But earlier this year, Governor Walker’s budget plan cut state funding for the arts by 73% and eliminated the WAB as a state agency.

pAt macdonald and melaniejane AKA “Purgatory Hill”

“It’s been the PAA’s mission over the past 74 years to grant financial support dollars to individual artists and local institutions,” says Peninsula Arts Association (PAA) Board member and musician Pete Thelen. “And with greater community support we can continue despite the changes in our funding resources.”

Each year, raising the matching funds to bring a flow of cash into Door County is a new and greater challenge, especially in the wake of recent budget cuts. While board members work to meet these demands, their volunteer time is also spent on reviewing hundreds of grant applications and attending numerous lengthy meetings in order to come to consensus over their twice-yearly funding disbursements.

Last year, three local individuals put together the first of what is now an annual, fall, post-season, fundraising event in support of the PAA. On Wednesday, November 9, from 5 pm ‘til close, you are invited to enjoy an evening of great food, silent auction fun and live music in Fish Creek at The English Inn for the 2^nd Annual PAA Artfund Benefit, sponsored by the publishers of DoorCountyChefs.com, DoorCountyGuide.co, DoorCountyLodging.com and DoorCountyResorts.com.

A live concert beginning at 6 pm will feature performances contributed in-kind by local musicians leading off with the Mighty Mouth Trio comprised of Jay Whitney, Richard Whitney and Pete Thelen.  Next, Ben There, Dan That will take the stage followed by Jeanne Kuhns with Lost Mothra. Capping off the evening, pAt macdonald and melaniejane AKA “Purgatory Hill” will certainly fill the dance floor.

Guests are invited to enjoy a buffet dinner, bid on a variety of silent auction items, win raffle items and a grand prize provided by local businesses.

“Raising money for the Grandmother of the Arts in Door County is something we are always enthusiastic about,” says Management Resources owner and promoter Jon Massad. “The arts in Door County are a vital community asset – one that fuels the rest of the tourism industry. Now, the PAA needs a return on their investment, having worked so hard for the Door Community over the years. It’s time we give back with a helping hand.”

Tickets for an evening of fine dining and live music at The English Inn are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Businesses wishing to contribute items to the silent auction are encouraged to call 920.785.3515 or 920.854.2688. You may also call those numbers or email a request for tickets in advance to: tickets@doorcountylodging.com.

This year’s competition is quickly shaping up to be one of the most impressive shows yet! Door County Idol is scheduled for Saturday, February 5, at 7 pm at the Door Community Auditorium.

Once again, there are three judges for this year’s competition. The first judge will be Stuart Champeau, a local actor with numerous theater credits to his name. He starred in the Third Avenue Playhouse and Isadoora Theatre productions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dinner Party, and The Odd Couple. He has also directed and performed in the Door County Comedy Club Improv Show. Professionally, he has been seen in many television commercials, college recruitment videos, and infomercials.

Rachel Manek is the second judge for the 2011 Door County Idol. Rachel is the co-host and news anchor for Good Day Wisconsin on Green Bay’s TV Fox 11. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana and is no stranger to Door County, as she spent her collegiate summers working in Sister Bay. Rachel enjoys traveling the world, her family, and of course, TV.

The final judge at this year’s competition is melaniejane, a local singer/songwriter. She and pat mAcdonald form a duo called Purgatory Hill which means she spends a lot of time on the road performing. She has been living in Sturgeon Bay since 2008 and stays very involved with the Steel Bridge Songfest. She has performed throughout the U.S. and currently has two solo recordings, Flower and Billets Doux.

Nick Freimuth and Karyn Klement will be the hosts of Door County Idol again this year. Married in 2009, they stay busy hosting the WBDK Shopping Show, the WRLU morning show, and working for the radio stations of DoorCountyDailyNews.com. Last year’s winner, Gibraltar’s Lilli Nelson, will also perform at the competition as she turns over her reign as the 2010 Door County Idol to this year’s winner.

The 2011 winner will take home the first place prize of $1,000.  Sponsor Cynthia Stiehl increased the prize award several years ago, placing her stamp of approval on the direction of the competition.  Cynthia was an original supporter of the show, as she enjoys rewarding youth for their musical talents and for making healthy decisions.

	There will be eight contestants competing for the title of the 2011 Door County Idol. The first contestant, Ashley Wacaser, is a senior at Washington Island High School. She took third place in the 2010 Washington Island Idol competition and has appeared in her school productions including School Bus Romance and Our Town.
	April Delfosse, a senior at Southern Door High School, is very active in her high school’s music department. She participates in the concert and madrigal choirs as well as solo ensemble. In 2009, April starred as Eve in Southern Door’s production of Meet Me in St. Louis and acted as a lead sister in this year’s Pirates of Penzance.
	A junior at Southern Door, Sara Mueller has also starred in the productions of Meet Me in St. Louis as Katie the Irish Maid and Pirates of Penzance as Ruth. This past summer, Sara became part of the Wisconsin FFA Honors Chorus, combining her two favorite hobbies.
	Anya Kopischke is a sophomore at Gibraltar High School and has been performing in professional theater since she was seven years old. She played Mayzie in Gibraltar’s production of Seussical the Musical and has performed in two Peninsula Players productions. Anya is also active in show choir, forensics, solo ensemble, and the one act plays at Gibraltar.
	Gibraltar’s Zephyr Ciesar, a junior, played Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical the Musical and was thrilled to perform at the state level competition. Zephyr plays volleyball and soccer and is a coach for the 8-10 year old team of the Northern Door Soccer League. She is also the sports editor for the Viking Voice and a member of the student council.
	Patricia Hansen, a junior at Washington Island High School, was the winner of the 2010 Washington Island Idol competition. Tricia has been performing since she was young with her first solo performance at age eight, and she continues to perform at several venues throughout the county.
	Sevastopol High School junior, Trevor Hietpas, has starred in the Sevastopol School productions of The Music Man as Harold Hill and Willy Wonka Jr. as Willy Wonka. He enjoys playing soccer year round and is the lead singer of the band Get Over It. Trevor is accompanying himself tonight on guitar and piano.
	Finally, Brittany Hallet, a sophomore at Southern Door High School, rounds out the line of contestants this year. She has taken 3rd place in Kewaunee Idol, 2nd place in Ellisville Idol, and even tried out for American Idol last summer. Brittany stays active in the music department with solo ensemble, choirs, and the musicals.

The 7^th Annual Door County Idol competition will be held on Saturday, February 5, 2011, at 7 pm at the Door Community Auditorium, 3926 Hwy 42, Fish Creek. Seating is reserved. All tickets are $10. Please call the box office at 920.868.2728 to reserve your tickets, as they are selling quickly, or visit www.dcauditorium.org to order online.

As in Steel Bridge Songfest’s Construction Zone, the songwriters who participate in the annual Dark Songs for Halloween are challenged to gather for a week at Sturgeon Bay’s unique Holiday Music Motel & Recording Studio to write around a theme. Dark Songs, consists of a commitment to collaborative work with other artists in songwriting, recording and performances during several days leading up to  Halloween. Over twenty musicians have accepted the challenge to write a variety of macabre works that they will debut in live performances on Friday and Saturday of Halloween weekend.

A mixture of local and worldwide talent is fueling this event, including Door County’s Purgatory Hill, Abnormal Cattle, Dirty Deuce, Corey Carlson and Jeanne Kuhns, along with imports James Hall, Geri X, Kim Manning and Johnny Lowebow, to name just a few.

The participating musicians will make up teams that collaboratively write new songs at the Motel during Dark Songs week. The songs will be recorded in the motel’s in-house sound studio by world-class engineers Billy Triplett (Prince, James Brown, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc.) and Steve Hamilton, to produce the second CD in a series, Dark Songs For Halloween, Vol.2. The new music debuts in two performances.

Members of the community are also invited to contribute their talent to the event. Anyone interested in sharing a few songs or a performance art piece is encouraged to do so. Contact pat mAcdonald or melaniejane by email: pr@holidaymusicmotel.com.

The Holiday Motel was Door County first, built in 1952. In 2007 it underwent complete restorative renovation and became the historic Holiday Music Motel, under new ownership that now includes famed songwriter Jackson Browne and local Grammy nominee pat mAcdonald. The motel also took on a mission, to serve as both a hospitality rest stop and a fully-operational year-round recording studio intended to serve as a professional center for Sturgeon Bay’s burgeoning music and arts scene.

The Holiday Music Motel & Recording Studio is located at 30 N 1st Ave in downtown Sturgeon Bay at the foot of the historic Michigan Street Bridge. For information or reservations, please call 920.743.5571 or visit www.HolidayMusicMotel.com. Details and breaking updates pertaining to Dark Songs may be found at www.EdgarAllanPolka.com.

“We have a number of retailers and long-time friends in Door County,” says David Bronner. “When we heard about the work of the Humane Society and their expansion project, it was a natural stop for the tour. All proceeds from the sale of our products at the show will be given to the Door County Humane Society.”

Bronner went on to say that his company built the massive bathtub in California and used it at several music festivals there before shipping it East.

“Tunes And A Tub” is the name of a free community event scheduled for Sunset Park on Third Avenue, north of Bay Shipbuilding, on Saturday, August 14 from 5 – 9:30 pm. Families are invited to come with their well-behaved, leashed dogs to frolic in the walk-in tub or just have a great time watching those enjoying the water and Dr Bronner’s Soap suds. (All the products are safe for dogs and used by many dog groomers locally). Food, as well as beer and wine are welcome in the park but hard liquor is not allowed.

DCHS Executive Director Carrie Counihan grins as she explains, “The Humane Society wants to continue being the adoption guarantee shelter that Door County residents expect, but it is imperative that we have more room to accomplish that goal. Now we have the opportunity to partner with Dr. Bronner’s to celebrate the start of our capital campaign and invite everyone in the community to enjoy the water, great music, and hear about our expansion plans. And yes, one of the most wished-for items in the renovated shelter building is an area to bathe bedraggled dogs and matted cats!”

Proceeds from all soap sales go to the DCHS building fund. Beginning at 5 pm on Saturday, August 14, the giant tub will be open to all (T-shirts over bathing suits are suggested) humans and dogs.

At 7 pm, a planned shift to a slightly more raucous tempo will take place with “The Art of Music” featuring a sunset concert that includes national touring artists Pamela Means, Dorothy Scott, melaniejane, and Hans Christian. Another local favorite, Julian Hagan, will join the group as well. In the audience will be one of Door County’s beloved philanthropists, Ralph Bronner.

As dusk falls over the bay and the Sherwood Point lighthouse begins flashing, the new film “Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap Box” will be shown. Dr. Bronner emigrated to the U.S., just escaping the horrors of WWII. In the next 50 years, he and his family established a company known for its corporate conscience and resolution to abide by the “Moral ABC” explained on the soap labels.