A&E

The art of hairstyles displayed in exhibit

Are wigs, headgear, combs, pins and barber shops signs art? "Hair in African Art and Culture," a new exhibit that opens at the IU Art Museum today, has successfully proven just that.

This Weekend's Calendar Events

Student performs in 'A Chorus Line'

Friends and colleagues use one word repeatedly to describe Amy Birnbaum and her singing talents -- amazing. Birnbaum, a 20-year-old sophomore, will appear this weekend in a production of "A Chorus Line" at the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St. A native of Long Island, N.Y., Birnbaum began performing professionally during high school. She started by reading Backstage, an industry trade magazine full of audition information and tips for amateurs. She took a homemade demo CD to famous Manhattan cabarets such as Don't Tell Mama, Danny's, Firebird and Skylight. Her persistence paid off when Birnbaum landed a gig as the youngest regular performer at Don't Tell Mama.

Playwrights to hold showcase

The Bloomington Playwrights Project's School of Dramatic Arts is holding its first showcase this weekend, featuring plays written and performed by students in the School's classes. The BPP established SODA last fall to give Bloomington residents of all ages a chance to develop their dramatic writing, acting and production skills in a friendly environment. Students as young as 7 and as old as 60 enrolled in a wide range of classes that included Introduction to Playwriting, Directing and Cabaret Class. After the success of the fall classes, a second round was held this spring, and the hard work of the students in those courses have resulted in the plays shown in this weekend's showcase.

Performers help cause

This Saturday, a unique fund raising event for the Bloomington Playwrights Project (BPP) will unfold at 312 S. Washington St. The PERFORMathon, a collaborative effort amongst community performers, visual artists and musicians, will provide the public with a smorgasbord of entertainment and the opportunity to support the BPP.

The 'Bay' Favorite

If ever a friend or acquaintance visits the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly the East side of the bay, I tell them that the search for cheap and cheerful meals stop at Lilly's Chinese restaurant on Monterey Avenue in Berkeley. It is the apotheosis of quality: unpretentious service, heaping plates of delicious, fresh food, comfortable seating, and the constant buzz of happy chatter. When I am in Bloomington, I regularly dream of their crisp scallion pancakes, roast duck (a plate that must keep local cardiologists buying Tuscan villas -- but worth every bite), and vegetarian dumplings. But when visiting in the summertime, my visit is incomplete without a bowlful of their noodles.

Artwork focuses on societal transition to mobility

In a world where people are more concerned with where they have been and where they are going, little notice is given to the transition between the two -- the present. Artist and MFA sculpture student Richard Saxton has captured a sense of the present in his works, which feature the fusion of connection and isolation. His works embody the connection between one place and another, one time and another, one idea and another, but those connections are isolated in place, time or idea.

Delectable Dipping

For those who have let it lapse, Valentine's Day is a celebration worth reviving. Many people, of course, have less than pleasant memories of the day they were left without a sweetheart, a card or worst of all, chocolate. The trick is to transform Valentine's Day into your own day of merriment. I suggest an intimate party of very good friends, lots of fizzy beverages and an armful of favorite videos. And for the ultimate combination of sensual and celebratory events, make it a fondue party.

Cooking with culture

From India to Korea, from Malaysia to the Philippines and all the way to Vietnam, the city of Bloomington was able to experience a taste of culture from all of these countries right in their own city.

Middle Way House to benefit from Ladyfest Midwest event

A festival that began eight months ago on the west coast hits Bloomington today. Activities for Ladyfest Midwest will encompass women's issues as well as the arts. Workshops will include women's self defense, how to combat "fat oppression," vegetarian/vegan recipe swap, women with disabilities panel discussion, spirituality and gender issues and more. Tickets are available for $15 for the whole weekend or $5 per day, payable by money order in advance, or by cash the day of the festival.

IU students perform in Indianapolis

In the big city, four IU students are toiling with the "hardest profession in the world." An adult show, with an adult budget and adult demands are being placed on young performers who are meeting the rising bar, as they rehearse for this week's opening of Indianapolis' Civic Theatre's production of "The Secret Garden."

A community united through art

The newest jewel in IU's crown of arts venues shined Friday night as members of the campus and community joined together to officially welcome Arts Week 2002. The Theatre/Neal-Marshall Education Center was bustling with activity as anxious parents, students and arts patrons rubbed elbows at the 18th annual Arts Week opening ceremonies. A collaborative effort between the Bloomington community and the University, Arts Week highlights the many arts opportunities and programs offered throughout the year.

Modern dance more than exercise

Associate Professor Gwendolyn Hamm's students listened attentively from their blue mats as she illustrated an effective breathing technique. "Think about the breath going from the top of the head down to your sternum. Inhale through your nose," Hamm said. Hamm teaches the Advanced Modern Dance class twice a week at the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Hamm said modern dance is a rising genre of dance that emphasizes fluidity of movement and abstract choreography.

Olympic organizers hope to hit the right notes

The 2002 Winter Olympics are all about gold, silver, bronze -- and platinum. Organizers of this year's Olympiad, which kicks off Friday in Salt Lake City, hope that nightly performances by multiplatinum pop music superstars will give the Games a new attitude -- and lure more viewers to give ratings a big boost.

New production based on post-Sept. 11 events

"Afterdark," a new play by Kara Manning, premieres in Bloomington tomorrow night at the Bloomington Plawrights Project. One of the first plays of its kind, "Afterdark" is set in New York City in December 2001. The play depicts everyday urban dwellers including a radio deejay, a drummer, a coffee shop owner and a teenage girl among others who are dealing with their personal lives three months after the Sept. 11 tragedy.

Summer heats up with 'Jazz in July'

The hum of crickets and air conditioners won't be the only sounds of summer beginning this Friday evening, when the IU Art Museum plays host to local jazz ensemble Marty Hodapp's Swinging Dixie Band. Hodapp's band kicks off the eleventh annual "Jazz in July," when they perform the first of four Friday night jazz concerts during the month of July. "'Jazz in July' started 11 years ago," said Joanna Davis, administrative assistant for development and administration at the IU Art Museum. "It was geared toward introducing people to the Art Museum. It is a fun way for people to come visit, especially those who haven't previously thought about viewing art, but would come and listen to music."

The fine art of clowning

The strongest man in the world is standing center stage in the lobby of the Bloomington Playwrights Project. He is wearing make-up and a grossly oversized suit jacket. The strongest man in the world is four feet tall and has not graduated from elementary school.

Film epitomizes 'life in turmoil'

The Indiana Memorial Union Board's Live from Bloomington Committee will present the film "Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance," with a score performed live by composer Philip Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Indiana University Auditorium. "Koyaanisqatsi," a 1983 film directed by Godfrey Reggio, shows contrasting scenes from America's natural and urban landscapes. It was awarded the Audience Award for Best First Feature Film at Filmex, and Glass's score was voted Best Original Film Score by the Los Angeles Film Critics. "'Koyaanisqatsi' is not so much about something, nor does it have a specific meaning or value," Reggio said in a press release. "'Koyaanisqatsi' is, after all, an animated object, an object in moving time, the meaning of which is up to the viewer. Art has no intrinsic meaning. This is its power, its mystery and hence its attraction. Art is free."

'Bathtub Gin' has national influence

An avenue of creativity mixed with pizzazz, spunk and panache. A "bootlegger of ideas, untaxed and unregulated." Something enchantingly mysterious that allows readers to delve into the minds of poets, writers of prose and the like.

Music writer visits campus

Many who have become successful sometimes have one great idea and then expand on it. That one idea could be anything, but one needs to know who it caters to and how to get it out to them. Experimenting on one's own and "following your nose" is the foundation of Michael Lydon's philosophy on writing.