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(11/27/07 2:04am)
Arthur Cullipher knows a thing or two about creating illusions. As a special effects artist who also specializes in horror stage make-up, he has worked for over a dozen independent films doing make-up and special effects. He has also put his expertise to work providing realistic make-up effects for fire and rescue simulations.\nCullipher will give a free workshop called “Make-Up for Film and Video” at 5:15 p.m. today at the John Waldron Arts Center as part of Artists After Hours, a free networking support group for area artists. Artists After Hours is sponsored in part by the Bloomington Area Arts Council and Cinephile Film Arts, an organization that works to encourage film and video production in Indiana. Other upcoming workshops will focus on fundraising for independent filmmakers, writing and acting.\nCullipher said he has been interested in horror since he was a young child. What he likes most about horror make-up is that any scenario can be created and new creatures can be developed, he said. \n“It gives me an outlet for creativity and gives me a chance to tell my stories, which are mostly horror stories,” he said.\nHe said his career gives him the chance to help other people tell their stories. Cullipher and Kirk Chastain, his special effects assistant, did the make-up for Shocktoberfest, a series of short plays that were performed at the JWAC in October. Arthur has also worked as a special effects consultant on several films made in Bloomington. He creates special effects for Atomic Age Cinema, a horror film screening event that is hosted every Saturday at The Cinemat. During the intermission of the film, scary skits are performed and prizes are given away.\n“There are not many people who can do horror well,” he said. “I am not interested in the recent slew of torture films.” \nHe said he is most interested in supernatural horror and creating creatures. One of his favorite movies, “Videodrome,” is filled with what he calls “fleshy technology” in which inanimate objects, such as a television, become soft, fleshy and sexy. \n“Horror and comedy go hand in hand,” he said. “We have to laugh at the horrible sometimes to make it bearable. I like to laugh – I also like to be scared.”\nDuring today’s workshop, Cullipher will demonstrate make-up shading techniques that give the appearance of bruises, wounds and burns. He said that shading is one of the most important techniques used in filmmaking. Participants at the workshop will be asked to volunteer to be models, and materials will be available for people to try out.
(10/22/07 3:14am)
The Rose Firebay at the John Waldron Arts Center was filled to capacity Saturday night for “Shocktoberfest!,” a series of short, spine-tingling plays presented by the Cardinal Stage Company. \n“The show is meant to be fun and not taken seriously,” said Cardinal Artistic Director Randy White. \n Alexandera Moffitt, clad in a white night gown and braided pigtails, set the mood for horror and humor in the first skit, “A Bedtime Story.” She told a shocking tale that garnered both chuckles and gasps in the audience. \n Next was “Priest” from the musical “Sweeney Todd” – a comical song about baking a man into a pie. The characters of Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd, played by Lauren Robert and Phil Christiansen, discussed the edible qualities of people in different professions in song. In one verse, Mrs. Lovett joked that priests “don’t commit sins of the flesh, so it’s pretty fresh.” \n The singing duet was followed by a scene from “Titus Andronicus,” by William Shakespeare, with Jack O’Hara as Marcus and McCarry Reynolds as Lavinia. The audience roared with laughter as while O’Hara recited long flowing verses as Reynolds stood silent and meek, spurting blood on the floor. The room became somber as Edgar Allen Poe, played by Henry Woronicz, then made a special appearance to read one of his dark stories. Woronicz, will read a different Poe story every show.\n “Shocktoberfest!” concluded with a bone-chilling performance of “A Crime in a Madhouse” from the Grand Guignol Theatre, a popular Parisian tourist attraction that was most famous for its horror plays. The Grand Guignol’s secret was “how it mixed laughter and horror in equal measure,” White said in a press release. \n In the first half of “A Crime in a Madhouse,” Diane Kondrat played Madame Robin, an eccentric woman who has lived in the “madhouse” for 40 years. Later, Kondrat appears as the frightening One Eye, a mad patient who has committed murder in the past and is feared by the other patients. Senior Melanie Derleth gave a believable and heart wrenching performance as the young Louise, a fleeting young beauty who tries to warn her caretakers that the other patients might do something to harm her.\n The short plays that make up “Shocktoberfest!” are wonderfully entertaining and just in time for Halloween. The evening included a good mix of horror, gore and comedy that can appeal to both adults and young people. \n “Shocktoberfest!” will continue showing at the John Waldron Arts Center’s Rose Firebay at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Oct. 25-27. Tickets are $18 for regular admission, $15 for seniors and $12 for students and can be purchased at the Sunrise Box Office at 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomingfoods and online at www.Bloomingtonarts.info.
(10/05/07 1:49am)
Artist Wayne Manns has set out to honor women and give back to the Bloomington community in his new exhibit “Women of Bloomington,” opening at 5 p.m. Friday at Gallery North, located on the Square.\nManns devoted his summer to painting 22 portraits of admirable women who contribute to the Bloomington community by exemplifying warmth, generosity, understanding and kindness. Ten percent of the sales will go to the Bloomington domestic and rape crisis center, Middle Way House.\nThe inspiration for his exhibit comes from his upbringing by women.\nThe jazz-influenced painter was raised in Atlantic City by his grandmother and mother.\n“I wanted to capture the ideals that my mother and grandmother instilled in me,” Manns said. “I chose Middle Way House because it is an organization that helps women.” \n He selected women for the project by asking women he already knew about who they thought notable women in the community were. Each woman he asked knew five other women he had to meet, he said. \n“It should really be called ‘Some Women of Bloomington,’” said Manns, noting that there are many spectacular women in Bloomington who are not featured in the exhibit. “This exhibit really is for all women.” \nThe women whose portraits he painted are a diverse group, including musicians, businesswomen, educators, actresses and mothers. A variety of ethnic backgrounds are represented, including Black, Jewish, Ethiopian and Lebanese. He wanted it to be inclusive, he said.\n“There are so many women out there, women who are doing things out of love, kindness and service,” he said. “Those are the heroes in my world. Frances Manns, my mother, is my hero.”\nManns developed a passion for the arts when he moved to Santa Fe in 1982. Manns established himself in the art community in 1995 through a life-changing group show at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art in California. He lived and studied in Brazil for a year, where he learned to “free himself.” Then he moved to Bloomington to pursue a graduate program in museum studies at IU. Locally, he has curated shows at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures and the Kinsey Institute. His art has been exhibited in Europe, South America and all over the U.S. \nManns’ favorite portrait in the exhibit is that of Camilla Williams, opera singer and an IU professor emeritus. She made her debut with the New York City Opera in 1946, singing the title role in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” She sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech during the civil rights rally of August 1963 in Washington, D.C.\nIn Manns’ portrait of Williams, her glamorous presence emanates from the richly colored canvas as she smiles jubilantly back at the viewer. In the background, she is depicted in her costume from “Madama Butterfly,” complete with parasol and fan.\nAs he did with Williams, Manns incorporated something about each woman in her portrait. Whether it was through the woman’s favorite color or plant or her prized Argentinean tea vessel, every woman’s identity was reflected in some way. He said it was interesting and rewarding to meet so many extraordinary women.\n“I walk away with the same kind of good feelings I got from my grandmother,” he said.
(10/04/07 4:33am)
A story of both love and loss is taking the stage this month at The John Waldron Arts Center\n“Mourning Lori,” a world premiere play written and directed by Joel Pierson, opens at 8 p.m. tonight. The dramatic play, with a touch of humor, addresses how death and intimate family relationships affect how individuals define themselves.\nThe play is about the Abrams family, who is dealing with the loss of Lori, their mother, played by Dana Dyer Pierson. Middle son David, played by Aaron Moon, is recovering from a post-divorce nervous breakdown and realizes he has a unique ability to communicate with his late mother. David is unsure what his connection signifies and struggles to stay strong for his family during the difficult time.\n“I think this play will speak to anyone who has dealt with family issues, which is everyone,” Pierson said. “Every family’s situation is different, but I am looking for those moments when someone can say ‘I have experienced that.’”\nPierson said he first got the idea to write the play after attending a funeral. He said he started listening to the way people talked at a funeral and became interested in how people interact when somebody has died.\n“It is a very different dynamic, and I wanted to catch that,” Pierson said.\nThough the play deals with serious issues, Pierson said the play is not depressing. \n“There are sad moments, but it’s not a downer,” he said.\nDavid is the one in the family who makes them laugh when they are hurting, Pierson said. Tayla, played by Whitney Christiansen, is the responsible one of his two sisters. Jenn Robison Taylor plays Carolyn, the other sister, and James Behmke plays the father. Although she is dead, Lori is present in several scenes and makes comments as she watches her family’s struggle.\n“I am very lucky to have found a great group of actors that have been faithful to my work,” Pierson said. “It has been very moving and very powerful to see all the pieces come together.”\nPierson, a Bloomington playwright and director, has produced several plays at the Bloomington Playwrights Project and previously directed “Cannibal! The Musical” at the John Waldron Arts Center. “Mourning Lori” is his second full-length play. In addition to producing plays, Pierson is the artistic director of Mind’s Ear Productions, an audio production company, and writes a theater column for The Herald-Times. \nPerformances will be at 8 p.m. tonight through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Oct. 11 -13. Following tonight’s performance there will be a book signing and an opportunity to meet the playwright. Tickets are available online at www.bloomingtonarts.info and at the door. Tickets are $12 for adults and student, senior and child tickets are $10. The play is suggested for people over the age of 13 because of adult language and themes.
(09/21/07 1:50am)
The Bloomington Musicians and Songwriters Association will present a fast-paced variety show featuring performances by musicians, poets, comedians, jugglers, dancers and trapeze artists Saturday at the John Waldron Arts Center. Some more acts are still being added to Saturday’s lineup, including hip-hop performers and belly dancers, said Marc Haggerty, director of the Bloomington Musicians and Songwriters Association, who is coordinating the event.\n“The Variety Show is one part of a pretty big project to cause performers to aspire to perform in Bloomington, rather than aspire to leave,” Haggerty said. “We want to make Bloomington artist-friendly.”\nEvery Monday evening there is a songwriter showcase at the Players Pub, 424 S. Wa The show will attract people from the Bloomington community as well as students, said Haggerty, who is also a former Ringling Brothers trapeze artist and who will be performing Saturday.\n“I think students are getting tired of listening to music they have to yell through. They turn 21 and they are disappointed in the bars,” Haggerty said. “There is more out there.”\nChristopher Lemmon, acrobat and Bloomington resident, is performing Saturday night. He has 10 years of experience in the circus and is now working toward his audition with Cirque du Soleil. Alan Thompson and Isaac Simonelli, IU students and talented jugglers, will also be performing. Thompson, who has been the president of the IU Juggling Club for two years, is passionate about juggling and serious about training. \n“His intention is to show people what they have never seen and never even thought was possible,” Haggerty said in an e-mail.\nWell-known local songwriter Curtis Cantwell Jackson and the duo of local singer-songwriters Stella & Jane will also be performing. \nThe Bloomington Variety Show is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the John Waldron Arts Center, located at Fourth and Walnut. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and are available online at www.artlives.org or at the door.
(09/11/07 5:20am)
Christopher Durang’s new play “Miss Witherspoon” had audience members laughing out loud within the first two minutes of Saturday night’s performance at the John Waldron Arts Center.\nThe play begins with Miss Witherspoon, the comical main character played by Diane Kondrat, discussing her own death. She explains to the audience that life was too painful and people too disappointing for her to be happy, so she committed suicide, thinking that this was a way she could escape her pain. The catch to it all is that in purgatory, where she ended up, reincarnation is imminent, and she finds herself constantly fighting it. At first, her hatred for life is strong enough to prevent her from being reincarnated, which confuses Maryamma, played by Martha Jacobs, Witherspoon’s cheerful and humorous spirit guide. Maryamma continues to insist that Miss Witherspoon submit to reincarnation to learn valuable lessons about life and to reach enlightenment. \nEventually, Miss Witherspoon is reincarnated as a two-week old baby, but she’s well aware of her former self. As a result, she’s still disinterested in living, so she suffers a fate similar to the one in her previous life. When she returns to purgatory, Maryamma scolds her for wasting a life and for causing her parents and others to suffer. She is reincarnated yet again, this time as a girl named Virginia, whose parents are emotionally abusive drug-users. At the age of 13, “Virginia” overdoses on pills and once again, Miss Witherspoon is transported back to purgatory. \nThroughout all of this, Miss Witherspoon expresses her desire to end up in the “Jewish Heaven,” which Maryamma describe as being in a state of “prolonged general anesthesia.” Such a place sounds perfect to Miss Witherspoon, who longs to simply rest and feel nothing. After a third reincarnation, in which she is turned into a dog, she finally begins to see that life can be somewhat enjoyable. For the first time, she finds herself happy. At the end of the play, Miss Witherspoon is able to reflect on her past lives and is finally able to see that her actions have a direct impact on other people. She is reincarnated for a final time and decides to live out her life with purpose, optimism and understanding.\nKondrat acted out her stubborn and hopeless character humorously. Even when she was discussing more serious issues in the play, like climate change, terrorism or political conflicts, she still made the audience laugh with her sarcastic delivery. \nThough the play was, at times, dark, it was also witty enough to be considered a comedy, and it ended on a hopeful note. The audience was so enthused that it gave the play a standing ovation.\n“I wish I was as hopeful as this show is,” Kondrat said about the ending. “I feel really powerless most of the time.” \n“Miss Witherspoon” will run at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St. Tickets are available at the door for $15.
(09/03/07 2:14am)
A unique party celebrating the School of Fine Arts Gallery’s 20th birthday drew students, staff, faculty and people from the community Saturday night. Movies such as “The Science of Sleep” were projected on the walls, while people played beanbag toss, Jenga, pingpong, Nintendo Wii and Twister. Pizza and refreshments were on sale, and complimentary snacks were also available for the partygoers. \n“I had a really good time playing tennis and pingpong,” said Bloomington resident Tom Smith, who attended the party and has been to the SoFA Gallery several times. “I advanced my career prospects tonight by meeting someone in my field of study, and I also got whipped in beanbag toss.”\nBy 9:30 p.m., the event had already attracted 382 people, volunteers working at the door said.\nThe football game didn’t hurt their turnout, said Betsy Stirratt, gallery director for the SoFA Gallery.\n“People who generally come to our events don’t care about football,” Stirratt said. “A lot of students and younger people from the community come here because they are curious about the kind of work that we do.”\nLive local music was featured throughout the night, with bands such as Coyaba, Alarmists (Calm Down) and Kentucky Nightmare taking the stage. A dance party was underway by 10 p.m. with DJ Flufftronix providing the music.\nAll revenue from Saturday’s event will go back into the SoFA Gallery’s operating budget, said Rob Off, assistant director of the SoFA Gallery. \nFunding for the arts has decreased and to increase funds, the gallery also hosts a Christmas sale during the holiday season and tries to get grants throughout the year, Off said.\n“We do a pretty good job of getting services donated,” he said. “That’s one thing about this community – people work together to get something done.” The bands, DJ and audio crew for the night all donated their services, he said. \nThe attendees and entertainers alike said the anniversary celebration was a success.\n“The show was a lot of fun; it is really great to support this space,” said Kentucky Nightmare’s drummer Ben Fowler, an IU alumnus who studied fine arts.\nTwo other members of Kentucky Nightmare also have fine arts backgrounds. IU alumnus Karen Jensen, bass, majored in art history with a studio minor. David Woodruff, guitar and background vocals, is currently majoring in photography and printmaking.\nThe SoFA Gallery features contemporary art by professionals from all over the country and around the world, as well as art done by students, Stirratt said. \n“We only focus on living artists, works made in the last 20 years,” Stirratt said. “We are all about new art. Sometimes it is a lot more interactive than historical art.” \nAndrew Brennan, a first-year graduate student studying printmaking, said he came to the party for social interaction and to meet new people. \n“It is a really new experience, even an event like this,” Brennan said. “So far everyone I have met has been really kind and helpful. The staff is fantastic.”
(07/23/07 12:30am)
Mary Ellen Solt, a poet and critic who left her mark on the world of poetry and IU, died June 21 at age 86.\nShe first took interest in poetry while studying at Iowa State Teacher’s College. Prior to discovering her love of poetry, Mary Ellen Solt had a passion for music and piano. In 1941, she finished her B.A. in English literature and started teaching.\nMarry Ellen Solt married Leo F. Solt on Dec. 22, 1946. She earned an M.A. in English literature from University of Iowa in 1948. When they lived in Massachusettes, the couple’s family grew from two to four with the birth of their daughters, Catherine and Susan.\nMary Ellen Solt first came to IU in 1955, when her husband was offered a teaching job here. In 1970, she became a faculty member in the department of comparative literature. Her work was not recognized by IU until after she made professional clout for herself, said Susan Solt, her youngest daughter. \nAs a poet she took interest in “concrete” poetry, a kind of poetry that recognizes the importance of the way words and letters are arranged on the page. Concrete poetry is visual, with the space around the words mattering as well as the words themselves. She took inspiration from William Carlos Williams and ee cummings, Susan Solt said. \nHer poems have been published in various books, magazines and anthologies around the world. They have also been on display in art galleries and museums, including the Jewish Museum in New York and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Her most popular poem was “Forsythia.” \nIn 1968, the IU Press published her anthology “Concrete Poetry: A World View.” Mary Ellen Solt selected all poems for the anthology herself and wrote all the essays.\n“It was the only anthology that contextualized concrete poetry and its world view. My mother was a real pioneer,” Susan Solt said.\nMary Ellen Solt first gained recognition in her career for her critical writing on the work of William Carlos Williams. The two poets were friends. Her controversial paper “William Carlos Williams: The American Idiom” won the Folio Prize for prose in 1960. She took particular interest in the work of William Carlos Williams and wrote many articles and essays concerning his work. William Carlos Williams wrote to Mary Ellen Solt on April 25, 1960, concerning her poem “With Child.” \nHe wrote, “Your absolute intellectual honesty hits me right between the eyes and you have an outstanding brain only equaled by your flagrant courage.” \nThe letter was published in the fall of 1987 in the William Carlos Williams Review.\n“She was always very much ahead of her time. She was a poet’s poet,” Susan said.\nMary Ellen Solt taught American poetry at the University of Warsaw in Poland in 1966. When she returned to Bloomington in 1977, she took a position at IU as director of the Polish Studies Center, a position she held until 1984. For her work at the center, Mary Ellen Solt was awarded the “Gold Badge of Order of Merit of the Polish Council of State” in 1981. The position allowed her to have more of an active role at IU through administration, Susan said.\n“She had a really multifaceted role to play at IU,” Susan Solt said. “She brought filmmakers and poets to campus; she had the spirit of Herman B Wells.”\nMary Ellen Solt retired as a professor emerita from IU in 1991. When her husband passed away in 1994, Mary Ellen Solt moved to Santa Clarita, Calif., to live with her daughter. After many years of declining health, Mary Ellen Solt died of a stroke June 21.\nMary Ellen Solt’s work is now held in the Lilly Library, maintaining IU as a center for concrete poetry. “It is an incredible legacy and that’s why she gave it to the IU Lilly Library,” Susan said.
(07/09/07 12:21am)
The John Waldron Arts Center was a lively place last Friday evening, when the July exhibits in the Rosemary P. Miller and Flashlight Galleries opened. People of all ages wandered through the exhibits examining wall sculptures and paintings, and peering through artist Jerry Farnsworth’s kaleidoscopes. Gallery walk participants talked with artists and among themselves about the works on display. Peter Lawrence picked up a kaleidoscope and looked through it at his own painting, “Fiorra”. Jerry Farnsworth demonstrated how to use one of his more complex kaleidoscopes to a small group of people, holding it in front of each person’s eyes so they could peer through, telling them, “Thanks for looking.”\nThe opening featured art Farnsworth, James B. Campbell, Peter Lawrence and Monique Cagle. The gallery runs through July 27.\n“This is definitely the best summer gallery we have ever had,” said Ed Vande Sande, development and marketing director of the Bloomington Area Arts Council. At least 400 people attended for the opening on Friday, he said.\nArtist Peter Lawrence said he worked on the abstract paintings in his exhibit for two years. When working on a painting, “you have to let your mind go a little bit and be objective,” he said. \n“Fiorra,” one of Lawrence’s paintings on exhibit, is an abstract image of a dancing girl. The painting is rich in oranges and reds, with some light purple. The complementary colors work well together, he said.\n“Anything with figuration brings more interest to the viewer,” Lawrence said. “I have a lot of figure drawing experience that shows up in the lines of my abstract paintings.” \nArtist James B. Campbell said he started working on wall sculptures because he got tired of canvases. \n“We expect to see pictures in rectangles,” Campbell said. “Sculpted and shaped pieces change our paradigm of seeing things. I like to work with abstract because I like to open up people’s minds.” \nCampbell’s work “Tears From the Womb,” is an image of a vagina, but he said he didn’t want the piece to be too “in your face art.”\n“It’s trying to reach the viewer on more of an emotional level than political. If art has a purpose, then it is to help us find our way to becoming civilized,” Campbell said.\nBloomington resident Neil Taylor enjoyed Campbell’s craftsmanship and consideration of his work.\n“Very intriguing, and a high standard of craft. I like how he puts them together. He is concerned with all sides of the sculpture,” Taylor said.\nMany of artist Monique Cagle’s paintings depicted landscapes and animals. \n“I tried to pick a range of pictures that covered a variety of topics,” Cagle said. \nHer favorite painting in the exhibit is “Sun Spot,” a portrait of a cat. \n“I’m an animal lover, and I especially love cats,” Cagle said. “That’s my dad’s old cat so it’s kind of sentimental.”\nFarnsworth crafts kaleidoscopes of different shapes and sizes from wood and glass. The kaleidoscopes take various forms, including cameras and lighthouses. One of them, called “Cow-eidoscope” was actually a small wooden cow, with a rectangular piece in the center of the cow’s body that slides out. A glass cylinder is placed on one end of the rectangular piece, and there is a hole on the other end for the viewer to look through.\n“I think the kaleidoscopes are wonderful. They’re fantastic,” said Cappi Phillips, a long-time friend of Farnsworth. “It’s truly interactive art.”\nParticipants in the gallery walk could also take in the images the kaleidoscopes create during the “Kaleidoscope and Cosmic Light Show Spectacle,” which featured a light show and a concert.\nA live band made up of local artists, including Farnsworth on electric guitar, played a mix of classic rock songs. People of all ages danced in front of the stage.\nDuring the concert, kaleidoscope images were projected on four large screens as well as the ceiling of the John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium. \n“Somebody has to be brave enough to be the first one on the dance floor,” said Justice St. Rain, of Heltonville, Ind., who is also friend of Jerry Farnsworth. “Jerry is doing some amazing things.”
(07/05/07 4:33pm)
The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra played a free concert Sunday evening at Bryan Park. The performance was the beginning of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department’s Summer Performing Arts Series. \nThrough the beginning of September there will be a concert at 6:30 p.m. every Sunday at Bryan Park. \nThere is no outside venue better than Bryan Park, said Julie Ramey, community relations manager at Bloomington Parks and Recreation.\n“The concert is not during the heat of the day, and it’s a fabulous family event. The (Bloomington Symphony Orchestra) is a local organization and they are super-popular. People enjoy the classical music,” she said.\nA mix of pop pieces including “Sing! Sing! Sing!” and medleys from “Harry Potter,” “Pirates of the Carribbean,” “Looney Tunes” and “Star Trek” were featured by the entirely volunteer Bloomington Symphony Orchestra.\n“Music is what sets the mood. This is really fun music,” said Joyce Silletti, sixth-chair violinist and a new member of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra.\nMany children danced in front of the stage during the performance. Elias Bowles, a 3-year-old, did somersaults during the swinging “Sing! Sing! Sing!”\nHe said trombone is his favorite instrument, and he likes the short walk to the event.\nBloomington resident Jeffrey Stewart said the outside environment makes the atmosphere relaxed.\n“It’s more of a community event when it is outside,” Stewart said. “Here you can be a part of the community more.”\nCharles Latshaw, conductor of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, said music doesn’t need to be serious all the time. \nDuring the concert, he told the audience, “I am so pleased to see so many short people who are dancing up front.” \nFor the “Harry Potter” medley, Latshaw donned a shimmering wizard’s cape and conducted with a carrot instead of a baton during “Looney Tunes.” \n“It makes it more fun for the children and for me. It’s really great to see such a turnout,” he said.\nThe orchestra will play a family concert at College Mall on September 15, featuring pirate music and an instrument petting zoo, Latshaw said. The instrument petting zoo is a chance for children to get acquainted with some of the different instruments and possibly lead them toward taking interest in playing an instrument.\n“We love the concerts in the park,” said Bloomington resident Jill Jolliff. Her 4-year-old son Max Jolliff has been to the concert every year since he was born. \n“Max has a keen interest in music,” she said. \nMax has played the drums since he was two years old, but he likes all types of music.\n“I like all instruments. I like all the songs,” he said.\nThe final song of the night was “Stars and Stripes Forever.” The audience clapped along and gave the orchestra a standing ovation when it finished.\nA variety of performances are planned for the Summer Performing Arts Series. Jenn Christy will play at Third Street Park at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 6.\n“(There is) literally everything from blues to rock ’n’ roll, Latin music, jazz and everything in between,” Ramey said.\nRamey said every concert location is on a city bus route. All concerts in the series are free and open to the public.
(07/02/07 12:35am)
The July exhibit at the John Waldron Arts Center features the work of four local artists. The gallery will open tomorrow and include a gallery walk and a live music performance.\nThe works of Jerry Farnsworth, James B. Campbell and Peter Lawrence will be on display in the Rosemary P. Miller Gallery. Monique Cagle is the featured artist in the \nFlashlight Gallery.\nThe exhibit is full of color and texture, said Ed Vande Sande, Development and Marketing Director of the Bloomington Area Arts Council.\n“It’s going to appeal to a lot of people who may be lukewarm about a normal gallery walk,” Vande Sande said. \nFarnsworth is a kaleidoscope designer and artist. He is a member of the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society, an international kaleidoscope organization. His kaleidoscopes are on display in museums in Japan and England. \n“Kaleidoscopic art is one of the few art objects that are not complete without an outside and inside design,” Farnsworth said in a press release. \nAt the gallery opening, in addition to displaying his work, Farnsworth will perform his “Kaleidoscope and Cosmic Light Show Spectacle.” The performance will include projected images as large as 30 feet by 30 feet set to psychedelic rock music played live by a local band. Kaleidoscopes were used by acid and psychedelic rock bands in the ’60s and ’70s, Vande Sande said.\n“This is the kind of arts experience I saw all the time in the ’70s. It’s a really tight psych rock band. Classic music like this doesn’t go out of style,” Vande Sande said.\nCampbell crafts three-dimensional wall sculptures made from expanded PVC mounted on hardwood. Themes in his artwork include world culture, music and environment, \nhe said. \nLawrence draws his inspiration from the internal struggles of literary characters. His subjects include birds, animals, angels and human figures. \nCagle’s talents include drawing, illustrating, jewelry making and acrylic painting. She has received three first-place prizes in the acrylics division at the T.C. Steele State Historical Site Paint Out. Her artwork is quite exceptional, Vande Sande said.\n“You look at her paintings, and it lowers your blood pressure,” he said. “It gives you a sense of peace.” \nThe galleries at the John Waldron Arts Center only feature local artists from Brown, Greene, Lawrence, Monroe and Owen Counties. All the artists in the upcoming July exhibit are Bloomington natives, with the exception of Cagle, who is from Nashville, Ind.\n“There is no shortage of extraordinary people here,” Vande Sande said. “Our mission is to support local.” \nThe exhibit opens at 5 p.m. Friday, July 6 in the John Waldron Arts Center. The gallery walk will begin at 5 p.m. Farnsworth’s “Kaleidoscope and Cosmic Light Show Spectacle” will begin at 7:30 p.m. The artwork in the exhibit is for sale. Admission is free.
(06/28/07 12:53am)
The Symphonic Series of Jacobs School of Music’s Summer Music Festival kicks off tonight. In the line up for the series are four world-renowned conductors. The series includes three concerts, one symphony and the USA International Harp Competition Finals.\nThe first three concerts will be performed by the Festival Orchestra, which is made up of music students and Jacobs School of Music staff members, according to the event program.\nStudent musicians also have the opportunity to play side by side with professionals. Tim Huizenga, assistant first French horn, shares a stand with his teacher, Myron Bloom, who is playing principal.\n“It’s cool being his stand partner. He calls me out on stuff I wouldn’t catch on my own,” Huizenga said. \nThe first concert, featuring guest conductor Michael Stern, will be held at 8 p.m. tonight in the Musical Arts Center. The program includes not-commonly performed works by Stravinsky and Rachmaninoff.\nLogan Strawn, fourth chair violist in the Festival Orchestra, said he enjoys the opportunity to work with such accomplished conductors.\n“We have a good and interesting program. I really like the way Stern rehearses the orchestra,” Strawn said. “I always enjoy playing music for people in the community, and we have been working hard to prepare.”\nThe second concert, featuring guest conductor Roberto Abbado, will be at 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, in the Musical Arts Center. The third concert, featuring conductor David Robertson, is at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, in the Musical Arts Center.\nThe symphony orchestra performance is at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, in the Musical Arts Center. The symphony orchestra is made up entirely of students. \nCliff Colnot, principal conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s contemporary MusicNOW series, will be conducting pieces by Liadov and Tchaikovsky.\nThe USA International Harp Competition Finals are at 7 p.m. July 14, in the Musical Arts Center. The competition is one of the largest and most prestigious music competitions in the world, said Alain Barker, director of marketing and publicity for the Jacobs School of Music.\nLarge turnouts are expected, with each performance planning to have between 900 and 1,200 people in attendance, said Barker. People of all ages come to enjoy the music, he said.\n“Quality is what distinguishes the Symphonic Series,” Barker said. “The four conductors are absolutely top notch, all with international careers. It is not often that you come across a concert of this musical quality for the price.”\nTickets are $15 for general admission and $8 for students for each the first three concerts. The symphony and Harp Competition are free. PDF versions of the programs for each concert and other information are available online at the Jacobs School of Music Web site, http://music.indiana.edu.
