The NABC beer and event weekend ahead.

Here is a collection of headlines hinting at the numerous places where you can drink NABC beers during the next few days while recreating in the great heated outdoors. Note also that the Dubois County Bombers host Springfield on Friday evening, June 22nd. We're there, too.

Live @ Five returns to the 400 block of Bank Street this Friday with Jimmy G and the Sidewinders.

"LIBA kicks off 'Independents Week' a little early with the Louisville Brewfest," coming June 22.

The Public Art Walk is this Saturday (June 23), with accompanying NABC beer garden and live music.

Black & Blue Grass at Iroquois for Counting Crows, June 25.

Live @ Five summertime Friday concert series shifts to the 400 block of Bank Street.

Friday, June 15 - Live @ Five
Friday, June 22 - Live @ Five
Saturday, June 23 - Bicentennial Public Art Walk Party

On the afternoons/evenings listed above, the 400 block of Bank Street will be closed to permit block parties sponsored by the city (on the 15th and 22nd) and the Bicentennial Public Art Project (on the 23rd). There will be musical entertainment and NABC beer at each of these events, so come out and enjoy them before, after and during your visit to Bank Street Brewhouse.

Obviously, these events will affect BSB's customary street parking, but the usual surface lots will be available for use via the two-way alley behind Bank Street Brewhouse (between Banks and Pearl Streets).

There are other available surface parking lots within a block’s walk of this spot, and throughout downtown New Albany. These events provide an excellent opportunity to park your car somewhere and stroll the re-emerging historic business core.

Read the city's press release here.

On Oct. 28, you can help NABC say goodbye to Leticia Bajuyo’s “Brew History: All Bottled Up.” Here’s how.

It’s time for NABC to bid a fond farewell to Leticia Bajuyo’s “Brew History: All Bottled Up,” the New Albany Public Art Project Bicentennial Series installation commemorating New Albany’s breweries and taverns.

Leticia’s sculpture has serenely and elegantly occupied a corner of Bank Street Brewhouse’s parking lot since its completion in the late spring of 2010, but it was never intended to be permanent, so on the evening of Friday, October 28th, NABC is hosting a community celebration in the BSB parking lot to mark the occasion of its decommissioning.

It’ll be no ordinary wake, because in the process of honoring Leticia and her creation, we’ll be weaving together elements of art, recycling, alternative energy, localism … and plenty of beer.

Leticia and helpers will spend the day on the 28th gradually disassembling, and officially decommissioning, her “Brew History: All Bottled Up.” The beer bottles inside it will be available to those attendees and passers-by interested in souvenirs, and all the remaining materials will be recycled or incorporated in one of Leticia’s future projects.

("Brew History: All Bottled Up" is featured in the new book, Sculpture and Design With Recycled Glass, by Cindy Ann Coldiron, whose book will be available for purchase on the 28th, courtesy of Destinations Booksellers. Go here for more details.)

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., Bank Street Brewhouse’s usual parking area will be cordoned off for the occasion of the evening celebration, with beer, wine, chili and snacks available outdoors, and the usual menu being presented inside. In case of inclement weather, the party moves beneath the existing patio roof.

As an added incentive, we’ll be unveiling NABC’s IX – Ninth Anniversary Ale, a Smoked Chocolate Port-Barrel Aged Stout brewed last winter by former brewmaster Jared Williamson (available at the Pizzeria & Public House, too). The actual NABC anniversary date is October 25, but we’ll wait a couple of days just for the fun of throwing it into the Friday evening mix.

Music by Toledo Bend is being booked by our good friends at The Dandy Lion boutique and shop, located just a block south of Bank Street Brewhouse. The Dandy Lion will be open later than usual on the 28th, so plan on strolling down and paying them a visit.

But there’s more. From 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the 28th, there’ll be an opening reception for "Powering Creativity: Air, Fuel, Heat," a joint exhibit of Ohio Valley Creative Energy and the Carnegie Center for Art & History. It’s happening right across the street from BSB, and the artists and organizers will be joining us to combine their after-party with Leticia’s decommissioning fete. Go here to learn more.

That’s not all! There’s even more on tap for Friday, October 28, because it’s also the occasion of Jeff Milchen’s visit to New Albany.

“New Albany First is proud to welcome Jeff Milchen, co-founder of the American Independent Business Alliance. Jeff is an international leader in helping communities to build vital local economies and in enhancing economic opportunity through supporting local independent businesses. We're thrilled to have him coming to New Albany.

“The event is set for Friday night, October 28th at 7:00 p.m. for a presentation/discussion on the importance of localism and supporting independent businesses. The event will be held on the beautiful second floor of the River City Winery on Pearl Street.”

I’ve invited NA First, Milchen and all the attendees to make the short walk from River City Winery and join the arts celebration at BSB. Know also that NABC will have beer samples on hand for both the Carnegie Center/OVCE opening (where jazzman Jamey Aebersold will be providing music) and the NA First/Milchen presentation.

Links:

Leticia Bajuyo, “Brew History: All Bottled Up” and New Albany Public Art Project Bicentennial Series: http://www.napublicart.org/bajuyo.php

The Dandy Lion: http://www.facebook.com/thedandylionshop

Ohio Valley Creative Energy: http://ohiovalleycreativenergy.org/

Carnegie Center: http://www.carnegiecenter.org/exhibits.html

New Albany First: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Albany-First/142589112460702

American Independent Business Alliance: http://www.amiba.net/

Destinations Booksellers
http://www.facebook.com/newalbanybooks

Destinations Booksellers: Sculpture and Design With Recycled Glass proceeds going to support New Albany Public Art Project Bicentennial Series.

(Read about the decommissioning fest events at Bank Street Brewhouse on October 28)

Leticia Bajuyo's sculpture "Brew History: All Bottled Up" is featured in the new book, Sculpture and Design With Recycled Glass, by Cindy Ann Coldiron, from Schiffer Publishing, the leading publisher of arts, crafts, and collectible books. This book releases the same day and will be available for purchase at the venues. We're sure Leticia will be happy to discuss her work and to autograph copies on request. The book does sell for $49.99, with $10 of the purchase price going to support the New Albany Public Art Project: Bicentennial Series.

This month also happens to be the 7th anniversary of Destinations Booksellers coming to New Albany. Our doors opened on Oct. 18, 2004 and our first official sale in New Albany took place on Nov. 1, 2004. In celebration of New Albany finally getting an independent business alliance, Destinations Booksellers is holding a "New Albany First" sale from Oct. 18 through Nov. 1. And keep your eyes and ears open for details of this year's Holiday Fest Readathon, which in 2011 will benefit the programs of New Albany First.

http://www.facebook.com/newalbanybooks

Hop-O and expanded kitchen hours tomorrow (Sat., July 9) at Bank Street Brewhouse.

We're expecting sunny weather tomorrow: Saturday (July 9th), come downtown for the City Wide arts celebrations, with shops, drinks, food and music.

For the city-wide arts walk, mural day and assorted downtown events, there'll be an encore appearance of NABC's Hop-O at Bank Street Brewhouse.

Jared's 2011 version, brewed with our house California Common yeast, is intended as a blast from New Albany’s illicit past; this Prohibition-era "cereal" beer was supposed to have been non-alcoholic, but the brewery got busted for an alcoholic content well into the three percentile range. This most infamous New Albany beverage is now revived, rejigged and notorious for entirely different reasons; it's session strength for a hot day at 3.5% abv.

Also, the Bank Street kitchen reports that it will be offering the new, expanded menu all day long without an afternoon break, from 12:00 Noon until 10:00 p.m.

I'll be at BSB with Leticia Bajuyo from 5:00 p.m. to discuss beer and brewing in New Albany, and her "All Bottled Up" installation. Josh Hill will have Rosa at Schmitt Furniture (also 5:00 p.m.) to dispense beer for the mural and music fete. It's going to be a long and fun day, and we hope to see you there.

Saturday, come downtown for the City Wide arts celebrations, with shops, drinks, food and music.

If I were to expend the time and effort required to explain to you which entity was sponsoring a particular arts event in downtown New Albany this coming Saturday, there’d be no time left to drink beer as the day unfolds.

I merely thank all the folks making it possible, and leave it at that. Readers, park somewhere and aimlessly wander. With a handful of exceptions (look for the Arts Council pamphlets), most of the city-wide events are taking place in a relatively small area, bounded by Main Street (South), Vincennes Street (East), Spring St (North) and State Street (West).

All this was unthinkable just a few years ago. Unified press releases still are.

Saturday’s downtown festivities are not entirely confined to the arts. Yes, last year’s bicentennial art walk now is concurrent with this year’s bicentennial mural project (and other Arts Council offerings), but all of it is being packaged as the New Albany City Wide Celebration, with shops offerings specials and on-premise establishments encouraged to join in the merriment.

By any title, it will be a busy and artistic day, as evidenced by these links. Seriously, I've done my best to provide an overview.

Farmers Market
If you have not visited New Albany’s Farmers Market (corner of Bank and Market) in a while, consider doing so. While not yet in the class of the one operating for so long on Bardstown Road in Louisville, the organizers have labored mightily over a period of years to make improvements, and the fruition of their efforts truly has become evident in 2011. It's simply a great community vibe.

Bicentennial Public Art Project & Walk
Last year's temporary installations are still in place (they'll rotate out soon), and three new ones add to the total for this year's stroll. Leticia Bajuyo's All Bottled Up remains outside Bank Street Brewhouse, where we had one fine night with the Bicentennial Art walk last year.

Arts Council of Southern Indiana's two receptions
The first Arts Council reception is from noon to 5:00 p.m. at its Market Street headquarters: Beyond Borders, which focuses on butterflies and their meaning in art and writing. From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the action moves to the newly renovated United Gas and Electric Building at 138 E. Spring, also home of the Colokial shop (just around the corner from Bank Street Brewhouse).

The new venue there is being called the Resch Gallery, and there'll be two exhibits: Arts WORK, and “By the River’s Edge”, the latter featuring "local and state steamboat artifacts (as) part of the Rivers Institute at Hanover College’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of the first steamboat trip through the Ohio and Mississippi rivers."

Schmitt Furniture Community Mural Fellowship
In essence, Schmitt Furniture is marking its 75th anniversary by teaming with the Arts Council to place a large mural on its building (corner of State and Main). The mural, to be painted by the legendary Dave Thrasher, will be on the alley side, next to a parking lot that will serve as the site of Saturday's celebration. The intrepid Josh Hill will have NABC's Rosa L. Stumblebus beer truck on hand for the party, which will have live music and run from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Apologies for any omissions. As I said, just come downtown for the city-wide show, park, walk and enjoy.

April showers notwithstanding, the Bicentennial Art Project installation at Bank Street Brewhouse is almost finished.

Leticia Bajoyo and her hard working volunteers are battling the elements as they near the finish line for completion of her Bicentennial Art Project installation at Bank Street Brewhouse.

The bottles in front compose the "lightbright" effect, while those on the sides stand upright and document the history of brewing in New Albany.

Upright bottles have been affixed with "retro" labels bearing the names and photos of past breweries.

We think the installation will be complete on Saturday night, although incoming storms add an element of the elements. More later.

Leticia Bajuyo's installation of her Bicentennial Art project piece at Bank Street Brewhouse starts today.

The past two days have not been the best time to try accomplishing anything, and so this slipped through the cracks, and now I'm scrambling. If anyone locates a peaceful moment, I'm in the market for one.

In short: Leticia Bajuyo's installation of her Bicentennial Art project piece at Bank Street Brewhouse gets under way today. Julie Schweitzer offers this revised installation schedule. Note that Leticia actively seeks volunteers to help her with this project.

I just heard from Leticia and below is her revised installation schedule. She is looking for volunteers to help with the project.

Sunday afternoon (18th) ... bring concrete form, set, and mix. Work till done with pouring pad.

Monday (19th) 2 p.m. - dark ... bring steel, plexi, and glass bottle cutter. Goal is to bolt steel frame together. If there are volunteers, they can peel paper off plexi and learn to cut bottles.

Wednesday (21st) 10 a.m - dark ... bring shelves and shelf backing. Goals include attach steel frame to concrete pad. If there are volunteers, they can poly shelves, finish bottle cutting, and place shelves.

Friday (23rd) 10 a.m. - dark ... bring front panels and labels. Goals include inserting front panels. If there are volunteers, they can label bottles and fill shelves.

Saturday (24th) ALL DAY ... bring roof and lights. Goal: Finish, of course. Specifically, put bottles in the front panels, add roof, install lights.

Previously, all this was explained:

The New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project: Outdoor sculpture interpreting the city's history and heritage.

More on the New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project.

Bunches of bottles against the wall.

Yesterday's WHAS-11 news segment on the NA Bicentennial Art preview at Bank Street Brewhouse.

R.I.P., Don Parsons.

It was only a week ago that I learned of Don Parsons' impending death. He had battled cancer to standstill the first time around, but regrettably, as so often is the case, it roared back at Don with a vengeance, and nothing could be done. Now it has claimed him. He was 56, and even a month ago, he looked at least ten years younger than that.

Don frequented the Public House on Saturday afternoons, especially when the weather was good and he could ride his motorcycle. We talked beer numerous times, and as a homebrewer, Don truly "got it." He was a regular at BBC in St. Matthews, and was referred to there as Dart Don.

Last week, aware that the end was near, he donated his beer bottle collection for use in Leticia Bajuyo's New Albany Bicentennial Public Art project sculpture, which will appear outside the Bank Street Brewhouse in late April.

By virtue of the collection's many shapes and sizes, not all of them can be used. However, my promise to Don is this: A part of you will be present, and as many of your bottles as possible will be in the Bicentennial sculpture, if I have to scrub the damn things myself.

Don was a friend, and a friend to beer. I'll miss him very much, and he'll not be forgotten as long as there's a New Albanian Brewing Company.

I hope he thought to pack some Weyerbacher ...

Yesterday's WHAS-11 news segment on Bicentennial Art at Bank Street Brewhouse.

Here's the link to the WHAS-11 story.

NA Bicentennial Art: Bunches of bottles against the wall.

Leticia Bajuyo visited Bank Street Brewhouse today to provide a preview of her sculpture for the Bicentennial Art Project, and plenty of empty 12-ounce beer bottles were donated by our customers. Very shortly, the bottles will become the sculpture, and Leticia explained how and why in the context of her work to date.

Matt and Jim Patus topped the bottle donation chart, followed by Don Parsons. A number of others joined the fun and brought bottles. The gorgeous spring day contributed to the festive ambience as art, not sewers, was (for once) the topic of the moment in New Albany.

Permit me to thank Leticia, Julie Schweitzer, Karen Gillenwater, my workers Aleen and Shelly, and all the other people in attendance on a day that provided a measure of restorative cultural encouragement.

The New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project needs your empty beer bottles at Bank Street Brewhouse on Saturday, March 20.

Press release

New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project

February 20, 2010---- The New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project is a multi-year outdoor exhibition of twenty temporary sculptures that interpret the rich history and heritage of New Albany, IN. In the spring of 2010, five temporary sculptures will be installed in highly visible locations in the downtown historic district. Each subsequent year, five new sculptures will be unveiled, culminating in 2013 with New Albany’s Bicentennial Commemoration.

This project is a partnership between the Carnegie Center for Art and History and the New Albany Urban Enterprise Association. It is directed by Julie Schweitzer Studios, with major funding provided by the Horseshoe Foundation of Southern Indiana. For more information or to get involved, e-mail Julie Schweitzer, Project Director, or call 812-944-4986.

As part of the New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project artist Leticia Bajuyo is creating an interactive sculpture for display at the New Albanian Brewing Company's Bank Street Brewhouse.

On March 20, 2010, at noon, Leticia Bajuyo will be on site at the Bank Street Brewhouse to give a presentation about her work and the project.

The piece she will create is informed by the history of taverns and breweries in New Albany and dates back to 1830 with stories of homespun attitudes and community support, as explained on the project's FaceBook page, and web site.

In recognition of this, the primary materials of the sculpture are locally collected, used beer bottles. The collected bottles are used to create a work influenced by the Lite-Brite™ toy; these bottles serve as pegs on the front wall of the sculpture, but unlike a Lite-Brite™, these pegs do not create a stationary pattern. Here, images of New Albany’s brewery logos, projected from the inside the sculpture, change through viewer participation. Furthermore, the sides of the sculpture are constructed of bottles between plexi-glass walls. Sitting on shelves, these rows of bottles reference both the song “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” and Tom Marioni’s social sculpture from 1970, entitled “The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art."

Attendees at the event on the 20th will be "paid" in New Albanian Brewing Company “scrip” for clean 12-ounce empties with labels removed. Attendees can redeem the “scrip” (25 cents per empty) as coupons toward their food and drink purchases. Lite-Brites™ will be available onsite to stimulate your creativity along with your appetite. Please join us with your empties and become a part of New Albany’s brewing history.