Robert Blankenship, co-founder and mastermind of the RiffRaff, is a multi-faceted artist excelling in photography, painting, graphic design, music, sound engineering, and more. Hailing from Summers County, WV, he began to stand out in art at an early age. His individual venture Through My Eyes Photography & Design offers custom photography, design of cooperate identity, websites, brochures, etc. As creative director of LLyniuM entertainment, his marketing concepts have driven events like Culturefest World Music and Arts Festival to success. Robert is also responsible for the interior design and the graphic marketing of the RiffRaff Arts Collective. Robert plays guitar, banjo, didgeridoo, shamisen, drums and other instruments with the original music project Option 22. He also engineers the music events presented by LLyniuM & The RiffRaff, and now offers multitrack recording for musicians. He is inspired by nature, music and all that is; his ability to capture the profound and interesting in life is what distinguishes him. Robert lives and works full time at the RiffRaff.
Lori McKinney - Blankenship, co-founder and administrator of the RiffRaff, is primarily a performing and recording artist. Currently she is conceiving an original musical based on the music of Option 22, her original music ensemble, in the Room Upstairs. She writes, sings and drums with Option 22. Lori also teaches after school performing arts workshops at the RiffRaff. With a B.A. in Music Theatre from JMU, Lori's background is in stage performance. After college Lori began envisioning original, multi-media theatrical productions and co-founded LLyniuM entertainment, which presents music & arts events such as Culturefest. Now with a space like The Room Upstairs to work within she is able to begin to materialize her theatrical concepts. Since she began working with Robert and the rest of the RiffRaff artists she has found a love for the visual arts as well. Just beginning to dabble in mediums from marker to pastels, she finds herself creating angels and "flow strokes" mingled with inspiring sentiments. Just as in her music, she hopes her works lift her audiences to a higher place. Lori lives and works at the RiffRaff, doing what it takes to make the wheels of the business turn.
Tim Mainland, resident artist, was educated at the University of California at Santa Barbara, the Université de Bordeaux, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He studied composition with Peter Fricker, Lukas Foss, Scott Huston and Paul Palombo. He became Professor of Music at Concord University in 1978, where he has been a prolific composer and teaches music theory, composition, classical guitar, and classic banjo. His compositions include works for symphony orchestra, string quartet, wind ensemble, piano, flute, guitar, and banjo, but he has focused on electronic music for the past 6 years. Tim is a member of the American Banjo Fraternity and the College Music Society. He performs his electronic music compositions as Captain Lazerblast with his with Maggie Jusiel. Visit www.captainlazerblast.com to hear his music.
Maggie Jusiel, resident artist, began her education at the University of South Florida, and completed her Bachelors degree in music education at Concord University in 1998. She taught in the WV public school system from 1999 to 2003, and has taught private lessons in winds and strings since 1990. She also tunes pianos in Southern WV and parts of VA. Maggie is a member of the American Banjo Fraternity and the Piano Technicians Guild. She performs with her husband Tim in The Captain Lazerblast band at the RiffRaff and venues throughout the region.
Melissa McKinney is the owner and director of Stages Music School. She re-located back to Princeton, WV after years of musical success in Charlotte, NC. She has taught with such musical programs as Gymboree and Kindermusic, and was a prized teacher at the multimedia music school Creative EJ. She was well known in the Charlotte Blues Society as an up and coming voice to be reckoned with, and she is now finding her place in the WV and Appalachian Blues Scene. Visit her website at www.stagesmusicschool.com.
Miss Behavin' is one of Stages Music School's feature bands. An all girl band; they each play multiple instruments, and they have played at several fairs and festivals, theatres and other venues. Featuring Kayla McKinney, Ary'an Graham, Bethany Keesecker and Brenna Rausch, these girls are an active part of the downtown arts movement and can be found at Stages nearly every day playing music and lighting up the street with their laughter and creative energy.
Briddy Morris, a resident artist, is the lead singer / songwriter of the bands Briddy and The Buzz and Treasure Maple, and is a theatre major at Concord University. She is a multitalented artist. She excelled in theatre all through her career at Bluefield High School, and in 2007, she brought her talents here where she has found a happy creative home. Briddy is a deep, introspective writer and captivating performer. She also lights up a
stage with her sense of humor, bringing color and life with her anywhere she goes.
Clayton Blankenship is also a resident artist at The RiffRaff. The brother of Robert, Clayton shares his multifaceted artistic sensibility and excels in photography, graphic design and other mediums. Clayton plays bass in Option 22 and Briddy and The Buzz and is currently upstarting a screen printing venture within the RiffRaff space.
Kim Nichols is a stained glass artisan whose works bring color and life to the gallery windows. Kim has been involved with the collective since its very beginning. She is available for commisioned works and is currently working on a historical home restoration project in the area. Having a passion for music, she plays mandolin in her spare time and frequently sits in with Option 22. With a background in radio production, Kim has an astute musical sensibility. A Princeton, WV native, she currently works at Concord University in the graduate department and in her home studio in Athens, WV.
Albert Perrone is a intregal part of the collective and a beloved member of the community. A healing touch practitioner, Al is the proprietor of Sacred Ground, a mind-body-spirit emporium just a block away from the RiffRaff. He has been involved with the collective since its inception and loyally attends every function. An outstanding musician and songwriter, Albert's music tugs at heart strings and serves as a soundtrack for this very special time in our lives. With a background in theatre and healing arts, he is an amazing artist with an uncanny ability to materialize abstract concepts into reality. He has also been a member of Option 22 since 2004.
Option 22 consists of Robert Blankenship (guitar, banjo, digeridoo, shamisen, percussion) Lori McKinney (vocals, djembe, spoken word), Albert Perrone (guitar, percussion), and Clayton Blankenship (bass).
Briddy and the Buzz includes Briddy Morris (guitar, vocals), Clayton Blankenship (bass), Robert Blankenship (lead guitar) and Lori McKinney (drums, vocals).
The Captain Lazerblast Band consists of Dr. Tim Mainland (electric guitar) and Maggie Mainland (MIDI wind controller, aka "flooty thing").
Kathleen Coffee is a multi-instrumentalist songwriter from Athens, WV. She sings for the good, the peace and the truth. She willingly teaches songwriting, inspiration and performance workshops and she finds fulfillment as an entertainer doing gigs for benefits, non-profit organizations, healing festivals, and anyone who needs healing. She has been performing on the RiffRaff stage since its early days. Her first album was recorded in The Room Upstairs in '07 and she looks forward to her newest release "Pure," due out this spring, which will be recorded in Audible Art Studios, part of The RRAC. Listen to her angelic music at: www.myspace.com/katcoffee
