Art for Art's sake

There is an up and coming place to hang out in downtown Ocala and it's not the BFE bar. The Brick City Center for the Arts is host to many local musicians, poets and artists alike.

The center is in conjunction with the Marion Cultural Alliance (MCA), a non-profit organization that provides a cultural and educational outlet to the community. With the philosophy "Art for Art's sake" displayed along the walls, the center has attracted several local artists and musicians to put on shows and display their works in the intimate setting.

Among these artists are smaller organizations like the Insomniac Theater Company, a local non-profit theater organization made up of local playwrights and actors. With the help of local musicians, the theater company attends and helps host an "open mike night" the second Thursday of every month from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

Another recent addition to the MCA's ongoing repertoire is Woodsongs Coffeehouse, also a non-profit organization, which supports Grassroots and Americana music. The idea is to ensure a family friendly venue where all ages can listen to or play music.

Andy Cohen, a local musician and performer at the center gave a helping hang creating a Woodsongs venue at the MCA center. MCA will host Woodsongs shows every first and third Saturday of each month.

To help promote a recent show, Cohen did a radio show and has been trying to spread the open invitation by word of mouth. The Woodsongs venue is already booked until June.

"It's a really good place to hang out," Cohen said. "It's very family, and hopefully soon will be very student, oriented. It's also a great thing to bring a date to."

To find out more about upcoming shows and booking information, go to www.mcaocala.com