Guitarist and Mount Vernon native Phil Heywood will give a concert 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8, in the First Street Community Center theatre, 221 First Street NE. The performance — sponsored by the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council (MVAAC) and the Mount Vernon/ Lisbon Community Development Group – is free and open to the public. A 6 p.m. reception prior to the concert celebrating MVAAC’s 20-year anniversary is also free and open to the public.

Heywood has been a fixture in the Twin Cities scene since the mid-1980s when he moved to the Cities on the heels of a tour with internationally renowned guitarist Leo Kottke. His lucid playing expresses a natural affinity for the down-home grooves of a Mississippi John Hurt, the melodic flair of contemporary finger-style pioneers such as Kottke, and the nuanced right hand attack of a classical player. Lyrical, soul-satisfying guitar instrumentals are his stock-in-trade, yet he draws listeners in with his voice as well, singing in a warm, plainspoken baritone that blends seamlessly with his rock-solid guitar work.

Established in 2004, the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council supports area arts & culture programs and projects including the Lincoln Highway Arts Festival, Chalk the Walk, public murals, and the Mount Vernon Sculpture Trail. For more information go to www.mvaac.org or the MVAAC Facebook page.