Soundbites

First Unity Concludes ARTS46/4’s Five Month Arts Initiative in August by Featuring Music

From April through August, ARTS46/4 produced five events and contributed to 17 Sunday services, spanning five arts disciplines and engaging 75 artists and community leaders.

August focuses on music, producing the special event Sound Bites: a fusion dinner party chamber music concert featuring the Ibis Quartet, hosting O Som Do Jazz in concert, and welcoming guest musicians Eirinn Abu, Wendy Luck, Rebecca Zapen, and Tommy Johnson.

JULY 26, 2018 – ST. PETERSBURG, FL – First Unity concludes the five month arts initiative that served as the launch of ARTS46/4 with the month of August dedicated to Music.  The final of the initiative’s five special events, Sound Bites: A Culinary Experience with the Ibis Quartet in Concert will take place on Friday, August 24^th at 7pm.  In addition, O Som Do Jazz will present a free concert on Saturday, August 11^th at 8pm, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, Creative Pinellas, and EMIT, marking the first use of ARTS46/4 by an arts entity from the community to present on First Unity’s campus.  Finally, each Sunday in August will feature a guest instrumentalist during the services.  The diverse lineup is Eirinn Abu, saxophonist, on August 5^th; Wendy Luck, flutist, on August 12^th; Rebecca Zapen, violinist, on August 19^th; and Tommy Johnson, pianist, on August 26^th.

Sound Bites: A Culinary Experience with the Ibis Quartet in Concert on Friday, August 24^th at 7pm, is an evening elevating three Art forms: music, cuisine, and conversation.  Not just a chamber music concert of a world-class string quartet, the Ibis Quartet, and not just an exploration of culinary art, provided by Spice Routes Global Soul Food Café, but both, interspersed with the opportunity to socialize with your fellow attendees.  The music is not background dinner music, however; when the quartet is playing, all food service stops and concert etiquette is expected.  The Ibis Quartet is a string quartet based in Tampa Bay comprised of Rebecca Zapen (violin), Julie Tollen (violin), Lauren Collier (viola), and Ruth Kern (cello).  Spice Routes, under founder and head chef Judy Staunko, has been a long-time staple on the St. Petersburg restaurant scene and at the Saturday Morning Market, and is currently in residence at First Unity.