Ocrafolk Festival Artwork Released, Kids’ Inspiration Sparks at Ocracoke Arts Week, Ocrafolk School Returns in October, and more. . .

Ocrafolk Festival Artwork Released Kids’ Inspiration Sparks at Ocracoke Arts Week  Courses Announced for Ocrafolk School Fall Retreat, October 20-25  Deepwater Project Update  Ocrafolk Festival Early Bird Ticket Sales End April 30 Donald Davis Storytelling and Dessert Tickets Released A Tale of Blackbeard Rehearsals in Full Swing (Look Out for That Cutlass!) Ocrafolk Festival Artwork Released She’s done it again! When we wanted a special image to encapsulate all our warm wonderful feelings about Ocrafolk Festival we approached Kitty Mitchell. Kitty is the Ocracoke School Arts instructor, a past member of Molasses Creek band, and has created some of our favorite festival art over the years. Once we had Kitty’s black-and-white design, we shared it with our layout artist Justin Casey to prepare it for the poster and T-shirt. And here is the result! Kids’ Inspiration Sparks at Ocracoke Arts Week You never know when inspiration will strike and launch a youngster on the path of lifetime of creativity. Ocracoke School Arts Week is one of the favorite programs that Ocracoke Alive helps produce in partnership with Ocracoke School.  This year, Ocracoke youth hand-made Italian pasta, Greek dishes, and tamales, learned about African drumming patterns and Senegalese culture, crafted Eastern Carolina decoys, threw pottery and built a raku kiln, designed their very own digital arts animations, stitched whimsical felt art characters, wrote and performed songs, poured stunning acrylic paintings, and metal crafted colorful canvases. Many thanks to Nancy Leach, and the support of Ocracoke Occupancy Tax, Ocracoke Alive, housing donors, and private sponsors. Photos by Carol Woolgar Ocrafolk School Fall Retreat Returns October 20-25 Courses Announced In October, the much loved Ocrafolk School Fall Retreat will be returning to the island. This week long “school” offers an insider’s guide to Ocracoke that will spark creativity and a sense of community. Instructors and guest teachers will guide adult participants through their choice of one of six specialized courses. Students will enjoy handcrafted local food, inclusive tours, and unique activities as they make new friends and meet some of the most fascinating residents of our remote Outer Banks island. 2019 classes include Cooking with Island Chefs with Debbie Wells, Jewelry Making with Robin Macek, Mind and Body Renewal with Desiree Ricker, Decoy Carving with Jason Daniels, Drawing with Love (and a Little Science) with Kitty Mitchell, and Exploring Ocracoke’s Past, Present and Future with Ann Ehringhaus. Class sizes are usually limited to 6 to 8 people. Ocracoke Alive has a 11 rooms reserved on “campus” at the historic Berkley Manor and the adjacent Berkley Suites, as well as four rooms at Oscar’s House Bed and Breakfast.  Find out more about Ocrafolk School Deepwater Theater Project Update David Perez and John Brock have been working hard over at Deepwater Theater converting our pencil sketches and imaginative scribbles into real world structures. In the next two weeks, we will be finishing  the 16 x 16 storage shed, as well as the front deck expansion. Our faithful team of board members, Blackbeard cast members, and community volunteers have also been scouring the inside theater, repainting, and clearing away a scramble of vines from the property to expose the beautiful live oaks that line the driveway.  The season’s first Deepwater Theater shows will be Molasses Creek in Concert on May 30, and A Dingbatters (All New) Comedy Guide to Ocracoke (Season II) on June 5.  Pre-Sale Tickets are available through the Ocracoke Alive website, by calling 252-921-0260, and also at the door. Discount tickets are available for groups and seniors. We do recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of time as shows do sell out.  Ocrafolk Festival Early Bird Ticket Sales End April 30 Donald Davis Storytelling and Dessert Tickets Released   Just a quick reminder that Early Bird tickets sales will end on April 30. After that date, Weekend Pass prices will increase to $65. Day Pass prices will be released in May. Also, tickets have been released online for Donald Davis’s Storytelling and Dessert Evening on Saturday night June 8th at the Ocracoke Community Center. Tickets are limited to this event, so it is wise to purchase them before festival weekend. Links to Early Bird and Donald Davis Tickets A Tale of Blackbeard Rehearsals in Full Swing (Look Out for That Cutlass!) Avast! Avast! The Captain is our man! With Blackbeard’s return to Ocracoke (actor Peyton Piquard), rehearsals for A Tale of Blackbeard musical by Julia Howard are in full swing. Although Julie has not yet arrived on the island to play live accompaniment, Director Desiree Ricker is at the helm with a steady hand, guiding the cast and the good ship Adventure on its steady course towards destiny. Opening night is July 1st, 2019. The production will run at Ocracoke School on Mondays at 8 PM through August 12. Even if you’ve seen the show in past years, there are many new surprises you won’t want to miss! Tickets can be secured ahead of time online, or at the door. Ocracoke Alive Hosts Salem Select Choir On April 12th and 13th, Lynne German’s Salem Select Choir inspired Ocracoke School students and community members with beautiful performances. These visitors are all members of the Salem High School Madrigals Choir in Virginia Beach. Having performed on stage with the Virginia Chorus Women, at the Virginia Convention Center for Leadership Events, and in the local community for Black History Month events, their singers represent their school well with their energy and musical talent. Thanks so much for their contribution to the Ocracoke community, and also to all the folks on the island who helped make their visit possible! That's All for Now! David Tweedie ~ Executive Director OCRACOKE ALIVE BOARD Desiree Ricker ~ President, Assistant Director Sharon Brodisch ~ Vice President Gary Davis ~ Treasurer Katy Mitchell Chad Macek Gloria Perez Shae Youell

Telling the Tale of the Black Squall (Performance, Thursday, April 13, Ocracoke School Gym) . . . Ocrafolk Festival Update . . . A Visit from the Salem Select Choir . . . Vote for Your Favorite Ocrafolk Festival T Colors. . .

Telling the Tale of the Black Squall (Performance, Thursday, April 13, 7 PM, Ocracoke School Gym) . . .

           We are less than a month away from the student performance of The Tale of the Black Squall, and preparations began this week with students working with visiting artists, Courtney Conner (teaching tumbling and movement), and Paul McKibbins (with singing and choral arrangement). Ocracoke art teacher, Kitty Mitchell, and set designer Mark Brown will be guiding students in the creation of costume and critter, Gary Mitchell and Charles Temple on Sound and Lights, and Desiree Ricker and David Tweedie are finalizing the script and schedule details.
            Ocracoke Arts Week (April 10-13), will feature Paperhand Puppets (character movement), Jef the Mime (clowning), Scott Paulson (Steel Drums), Jubal Creech (Percussion), and Janet Harriman (Jewelry Crafting). This team will be aiding our young community members in the creation of a show that will tell the tale of the famous 1861 Black Squall Shipwreck that brought a circus troupe to the beaches of Ocracoke Island.
            Ocracoke Alive is asking Ocracoke supporters to consider making a tax-deductible donation towards Arts Week. Donors will be thanked in the Black Squall Program, and can receive reserved ringside seats for the performance. Donations can be made online at www.ocracokealive.org or through the mail to Ocracoke Alive, PO Box 604, Ocracoke, NC 27960.

 

March 31-April 1: A Visit from the Salem Select Girls Choir

            The Salem Select Girls Choir under the direction of Lynne German are bringing their show choir to Ocracoke, for performances and workshops for Ocracoke students on March 31, and a free community concert at Ocracoke Alive’s Deepwater Theater on April 1st, at 7 PM.
            The performers are a small but diverse group of students from Salem High School in Virginia Beach, and are joined together by their common love of singing.  As the program’s top singers, they have auditioned for their spot in the group, and they accomplish a lot with only one after-school rehearsal each week.  Their music covers a variety genres, from Classical to Spiritual to light Pop and Rock, with a few original works by their Director, Lynne German. We welcome their return to the island to share their talents!

What is happening in Ocrafolk Festival land . . .

            The Ocrafolk Festival inches closer and closer, and we are starting to get excited! The Artisan Application closed March 15, and the Artisan Committee will announce this year’s artisan roster by April 1st.
            Performers include Bio Ritmo, Violet Bell , Mitch Barrett, Hank, Pattie and the Current, Ballet Folklorico Guadalupano, Donald Davis, Molasses Creek, Martin Garrish and Friends, Beleza, Lipbone Redding, The Blue-Eyed Bettys, Mahalo Jazz, De Tierra Caliente, Oak Grove String Band, Bob Zentz and Jeanie MacDougall, Paperhand Puppets, Jef the Mime, Amy and Louis Allen, Craicdown, John Golden, the Green Grass Cloggers, Philip Howard, Rob Temple and the Skipjack Wilma Lee,  Rodney Kemp, and more.
            In addition to new performers, this year we will be featuring a new Ocrafolk Festival Dance Hall at the Ocracoke School Gym.  We have more excitement on the way, so stay tuned.
            Sponsorship levels and rewards have been posted and we will tell you more about them at the end of the month. If you can't wait to jump in, here is a link.

Vote for your favorite Ocrafolk Festival T Colors!

            Karen Rhodes's fabulous festival design is complete and we have moved to picking our favorite background colors to display it on. You can be a part of the process. Just click this link, and pick your top three colors in Men’s and Women’s styles. We’ll announce the winning pallet in a couple of weeks!

That's all for now!
Thanks for your support!

Ocracoke Alive 2017 Board of Directors
Desiree Ricker ~ President, Assistant Director
Tom Pahl ~ Vice President
Gary Davis ~ Treasurer
Sharon Brodisch ~ Secretary
Allison O'Neal
Freddy Contreras
Jeanie Owens
David Tweedie ~ Executive Director