Art, Wine and Jazz event scheduled for this Saturday

The event will feature the work of local artists on sale.

The Visual Arts Committee of the Mountain Home Arts Council will host its 5th Annual Art, Wine and Jazz event on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Carmela Vineyards in Glenns Ferry, from 6-9 p.m.

Tickets are $20 at the door and include wine, food and a souvenir wine glass hand-painted by the artists. For the restaurant's dinner patrons tickets are $12 (with their receipt for that evening). For non-wine tasting admittance, tickets are also $12.

Local area artists showing this year include: Jonna Barnett, Michaela French, Steve Gabriel, Bobbi Kelly, Jerry Kencke, Marcus Mashburn, Brenda Raub, and from Boise, Saunie Kohntopp, Lisa Tate and Jan Seda (formerly from Mountain Home).

Music is by the ArtsWest Jazz Combo, a trio of jazz musicians from ArtsWest School in Eagle. The ArtsWest School for the Performing and Visual Arts has an intensive jazz program. The ArtsWest Jazz Combo features Keelan Dimick on piano, Jenniel Miller on bass and Brandon Thurston on drums.

Dimick began playing piano at the age of six and was self-taught until, at 13, his family moved to Boise from Iowa and he began lessons with Justin Nielsen of ArtsWest School. In the three years he has performed at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, he placed one year and took first place twice, most recently in the High School Division.

Miller grew up surrounded by classical music, with her mother, a music major at BSU, playing piano, and her father playing guitar. When starting lessons in sixth grade, she wanted to play bass, but "since the boys played bass, I learned cello." When she began ArtsWest last year she switched to bass and has been playing jazz ever since.

Thurston always wanted to play drums and began lessons five years ago studying rock music. With his move to ArtsWest last year, he found a new energy in jazz. "I enjoy playing jazz gigs," he said. Thurston and Miller were members of a jazz combo that took first place in the Junior High Division in their initial appearance at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival last year.

Those attending the event can buy original art by local artists, "sample Carmela's award-winning wine and hear some incredibly talented young jazz musicians," a spokesperson said.

For more information call Jonna at 587-5960 or the Mountain Home Arts Council at 587-3706.