Benefit to boost Arts Café

Very few of the great poets spent a lot of time crafting verse about zombies - and that's perhaps best.

However, the estimable Arts Café - Mystic, with 17 years of programs featuring the finest poets in the country, is - (imagine "Ghost and Mr. Chicken" organ music and scary typeface here) - Back From the Dead!!!

Indeed, in November 2010 after the national recession resulted in significant fundraising and grant setbacks, the Arts Café - Mystic was on life support. Thanks to the efforts of director Christie Williams, though, in conjunction with fervant supporters, the organization obtained 501(c)3 not-for-profit status and is slowly regaining sturdy financial footing.

"It seemed we were done for," Williams said, "but members of our audience came forward and proposed that we reconstitute the cafe as an independent not-for-profit. Some of them committed to making generous donations and serving on our board, our full audience has been generous, and we've attracted new grants from local foundations.

"In short, we are guardedly optimistic about the Arts Cafe's future."

In that spirit, a benefit concert takes place in the Mystic Arts Center Friday featuring music by the Marcy Kelly Quintet. All proceeds benefit the Arts Café - Mystic. Tickets are $35 and include complimentary open bar, hors d'oeuvres and free parking.

Typically, the Arts Café - Mystic annual calendar is divided into spring and autumn seasons, and each features three programs. Along with a national headlining poet, there is always world-class and empathetic musical programming - and the musical aspect should definitely not be overlooked in considering the wondrous overall effect of the series - as well as support readings by up and coming local poets.

Headliners have included Poet Laureates of the United States and winners of almost every important literary award including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the MacArthur "genius" grant. Donald Hall, Billy Collins, Philip Schultz, Mark Doty, Marie Howe, and Stephen Dobyns are just a representative few of the poets who have read at the cafe - and the tangential musical accompaniment has ranged from jazz and classical to rock and opera.

"There's something to be said for hearing poetry well-read by brilliant poets," Williams said. "Poetry is one of the places our culture packs its wisdom. And the Arts Café fills the house because our audience wants that wisdom."

THE ARTS CAFé - MYSTIC BENEFIT CONCERT FEATURING THE MARCY KELLY QUINTET, 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY, MYSTIC ARTS CENTER, 10 WATER ST., MYSTIC; $35 INCLUDES OPEN BAR, HORS D'OEUVRES AND FREE PARKING; (860) 912-2444, INFO@THEARTSCAFEMYSTIC.ORG