/Full Heart Productions, and bisteya (a Moroccan carrot salad) by Donna Riani. The buffet adventure will continue with even more delicious French pastry contributions by Dede Mettle of Volta Bakery. Northwest wines will be sold by the glass and by the bottle throughout the evening.

Rocky Blumhagen at the Siletz Bay Music Festival About the Entertainment

The romance of the classic film will be everywhere, especially when the microphone is handed to this year’s Culture, Of Course! featured performer, Rocky Blumhagen. He will perform a tribute to American composer Harry Warren (1893-1981) who created more than 400 songs for 90 different movies including the famous theme to “An Affair to Remember.” The 11th of 12 children of Italian immigrants, Warren grew up in Brooklyn and became a “song plugger” in the famed Tin Pan Alley and a renowned contributor to the Great American Songbook.

Rocky Blumhagen has performed in the Lincoln City area for more than 10 years, with shows honoring Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, and Irving Berlin at the Siletz Bay Music Festival. “Harry Warren certainly belongs in the company of these famed Broadway composer/lyricists.… Read more “Get ready for Culture, Of Course!”

LINCOLN CITY — It’s a Community Days two-fer at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, set for Friday, April 26.

From 4 to 6:30 pm, Oceana Family Literacy Center will present a reprise of “Secrets of Salsa & More,” in the halls of the LCCC. Oceana families will be bringing their best salsa recipes, and handing out complimentary bags of tortilla chips. You’re invited to dip, sample, talk to the cooks and learn about the recipes, and there will be limited quantities for sale, as well.

James Kline

After you’ve sampled the salsa, head down to the auditorium for a Community Days Concert with “guitarrista” James Kline. Classical guitarist, composer, singer-songwriter and innovator of the 19-string arch harp guitar, Kline is an artist who constantly renews and reinvents himself as he travels the world. As a classical guitarist he studied in Spain and England, but he has also worked as a wilderness guide and a commercial fisherman. He is co-founder of the neo-Celtic group Bardou, with whom he performs regularly Kline’s concert begins at 7 pm. Admission is by donation, and seating is first come, first served. Doors will open at 6:30 pm.

As a classical guitarist, James Kline studied in Spain under a full scholarship from the Spanish government. There he won a number of international awards, including the Ramirez Prize of Santiago de Compostella and the Tarrega Pize of Benicasim. He holds an ARCM diploma from The Royal College of Music of London and has performed throughout eastern and western Europe as well as the United States and Mexico. He has also gained recognition as a composer and was awarded an Individual Artist Grant in music composition from the Marin Arts Council of California.

As a singer-songwriter, Kline draws inspiration from a slightly more unusual life experience which includes years working as a commercial fisherman, working as a wilderness guide, extensive travel on four continents, and living among Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians. An interest in Renaissance and Baroque music led him to design his own version of the eleven string arch guitar, an instrument which combines the best qualities of the lute and the guitar. The urge to expand his horizons and dedicate more time to composing led James to co- found the neo Celtic group Bardou with whom he performs regularly. He has again reinvented his instrument to become the world’s only player of the 19 string arch harp guitar, a combination of lute, guitar, and Celtic harp.

A modern day troubadour, his performances reflect a wonderful diversity of life experience and musical intrigue and are often punctuated with story telling.

“He is a complete musician, with outstanding technique on the guitar, and a lovely, warm expressiveness. A great guitarist, who should be heard.” ….David Russell

To learn more or join the LCCC, head to lincolncityculturalcenter.org or drop by the LCCC Information Center, open from 9 am to 5 pm Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesday).

Birds, prominent subject matter in Northwestern art, are honored in this annual Bird Themed Art Show. This year features the multimedia creations of Diane Archer, the photographic transfer based work of Nancy Abens, the handmade mobiles and cut paper sculpture of Elena Nikitin, the assemblage art of Jennifer Norman and paintings by Ronald Yasenchak.

Diane A. Archer’s mixed media work is a continuing exploration of physical and emotional aspects of place.  It is influenced by her studies of Deep Ecology and Bioregionalism, and informed by the practice of looking for the sacred in everyday life.

The work for this show is composed primarily of maps of Western Oregon, images of native trees and birds, and found objects. The maps have been altered, copied, enlarged and/or stained. Images are either drawn directly onto the maps or applied with image transfer methods.  Found objects are added using vials, specimen cases and glass “windows” or are embedded directly into the substrata of the art. The finished art is coated with several layers of acrylic and/or wax to protect the surface from dirt and sun. 

All of Diane’s work is meant to acknowledge and celebrate our connections to the world around us and the world within us.

Elena Nikitin does a variety of work including: watercolor and ink drawings, sculpture from cut paper, mobiles and oil paintings.

The cut paper sculpture and mobiles made exclusively for this years annual Bird Show at the Chessman Gallery dazzle the eye and defies gravity, often suspended in mid air and are laced with detail.

“I am an avid birder. I love discovering this other world,” Nancy Abens said. “Going out birding, spotting a new bird through my binoculars, and then getting a good photograph of it, is thrilling to me.”

“Going out birding, spotting a new bird through my binoculars, and then getting a good photograph of it, is thrilling to me.”

Nancy Abens

“The works here are photographic transfers of birds that I have spotted and captured digitally. Many are from my backyard, others from various travels. Being a very process oriented artist, just taking a photograph isn’t that enjoyable to me. So, besides using these images as inspirations for paintings, I decided to work with them as photographic transfers.”

“After taking many photographs of the birds I spot, I create various backgrounds for the images through layer techniques in Photoshop using other photographs I have taken of textures,” Abens continued. “The finished images are then transferred onto painted birch panels using a special transfer film and solution. In making these works, I was inspired by the early natural historians and painters such as Martin Johnson Heade, Audubon, and John Gould.”

Elena Nikitin has a degree in Architecture and a background in Palekh miniature painting. Palekh is a Russian folk handicraft of a miniature painting, which is done with tempera paints on varnished articles made of papier-mâché (small boxes and powder cases etc.).

Since the late 1990’s she has had four exhibits in Galleries in Portland, Oregon.

More recently, Elena Nikitin has worked as a fashion designer in her own atelier “Lena Couture”.… Read more “Bird Show takes flight April 12th”

Created by Oregon composer Ethan Gans-Morse and librettist Tiziana DellaRovere, “The Canticle of the Black Madonna” is a moving new opera that tells the story of a soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) returning from Afghanistan to his wife during the devastating 2010 Gulf Oil Spill in coastal Louisiana. It explores the healing power of transformation through divine love, embodied by the Black Madonna. “The Canticle of the Black Madonna” premiered in September 2014 at Portland’s Newmark Theatre, with an all-professional cast under nationally-renowned director Kristine McIntyre, formerly of the Metropolitan Opera.

In its development, the opera raised $75,000 through crowd funding, making it one of the most successful productions of its kind.

Coastal audiences will get another chance to see “Canticle” on April 13 and 14, at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. The LCCC will host two community screenings of  “The Canticle of the Black Madonna,” filmed during the 2014 premiere. On Saturday, April 13, there will be a special preview talk with Gans-Morse and DellaRovere at 6 pm, followed by the screening at 7 pm. On Sunday, April 14, the screening will begin at 2 pm and will be followed by an open discussion moderated by Sean Davis, veterans service specialist. Admission is free.

“In my career as a professional opera singer, I have premiered countless new works, but none has moved me so deeply as The Canticle of the Black Madonna,” said Pamela South, Grammy-Award winning soprano.

In its development, the opera raised $75,000 through crowd funding, making it one of the most successful productions of its kind.  

“The Canticle of the Black Madonna opened my heart and brought new healing to me, 44 years after I returned from Vietnam,” said Bill Ritch, Silver Star recipient and former West Point instructor. “This is a gift that should be shared with the world,” he said.

“The Canticle of the Black Madonna opened my heart and brought new healing to me, 44 years after I returned from Vietnam.”

Bill Ritch, Silver Star recipient and former West Point instructor.

Retired Oregon Army National Guardsman and Purple Heart recipient Sean Davis, serves as veteran service coordinator for the production. “The Canticle of the Black Madonna doesn’t only inspire the community with a beautiful story of survival and love, but Ethan Gans-Morse and Tiziana DellaRovere have gone out of their way to help veterans, sometimes behind the scenes” said Davis. “Much of the good they’ve done for veterans and their family members will never be seen by the public, but it has shown me that they not only talk the talk, they are actively taking action to help veterans and this inspires me to work even harder to do my part,” he said.

This is not the first collaboration between Gans-Morse and the Lincoln City Cultural Center. In September 2018, the LCCC was the venue of the world premiere of “Tango of the White Gardenia,” also created by the team of Gans-Morse and DellaRovere, For more information, call the LCCC at 541-994-9994 or head to canticleoftheblackmadonna.com.… Read more “Opera Explores PTSD & Veterans Issues”

You cannot lose when you buy a 50/50 Raffle Ticket as part of this year’s Culture, Of Course!, a benefit to support the Lincoln City Cultural Center. One lucky winner will take home three Ottoman Elegance rugs, each approximately 4’ x 6’6” imported from Turkey. The rugs were generously donated by Julie and Sener Otrugman of The Kelp Bed, in Lincoln City.

Another lucky ticket holder will have an amazing dining experience at The Bay House, the dinner for two from the restaurant’s five-course tasting menu with wine pairings hosted by Steve Wilson, Owner of The Bay House. Chef Kevin Ryan presides over the kitchen at this elegant establishment, creating a fine, changing seafood and meat menu (posted daily on the website). Only the freshest top-quality ingredients are used, plus the view is stunning.

Niki Price (left), Executive Director of the Lincoln City Cultural Center, presents the 2018 Grand Prize to winner Amy Graham.

And the grand prize? CASH! If your ticket is drawn, you will receive half the proceeds from all the raffle sales – a minimum of $1,000 but perhaps as much as $5,000. The drawing will be held at this year’s Culture, Of Course! Benefit Dinner & Auction, set for Saturday, May 4. You need not be present to win.

But, the greatest prize of all? Your contribution supports LCCC, including its many programs for the community. In 2018, LCCC hosted 322 events, from shows in the art gallery to Celtic concerts in the auditorium. From meetings to markets to mosaics, the LCCC offers programs for people of all ages and income levels – and the 50/50 raffle will help keep them coming in 2019 and beyond.

Buy your raffle tickets now! Raffle chances are $20 each, or six for $100. Only 500 tickets will be sold, so get your tickets before they sell out!

Sener Otrugman (right) and Julie Reynolds Otrugman pose with their friend Chester Noreikis and three “Ottoman Elegance” rugs, at The Kelp Bed in Oceanlake. The Otrugmans, who own the antique and kilim shop, have donated the rugs as a prize for the annual Culture, Of Course! 50/50 Raffle, benefitting the Lincoln City Cultural Center.

You can buy tickets anytime online through the LCCC website, or in person at the LCCC Information Desk. You can also purchase tickets from Cultural Center Board members and Culture, Of Course! committee members.

Come meet and buy tickets from the Board and Committee members on March 21 from 4-6 p.m. at Safeway and at McKays.

To learn more, to purchase tickets, or to contribute to the cultural cause, call 541-994-9994.

Buy Raffle Tickets Today About Culture, Of Course!

Culture, Of Course! is the premier event of the Lincoln City Cultural Center in which the local community comes together to raise money for the operations of LCCC and the improvement of the historic DeLake School building. The fifth annual Culture, Of Course! is set for Saturday, May 4 at the LCCC beginning at 5:30 p.m. This year’s theme is An Affair to Remember.… Read more “Culture, Of Course! raffle tickets now on sale”