Three local singer-songwriters will perform original compositions in August to raise funds for the Placitas Community Library, which relies on community events to supplement its operations.
The concert, featuring James Bell, Anna Rudolph and Dennis Bumgarner, will take place Saturday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m. in the Gracie Lee Community Room at the library, located at 453 Highway 165. A $20 donation is requested, and light refreshments will be served.
Placitas is an unincorporated area and has no supporting tax base. Therefore, the library needs to raise funds for many of its operations. While state and Sandoval County bond monies cover materials and computers, the library generates additional income through art shows, donated books and community events like the concert.
The fundraiser highlights the community’s strong arts support network, which also includes the Placitas Artists Series, another nonprofit that presents concerts nearby at Las Placitas Presbyterian.
Rudolph leads the lineup with credentials that span local and national recognition. Beginning her songwriting career in 2012, she has earned 15 New Mexico Music Award nominations and two wins in 2017 and 2022, according to her official press materials.
Rudolph, who writes primarily Americana and blues, has worked with Grammy Award-winning producer Larry Mitchell since 2017 and currently hosts a weekly radio show called “Chasing the Muse” on local KUPR 99.9. She has also taught songwriting courses at the Placitas Community Library, according to her website.
Bumgarner brings four decades of experience as a Placitas clinical therapist to his songwriting, drawing inspiration from “a rich lode of human experience,” according to the library’s official event description. His songs, influenced by roots, Americana and blues music, have received airplay on local radio. He has been part of a songwriter trio for several years.
Bell has spent “fifty plus years refining his skills” as a songwriter, according to the library’s event materials.
The library serves as a “hub of community activity” for approximately 5,000 Placitas residents, providing educational, social and cultural programming. It describes itself as being “funded by the wonderful residents and artists of Placitas.”
For more information about the concert, contact the Placitas Community Library at (505) 867-3355.