Our university town art league recently discontinued most of its virtual online galleries and reopened its exhibit hall to the public for presentation of the annual members-only “Summer Open” juried show.

Patrons may now enter the premises, but only a few at a time, and all must wear masks.

The BRC founder entered his “Save Us” (Golden Dolphin) banjo into the competitive exhibit. This 5-stringer depicts sunny dolphins frolicking in the open expanses of the sea.

Some species of this magnificent aquatic mammal are at risk of extinction from human related activities like whaling, climate change, and pollution. Note the message at the octave fret space (right).

The vulnerability of this extraordinary creature reminds us of our own fragility while living under the cloud of a global pandemic.

Despite summer heat and humidity, Show-Me State musicians in a rural township have sought to save the regional tradition of Bluegrass music by performing it at a community outdoor pavilion while hidden behind masks like desperados and observing social distancing. Pick up trucks park outside the pavilion, and the occupants role down their windows to enjoy some live entertainment, a brief respite from these uncertain times.

Music brings people together.

Referring to themselves informally as The Milquetoast Rangers, the jammers have modified their moniker to The Rock Island Rangers to reflect the name of the local park where they have been conducting their weekly outdoor jams instead in the activity room of a nearby burger shop.

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Because of a recent upturn in the local Covid-19 data, this picking session and other related jams are currently on hiatus.

From the BRC: be safe, stay well, and save the music.

Heralding the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend, a festive hot air ballon recently passed over our dock just outside the back door of the BRC workshop.

The sprawling 62nd annual “Art in the Park” weekend festival hosted by the Columbia Art League this summer was cancelled. Its Veterans Art Pavilion, co-sponsored by the United Veterans Foundation, was presented online as a virtual exhibit. The BRC founder, a USAF veteran, had his “Freedom Eagle” banjo accepted into the show.

Take a guided tour of the pavillion at https://columbiaartleague.org/veterans-art-pavilion

BRC banjos have a signature mother of pearl inlay on the heel of the neck for the eyes-only of the musician.

A life long student of military history, the BRC founder has walked battlefields in the US, Europe, Middle East, and Southeast Asia. While tinkering in his workshop, he listens to audiobooks about these engagements and the participants.

From the BRC, we wish you a restful and peaceful holiday weekend.

This month, the local art league presents its “Flora” competitive show as a virtual exhibit. The Roman goddess of spring was Flora, a name that means flowers, and wildflowers abound along the highways of the Show-Me State. A commercial garden called the `Missouri Wildflower Nursery` is located in the Lake of the Ozarks region near the rural township of Brazito.

The BRC workshop submitted a banjo entitled “Ozark Spring” which was accepted into the juried competition and displayed (above) on a wall of the virtual gallery flanked by faux windows.

On the instrument`s peg head, a small butterfly curiously approaches the stem of a giant white rose (right). The sun and a flower are inlayed on the truss rod cover, and leafed-out greenery appears immediately at the first fret space.

Along the fingerboard (above left), the aforementioned themes are echoed as the sun, flowers, small butterflies, and plush leaves mark harmonic intervals.

The new owner collects her “Ozark Spring ” banjo from the BRC founder while both wear personal protective masks (below right).

Despite these uncertain times, the summer months arrive beneath sunny and unusually blue skies which bathe a doe and her fawn perusing our lakeside garden at daybreak.

The BRC workshop wishes all our readers good health and peace.