LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Ben Rosenblum Jazz Trio, led by a Juilliard-trained pianist, is slated to perform at the Soper Reese Theatre at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at the Soper Reese Theatre.

Tickets are now on sale for $20 with open seating.

Joining the trio is the Rothstein Experiment, a lively, local group of expert musicians.

Ben Rosenblum, pianist, accordionist and composer, has been described as an “impressive talent” by All About Jazz.

The New York City native’s strikingly mature and well-honed abilities have earned him performance opportunities from Yokohama to Delhi to the Lincoln Center.

Playing with Rosenblum is rising Bay Area star Kanoa Mendenhall on upright bass. Ben Zweig is a highly regarded New York City drummer.

The Rothstein Experiment will explore modern and ancient jazz themes. The group includes Jill Rothstein, vocals; Matt Rothstein, saxophone, vocals; Tom Aiken, piano, keyboard, melodica; Jacob Turner, guitar; Raj Sodhi, upright bass; Gabriel Yañez, percussion.

Tickets are available at www.soperreesetheatre.com; at The Travel Center, 825 S. Main St., Lakeport, Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; or at the theatre box office two hours before show time.

Theatre telephone is 707-263-0577; Travel Center phone is 707-263-3095.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Art Center is thrilled to host a teens’ fashion camp with local fashion professionals Erica Parisi and Alex Blas.

The class is geared to ages 13 to 19 of all genders and will take place on Wednesdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m., June 12 through Aug. 7 at MAC (no class July 3rd).

The cost is $90 for 8 meetings or $15 drop in. Preregistration is required to reserve a spot at www.MiddletownArtCenter.org/camp or call 707-809-8118.

“Everything in the camp will be centered around the most important thing … you. Your self expression and creativity shining through your personal style,” Parisi explained to a group of teens she collaborated with to produce the teen fashion show at the Middletown First Friday Art Walk Lake County Fashion Show in May.

The series will be a great introduction to fashion from history, to sketching, to elements and principles of design, with many fun projects relating to each topic and a culminating in a fun “Project Runway”-style challenge.

Whether your teen simply loves or is curious about fashion or is thinking about a fashion career, this fashion camp is a great opportunity to gain knowledge and apply creativity while honing personal expression and building self-confidence.

“We are fortunate to have fashion professionals like Erica and Alex, in our community,” said Lisa Kaplan, director of MAC. “What a great opportunity for exposure and practice for our youth!”

Parisi studied fashion design at West Valley College and has worked as a costume designer in the theater industry for more than 15 years.

She most recently worked as a corporate stylist and fashion merchandiser for Forever21 stores throughout Central and Northern California. She currently has her own label, Hiwire Costumes, designing for circus performers worldwide. Parisi resides in Anderson Springs.

Blas graduated from Rancho Santiago College with degrees in studio art and fashion. He has a successful art career and is currently represented by George Billis Gallery in Los Angeles and New York. Selections from his work can also be seen at MAC. Blas lives on Cobb Mountain.

MAC also is offering two arts immersion camps for younger children, “Around the World,” June 24 to 28, and “Movement Dynamics,” July 8 to 19. Activities include lots of art making, dance, song, games and performance lead by local artists and art/dance teachers. Visit www.middletownartcenter.org/camp to learn more and sign up.

Stay up to date on all classes, exhibits and events happening at MAC, at www.middletownartcenter.org .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Enjoy the vibrance of the Middletown community Friday, June 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. during June’s First Friday Art Walk.

This month’s theme, “Eat Your Art Out,” focuses on culinary arts. Food vendors will be hosted by businesses throughout downtown each with a site-based party including art, music and/or food.

The First Friday Art Walk is an effort to invigorate the community, especially during its continuing recovery process, and a collaboration between the Middletown Merchants Association and individual local businesses, the Middletown Art Center, the Middletown Community Farmers’ Market and the Phoenix Collaborative.

This year’s First Fridays Meet Your Makers highlight different Lake County makers from fashion to food, to jewelry, to functional art, to technology, media and health, began May 3 and will take place each first Friday of the month through October.

The Middletown Community Farmers Market is every Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. on the corner of Highway 175 and Highway 29 at the Middletown Art Center. The market features local produce and herbs.

You may want to build a trip to the newly reopened EcoArts Sculpture Walk at Trailside Park into your evening as well. The 14th annual Sculpture Walk, a project of the MAC, reopened for the first time since the park and exhibit burned in the Valley fire.

Thirteen new pieces are on view and young trees, shrubs and wildflowers greet visitors with the optimism of resilience. The park is located at 21435 Dry Creek Cutoff, just a mile and a half from town.

Come to Middletown, enjoy the community, art, music, food, shopping and fun.

Stay up to date on all classes, exhibits and events happening at MAC, at www.middletownartcenter.org .

Find out more about attending or participating in First Fridays on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FirstFridaysinMiddletown .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – On Saturday, June 8, the Coffee House Concert Series is hosting a very special performer from Portland, Oregon.

Casey Neill is multi-talented and internationally famous for his songwriting and delivery of amazing lyrical stories about our common American experiences.

His music mixes influences from punk, Celtic and folk music, and has been compared to R.E.M. and The Pogues.

Neill has been featured in many magazines, including Rolling Stone.

Some songs are raucous while others are thoughtful.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. at Fore Family Winery, 3020 Main St. in Kelseyville.

Seats are still available. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased at www.uuclc.org , Watershed Books in Lakeport and at the Fore Family Winery.

Some tickets may be available at the door, though seating is limited.

The concert is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County and hosted by Fore Family Wines.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – It’s time for summer movies in downtown Middletown.

The Middletown Area Merchants Association is presenting the summer “Movies in the Park” once again, and is kicking off the season with a showing of “Ralph Breaks the Internet” on Saturday, June 8.

The film begins at dusk in the park in front of the Middletown Senior Center and Library, 21266 Calistoga Road.

The film is free and open to the public, and suitable for the whole family.

Bring chairs, blankets and a picnic.

The June film is hosted by Jesus Christ Fellowship Church and sponsored by Hardester’s Markets and Hardware.

Austin Smith lives in rural Illinois and is an acute observer of the world at hand.This poem is from his book Flyover Country, published by Princeton University Press.

Cat Moving Kittens

We must have known,
Even as we reached
Down to touch them
Where we'd found them

Shut-eyed and trembling
Under a straw bale
In the haymow, that
She would move them

That night under cover
Of darkness, and that
By finding them
We were making certain

We wouldn't see them again
Until we saw them
Crouching under the pickup
Like sullen teens, having gone

As wild by then as they'd gone
Still in her mouth that night
She made a decision
Any mother might make

Upon guessing the intentions
Of the state: to go and to
Go now, taking everything
You love between your teeth.

American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2018 by Princeton University Press, "Cat Moving Kittens," from Flyover Country by Austin Smith, (Princeton University Press, 2018). Poem reprinted by permission of Austin Smith and the publisher. Introduction copyright ©2019 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.