SOU’WESTER EVENTS!
Discover what’s happening during your next stay or plan a visit around our free live music, workshops, wellness offerings and more!
Flamenco is an improvisational art form that combines song, dance, instruments (mainly guitar), hand clapping, and other percussion elements. Declared a World Heritage Treasure by UNESCO in 2016, Flamenco developed as an amalgamation of centuries of cross pollination between the many cultural presences within Spain and along Spanish trade routes. While it’s precise history is unknown, it is thought to be greatly influenced by the Roma people, called Gitanos, who migrated from Rajasthan to Spain between the 9th and 14th centuries, bringing with them tambourines, bells, castanets and a variety of songs and dances. The arm and hand movements of Flamenco closely resemble those of classical Indian dance. These traditions combined with the cultures of the Sephardic Jews and Moors make up the Flamenco we see today.
This event is free and open to the public
Workshop Series at The Sou’wester
Kinchaku Kago: Japanese Basket Purse with Donna Crispin
Weave a bit of Japanese culture into your day by making a “kinchaku kago” or Japanese basket purse, large enough to carry your phone and wallet. We will twine and plait with cane and reed to create this small purse, lined with handmade paper. The top portion will be a pre- made drawstring bag that we will sew onto the basket. This basket design by Donna was featured in Belle Armoire magazine.
“Eugene weaver and basketmaker Donna Sakamoto Crispin isn’t one to expound on the depth of meaning in each piece of her vastly diverse body of work. Rather, she is one of those rare, refreshing artists who allows a work of art to speak for itself–and, often, for her. Ms. Crispin’s art form utilizes traditional Japanese and Native American techniques passed down from generation to generation for hundreds, even thousands of years. She believes her work as artist and teacher is fundamental to preserving this craft which, outside of the realm of art, is largely obsolete.
But beyond these considerations–and we should hope every artist regards the heritage of their craft with such reverence–Ms. Crispin doesn’t get overly concerned with the details. “I’m just doing what I want to do,” she says. “I like to see what I can do with different materials. Often, I’m just responding to the environment.” This usually means she works with materials gathered sustainably, from leaves and pine needles gathered from the forest floor to painstakingly harvested strips of cedar bark.
But sometimes, Ms. Crispin creates a piece that seems to be in direct conversation with the world around her. As complex, intricate, and varied as all her work is, it is these landscape-inspired pieces that are arguably the best examples of Ms. Crispin’s artistry. While artist-in-residence at Playa Home in Summer Lake, Oregon, Ms. Crispin created Willow Pod, seen above, a living willow and red osier dogwood basket. The juxtaposition of basket and landscape reminds her, she says, of the Japanese concept of wabi, “a lonely sense of impermanence.” It is perhaps appropriate that all she need say in explanation of the piece is a single word, all others failing. Isn’t that, after all, why we create visual art in the first place: because explanations, summaries, generalizations–words–simply aren’t enough.” ~Luke Fannin
COST: $50 plus $25 material fee (Please pay material fee directly to the instructor.)
BRING: scissors, checkbook box (for a mold), awl, water bottle, old towel, and please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Hot tea and coffee provided.
All workshops are open to the public.
All Skill Levels Welcome. Open to students age 16 and up.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542
Cynthia O’Brien is an artist of many facets — spiritual, musical and intellectual. She is soulful, passionate and easy to connect with, and the songs she shares range from whimsical originals to re-interpretations of ancient folk songs, 70s pop and smoky jazz standards. Her performances include songs about real life, love, regret, inspiration, midlife crises, parenting and contentment.
Cynthia started performing as a child in church, building skills on piano, guitar, ukulele and harp. Following her passion for music, she graduated from USC with degrees in choral conducting and journalism, leading her to be a music critic for Copley Newspapers, covering Los Angeles’ most prestigious operas, orchestras and choral performances. She directed a Spanish-speaking choir, Voces de Amor, in uplifting concerts for nonprofits serving Latino communities. Cynthia and her husband, Michael, relocated to the Northwest in 1996 to lead a spiritual community. She has since become an influential member of Portland’s music scene, helping build the new nonprofit Youth Music Project in West Linn, where she taught vocal performance, guitar and piano. From being a Copa Girl at Tony Starlight’s Supperclub and Lounge, to singing at weddings and open mics, Cynthia’s mission is to surprise and delight her listeners, mentor young musicians, and build friendships through music.
Chris Frimoth is a multi-instrumentalist and original singer/songwriter who grew up in the Portland area as the son of a minister/clown/radio host, and a writer/clown/wife. Chris is equally at home on keyboard, guitar, ukulele and melodica. Known to many as Chris Taylor, he has been a radio personality in the Portland broadcasting scene, and a DJ and professional emcee for countless weddings and events. Chris is the keyboardist/acoustic guitarist/vocalist for the Portland band HomeBrew; he also played for 13 years in a church worship band and has performed as a soloist throughout the Northwest. Under his Chris Taylor name, he released a solo album in 2012, “In Those Days.” He and his wife, Barb, are busy voiceover artists whose work is regularly heard on radio and television stations and many other multimedia presentations. And to keep things real, Chris is involved in his community as a part-time cashier for New Seasons Market.
As musical collaborators, Cynthia and Chris are collectors and re-imaginers of songs familiar and strange. Their songs aim to cheer you up and calm you down. Having played in a variety of settings from wine bars to street fairs, they most enjoy the intimacy of small venues for the connection they can share with their listeners, creating space to reminisce, imagine, and enjoy a night of calm under the stars.
This event is free and open to the public
Workshop Series at The Sou’wester
Ayurvedic Nutrition and Self Care for Autumnal Equinox with Elyssia Schaeffer
Learn how to use the ancient healing practices of Ayurveda and Yoga to keep your body and mind balanced as we transition from Summer To Fall. Seasonal beverages and snacks will be provided!
Elyssia Schaeffer is a Certified Wellness Coach and Registered Yoga Teacher from Portland, OR blending her knowledge of Ayurveda, Yoga and holistic nutrition to share person-centered seasonal eating and self care practices.
COST: $15
BRING: Yoga mat and a blanket. Please wear comfortable clothes.
All workshops are open to the public.
All Skill Levels Welcome.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542
Workshop Series at The Sou’wester
Topography of Self: Writing Workshop with Sara Blackthorne
Topography of Self: (n) the way places infuse, inspire, and invade our writing life
Topography of Self is an investigation into the way place appears in our writing. It is a road map to the places we have lived, breathed, dreamed, and suffered. Designed to infuse your work with sensation by pushing you deep into your own sense memory, this course will inspire, enlighten, and enliven your work.
The places we go, the landscapes we discover, change and alter us. Our journey to new territories inspires us, and these locations leave traces of their being in our hearts. Exploring the impact these places have on our souls and psyches gives us new insight into our experiences and fodder for our writing. It changes the way we talk about place. Our place.
Rooting into the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, we will use writing prompts, images, smells, and sounds to dig deep into our image vocabularies and discover our internal geography. Through this discovery, we begin to write the stories that mirror the topographies of our journey to this moment.
A writer, editor, creative coach, and intuitive ritualist, Sara Blackthorne brings her love of mystery and the journey to her writing and art. She can often be found wandering along the beach, in the forest, or a city street. Her first chapbook, Wander, explores the topography of self.
COST: $40
BRING: Notebook, writing instruments, photograph or object representing their favorite place (suggested but not required.) Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Hot tea and coffee provided.
All workshops are open to the public.
All Skill Levels Welcome.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542
With songs as vivid as feature films, Seattle indie-folk duo, The Winterlings
take listeners on
unexpected journeys soaring with astronauts above a warming planet, hitchhiking from Alaska with a
fisherman, fighting beside a female Civil War soldier, and walking deeper into the forest of human
existence. PASTE called their January 2016 release, You Are Acres, “a gorgeous follow-up to their
stunning debut,” and No Depression called their November 2016 album, Poems That Live As People,
“absolutely spellbinding.” Featuring male and female lead vocal and harmonies, guitar, violin, banjitar
and drums, The Winterlings build bonfires of sound to dance and dream beside.
Workshop Series at The Sou’wester
Radio Muse: Writing Workshop with Meg Weber
Writers find inspiration anywhere. In this workshop, we’ll use song lyrics from singer-songwriters as prompts for writing. We’ll explore how the confluence of words, rhythm, melody, and harmony affect our own words and stories. We will listen to songs from several musicians and read along with the lyrics. Then we’ll write together and share these fledgling bits of story aloud. At the end of our workshop, you’ll walk away with several short pieces of fresh writing and hopefully a new appreciation for how music can influence and inspire your writing. Fiction and nonfiction writers welcome, no experience necessary.
Meg Weber writes to connect with herself and to understand the world around her. She believes in the power of words and in the synergy created by writing in community. Meg holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology and is a therapist in private practice. Her work has been featured at MUTHA Magazine, The Manifest-Station, and The Quotable. She is currently at work on two book-length memoir projects.
COST: $40
BRING: Notebook, writing instruments, photograph that represents a memorable event or age in the individual’s life (suggested, not required.) Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Hot tea and coffee provided.
All workshops are open to the public.
All Skill Levels Welcome.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542
WEEKLY EVENT
Mindfulness Talk with Shanna Gillette
Shanna is a certified yoga teacher, ordained metaphysical counselor and empath. Her journey began as a small child inadvertently discovering deep meditation as an escape from abuse. Having always had an interest in the unseen and unexplained, she began having out of body experiences before learning to speak. Eventually she received a regents scholarship to ASU for religious studies. A series of intense life changing experiences including a serious car accident brought her to the first of several “awakenings,” beginning most notably in 2005. She now helps people through the shift in consciousness we are currently experiencing, assisting them along the path toward self-forgiveness and self-love – the greatest journey of all.
Truly exemplifying her favorite quote from Kahlil Gibran, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain,’ she adds, “The journey to wellness is a constantly evolving process where we learn to nurture body and mind beginning with the heart; To truly understand that the most important step to long-lasting good health and harmony isn’t necessarily about sweating our way to perfect abs or contorting our bodies into painful positions. It starts within. It’s about self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, and self-love. It’s about learning to accept and respect ourselves wherever we may be. Through the physicality of yoga, we tune into a deeper more expansive space beyond the trivial day to day. We learn that it’s ok to nurture ourselves and to ALLOW our spirits to be happy.”
Shanna received her yoga teacher’s certification at Bryan Kest’s world renowned studio in Santa Monica, CA. She attended Arizona State University for Religious Studies, and is currently studying at the University of Metaphysics Sedona. She is available for private yoga and counseling sessions and can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/shanna.gillette
http://www.facebook.com/justbevibration
COST: Suggested $5-10 donation. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
RSVP: souwesterwellness@gmail.com or call (360) 642-2452
WEEKLY EVENT: YOGA
Candlelit Vinyasa Flow with Shanna Gillette
Drop in to this intermediate evening flow tuning into the breath and out of the chattering mind. Our focus is on balance, relaxation, flexibility, and acceptance of where we are. Fluid movement and creative transitions promote deep and even breathing to strengthen the nervous system and increase circulation to the organs. Binaural soundscapes open the mind to the vibration of universal consciousness. Guided meditation begin and end each class.
Shanna is a certified yoga teacher, ordained metaphysical counselor and empath. Her journey began as a small child inadvertently discovering deep meditation as an escape from abuse. Having always had an interest in the unseen and unexplained, she began having out of body experiences before learning to speak. Eventually she received a regents scholarship to ASU for religious studies. A series of intense life changing experiences including a serious car accident brought her to the first of several “awakenings,” beginning most notably in 2005. She now helps people through the shift in consciousness we are currently experiencing, assisting them along the path toward self-forgiveness and self-love – the greatest journey of all.
Truly exemplifying her favorite quote from Kahlil Gibran, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain,’ she adds, “The journey to wellness is a constantly evolving process where we learn to nurture body and mind beginning with the heart; To truly understand that the most important step to long-lasting good health and harmony isn’t necessarily about sweating our way to perfect abs or contorting our bodies into painful positions. It starts within. It’s about self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, and self-love. It’s about learning to accept and respect ourselves wherever we may be. Through the physicality of yoga, we tune into a deeper more expansive space beyond the trivial day to day. We learn that it’s ok to nurture ourselves and to ALLOW our spirits to be happy.”
Shanna received her yoga teacher’s certification at Bryan Kest’s world renowned studio in Santa Monica, CA. She attended Arizona State University for Religious Studies, and is currently studying at the University of Metaphysics Sedona. She is available for private yoga and counseling sessions and can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/shanna.gillette
http://www.facebook.com/justbevibration
COST: Suggested $10-20 donation. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
BRING: yoga mat (we will have some available for community use) and a blanket or something warm if needed
RSVP: souwesterwellness@gmail.com or call (360) 642-2452
This is a level 2 class.
Peterson’s solo work reflects the diverse nature of his musical interests; in one set listeners may hear hints of jazz, folk, country, pop, and classic blues mixed together in a way that listeners of any genre can appreciate. www.resolectrics.com
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Portland indie-folk songstress MAITA’s “focused, American realist psalm…sets her far apart from her indie contemporaries (American Standard Time).” Her debut EP, Waterbearer, is a rallying cry for the quiet warrior, the inquisitive seeker and the fierce lover. Produced by Matthew Zeltzer, mixed by John Askew (Neko Case), and featuring some of Portland’s finest musicians—Dave Depper (Death Cab for Cutie, Loch Lomond), Skip VonKuske (Portland Cello Project), Tucker Jackson (The Minus 5, The Delines), and Matthew Berger (Laura Gibson)—the arrangements on Waterbearer are minimalist yet rich, featuring hypnotic finger-picked guitar patterns flecked with washes of cello and guitar, with MAITA’s haunting melodies and beguiling poetry front and center.
Waterbearer stands as a testament to the beautiful mess that we call life. MAITA is an artist who understands the perilous act of creation and authorship, and we witness her lyrical negotiations of this on Waterbearer—the tenuous line between reverence and doubt, between worship and desecration. Her haunting voice and lush, off-center melodies guide the listener through her musings, at once deliberate and confessional. After years of writing and honing her abilities in private, MAITA has been sharpening her songs on the road, playing over 200 shows—including two month-long European tours—in 2016 and 2017.
MAITA is currently hard at work on her debut full length, which is slated to be released in 2018.
www.maitamusic.com
This event is free and open to the public