Camas, WA —  For the 29th year, Camas Parks & Recreation is set to host the popular Summer Concerts in the Park series in Crown Park, with a few additional musical performances popping up at other venues. Our Summer Concerts offer family-friendly performances in a variety of musical styles.

The free Summer Concerts in the Park will take place Thursdays in July, with concerts taking place the 13 and 20 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Crown Park, located at 120 NE 17th Ave.

On Thursday, July 27, the music turns into a fun DJ/radio format to kick off the celebration at the Riverside Skatepark Grand Re-opening.  Additional pop-up concerts will take place August 8 at Crown Park and August 15 at Fallen Leaf Lake Park.

Pa’Lante with their fiery salsa and Latin jazz will be the featured show July 13.  On July 20, Shades of Huey brings your favorite Huey Lewis and the News music to the stage. Then, July 27, we move to the Riverside Skatepark to celebrate the re-design and grand re-opening with SameWave Radio (special time from 4- 7 pm.).  August 8 will take us to Crown Park to hear The June Bugs for their crowd-loving high energy pop music blended with a folksy sound.  And, if you loved attending last year’s concert at Fallen Leaf Lake Park, we’ll be returning there August 15 with the 4 Kings playing their soul-jazz and groove sounds.

Natalia’s Too! food concession will be available at most of the concerts.  You can support your local restaurants by purchasing take-out meals from a variety of Downtown Camas restaurants or from Top Burger, located across the street from the park.  Picnic dinners are always welcome. 

The Summer Concerts in the Park series is coordinated by Camas Parks and Recreation.  The concerts are offered to the public for free due to the generous support and sponsorships from Riverview Community Bank and Camas Parks Foundation.  

No alcohol, dogs or other animals are allowed in the park.  For concert details, closer to the events, visit www.cityofcamas.us/parksrec and click on “Special Events.”

Camas, WA – The organizers of First Fridays in Downtown Camas are excited to bring you a new and colorful First Friday theme for August. “Camas Comic Con” will take place on August 4, 5 pm-8 pm and will celebrate fandom of many different pop culture phenomena for an evening of photo ops, cosplay, special guests, games, art, crafts, interactive activities and more. Fandom will include comics, sci-fi, cosplay, anime, Disney, fantasy, and everything in between. If you are a fan of it, it counts! This free event has something for all ages and is organized and hosted by the Downtown Camas Association(DCA). 

Start your evening at the DCA tables inside Journey, 304 NE 4th to pick up your Camas Comic Con Passport & Activity list. The first 500 people to check in will receive a free Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters comic book, donated by local PDX comic publisher Oni Press. Family friendly costumes are highly encouraged for this event. Attendees will each get a Comic Con Costume bingo card to try to complete throughout the evening, with categories like Marvel, DC, Disney, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Star Trek, Anime and more. Secret costume judges will be wandering throughout downtown, giving out chances to win a special prize to those who go above and beyond with their Comic Con cosplay attire.

The PDX Ghostbusters, a donation-based charity cosplay group, will be hosting a slime-making activity for kids of all ages. This activity has been generously sponsored by 4Ever Growing Kids Children’s Consignment Boutique. PDX Ghostbusters will also be bringing their Ecto-1S, a replica of the car used in the Ghostbusters movies. Find the Ghostbusters from 5pm-8pm outside 4Ever Growing Kids at 440 NE 4th.

Other Camas Comic Con First Friday activities include:

  • “Fandom Fun!” Passport Activity with fandom trivia and puzzles throughout downtown businesses–enter to win prizes for every location you visit.
  • Collectible Lanyards for the first 300 people to check in. These 2023 Camas Comic Con lanyards and badges are sponsored by these downtown businesses: 4Ever Growing KidsMandi MOON ArtistryThe Wild HairPNW Financial ConciergeSweet Intention Gift BoutiqueLiveWell Camas and Juxtaposition.
  • Speed Pin Trading sponsored by the DCA inside the lobby at Fuel Medical from 5pm-7pm or while supplies last. Participants will each receive 5 free fandom pins to start and will check out new pins on 10 different display boards—you will have 30 seconds at each board to trade a pin or pass!
  • Light Saber Lessons and comic book art activity from the talented people at Torchsong Entertainment
  • Kawaii Doodle Challenge–learn to draw a “Kawaii” (Japanese for cute) style doodle and get a free chibi style Joe Papermaker sticker, designed by local artist and recent WHS graduate Stella Van Horn
  • Selfie Stations throughout downtown, with themes like Marvel, Pop Art, Disney, and more
  • Checkout the new “Book Bike” brought to us for this event from the Camas Public Library
  • Wandering Photo Ops with the  501st Star Wars Legion of Oregon
  • FREE themed Kids’ Craft at LiveWell Camas, 417 NE Birch, from 5-8pm with Girl Scout Troop #47503 
  • Art Shows & Receptions at Attic Gallery, 421 NE Cedar; Camas Gallery, 408 NE 4thPike Art Gallery, 302 NE 6th; and the Second Story Gallery, 625 NE 4th
  • Shopping and Dining Specials throughout Downtown Camas 

“The excitement for the first Camas Comic Con themed First Friday is palpable in Downtown Camas!” says Leah Nichelson, Event and Project Manager for the DCA. “Every First Friday invites people to dress up, but we can’t wait to see creativity come alive with people cosplaying as superhero, Disney, Star Wars, Star Trek, anime, and other possibly unexpected pop culture characters! Merchants will offer later shopping hours, and event goers can enjoy special one night only outdoor dining at certain downtown restaurants, all while celebrating the fandoms that bring them joy.”

First Fridays are family-friendly themed Art, Activities, Dining, and After-Hours Shopping events coordinated by the DCA each month to bring the community together and to help the town thrive. For all the information, visit https://downtowncamas.com/event/camas-comic-con and www.facebook.com/camasfirstfriday. To sign up for the weekly DCA newsletter, visit https://downtowncamas.com/newsletter-signup

The fourth annual Fern Prairie ART FEST is a two-day event connecting local artists and the community on Saturday and Sunday, July 29-30 from 10 am to 4 pm. The ART FEST is staged in the peaceful and tranquil setting of Shangri-La Farm, located 1.5 miles north of Lacamas Lake just outside the city limits of Camas, Washington. A total of 13 artist booths will be featured in the juried show. This event is free to the public. 

Thirteen artists are excited to show and sell their work at ART FEST including copper artist David Gerton. “I work in Mixed Media using a base of Copper-foil, Alcohol Ink and other coloring media under Crystal Resin. I concentrate on wildlife and the natural world,” said David Gerton. Gerton will be joined by artists Sarah Bang, Bev Birdwell, Matthew Clarkson, Cheryl Folkers, Dave Garbot, Charlene Hale, Amy Jan Ernst, Cheryl Mathieson, Keith Russell, Liz Pike, Hiroko Stumpf, and Roxanne Turley. Original work includes paintings in oils, acrylics and watercolor, pastels, mixed media, pottery, fused and enamel glass, jewelry, pen and ink, and copper mixed media. 

New to the Fern Prairie ART FEST this year is a Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce sponsored Mini- Wine and Beer Garden and Diamond Dogs. 

The public is invited to take in original works of art surrounded by the beautiful gardens at Shangri-La Farm. Attendees will park at rented Grove Field Airport parking lot, 632 NE 267th Avenue, Camas, WA. Guests may either walk the 1/4 mile trail through the woods to Shangri-La Farm or take the free “Sunflower Mobile” shuttle service. 

The Sunflower Mobile is an art piece all on its own, hand painted by Liz Pike in oils on fiberglass in her signature sunflower motif. The free shuttle will be available to transport attendees from the airport parking lot to Shangri-La Farm on both days, Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30 between 10am and 4pm. 

Washougal, WA — Washougal High School drama presents “Mean Girls the Musical” on May 12, 13, 19, and 20 at 7 pm and on May 13 and 20 at 2 pm. The nostalgic musical was written by Tina Fey and is an adaptation of the 2004 movie by the same name. Tickets are $10 per attendee and are available at the door. Students who qualify for HB1660 can come to the ASB office the week before the performance to get tickets. 

“This is a fun, wild ride through the world of classic movie high school,” said Kelly Gregersen, drama teacher at Washougal High School. 

The plot follows sixteen year old homeschooled student Cady Heron who moves to the United States from Africa and navigates difficult social dynamics at her new school. Claire Zakovics, 11th grade student at Washougal High School, plays the lead role of Cady Heron. 

The cast of 47 student actors have worked diligently since March to prepare the production for the stage. Twenty student members in the technical and musical crews support the production. 

“The most exciting part of being a part of the Mean Girls cast is realizing that everything is student made, from the pit playing the songs live to the set and posters being made by students. It shows how hard our community works and cares about each other,” said Daisha Paz-Mondoza, senior at Washougal High School. Paz-Mendoza plays the role of Janis Sarkisian, one of Heron’s first friends at the new high school.

On April 25, Washougal community passed two levies supporting student-centered programs for the next three years. Performing arts productions like “Mean Girls the Musical” are levy-funded. 

“Everyone’s really welcoming and nice,” Washougal High School student Shelby Rappe said of the Washougal High School drama department. “I’ve never felt like I didn’t belong.”

More information about “Mean Girls the Musical” at Washougal High School is available on the Washougal High School website.  

Washougal, WA — The Washougal Art Festival is pleased to announce a call for artists for its annual event, August 12, 2023. The festival will take place in beautiful Reflection Plaza, nestled in the heart of historic downtown Washougal.

The Washougal Art Festival is seeking artists of all mediums, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, glass, textiles, jewelry, and photography. The festival is open to both emerging and established artists, and applications will be accepted through May 1, 2023.

All entries will be juried based on originality, creativity, craftsmanship, and professionalism. Judging will also consider the expression of a unique vision and style, and the mastery over the artist’s chosen medium. Artists are selected for festival participation by a jury of local artists and gallery owners.

“We are thrilled to invite artists from all over the Pacific Northwest to showcase their talent at the Washougal Art Festival,” said festival organizer, Janice Ferguson. “This is a wonderful opportunity to share your work with art enthusiasts, make connections with fellow artists, and enjoy the vibrant arts community of Washougal.”

In addition, the Washougal Art Festival will collaborate with the Washougal Songcraft Festival, featuring regional songwriters. There will be performances in Reflection Plaza during the Washougal Art Festival, concerts at 54-40 Brewing on Friday and Saturday evenings, and workshops with an open mic on Sunday.

Please visit their website for more information and the Artist Entry Form at https://washougalarts.org/ . Entries must be received by Monday, May 1, 2023.

Washougal Art

Camas, WA — Artists and art lovers will gather to admire and purchase original small-scale works of art at the Little Art Camas event on March 24th and 25th in Downtown Camas. This two-day community exhibition features “little” works of art created by artists of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, from local professional artists to promising art students. 

Each participating artist has created 3 individual pieces that can each be purchased for $20. Little Art Camas is hosted by the Downtown Camas Association (DCA) and is a fundraiser to further public art efforts.

Local art collectors will also enjoy the new silent auction featured at this year’s event. The auction will be comprised of works in multiple mediums, all generously donated by local artists and galleries. Among other offerings, event goers will have the opportunity to bid on a hand painted and hand thrown stoneware bowl with a Downtown Camas theme by artist Anna Norris, a classic Corvair painted by artist Keith Russel, a patriotic piece of copper artistry by David Gerton, and a hand painted ceramic cat by budding 8 year old artist Lexie Keels.

Tickets to the event are $5 at the door and good for both Friday and Saturday. Children 12 & under are free. The ceremonial ringing of the cowbell Friday evening will kick off the art buying excitement. Art sizes include 5×5, 5×7 and 8×8. The event will be hosted in the beautiful Fuel Medical Building lobby in Downtown Camas, 314 NE Birch.

“Little Art Camas is a special event that makes art collecting and appreciation available for everyone!” says Jan Carter, Marketing & Volunteer Coordinator for the DCA. “The artists truly put their passion and heart into their artworks, and it brings us so much joy to see someone walk home with a new piece of art that speaks to them. The silent auction will be a welcome addition, and we are thrilled about the pieces that were donated to us. This event truly celebrates the diverse and thriving art scene in Downtown Camas!”

The event on Friday, 5-8pm, will have live music by jazz guitarist Bret Malmquist and appetizers and wine will add to the fun. The event continues Saturday, 12-4pm, with an “Art Refresh”. Patrons are encouraged to attend both days, as many new pieces will be added on Saturday. Purchased art can be picked up after the exhibit on Saturday or on Sunday so that all art can be enjoyed both days. See details in the Event Schedule below.

Event Schedule

Friday, March 24th, Exhibit Opens

5-6 pm Art Preview

Preview art and register for your Buyer Number and buy up to 5 “Buyer’s Buttons”. Your Buyer’s Buttons are stickers with your Buyer Number on them. The silent auction will run the entirety of the event on Friday and Saturday.

6 pm The “Cowbell” Rings

The bell rings and buying starts.

6-8 pm Exhibit Browsing and Buying

Use your Buyer’s Button stickers to mark your chosen treasures by replacing the Artwork Number sticker with your Buyer Button. That signals other browsers that this work is taken. You may start placing your Buyer’s Buttons when you hear the “cowbell” ring at 6pm. Return your Buyer’s Card with the artwork numbers on it to the registration desk before you leave for the evening.

Saturday, March 25th, Exhibit Continues with “Art Refresh”

12-4 pm Exhibit Browsing and Buying

Many new art works will be added to the exhibit that were not displayed on Friday.

4-5 pm Art Pick up (continues Sunday).

Both buyers and artists of unsold works can pick up their artwork during this time.

Sunday, March 26th

12-2 pm Art Pick up continues

Please pick up purchases and/or unsold works by the 2 PM deadline. If unable to make these times, please send a friend.

Camas, WA — Artists Liz Pike and Blue Bond are exhibiting new works at Pike Art Gallery in uptown Camas, located at 302 NE Sixth Avenue. The public is invited to an upscale First Friday Art Walk Reception on March 3rd from 5-8pm featuring delicious appetizers and beverages. The new gallery space opened last month at the corner of NE Sixth and Birch Street.

“In addition to my own works of art, I’m honored to feature beautiful oils on canvas by the talented Blue Bond at Pike Art Gallery,” said Pike. “The public is invited to a welcoming First Friday Art reception each month.” Pike and Bond both work in oils on canvas and have been painting throughout their respective lifetimes.  This new setting is a second location for Pike Art Gallery which opened a few years ago inside a stand-alone building at Pike’s organic Shangri-La Farm in Fern Prairie.”

Bond is known nationally as a prize-winning portrait artist. Pike has been juried into Clark County Open Studios Tour each year since 2017. Pike also shows her work at several regional art festivals including the Fern Prairie Art Fest, Washougal Art Festival, Battle Ground’s Art in the Park, and Camas Vintage and Art Faire. Pike Art Gallery can be reached at (360) 281-8720. Visit LizPike.art on the web.

Pike

The Clark College Orchestra performs their Winter Concert of the 2022-2023 season under the baton of Music Director/Conductor Dr. Donald Appert on Wednesday, March 8, 7:30 pm at Skyview High School Auditorium, 1300 NW 139th St, Vancouver, WA. 

The program features soloist Brett Deubner performing Dr. Appert’s Viola Concerto and Eric Whitacres’ The River Cam, and the orchestra also plays Shostakovich Symphony 1. The admission is free and open to the public. Donations to the Orchestra General Fund accepted at the door.

For complete information about all the Clark College Music Department concerts including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/music-concerts.

American violist Brett Deubner has established himself as one of the foremost violists of his generation. As a sought after soloist who has performed with orchestras on five continents, Deubner has redefined the role of “solo artist” and given the viola a new standing in the world of classical music through his virtuosity, commitment to championing new music and dedication to fostering the next generation’s young artists.

As a concerto soloist, Deubner’s debut with the Grammy award-winning New Jersey Symphony Orchestra premiering Lalo Schifrin’s Triple Concerto resulted in numerous subsequent engagements throughout the U.S. and abroad. Deubner went on to perform worldwide as one of this century’s most important viola soloists appearing with more than 80 orchestras in 11 countries to unanimous approval for “the warmth and sparkling” quality of his playing. (Doblinger Press, Vienna) To date Deubner has received over 50 viola concertos composed and dedicated to him and he has made 20 CDs on various labels such as Naxos, Centaur, Innova and Albany to critical acclaim and glowing reviews.

In 2017, Deubner received the United States Congressional Certificate of Recognition for his commitment to music and education. In 2019, Deubner received a Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Classical CD Recording” for his recording of Houston Dunleavy’s Concerto “A Kiss Before the World’s End” with the Orquesta de Heredia of Costa Rica. He is a recipient of the 2022 Global Music Awards Silver Medal for his recording “Transfiguration” an album of works by Stanley Grill for two, three and four violas of which he recorded all the parts.

In 2022-2023, Deubner will perform 10 viola concertos with orchestras in North and South America as well as Europe. In addition to recording with Deubner’s piano partner Allison Brewster Franzetti in a highly acclaimed debut album “Mother Earth,” this season he will release his debut “Solo” album featuring works composed for him. In the fall of 2022 he will make concerto recordings in Prague with the Czech Chamber Philharmonic and in Estonia with the Laanesaarte Kammerorkester.

A devoted and passionate chamber music collaborator Deubner has performed with Pinchas Zukerman, Joseph Kalichstein, Andre Michel-Schub, the Tokyo Quartet, Vermeer Quartet, Colorado Quartet clarinetists Guy Deplus and Alexander Fiterstein, as well as flutists Ransom Wilson and Carol Wincenc. Brett Deubner makes his home in the New York Metropolitan area where he is currently on the string faculty of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in New York. He is on the faculty of the Round Top Festival in Texas. He plays on a viola made for him by Alejandro Bacelar and is officially endorsed by D’Addario, the world’s largest strings manufacturer, as a solo artist who uses the Kaplan Amo strings exclusively.

Donald Appert has appeared as a guest conductor in Japan, Australia, Central America, and throughout Europe.  In Italy La’ovadese wrote, “…the performance of the ‘Serenade in C Major’ of Tchaikovsky, under the exceptional direction of Appert, was in such a style that it brought out the elegance and grace of the melodic lines with Mozartian inspiration.  …The L’Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Grosseto… performed the Barber ‘Adagio’ with rare effectiveness, emphasizing its intrinsically rich melody.”  Giornale di Sicilla praised his interpretation of Nielsen’s First Symphony as “lyrical with an airy freshness,” and his conducting as “precise, painstakingly accurate, and diligent.”  In the United States, he has appeared as a guest conductor of the Vancouver (Washington) Symphony, the University of Texas – Arlington Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern Washington University Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Central Arkansas Symphony.He currently serves as the Music Director/Conductor of the Oregon Sinfonietta and the Jewish Community Orchestra of Portland.

Dr. Appert was awarded the 2020 Winner of The American Prize in Orchestral Programming. He won this same award in 2011 and in 2015 was named an Honored Artist by The American Prize Competition.

Camas, WA — Following a 15-year hiatus, local artist Liz Pike is reopening Pike Art Gallery next month in downtown Camas in a shared space with Minuteman Press, located at 302 NE Sixth Avenue. The public is invited to an upscale ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Pike Art Gallery on Thursday, February 2nd at 4:30 pm featuring sumptuous appetizers and beverages.

The ribbon cutting will be conducted by the Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce. The new gallery space is at the corner of NE Sixth and Birch Street and will be open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays by private appointment. 

“I’m thrilled to be going back to my roots as a downtown gallery owner,” said Pike. “I’m also looking forward to hosting a welcoming First Friday Art reception each month at this new location to unveil my new works of art with the public. I appreciate this unique opportunity to share space with my good friend Jason Young, owner of Minuteman Press.”

Upon implementing efficiencies with the latest technology in full service printing, Minuteman Press has made prime square footage available to Pike for use as an art gallery showroom. 

This new setting is a second location for Pike Art Gallery which opened a few years ago inside a stand- alone building at Pike’s organic Shangri-La Farm in Fern Prairie. She operated the original Pike Art Gallery in downtown Camas from 2005 to 2008 on Dallas Street. 

“Art galleries bring more visitors to Camas which boosts economic activity for our downtown restaurants, retail shops and service merchants,” said Pike. 

Her new gallery adds to the vibrancy of NE Sixth Avenue’s existing businesses which include a popular retail bike store and salon located directly across the street in the Clara Flats building, one of Camas’ newest eco-friendly mixed use buildings with spacious views. 

Pike has been painting in oils on canvas since 1984. Her work has been featured in restaurants in Honolulu where she lived for ten years and most recently at Camas Gallery, which has represented Pike’s original art since 2016. She has been juried into Clark County Open Studios Tour each year since 2017. Pike also shows her work at several regional art festivals including the Fern Prairie Art Fest, Washougal Art Festival, Battle Ground’s Art in the Park, and Camas Vintage and Art Faire. 

Pike can be reached at (360) 281-8720.


Pike

Camas, WA – Lara Blair’s newest art collection will debut February 3rd from 4-8 pm in Camas at The Loft art gallery located inside Lara Blair photography. The address is 411 NE Dallas St, Camas, WA. This second show is titled Nostalgic Sugar and features mixed media pieces.

The theme of this current collection came from a look back to the things in Blair’s childhood that made her happy. Donuts, cupcakes, cookies, and oddly, miniature people. It sounds bizarre, but on a gallery wall, it all comes together.

Blair’s ultimate goal as an artist is to delight, amuse and inspire the viewer. She is aware that humans frequently pull from the same nostalgic memory bank to feel joy, especially when enjoying art.

The mediums used in her work are clay, wood, resin, paint, 3D printing and various ephemera to create realistic sweet treats and detailed dioramas.

All work is available for purchase. One piece will be raffled off at the end of the evening on February 3rd.

Blair
Ice cream mini people.
Blair