October 12, 2011

Dear Centrum Blues community:

I am writing to let you know that Daryl Davis will be the new Artistic Director for the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival and Workshop.  Please visit our media page for a press release detailing the announcement.  We are grateful for Corey’s leadership over the past three years, and the fresh perspective he brought to the program – and we are pleased to welcome Daryl, who has had a long and popular history with the workshop.

In addition, Program Manager Peter McCracken, who managed the Blues, Fiddle Tunes and Voice Works programs over the past two seasons, will focus solely on the latter two. Managing three large programs is simply too much for one individual and Peter would like to further develop Voice Works, a program of his own creation that we are now offering annually.

As many of you know, Peter founded the Blues workshop twenty years ago. Over that time, thousands of participants have had the chance to learn and be inspired by many great country blues artists, in addition to tens of thousands of blues fans who enjoyed concerts at McCurdy Pavilion and in informal settings in clubs throughout Port Townsend.  The Centrum Blues workshop is one among only a handful of workshops of this genre, and it offers a unique cultural experience that can be found nowhere else.  I am grateful for Peter’s vision in creating this program, and his work in implementing that vision over the last two decades.  He will continue to be an important advisor to the program

We are seeking a program manager for the workshop, and have posted the job description on our website.  Please forward this announcement to anyone you believe is qualified and interested.

Over the next few months, you can expect to hear from Daryl about his ideas for next year, and I know that he would welcome your thoughts as well.

Thank you to Peter, Corey, and Daryl, and to all of you for your participation and support of the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival and workshop.

John MacElwee

Executive Director, Centrum