Artist, Charlotte Wharton will be demonstrating a 5 day Plein Air – Landscape workshop in oil and pastel.  Learn how to interpret “your sense” of Nature’s rhythms and bring heightened color awareness to your paintings using the language of artistic energy and the Munsell Color System.  This study will include and go beyond the fundamentals of composition.  A group critique will follow the workshop.  All levels.   Fees are $250.00 Members, $275.00 Non Members.  Paint Supply list available at the League.  Please sign up by April 30th.  $100 deposit required at time of registration.  For more info, call the League 903-569-8877.  Mineola League of the Arts, 200 W Blair.

Quilter, Lynn Astumian will be demonstrating a quick and easy “I Spy” quilt on Saturday, May 12th from 9:30am to 3:30pm.  Novelty packs are available for purchase for $10.00 from Lynn.  Fees are $25 Members, $35 Non Members.  Supply list will be available at the League.  For more info, call the League 903-569-8877.  Mineola League of the Arts, 200 W Blair.

Joyce Hurlburt from Arkansas will be demonstrating a unique paper piecing technique (with no paper to tear off)  in making quilt tops.  This technique will work with any paper piecing pattern.  Freeezer paper kit is free.  Fees are $30 Members, $40 Non Members.  Supply list available at the League.  Please register by April 20th.  For more info, call the League 903-569-8877.  Mineola League of the Arts, 200 W Blair.

Wanda Sharp from Oklahoma will be at the Mineola League of the Arts teaching a quilt class on “Scrappy Road to Oklahoma”.  Fees are $25 Members, $35 Non Members.  Supply list is available at the League.  Please sign up for this class by March 25th.  For more info, call the League 903-569-88787.  Mineola League of the Arts, 200 W. Blair.

Sandy Griffin will be demonstrating how to make a colorful multi beaded necklace on February 29th beginning at 10:00am.  This basic sprial necklace will delight your creative spirit and surprise you with its’ versatility in design.  Fees are $10 Members, $15 Non Members, which includes the kit for the class.  Please sign up by February 24th, so Sandy has an indication of how many kits she would need.  For more info, call the League 903-569-8877.  Mineola League of the Arts, 200 W Blair.

Teresa McKenzie will be holding a web painting class on Wednesday, March 14 from 10:00am to 3:00pm.  This is an abstract type of painting which uses Halloween spider webbing.  Very interesting and exciting to see how your painting turns out.  Fees are $25 Members, $35 Non Members.  Supplies are furnished.  If you have your own inks or acrylics that you would like to try, you can bring them.  Mineola League of the Arts, 200 W Blair, Mineola.  For additional info, call the League 903-569-8877.

For those of you that have worked with Norman Kennedy, you already know he’s a master weaver and spinner.  Norman will teaching a Spinning class on Saturday and Sunday, March 10th & 11th from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Fees are $100, with a deposit of $25 due at time of registration.  If you are interested in this class or need more information, please call the League at 903-569-8877.  Mineola League of the Arts.

Quilter, Lynn Astumian will be teaching a class on strip tubing quilting on Saturday, February 25th from 9:30am to 4:30pm.  This is for beginners as well as advanced quilters.  Fees  are $25 Members, $35 Non Members.  You will need a strip tube ruler $16.95.  Supply list is available at the League.   If you are interested in this class and wouuld like to register or need more information, please call the League 903-569-8877.  Mineola League of the Arts, 200 W Blair.

Quilter, Lynn Astumian will be teaching a class on the Blooming Nine Patch pattern.  This class is for beginners as well as advanced quilters.  Fees are $25 Members, $35 Non Members.  You will need a book titled “Traditions with a Twist” (inlcudes pattern and supply list), available at Stitchin Heaven in Quitman or from Amazon.   It will be on Saturday, February 11th from 9:30am to 4:30pm.  If you are interested, please call the League 903-569-8877 to register and enquire about supply list.  Mineola League of the Arts.

Truffula Tree wins the 2011 Mineola Gypsy Market Battle of the Bands

Truffula Tree from Tyler won the Mineola Gypsy Market 2011 Battle of the Bands on Saturday, October 8th. Eight bands competed, but in the end it was Truffula Tree that took home the $2000 first prize.

The Mineola Gypsy Market is produced by a committee of local residents who started out four years ago, seeking to create a unique event in Mineola. The Battle of the Bands was a new addition, compared previous Gypsy Market events. The community embraced this concept and it was a hit.

The event was sponsored by Budweiser and this was the first time in history that beer was legally served at an event on the streets of downtown Mineola. The local VFW post served the Budweiser and retained 100% of the profits from beer sales. Thousands of people attended the event and not one single problem, alcohol-related or not, was reported.

The Mineola Gypsy Market would like to thank the people of Mineola for embracing this event and making it a smashing success.

The Mineola Gypsy Market has announced the ten bands that will compete for the $2000 cash first prize in the Mineola Gypsy Market Battle of the Bands on October 8th, 2011.

The bands, in the order they will appear, are:

1. Wesley Pruitt Band
2. Gypsy Rebel
3. Shelby Pace
4. Truffula Tree
5. Last Call Outlaws
6. Dazed
7. Backroad Bandits
8. Ramoth-Gilead and His Affiliads
9. Archimedes, Watch Out!
10. Thomas Wade and the Busriders

One of these bands will walk away with the $2000 first prize on October 8th. For full details regarding the Battle of the Bands as well as the Mineola Gypsy Market in general, please visit MineolaGypsyMarket.com.

I was told not to compare the movie and the play when it comes to “Bus Stop”, which is being performed at Lindale Community Theater this weekend. The play debuted in 1955. It’s a “slice of life” drama with plenty of comedic moments. It moves quickly and will take you on an emotion-filled journey through the lives of the characters.

In their second season, LCT doing a summer drama is somewhat of a departure from “the norm” in the world of community theater. Tim Mitchiner and his cast and crew really did a nice job on this show. It will stimulate several of your senses.

The play ran last weekend and broke attendance records at LCT. It opens back up Friday, July 15th at 7:30 and runs Saturday night at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 PM.

A tense moment between the characters of Bo and Cherrie in William Inge's "Bus Stop" at Lindale Community Theater.

Reservations can be made by calling 903-638-0402.

Tickets are $10.

Local bands have until July 31st to enter the Battle of the Bands event at the Mineola Gypsy Market Music & Arts Festival.

The winner will walk away that day with $2000 in cash winnings. Ten bands will compete in the event to be held on Saturday, October 8, 2011.

Interested parties can download and print all necessary entry forms and read the complete rules at the Gypsy Market web site.

The Mineola Gypsy Market is produced in conjunction with the City of Mineola. This is the 4th event in a 3 year period. This event is now an annual event that takes place in October.

Admission is always free to the Gypsy Market and there is always ample free and close parking.

It promises to be a day of good music, fun, games and lots of activity for the kids and ALWAYS plenty to eat and drink.

Again, the deadline for bands to enter the Battle of the Bands is July 31st, so get to the Gypsy Market web site and get your entry forms now and get entered so you can win the $2000 cash first prize.

Battle of the Bands in Mineola. $2000 Cash First Prize!

Come see the fun show based on the Charles Schultz cartoon characters. This is a great show for the whole family. The kids will love it.

The show runs April 8, 9 & 10 – 15, 16 & 17 at the Lake Country Playhouse.