Friends of the Fine Arts (FOFA), the arts support group for Suttons Bay Public Schools, is sponsoring its fifth annual concert series beginning this month.

THE GROUP Greensky Bluegrass will perform
at the Suttons Bay School auditorium on
Friday, Jan. 11.

The group Greensky Bluegrass, winners of the 2006 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition, will come to town Friday, Jan. 11. Peter Ostroushko will bring his fiddle and mandolin for a Feb. 14 performance, accompanied by Danny Gothman. Ostroushko has been a regular on the radio show Prairie Home Companion for more than 25 years. This concert is at the Old Art Building in Leland. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, desserts from Adelaides will be served along with Higher Grounds coffee and chocolate.

To finish the series, Patchouli, an acoustic duo from Wisconsin featuring Julie Patchouli and Bruce Hecksel, will take the stage Feb. 29. Patchouli has released seven critically acclaimed compact discs, played more than 1,000 shows and been on radio around the world.

The Jan. 11 and Feb. 29 concerts will be at the Suttons Bay School auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
The 2008 concert series is underwritten by Bahle’s of Suttons Bay and L. Mawby Vineyards, with support from many local businesses.

Tickets are $12 for adults an d $5 students, and are available at the door.

FOFA is a group of teachers, staff and  parents dedicated to maintaining a quality fine arts program for Suttons Bay students. FOFA also offers art and music opportunities not otherwise available, such as African drumming, violin exploration, “Creative Arts Day” for high school, and “Collage,” an evening showcasing student art of all ages.

FOFA also brings local groups to the county for in-school performances and will feature Greensky Bluegrass and Patchouli this year. The programs are further made possible by grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Suttons Bay Art Festival.