Joe DeCara has taught guitar full time for 25 years, but he's also a formidable musician in his own right. As he describes it on his website, "Having played the guitar from an early age, I have played various styles such as jazz, rock, contemporary, classical, blues, standards, funk, 50's, 60's, 70's up to the present. I specialize in improvisation, fingerboard theory, repertoire and chord melody. My lifetime dedication to teaching, playing and research has led me to a tried and proven method to move a student from a beginning level to that of an advanced player in a very short period of time — regardless of one's age or experience. Within months, my students find they have an in-depth knowledge of the fingerboard." He joins us today with the Joe DeCara Group to share some of that in-depth knowledge with our viewers.

Joe DeCara
Joe DeCara Group

The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capitol celebrates its 15th year of presenting thought-provoking, beautiful, and fascinating films about the fragile web of our planet's ecosystems. With 115 films from 27 countries, the 2007 Festival has 50 Washington, United States and World film premieres and screenings at 46 venues. Included are two important films-in-progress: director George Butler’s arresting account of the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and a compelling portrait of Dr. E.O.Wilson, distinguished scientist, professor, Pulitzer Prize winning author and environmental activist. Nearly 100 filmmakers and special guests, including genome pioneer Dr. Craig Venter, photographer Sally Mann and animator Bill Plympton will discuss their work with audiences. The Festival will also screen Al Gore’s incomparable documentary about global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, directed by Davis Guggenheim.

This year, filmmaker John Grabowska joins us to discuss his documentary Ribbon of Sand. As he describes it, "The famed Outer Banks of the Carolina coast are a slim and moving line of sand in the open Atlantic. Many travelers think they know these islands—but south of Ocracoke Inlet there rises a luminous bar of sand almost sixty miles in extent, with no roads, no bridges, no hotels: the wild, remote beaches of Cape Lookout National Seashore, one of the few remaining natural barrier island systems in the world. At once an exaltation and elegy, Ribbon of Sand profiles this seascape and the transitory islands doomed to disappear. This beautiful film features an affecting original score by Academy Award-winner Todd Boekelheide, quotes from environmental pioneer Rachel Carson, and readings by acclaimed actress Meryl Streep."

The Environmental Film Festival runs from Thursday March 15th - Sunday March 25th, 2007. Ribbon Of Sand screens at the National Museum of Natural History on March 23rd 12:00 noon, accompanied by a presentation by John Grabowska. Admission is free.

Environmental Film Festival
More info about Ribbon of Sand

Eugene O'Neill, recognized as one of America's foremost playwrights, wrote only one comedy in his lifetime. That play, Ah, Wilderness! is a nostalgic look at America's youth, a time before television when time was slower and families gathered on hot summer nights and spoke and sang and argued, worried and fell in love. It's in those conversations that the eternal strains of humanity play on. Rhea welcomes Bob Braswell and Tom Bloom, two actors from this current production running at Baltimore's Center Stage, to Artworks This Week to talk about the play.

Ah, Wilderness! runs at Center Stage through April 15.

Center Stage Theatre

Josh Brown made his first mug in kindergarten and ever since, he’s been molding clay into a rewarding career. The Frostburg, Maryland potter works mostly with stoneware clay, his work ranging from functional pots for everyday use to creating one-of-a-kind jewelry. Josh says pottery is his passion. You can see Josh’s unique pottery at his studio in Frostburg, Maryland.

This week's salon art are the costumes of Spoon Popkin and Mellisa Webb. Several of the pieces are for The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, held in June every year on Coney Island. The local artists have some upcoming performances. Spoon will be performing in costume as "Umami, the essence of deliciousness", this Friday, March 23rd at The Palace of Wonders in Washington, DC, 1210 H St NE, 10pm- 1am with DJ Mandy Mod. (FREE)

Spoon Popkin will perform "Phone Tag" Friday, March 30th at The Transmodern Festival at The Load of Fun Gallery, 120 W. North Ave. in Baltimore. ($10)

Mellisa Webb will be performing Uppity Ladies at The Transmodern Festival Sunday April 1st at Wyman Park Dell, 3pm. (FREE)

Spoon Popkin
Mellisa Webb
Palace of Wonders
Transmodern Festival

On ArtChat This Week, Nate and Rhea discuss the upcoming Music of Japan Festival and Symposium 2007, March 30 through April 1st at the Fine Arts Recital Hall at UMBC. The festival features performances and discussions of contemporary classical Japanese music.

If your musical tastes favor a more down-home flair, Everyman Theatre is serving up the World Famous Count Basie Orchestra lead by Trombonist Bill Hughes. The orchestra will be the featured entertainment at Everyman Theatre's upcoming gala, Salut! Everyman Goes to Town on April 28th.

Maryland Summer Center for the Fine and Performing Arts at Salisbury University will be holding auditions for 130 openings in its program on Saturday April 21st. It’s an opportunity for young people to meet and study with some of the region's most talented artists. The program runs July 8 through July 21st.

UMBC
Everyman Theatre