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Free courtyard concert series at Shepherd Gallery

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Decorah musician Michelle Lynn performed a set of original songs at Shepherd Gallery on Sept. 18. The nonprofit gallery and art studio aspires to support local musicians and culinary artists as well as fine artists. (Press photo by Molly Moser)

By Molly Moser

School may be back in session, but imaginations are still in full swing at Shepherd Gallery and Creativity Center. After school art programming began on Sept. 14, and this fall, organizers are filling the courtyard with song. Community members are invited to enjoy locally produced music, food, and drink on Friday evenings from 6 – 8 p.m. throughout October and into November.

The free autumn concert series began with Bruce Bryant’s debut performance as Carpe Diem during Guttenberg’s Celebrate the River weekend. Bryant’s guitar and vocals, along with his many gigs as one part of local favorites Backwater and Uncle Sam’s Band, filled Shepherd Gallery’s freshly-paved courtyard with groupies. 

After a lifetime of singing gospel music in church choirs, playing in coffee houses, at pep rallies, and for weddings, enjoying folk music, and singing in rock and roll bands since the early '80s Bryant returned for his second appearance on Friday, Sept. 11, playing acoustic guitar and singing songs inspired by art and life on the river. 

A safe, structured, nurturing environment for artists of all ages, Shepherd Gallery and Creativity Center is a gallery and community art studio in downtown Guttenberg that aspires to be a vibrant and welcoming hub for children and families, a resource for schools and artists of all sorts, and a major tourist destination. “Our objective of supporting local artists applies to local chefs, growers, and musicians as well as visual artists,” said the organization’s director Cindy Olsen. In 2014, the gallery showcased 27 area artists, various receptions and demonstrations, held 11 artist-led workshops, incorporated cooking classes into the after school art program, and provided the backbone for the Umbrella Arts initiative, which to date has raised over $4,500 for the nonprofit’s after school art program through its own free River of Music concert series. 

The third concert in the series, billed as Michelle Lynn featuring Hot Tacos, was a fulfillment of many visions: One part auditory art, one part visual art, and one part culinary art. While a Sept. 18 storm raged outside, a small crowd gathered in the gallery to enjoy the evening.

Lynn, an elementary teacher, history enthusiast, folk-rock songwriter, and guitar teacher currently based out of a historic farmhouse in Decorah, performed two hours of songs she calls The Homestead Act. The music is based on obscure bits of 1800s history, which Lynn shared before each song. Her set included tales of an 1864 prison camp escape, the healing wonders of Mineral Wells, Texas, and the man behind the California gold rush who made millions selling picks, pans and shovels.

Set to Lynn’s songs, artist Jessy Kern prepared delicious, fresh tacos and served them in his handmade, airbrush-glazed invention, the hot oven taco pan. “The pans double as unique artwork when hung on the walls of our gallery or your home,” said Olsen. Kern explained his artistic process, born out of a family love of taco nights, to attendees and answered questions between sets, selling several pans to those in the audience.

Shepherd Gallery and Creativity Center will serve locally grown and produced food, wine, and other beverages during these weekly events, eventually opening on a more regular basis as the Artisan Cafe and Courtyard. “The café will supplement our other income and is one more step on our path to sustainability,” said Olsen. “This is how we want to celebrate the arts: With our Artisan Cafe and Courtyard, encompassing all aspects of the arts and supporting local musicians, culinary, and visual artists for the community to enjoy.”

Three more events in the courtyard concert series are scheduled for this month. Scott Guthrie and Cowgirl Pearl will appear on Friday, Oct. 1, and Friday, Oct. 17. “This is a lively act with an acoustic stand-up bass and both acoustic and electric guitars. The energy level comes from unique vocals, ripping guitar leads, and finely crafted songwriting. Original songs span many genres including folk, indie, and country,” said Cowgirl Pearl. “Our own interpretation of cover-songs present a different look at some fun, old familiar standards as well as feature the talent of many less-known regional songwriters.”

On Friday, Oct. 9, Elkader-based musician Sophia Landis will bring her self-described “hippie soul songs for piano and voice” to Shepherd Gallery’s courtyard. Landis began playing piano at age three. “The singing came naturally and the rest is history,” she writes.

All members of the community are invited to attend the free courtyard concert series. For more information, please visit http://www.guttenbergcreativitycenter.com/events or call 563-252-2787.

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