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(09/23/09 5:25am)
The Board of Trustees begins its September meetings today in the Carolina Inn. Five new members, who have been appointed by either the UNC Board of Governors or Gov. Bev Perdue, will be attending their second set of meetings.Today’s schedule includes a sessions of the University advancement committee, which traditionally only convenes once a year to discuss University relations and fundraising strategies. Other meetings are scheduled to include updates on the University budget, Carolina North and an annual report on undergraduate admissions, scholarships and student aid.The change in five Board positions in July was one of the largest turnovers in the board’s history. The new members are:
(09/16/09 1:33am)
Taking your work from the studio or the stage to the rest of the world can be daunting. But by making moves now, students will have a leg-up after graduation.Laura Ritchie, a senior studio art major with an emphasis in art history, was having just such a thought last year.“It got to be my junior year and I realized I wasn’t really involved in the arts at all,” she said.So she went to the Ackland Art Museum and the Carrboro ArtsCenter and asked if they needed volunteers.“With the ArtsCenter, I started as a volunteer and gradually took on more responsibilities,” Ritchie said.This summer she took on some of the gallery coordinator responsibilities and was offered the position this fall.These opportunities are available, but students need to make moves to establish them now.Emily Strader, the arts and part-time job specialist at University Career Services, said the important task is building a resume by getting experience now.Students should participate in as many performances or exhibits as possible, she said.Internships are another option, as experience in the field adds to a student’s skill set.Artists do not always know how to promote their work and real-world experience can teach this, said Robert Kintz, student services official for the department of art.“School is the time and place for developing technique and for understanding how to make your ideas come alive in your art,” Kintz stated in an e-mail.“But great ideas and wonderful technique are less valuable if you do not know what to do with them after graduation.”Laura Lane, UCS assistant director, echoed a similar sentiment.“All students try to get good grades, but it’s really these complementary experiences that are going to shape the resume,” she said.Many internships are unpaid and in a distant city, requiring students to pay for housing and food.Strader said students might need to work part-time jobs during the year to financially handle an unpaid internship.Finding a way to think outside the box and make cross-industry connections is important, she said.“Every industry right now during these tough economic times is looking for ways to be creative,” she said. “With the arts, we’re used to being creative, so this won’t be anything new for artists.”
(09/11/09 3:45am)
Twenty-three of Carrboro and Chapel Hill’s most renowned venues will be displaying artwork tonight as part of the towns’ monthly celebration.The 2ndFriday Artwalk takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. across the two towns, from Southern Village to downtown Carrboro.Admission is free, and there will be wine and music at some locations. Everyone from art lovers to novices is encouraged to participate.Unlike a traditional art gallery, where regulations make patrons feel obligated to whisper their thoughts on pieces, the Artwalk combines socializing with analysis of the works, which range from still photographs to oil paintings. Large venues like the Ackland Art Museum will host displays alongside lesser-known art houses like Studio Supply and Fleet Feet Gallery.Many of the smaller venues have limited hours during the week, which keep some people from attending otherwise.Far from one-dimensional, the 2ndFriday Artwalk features everything from the most controversial and taboo pieces, such as those at The Merch on Lloyd Street in Carrboro, to paintings of North Carolina landscapes.“We try to make our place as abnormal as possible,” said Chip Hoppin, owner of The Merch.His gallery will host a Latin theme night, displaying Mexican wrestling masks while serving food out of a taco truck.Tyndall Galleries in University Mall will host a major showing of artists they represent, including several UNC alumni, said Jane Tyndall, an Artwalk veteran and UNC graduate.There also will be the opportunity to experience artistic expression from artists who reside in North Carolina, as well as sculptors who have never set foot on American soil.Garry Meldrum, co-founder of the Artwalk and owner of the Turning Point Gallery, will display Chinese paper sculptures at his University Mall location.Other venues provide a glimpse at local artistry, such as the N.C. Crafts Gallery, which features handcrafted artifacts. Some of its exhibits include pottery, glasswork and folk art.The gallery will showcase two North Carolinians, artists Sarah Faulkner and Jim Whalen.Faulkner will be meeting and discussing her work with those who visit the gallery during the walk.“She’s not folk, but it has a dreamy-like effect to it,” said Monica Hedgecock, a representative from the N.C. Crafts Gallery, about Faulkner.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(09/09/09 3:57am)
Like Cher, Bono or Madonna, the Hanes Art Center visiting lecturer goes by only one name — Aldwyth. And she has just as much personality as they do.The 73-year-old South Carolinian artist’s work is on display now through Sunday at the Ackland Art Museum.“Aldwyth has archived reproductions of old works, and she collages them into a fresh personal language,” said Cary Levine, a contemporary art history professor who introduced the lecture.Her work ranges from small boxes depicting each letter of the alphabet to giant collages composed of encyclopedia illustrations arranged like the pattern of a quilt.She spoke Tuesday night to a packed house with people spilling into the aisles of Hanes Art Center auditorium.During her lecture, she covered the major events of her work’s history since 1953. Through colorful language and anecdotes, the artist’s strong personality came through.And that personality was prominent during her conversation with Levine and the audience after her prepared speech.“I bet someone wants to know the deal with the 123 eye balls, so who’s going to ask it? Who’s the asshole?” Aldwyth said of one of her large collage pieces, “Casablanca (classic version).”At the end of the speech, Levine asked questions about her inspiration and motivation, such as if she was trying to make feminist art through her pieces.“I never thought about that, except when I looked at my art history books. I don’t consider myself a feminist,” Aldwyth said. “It would be nice to have a wife.”Aldwyth did not give elaborate answers, but some said it helped viewers retain their personal interpretations of the works.“I could see why she wouldn’t want to explain something fully, just to leave it to your own imagination,” said Kelsey Zyvoloski, a recent UNC graduate. “It really helped me understand more of what she’s doing in her pieces and her thought process.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(09/08/09 5:19am)
Now that University Square and Granville Towers are owned by the UNC-Chapel Hill Foundation, plans are in motion to mostly demolish and rebuild the site.The plans for the 12 acres include triple the retail space, a multi-level parking deck with 300 more spots and more than 200,000 square feet of office space.This week, one of six architect finalists will be selected to carry out the vision, said Gordon Merklein, executive director for real estate at the University.“It’s UNC, it’s the town, it’s the community,” Merklein said. “Everyone will feel this.”The University didn’t know exactly what it would do with the property when they announced the $45.75 million purchase in June 2008.But now large poster boards lean against the walls of Merklein’s office, each with a color-coded draft map of potential plans architects submitted for consideration. Planners are referring to it as 123 Franklin Street.Some architects keep Granville Towers student housing intact while others tear it down and add some market-value housing and grass. They are only ideas. But all put a spin on the University’s vision for the space: a site that will better connect with campus and with the rest of Franklin Street.The University is looking for plans that bring businesses to the sidewalk to increase customer traffic, Merklein said. There are 30,000 square feet of retail space now, but that number will increase to 90,000 or 100,000, he said.The University will also try to convince current businesses, like the Time Out Restaurant, to stay.Demand for parking spots downtown will increase as Lot 5, across from University Square, converts into a mixed-use development. So 123 Franklin Street will eventually be a central parking destination, Merklein said.Passage to the University will be improved, too, so Granville residents don’t have to walk by a Fraternity Court dumpster.Other components include a grocery store, some green space and a civic component like a movie theater or a museum.The Ackland Art Museum has expressed interest in moving there, business director Suzanne Rucker said.Plans will be tweaked after public info sessions this fall, and a final concept plan should be ready in the spring, Merklein said.The University still hasn’t figured out how it will move more than 1,300 students to alternative housing if Granville Towers closes for construction. “It‘s all kind of a coordinated dance,” housing director Larry Hicks said. “We need to take into consideration what’s going on there, they need to take into consideration what’s going on here.”Hicks isn’t sure what kind of person it will house — underclassmen, graduates, post-doctorate students or faculty.It could be 2014 before anything moves.“It has got to be economically feasible,” Merklein said.And it won’t happen all at once.“You’re going to see a deck go up, then a building,” Merklein said. “This is not a start all at once, finish all at once project.” Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(08/31/09 5:07am)
The Ackland Art Museum has turned its front gallery into a celebration of Cuban cinema from the 1960s and 1970s.Sixteen colorful posters line the walls, displaying cinema artistry, and the films they advertise are just as diverse and entertaining.“Almost Now: Cuban Art, Cinema and Politics in the 1960s and 1970s,” will run through Dec. 6.In late September, the Ackland plans to screen films in the gallery, but the schedules and films have not yet been determined. Here is a look at some of the interesting films from the gallery.Memorias del SubdesarrolloTranslated as “Memories of Underdevelopment,” this 1968 film presents a skeptical view of the Cuban Revolution, said David Craven, who donated the collection to the Ackland.The film follows a handsome former member of the elite, a Latin version of Cary Grant, who does not understand why common people get a voice, he said.“He’s trying to figure out what to do because he can’t figure out what side he’s on,” Craven said.This film is different from traditional Hollywood films because it poses a question it does not answer in the course of the movie, he said.“It ends with the film presenting the audience with an issue that’s still not resolved,” he said. “In other words, there aren’t happy endings in Cuban film.”La Última CenaThe 1977 film, which means “The Last Supper,” is partially based on events in 18th-century Cuba.“A plantation owner decided to re-enact the Last Supper with himself in the role of Jesus and 12 slaves in the roles of the disciples,” said Carolyn Allmendinger, curator of the exhibit. “It’s a film that endeavours to highlight racial issues and issues of slavery.”La Muerte de un BurócrataA dark comedy set in contemporary Cuba, the film, which translates as “Death of a Bureaucrat,” follows the troubles a family experiences when their father is accidentally buried with his identity card.“It’s a humorous take on bureaucratic society,” Allmendinger said.Lucia“Lucia” tells the story of three women named Lucia from different times and social classes in Cuba from the early 1800s to the 1960s, Allmendinger said.Craven said the film is significant for its time because it’s one of the first great feminist films in history.Por Primera VezFilmed in 1968, “Por Primera Vez,” which translates as “For the First Time,” is a film about film.“It shows the experience of a group of people in a remote town in Cuba watching Charlie Chaplin’s film ‘Modern Times’ for the first time,” Allmendinger said.She said the 10-minute film was an interesting contrast of the urban industrialized world of the film with the rural viewers’ world.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(08/28/09 3:55am)
Cuban cinema has never been so colorful. Sixteen posters ranging from stark black-and-white images to fields of psychedelic flowers announce movies in every genre including newsreels, dramas and comedies.
(08/23/09 9:12pm)
A lifetime of collages and famous Asian art fills the halls of the Ackland Art Museum, covering the stark museum walls with familiar-feeling paper quilts and intricate tapestries.
(07/23/09 4:00am)
UNC has implemented a new campuswide energy policy but it could be months before the energy plan affects the campus community.The general goal for the plan is to reduce energy use by lowering energy output in buildings on campus especially during off-hours.The plan is being executed carefully by taking specific measures like reducing air conditioning overnight in a few buildings at a time.UNC Director of Energy Management Chris Martin said special leniency is being given to laboratories" museums and libraries.""We don't want to relax temperature constraints in the library where historical documents could be damaged by increased humidity"" he said.Martin said his department has been careful to coordinate with Ackland Art Museum, where artwork could be altered by climate change, and Berryhill Hall, where animals are kept.He said the energy plan is comprehensive and relies heavily on University employees and the campus community to contribute to lower energy use.Turning the lights out may be an inconvenience" but there's a balance to be struck" said Martin. We're trying very hard to find that balance between inconvenience and energy conservation.""Martin confirmed that the energy policy was initiated exclusively within the University and said the new cost-cutting directives assigned by financial consulting firm Bain & Company did not influence or suggest any specific techniques related to the new policy.Martin said there is no way to calculate the savings the plan will provide to the University.UNC Sustainability Office Director Cindy Shea said the new energy plan was actually drafted in the fall"" but budget cutbacks may have contributed to the current initiative.""The need to save money is more compelling today than it was in the fall"" she said.Shea added that the Sustainability Office is working to inspire the full support of the campus, including administrative offices, faculty and students to make small changes that would add up to big energy savings.We want lights off in offices"" we want people to dress appropriately and we want everyone to chip in in this effort.""Shea said the new energy policy will help the University keep its national pledge to climate neutrality by 2050.""Reducing energy consumption is desirable from many aspects.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(07/09/09 4:00am)
Twenty-four venues throughout Chapel Hill and Carrboro will open their doors Friday night welcoming pedestrians to this month's 2ndFriday ArtWalk.Since its inception nine years ago the event has featured anywhere from 12 to 27 venues in a given month attracting hundreds to the area.In 2004 the 2ndFriday ArtWalk board registered the title as a trademark in hopes of attracting more national recognition.Board member Garry Meldrum said the event acts to promote the community" the venues and the artists involved.""The idea is to get people familiar with particular artists or a type of art"" Meldrum said.The ArtWalk not only features artwork in galleries, but it also includes art displays in law firms and coffee shops.Even Carrboro Town Hall has an exhibit. This month, photographer Dave Otto will present his work exploring the Carrboro greenway system.Nonprofit organizations are able to promote a special event on the ArtWalk's Web site at no charge. These organizations, called special venues"" provide specific community-oriented connections.This month's special venue is the Cybrary, located in the lower level of the Century Center.The theme for the Cybrary's summer book club is Be Creative" so the venue will be displaying artwork created by patrons.It's all about getting people to recognize art around them" said ArtWalk board member Jackie Helvey, owner of UniqueOrn Enterprises.The event also features demonstrations, such as when an artist brought her wheel just outside the gallery and threw pottery. Meldrum said the demonstration sparked interest and inspired visitors to ask more meaningful questions than if they were just looking at the pots themselves.A venue must pay $100 to be listed on the Web site for a year. And if artists want to show somewhere, they must contact the venue directly.The Ackland Art Museum participates through their Art After Dark program, complete with a live musician and a cash bar.This month, the Ackland will feature a talk from mixed-media artist Kaola Phoenix and a performance by synthesizer composer Andrew Robbins-Pollack.University Mall has three galleries featured in 2ndFriday ArtWalk, each with its own wine tasting and hors dourves. Each month, a strolling musician performs in the mall. This month will feature a guitarist.It has turned that second Friday around in Carrboro" Helvey said. It's nice that it not only happened" but it continues to happen and it has become sort of a destination.""Contact the Arts Editor at arts.dth@gmail.com.
(06/17/09 4:00am)
The language barrier dissolved Saturday evening between the Russian-speaking Bolshoi Ballet and its English-speaking audience in Memorial Hall.The company moved to Tchaikovsky's music played by the N.C. Symphony under the baton of Bolshoi orchestral conductor Pavel Sorokin" manifesting expressions that words could not.""There should be a list of human wonders of the world" and this would be at the top of the list" Chapel Hill resident Mary Phillips said. It was marvelous.""Intricate costuming" lighting and scenery completed the show's mystical effect transporting the audience back to the late 19th century" when the Bolshoi debuted ""Swan Lake.""It was evident that the work had been created for this company. Each dancer lived their roles as though the music ran through their veins.One of the most memorable moments was the scene of 24 swan maidens on the lake"" each of them channelling her movements precisely into the larger form.""It's almost as if it is one heartbeat" one animal said Lee Anne McClymont of Hillsborough. They just smile and they reach" and they're not mechanical.""Gov. Bev Perdue" who joined the audience for Saturday's performance" expressed her enthusiasm for the Bolshoi's performance.""Who would have thought that we in North Carolina would have the Bolshoi?"" she said.""It's just breathtaking for a state. People from all over the country and all over the world are here tonight.""Jess Isaiah Levin" a violinist for the N.C. Symphony since 1974" said this was the first time the symphony had ever done the complete ballet performance of ""Swan Lake.""""It's been a wonderful experience" he said. It's frustrating of course not to be able to see any of it. I love the ballet and I wish I could be out there" especially with a magnificent company like the Bolshoi. But it's a lot of fun.""Hannah Davis"13 an aspiring dancer from Chapel Hill said one of her favorite parts was watching Ekaterina Shipulina" the lead ballerina.""As soon as she comes onstage" your eyes go straight to her" she said. It's like you don't see anything else.""Though the show is called ""Swan Lake" former New York Times dance critic Anna Kisselgoff warned against misinterpretations at a lecture at the Ackland Art Museum on Friday.Please please don't think that Siegfried the hapless prince falls in love with a bird. I can't imagine that she said to an uproar of laughter.As a woman" she goes into swanlike arabesques. But she is a woman.""It was difficult" however to think of Shipulina as anything but a swan. Her elegance and fluidity mirrored that of the graceful bird as she floated and fluttered across the stage in the most natural way.In ballet especially with companies as talented and precise as the Bolshoi it is easy to get caught up in the footwork of the dancers. But the characters' expression is often in their eyes as much as it is in their feet.For instance Shipulina transforms herself from the beautiful swan princess Odette into the dark maiden Odile by narrowing her eyes and curling the corners of her lips.Emil Kang UNC's executive director for the arts" credited the week's success with the cooperation of his staff and the University.""If any one thing doesn't work" it just falls apart he said. It's very much analogous to the dancers" the orchestra and the conductor.""Contact the Arts Editor at arts.dth@gmail.com.
(06/14/09 4:00am)
The language barrier dissolved Saturday evening in Memorial Hall between the Russian-speaking Bolshoi Ballet dancers and the English-speaking audience members.The company's movements to the N.C. Symphony's interpretation of Tchaikovsky's music under the baton of Bolshoi orchestral conductor Pavel Sorokin" could manifest expressions that words could not.""There should be a list of human wonders of the world" and this would be at top of the list" Chapel Hill resident Mary Phillips said. It was marvelous.""Intricate costuming" lighting and scenery completed the ballet's mystical effect transporting the audience back to the late 19th century when the ballet was first choreographed for the Bolshoi.And it was clear that the work had been created especially for this company. Each dancer lived their roles as though the music and the movement ran through their veins.One of the most memorable moments and the most famous was the scene of 24 swan maidens on the lake" in which each dancer seemed to channel her movements precisely into the larger form.""It's almost as if it is one heart beat" one animal" said Lee Anne McClymont, of Hillsborough. They just smile" and they reach" and they're not mechanical.""Gov. Bev Perdue" who joined the audience for Saturday's performance" expressed her excitement for the Bolshoi's performance.""Who would have thought that we in North Carolina would have the Bolshoi?"" she said.""It's just breath-taking for a state. People from all over the country and all over the world are here tonight.""Sylvia Jolles" originally from London and now a new resident of Raleigh has been following the Bolshoi since she was a child. She said she especially enjoys their athleticism beauty" miming and humor.""I also think the whole thing is good for American relations with Russia" and the way to do it is through culture" she said.Jess Isaiah Levin, who has been playing violin for the N.C. Symphony since 1974, said this was the first time the symphony had ever done the complete ballet performance of Swan Lake.It's been a wonderful experience" he said. It's frustrating of course not to be able to see any of it. I love the ballet and I wish I could be out there" especially with a magnificent company like the Bolshoi. But it's a lot of fun.""N.C. Symphony General Manager Scott Freck said accompanying the Bolshoi was a unique undertaking for the Symphony"" which has rehearsed the music for just a week amid other performances.""I don't think we've ever done anything quite like this before"" he said. It's been a total honor for the orchestra to play in the pit for what is really the world's foremost ballet company. There's really nothing like it.""Hannah Davis" a 13-year-old aspiring dancer from Chapel Hill said one of her favorite parts was watching Ekaterina Shipulina" who played the lead roles of Odette and Odile.""As soon as she comes onstage" your eyes go straight to her" she said. It's like you don't see anything else.""Though the show is called ""Swan Lake" former New York Times dance critic Anna Kisselgoff warned against misinterpretations at a lecture at the Ackland Art Museum's Art After Dark on Friday.Please please don't think that Siegfried the hapless prince falls in love with a bird. I can't imagine that she said to an uproar of laughter.As a woman" she goes into swanlike arabesques. But she is a woman.""It was difficult" however to think of Shipulina as anything but a swan. Her elegance and fluidity mirrored that of the graceful bird as she floated and fluttered across the stage in the most natural way.In ballet especially with companies as talented and precise as the Bolshoi it is easy to get caught up in the footwork of the dancers. But the expression of the characters is often in their eyes as much as it is in their feet.For instance Shipulina transforms herself from the beautiful swan princess Odette into the dark maiden Odile by narrowing her eyes and curling the corners of her mouth.The adaptation that the Bolshoi are performing in Chapel Hill is at least the fifth version of choreography. It was choreographed in 2001 by Yuri Grigorovich though the minor intricacies of movement continue to evolve even today.Emil Kang UNC's executive director for the arts" credited the week's success with the cooperation of Carolina Performing Arts staff and the University.""If any one thing doesn't work" it just falls apart he said. It's very much analogous to the dancers" the orchestra and the conductor.""Hollins University President Nancy Gray" who came from Virginia specifically for the event" said she was impressed.""As a university president"" I want you to know that I don't know how UNC could have done this any better than you all have.""Contact the Arts Editor at arts.dth@gmail.com.
(05/20/09 4:00am)
Yellowed scrolls drape across the gallery walls and seemingly archaic wooden figures" sculptures and ceramic pots surround the main art gallery of Ackland Art Museum. An array of bright blue yoga mats and fitness enthusiasts filled the room. ""Yoga in the Galleries is one of our most popular programs"" said Nic Brown, director of communications for the Ackland. It's a great way for the museum to reach out to the Chapel Hill community.""Three years ago" Joanne Marshall a professor at the School of Information and Library Science" heard of an art gallery in Honolulu that held yoga classes. Marshall contacted the Ackland about teaching a class herself in their gallery. ""Yoga is an art that is dedicated to creating a union between the mind" body and soul" Marshall said. I find there is no better place to practice such an art than within an art gallery itself.""Marshall said she teaches in the gallery without payment as a way of giving back to the community. ""The program brings a rich blend of students" faculty and professionals into the museum and exploring art" said Brown.After her class, Marshall encourages her participants to thoroughly investigate the gallery and find a specific piece of artwork to focus their heightened sensory perception on. Yoga in the Galleries"" is one of several public events offered by the art museum during the year.The goal of these special event programs is to encourage the community to see art through a different perspective.""The space allows you to connect with yourself and the art around you"" said Sally Schornstheimer, a class regular. It's good for your soul.""The Ackland is currently hosting the Asian art exhibition ""Sage in the Bamboo Grove: The Legacy of Sherman E. Lee."" The gallery's main feature is a massive Buddha statue. ""The art coincides perfectly with the class"" said Schornstheimer.Marshall also teaches a mindful"" yoga class at the Rams Head Recreation Center on campus but prefers the gallery's peacefulness.""The serene ambiance of the gallery is a huge contrast to that of a gym or even a yoga studio"" said Susan Shiffean, a frequent participant. Marshall began practicing yoga to become more physically fit, but she discovered the spiritual and artistic side of yoga in the process. Her classes incorporate slow deliberate postures and movements with meditation.Yoga is all about inner awareness and finding peace within yourself"" said Marshall. I feel I've been given the opportunity to share what is for me a rare and captivating experience.""Contact the Arts Editor at arts.dth@gmail.com.
(04/20/09 4:00am)
After two years of hard work and artistic motivation seven students graduating with their Master of Fine Arts shared their visions with the public Saturday as their creations were displayed in the Ackland Art Museum.The exhibit" titled ""New Currents in Contemporary Art" is on display until May 10. There was also a reception Saturday where the artists gathered with friends and viewers to honor their efforts and achievements.It's a really great exhibition because it's the only time of the year the Ackland displays student art and it is very cool to see that partnership going on" said Elsa Hasenzahl, a senior and president of Student Friends of the Ackland, who put on the reception. The works of each master's student were collected into groups that flowed seamlessly through about one-third of the museum.The artists used a variety of media. Angela Grisales used felt to create an exquisite, plant-like structure called Coppice."" Dave Sinkiewicz's ""Watchtower"" piece was located on the museum lawn" where he recreated the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski's cabin inside an actual truck cab.Inside John Hill's sketches required 3-D glasses and Nestor Armando Gil's oversized scroll stretched from the ceiling to the floor.Sinkiewicz and Gil also displayed their collaborative project" an unconventional work called the ""Homeland Theatre."" Curious observers gathered around the enclosed box draped in velvet" and after walking in one-by-one" viewed images and answered questions relating to guilt.""It's a common experience"" Sinkiewicz said of guilt. It's one of those things where we're not always sure if it is an accident."" Gil agreed"" saying that their project helps to show how guilt is used to manipulate public opinion and behavior.Artists took up to a year to prepare their collections as their portfolios developed over the course of the two-year program.""I started and thought I was done" but then I switched back and wanted to finish this project" said Edie Shimel of her black-and-white photographs.Gretchen Huffman said the centerpiece of her display, a huge panoramic forest scene, took two months of nonstop carving"" to create.Each piece in her collection was intricately linked. She described her collection as ""choose your own adventure"" because details from her separate, smaller pictures were all incorporated into her carved focus piece. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(04/17/09 4:00am)
Off-campus Congress reps. to meet with constituentsNewly-elected Student Congress representatives from off-campus District 6 have planned two meetings to meet their constituents and solicit ideas for next year.The meetings will be held at 4 p.m. today at Weaver Street Market and at 6 p.m. Monday in the student government suite.District 6 which represents off-campus undergraduates not living in Granville Towers or Greek housing is the largest Congress district.Congress members said students who cannot attend either meeting are encouraged to e-mail their representatives instead with their comments and concerns.Seniors to hold decathlon demonstrate acquired skills The senior class will hold a decathlon event April 19 where groups of four individuals will be able to compete against each other in ten events that will test the skills they learned outside the classroom as students at Carolina. The competition could require participants to demonstrate skills such as UNC history" ""cafeteria skills""" navigating campus and social mingling skills among others. The decathlon will kick off at 1:30 p.m. in the Pit and teams should register online by sending an e-mail to Philip Nanney at pnanney@email.unc.edu.Reception at Ackland to highlight senior artworkThe Ackland will hold a reception at 6 p.m. today to celebrate the work of seven senior artists graduating with a Masters in Fine Arts.The reception will honor the work of Dave Sinkiewicz Nestor Armando Gil Gretchen Huffman John Hill Jr. Erin Paroubek Angela Grisales and Edie Shimel.The exhibit displaying the student work will run through May 10
(03/04/09 5:00am)
A new exhibit and today's Lunch with One event will mark the end of one era of Asian art and the beginning of another at the Ackland Art Museum.The exhibit, Sage in the Bamboo Grove: The Legacy of Sherman E. Lee" will run until Sept. 20. It chronicles the influence of a renowned art scholar who spent his last decades in Chapel Hill and passed away last year.Professor Wei-Cheng Lin currently teaches a class on Chinese art and culture and will be speaking at today's Lunch with One. He will speak for an hour about one of the exhibit's pieces. He said he is excited for the exhibit commemorating Lee's influence.Sherman is one of the most important Asian art historians of his time" Lin said.Lee received a doctorate degree from Case Western Reserve University and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve in the 1940s. His unit protected art in Japan following World War II, and Lee advised Gen. Douglas MacArthur on a mission to inventory Japanese art. Lee would eventually become the long-time director of the Cleveland Museum of Art and write A History of Far Eastern Art"" a text still considered the authority on the subject.Since the 1970s, Ackland directors have sought Lee's advice in building the museum's Asian collection, which contributed to the Ackland's acquisition of hundreds of pieces.Lee also donated Asian works from his own collection.We struck gold in building this friendship with Sherman Lee"" said Nic Brown, the director of communications for the Ackland.In 1983 Lee came to Chapel Hill and taught at UNC and Duke University.When he came to this area" Asian art in the South changed" Lin said.The exhibit is housed in four galleries, three downstairs and one upstairs.This exhibit gives us a great excuse to open up the vaults and bring out all the star pieces"" Brown said. The size and the scope of the exhibition is ambitious for a museum of our size.""The exhibit includes works from a variety of Eastern cultures. Downstairs" one can see bronze mirrors from several Chinese dynasties hanging near Indian Buddhist carvings.Upstairs" an entire gallery is dedicated to Japanese screen painting. Both Brown and Lin referred to the screens as the exhibit's ""treasures."" Lin described how the gold leaf on the screens would have added ""luxury and light to the dark interiors of palace and temples.""Ackland's dimly lit upstairs gallery makes it easy to imagine the art in its original setting.The event will be held downstairs in the Ackland at 1 p.m. It is free to students who bring their One Cards. Attendees are encouraged to bring lunch and relax.Alexandra Fulton" a junior art major" said she's excited about the exhibit and Lunch with One. ""It can somewhat give the viewer a new perspective on their world.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(03/02/09 5:00am)
The old Schoolkids Records location on Franklin Street might host a new business soon.If negotiations go smoothly the building could become home to a store for the Ackland Art Museum.Nic Brown director of communications for the museum said the museum has been in negotiations for months to add a storefront on Franklin which would sell merchandise connected with museum exhibits.UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp talked about the negotiations in a meeting Thursday with the Chapel Hill Friends of Downtown.But Brown said nothing is finalized.Schoolkids Records an independent record store closed in March of last year after more than 30 years of business on Franklin Street.Since then the storefront has remained empty. The University owns the lease on the property. The Ackland Art Museum originally considered placing the store in the Columbia Street museum" but Brown said they were drawn to the Franklin Street area because of its location.""We have the rare benefit of having a lot of foot traffic"" Brown said.If finalized, the store would sell merchandise related to museum exhibits and events. For example, Curator Timothy Riggs collaborated on a book to complement the current Ackland exhibit, At the Heart of Progress: Coal"" Iron and Steam since 1750."" But there is little space in the museum to share these supplementary materials with the public"" Brown said.""Right now we don't have a great way to sell the book"" Brown said.Brown said the exhibit would benefit from a store on Franklin because the book and related merchandise could be sold there.Chloe Greene, co-owner of neighboring art gallery Toots & Magoo, said she and other businesses owners were excited about the prospect of more cultural venues.She said Franklin Street's primary atmosphere shifted from one of a main street"" of smaller boutiques to a mall of larger chains during the past twenty years.""A lot of locals that I talk to say that they don't come downtown anymore because there's nothing there for them anymore"" she said.But she said that public interest in smaller businesses was increasing, and that she hoped the storefront would revitalize the downtown area.You can never have enough art on Franklin Street.""Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(02/04/09 5:00am)
On a recent visit to the Ackland Art Museum to see the new exhibit"" ""Cultural Politics and Contemporary Art" I was immediately called out as a museum novice by the security guard. You've obviously never been here before" he stated bluntly, eyeing the pen in my hand. No pens in the galleries.""While I'm actually a pretty regular patron of the Ackland" the new student-curated exhibit integrated a mix of abstract and traditional art that proved to be a very eye-opening experience. The exhibit was put together by graduate and undergraduate students in an art class on contemporary art and politics led by professor Cary Levine.As I entered the gallery my senses were assaulted by the menagerie of mediums and genres a bright and noisy mixture that spanned many periods of American history culture and art. Most notably one corner of the space contained an orb onto which an eye was projected its pupil dilating as different TV clips resonated in the background. It's a display that throws the conventional stuffy museums of the elementary-school-field-trip brand right out.While the entire exhibit was multifaceted and thought-provoking" certain pieces were especially memorable. Andy Warhol's unexpectedly somber photo ""Birmingham Race Riot"" evoked the tension and discomfort that challenges the viewer to face such a dark period in history. Mabel Dwight's cartoonish ""Life Like"" examined gender through a sketch of a nude woman posing for a room full of gaping men.As I shuffled from tapestry to painting"" the photographs of Robert Frank proved most captivating. In ""Charleston" South Carolina the wide-eyed and weary (respectively) faces of a white baby and its black caretaker juxtaposes the discrepancies in privilege that were once an integral part of the South. Frank's Rodeo" New York City"" artfully — no pun intended — depicts the relaxed figure of a cowboy on the sidewalk of a New York City street"" an unexpected and thought-provoking subject that expands the scope of the exhibit's commentary.The student curators of ""Cultural Politics and Contemporary Art"" compiled an exhibit that struck the right balance of realism and abstraction" accessibility and complexity.And as I left the gallery I realized that the cultural politics addressed in the exhibit extended far beyond the confines of a small" crowded room inside the Ackland.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(01/12/09 5:00am)
Joanne Marshall didn't exercise often 12 years ago. But as she watched her mother become ill and less mobile each day" she realized she had to make a life change.Yoga was the change she needed. The School of Information and Library Science professor has been teaching yoga at UNC since 2001.She will be leading a class at noon today in the Ackland Art Museum as part of the semimonthly ""Yoga in the Galleries"" event.""We're the only museum to offer Yoga in the Galleries"" said Nic Brown, director of communications at the Ackland.Yoga in the Galleries is one of several public events that is part of the art museum's efforts to reach out to the community.The Ackland is a primary resource for education"" Brown said. The more experiences we can get outside of the Ackland itself the better.""""Lunch with 1"" is monthly event that brings in an expert to discuss a piece of art or music. ""Art after Dark"" allows attendees to buy drinks from a cash bar while exploring art galleries.Each program strategically takes place in the evening or during lunch when professionals would more likely be able to attend.""We've been trying over the past two years to expand our public programming" Brown said. If you were just to look at a calendar of programs for Ackland just for the spring" it's been exponentially larger.""But while programming has expanded"" the museum has quickly reached its capacity.""We've reached saturation relatively quickly"" Brown said.Brown said the museum hosts smaller events because of the museum's limited space, but is looking to host events elsewhere.For example, Brown said holding a large concert within the Ackland's 25,639 square feet, confined to small galleries, would prove difficult.He said the smaller events such as Yoga in the Galleries help promote public attendance for now.Marshall said the quaint experiences offered by the art museum are important. She also teaches yoga at Ramshead Recreation Center on Tuesday nights, and said the opportunity to do yoga in art gallery was a rare and captivating experience.I think there are people who are coming in that would not have come before"" she said. People seem to be very intrigued by the idea of doing yoga in an art gallery.""Marshall said her style of yoga" which focuses more on reflection" fits nicely with the atmosphere of the Buddha-filled art galleries.""The more important side of yoga to me is this more reflective" centering and calming side" she said. It's just a beautiful place to do this style of yoga.""
(12/03/08 5:00am)
There is an energetic circuit pulsating through the galleries of the Ackland Art Museum.Circa 1958"" the exhibition assembled in celebration of the museum's 50th anniversary, generated an excited response from visitors, which in turn energized the museum staff about the Ackland's future shows.This is the biggest exhibition we've done" so everyone at the museum was excited about pulling it off" Director of Communications Nic Brown said. It's icing on the cake that the public responded so well.""The museum's relationship with its visitors extended beyond walls hung with art to include a torrent of lectures" concerts and parties to celebrate Ackland's birthday. The show opened Sept. 21 and will close Jan. 4 but Director Emily Kass said taking stock of the exhibition's achievement was possible even from the start.She said more than 700 people flushed through the galleries at its opening to see work from transformative artists of the 1950s and '60s" like Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg.That number does not include the more than 300 University students who attended the Ackland's fall semester welcome back party held in the walls of the exhibit. ""The large number of people who came to celebrate with us is really special because it's an affirmation that we're connecting with our community"" Kass said. But attendance is only part of the equation.""Kass said she also measures the show's success by its ties with students' curriculum and by scholarship generated by the exhibition.While the artists' names for spring's exhibitions may be less well-known — or even unrecognizable — Barbara Matilsky" Ackland's curator of exhibitions" said the shows' themes are just as relevant to visitors as the pieces from ""Circa 1958.""The Ackland's next exhibition"" ""At the Heart of Progress"" opens Jan. 24 and explores how the Industrial Revolution fired artists' imaginations about issues of technology and the environment.Kass said in planning for future exhibitions, the museum is conscious of the downward-spiraling economy. She said the University made small cuts in the Ackland's funding, which delays new hiring and some publications.The cuts will not affect the museum's expected acquisitions from Circa 1958"" in which the Ackland will purchase some pieces currently on loan to the exhibition. While the exact sales are yet to be nailed down, Kass said the museum has been saving its endowed acquisition funds, the pool of money set aside for this purchases, until she feels that the market is no longer overpriced. We're focusing on being prepared because everyone's affected by the economy"" Kass said. We've scaled back our budget but not in any way that I think will hurt the visitor experience."" Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
