CONCORD ó The Piedmont Choral Society will present its sixth annual patriotic benefit concert tonight at 7 p.m. at St. James Lutheran Church, 104 Union St. South, Concord.
All monies collected at the concert will benefit the Coltrane Life Center, which offers adult day health care for older and disabled adults.
The concert is free, but an offering for Coltrane Life Center will be taken. The public is invited.
Mark Frye is director.
For more information, call 704-786-1063, ext. 3.
Green Goat Gallery
SPENCER ó Green Goat Gallery & Blue Ewe Yoga Studio, 516 S. Salisbury Ave., Spencer, is offering Saturday afternoon workshops for children.
On June 27, from 1-3 p.m., award-winning artist Sue Davis will teach children how to create magical designs with their own custom-made wand kaleidoscope. For children ages 8 to 12, the cost is $25 per child. Class is limited to 10 participants.
July 11, from 1-3 p.m., Salisbury muralist and portrait painter Carolyn Kirkman will lead a beginning painting workshop for budding artists who will be introduced to mixing color and elementary painting techniques. Each child will create a small framed picture to take home. For children ages 8 to 12, the cost is $22. Class is limited to eight participants.
July 18, from 1-2:30 p.m., Anne Waters (RYT) will lead a beginning yoga practice where children will learn elementary breathing and relaxation techniques and basic asanas (poses) in “Be a Tree.” For children ages 8 to 13, the cost is $12 per child. Class is limited to 10 participants.
All workshops will be conducted at the Green Goat Gallery & Blue Ewe Yoga Studio. All materials and a light snack are included in the cost of the workshops. Scholarships are available.
To register or for additional information, call Anne Waters at 704-639-0606.
Strings camp
The Salisbury Symphony Orchestra, with the help of Akzo Nobel and dozens of individual contributors, has been hosting its popular Summer Strings Camp this week. Over 60 children and adults registered for beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes on violin, viola, cello, or bass in the camp being held at St. John’s Lutheran Church. On Friday, June 26, an end-of-camp concert will be held at 3 p.m., and the public is invited to celebrate.
Akzo Nobel, formerly National Starch & Chemical, has supported the Summer Strings Camp for many years, and over 40 individuals have donated over $2,500 to the Positive Notes Scholarship Fund.
The classes are led by Carter Bradley, Margaret Rehder, and Anne Sellitti, all professional musicians as well as teachers; two (Bradley and Sellitti) play regularly with the Salisbury Symphony. They are assisted by Carrie Webster and Karen Franks and Symphony Education Director Susan Trivette.
For information about the end-of-camp concert and other Symphony educational programs, contact Trivette at 704-637-4730 or strivett@catawba.edu.
Symphony tickets
Season tickets to the Salisbury Symphony’s 2009-2010 season are now on sale.
Tickets may be purchased by calling the Symphony office, visiting the Web site, or stopping by the Rowan County Convention & Visitors Bureau to pick up a season brochure/order form.
Highlights of the season include the North Carolina premiere of a new work, a concert of Vienna-inspired music by the North Carolina Symphony, and “Peter and the Wolf” in collaboration with the Piedmont Dance Theatre.
One of the benefits of season membership is the opportunity to purchase tickets and request specific seating at the Salisbury Symphony’s production of “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 19-20. Tickets go on sale to the public July 6.
Season memberships can be paid for with cash, credit cards (VISA or MasterCard), through PayPal on the Web site, or, as one member discovered, Downtown Dollars.
For more information, call 704-637-4314 or visit www.salisburysymphony.org.
Call for art
Looking Glass Artist Collective has announced a call for art in all mediums for their “Americana” exhibit which will be on display throughout the month of July.
Intake will be during shop hours at 405 N. Lee St. 2-6 p.m. June 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 27, and 1-5 p.m. June 28.
A reception for the artists will be held 5-7 p.m. July 17 during Downtown Salisbury’s Krazy Night Out.
This is a members only exhibit. For information about joining the collective, call 704-245-2302.
The Brubakers
Salisbury-based contemporary instrumental jazz group The Brubakers will serve as the opening act for the Charlotte Symphony Summer Pops Series this Sunday at 7 p.m.. This will be the band’s seventh appearance with the Charlotte Symphony.
The group will be performing music from each of their three CDs, “Time Has Come,” “Second Nature” and the newly-released “Triple Bypass.”
They have performed at numerous venues and events such as Spirit Square, The Visulite Theater, Halton Theater, UNC Chapel Hill, Pride Sunset Jazz Festival, Charlotte Verve Jazz Festival, Charlotte Center City Fest and the Southern Women’s Show.
For more information about the group, visit www.thebrubakers.net.

Jewelry at Favorites
Anne Simpkins of Favorites is featured in an art exhibit of jewelry and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.
Favorites is located in the Linens and More building behind Salisbury Emporium. The address is 421-B N Lee St. Refreshments will be served.
Simpkins has developed a fabric jewelry line inspired by fabric covered beads she resurrected from the 70’s. Using batiks and other mini-prints and florals her casual summer look is internationally inspired. Anne has incorporated buttons for earrings and combined fabric notions with jewelry findings to create one of a kind fashion statements. Her style reflects the peasant look as well as the retro look.
This Meet the Artist event will include demonstrations; each attendee will receive a jewelry making work sheet. Three in one bracelets are one of Anne’s featured design items as well as jewelry sets that include a necklace, bracelet and earrings.
Due to bead availability each is one of a kind. Besides semiprecious stones Anne also uses wood beads. Anne incorporates some antique items in her jewelry as well.
For more information call 704-855-2741 or her cell 704-305-2714.