Year in Review 2017: Pacific Arts Association

Host of the Drayton Harbor Music Festival

By Kitty King, board member

This year, we set out to bring the Blaine and Birch Bay community closer to our organization and to our festival. The Pacific Arts Association (PAA) presented several events designed to entertain, educate and collect ideas from fans and supporters of the Drayton Harbor Festival. We have incorporated some of these ideas and are working on building our team of volunteers, board members, sponsors and donors in order to maintain the festival in the years to come.

During the Drayton Harbor Music Festival this year, the audience was treated to Three Divas: our high-energy songwriter Camille Bloom, award-winning jazz vocalist Greta Matassa, and Amanda Taylor and her group “Groove for Thought” with amazing a capella harmonies at the Sunday night Kick-Off Concert.

The enjoyment continued all week, with four performances by our world-class music faculty, one of them at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden that packed the house. The students had their chance to shine in performances on both Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, and our Big Band Benefit rocked the roof at the Blaine Pavilion.

2017 was an exceptional year for student opportunities to perform with faculty: at the noon-hour concerts, at the Big Band Benefit, and this year, at the Pastime Tavern following the Student Showcase. The Pastime has transformed into the Peace Arch City Cafe, who want to continue having live music in the restaurant. Keep your ears open for more sounds of live music in downtown Blaine.

In 2018: (July 8-14) will be our 17th year of inspiring young artists and bringing world-class music to Blaine. We are proud of our efforts to put Blaine on the map by bringing music to our shores. Thank you, Blaine, for your support.