Items tagged with 'arts'
EMPAC spring 2012
The trailer for one of the onedotzero series being shown at EMPAC this spring.
EMPAC's schedule for spring 2012 is out. And, as we've come to expect, it's full of stuff that looks interesting, weird, challenging, or just... different. The works on this season's slate make use of dance, animation, "actual reality," Walden, Infinite Jest, and mosquitoes.
Here are a handful of dates that caught our eye.
NYS Writers Institute spring 2012
The spring lineup for the New York State Writers Institute visiting writers series is out -- and as we've come to expect, it's full of events that look interesting.
And handful of the dates that caught our eye: science writer Alan Lightman, physicist Michio Kaku, director and author John Sayles (who's originally from Schenectady, you know), author Shalom Auslander, journalist Masha Gessen, novelist (and Cooperstown native) Lauren Groff (that's her on the right), and editor Joe Lelyveld.
Here's the full lineup...
Front Parlor storytelling series coming to Albany
The popular Front Parlor storytelling series is adding an Albany night. The first one will be November 14 (that's a Monday) at the Olde English Pub in downtown Albany at 7 pm. The theme for the night: "Firsts."
Front Parlor organizer Abby Lublin says it might end up being the second Monday of each month, depending on how things go.
The Front Parlor series started in Troy at the Ale House this past spring. The storytelling nights -- modeled in part on The Moth -- have turned into standing-room-only events. This past September, the series expanded to Saratoga with nights organized by Tim Dawkins.
The Troy series is back this Tuesday (November 8). The theme is food. It starts at 7:30 pm -- but it's a good idea to show up early.
Earlier on AOA: Front Parlor: story night at The Ale House
Tickets for DANCE MOViES at EMPAC
Band, on the run.
Drawing's closed. Winner's been notified.
This Saturday EMPAC will be debuting the results of its most recent DANCE MOViES commissions, which are films that somehow involve dance. For example, here's the description for one of the works, called "Fanfare for Marching Band":
A film following the mayhem created by a ragtag musical militia that embarks on an impotent invasion through a parallel universe, where their exuberant music is out of sync and unheard. The two worlds are finally unified when the band masters the tempo and patience of empathy.
The band -- Mucca Paza -- will also be there to play afterward.
So, not something you see every day. And we have a pair of tickets to give away. To enter the drawing, please answer this question in the comments:
What's your favorite dance or type of dancing?
This could be anything: swing, hip hop, the Snoopy, the Carlton, whatever.
Four films are on the slate for Saturday, none longer than 20 minutes. The screening starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $6.
Important: All comments must be submitted by 10 am on Thursday (November 3, 2011) to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly -- seriously, if you win, we want to give you the tickets) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 5 pm on Thursday and must respond by 10 am Friday (November 4).
photo: Sangphoon Lee
The Swing Syndicate
Emily McNeight and Orian Breaux at The Swing Syndicate.
When Orian Breaux came to RPI he was a little bit shy. He thought checking out a swing dance club might be a way to meet people and have a little fun.
He liked it. A lot.
Now a senior in RPI's aeronautical engineering program Orian is about to launch into a project that has -- well -- pretty much nothing to do with aeronautical engineering. This Friday during Troy Night Out, he and his girlfriend, Emily McNeight -- a math major at RPI, (they met at swing dancing) -- will host the grand opening of The Swing Syndicate, which they hope will be a hub for swing dance in the Capital Region.
MoHu begins
The first MoHu Festival starts this Saturday evening and runs through the next weekend. Organizers say they have more than 150 artists and arts orgs participating.
One thing you might have already noticed: all the local art nights this month have been shifted to next Friday, October 14. (That's why there's no 1st Friday in Albany tonight.)
MoHu (Mohawk + Hudson) is basically a wrapper around a bunch of local cultural venues and events for the purpose of highlighting the arts in this region. (Sure, you know there's a lot of great stuff here -- but not everyone does.) That's not a bad thing. As we've said many times, there is a lot of stuff to do in the Capital Region -- you often just have to make a little bit of an effort to find it. If a festival like this helps make that easier for people, good.
If the festival returns next year, it'd be great if there was some kind of pass people could buy to get into multiple events. Or maybe a "buy three events, get one free" sort of thing.
Small Batch Editions
"Poolside" by Sebastien Barre, one of the first prints available through Small Batch Editions.
Worth a look: Small Batch Editions, a startup business from local curator Melissa Stafford, which is aiming to put together new art buyers with up-and-coming photographers. As Melissa explained in an email:
The idea is something that has been building in my mind for at least 3 years now. In the course of working at the gallery in Hudson I often met a lot of people who fell in love with a photograph or painting, but were unable to afford it. I also met a lot of artists struggling to sell their work. Considering the economy these days and how limited most budgets are, I wanted to create an opportunity for both artists and buyers to have a meaningful exchange; by publishing special limited edition prints at more affordable prices I hope to grow the market for unrepresented photographers, increasing their visibility. At the same time, we as collectors get to discover new and exciting work and support the artists we love.
The initial lineup of photographers includes some local names you might recognize: Joe Putrock, Sebastien Barre, Holly Northrop.
Small Batch Editions hasn't officially launched yet. Melissa is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to cover some of the initial costs. Contributors will be able to pre-order prints and be eligible for other rewards. (And, as with all Kickstarter campaigns, the money is refunded if the goal isn't met.)
You might recognize Melissa's name from Carrie Haddad Photographs in Hudson, where she was the gallery's first director. Here's a little bit more about what prompted her to start Small Batch Editions...
The Sanctuary for Independent Media
Sanctuary for Independent Media founders Branda Miller and Steve Pierce sit on the stoop of the sanctuary with their family.
You probably remember the 2008 brouhaha over Iraqi artist Wafaa Bilal and the "Virtual Jihadi" video game that was booted from RPI. And you also may remember that Bilal's exhibit ended up at a little space in Troy called the Sanctuary for Independent Media -- which then got temporarily shutdown for code violations.
In the years since, the Sanctuary has continued to soldier on, providing a meeting space for seasoned and novice activists to train, listen, plan and party. Now, as protest culture blooms both here in the United States and around the world, the Sanctuary's fall season is focused on "cultures of resistance."
I talked with Sanctuary executive director Steve Pierce and art and education coordinator Branda Miller recently about emboldened protesters, media reform, the necessity of being for something, and allegedly humorless militants.
Voki Kalfayan: from the Hudson Valley to international clown
Clowning around.
Voki Kalfayan spent four years in a private school in the Hudson Valley, and two years studying at Vassar, before he discovered his life's ambition during an audition for Ringling Bros. Clown College.
Kalfayan never looked back. He's spent 15 years traveling the world as a clown, actor and humorist, and he'll be back in the Capital Region on Wednesday night in Cirque de Soleil's "Quidam" at the TU Center.
He took a few minutes to talk with AOA last week about the myth of Krusty the Clown, the difference between East and West Coast clowns, and the serious business of being funny.
The Memoir Office
Earlier this year local writer and St. Rose professor Daniel Nester set up at the Arts Center of the Capital Region as part of a public writing project called "The Memoir Office."
The result of that project -- The Memoir Office: The Writer is Present -- is out today as a Kindle "single" (it's 99 cents):
Inspired by performance artists who take their work to the public, Daniel Nester set up shop in an art gallery lobby in Troy, NY and started to write about himself. He brought a desk, chair, office lamp, and a plant. He called it The Memoir Office. The result, The Memoir Office: The Writer is Present, is a 12,000-word piece of first-person writing--part journal, part memoir, and part essay.
So, why release The Memoir Office as an e-reader single? Nester explained today on Google+:
It's too long for a single article, too short for a book, and not really viable as a book. The long form of it really suits the material, if that makes sense. Plus, I am getting into my Kindle a lot these days and buying and reading a lot of these singles things myself. Hat into ring and so forth.
A clip of a portion released this past July in Painted Bride Quarterly is after the jump. (Yes, like an excerpt of an excerpt.)
Grand opening for The Foundry in Cohoes
Way back -- like a whole 1.5 years ago -- The Foundry arts org in Cohoes was one of the first local orgs to apply for a Pepsi Refresh grant. And it won -- $50,000.
Well, this evening the Foundry has the grand opening of its converted bank building on Remsen Street, with tours and music from We are Jeneric. It starts at 4:30 and runs into the evening. (They would appreciate it if you could RSVP.)
From the Foundry's vision statement:
The Foundry is dedicated to connecting the arts and creative sectors to the business, civic, education and non-profit community of New York State's Capital Region. The Foundry strives to teach businesses, artists, institutions, and community developers how to use arts and culture in enriching and strengthening the physical, economic, and social revitalization of our region.
photo: The Foundry
The Nitty Gritty Poetry Slam
Slam contestants Shannon Shoemaker and Tammy Lopez, Slammaster Dain Brammage, contestant Algorhythm and co-MC Mojavi
Like a beacon in the poetry wasteland, the Nitty Gritty Poetry Slam has arrived. It's been years since Albany had an honest-to-goodness slam, but now they will happen twice a month at Valentine's, thanks to a collaboration between Albany Poets, Urban Guerrilla Theatre, and the Frequency North Reading Series. The city's first slam in 10 years took place on September 6th and there's another one planned for tomorrow (Tuesday).
We spoke to the elusive Dain Brammage, Slammaster of the Nitty Gritty, about the politics of slams, how to score a zero and the haiku face-off.
Wandering through Yaddo
On Sunday, for only the 5th time in its 111 year history, the mansion and private grounds at Yaddo were open to the public. About 1,400 people wandered the rooms where people such as Langston Hughes, Leonard Bernstein, Truman Capote, Eudora Welty, John Cheever and thousands of other artists gathered, ate, slept, held court and of course, created.
The house is gorgeous and filled with impressive antiques, but what we loved was being able to wander through a place where so many amazing and creative people have lived and worked. If there was ever a place we wished that walls could talk, this was it. We walked through the rooms imagining moments of inspiration, unguarded conversations and wondering what kinds of things might have happened in rooms full of so many creative people.
If you weren't one of the 1,400 who took the tour, here's the quick version...
Tickets for 69°S at EMPAC
Antarctica. And puppets.
Update: Drawing's closed. Winner has been emailed!
We have a pair of tickets to giveaway for what looks like an interesting performance at EMPAC this Friday and Saturday: 69°S. From the blurbage:
Inspired by Sir Ernest Shackleton's harrowing expedition to Antarctica in 1914, Phantom Limb unites puppetry, dance, film, history, and photography with contemporary music to create a stunning vision of the great arctic continent--past, present, and future. Dim light plays across a lunar terrain dotted with icebergs. Shackleton's crew, played by half-life-size puppets, struggles to survive in this vast landscape, putting into stark relief the power of endurance and camaraderie and the price of knowledge. With sound that combines the junkyard dog aesthetic of the band Skeleton Key playing live, a score recorded by the Kronos Quartet, and glacial field recordings, 69˚S. mines the inherently bittersweet and complex nature of the Shackleton experience and what the future may hold for this fragile environment.
To enter the drawing, please answer this question in the comments:
What place in the Capital Region would you like to explore?
It could be a place you've already been -- or someplace that you just haven't had to chance to get to (for whatever reason). We'll draw one winner at random from the comments.
The performance of 69˚S at EMPAC is a preview ahead of the work's premiere at Dartmouth later this year. The performances are at 8 pm both Friday and Saturday night. Tickets are $18.
Important: All comments must be submitted by 11:59 am on Tuesday (September 20, 2011) to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 5 pm on Tuesday and must respond by 10 am Wednesday (September 21, 2011).
photo: Sarah Walker
Looks from Discard Avant Garb 2011
Here's a great video piece from this past weekend's "Discard Avant Garb" show at the Grand Street Arts by Bryan Thomas. There were some really good (and crazy) looks this year.
[via Hidden City]
Discard Avant Garb 2011
This Saturday: the Discard Avant Garb Recycled Fashion show at the Grand Street Community Art Center.
There have been a bunch of these shows over the last decade or so -- both in this series and part of others. They're a lot of fun. They involve designers making outfits from objects and materials that would otherwise be thrown away (gives new meaning to a trashy look). Here are photos from the Discard Avant Garb's 2009 show.
The show this weekend includes designers Katie Pray, Amy Orr, and Mischel Nivens (as well as many others). It's a benefit for the Grand Street Arts, Albany Center Galleries, and the Chris Ryan Albany High School Art Scholarship.
Doors are at 6 pm. Tickets are $20.
Earlier on AOA:
+ From Trash to trashion
+ Anatomy of a trashion piece
+ Trashion 2010 photos
+ Project Larkway winner Joleen Button
The Burden Letter Project
Art meets history in The Burden Letter Project
In the hustle of day-to-day living, the historic buildings you pass along the way can become just part of the landscape, and the people who inhabited them, just names on street signs, monuments and parks.
Sometimes it takes an outsider to point out remarkable things about the history that surrounds us every day.
When video artist Lea Donnan came to Troy a few years ago for a residency with CAC Woodside she didn't plan to steep herself in the industrial history of the Collar City. But a few questions about the CAC building -- formerly a church commissioned by industrialist Henry Burden to memorialize his wife, Helen -- led to more questions. And those led to even more questions.
And all of those questions led to a wealth of long forgotten stories -- and a packet of steamy 19th century love letters.
Donnan has turned all of that into The Burden Letter Project, a video installation that examines the history of South Troy through love letters from a giant of industry to his wife.
NYS Writers Institute fall 2011
Perrotta, Kennedy, Whitehead and a whole bunch of others.
The fall lineup for the New York State Writers Institute's visiting writers series is out. And, as usual, it's jammed with events that look interesting.
A handful of the dates that caught our eye -- including William Kennedy reading from his new book, Sylvia Nasar, Dava Sobel, and Tom Perrotta -- after the jump.
The Living Walls project
The first completed Living Walls mural was done by Gaia and Nanook. It's on Livingston Avenue between Broadway and North Pearl
Cities are living, breathing creatures. Like other living things, they thrive on positive reinforcement, growth and creativity. And sometimes they exhale the slow reek of decay. Samson Contompasis, owner and curator of the Marketplace Gallery, looks around Albany and sees beauty and possibilities everywhere. He wants to take decaying or barren vistas and make new life out of them, turning them into awe-inspiring pieces of art. So he's launched Living Walls, a public art project aimed at making Albany a bit more alive with art.
He's brought together a slew of mural artists, some local and some nationally regarded, to help create works of art around the city. The public art project will be accompanied by a lecture and workshop series that will run September 16 and 17.
You may have already seen the first completed wall, which is at 74 Livingston Avenue between Broadway and North Pearl Street. That one was done by the artistic team of Gaia and Nanook, who came up with the concept for the piece after touring Albany.
Samson loves to talk about the power of art, legal or illegal, massive or fleeting...
Michael Bierut at St. Rose
Noted designer Michael Bierut will be giving a talk at St. Rose September 30. Opening a few days before that at the school's Esther Massry Gallery: "Michael Bierut 30 Years 90 Notebooks." From the blurbage:
In this exhibition of work stretching over three decades, Bierut has recorded his work and thoughts in a series of identical notebooks dating back to 1982. Today there are more than 90 such notebooks. The exhibit presents a selection of completed pieces that are juxtaposed with an assortment of Bierut's notebooks. Viewers can make connections between original, very rough sketches and finished work and gain insight into the design process as a result.
Bierut is a partner at the famed design firm Pentagram. He's worked with a long list of well-known clients (example: The Atlantic redesign, the New York Times building sign, the Saks shopping bag.). He co-founded Design Observer. And In 2006 he received the AIGA Medal, the highest award in the design field.
Embedded after the jump is video of Bierut talking about his notebooks.
photo: Christian Witkin
Inside St. Joseph's Academy
A classroom, in a former life.
A few weeks ago we talked with Jeff Mirel from the Albany Barn about the plan to turn the old St. Joseph's Academy in Albany into a live/work arts facility.
Recently, Sebastien, Paul and Darren were invited to photograph the inside of the building. Sebastien's put together a good post about the photo trip. And Darren's photos are on Flickr. (The trio also recently had a show at the Albany Barn's Stage 1 space.)
Sebastien's post also includes a shoutout to Carl and Akum about the history of the building.
photo: Sebastien Barre
Is there a happy ending to the story for the Book House and other indie book stores?
If Borders can't make it, can the indies?
When is the last time you bought a book at a bookstore?
Not a virtual bookstore -- an actual, brick and mortar, physical space where you browse and read and walk around and maybe even talk with clerks or other readers bookstore? A place like Market Block, or The Book House --- or heck, even Barnes & Noble.
With Borders shutting down, the ubiquity of Amazon and the rise of the e-reader, we've been curious about -- OK, baffled by-- how independent bookstores manage to keep going.
Susan Novotny, owner of The Book House in Stuyvesant Plaza and Market Block Books in Troy gets asked about this all the time.
And some of her answers kind of surprised us.
C. Ryder Cooley breathes the life of art into extinction
C. Ryder Cooley and Lady Moon invoke their animal selves
Artist C. Ryder Cooley doesn't talk about her work in terms of how she created a set or a character. To hear her tell it, the characters and sets come to her in dreams and visions, and it's up to her to take those bits of information forward and backward, simultaneously developing them into workable ideas and sussing out their origins.
Through her work with animal themes, she focuses on concepts such as the connection between humans and animals, the destruction of animal habitat and extinction. On the surface, her performances incorporate music, aerial acrobatics, taxidermy and costume to create a kind of fairytale atmosphere. But behind that is a desire to evoke emotion about the current state of chaos and change affecting the world's animal populations.
She spent the past several years in living in Troy, where she worked on her Master of Fine Arts degree at RPI and developed the stage show Animalia as her master's thesis. And after performing it at Proctors in 2009, she set it aside.
But like the deer/human hybrid woman who died at the end of the show, Animalia never really went away. It was just reincarnated into its next life. Last year, when Cooley moved to Hudson, her followup piece, XMALIA, rife with themes of death, came alive. The work picks up where Animalia left off, exploring a fantastical world where the extinct species such as the Tasmanian tiger, the Pyrenean ibex and the Xerces butterfly conspire with the recently deceased half-deer half-human woman (played by Cooley, of course). XMALIA's Songs of Extinction feature Cooley on her ukulele and saw, singing gentle songs to taxidermied approximation of these mythic beasts.
If this all sounds pretty outlandish, it's because it is. It's also wildly engaging and moving. And that's what Cooley is going for. She wants to get humans thinking about what's we're doing to our planet and the other species with which we co-exist. But at the same time, the show doesn't jam politics down the audience's throat and relies more on the atmosphere to make the statement. We talked to her about the politics of extinction, taxidermied animals and her dodo bird trapeze act.
EMPAC fall 2011
EMPAC's fall 2011 schedule is out today. And, as usual, it's full of performances that look interesting, different, challenging or just kind of odd.
Here are a few events from the slate that caught our eye...
Front Parlor: story night at The Ale House
Front Parlor founder Abby Lublin, with partner Tolu Fashoro and storyteller Chris Bassett.
They say everybody has a story. And Abby Lublin wants to hear them all.
Abby is the founder of the monthly Front Parlor storytelling series in Troy.
We've been meaning to make it over for a few months, and last night we were part of the standing-room-only crowd at The Ale House.
... said Jenna about The quintessential Capital Region food?