On October 21, 2012, World Apple Day, Finnriver Farm & Cidery in Chimacum invited residents from across the North Olympic Peninsula to bring over their buckets, bins and boxes of ‘funky’ backyard apples to our farm.  We were interested in the complex, bittersharp flavors that characterize many wild and antique varieties and also in getting our community involved in the apple harvest.  The high tannins in many ‘wild’ apples make them unsuitable for eating, but ideal for a more traditional farmstead cider.  Since these apples are not commonly available commercially, we wanted to discover what our local apple resources are and find out what sort of cider they would make.  We were surprised and delighted when a heap of friendly folks brought approximately 2,000 pounds of motley apples to the farm.  We fermented this backyard harvested fruit over the winter and blended with organic Washington dessert apples to create this year’s Farmstead cider, offered now in a 22 oz. bottle, at 6.9% alcohol, for sale around the region.  The cider is semi-sweet and offers an earthy taste of frontier farm cider tradition.   Read More

Learn about producing biofuels and biochar with pyrolysis and the opportunities this presents for local energy storage at this month’s Jefferson County Energy Lunch Program, held at the Port Townsend Community Center on Tuesday, May 21, from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Sign up now for the Young Professionals Career Mentorship Program!

The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce is offering a free mentorship program aimed at helping local young professionals get a leg up in their career or chosen profession.

We have local mentors with years of excellent professional experience ready to get started. If you are looking to advance in your current profession or start a new career, you could benefit from your own personal mentor. Sign up by May 15, 2013.

How it works:

We match you with a mentor based on information you provide in the mentorship request form. You and your mentor work toward your goals over a period of 12 weeks.

We will keep in touch with your progress along the way and meet with you and your mentor at the end of 12 weeks to evaluate success and determine if you would like to continue.

If interested, email the mentorship request form to admin@jeffcountychamber.org by May 15, 2013. We will contact you within 10 business days.

Questions? Email Laura Brackenridge at admin@jeffcountychamber.org.

In the meantime, we wanted to send you a special invitation (which you can feel free to share with others), as one of the KEY COLLABORATORS who helped to bring this dream to life!

THANK YOU for all your amazing assistance along the way!

PT Artscape is pleased to announce the 2013 “Art Affair” fundraiser for the Arts in Education Program in the Port Townsend School District. These workshops are being planned as a hands-on arts experience this year. It is being coordinated by local teaching artists Susan Doyle, Jesse Joshua Watson, Wanda LeClerc and Margie McDonald, with the assistance of artist Max Grover. The workshops are inspired by the Jefferson Museum of Art and History’s current “Scapes” exhibit which features landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes. The workshops coincide with Art Wave–Student Art on display in Port Townsend stores through May.

CENTRUM has donated three beautiful art prints from their collection which will be silent auction items at the Escape into Art Workshops.

THE WORKSHOPS:

REGISTER HERE

 

Silk Batik with teaching artist Wanda LeClerc, 10am – 12pm.

Silk painting 101: you will learn the basics of silk painting using clear gutta resist and silk dyes on a stretched silk, 8″ hoop. The results are  beautiful.

Silk batiks

 
Line Drawing with teaching artist and illustrator Jesse Joshua Watson, 1pm – 3pm. Seascapes and More – Line, Tone and Value in this hands-on drawing class.   

Calderesque Wire Sculpting and Collage taught by teaching artist and sculptor Margie McDonald in collaboration with artist Max Grover, 1pm – 3pm.   

All Classes meet at The Jefferson Museum of Art and History, 540 Water Street to view the current exhibit “Scapes” prior to class.

Two hour workshops: suggested fee $40 until 4/26; after that $45;
Register early for classes as space is limited. Click here to register.

PT Artscape’s mission is to provide creative experiences to young people in our public schools. They are collaborating with several organizations to reach this goal and provide many arts opportunities to our Port Townsend students, such as, teaching artists who work collaboratively with classroom teachers to delivers arts integrated projects throughout the disciplines.

The “Escape into Art” fundraiser is sponsored by PT Artscape in partnership with the Port Townsend Main Street Program, Washington State Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, The Jefferson Museum of Art and History, Centrum, Port Townsend Arts Commission, participating businesses, and generous Arts Education supporters.

 

Thank you for supporting arts in the Port Townsend Public Schools.

For more information, visit  www.ptmainstreet.org or www.ptartscape.com