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(12/03/12 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A paralyzed hamster. Fifteen-year-old aged rum. Projectile vomit. Each of these are essential ingredients to the scenes played out in a living room in Paris.The IU Department of Theater and Drama’s latest production, “The God of Carnage,” premiered this weekend at the Wells-Metz Theatre. The house was packed Friday night, ready to see how the four-person play would please. The plot of “The God of Carnage” surrounds events that occur after one boy hits another on the playground with a stick, knocking his two front teeth out. Two sets of parents, Alain and Annette and Michel and Veronique, try to solve their sons’ differences and end up running into some differences of their own along the way.Bloomington resident Joe Pauli appreciated the play for this reason. “It was funny, the awkwardness they had,” Pauli said. “It was interesting, too, that the alliances switched, like who was siding with who.”Despite their best attempts, the four individuals hit continual bumps along their road to resolution. These obstacles were signaled by the ding of a bell, summoning another round of debate to ensue like a boxing match.The arguments were not all hostile, however, and were often delivered with tones of comedy. The audience answered these deliveries with roars of laughter at several points.Freshman Laurin Katzmarek attended the play as an assignment for a class but ended up enjoying the comedic quality of the performance.“I heard from one of my friends that this was a really funny production, so I was really excited to come,” Katzmarek said. “Annette was my favorite character. It was interesting to see her completely break down at the end of it all.”Throughout the course of the play, the once neat and tidy set transformed into something much less well-kept. Two arm chairs, a coffee table, shelves and a cocktail bar were each in a precise place at the outset, but soon tulips were strewn around the space, pillows thrown and books flung.These domestic aesthetics were of particular interest to Andrea Ball, a first-year graduate student in scenic design.“My friends were the set designers, and the sets looked great,” she said.The messy torpor that unfolds throughout the brief play invited a small peek into the world of parenting and partnership between the two couples.“They’re arguing about what happened with their children being so childish, and in the process they’re becoming children themselves,” Ball said.Showtimes this week7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. SaturdayPerformances will be at the Wells-Metz Theatre.
(08/27/12 2:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>High in the sky, wisps of clouds pecked the blue expanse. Della Wood looked up and explained the name of this natural phenomenon, Mare’s tails. This type of cloud served as inspiration for Wood’s most recent series of clay work.The Venue Fine Art and Gifts organized the Friday opening of “The Art of the Horse,” which featured Wood’s sculptures. The exhibit will be displayed until Thursday.The pieces in the exhibit share common motifs, such as clouds and horses.“They’re not the horse as a domesticated farm animal,” Venue owner David Colman said. “They’re more the horse as an energized racehorse, running animal.”Horses have been a consistent presence throughout Wood’s life. Growing up, Wood and her family raised Appaloosas.After she met her husband in Florida, the two lived what she described as the “typical ranch life” in Colorado. They now live in Nashville, Ind., and frequently travel to Hawaii, but the horses remain present in Wood’s artistic work.Draping cascades of terracotta clay flecked with equine imagery make up each sculpture. Various natural hues color the flowing forms. The plethora of places Wood has lived are incorporated in the series.“People ask me before, ‘How long does it take you to make a piece?’ and I say, ‘a lifetime,’” Wood said, “Because it really is all that I’ve experienced coming out in the pieces. It’s the energy in me, and that comes from the places you’ve lived and the people you’ve met.”Wood has had time to develop both these experiences and her artistic technique. Her mother, Martha Mills, graduated from the Herron School of Art and Design and taught art classes.“Della worked with clay from the time she was 12 years or younger,” Mills said. “So her indoctrination into clay started very early.”Wood recounted outings digging up clay for pieces with her mother. It is with this clay that she started to cultivate a career of creativity.“Its very unusual work, and we like to show unusual things,“ Colman said. “She’s multitalented.”
(08/23/12 3:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It started as a theatrical outlet for children in the home of a Bloomington family. Now, local organization Stages Bloomington is about to get a boost.Matthew Wisley has been named the new executive director of the youth theater education and performance organization.The search for a new director began for Stages’ Board of Directors in March, when the previous director stepped down. After sifting through 20 applications and interviewing a narrowed group, President of the Board of Directors Travis Paulin said Wisley was the frontrunner.“I knew from the moment I met him he was the perfect choice,” Paulin said. “Matt is a tremendously energetic and warm person, perfect for this role because he has 15 or so years’ worth of teaching and choreographing in Bloomington.”Paulin’s confidence in Wisley is backed by Wisely’s history with Bloomington artistic outlets. Working as a choreographer for Windfall Dancers, Inc. in 2000, Wisely moved to an administrative position there until 2010.Kay Olges, Windfall’s president of board of directors, said Wisley’s work with the dance company will be especially helpful with his new position at Stages.“The things that he was doing as the school director will completely apply because he was the face, the voice of the school,” Olges said.Stages exists in the Bloomington community as an opportunity for elementary- and middle school-aged children to participate in theater and the performing arts. The organization started as Bloomington Music Works by a woman who wanted her homeschooled children to have a chance to explore their creative side.Today, activities like fall classes, a full-scale winter production and summer camps are well attended by local youth passionate about theater, Paulin said. Even with such positive participation now, Wisley said he thinks there is still potential for improvement.“We’re going to try and have audition-based straight theater in the spring,” Wisley said.Expanded age opportunities and more summer programming are all ideas in the works for Stages — all welcome things in a town Paulin described as “performing arts-crazy.”Paulin said Wisley’s commitment will provide a creative and energetic outlet for Bloomington children interested in theater.“The timing was just right,” Wisley said. “It seems like it was meant to be.”
(08/23/12 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The gym at the Boys & Girls Club transformed into a scene reminiscent of barn and meetinghouses of colonial times Wednesday night. Banjos and fiddles were tuned and dancers changed into their dancing shoes.The Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group’s weekly contra dance session acted as preparation for the 34th Sugar Hill Dance Weekend, which is Friday and Saturday at the Ransburg Boy Scout Reservation.Some attendees practiced fencing before the dance, so as foils and sabres were put away, instruments came out. Eager dancers sat on the bleachers before going out on the dance floor and practicing spins and turns. Others chatted about the upcoming festival or how some dancers hadn’t missed a Wednesday dance night in 25 years. “The band doesn’t stop playing until people stop dancing,” IU junior Adam Nichols said. “We’ll do like 14 or 18 hours of dancing this weekend.”Nichols said he has been dancing for two years, but contra dance is open to all expertise levels. Bloomington resident Michalene Reilly attended Wednesday for the first time.“I’m a noob who tried,” Reilly said. “My friend started doing this four years ago, and I wanted to get some exercise, so I decided to come.”Contra dance originated in New England at the end of the 17th century as a fusion of French court and English dance styles.Caller Keith Tuxhorn traveled from Austin, Texas, to call — provide dance step cues for the dancers — the practice and festival this weekend. Tuxhorn has spent his five-year calling career traveling to Portland, St. Louis and Kansas City for contra events.“When I go dancing myself, I ask the caller what dance it is when I like one,” he said. “That’s why I like being a caller, it’s like a recipe — a Cajun recipe that you can change up every time.”Tuxhorn stepped up to the microphone and asked the dancers to form a line along the center of the gym. The live folk band cued up and Tuxhorn began to voice the moves to be performed: left hand star, one-time round and a do-si-do.Dancers followed Tuxhorn’s call and threw in improvised turns and twirls along the way. With the close of each song, from “Blackbird Pie” to “Barn Mixer,” Tuxhorn reminded the group of contra’s sentiment.“Contra dance is a social dance, we’ll meet a lot of people tonight,” he said. “So, grab a new partner, and let’s get going.”
(04/04/12 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When faced with the reality of injustice, some turn to protest, others to poetry and still more to speech. For two IU students, the proper mode for emotion was through music.“Songs for Trayvon,” a recent Bloomington music project, takes a stand about the recent events surrounding the shooting of Trayvon Martin.Recent IU graduate Nick Huster and senior Olufemi Taiwo are the two students behind the project. The duo spent 10 days perfecting the production of the piece before releasing it this week on their SoundCloud and Facebook pages. Huster said it sprouted from reading articles about the killing and his desire to do something about it.“I had written the song, and I was looking around and seeing how everyone was responding to the events,” he said. “I just wanted to put it out there as my own voice, my own ideas about what’s going on.”The song opens with clips from actual police radio transmissions during the time of the shooting. The verses narrate a dialogue between someone and an officer, hoping for an explanation to the death.“For me, I’d like people to listen to it and feel something, but I think that people already feel something about it, so I just wanted to contribute to that movement and inspire people to know they can say their feelings through music,” Huster said.Eric Love, director of the Office of Diversity Education, said he thinks this song has a definite place among protest and activist songs of the past. He also said this generation has a unique power in its hands with respect to activism.“I think the way your generation is getting involved is just amazing,” Love said. “You’re able to, through social media, organize a rally and get more people than you ever imagined or get a song made and on the net and have 100,000 people listen to it in a short period of time.”Taiwo offered his take on the potential the song has to spark a movement.“It’s hard to say if people really do anything because of the music or songs or if the songs get created out of the same thing that inspire people to act,” he said. “For musicians, this is our language. There are all sorts of ways that people join themselves with people who feel the same things, and as musicians, this is our way to do that.”Love, Huster and Taiwo said they have each posted and shared the single on their websites with the hopes that others will listen and take initiative, as well. Apart from posting the complete song, Huster and Taiwo said they also made the tabs and instrumental versions available in the hopes that other musicians will add their voice to the call for justice.“I think that is what’s important, that the more people contribute to this movement through music, the more people will hear those songs and feel something about it,” Huster said. “And I think that’s starting to happen.”
(04/04/12 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The entrance of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Monday night looked more like a Hollywood cinema than a college-town venue. A red carpet whisked film fanatics inside the doors, many seeming eager to know who the night’s winner would be.Campus MovieFest came to a close Monday with the screening of the top 16 films from the 92 submitted.Each film was developed, filmed and set on screen by various teams of student filmmakers. Teams were given a week and top-of-the-line equipment to make their films from March 22 to 28. Ross Schneider, president of the Blooming Artist Agency, said the bar had been set high this year.“This is the fourth year we’ve done this, and in the past, we’ve had some really amazing films that have competed on the international level,” he said. “One of our movies last year made it to the top five for best picture at the International Grand Finale.”Schneider added that this is a feat for IU, as it is one of the few competing schools that doesn’t have a film school or program. This situation was addressed by the evening’s opening speaker, Batman films producer Michael Uslan.“We’ve got a groundswell up and going, from students, from deans, from administrators,” Uslan said. “Because, folks, its time Indiana University had a film school.”The crowd responded with shouts of praise, energy and a long standing ovation. That energy and fervor for the genre of film came through in the next 80 minutes of films shown.This year, the subjects of each film offered a diverse set of entertainment for those present. From the more serious topics in “Found Wanting” to the comedic relief of “Afro Thunda,” the movies each showcased student talent and drive to create high quality and entertaining films.“Man Crush,” a narrative about two friends solving a predicament, was popular with both the crowd and the judges. It won both the Best Actor and Best Picture awards.One half of the directing duo for the film, senior Charlie Myers, was a seasoned veteran with CMF and offered some words of encouragement.“This is my third and final year, and anyone who is a freshman or just got involved, keep coming back,” he said.During his pre-show talk, Uslan echoed Myers’ sentiment.“The whole thing about filmmaking comes down to one thing — passion,” Uslan said. “You’ve got to make it your life’s work. When you’re just burning with that passion and you just love it and feel the life of the creative environment, don’t let any joker talk you out of it.”Campus Moviefest Competition resultsAudience Award “Afro Thunda,” produced by Happy Jack ProductionsSilver Tripod “Freaks,” produced by 3:17; “Man Crush,” produced by Cloud Nine Collaborations; “Afro Thunda,” produced by Happy Jack ProductionsBest Actor Landon Scott for his performance in “Man Crush”Best Actress Charnette Batey for her performance in “Afro Thunda”Best Drama “Found Wanting,” produced by Red Tape FilmsBest Comedy “J-WALKER,” produced by Giant CatBest Picture “Man Crush,” produced by Cloud Nine Collaborations
(04/03/12 3:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The crowd at the Indianapolis Pacers’ game last Thursday got a taste of true Hoosier spirit before the basketball even began.The Hoosierettes, a pom-style dance group of IU students, performed a new routine during the pregame warm-up before the Pacers’ matchup with the Washington Wizards.A performance of this scale was a first for the dance group, said senior and team captain Brittany Little.“This was the big kahuna for us, the one we’ve really been working for,” she said.Little said she formed the group three years ago as a freshman because of her desire for a poms team at IU. Traditionally, the Hoosierettes’ performances have been in Bloomington. But this season, the group of 18 women had the chance to take to a bigger stage.After developing a choreographed routine, practicing and perfecting spacing in outdoor areas and holding extra practices during Sundays, the Hoosierettes drove to Indianapolis on March 29 ready to dance.Sophomore dancer Kendall Smith called it exhilarating. Senior Hope Collins, who helps with the team, said it was the beginning to a dream. She also said it was the women’s tech know-how that got them this opportunity.“The team was asked to do the pre-game performance for the Pacers because those girls are awesome at networking,” Collins said. “They all recognize that, because it is a student-run organization, getting the Hoosierettes’ name out there is just as important as their performances.”Little, Smith and junior co-captain Kristen Troxell coordinated and organized the group’s travels and logistics for the performance. Upon arrival at the stadium, they were warmed up and had their nerves eased by a few of the Pacemates, Little said.At the end of the performance, the overall sentiment was a positive and accomplished one.“The biggest thing was that a lot of their family and friends were able to come, besides the fact that we’re performing at a real, legitimate venue, so it was exciting to be on a stadium floor instead of the racquetball courts where we normally practice,” Little said.Because of this accomplishment, the Hoosierettes said they are more fueled to dance and perform well.“Although we do have a lot of fun in practice, we are also very dedicated to what we do,” Smith said. “We are very determined to grow as a team and show our IU spirit.”In the coming weeks, the Hoosierettes will have a chance to do just that. A week from Saturday, the group will dance at Relay For Life, and they also have various flash performances planned for the week of Little 500.Whether dancing in Bloomington or under brighter lights, Little said, she is optimistic about the future for herself and her fellow Hoosierettes.“I think it was kind of a shared feeling among the girls on the team, that we’ve finally made it and done something important,” she said.
(02/16/12 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert each have a personal claim to fame. Bourdain travels the world, sampling exotic, foreign fare on his Travel Channel show, “No Reservations,” and he wrote the bestseller “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.” Ripert keeps the New York food scene on its toes with his restaurant, Le Bernardin, and PBS show, “Avec Eric.” Tonight, these two top chefs will travel to Indiana and take the stage at the IU Auditorium. The “Good vs. Evil: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert” performance is stopping at the Auditorium as part of the chefs’ national tour. The show isn’t a cooking challenge or contest but, rather, a chance for these two chefs to talk about their professional and personal experiences in the food industry. The Indiana Daily Student had a chance to talk with Ripert about his history with Bourdain, his personal connection with food and, of course, tonight’s “Good vs. Evil” event.IDS What do the two of you usually speak about when you’re on stage?Ripert We reach many topics. It’s obviously all revolving around the food world. It’s a bit of comedy. I’m roasting him. He’s roasting me, as well. It’s basically a good combination between entertainment and personal.IDS How long have you and Chef Bourdain known each other?Ripert Since he wrote “Kitchen Confidential.” I read the book, and he was very nice to me in the book, both about the restaurant and myself. And I invited him for lunch, and the friendship started there, and we kept it going on.IDS Is he really the man we know from “No Reservations”?Ripert He is very true to himself, very authentic. Whatever you see is whatever you get.IDS What has it been like for you to cultivate prestige and a reputable name in the New York restaurant scene with Le Bernardin?Ripert Well, every day, I go to work, and I don’t think about prestige and award. I am also with my team. We live in a rich city in the sense that there are so many different cultures and ethnicities living here, and we have so many different restaurants and ingredients that we are very inspired. We basically reinvent ourselves all the time. And when you do that, and you’re passionate and have a good time, you get rewarded. But we never think about how long are we going to last, are we relevant or not. We just go along with our daily passions.IDS Is the trend of sustainability important to you? Is it something you try to embody in the food you make?Ripert Well, I think it’s the future, or we’re all going to die because factory farms are terrible not only for the animals, but for the planet and for us, as well. So, I mean, we have to support the people who cultivate the land. We have to support the people who are growers, beekeepers and fishermen. IDS Do you have a favorite food region in the U.S.?Ripert California is bliss. They have amazing vegetables and fruits. It’s just unfair. The climate is very exceptional there. IDS Can you speak to the trend of more people coming back to the kitchen and cooking?Ripert It’s a good thing. People who are cooking at home have a love and appreciation for good products. Therefore, they potentially support sustainability. And at the same time, I see the benefit if you’re cooking at home and you have all the family together. You don’t have Daddy watching the game and having wings, Momma doing something in the kitchen and eating pizza and the kids with burgers in their bedrooms. If you cook something that has been homemade with good products, you will have the tendency to sit down at the table and create that interaction that is vital to create a good environment with the family.IDS Do you cook with your family a lot?Ripert On Sunday! We have a tendency to do many different dishes all the time. In the summer is when I repeat the most. I grill a lot.
(02/09/12 4:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After moving out of the dorms and into a house, something suddenly becomes a very true reality for every college student: finances. From utility bills to monthly rent payments to that undying desire for late-night pizza, it can all get hard to keep track of. One thing that stays constant is the need for food. With three meals a day and mid-morning and midnight snacks, the cash required for culinary endeavors can seem to disappear fast. But with some consideration and an eye for thrift, any student can still have some bonus cash in the budget to blow at the end of the month.Kroger, Bloomingfoods and Sahara Mart each carry some of the same groceries, ones that could be considered staples for the college diet. And while one might guess that bargains only exist at one location, each store has some values to bring to the table.If in the market for produce, particularly apples, head to Bloomingfoods. Not only are the offerings fresher and more various, but they’re also locally grown and subsequently cheaper at $1.39 a pound. Another staple to stock up on in the bulk section here is rice, starting at $1.39 a pound. They also have six-packs of freshly made pitas from Falafels for $4.Sahara Mart on Indiana Avenue has a few hidden values as well. If in need of some greens, get heads of romaine lettuce here for a dollar a piece. Health cereals like Kashi are also lower in price here than at Kroger. And when in the mood for some chicken, opt for Sahara Mart as well — six thighs of local Amish chicken go for $4.40 and four breasts of the same for $5.Many of the remaining groceries investigated — bananas, frozen vegetables, pasta and sauce, eggs, milk and sandwich bread — were cheapest at Kroger. The greatest difference in price existed for eggs, with a Kroger dozen averaging a dollar less than the other two stores visited. There is one staple that has yet to be claimed — cereal.Favorites like Special K and Cheerios can start to get as pricey at $4.49 a box at Kroger. This might seem reasonable, that is until you buy your cereal with your pharmaceuticals.CVS frequently has specials on many cereal brands, applying a two boxes for $5 deal to many popular varieties on its shelves. And while prices differ between each store, each has added value in its members program. Bloomingfoods offers patrons the chance to buy shares of the co-op for $90 a household and grants discounts to members on all items certain days of the week. Sahara Mart and Kroger have similar member programs, bringing the price of necessary foodstuffs even more within reach.Whether a dedicated locavore hunting for the most prime produce in town or a student with a packed schedule and minimal time to shop, strategic stops can save you a buck or two when filling your pantry shelves.
(12/06/11 4:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Nine students have adopted the perspective of the opposite gender — at least when it comes to creating their art.The Downstairs Mix-Up show featuring the work of Sculpture MFA students opens from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday. The exhibit will be located at the Fuller Projects inside McCalla School and is free and open to the public.The students’ pieces embody the themes of gender and sexual curiosity and how these factors play a role in identity according to a press release. More specifically, they each created a self-portrait in the opposite gender. Third year MFA student Matthew Meers said the diversity in interpretation is what will make the show exciting for viewers.“It is up to the individual artist to determine whether this definition manifests itself as a literal sculpture of one’s hand, as a curated collection of objects that speak to one’s imagined ‘other’ gender identity or a performance piece, in which anything goes,” Meers said.From wood to steel to stone and ceramic, Meers pointed out the variety of mediums utilized in the discipline.“The language of sculpture has too many dialects to speak with one voice,” he said.For second year graduate student in sculpture Suzanne Wyss, inspiration comes from the natural world.“Nature is one of my main inspirations due to its intricate structures, intense layering and also growth by destruction,” she said.The MFA work will be displayed along work from a professional. Scottish artist David Constable is the current artist-in-residence in the Program for International Visiting Artist-in-Residence and has been living in Collins Living-Learning Center since the beginning of the semester.He will not be showing his usual paintings and drawings, however.Constable’s pieces in the show are large-scale and intricate paper sculptures. Wyss marked it as a strange yet exciting pairing for the students. Meers said he admired the complexities of Constable’s pieces.“His art is infused with various industrial tapes and plastic strips — things that are ‘artless’ — and arrives at a familiar pictorial space of his adopted home of West Virginia,” Meers said. “I find that his work becomes richer through investigation.”
(11/30/11 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Floral wallpaper peeled from the walls where it once lay flat. Scuff marks run across the chipped wooden floor. The old Middle Way House may now be abandoned, but a group of photography students may change that in the course of a single night.The IU BFA Photography class will display its students’ work as part of the annual Alternative Show Friday night in this forgotten space.The Alternative Show was first an idea of Associate Professor James Nakagawa in 1998, his first year at IU.With each show since that founding year, students have been challenged to display their work in an unconventional space, something different from the typical gallery setting.“Every year, the students challenge themselves to create an exhibition without academic support,” Nakagawa said. “The work included in this exhibition demonstrates not only their unique talent but also maturity and control over their medium.”This year, the title of the show is a direct reflection of the content of each student’s body of work on display. Photographs in “The Bloomington Project” feature aspects of the community surrounding campus that are more unknown, Nakagawa said, and are intended to bridge the occasional gap between the community and the University.Junior Chris McFarland said Nakagawa’s strategy in dividing Bloomington between class members included taking a map of town and cutting out campus. The surrounding area was then divided and distributed to individual students, who were free to shoot in their designated areas.“It was up to you within your section to find a project,” he said. “As an IU student, everyone knows where the Villas are, but not everyone knows that there is a smaller division of the Boys & Girls Club or a groups of skateboarders that skate up by Ellettsville.”For senior Jason Lukas, this meant shooting the neighborhoods east of the College Mall. Senior Nikki White hoped to evoke individual personalities by photographing people on their porches.The Griffy Lake Nature Preserve Dog Park was the focus of senior Kristen Endres’ pieces.Junior Kendra Wainscott featured the Indiana Railroad Company in the industrial west side of town for her pictures. “That side of town has a completely different feel to it with all the metal and concrete surfaces,” she said. “No one really stops to contemplate the reflections of a semi-truck or the symmetry of a train wheel, so I tried to capture and capitalize on that in my work.”Regardless of the subject of each photograph, McFarland said the class wanted to highlight the community aspect of the city within the show.“It’s getting out of that comfort zone, it’s getting out of that city we live in,” he said. “I mean, technically, IU is a little city in and of itself. But there are tons of people out there, that work in the university even, that can benefit from highlights in the show.”Many of the students participating in the show have practiced photography since they were young, and this show is a culmination of their in-depth study of the medium during college.Lukas is one of two students who will create an installation display for his work. For him, the medium of photography is something he’ll constantly enjoy.“That is what makes life interesting,” Lukas said. “Things are unknown, and even things we feel close to or knowledgeable about can be reexamined, repurposed and understood over and over.” The entire BFA class has adopted this sentiment by taking the space Middle Way House used to occupy and recreating it as a display area for their work. “The space was for rent, and we’d been trying to find a space that would fit the parameters of the project, a space that had a lot of history to it, something that wasn’t just an empty store window or a plain room,” McFarland said.After discovering the space, he said they were sold on using it for the show.“You’ll have to walk into different rooms,” he said. “There are different flooring options, different wallpaper. There’s an old fireplace in one of the rooms. And there’s a sun porch that will have work in it.”The opening of “The Bloomington Project” coincides with Friday night’s Holiday Gallerywalk. The space will be included on the evening’s map, and pieces will be available for purchase.Yet, despite this potential for exposure for their work, the student photographers still put the message behind Nakagawa’s original vision for the Alternative Show first.“They’ve had places before that have been vacant and they go in and do an Alternative Show, and they get a renter or become a gallery,” McFarland said. “Right now the space is empty, and it’s in need of something, it’s in need of some love. And we’ve been trying to find a way to help them.”From viewing photographs taken with toy cameras to simple shots of mailboxes, patrons of the show Friday will have the chance to peek into an alternative side of the town they call home.
(11/10/11 2:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Donna Lafferty cares so much about this project that it brought her to tears.“I was lucky that when I was in college I was aware of orchestral stuff,” Lafferty said before taking a moment to compose herself. “It has shaped my life, it’s so beautiful and I was one of the lucky ones when I was really young.”Lafferty is a playing member and the director of marketing and development for the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. Through an effort spearheaded by a group of Kelley school graduate students, this musical body is getting a bit of a facelift.Matt Henry and three fellow second-year graduate students have taken the task of revitalizing the BSO as a project for a field consulting class. The year-long project is focused on bringing awareness to the orchestra and its presence in the community.“There are faculty members and residents in town who have never really heard of them,” Henry said. “They’re battling for an audience with the Jacobs school. But there are plenty of people here that are interested in classical music.”For 42 years, Bloomington has known the presence of the BSO as a not-for-profit orchestra formed entirely of volunteer members. The group’s conductor, Charles Latshaw, said this is what makes it so dynamic and interesting.“One thing that makes the BSO really special is its full of volunteer musicians,” Latshaw said. “They do it because they love to, not because they’re getting a paycheck or that they aspire to be professional musicians.”Henry and his team hope to grow the audience and recognition for these musicians and their craft within the community. “While students aren’t necessarily their best market right now, that’s the group I’m sure they’d like to see most at their shows,” he said.Henry has worked with Lafferty to implement social media tools like Facebook and Twitter pages for the BSO in an effort for students to have easier access to the group’s events. Additionally, the Kelley students are considering the idea of partnering with IU to bring back a BSO tradition, A Night in Old Vienna.“There were dance numbers played, dinner and ballroom dancing,” Lafferty recalled. “Ballroom dancing club might be interested in revitalizing that and developing a new event centered around dance.”Whether adopting technology or playing tunes from the big screen, Henry said he hopes to bring younger faces to the seats at upcoming symphonic performances. Latshaw agreed.“There’s no reason why it has to be all old people,” he said. “Most people haven’t been to an orchestra concert of any kind unless they were dragged there on a third grade field trip. But for most people when they go, it ends up being a really good experience.”As a 13-year member of the BSO, Lafferty said she has encountered such a feeling more than once and hopes others will, too.“The orchestra can bring something into their lives that they don’t have already,” she said. “I want to get more people to feel the way that I do about classical music, about orchestras, about my orchestra.”
(11/09/11 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Tuesday, a group of actors and actresses gazed at their reflections in the floor-length mirror in front of them. Spontaneous bursts of singing interrupted the floor stretches they did in preparation for that evening’s rehearsal.This group of students formed the cast of “Identify Me,” the latest production from student group JMuse Productionz. The show premieres at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Willkie Auditorium and is free to the public.“Identify Me” focuses on two parallel plotlines, each of which deals with questions of identity.The main storyline centers on a wealthy family, the LeBluffs, and their interactions and relationship between their maid and her son, G-Ross. Throughout the course of the play, G-Ross discovers that his father is Mr. LeBluff, and his sister is Lola LeBluff. This comes as a shock to G-Ross, as he has lived with both Mr. LeBluff and Lola his whole life without knowing his relation to them.A secondary plotline emerges in the story of Giovanni, a boy who lives with his two gay fathers. Giovanni receives pressure from one of his fathers to adopt a homosexual lifestyle, but he identifies as a heterosexual.Sophomore Ashley Nelson has been a member of JMuse since she was a freshman, and she landed the lead role of Lola. She said playing a character similar in age to herself makes it easy to adopt her role.“Though she’s kind of a more uppity, rich girl, there are certain things in her struggles that I’ve been through, similar things,” Nelson said. “I just try and feel things from her point of view.”Nelson rejoined her fellow cast-mates in rehearsal, taking her place in a circle to sing vocal scales.Junior Ignoisco Miles is the current president of JMuse, serves as the directorof “Identify Me” and was a part of the team that wrote the play. “When you’re working with students and you’re not the theater department, it becomes harder because you have to rely on people’s dedication and their love for what they do,” he said. Despite these greater obstacles of scale, he said the dynamics embodied in those involved with JMuse are reminiscent of a family and are what allow for the group’s successful productions.“In being a student I might be able to relate to them. We might have gone through the same issues that connect us,” he said. “You can build a better relationship with your cast when you’re the same age, as they can trust you and feel like they can come talk to you.”Sophomore Pearl Scott, who plays the role of Mrs. LeBluff, agreed with Miles on the personal nature of the theater company. Like Nelson, she has been a part of JMuse since her freshman year.“At first, it was just something to get involved in,” she said. “But once somebody new starts to become a member of JMuse, they’re instantly a member. The family aspect is why I did it again this year. I just had to come back.”Scott returned to the dance floor to join in the number the cast practiced. A male cast member lifted her in the air, brought her back down, and she seamlessly joined into the steps being performed.“Identify Me” is one of JMuse’s large-scale productions. Throughout the year, the group performs as intermission and introductory acts. Whether a smaller performance or a more high profile piece, each JMuse production has a common thread of morality.“People go through stuff like this all the time, maybe not this extreme,” Nelson said. “It is good for people to see that college students can take real life stories and real problems and be able to express them through song and poetry. It’s important for them to see this from the students themselves and not some other company.”Cast members continued to move in and out of the velvet curtains of the practice studio as their choreography was counted out in time. Among shouts of “focus” and “serious now,” each actor maintained a persistent smile.“I’m very optimistic that a lot of people are going to come out,” Miles said. “I believe that our usual following will come out, but I also think we’ll have some new audience members come, too.”
(10/23/11 10:39pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As Debi Tucker and her husband entered the frontal lobe, walls of pink plastic encased them. The Saturday morning sun shone through the inflated organ and highlighted the deep red veins that coursed along the surface of the brain’s shape.The MEGA Brain, an 18-foot long, 12-foot high inflatable brain, came to the Bloomington Farmer’s Market on Saturday. IU Health-Bloomington brought the exhibit to the market to provide an educational experience for the market’s patrons.“The main reason we’re out here today is to educate people about stroke signs and symptoms,” said Amanda Roach, media relations coordinator for IU Health Bloomington.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded stroke as the third leading cause of death last month. In an effort to educate about this health concern, Roach and other IU Health employees offered trips through the MEGA Brain as well as blood pressure screenings and risk assessments.While Tucker walked along the brain’s interior walkway, she stopped to read a placard about brain hemorrhaging. Similar signs informed patrons about the limbic system, multiple sclerosis, stroke and Parkinson’s disease.Above her, a large red bulge protruded from the inflated pink surface, depicting a plastic model of a brain hemorrhage. This type of stroke is caused by bulging and bursting of an artery within the brain, which causes bleeding that can kill brain cells.“I think it’s very interesting to see the functions of the brain, and it’s also very good to know the symptoms of illnesses that can cause problems with your brain,” Tucker said as she exited through the cerebellum.Lee Strickolm walked around the exterior of the MEGA Brain. Strickolm teaches a class about brain function for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.“It’s what makes us, you know,” Strickolm said. “We are people, and it really controls everything that we do. And if we’re going to be healthy people, we need to have a healthy brain.”In front of her, a large purple area covered the brain’s exterior — a model of a brain aneurysm. This weakness in an artery or vein causes bulging of a blood vessel and can lead to hemorrhaging and, ultimately, stroke.Roach said this type of exhibit allowed a more interactive and dynamic way to grab people’s attention about health. She also stressed the importance of the knowledge derived from the exhibit.“Being aware of the signs and symptoms, and what to do in the event of a medical emergency with stroke, is very important,” she said. “There are ways to treat stroke, but time is a very important factor.”IU Health-Bloomington Hospital is a certified primary stroke center. Its staff of neurologists is available to offer treatment for stroke and other cerebral conditions through their emergency department.
(10/21/11 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Adam Walton said his favorite scene appears in the second act. The character Eddie comes home to find his brother alone at home with his niece. Given that his brother has a bit of a known obsession with his niece, Eddie assumes the worst.“The situation quickly deteriorates and the whole scene is shocking and riveting,” Walton said. “It’s like you don’t want to watch it, but you can’t look away.”Walton is a second-year master’s student in vocal performance and plays the role of Marco in IU Opera and Ballet Theater’s most recent production, “A View From The Bridge.” This is the second time “View” has come to the MAC stage. The production’s original premiere in 2006 was also its collegiate premiere. Though the plot of the opera is in the style of a Greek tragedy, the songs are sung in English. Alain Barker, director of Marketing and Publicity for Jacobs, said it is this characteristic that will grab the audience’s attention.“Seeing the production in technical rehearsal this week, I was struck by how relevant and powerful the story is to American society today,” he said. “The music is both direct and highly descriptive, and you feel yourself drawn into the drama almost immediately.”Walton’s character, Marco, is the main fixture in the story. As a married Italian with three children, Marco struggles with poverty. In the hopes of solving this problem, Marco illegally immigrates to America with his younger brother, Rodolfo, to work and send money home.“He’s the responsible one, but he’s also fiercely loyal to his brother and his family,” Walton said of his character. “Even though he’s essentially a good person, he’s driven to some extreme actions when he feels that his family has been dishonored and betrayed.”Vincent Liotta, stage director for the opera and professor of opera studies, worked with the piece’s original premiere at IU.“Since then, I have only become more convinced that it may be the best opera written in the last decade of the 20th century,” Liotta said. Though he worked on the original production, Liotta said he now sees the opera and see it in a different light. Regardless of previous experience with the piece, the opera is one with themes that can be relevant throughout time. “With the current debate in the United States about immigration,” Barker said, “This opera really brings the discussion into focus and shows how intermingled we all are with our present, past and future.”
(09/29/11 4:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It began 34 years ago as a once-a-week gig at Rapp’s Pizza Train at the corner of Sixth and Washington streets. Pizza, jazz and friends make the night perfect. These casual performances were the seeds of a musical project that has grown to something great.The Jazz Fables Quintet is a continuous musical project founded and maintained by jazz artist David Miller. Though members of the original group have changed, the initiative of the group has remained the same.“The name ‘Jazz Fables’ implies a group that was established to perform the great musical and mythological telling of jazz stories of modern jazz,” Miller said.Miller, who plays trumpet for the group, said the ensemble has lived up to its name through the group’s chosen compositions. He said when considering pieces for performance, he often turns to historically famed jazz quintets. Most notable are those led by great jazz musicians such as Miles Davis and Charlie Parker.The Quintet currently plays in a concert series of its own namesake. The Jazz Fables Concert Series at Bear’s Place started in 1989 and has remained a popular fixture for Bloomington jazz fans ever since. Miller marked the event as the longest running jazz concert series outside of the IU Jazz Ensembles’ Monday night series at the Musical Arts Center.But despite its friendly competition, the Quintet and Jacobs share common ground beyond musical genre. When the Quintet was formed, the group was composed entirely of IU jazz studies majors and Miller. Two of those original members, Tom Walsh and Luke Gillespie, are still members of the ensemble and are associate professors in saxophone and jazz studies, respectively. Walsh contributes to the melodic frontline of the group on the tenor sax and Gillespie provides a rhythmic base on the piano.Miller said working with highly accomplished artists and composers such as Walsh and Gillespie is his “great privilege.”“They are all extraordinary individuals with great senses of humor and knowledge about music and the like, which I have come to greatly appreciate,” he said. Walsh’s sentiments mirrored Miller’s, and he described the process of playing with fellow jazz enthusiasts.“The interest for us is that, while each soloist is telling their own story, they are also responding to what the other musicians are playing at the same time,” he said. “We often refer to that dynamic in a jazz group as being like a conversation.”The Quintet has worked to bring that conversation outside of the humble pizza parlor setting. On Oct. 1, the group will perform at Café D’jango, much to the pleasure of D’jango’s owner, Linda “Chana” Eversoll.“I first heard Miller play when I was a server here four years ago,” she said. “He has been playing here ever since. I’m so proud to have them perform in my café. Tom Walsh, and Luke — all of them are so talented.”
(08/29/11 3:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Spicy or sweet. Fruit or tomato-based. Green or red.The variety was deliciously diverse as a famed topping of tacos, burritos and salted corn chips was revered this weekend at the Bloomington Farmers’ Market.The 23rd annual Salsa Contest on Saturday, sponsored by Bloomingfoods Market and Deli, brought out Bloomington’s professional and amateur salsa chefs and fans alike.While Gregg “Rags” Rago, chef at Nick’s English Hut, gave a demonstration about creating what he called the perfect batch of guacamole, the market’s patrons visited the three tents showcasing salsas for tasting. Seniors Joanna Taylor and Elaine Snyder differed in their spice level preference but agreed that they enjoyed the entries from the cooked category.“There are so many different kinds. One over there was minty, and another was more tart or sour,” Taylor said. “The cooked ones have more of a kick, an after-bite.”The contest organizers encourage the variety of salsas, Ellen Michael, head of Marketing and Outreach for Bloomingfoods and co-organizer for the event, said.“Salsa is such a great thing to know how to make. There is a lot of room for creativity and experimentation,” Michael said.Nine judges tasted the day’s entries and decided on the top three in each of the cooked, raw and specialty categories. Salsas were judged based on aroma, texture, appearance and flavor.This year marked the first year someone won in all three categories — Arlyn Llewellyn for her Roasted Tomato and Jalepeno, Cirtusy Cherry, and Spicy Pineapple and Four Pepper salsas.Michael said the judges make their decision based on factors other than the typical fiery salsa kick.“They really love fresh flavors, a nice aroma and a beautiful appearance,” she said. “We disqualify any super-hot salsas. Salsa is about more than just heat.”Sophomores Rachel Shepherd and Ryan Carroll said they appreciated the salsas that had less heat and favored the fruitier choices because of their unusual flavor. The contest allowed the market’s patrons to taste some spice and highlighted the seasonal ingredients available at the market, as well as creating a stronger sense of community, Michael explained.“I think people take a lot of pride in coming up with their own variations — that’s what the salsa contest has taught me,” she said. We have some amazing contestants who are able to nail it with one great recipe after another. They know how to have fun in the kitchen and to work with various flavor combinations. It’s an art.”
(08/24/11 2:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The room, house or dorm is set up. Your parents are about to leave town. Sweat trickles down your back as they drive away, and you can finally shower after a long move-in. But what to do after that cleansing break?Here at the Arts desk, we’d suggest grabbing some friends and heading toward downtown Bloomington. Local venues around town are bursting with acts for your enjoyment during the week before the academic grind commences. We’ve compiled a few of our most anticipated artistic events and are hoping to get you acquainted with some of Bloomington’s favorite artists, musicians and venues.(1) WednesdayStagnant Pools, Clouds as Oceans and Vollmar perform at 9 p.m. at the Bishop, at 123 S. Walnut Sreet. These three groups each have a sound all their own, from the rhythmic drumming and ambient vocals of the Enas brothers in Stagnant Pools to the more gentle and poetic sound of Justin Vollmar. The Bishop is the perfect place to see your favorite local acts. (2) WednesdayThe Office of First Year Experiences is sponsoring the Freshman Induction Ceremony at the IU Auditorium. While this event is closed to most students, all of campus has a night with the acerbic wit of John Stewart to look forward to on Sept. 30.(3) Friday“30 Plays in 60 Minutes” will be at 8 p.m. at the Bloomington Playwrights Project, at 107 West Ninth Street. In this interactive theatrical experience, members of the audience are encouraged to participate in concocting the plot of the plays, while the actors race to complete each play in the time allotted .(4) FridayThe Hart Rock Poetry Series is presenting the Dog Days of Summer at 7 p.m. at Rachael’s Cafe, 300 E. Third Street. Hart Rock sponsors a poetry reading and open mic on the fourth Friday of every month and gives community members a chance to listen and share their favorite poems, songs and stories after each slam. (5) SaturdaySleeping Bag LP’s release show is at the Bishop, 123 S. Walnut Street. Returning home from a recent tour, Sleeping Bag will unveil their most recent project at the Bishop. Come hear the trio serenade you, and pick up a copy of the new tunes. (6) SaturdayThere will be salsa dance lessons and a salsa-making competition at 10 a.m. at the Bloomington Community Farmers Market, which is next door to City Hall at 401 N. Morton Street. Yes, cooking is an art, and what better way to enjoy the flavors of the season than with some spice? Sample a variety of salsas created by Bloomington residents, cooks and professional chefs. Then grab a partner and prepare to dance.(7) SaturdayLocal band Main Squeeze will be performing at 11 p.m. at Bluebird Nightclub at 216 N. Walnut Street. This soulful and funky group formed while at IU in 2009 and has been shaking local venues ever since. The Bluebird has has some of the biggest names to pass through Bloomington; however, the bar is 21 and older. (8) Monday-SaturdayThere’s a poster sale at Landlocked Music, at 202 N. Walnut Street. Empty walls can be a bit unhappy looking. Spruce them up with a poster from a local show of a great musician or artist.
(04/29/11 2:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Justin Vollmar is a dapper guy. Whether working in town at TD’s or onstage at a local venue, odds are he’ll have on a button-up and a jacket or sweater. But don’t let his formal attire put you off. Vollmar may appear to be polished to the unknowing eye, but he isn’t afraid to be loose and have fun when it comes to music. As a part of the local music scene, he said he appreciates the role that musicians hold in town.Vollmar’s self-titled musical project has brought Bloomington audiences subtle acoustic sounds with simple lyrics since spring 2000. He marked the first show at Rockit’s Pizza as the official starting point for his musical endeavors with the group. Since that first show, group members have included local musician David Brant on the bass and Justin’s brother and local filmmaker Nathan Vollmar. However, Vollmar said the group has largely existed as a solo act, with him performing alone onstage.Vollmar’s more demure dress fits the sound of his music. He described it as a folk singer-songwriter sound that is sparse and minimal with experimental flourishes.Though he may have a subtle voice under the lights, Vollmar’s views ring loud when he sings the praises of fellow musicians he loves.IDS Where do you think your music sounds best and why?VOLLMAR Probably in a living room, but there’s something I heard about Patti Smith. She says she liked to play dirty clubs where the atmosphere of the place takes precedent over the performance. Hmm — well, my music is too quiet to compete with conversation in a club. Those conversations are important, though. The music is a conversation both with itself and those trying to listen. All the conversational competition adds up to an atmosphere that’s something worth appreciating.IDS What album are you listening to right now?VOLLMAR My favorite at the moment is “8 Men and 4 Women” by O.V. Wright. Did you know love is a crime? O.V. dreamed it was so, and eight men and four women found him guilty of loving.IDS What’s your favorite piece of equipment and why?VOLLMER Oh, it’s my acoustic guitar. I’ve had it since I was 15. I neglected it for years, but now I can’t imagine playing anything else. It’s comforting to call it faithful and decide there’s no decision to be made.IDS What’s your favorite band right now in Bloomington?VOLLMAR Dylan Ettinger and Michael Anderson of Drekka have a new group called Dry Socket. It rips. Open Sex is great too. Oh, there are too many!IDS If you could play a show with another group or musician, dead or alive, who would it be?VOLLMAR Well, Harry Nilsson. His records have been on rotation in my collection most consistently. Plus, he never played live.
(04/25/11 1:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With a last minute scramble to change the location and set up another tent, Culture Shock organizers engaged alerts via Facebook and Twitter to keep the public informed, and despite the rain, the music lovers still came. Culture Shock 2011 rang loud and clear amid the raindrops and neon lights Saturday afternoon and continued into the evening. After a barrage of thunderstorms from the night before left Dunn Meadow soaked, those at WIUX responsible for coordinating the festival had to make some changes. They shifted the location to a parking lot at 13th Street and Fee Lane, and PR Director Kat Coplan said the sudden weather gave them one day to get together another tent and generator. Apart from securing the correct equipment, the staff at WIUX also faced another challenge: getting attendees to show up. If the first band was any indicator, the day would be full of people ready to listen.“Even though we changed locations at the last second, it was still awesome to see a hundred people show up for the first local band,” Coplan said.Sleeping Bag performed first, followed by two other local bands, Gardendale & Berkley and The Calumet Reel. The Calumet Reel took the place of Waxeater, who had to pull from the ticket a day before the festival.While numbers had been good throughout the day, Wendy Greenberg, promotions director for WIUX, said the energy of the crowd was revived during one act in particular. She said Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt brought energy to an otherwise rainy day.The group incorporated many performance techniques and tools, including giant parachutes, neon lights and banners and interaction with members of the crowd during the set.Neil Fridd, the front man of TPDR, said college shows are more fun for him because of the willingness of the audience to become involved.“The participation is as important as my singing,” Fridd said. “I started this because I realized the shows I had the most fun at were ones that felt more like a communal experience. I want to have more of a party than play a set.”The energy stayed high for the rest of the lineup as more people showed up as the rain died down throughout the evening. The War on Drugs offered a laid back set, and the sounds of the following act, Beach Fossils, created a mini mosh pit in front of the stage.As if on cue, the rain stopped right before the headliner for the festival.“How great is this? It’s beautiful for the headliner,” Coplan said.Ty Segall excited attendees of Culture Shock even more, delivering a rousing set of garage punk all the way from San Francisco. Between songs, Segall reminded those present how lucky they were to have a campus radio station like WIUX, especially one that would put on such a great festival with a full lineup.As he continued to play, members of the crowd kept their heads bobbing and started to climb onto and jump off of the stage, filled with the energy of the night.Despite the various hurdles that had to be conquered, Culture Shock still delivered music to Bloomington fans. “The most important thing is that the people here seem to be genuinely enjoying the music,” Coplan said. “They all seem to be real fans.”