Chocolate, wine, and all that jazz sweetens up the Festival of Arts this summer! On Thursday nights, indulge your senses at the “Art, Jazz, Wine and Chocolate” series.

Wine and Chocolate Pairings: Sample a wide variety of  wines expertly selected to compliment and enhance the nuanced flavor of gourmet chocolates. Cost: $20 (does not include Festival of Arts admission or reserved seating)

Crystal Lewis: Time – the continuum of experience in which events pass from the past through the present to the future. In one respect, time does not seem to define the career of critically acclaimed singer/songwriter, multi-Dove Award winner, and 3 time Grammy nominee Crystal Lewis. In a day and age where so many artists come and go, Crystal’s voice has withstood the test of time. Over the course of 3 decades Crystal has appeared on Nickelodeon’s acclaimed musical/comedy show ROUNDHOUSE, singing the catchy theme song as well as being a cast member, written and/or recorded over 200 songs and released more than 20 albums. Her most recent release is RHAPSODY (2019). A mix of original swing and soul tunes, penned primarily by Crystal, additionally collaborating musically with Tony Guerrero, who also produced the album. A favorite among A-List pop artists, from Katy Perry to Tori Kelly, Crystal has performed in front of millions world-wide. Crystal has worked with, and sung alongside, some of her musical heroes including Bono, Mary J. Blige, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams, CeCe Winans, Andrae Crouch, David Foster, Donna Summer, and Michael Omartian.

Tawanda: Tawanda is a singer/ song-writer from Las Cruces, NM. While folk, alternative and choral music influenced the sound of her first projects, Tawanda has since expanded her musical horizons after studying vocal jazz at Santa Fe University of Art and Design under Mirabai Daniels. She is a 2021 Sarah Vaughan Vocal Jazz Competition finalist and will be releasing her first jazz album by early 2022 with Resonance Records.

Maria Schafer: Born near Vancouver, BC, Canada, with a childhood in Pryor, Oklahoma, Maria Schafer has spent her young adulthood in Southern California. After time spent at Mt. San Antonio College in Bruce Rogers’ groups Singcopation,and Chamber Singers she completed her jazz studies at California State University, Long Beach with Christine Guter and her group Pacific Standard Time. Over the last 5 years Maria has toured the US, Canada, and Japan twice over with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, competed in competitions in Latvia and Australia, produced 2 of her own albums and recorded on many albums for other leaders, and performs all around California with her intimate guitar duos, modern jazz quartets, and hard-swinging 8-piece little big band.