A&E Advisory for July 6-12: music, art and UFOs

FORT SMITH — There’s something about the phrase “free summer concert music series” that drums up images of beer, girls in bikinis and guys with bulging biceps lifting the girls in the bikinis so they can be noticed by the band. Isn’t that what you think of? No?

A band called 3-Cent Genius kicks off the Free Summer Concert Music Series with a performance at 8 p.m. today at the Fort Smith River Park.

All concerts are on Friday night. The remainder of the lineup includes SpringStreet on July 13; Red Dirt Rock & Roll on July 20; and the Chris Cameron Blues Band on July 27.

As the name implies, all concerts are indeed free, courtesy of the city of Fort Smith’s parks and recreation department.

 
July 6
Art: Multi-dimensional works
VAN BUREN— The Arc for the River Valley’s Art Therapy Class will continue to exhibit its artwork through July 27 at the Center for Art and Education, 104 N. 13th St. in Van Buren.

Students in the ARC class has been working on two- and three-dimensional art projects to exhibit for over the last six months.  A reception for these hard-working and talented artists will be 5-7 p.m. tonight at the Center for Art and Education.

Watch The City Wire for Brittany Ransom’s coverage of the exhibition and reception.
 
July 7
Defies description: UFO meetings
FORT SMITH — The Arkansas Mutual UFO Network will conduct a series of meetings from 10:30 a.m. until noon Saturday at the Fort Smith Public Library.
  
MUFON is said to be the largest and most-respected UFO organization in the world, and the only one capable of investigating more than 6,000 reports filed annually. At Saturday’s event, organizers will present the latest UFO news, Arkansas case investigation information, guest speakers/video presentations and investigator training. It’s easy to believe that UFO's are the second-most researched topic on the Internet.

The event is free. Information can be found by calling (479) 561-2743 or clicking here.

July 11
Music: WoodyFest
OKEMAH, Okla. — The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, also known as WoodyFest, kicks off Wednesday and runs through July 15. It’s hosted by the nonprofit Woody Guthrie Coalition, a group dedicated to preserving the legacy and music of the one and only Woodrow Wilson Guthrie.

This year’s event, the 15th consecutive festival, had been dubbed “A Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration,” based on the year Guthrie was born, 1912. He died in 1967 from complications of Huntington’s disease, but not before new generations discovered his folk music and made it popular again.

Headliners for the 2012 WoodyFest include Guthrie’s son, Arlo, and Judy Collins. Others in the long lineup of performers include Melanie, Jimmy LaFave, Carolyn Hester and Ellis Paul. (Congrats go to local favorite 3 Penny Acre, who also made the cut.)

An added bonus — the festival is free.

Watch The City Wire for Daniel Maher’s coverage from WoodyFest.

July 12
Also defies description: Christmas in July
FORT SMITH — Santa apparently has more time on his hands through the summer than one would think.

He’s hosting a Rockin’ Christmas Party from 4-7 p.m. Thursday at the Phoenix Expo Trade and Event Center as a way to entice folks to book their holiday parties there. There will be hors d' oeuvres, cocktails and a tour of Santa's Christmas party house. Reservations to this shameless self-promotional event must be made by Tuesday (June 10).

Call (479) 646-7889 or e-mail [email protected].