A new music series, Spotlight in the OffCenter, will feature visiting artists in Orcas Center’s intimate black box theatre.

The series will open on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m., with sets by Eric Apoe and Baby Gramps, both celebrated Seattle performers. Seating is extremely limited and interested parties are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance or arrive early on the evening of the performance.

The Spotlight series, curated by Carolyn Cruso, will feature four performances throughout the year.

In addition to Baby Gramps and Eric Apoe, Alice Di Miceli (May 30) and Jim Page (June 27) will be featured, and Cruso will also deliver a Spotlight performance (October 24).

Baby Gramps toured England and Ireland this past summer as part of the “Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys” CD concert tour with a host of entertainers including Tim Robbins, Martha and Rufus Wainright, Lou Reed, Suzanne Vega, and many other internationally known performers. He plays an acoustic National Steel guitar and sings his own unique arrangements of rags, jazz, and blues songs from the 20s and 30s.

Eric Apoe started in the music business as a drummer for Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw, with whom he toured the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In Seattle, Apoe has released five CDs with his band, They. A staple of Seattle’s underground, his music encompasses rock, jazz, folk, classical, and world traditions.

All tickets for the January 24 performance are $12. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.orcascenter.org or call or 376-2281 ext 1. The Orcas Center Box Office will re-open on Jan. 22. Hours are Thursday-Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.