Performer of the Year.

Award winning musician Joe Smith of Lamar will be one of the featured entertainers for tomorrow’s Carthage Acoustic Festival to be held on the Courthouse Square.

Smith has been chosen for nine consecutive years as the Dobro Performer of the Year by the Midwest Convention of the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. SPBGMA (pronounced spig-ma) is a not-for-profit corporation with the main purpose of preserving the traditional spirit and bluegrass music. Performers are selected by members of the organization which includes musicians and those who follow bluegrass festivals.

Smith plays with the Vern Young group that has for the last several years played festivals around the country.

Smith will be featured along with Sonny Lau and Ben Miller in the "Slide Show-A Resophonic Showcase" at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. He will also perform at 8 p.m. that evening as the featured instrument backed by Coody’s Bluff.

The Carthage Acoustic Festival begins at 10 a.m. with an open stage and continues at 1 p.m. with booked groups until 10 p.m.

Show Opens Friday.

by Lee Sours, artCentral

Friday, June 4 is a big day at artCentral. Both the annual Membership Show and the Traditional Arts Workshops begin that day.

The stonecarvers and blacksmiths will be working under tents out in the yard. The potters will be working in the pottery studio. The work of 30 area artists will be on display in the Main Gallery. A stone sculpture exhibit will be located upstairs.

On Friday evening, from 6-9pm, there will be a cookout and live music. The winner of the "Best of Show" award will be announced at that time.

The music will be provided by Plainsfolk of Springfield, Baled Green and Wired Tight of Anderson and Tammy Willcox of Miami, OK. And of course the regulars from Golden City will be on hand.

The sculpture exhibit is the best I have ever seen. Bill Snow has mentored a number of area sculptors and so there is are some excellent stone carvers in this area. I see some wildlife, humans and a cross represented. The Membership Show has paintings, weaving, sculpture, jewelry, photography, graphite drawings, and clay. And the ever popular mixed media defies being put into one category.

The evening reception is open to the public. There will be a donation box available to help cover the costs of the cookout. I had better sign off now so I can paint walls, sweep floors and fix the strawberries.

HOURS: T – F 11 - 5

Sunday 12 -5 Closed Mon. and Sat.

1110 E 13th 358-4404

ozarkartistscolony.com &

4statearts.com

Saturday: Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing during the afternoon. High 81F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

I can’t say I’m completely satisfied with the weather forecast for Saturday, but I’m guessin’ it’s gonna be a fine day for a little music on the Square.

We’ll be watchin’ the clouds and are fully prepared to move the Carthage Acoustic Festival in to the former Bee’s building (now Private Events) if the need arises.

For those who like to pick and grin but don’t want to get on stage, there should be plenty of jam sessions goin’ on durin’ the day. With the shade of the Courthouse lawn it makes for the perfect afternoon. Don’t forget your lawn chairs.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Oak Street health & herb

Natural Nutrition.

By Mari An Willis

At the end of a long day, I often ask myself what I could do to prevent the aching in my legs and joints. I know that there are many people, like myself, who spend a good portion of their day on cement floors under fluorescent lights. That in itself is hard enough, but add extra stressors such as too much weight, poor eyesight, improper standing or lifting and ... NO WONDER we hurt at the end of the day.

In the constant quest for answers, I ran across a simple enough sounding solution in Dr. Andrew Weil’s Self Healing 2003 edition. He has some suggestions for acute back pain including the homeopathic remedy Arnica often used for aching muscles and joints, can be applied in the gel form or with tablets. Cold and heat. Apply cold for approx. 20 minutes and then moist heat for 10 minutes until pain subsides.

He also suggests checking one’s posture. Stand tall, he says, keeping your head, neck, shoulders and torso aligned. If you stand for long periods, alternate placing your feet on a low stool to take some of the load off your low back. Also wear properly fitting shoes with a low heel. Women, wear bras that do not fit too tightly as this can restrict blood flow to the spine, often increasing back pain.