BRATTLEBORO — The diverse creative work of many younger artists will be featured at the Latchis Theatre in a multidisciplinary Local Artist Showcase on Saturday, May 30, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The brainchild of Latchis staff members Austin Rice and Alex Passino and some of their friends, the Local Artist Showcase will feature film, music, stand-up comedy, visual art, and more. Admission is by donation, with proceeds shared between the artists and Latchis Arts.
“I personally am a filmmaker and screenwriter, and I was talking to (fellow filmmaker) Mikal van Oene, and wanted a place to show our work. And Alex, he's just really hilarious, and he thought it'd be a good opportunity to try out his stand-up comedy,” said event co-creator Austin Rice.
From there, the event grew. In addition to films by Rice and van Oene and Passino's comedy, there will be music by members of the folk/indie rock ensemble The Love Sprockets, as well as work for sale by local T-shirt creator and artist Jacob White and paintings and drawings by Erica Balcom.
Now based on Austin, Texas, the Love Sprockets were founded in Brattleboro in 2012.
Band members Jahnavi Newsom (vocals, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, and banjolin) and Addison Rice (guitar, fiddle, harmonica, and mandolin) rode their bicycles from Vermont to Texas, arriving in January 2014. There they quickly joined up with Aaron Watson (bass and vocals) and Pete Van Dyck (percussion and vocals) to form sound they call “mojo folk.”
They cite influences from The Devil Makes Three to The Civil Wars to Tom Waits. Newsom and Rice will be performing on May 30 as a duo.
A Putney resident, Austin Rice honed his interest in film at The Compass School and the River Valley Tech Center. One of his earlier films, Noah, premiered at the Latchis. He is part of the Latchis Theatre movie staff and has taught film at The Compass School. The short films to be shown on May 30 include “The Intruder,” starring Maechyl Lloyd, “Hamstring” starring Jan Van Oene and “Spirit Bear - A Retrospective.”