Indie Songwriters Festival will showcase local talents
By NICHOLAS A. HESS

Photo by Jerry Sowden - Libby Williams, chairman of the Oil City Arts Council, Joann Wheeler, Oil City's arts revitalization coordinator, and Jim Ru, a volunteer and artist who recently relocated to Oil City from Tucson, Ariz., talk with other volunteers as they make plans for the Oil Region Indie Songwriters Festival later this month.

A compilation of many minds and talents have joined together for the area's second annual Oil Region Indie Songwriters Festival, which will showcase the talents of local musicians eager for a shot in the limelight.

The event, sponsored by Oil City Arts Council, Clarion University Venango Campus and Community Fellows Program and the Elizabeth S. Black Charitable Trust, has been gaining steam over the last several months, coming to evoke the growing arts campaign in the surrounding area.

The affair, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 23 and 24, will feature 15 singer/songwriters performing either solo or in a band, bringing their own styles to the stage.

But it has been the general interest from the younger community that has been most inspiring for Joann Wheeler, the arts revitalization coordinator.

"These ideas were not hatched at an Oil City level meeting," Wheeler said. "They are coming from the music scene which is already here and the young people who participate in it."

The bands, bringing such diverse genres as pop, punk and screaming emo, to the mellifluous sounds of harmonicas and the acoustic guitar, incorporate both locally known and nationally recognized names. Those playing include Nathaniel Custer, Jeremy Jack, Veteran Status, Brad Yoder, Namoli Brennet and The Victory Year, in addition to an eclectic mix of various others.

"It had to grow into two days this year," said Emily Aubele, the director of student affairs at Venango Campus. "That shows you how much talent we have in the area."

The first night of free concerts, to be held on the first floor in the great room of the National Transit Building, will begin at 6 p.m. May 23 and offer a coffee bar donated by Brother Bean in Seneca. The artist studios in the annex will also be open for business both before and during the concert.

Justus Park in Oil City will be the setting for the second night of festivities, which begins at 1 p.m. May 24 and will last well into the evening. Aubele said typical festival food will be sold from local vendors, in addition to canopies featuring the wares of resident artists.

"We are just trying at any opportunity to integrate the arts, in any form, into the community," said Libby Williams, co-chair of the Oil City Arts Council. "But the hardest thing is to just get the word out."

"It's something very visible," said Jim Ru, a volunteer and recent artist relocated to the area from Tucson, Ariz. "It's going to be incredibly fun and it shows off the hard work of others."

The idea was brought to the Arts Council last year by a local musician struggling with the lack of performance opportunities in the area. It has grown to encompass bands from throughout the area, as well as New York City and Pittsburgh.

Jerome Wincek, a 30-year-old playing in this year's lineup, is not only the creator of the event, but an integral part of the entire production from start to finish.

"It gives people the opportunity to perform at a real venue," said Wince, who plays solo and with his band, The Old Hats. "It's just something for the community."

This year's festival is even attempting to adopt the "going green" motto, by offering organic T-shirts, as well as encouraging audience members to bring their own bottled water. Festival goers are also asked to bring their own chairs to Saturday's event - whose rain location will be held in the Latonia Theatre on East First Street - and are requested to not bring dogs into the park.

"We're trying to be a culturally and environmentally sound organization," Ru said. "We are doing as much as we can."

Offering a totally different dynamic than last year's festivities, the second annual Oil Region Indie Songwriters Festival promises a weekend of both art and fun, with thoughts of next year to be even bigger.

"Our reputation as an arts town is growing," Wheeler said. "And ideas like this are what make a revitalization work."

Artists wishing to sell or show goods for the festival should contact Ru at jimisru@hotmail.com or by phone at 384-3981.

People with questions or who want to learn more about the Oil City Arts Council can contact Wheeler at 676-5303.