Utah Cultural Alliance
E-Newsletter
May 12, 2008
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Dear
Colleagues,
Please
Mark Your Calendars!!
Our
Culture Bytes with Mayor Ralph Becker has been moved from Tuesday, May 13th to
Thursday, May 22nd.
Dear
Colleagues,
In this
issue you will find:
Utah
Cultural Events and Information
1) Four World Premieres Headline Ballet
West's Innovations Program
2) Gina Bachauer International Piano
Foundation Announces Tedeschi & Hunt
3) The Utah Symphony Welcomes Larry
Rachleff and Pianist Robert Levin
4) Bountiful/Davis Art Center Seeks Docents
for its Education Initiative
5) Odyssey Dance Theatre's Studio
Company Odyssey II Showcase
6) 6th Annual Art Access Fundraiser &
Exhibition
7) The Salt Lake Art Center Welcomes New
Executive Director Heather Ferrell
9) David Sedaris One Night Only
10) Utah Cultural Celebration Center to
Host Fourth Annual FIESTA!
11) Traveling Exhibition Program Accepting
Reservations
12) Don't Miss the Second Monday of
Each Month through September!
13) DESERT: an evening of artistic exploration
Immediate Opening for an Annual Giving Officer with the
Utah Humanities Council
Utah
Cultural Events and Information
1) Four World Premieres Headline Ballet
West's Innovations Program
The
individual personalities of Ballet West artists will shine during Innovations,
May 28-31 at the Rose Wagner Theatre, 138 West Broadway. This inaugural event
will showcase three original works created by Ballet West dancers, for Ballet
West dancers.
Principal
Artist Christopher Ruud, Soloist Peggy Dolkas and Artist Megan Furse will
premiere their works alongside the return of James Canfield's mesmerizing
Equinoxe, set to the music of Jean Michel Jarre, and the world premiere of
up-and-coming choreographer Susan Shields' Grand Synthesis. Set to music by Graham Fitkin, Shield's
new work is a piece commissioned especially for Ballet West.
"Susan
is an emerging and unique voice in the world of dance," said Ballet West
Artistic Director Adam Sklute.
"Her work is energetic, dynamic, extremely musical and creative
while maintaining classical purity.
By opening the ÔInnovations' program with a newly created work on our
Ballet West artists we are introducing Susan's distinctive style to Utah."
Since its
inception in 1963, Ballet West has taken great pride in performing new works by
not only world-renowned choreographers, but by the Company's celebrated
artistic leaders. From Ballet West Founder Willam Christensen on, the Company
has created new works on its dancers, premiering them to both local and
national audiences.
"Innovations
is an exciting new endeavor for Ballet West," said Artistic Director Adam
Sklute. "Our dancers are fantastically creative artists, and this program
gives them a platform to experiment with choreography. In doing so, we also
further the art-form of ballet by presenting an evening of new creations. This is a must see."
Ballet
West's Innovations is an exceptional way to experience brand-new creations by
the next generation of choreographers. Tickets to Innovations are $30 and are
on sale now through ArtTix by calling 355-ARTS or visiting www.arttix.org.
2) Gina
Bachauer International Piano Foundation Announces Tedeschi & Hunt
Gina Bachauer
International Piano Foundation Announces Tedeschi & Hunt In Concert On
Tuesday, May 13th 2008 At The Libby Gardner Concert Hall In Salt Lake City,
Utah.
The 2008
Concert Series continues on May 13th with classical and jazz musicians in
concert together, Simon Tedeschi and Kevin Hunt.
I WANT TO
PLAY LIKE HIM
Join the
mutual admiration society of two pianists.
A two-piano
performance that transcends genre, resulting in a unique blend of styles and
backgrounds. It stirs the jazz and classic and classic and jazz into one
musical recipe. The two have played throughout Australia to great acclaim,
receiving rave reviews.
Their
creation of music results in a unique blend of styles and backgrounds. They met
on tour with American Maestro of the Mouth Organ, Larry Adler and have been
combining their styles ever since.
The program
features composers such as Shostakovich, Keith Jarrett, Fats Waller, Serge
Prokofiev, Fredrick Chopin, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Dave Brubeck,
Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, with compositions and arrangements by Kevin
Hunt.
The
performance will create an intimate and informative exploration of how these
two musical genres are inextricably intertwined.
SIMON
TEDESCHI
Described
by pianist Leslie Howard as one of the finest musicians of his generation
worldwide, Simon Tedeschi was named the Symphony Australia Young Performer of
the Year performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Simon first
performed a Mozart Piano Concerto at age 9 in the Sydney Opera House. In 1996
he had a private audience with Luciano Pavarotti and that same year he was featured as the hands double in
the movie, Shine.
KEVIN HUNT
Kevin Hunt
is a popular and versatile jazz pianist. He has over the last 16 years shared
the stage with international artists including: Herb Ellis, Billy Cobham, Joe
Williams, Louis Bellson, Buddy DeFranco, Emily Remler, Sheila Jordon, Mark
Murphy, Don Radar, and Larry Adler. He has also recorded and performed with
most of Sydney's prominent jazz artists.
Please
visit our website at www.bachauer.com
for more information regarding our events.
3) The Utah
Symphony Welcomes Larry Rachleff and Pianist Robert Levin
The evening
features Beethoven's First Piano Concerto, De Falla's Three-cornered Hat and
Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony
Guest
conductor Larry Rachleff leads pianist Robert Levin and the Utah Symphony in
Beethoven's First Piano Concerto on a program that also includes De Falla's
Three-cornered Hat and Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony. The performances will be
held at Abravanel Hall on Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24 at 8:00 pm.
The program
opens with De Falla's Three-cornered Hat featuring folk-inspired melodies and
rhythms from Spain. Then Levin joins the orchestra for Beethoven's First Piano
Concerto (the concerto was actually written after Beethoven's Second Piano
Concerto, but published first), which features a grand first movement, a slow
and beautiful second movement and a cheerful third movement. Then, the evening
closes with Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony, which was written amidst the suffering
of World War II, as "a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers,
his pure and noble spirit."
A former
faculty member of Oberlin Conservatory where he served as Music Director of
Orchestras and Conductor of the Contemporary Ensemble, Larry Rachleff also
served as Conductor of the Opera Theatre at the University of Southern
California. In 1988, Mr. Rachleff served as the Music Director of the highly
acclaimed American-Soviet Youth Orchestra tour. He has conducted and presented
master classes at the Chopin Academy in Warsaw, the Zurich Hochschule, and the
Sydney and Queensland, Australia conservatories. In 1993, he was selected as
one of four American conductors to lead the Cleveland Orchestra at Carnegie
Hall under the mentorship of Maestro Pierre Boulez. As an enthusiastic advocate
of public school music education, Mr. Rachleff has conducted All-State
orchestras and festivals in virtually every state as well as in Europe and
Canada.
Pianist
Robert Levin has been heard throughout the United States, Europe, Australia,
and in Asia, in recital, as soloist, and in chamber concerts. He has performed
frequently at such festivals as Sarasota, Tanglewood, Ravinia, Bremen,
Lockenhaus, and the Mozartwoche in Salzburg. As a chamber musician he has long
associations with violist Kim Kashkashian and the New York Philomusica. After
more than a quarter century as an artist faculty member at the Sarasota Music
Festival he was made Associate Artistic Director in 2004 and succeeded Paul
Wolfe as Artistic Director in 2007.
Robert Levin studied piano with Louis Martin and composition with Stefan
Wolpe in New York. He worked with Nadia Boulanger in Fontainebleau and Paris
while still in high school, afterwards attending Harvard. Upon graduation he
was invited by Rudolf Serkin to head the theory department of the Curtis
Institute of Music, a post he left after five years to take up a professorship
at the School of the Arts, SUNY Purchase, outside of New York City.
Tickets for
evening performances are $12-$48 and can be purchased by calling (801) 355-ARTS
(355-2787), 1-888-451-2787, in person at the Abravanel Hall box office, or by
visiting www.utahsymphony.org. Subscribers and those desiring group or
student discounts should call (801) 533-NOTE (533-6683).
4) Bountiful/Davis Art
Center Seeks Docents for its Education Initiative
Bountiful/Davis
Art Center is looking for interested people to be trained as docents. This
position is expressly for those who love art and want to educate and inspire
others through the Education Initiative Program at Bountiful/Davis Art Center.
Docents may participate in the following: guide field trips at the art center;
gallery sit; assist with services related to exhibit receptions; help with traveling
exhibits to schools, and assist in organizing the annual Summerfest event,
specifically the ChildrenÕs Art Yard.
Comprehensive training is available. Please call the center at (801)
292-0367, or e-mail emmadugal@bdac.org or trixee@bdac.org
For more
information about the programs and activities of BDAC, call 801 292-0367 or
visit us online at http://www.bdac.org/ .
5) Odyssey Dance Theatre's Studio Company
Odyssey II Showcase
Odyssey
Dance Theatre's studio company Odyssey II will have its final 2007-2008 season
performances, May 13 and 14, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. in the Leona Wagner Black Box
Theatre at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.
In an
ongoing effort to nurture emerging artists, Junior Company Odyssey II offers a
full-scholarship, pre-professional training program, which gives young dancers
the opportunity to spend a year training intensively and performing with the
company. Twelve dancers, ages 14 to 18, receive full scholarships for one year
to train extensively in ballet; jazz; tap; funk; and acting. They perform with the company during
its Kingsbury Hall seasons and have their own performances in May each
year. This rigorous program is
directed by Emmy-winning Choreographer ("High School Musical") and
Odyssey Dance Theatre Associate Artistic Director Bonnie Story, and rehearsal
space is hosted by Treehouse Athletic Club. "This is such a wonderful opportunity for the
kids," says Story. "They
get excellent training and the chance to be onstage with the professional
dancers. And some are even offered contracts with Odyssey Dance Theatre the
next season!"
Tickets for
Odyssey II: The Journey are $8.00 and can be purchased by calling 355-2787 or
online at www.ArtTix.com.
Auditions
for Odyssey II 2008-2009 will be held on Saturday, August 9 from 4 p.m. to 10
p.m. at the Treehouse Athletic Club in Draper.
Odyssey
Dance Theatre is funded, in part, by Zoo, Arts & Parks. Best of State in
Dance 2006, 2007 and 2008 and Best of State in Arts and Entertainment 2007,
Odyssey Dance Theatre performs to critical acclaim and standing ovations at
home and on tour, nationally and internationally.
6) 6th Annual Art Access Fundraiser & Exhibition
ItÕs time again
for the (oft imitated, yet never duplicated) 300 Plates Fundraiser & Exhibition.
This year's event‹our sixth‹will be held on May 15th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM in the
Art Access Gallery. In keeping with the constant urge for more room and better air
circulation at this event, the celebration will overflow into the neighboring Utah
Arts Festival space.
Art Access will
also host a Gallery Stroll reception on Friday, May 16th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM to
feature the entire exhibition, which will continue through June 13.
We have 82 participating
artists this year. Yes, 82 established
and emerging Utah artists working in a variety of mediums. yet all creating art
on the 11² x 10² recycled metal printer's plates you¹ve grown to know and love.
The plate prices will start at $65 and increase sequentially in one-dollar increments.
As always, a small selection of plates will be placed in our silent auction.
While salivating
over art, you can also savor tasty morsels from Rico's Mexican Market, cool off
with some Dolcetti Gelato, and calm your plate-buying angst while listening to the
smooth jazz stylings of Aaron Renshaw and Steve Stewart of Fifth Fret.
Here is what
to expect:
10:00 AM - 5:00
PM Plate preview
6:00 PM - 7:00
PM Social hour and continued preview
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Your name in a hat!
(Every minute we will draw five names from a hat, until the hat is empty, entitling
those lucky people to purchase one plate each with minimal competition. Automatically
get your name in the hat with a paid RSVP by May 8th. Additional Óhat ticketsÓ will
be available for $25 each at the door.
8:30 PM - 9:00
PM Remaining plates
for sale
6:00 PM - 9:00
PM Silent auction (We
will be using blind bids again this year, and winners will be notified by the next
day.
It's still just
$25 per person to attend, as long as your RSVP is postmarked by May 8th (remember,
this early RSVP gets you a "hat" ticket). RSVPs postmarked after May 8th and tickets purchased at the door
on May 15th will be $35. Questions? Contact us at (801) 328-0703
All proceeds
from the fundraiser will be used to support the inclusive programs of Art Access
/VSA arts of Utah.
Art Access is
located at 230 South 500 West, #125 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Regular Gallery hours
are Monday through Friday from 10AM to 6PM.
7) The Salt Lake Art Center Welcomes New
Executive Director Heather Ferrell
The Salt
Lake Art Center is pleased to announce the search for a new executive director
is at an end. Heather Ferrell has accepted the position and will assume the
directorship at the end of July.
Heather
Ferrell has most recently served as the Executive Director and Curator of the
Salina Art Center in Salina, Kansas. This move to Utah is something of a
homecoming to the West for Ferrell: before her tenure in Salina, she served as
the Associate Curator at the Boise Art Museum, and has worked both at the Utah
Arts Council and the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art in Logan, Utah. Ferrell
brings more than eleven years of progressive curatorial and administrative
experience in art centers, art museums and university art galleries. She has a
strong background in museum practice, fine art, and arts education, with a
special interest in community and cross-disciplinary art partnerships,
research, leadership and nonprofit management.
Ferrell
received a BFA in Art, with a dual emphasis in Art History and Photography, as
well as a BA in Liberal Arts from Utah State University in1994. She earned an
MA in Art History and Museum Studies, with an emphasis in 20th century
Modern/Contemporary Art, from the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland,
Ohio in 1997. In 2004, Ferrell was selected to attend the Getty Leadership
Institute's "Museum Leaders: The Next Generation," an international
program dedicated to developing the potential of museum professionals. Her
experience with the Getty is indicative of her belief in the importance of
continuing education as well as her commitment to staying on the cutting edge
of her field.
Staff and
trustees are pleased with the selection and eager to begin this new chapter at
the Art Center. Erik Christiansen, President of the Board of Trustees, is
confident Ferrell will continue to lead the Center in its role as one of the
finest contemporary visual arts venues in the Intermountain West:
"We
are very excited that Ms. Ferrell accepted our offer. She will bring youth, enthusiasm, and a community-oriented
approach to the Art Center. We
were very impressed by her curatorial skills, as well as her ability to foster
collaborative community relationships, which will no doubt deepen the Art
Center's roots in our state."
As we enter
a new chapter in the 76-year history of the Salt Lake Art Center, as well as an
exciting time in downtown development, the Board and staff of the Art Center
look forward to welcoming Heather Ferrell. We are confident that her strong belief in community and
artist involvement will bring positive direction to our cultural landscape.
Admission
to the Art Center is always FREE.
The Salt
Lake Art Center is located at 20 South West Temple.
Call
328-4201 or visit www.slartcenter.org
Where:
Sheraton City Centre, 150 West 500 South
When:
Monday, May 12, 2008, at 7:30PM
How
Much:
$25. Tickets available at
Holladay Pharmacy. Student
discount tickets are available with valid student I.D.
Presented
By: GAM
Foundation/Jazz SLC www.jazzslc.com
Press
Contact: 801-278-0411: Gordon Hanks, GAM Foundation Co-Founder
Regina
Carter, one of the finest jazz violinists in the genre, will perform on Monday,
May 12, 2008, at 7:30PM, as part of the of the GAM Foundation Jazz at the
Sheraton series.
Regina
Carter combines exciting technical proficiency and improvisation with an
aggressive approach to her instrument, adding multicultural influence. Her playing is melodic, yet
percussive. "I followed a
more non-traditional route" says Carter. "I initially learned to play by ear, then later learned
to read, then learned theory. I
think that kind of experience has freed my playing up a lot more, so I'm not
stuck on the page. A lot of people
are afraid not to have a piece of music in front of themÉ"
As a
Detroit schoolgirl during the 70's and 80's, Carter grew up at a time when the
Motor City was a hotbed for jazz.
Hip urban sophisticates could spend weekends cruising the jazz
circuit. The city's nightlife was
vibrant with jazz. "There's
just so much music that came out of Detroit, and it all inspired me",
Carter acknowledged.
At age 14,
Carter saw French jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli perform, and everything
changed. Grappelli's live
performance was such an eye-opener; Carter saw it was possible to improvise,
and even swing with the violin.
And, she realized a solo violinist could play something other than
classical music and still be famous.
Carter received
a degree in music from Oakland University and studied at the New England
Conservatory of Music in Boston before forging her jazz career. She first came into the spotlight as
the violinist for the all female jazz quintet Straight Ahead.
Carter has
come a long way since then. She's
on the road eight months out of the year playing a wide range of venues. Active as an educator, mentor and
proponent of the Suzuki teaching method, Carter has taught at numerous
institutions, including Berklee College of Music. In September 2006, Carter was awarded a MacArthur Fellows
Program grant, also known as a "genius grant".
The GAM
Foundation is sponsored in part by the Zoo, Arts and Parks program.
9) David Sedaris One Night Only
Monday,
October 20 at Abravanel Hall
June 2008
Release of When You Are Engulfed in Flames
David
Sedaris, NPR Humorist and Best-selling Author of Me Talk Pretty One Day and
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, is coming to Abravanel Hall for one
night Monday, October 20 at 7:30 pm.
Sedaris will release his latest book When You Are Engulfed in Flames in
June 2008. Tickets will go
on sale to the public in May 9th through ArtTix, 355-ARTS, ArtTix.org. Ticket prices are $24.75-$42.75 plus
service fees. Presented bY
NewSpace Entertainment. Sponsored
by KUER.
With
sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of
America 's pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices
through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a
master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human
condition today.
David
Sedaris is the author of the bestsellers Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as
well as collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, each of which became immediate
bestsellers. He is the editor of an anthology of stories, , Children Playing Before
a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. His essays appear
regularly in Esquire and The New Yorker. Sedaris and his sister, Amy Sedaris,
have collaborated under the name "The Talent Family" and have written
several plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center , and The
Drama Department in New York City . These plays include Stump the Host,
Stitches, One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie Award, Incident at Cobbler's
Knob, and The Book of Liz, which was published in book form by Dramatist's Play
Service. His next collection of essays, titled When You Are Engulfed in Flames,
will be published in June 2008.
David
Sedaris's original radio pieces can often be heard on This American Life,
distributed nationally by Public Radio International and produced by WBEZ. In
2001, David Sedaris became the third recipient of the Thurber Prize for
American Humor. He was named by Time magazine as "Humorist of the
Year" in 2001. David Sedaris was nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best
Spoken Word Album ("Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim") and
Best Comedy Album ("David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall").
10) Utah
Cultural Celebration Center to Host Fourth Annual FIESTA! Celebrating Mexican
Heritage and Culture.
WHAT:
FIESTA! Ð Viva Mexico!
WHEN:
Friday, May 16 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Utah Cultural Celebration Center
1355 West 3100 South
WHO:
Everyone is welcome to attend FIESTA! free of charge.
WHY:
The Utah Cultural Celebration Center is proud to host its fourth annual
Fiesta! Ð a spicy evening of
entertainment, excitement and education celebrating Mexican heritage and
culture in Utah.
This year's
Fiesta! features a special visit by delegates from Boca del Rio, Mexico; local
musicians Rio Bravo; Mariachi Zavala; Hispanos En Utah; Latin Dance Heritage
and Quetzalcoatl, who will perform a special ancient Aztec ceremonial dance. Taco, bread and other sweets vendors
will be selling products, along with material craft vendors selling their wares
from booths. Children's games,
including the popular lottery game La Loteria, will be played for prizes, along
with bead-stringing; Mexican flower and flag-making, and other activities. Non profit formation booths for Una
Mano Amiga and the Latino Community Education & Information Center will
also be on hand distributing information.
When the sun sets come prepared to sing in the open mic session with
Mariachi Zavala just before breaking the pi–ata, followed by the ceremonial
torch lighting of the Olmeca Head and fireworks!
For more
information about this and other events or exhibits at the Utah Cultural
Celebration Center, call 801-965-5100 or visit www.culturalcelebration.org.
Funded in part by the Salt Lake County Zoo Arts and Parks Program and West
Valley City.
11) Traveling Exhibition Program Accepting
Reservations
The Utah
Arts Council Traveling Exhibition Program (TEP) will accept registrations for
the 2008-2009 program until Saturday, May 31, 2008. TEP provides nonprofit
organizations and exhibition locations around the state with access to curated
art exhibitions. Exhibits can be reserved for one month on a first-come,
first-served basis. The price per month is $125.
Fourteen
unique exhibitions are available, including two new collections. Available
exhibitions include: People, Places, and Things Along US-89, Early Utah
Masterpieces, Block Prints by Everett Ruess, 2008 World of the Wild, and 2008
All State High School Art Show. The two new options are Prints from Saltgrass
and Prize Photography from the Utah State Fair.
Each
exhibition package includes a press release, digital images for publicity, a
framed introductory text panel, as well as transportation and installation of
the exhibit. Educational materials are available for selected TEP collections.
TEP is open
to museums, colleges, university and community galleries, arts and cultural
centers, libraries, and schools throughout the state of Utah. The purpose of
the program is to provide access to an array of visual arts, nurture the understanding
of diverse art forms and cultures, promote creativity, and encourage cultural
activities in local communities.
Registration
is now available online. To register, click on the link provided on the program
webpage www.utahtravelingexhibits.org or go directly to
www.tepregistration.org. For further information, contact the TEP Coordinator
Laura Durham at ldurham@utah.gov or call
801.533.3582.
This
program is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the
Arts in Washington D.C.
The Utah
Arts Council is part of the Division of Arts and Museums within the Utah
Department of Community and Culture.
12) Don't Miss the Second Monday of Each Month through
September!
Concert in
the Park 2008 Series Ð Admission is Free
Monday May
12, 2008 Ð 7:30 PM
R.B. Stone
Ð Rock/Country/Blues
Vernon
Worthen Park - 300 South 400 East St. George
The City Of
St. George continues their Concert in the Park Series 2008 with R.B.Stone on
Monday, May 12, 2008 at 7:30 pm at Vernon Worthen Park.
R.B.
Stone's life is, in a word, "Americana." Born in Huntingburg,
Indiana, R.B. graduated from Kenton High School in Kenton, Ohio. Shortly
thereafter he hired onto a 90-man railroad work gang, laying quarter-mile
lengths of rail across the Midwest, living in camp cars. After two years he
went to work as a manager for a plumbing, electric and heating company and,
after three years of that he assessed his life.
"I had
acquired two cars, two trucks, two motorcycles and a house. And I was not
happy. "So," he says, "I sold everything except one truck, a
shotgun, some clothes, a guitar and a songbook and headed west to Colorado to
become a cowboy."
R.B.
Stone's music has been played around the world; he's won several awards (among
these a songwriting award from Billboard) and praise from his professional
peers.
He says,
"I am now gearing up for the second half of my career. I've seen a lot of
the world but still want to see more and have more. I vow to play, write and
tour until I die.
"It's
what I am and it needs to be expressed."
R.B. Stone
is Americana Ñ his story is unique to America
Sponsored
by the City of St. George and funded in part by a grant from the Utah Arts
Council, Concert in the Park 2008 Series is free to the public. Don't miss the second Monday of each
month through September. Park seating is available, bring blankets, lawn
chairs, food and the family. For more information call 634-5942.
13) DESERT: an
evening of artistic exploration
featuring
new work by Nicholas Cendese, Eric Handman, Stephen Koester, Stephanie Leitch,
Chris Noble, Brad Richter, Erik Stern, and Natosha Washington
Friday and
Saturday
May 16 and
17, 2008
7:30 pm
(visual arts exhibition opens at 6:00 on Friday night for Gallery Stroll)
Emma Eccles
Jones Conservatory, Westminster College
Tickets available
by phone (801.450.8977) or at the door
$10 general
admission, $8 students and seniors (Westminster Students $5 with ID)
Discussion
and reception immediately following the performances
Choreographers
and visual artists join together to create a stimulating evening of work
devoted to the theme of desert.
The desert
is a natural environment, a locus of human events, a setting for art, a poetic
metaphor: All these aspects of
desert art explored through dance, music, visual art and spoken word. Chris Noble displays his stunning
photographs of desert landscapes.
The RawMoves dance troupe interprets Robert Smithson's Spiral
Jetty. Stephanie Leitch's
multimedia installation is inspired by the Bonneville lake bed. Through movement and music, Erik Stern
and Brad Richter present a minimalist interpretation of the story of Olive
Oatman, who was captured by Native Americans in the mid-19th century. The desert is used as a metaphor for
human situations by choreographers Stephen Koester and Eric Handman.
DESERT: an evening of artistic exploration is a
part of Westminster College's Common Ground Series. Common Ground is a year-long endeavor to heighten campus and
public awareness of this endangered environment. Featuring new work by Nicholas Cendese, Eric Handman,
Stephen Koester, Stephanie Leitch, Chris Noble, Brad Richter, Erik Stern, and
Natosha Washington, DESERT brings together artists and the local community in a
meaningful experience and dialogue.
A conversation about desert involving the artists and community will
immediately follow the performances.
Detailed
Program:
Photography: Basing his career on the celebration of
the beauty and wisdom of the earth, Chris Noble is a photographer, writer,
lecturer, and social activist.
Noble's work focuses on aiding the transition to a more compassionate
and sustainable world. He
collaborates with environmental and conservation organizations around the globe
helping humans re-connect with nature and discover a new relationship with the
earth. "Escalante: The Best
Kind of Nothing," a book of his black and white landscape images with text
by Brooke Williams published by the University of Arizona Press, won honorable
mention in the 2006 Utah book awards.
Large-scale,
multimedia installation: The white
crust of the lakebed gives way easily under the spade, and as we dig deeper,
the earth starts to feel like fleshÉStephanie Leitch is interested in real time
and space dynamics between the experience and the work; the indomitable
vulnerability of something that changes over time; that which is temporary; the
intensity that comes with tenuousness.
The expanse of the west desert is a place of geological, archeological
and historical significance. As a drainage point for the entire Great Basin,
the Bonneville lakebed contains the seepage of a huge landmass. The material excavated from this place
carries the weight of geologic time.
The essence of this project is the idea of place transposed, altering
the experience of space.
Modern
Dance: Progress has not followed a
straight ascending line, but a spiral with rhythms of progress and
retrogression, of evolution and dissolution. - Goethe
RawMoves,
choreograped by Nicholas Cendese and Natosha Washington, explores these ideas
using Robert Smithson's 1970 creation 'Spiral Jetty' as a launching point. Keeping the physical dancing style that
has become a RawMoves signature, the movement vocabulary sweeps, curves, rises,
falls, and travels through space as Smithson's work is echoed on stage. With exploratory drilling proposed just
five miles away from 'Spiral Jetty' new efforts are being put in place to
preserve and protect this iconic landmark. It seems like the perfect time to re-visit, re-explore, and
re-invest ourselves in this beautiful piece of art.
Film: In Exile by Eric Handman, a haunted,
solitary man runs through a barren landscape. Recurring sounds from his past keep him from finding home in
the present. Exile is a film that
explores the idea of place in relation to one man's sense of self.
Interdisciplinary
Performance: Mining for Olive is
inspired by the mid-19th century frontier story of Olive Oatman. This collaboration between
dance/choreographer Erik Stern and internationally established
guitarist/composer Brad Richter interweaves live guitar, video, movement,
evocative staging and spoken word.
This astounding archetypal tale of a girl being taken by Native
Americans addresses many of the fundamental perceptions, assumptions and
dynamics of the frontier West.
Mining for Olive is the first piece in an evening-length collaboration, "How The West Was Won And
Lost And Won . . ."
Multi-media
Modern Dance: Tentatively titled
Wasteland by Stephen Koester, the desert can be seen as a barren, inhospitable,
empty, arid and fragile place. Things
die there including people. While
two people in a relationship may be together, choose to be together and in fact
may need each other, there is nothing between them. The relationship is as empty and dead as the desert. Though they stand next to each other,
there may as well be a desert between them. Love is but a mirage.
Touch is as unpleasant as the sting of sand in a windstorm. Both continue forward but are dying
inside, as desperate for the impossible connection as a nomad in search of
water in drought.
About
Brolly Arts
Brolly Arts is committed to creating meaningful