Well, it's a brand new year at the Acorn Theater.

And we had to come out with Nikki here.

As you are the artistic and the creative director here, correct?

Yeah.

And how long have you been here?

I've been here almost four years.

I started in 2021.

And, my role has changed and grown over those four years.

And now I'm the artistic and creative director.

So what kind of, brought you here?

I actually have a background in education.

I was an elementary school teacher, but about 8 or 10 years ago, I made a pivot in my career and entered the arts.

I came from the box factory for the arts, and I also was a gallery manager for a couple of arts spaces in the community and landed here with a tiny little part time job, as the volunteer coordinator.

And I worked some shows, and then it just grew and grew from there.

So as the artistic and creative director, I run our marketing and our programing and our production teams.

So what does it mean to be here at the Acorn Theater?

Because it really has a special place in this community.

It absolutely does.

And for me, I'm so incredibly passionate about finding opportunities for musicians and artists, especially local ones.

Yes.

We bring in those big names that people recognize to our stage, but I really want for those people who live and work in this community, with us to have opportunities to perform.

And it's just something that I feel incredibly passionate about and fortunate to be able to, to work in a place like this.

Well, that's wonderful.

And well, it's a brand new year here.

And let's talk a little bit about what what this, couple of months look like.

Well, we, we take it slow in January.

So we've had it, we've had a slower January.

But who doesn't know?

I was about to say we have to take it slow.

Everybody enjoys having a little time just to stay home in January.

But now that we're coming into February, we're ready to start increasing our calendar.

We do about 150 events a year here.

And, so that means, basically that means you're busy.

Everyone.

Everyone here is busy.

My whole team and myself, we stay busy, but that means pretty much any Friday or Saturday night, year round.

If you're looking for something to do, people can go to Acorn live.org and see who we have playing that weekend.

And then outside of those Fridays and Saturdays, we certainly add, you know, a Thursday night here and there over the summer we do Sundays.

So that's how we kind of get to 150.

But here in February will be launching, our Art at the Acorn, which is our visual arts program.

Most people associate us obviously, with performance from the stage, but we've also chosen to fill our space with artwork from local artists.

And in this first exhibition of the year, which will have an open house for on February 1st, is a retrospective of our of our previous six artists.

So it's our first ever group show, featuring artwork from six local artists Frank Curlin, Nicky Holt, Chris Brown, Amy Renzi, Julie Suarez and Ethan Marconi.

And it's just a fabulous, eclectic group of of, of really thought provoking art.

So we'll have an open house with the artists on February 1st, and then we switch that out about every four, about every three months.

Excuse me?

Four times a year.

Oh that's wonderful.

Yeah.

And you said this is kind of the first time you're doing it a group show.

It's the first time we did a group show.

We've had six solo shows to date.

And so in April, we'll switch over to a new solo artist.

But as far as the music goes, in February, I'm really excited that we're bringing back May Erlewine, who is a Michigan based artist.

She is a wonderful singer songwriter.

Just an absolute gem.

She's performed here twice before, once in our music festival and once with a solo show last year, and it's just absolutely stunning.

So I'm looking forward to that event along with our most popular, one of our most popular tribute shows, which is Second Hand News, a tribute to Fleetwood Mac.

And, that show tends to sell out every single time, so fans want to come to it.

That's happening here in February as well.

And then of course, it's Valentine's Day.

It is.

So we actually have, it's kind of an UN Valentine theme or a Valentine theme.

However you want to lean in, you either lean into the love song or you lean into the anti love song.

I don't care which, but we have an annual, Valentine theme, Acorn Open mic Night, that's happening on February 13th.

With shiny, shiny Black, who's a local band?

They'll be our featured artist.

And then Colm and Laura Keegan will be here on Valentine's night, proper for a really wonderful, evening of music.

That's wonderful.

Now that's February, that's February, and not all of February, and few things that I thought of off the top of my head.

That's just a few things.

But then heading into March, heading into March, one of my favorite bands is coming back Henhouse Prowlers, who are just absolute bluegrass mainstays.

I mean, they're just fantastic.

They put on a phenomenal show, high energy, and they're also known as the Bluegrass Ambassadors.

So they partner with the U.S. State Department.

And, they're all about advocacy and, and education.

So they have a really wonderful nonprofit of their own that the that they operate.

So they're a great group of guys.

And it's going to be an absolute fabulous show in March.

And we have countless other events that month as well.

So I encourage everybody to look at our website for a full listing.

And then of course, April, and then we'll cut it off there because like you said, there's so many oh my gosh, we could go on and on and on.

In April 1st of my favorite events comes back around, which is a community art event called Art attack.

I don't know if you've ever been I have never know.

Okay, so in Harbor Country, which Three Oaks is technically Harbor Country, art galleries are everywhere, right?

It's a really wonderful artistic space here in this community.

But beyond art galleries, even non art spaces will open up during this art attack weekend for artsy gatherings.

And, we've been lucky to, sort of partner up with Art attack these last few years.

We like to launch the weekend with a Thursday night event.

And we'll do another open mic night that night, with, the Debutants from Indiana as our as our featured artist.

And then we'll try to fill the stage with some harbor country, performers that people love to see.

And then over the course of that weekend, the School of American Music is holding their annual fundraiser event with Patricia Barber.

So lovely music of jazz.

Evening of jazz music.

But on Saturday, we are really looking forward to this is a sneak.

This is a sneak peek.

Okay.

Because this isn't announced.

Oh, really?

No, this hasn't been announced yet.

So this is you heard it here.

First class here.

And experience.

Let me see.

Yeah.

So, I actually didn't even necessarily intend it, but I'm repping Andy Sydow today.

Actually love that T-shirt, by the way.

Thank you.

Andy was the runner up in our Singer-Songwriter competition last year, which is an annual event we do in July.

One of my most favorite things that I work on, truly.

But Andy is a brilliant musician, and he has this wonderful, project called measure one, which has been released on EP, and it is, music that is arranged with small orchestra group.

So there's a couple violins, viola, cello, a French horn.

And Andy plays either the piano or plays the guitar, depending on the song.

And so people can look that up.

Measure one.

It's an EP.

But he's currently working on measure two, so.

Okay.

You know, so, you know, music, you know, there's never just one measure Yes.

And so we're going to partner with some local orchestra students, from Saint Joe High School and, and he's going to come out and perform those songs and some others with really special orchestral arrangements.

And so that hasn't gone online.

That's not, that's not announced.

But I'm super, super excited about just the quality of that project, the quality of that music, the experience those students are going to have working with a professional musician for a paid opportunity.

Yeah.

Oh that's nice.

Absolutely.

And we'll open that show with another finalist from our singer songwriter competition who's a local artist named Hannah Beard.

Oh, that's wonderful.

And that's going to be in April.

It is.

Yeah.

What a wonderful way to start the spring off.

Absolutely.

I can't believe we're talking about spring in the middle of winter.

I know, I know, it's know I know.

Well that's wonderful Nikki, thank you so much for having us.

Oh my gosh.

Thanks for coming out.

And thank you for what you all do here in the community.

Again, just bringing just wonderful artistic opportunities as well as artists.

It's just a gem in this community.

So thank you for what you do.

I appreciate that so much.

Thank you.