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(04/19/10 2:26am)
A photograph of a man holding the severed head of a deer is among the detailed scenes of rural North Carolina depicted in “Zionville.” A series of 10 color photographs in the Ackland Art Museum’s “New Currents in Contemporary Art” exhibit, “Zionville” is the work of T. Coke Whitworth, a graduating MFA student at UNC.“This series of images is about a place where I live now called Zionville in the Western part of the state. I look at tradition, heritage, memory and also the ephemera of everyday life,” Whitworth said.The series reveals Whitworth’s development as an artist and as a part of Zionville’s community.“The work in his show, comprised of photographs taken over the past year, show Coke moving from being an observer to being more of a collaborator and participant. He uses the camera as a sort of permission to further research his town of Zionville and to learn more about its history,” said Steven Sewell, an MFA student at UNC.In addition to photographs, Whitworth has created closer connections to the community and heritage of Zionville. “He has grown to especially love the place that he and his family chose to make their home as well as the neighbors who have become close friends,” Sewell said. “I’ve heard in discussions with Coke his love for the people that he’s photographing grow and grow as he’s worked on this project. I think that it’s shown clearly and visually in the photographs themselves.”“Zionville” documents landscapes and daily routines that are often overlooked.“The pieces really seem to give you a sense of place and its traditions rather than just a static image,” said senior Sachiv Shah, who visited the exhibit Sunday.While he has worked in diverse media including collage and animation, Whitworth works mainly in photography.“Photography affords me a level of description that other media do not. I’ve tried other things but I always return to photography,” Whitworth said.Whitworth did not always aspire to be an artist. He came to UNC as an undergraduate and enrolled in the journalism school. The compulsory visual component within the school introduced him to photography. For the past 10 years Whitworth worked as a commercial photographer. “I appreciate that work, but for me I needed to go further. I wanted to explore something other than what an editor asked for,” Whitworth said.Commercial photography has different purposes and constraints than Whitworth’s art. “I was taught to make a photo that readers don’t have to spend very long on to understand. You’re competing for people’s time,” Whitworth said. “I was relying on almost a formula, not to belittle that kind of work. It’s a different kind of work in the service of something that’s not me.”Whitworth admires the work of photographers Emmet Gowin, David Spear, Shelby Lee Adams and UNC professor Jeff Whetstone.Whitworth said his future work will continue the Zionville series. “What’s in the Ackland is my introduction; it’s only the beginning of that series.”His work will be on display in the Ackland until May 23. Contact the Arts Desk Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(04/01/10 4:06am)
When Jody Cedzidlo graduated from UNC, she never imagined she would make a living using the screen printing skills she learned in class.After graduation, she worked several jobs and starting working part-time in a local print shop, gradually getting more hours and responsibilities.After three years, Cedzidlo started Flytrap, a design label specializing in screen printed apparel.Screen printing, a technique in which ink is forced through stencils and a woven mesh, can be used to print designs on a variety of materials including paper, textiles and wood.She asked Routlette Vintage in Carrboro to sell clothes she made.“I couldn’t believe how many I sold in the first month,” Cedzidlo said.Local screen printers like Cedzidlo are sharing their art with thousands of people—and making a living at it.FlytrapCedzidlo said Flytrap uses a unique process to print clothing.Most screen prints use Plastisol, a durable plastic ink that often sits on top of the material.For Flytrap’s products, transparent layers of acrylic ink are applied and washed to produce a softer print. “After the ink dries I wash the shirt to remove some of the ink on purpose,” Cedzidlo said.Bread and ButterBread and Butter is a custom screen printing company in Chapel Hill.Though she did screen printing as an art major, store owner Melanie Wall said commercial printing is very different.“The art process for an individual is very ego-laden. For an art business you have to take yourself out,” Wall said. “It’s more of a collaboration.”Wall bought Bread and Butter in 1992. “It’s satisfying work if you like the process. Some people would find it to be monotonous and repetitive. I find it to be almost meditative,” Wall said. The PrinteryOther screen printers maintain a focus on local service. Founded in 1893 to print The Daily Tar Heel, The Printery has since sold its offset printing division, and now specializes in screen printing and embroidery.“We do all hands-on, manual printing. It gives us the opportunity to be creative,” said co-owner Sarah Hammond.Advice to students Wall and Cedzidlo cautioned prospective arts entrepreneurs to anticipate working hard and to follow strict organizational and administrative practices. “Anyone who owns a business should be prepared to work very hard at it,” Wall said.Cedzidlo said even though screen printing is a creative business, it’s important to do everything by the book.“I read all of these brochures about what to expect in your first year of business. I didn’t think they’d apply to me. Everything they said turned out to be true,” she said. Even in this job market, it is possible to find an arts-related career, Wall said. “There’s the potential for creativity. There’s hope.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu
(03/15/10 2:23am)
In 2005, Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, recovered Rembrandt’s “Self-Portrait” after thieves stole it and two other paintings from the National Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, in December 2000.Fleeing in a motorboat, the thieves used diversionary explosions around the city to mask their escape. One of the paintings was recovered by local police and the rest by Wittman and his team.Art theft and fraud is the fourth largest illicit market in the world, with losses as great as $6 billion annually.“I’ve worked in more than 20 countries with undercover operations in a half-dozen,” Wittman said, of the spread of art crimes.Wittman, 54, began his career as the FBI’s art crime investigator when he was assigned two cases involving thefts from museums in Philadelphia.After he recovered both of the items, he became the FBI’s expert in cases involving culturally significant property. Wittman recovered more than $225 million worth of art and artifacts.While at the FBI, Wittman went undercover to recover historically significant items including a battle flag carried by an African-American regiment during the Civil War.“You always learn new things, whether it’s an African-American battle flag, a Rembrandt self-portrait or a pre-Columbian artifact,” Wittman said.In addition to recovering stolen art, Wittman’s investigations have led to the prosecution of art thieves, counterfeiters and dealers.“I’ve convicted about five appraisers from the ‘Antiques Roadshow,’” Wittman said.Galleries and museums have increased efforts to protect their collections from similar art thieves.“Most museums have at a minimum some level of protection using personnel,” said Mark Poole, director of security at the North Carolina Museum of Art.Museums might have electronic alarms and cameras to ensure security, he said. The Ackland Art Museum employs similar measures to protect its collections. “We use guards and alarms,” said Debbie Pulley, security supervisor at the Ackland. The Ackland’s security personnel are part of the University’s Department of Public Safety.But even with these advances in security devices, there is still a need for art crime investigators.After antiquities were looted from the Baghdad Museum in 2003, the FBI tasked Wittman with assembling a new 13-agent Art Crime Team. Each agent addresses the art and cultural property crimes of a geographic region.Aspiring sleuths cannot join the Art Crime Team directly. Wittman said only FBI special agents with three to five years of experience in criminal investigations are eligible to occupy open positions in the team.The FBI recruits candidates with backgrounds in forensics, international studies, computer science or language. Wittman said a minor or secondary training in art history would be helpful to join the team.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(02/08/10 4:20am)
In difficult economic times, arts organizations have had to find innovative productions or learn to make do with less.In response to cuts in state funding, organizations like Carolina Performing Arts and PlayMakers Repertory Company have had to focus more effort on other sources of revenue and strategic spending.“It’s a challenging year to hit all of our goals, but we’re not going to go down without trying,” said Priscilla Bratcher, director of development for CPA.CPA has increased its fundraising efforts this year to include more mailing campaigns, personal appeals to contributors and special events.“We’re trying every possible creative thing to raise money,” Bratcher said. “We’re in the crazy idea business.”Though many CPA shows have sold out, ticket sales do not recover all the costs of bringing performers.“It’s hard to break even — even in the best of times,” Bratcher said. “A sellout show rarely makes money. We start with a deficit and have to make money elsewhere.”Ticket sales account for 42 percent of CPA’s revenue. Contributions make up 26 percent, while student fees and University contributions account for 32 percent.More than 80 percent of CPA’s budget is spent on programming costs, including performances, marketing and academic integration. This means most of the money goes into the shows instead of paying for employee salaries.“We spend our money for art. We create efficiency so money is for programs and not overhead,” said Emil Kang, executive director for the arts at UNC and director of CPA.This year’s budget is comparable to CPA’s usual budget. Last year, it had a larger budget to bring in the Bolshoi Ballet, but that was a temporary spike and not indicative of the usual budget, Kang said.Despite two years of reduced University contributions to CPA, the many sources of revenue have allowed it to keep a steady budget, Kang said.Similarly, PlayMakers receives funding from ticket sales, contributions and the state, through the University.This year, PlayMakers’ budget was reduced from $2.2 million to $2.1 million in response to state cuts.“We have to cut back or find another source of revenue,” said Hannah Grannemann, managing director for PlayMakers.PlayMakers did not reduce its staff, but this year’s season had fewer production weeks than last year’s.Neither PlayMakers nor CPA has raised student ticket prices to increase revenue.“It’s important to keep prices low to stay accessible,” Grannemann said.CPA offers student tickets for $10 and PlayMakers has reduced tickets that vary in price depending on the show.“We’ve sold more student tickets so far this year than all of last year. We see this as a good thing, even though we lose revenue on student tickets,” Kang said. “It’s part of our mission to provide access.”This year CPA launched new, less costly programs like the “Loading Dock” series. In these performances, which have included “the break/s: a mixtape for stage” by Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Memorial Hall is re-purposed to allow the audience and performer to share the stage.“We make sure our community sees we’re healthy and vibrant, but it’s heavy lifting, especially in light of state funding cuts,” Kang said. “Even in the down times, we still have to grow.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(12/09/09 4:51am)
This article was published in the 2009 Year in Review issue of The Daily Tar Heel.
(12/01/09 4:13am)
Correction (Dec. 2 12:57 a.m.): Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the channel that airs STV locally. It appears on cable channel 4. The story has been changed to reflect the correction. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
(10/30/09 3:31am)
Orgy scenes are seldom included in musicals, but “The Wild Party” is not the typical musical.The Pauper Players’ fall main-stage production, Andrew Lippa’s “The Wild Party,” opens at 8 p.m. tonight in the Union Cabaret and runs through Nov. 3.The musical is an adaptation of Joseph Moncure March’s epic poem of the same name.“The Wild Party” is about the relationship between a vaudeville dancer, Queenie, and her clown boyfriend, Burrs.“They get bored with their relationship, so Queenie throws a party to end all parties to try to spice things up,” said Aaron Salley, publicity administrator for Pauper Players. “They invite all sorts of unsavory characters.”During the party Queenie tries to make Burrs jealous, and eventually a large fight breaks out.“It has drugs, lots of alcohol and a giant orgy scene at the end,” said Jenna Whetzel, who stars as Delores, a guest at the party. “Lots of cast members take their clothes off.”The musical has several adult themes, including sexual infidelity and vices.“It’s about the pursuit of happiness and what you’re willing to do to get it. It’s about what happens when you go too far,” director Nick Culp said.The music of “The Wild Party” departs from the genres typically associated with musicals.“It’s like a classier version of what you’d see at a strip joint. The song for the orgy scene is called ‘Come with Me,’” Whetzel said.A live orchestra will accompany the performance.“It captures the 1920s big band and jazz sounds and the late 1990s rock sound. It’s a better way to connect with the music while still giving the impression you’re in the 1920s,” Salley said.The cast has been polishing their performance in rehearsals, which have lasted as long as seven hours.“They’ve been great. The cast is hardworking, and I have an excellent crew,” Culp said.This show pairs the traditional musical elements with serious themes that people do not usually associate with musicals.“This is not a family musical,” Whetzel said. “It’s for an audience looking to have fun.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(10/16/09 4:45am)
At precisely 12:30 p.m. Thursday, dressed in blue as per instructions, I pressed the play button on my iPod and began the MP3 Experiment.After a few moments of snazzy music, my fellow participants and I were introduced to our sonorous, omnipotent narrator, Steve.Steve invited us to participate in activities that included coordinated jumping, following confused professors and hugging animals. My own efforts to hug a squirrel proved to be surprisingly injurious on the muddy quad.For the next half hour my actions were part of a coordinated but silent mob. Confused passers-by were accosted with dozens of unexplained thumbs-up and high-fives, which many people actually returned.After synchronized stretching and dancing, we engaged in a number of fun games including human dart board, square dance and lying on the cold, sodden earth pretending to nap.Some time between the thumb wrestling and disguising myself with a finger mustache, I realized I had finally made it as a serious investigative journalist.The experiment was not all fun and merrymaking. Eventually tensions between the teams reached a breaking point. At Steve’s command, an epic battle erupted between the blue/green confederacy and the red/yellow axis.My own participation in the conflict was complicated first by my stance as a pacifist and second by the fact that the waist-button on my jeans popped off during the square dance.I had neglected to wear a belt, and my pants began their beleaguered struggle for freedom.I bravely charged into battle alongside my fellow blues with one hand brandishing a balloon weapon and the other restraining my jeans.After just minutes, the battle was over. I then died in a grandiose manner, ending my Experiment experience.Having completed nearly an hour of ridiculous activities with my peers, I felt a sense of community as we all joined arms and sang the UNC fight song.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(10/09/09 5:02am)
Verses about fried chicken, gravy corn and cinnamon apples wafted over diners as “Mama Dip” Mildred Council watched her patrons taste three courses of poetry and country cooking.Thursday’s Piedmont Laureate Word Tasting featured readings by the 2009 Piedmont Laureate, Jaki Shelton Green. She spoke over breakfast at Starbucks Coffee in Raleigh, lunch at Piedmont restaurant in Durham and dinner at Mama Dip’s in Chapel Hill.“The idea was a progressive meal, but in a three-county area,” said Martha Shannon, arts coordinator of the Orange County Arts Commission. “Its a way to showcase the laureate. And everyone loves to eat.”The Word Tasting was hosted by the Piedmont Laureate program, an organization that aims to promote the awareness and appreciation of literary arts in central N.C.The program is sponsored by the Orange County Arts Commission, City of Raleigh Arts Commission, Durham Arts Council, and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. Next year the Alamance County Arts Council and the Johnston County Arts Council will be joining.As Piedmont Laureate, Green has traveled to poetry readings throughout the area, participated in writing festivals and worked to increase awareness of the arts and humanities.“I work with marginalized writers: the disenfranchised, homeless, those who use writing as therapy, the newly literate, and children,” Green said.Memory and storytelling are important themes in Green’s work. Her poetry often describes her experience as a black growing up in the rural South.Green’s fascination with poetry and reading began at a young age.“I was inspired by conversations on the front porch, by eavesdropping on adults talking,” she said. “Sunday morning at church was one huge poem. It’s all art.”Green’s poetry has attracted acclaim. She said she received a letter from “the cutie-pie of D.C.,” President Barack Obama, praising her poem, “who will be the messenger of this land.”“Her poems came from the earth, from the heart,” said Mary Andrews, a Chapel Hill resident, at the word tasting.The restaurant was filled Thursday. Some had come specifically to hear Green, and others heard for the first time.Council said she enjoyed Green’s reading.“I read a lot. I like funny poems,” Council said.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(09/25/09 4:51am)
Curator Timothy Riggs has evaluated many interesting works of art in his time — everything from Japanese illustrations to chromolithographs, a form of chemical printing.“Someone brought in a case containing a three-dimensional floral bouquet produced from different colors of human hair,” Riggs remembered.On Thursday, he offered his broad expertise at the Ackland Art Museum’s curator clinic. The bimonthly event invites the public to bring their art to be evaluated.Riggs, the Ackland’s curator of collections, discussed the style and significance of the pieces brought in during the clinic.He evaluates the condition of the work and describes the artist’s technique and historical context. Curators estimate a piece’s date and origin but do not appraise its value.Timothy and Leigh Werrell, of Durham, brought in an oil painting.Purchased at a thrift shop, the piece depicted a fishing boat against a backdrop of cliffs topped with castles.“We want to find out what its origin is and hopefully a date,” Timothy Werrell said. “It’s about the thrill of uncovering the mystery. … We don’t know anything about it. Everyone has been speculating about it — everybody and their brothers and friends.”The piece was identified as a 19th century work of French or British origin, painted by someone who Riggs described as “unaffected by impressionism.”Though he’s rarely stumped by a piece, Riggs isn’t an expert in every type of art. He specializes in print-making but is experienced in other media.“I don’t always have answers, but I can always tell them something,” Riggs said. “It’s a good way to attract people who are shy about coming in to a museum.”Cathy Jarman and Martha Hoekstra, both of Greensboro, brought in a pair of 19th century oil paintings.Riggs described the piece Jarman brought in as an “appealing, picturesque rural landscape” with a composition more familiar to etchings. He identified the piece as probably from the 1870s.Hoekstra brought in an oval-shaped oil portrait of a falconer. Riggs said it was one of the most interesting pieces of the day.“I was absolutely pleased with the clinic, although I was sorry he didn’t say it was a Rembrandt,” Hoekstra said. Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(09/22/09 3:42am)
The concentric aluminum bands of Frank Holder’s sculpture “Mandela of the Earth and Sky,” stand amid the ferns and wildflowers of the North Carolina Botanical Garden, like a machined version of the annual rings of a tree.This sculpture is a part of the 21st annual “Sculpture in the Garden” exhibit, which displays art within the plant collections of the botanical garden, rather than on the sterile walls of a gallery.“I would describe it as a very unique group of three dimensional art pieces that are made specifically to be viewed outdoors,” said Laura Cotterman, publications and publicity coordinator for the Botanical Garden.The changing seasons introduce another dynamic to the viewing experience. The exhibit, which opened Sept. 12, runs through Nov. 15.“The exhibit is designed to be viewed over a long period of time,” Cotterman said. “The gardens change over the course of the exhibit from late-summer to early fall.”The juried exhibition features 40 pieces by 24 artists in various media, including clay, steel and stone.This year pieces are made for the theme “celebrating life forces—earth, air, fire, water, spirit.” Many of the works, such as Tinka Jordy’s “Lady in Yellow,” adopt the colors and textures of their surroundings. Other pieces are more abstract, but retain natural shapes and patterns in their compositions.The pieces also ranged in scale. Some, such as Madelyn Smoak’s “Metamorphosis de Medici” are small enough to be suspended with a few strands of wire.Other works are massive and dominated their surroundings. Reuvan Sadeh’s water-driven kinetic sculpture “Cycles of Life” towers over the plants around it.“It’s one of our biggest draws,” said Grant Parkins, an educator at the botanical gardens. “People were very disappointed in 2008 when we didn’t have it.”“Sculpture in the Garden” was not held last year due to the construction of new facilities.To be eligible for the exhibit, artists must be at least 18 years old and have a connection to North Carolina.The sculptures must not have been previously exhibited and need to be able to withstand exposure to the elements.Garden officials said this is a good way to introduce people to the botanical gardens.“It brings new people to the garden and lets people enjoy art and the garden in a different way,” Parkins said.Artist Jeff Hackney won Best of Show in 2007 with his oversized swing sculpture “Remember.” “The inspiration for ‘Remember’ came from the idea that everyone has a happy memory of being on a swing,” Hackney said in an e-mail.He said that he had heard about the competition before and thought it was a perfect place to display.An awards reception will be held for the current sculptures from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 4 on the patio behind the Totten Center.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(09/16/09 4:03am)
Mike Daisey journeyed to a remote South Pacific island and lived in a society that does not use currency.He brought those experiences back to the U.S. and crafted a one-man show around them. His show “The Last Cargo Cult” opens tonight.“It’s fundamentally about money and how money interweaves with everything we do,” Daisey said.The show is PlayMakers Repertory Company’s first performance of the season. It runs through Sept. 20 at Kenan Theatre in the Center for Dramatic Art.In the work, Daisey entwines anecdotes from his life among a people whose religion beatifies America as a source of prosperity, with an examination of the global financial crisis.Despite the serious nature, Daisey approaches the scenes with humor.“Humorless work rarely leads to catharsis or enlightenment,” he said.Daisey said he does not aim to promote any particular message or viewpoint. He said he tries to humanize problems that might not otherwise seem accessible.Unlike most monologists, Daisey performs “The Last Cargo Cult” without a script, and he does not rehearse the performance without an audience.Only a Spartan set of notes accompanies Daisey on stageAnd his performances — particularly in their early stages, such as tonight’s one-man show — transform significantly with each iteration.Daisey said he hopes his performances provoke audiences to question the social and political systems they live in and to imagine alternatives.Raised in Maine, Daisey was first exposed to storytelling as a child.Trained both as a traditional theater actor and as a writer, Daisey performs monologues that dissolve the boundaries between the audience and the performer.This show is the first performance in the year’s PRC2 series. The series is hosted on a smaller stage than traditional PlayMakers shows and places a greater emphasis on interacting with the community.The aim of PRC2 is to “make the walls of the theater more porous,” said Joseph Haj, producing artistic director of PlayMakers. After each performance, the audience will be invited to participate in a discussion led by Daisey and other local artists and thinkers.Tickets for “The Last Cargo Cult” are available at the box office in the lobby of the Center for Dramatic Art.IF?YOU?GOTime: 8 p.m. today through Sunday; 2 p.m. SundayLocation: Kenan Theatre in the Center for Dramatic ArtInfo: www.playmakersrep.orgContact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.