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(11/12/08 5:00am)
Amidst a packed room of students and community members spilling into the aisles" tensions flared as people voiced their outrage over the planned Greenbridge development in Chapel Hill.Greenbridge Developments is building a mixed-use complex at a plot along Rosemary Street located in the historically black Northside community.Tuesday's event ""Why Stories Matter"" sponsored by the UNC group United with the Northside Community NOW and held in Bingham Hall, Room 103, featured slam poetry, discussion and a showing of a controversial Greenbridge promotional video.The video features interviews with black Northside residents recounting family history intermixed with narration about the proposed Greenbridge site.Many of those featured in the video now say their words were taken out of context and misconstrued to seem as they were in full support of the project.I didn't realize what I said was going to be used in that manner"" said Dolores Bailey, a Northside resident who was featured in the promotional video. So that bothers me a lot.""Bailey" who spoke out and identified herself to the audience as one of those misrepresented in the film said she was furious about the Greenbridge project.UNC junior Kane Smego who performed slam poetry at the event described the project as two towers" ""one 10 stories"" the other seven — like a middle finger to the Northside.""The event also provided a space for some dialogue between the community and Greenbridge developers. Frank Phoenix" a Greenbridge developer" spoke to the audience at the end of the event.""I've heard several times people say that Greenbridge is destroying the community"" Phoenix said. I think it's appropriate to recognize that the gentrification that's been going on started long before Greenbridge came into play.""Residents fear property taxes will skyrocket with the completion of the multimillion dollar building — a main concern of those opposed to the Greenbridge development. ""We seem to be some sort of a lighting rod and all the anger associated with the changes that are going on that are real are somehow being pointed at us" Phoenix said. We are not the source of this problem. We may be contributing to it to some extent" but we are not the source of the problem.""Residents are fearful for the future of their collective history and worried their past will be erased with the completion of the complex. Greenbridge has promised a community museum in the building to combat those worries.Tensions arose at the event's end as Phoenix spoke about the dissolution of communication between the community and Greenbridge.""Dolores even said that when we started" there was some community dialogue that we thought was useful and helpful — that has changed he said. I will accept some of that responsibility for that change but I think Dolores you need to share some of the responsibility" too.""Rob Stephens"" one of the co-founders of UNC NOW quickly stepped in to quell any eminent uprising. But emotions still ran high at the event's conclusion.""The event was wonderful"" Bailey said. Except for that last stab.""Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(11/06/08 5:00am)
President-elect Barack Obama promised an increase in funding to the National Endowment for the Arts during his campaign and was the first candidate in history to create an arts advisory committee.""I want our students learning art and music and science and poetry"" Obama said in a Feb. 9 speech. And in a campaign press release, Obama said his administration would support increased funding for the endowment. But many are skeptical of his promise when examining the dire state of the U.S. economy.I think everything is up for grabs at this point" it's much too early to predict the budget" said Joel Henning, member of Obama's National Arts Policy Committee and columnist for The Wall Street Journal.We have to be very cognizant of the fact that our economy is in terrible shape and the government has to spend an enormous amount for pulling the economy out of the slump.""Many are questioning the endowment's future as it switches hands to the Obama administration.Emil Kang" UNC's executive director for the arts" serves on an endowment grant selection panel. He said raising art support during bad economic times will be hard.""Being an arts practitioner myself" we are always hoping for more support for the arts from the government and all sectors Kang said. But I think it's kind of hard to make this a priority" but that's to say the work of the endowment is imperative.""But some N.C. organizations that receive funding from the endowment said the grants they receive barely fund any new programs.""We would love it if public funding was increased"" said Steve Bishop, director of development for the Carolina Ballet. The ballet has received funding from the endowment for years.Our budget is a little over $5 million. They give us $10"0 so it's not going to make or break us" he said.Bishop said the majority of their budget comes from private donations and ticket sales. Carolina Ballet's 2008 $10,000 grant went to supporting the creation and presentation of a world premiere ballet.Kang said the monetary prize is not the only reason organizations seek endowment grants — the government stamp of approval is just as important.It's one of the incredible roles the endowment plays" is the support they give the funding particularly but also the stamp of approval it gives" Kang said. That is something worth way more than the dollars it gives.""The endowment was created under the Johnson administration in 1965 as a response to the Soviet Union. The monetary support to artists provided by the endowment was to show America's toleration of diversity of thoughts to the Soviet Union.But along with the collapse of the Soviet Union came criticism of the endowment from conservative groups and politicians" like the late N.C. Sen. Jesse Helms. Many conservatives argued that supporting the endowment was supporting a money pit as its original purpose was no longer applicable.And arts funding is extremely difficult for organizations to come by. Bridgette Lacy of the North Carolina Arts Council said the grant the council receives from the federal government only accounts for 8.5 percent of its budget. The organization seeks out money from private grants and donations to subside its budget.Those advocating for Obama's proposed increase in funding for the arts said a sizeable increase to the endowment's budget would be nearly negligible to the national budget" but would provide crucial money to support artistic endeavors.""We're talking really about pennies with the NEA" Henning said. You can't even build one bridge across a river for that amount. So given the extraordinary cost of most other important public works" the arts are relatively inexpensive. The fact that Obama recognizes the importance of the arts and focuses some attention in it will be a big plus.""Because for less than a cost of one bridge" you can do a lot for the arts in the country he said.Kang said Carolina Performing Arts is being hit hard by the state of the economy — ticket sales are down and the cost of bringing acts to the University is rising.The high arts in our country during boom times basically squeak by but when you see downturns is when you see arts organizations turn down or fold at the worst Kang said.We are a bit protected because we are part of a university infrastructure but we are still seeing a slowdown in ticket sales and in that sense we are having to revisit our program for 2009-10" he said.Kang said the economic downturn and lack of federal support for the arts could cause artists and programs to re-evaluate artistic motives.Can we take the same risks that we have been taking?"" Kang said. ""What is the distinction between being an arts presenter and being commercial?""Without Obama's promised support of the endowment"" Kang said he fears for the state of arts in the U.S.""I think whether it's Lincoln Center or small community organizations"" we just started to see the problems and it's only going to get worse."" Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(11/03/08 5:00am)
When booking Homecoming musical acts Gym Class Heroes and The Avett Brothers Carolina Union President Tom Allin said he was looking to bring acts that would appeal to a wide array of students.While tickets sales for The Avett Brothers' Sunday show reflected Allin's view the same cannot be said of indie hip-hop group Gym Class Heroes' concert today at Memorial Hall — hundreds of tickets remain.Carolina Union Activities Board booked Gym Class Heroes to contrast to the folksy bluegrass act" The Avett Brothers.""We want to appeal to as wide a slice of campus as possible" and have a show with a combination of accessible acts that provides a diverse idea of music" Allin said.Despite CUAB's effort to appeal to all students' musical interests, today's concert has greatly undersold.Students were offered the opportunity to camp-out for the first tickets to both Homecoming shows.On Oct. 4 about 450 students spent the night in the Student Union to buy 628 tickets for The Avett Brothers' concert. The camp-out for Gym Class Heroes show was far less successful: about 150 students camped-out to buy 329 tickets.Ticket sales didn't sharply rise after the camp-out either.Wednesday, 18 days after tickets first went on sale, Memorial Hall box office said 559 tickets remain.By Sunday evening, Memorial Hall said they would not release the specific number of tickets remaining, but said at least 400 of the 1,434 seats were still available for the Gym Class Heroes show.Allin said the lack of ticket sales could be due to student's unfamiliarity with the group and a lack of appropriate publicity for the event.With concerts we make our very best judgement as a group of diverse student that represents the student body" but sometimes perhaps we misjudge Allin said. It's something that we've certainly been very curious about and very attuned to" and trying to get the word out — maybe we haven't got the word out.""Adele Ricciardi" CUAB music committee chairwoman said although ticket sales are important" CUAB is also concerned with booking acts that take a creative approach to crafting their sound. ""CUAB likes to bring artists who are up-and-coming" she said. This opportunity allowed us to bring an artist that is well established" but still innovative in the way they differ from traditional hip-hop by playing live instruments.""Although Gym Class Heroes is an established group and has sold out larger venues than Memorial Hall" Allin said campus-wide publicity is still crucial to ticket sales.CUAB sent Facebook invites" e-mailed listervs and sat in the Pit.""We've definitely kind of pulled out all the stops in terms of trying to get the word out"" Allin said.Matt McGinley, drummer for Gym Class Heroes, said the group's unconventional hip-hop style carries over to their performance creating high-intensity concert that would be appealing to many students.This is a show for music fans who want to hear something that's slightly askew"" McGinley said. Gym Class Heroes brings a unique chemistry on stage. We live to play live.""
(10/21/08 4:00am)
Amidst a crowd alternatively chanting Tar Heels"" and ""Obama"" musician James Taylor took to the stage Monday night in a free concert in support of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.Taylor's concert on Fetzer Field's Carolina blue track was just one of his five planned across the state. He plays concerts in Raleigh and Wilmington today.U.S. Rep. David Price, D-NC, who introduced Taylor, called Carolina In My Mind"" the anthem of North Carolina.Taylor played a nearly hour-and-half long set"" which included hits ""Fire and Rain"" You've Got A Friend"" and ""Carolina In My Mind.""Taylor's wife" Kim Smedvig joined him for his final songs. Before singing Smedvig took off her sweater revealing a Carolina shirt spurring a massive roar from the crowd.The five-time Grammy award winner's endorsement for Obama comes at a particularly historic time in North Carolina politics. For the first time since the 1976 presidential election North Carolina could turn blue.Emil Kang UNC's executive director for the arts" attended Monday's event and said he has tried many times to get the singer to play Memorial Hall prior to Taylor's endorsement.""We haven't had any success to get him at Memorial Hall" although from us it's a standing invitation to him Kang said. They couldn't have picked a better person to play in North Carolina. But in some way" they're preaching to the choir.""The sold-out crowd included students and community members"" many both longtime voters and Taylor fans.""I've tried to see him three times"" said Amy Gilch. I love James Taylor. I've been a fan since 1967.""Gilch" a realtor who said she's working less because of the stifled economy and housing market" said the large student presence at Monday's concert was encouraging.""I love seeing the young people out and excited — it's great"" she said.But many attending Monday's concert said although they supported Obama, Taylor's endorsement would not affect their political decision this November.His endorsement doesn't really mean that much to me" said sophomore Mike Potocki. It was just icing on the cake. If he went for McCain" I'd still have come out tonight.""But not all those at Monday's event were Obama supporters. The free concert also drew supporters of Republican presidential nominee John McCain"" despite its Democratic tone.""James Taylor got me out here"" said senior Matt Hill, a registered Republican who said he plans to vote for McCain. It felt a little aggravating"" though. It's like having everyone telling you what you think is wrong.""But it was good to see everyone out here excited for something"" even though it's not what I believe."" Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(10/20/08 4:00am)
He's going to Carolina but this time it's in support of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.Chapel Hill-native and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee James Taylor will play a free concert at 6:15 p.m. today at Fetzer Field.Tickets are available at any of the early voting sites in Orange County starting at 9 a.m. today.Taylor's visit to the University is just one of five performances the artist is playing across the state to raise awareness about early voting for the Obama campaign.The event sponsored by the Obama campaign" was suggested to the UNC Young Democrats just last week.""We feel so lucky to have James Taylor's support"" said Vivek Chilukuri, co-president of the UNC Young Democrats. But we're also grateful for his time and commitment to come to UNC — to come out to support the campaign.""Taylor's N.C. concert series comes just two weeks before Election Day. The state is highly contested.""Since the beginning of the general election" Barack Obama has taken North Carolina as a very serious battleground" said Raven Moeslinger, head of Students for Barack Obama. The state is in a statistical dead heat.""Obama and Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain have rigorously campaigned in the state"" both garnering support from various musicians.Country singer Hank Williams Jr. has been performing his song ""McCain-Palin Tradition" a song based off his hit Family Tradition" at McCain rallies throughout the Southeast.Last May, rock groups Arcade Fire and Superchunk played free shows in Carrboro and Greensboro in support of the Obama campaign.Chilukuri said Taylor's concert is intended to excite the public about voting, noting that unregistered voters can still register and vote at early voting stations throughout Orange County.The campaign knows that people aren't persuaded by celebrities" but the idea is you get people together and get them important information about voting" Chilukuri said.It's more about draw — that's what celebrities do. He's just trying to get the word out about voting and Sen. Obama.""Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(10/01/08 4:00am)
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(09/22/08 4:00am)
Sept. 201958 was the first day the Ackland Art Museum opened its doors. Fifty years later" art from that period of American history is on display at the same museum.""Circa 1958: Breaking Ground in American Art"" which opened Sunday, is the Ackland's largest and most ambitious exhibition to date and features works from some of the most influential artists of the 1950s and '60s.I wanted to know what was going on in the art world in 1958" when we opened our doors" said Emily Kass, director of the museum.And as America changed, a lot was also going on in the art world. New styles of painting and sculpting emerged as NASA formed, the space race heated up and the Cold War kept going.A lot of the work in the exhibition is early emerging work by early emerging artists who created mature work and went on to evolve their ideas in the '60s"" Kass said. But these are some very rare and seminal pieces by artists.""One of these pieces is an interactive art piece by Yoko Ono" where visitors are encouraged to hammer a nail into a reflective surface mounted on a mirror.Rare" early works by a pre-Campbell's Soup Andy Warhol and a pre-Pop Art Roy Lichtenstein are also on display.""Just as these artists were breaking ground in American art" we were also this kind of new uncasted unformed museum and our direction has ultimately been that" Kass said.Kass said the exhibition explores how 1958 was a cross section of American culture — when many ideas were percolating and germinating in the American psyche.These new ideas, like the peace movement and other political and social ideas, later came to the forefront in 1960s America.Post-Painterly Abstraction and Assemblage, two styles on display in the exhibition, emerged in 1958 in conjunction with these new ideas. Both styles rebelled against the established and nearly 20-year-old style of Abstract Expressionism, made famous by Jackson Pollock.Barbara Matilsky, curator of exhibitions at the Ackland, said there was a point in 1958 when people thought the forms and formulas of Abstract Expressionism didn't express the new age and new ideals in America.Nic Brown, Ackland director of communications, described Post-Painterly Abstraction as impersonal"" — a style that uses clean" simple lines based in color theory.Assemblage Brown said" ""is Robert Rauschenberg making art from trash"" literally.""The paintings"" the sculptures and the pile of balled-up newspapers are all seen as objects. ""It's just a flat canvas with paint and color and forms and lines" so it's an object and (with Assemblage) the art is all about working with objects" Matilsky said.The exhibition, which occupies four of the museum's galleries, flows from one room the next. While each room explores different styles of art emerging in 1958, the Ackland threads a cohesive theme that connects all rooms of the exhibition: art for art's sake.Crisp edges" separating colors line composition — art for art's sake so that the art becomes an object" said Matilsky.It's not a window into the artist's emotions; it's not a window into a landscape or a portrait — it's just beautiful and appreciated for all those different elements that make up a painting.""Experiencing art as just art is the ultimate goal.""Frank Stella said" ‘What you see is what you see""" she said.
(09/04/08 4:00am)
For Tar Heel musicians Ben Folds, Darren Jessee and Robert Sledge, a homecoming is in order.Excitement was palpable on campus following Tuesday's announcement for a Ben Folds Five reunion slated for Sept. 18 at Memorial Hall.We are so excited about this show" and it's just an opportunity that concert presenters and activity board chairmen would dream of" said Tom Allin, Carolina Union president.The group disbanded after a tour for its fourth and final album, the 1999 release The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner.""Carolina Union Activities Board" which spent $11700 on the show" booked the trio in conjunction with Cat's Cradle and MySpace.""It was brought to us originally by Cat's Cradle three or so weeks ago" Allin said. They said we have an opportunity" but we would have to move fast on it.""Folds played a solo show at UNC in 2007" which sold out in a matter of hours. Students camped out overnight for tickets although this is prohibited by University policy. Allin is predicting just as much of a rush for tickets this time around.Of the tickets 630 have been allotted for students" which will be on sale starting at 10 a.m. Monday for $22.The general public is able to purchase tickets at the same time via etix.com and myspace.com/benfolds for $40.""I would suspect that it would sell out pretty much right away" just based on sales for his previous show at Carolina" said Frank Heath, the owner of Cat's Cradle.Many of the band's fans were surprised and excited by Tuesday's announcement.I was really surprised because I was of the inclination that their split was pretty final"" said senior Josh Sharp, who has seen Ben Folds' solo show multiple times.I saw him in 2006 and 2007 with a band" and the band he used was pretty much a faux version of the band he used to play with" so I'm really excited to see him with the original.""Heath said the trio's show would differ from Folds' solo show.""This will be a completely different vibe"" he said. I think there are a ton of people out there who are going to be more excited about a Ben Folds Five show than just a Ben Folds show.""The band is to play its final album in its entirety"" an exciting prospect to fans who see it as the band's most artistically adventurous venture.""It's my favorite album"" Sharp said. There's a lot of interesting instrumentation in the songs that I don't know how they'll do live.""The announcement and the upcoming Andrew Bird show contrast to CUAB's quiet first semester last year.""We've set a high bar for ourselves"" Allin said. It's hard to find a lot of bands that we want to reunite and then get them here on top of that.""BUY TICKETSTime: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through FridayLocation: Memorial Hall box officeInfo: www.unc.edu/cuabContact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(04/25/08 4:00am)
In a year marred by cancellations of impending deals with big-name acts such as M.I.A., The Decemberists and Spoon, the Carolina Union Activities Board refocused to bring smaller acts to campus.
After deals with big artists fell through because of scheduling conflicts and exorbitant artist fees, CUAB worked to expose students to different artistic endeavors, such as multimedia presentations and grocery bingo.
"I don't judge anything of what we do by the size or popularity in the general sense," said Robert Gurdian, Carolina Union president. "I want to get people to be entertained and to educate and to become more aware of things."
Getting the word out about CUAB and lesser-known events became a main goal of the organization.
"I wanted to be more active in promoting CUAB as a brand so that people know that we are bringing events and also know the events we are bringing," Gurdian said. "But since what we do is so unique year to year, it's hard to compare it like that, so it's difficult to tell whether we were successful."
But it could be hard not to compare this year's events to those of last year, when CUAB brought musical acts, such as The Roots and Ben Folds, as well as lectures by Saul Williams and Spike Lee.
And this year's lack of big names and focus on smaller, more burgeoning acts could account for the 3,712-person drop in event attendance this year.
"Definitely my goals coming in to the year were to bring a diverse offering of music that appeals to students but also maybe exposes them to something new," said Tom Allin, CUAB's music chairman and the Carolina Union president-elect.
"In that sense I definitely feel like we succeeded from bringing student hip-hop to Mississippi delta blues to Swedish-Argentine-folk to a band like Iron & Wine to local stuff with Trekky Records."
Allin said he looks to Carolina Performing Arts' diverse and often unconventional choices for performances as a guide of where to take CUAB in the future.
"It's tough to get people to come to shows that they've never heard of," Allin said. "But that is such a testament to the wonderful work CPA has done. In the way that they are able to draw in people to shows that they've never heard of, but knowing that Carolina Performing Arts consistently puts on quality shows, people go because they know it will be great."
CUAB did put on some well-attended events that weren't concerts.
In February CUAB brought back comedian Lewis Black along with other Comedy Central personalities to a sold-out Memorial Hall, which was part of the organization's fifth annual Carolina Comedy Festival.
"Everyone worked so hard, and the accomplishment is meeting and exceeding the goals we had set for the festival this year, which were improving the quality of the programming, increasing attendance and getting the word out better," said Mallory Cash, CUAB's comedy chairwoman.
The capstone of the comedy festival might have been the Memorial Hall performance, but Cash said it was a goal to promote smaller events. And that promotion is important to the future of the organization.
"The smaller programs are the ones that we have the ability to create and control," Gurdian said.
"The larger ones are most viewed, and people question us the most about them, but they are the ones that are really out of our hands."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(04/16/08 4:00am)
A full, rich and textured sound wafted through Memorial Hall Tuesday as Iron & Wine played a subdued and beautiful set to a sold-out house.
The vast size of Memorial Hall and its acoustics lent itself to making the performance more of a showcase of musicianship than a rock-out indie concert some might expect from such a popular act among the college crowd.
The show also featured opening act, Califone.
(04/15/08 4:00am)
From his lo-fi, muffled acoustic tracks, which gave him instant notoriety among the indie crowd, to the critically acclaimed studio-produced The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine's Sam Beam has traveled far but stayed close to his Southern roots.
Tonight, Iron & Wine returns to the South in a sold-out Memorial Hall performance.
Beam, who records and performs under the name Iron & Wine, is originally from Columbia, South Carolina. Having gone to college in Virginia and Florida, he is a Southern boy at heart. And it's hard not to hear that as an influence in his music.
The show, which was brought to UNC through the joint effort of Cat's Cradle and the Carolina Union Activities Board, is one of the most sought-after tickets of the year.
"We made 900 tickets available to the students, and they were all gone by mid-afternoon the day they went on sale," said Tom Allin, CUAB's music committee chairman.
When tickets went on sale Feb. 21, hundreds of students braved winter temperatures to wait in a line that snaked from Memorial Hall to South Columbia Street by 10 a.m.
"Iron & Wine definitely strikes a universal chord within us all. The nice thing about them is that it's a name that people know and respect, being a band that is constantly changing their sound," said Allin.
Although the banjo-laden recordings of earlier albums have made way for new, more experimental ventures into West African and blues music on the 2007 The Shepherd's Dog, the appealing folksy sound that made Iron & Wine famous still permeates its songs.
And Iron & Wine struck a chord with the UNC student body, really hard.
"I was so excited the minute I heard that Iron & Wine was coming here - I knew I had to get a ticket," said Robin Fail, a junior whose roommate got her a ticket after waiting in the behemoth line. This will be Fail's first time seeing Iron & Wine.
Allin said bringing a show that drew this much excitement and fervor from the student body was extremely important to CUAB, which had a hard time booking artists of equal caliber and recognition this year. Rumors circulated of pending deals with popular indie acts such as M.I.A, Feist and Spoon.
"We really needed to bring something to show that we were giving to the students," Allin said.
And the stars seemed to align when Cat's Cradle approached CUAB with the idea of bringing Iron & Wine to Memorial Hall.
"It's been so difficult to find dates that work for both big-time artists and fit into Memorial Hall's schedule," Allin said. "But this was just something that fit beautifully, and we were delighted that it was able to work so well, and we're really so grateful for the fantastic student response."
Contact the Arts Editor
at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(04/14/08 4:00am)
A spinning dress made of banana peels stitched together. Flower sculptures reminiscent of the human brain. A house decorated with coffee grounds, honey and straight pins.
No, you haven't gone through the rabbit hole; you are entering the creative world of UNC graduate art students.
On Friday the Ackland Art Museum unveiled the newest works by six graduating Master of Fine Arts students in the art department's Studio Art Program. The annual show is one of the museum's most popular and well-attended shows of the year.
The exhibit, called "New Currents in Contemporary Art," will run through May 11.
Nic Brown, director of communications at Ackland, said the title of the show attests to the artists' potential.
"The show title is pretty fitting because it doesn't get much newer in contemporary art than students who are graduating within weeks and then entering the art world," Brown said. "This group will be part of the next wave of artists who are defining the way the art world is going."
Most of the artists already have work featured in galleries around the nation, from the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest, said Christine Huber, assistant curator of exhibitions at the museum.
And like UNC's graduate program in studio art, the exhibit is not genre specific.
An interactive installation piece by Cat Manolis features motion sensors that trigger a unique audio clip and a spotlight that illuminates a pair of sparkling lederhosen made of black rubber, leather and metal, dotted with sequins, as it hangs from the ceiling.
Manolis' interactive pieces stress ideas that are concurrent with a contemporary trend in installation art: Visual art should be entertaining and accessible to the visitor.
"All of this is playing off the idea that people should feel comfortable interacting with art," Manolis said. "It should be entertainment; it should be like any other art form. It should entertain you. The whole aura and mystique around artwork is that there is this genius artist and their work, and this hidden-away treasure. It's gone."
Where Manolis explores accessibility and entertainment, photographer Taj Forer's work examines the concepts of nature and community while creating a compelling narrative of a community farm in Cedar Grove.
Just steps from Forer's photography are Brad Reagan's flower sculptures, Natalia Vega-Forero's and Ellie Pierson's installation pieces and Lori Esposito's paintings. The collection is truly an eclectic mix.
Brown said the exhibition is viewed as one of the last steps in the students' university education, as it is the first museum showing for many of the MFA candidates.
"It's cool for us to give these artists a chance to have, in some cases, their first exhibition in a real museum," Brown said. "It's also another learning opportunity, as they now get to see how an installation happens and how to work with the museum staff."
"But most importantly these exhibitions are always good."
Contact the Arts Editor
at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(03/19/08 4:00am)
Flanked by a specialty nature boutique and a make-your-own beaded jewelry store in Carrboro's Carr Mill Mall is an anomalously placed art gallery called Wootini.
The store is part specialty toy shop, part clothing outfitter and part fine art gallery and seamlessly combines all three parts into a pop art amalgam.
(02/08/08 5:00am)
An experimental and invigorating amalgam of music lights sounds and movies is what brings DJ Spooky critical acclaim and sold out performances worldwide. Today in the Student Union Great Hall" DJ Spooky will present a mixture of performance and lecture as he discusses and demonstrates his work. The event is a prelude to his world premiere performance of ""Video Soul: Wattstax to the Avant Garde" on Saturday at Duke University's Reynolds Industries Theater.Spooky takes cultural material and re-presents it with subtle aural and sound cues and does his rhythm science thing" said Paul Jones, creator and director of Ibiblio, who is co-sponsoring the event. He's a DJ" but it's not all in the can; it's not like he gets up there" pushes a button and sits down. It's a live performance every time. He's very eclectic about what he does.""DJ Spooky" whose given name is Paul Miller has been called a pioneer in the field of conceptual multimedia performance art. He remixes video sound and music using turntables and video editing equipment to create original performances from samples of others' work. Miller will discuss the process of his work including the collection and development of his sounds and music" and the re-editing of movies for his performance of ""Video Soul"" on Saturday.""Video Soul"" re-creates Mel Stuart's acclaimed documentary ""Wattstax"" about the 1970s concert featuring Isaac Hayes and Richard Pryor that was performed right after the Watts Riots. Miller will combine remixed music from that era, with sounds and music from the present - exploring the concepts of then"" and ""now.""Ibiblio" an online company whose mission is to provide access to sharing software music and ideas freely and legally was created by Jones 15 years ago in conjunction with the School of Library and Information Sciences at UNC. Today's event is part of a series presented by Ibiblio in celebration of its 15-year anniversary. And the event is not only multimedia but multi-sponsored too. The list of sponsors for Miller's performances perhaps testifies to the uniqueness and interdisciplinary nature of his work. The departments of English art cultural studies the School of Information and Library Science's Open Video Project Carolina Union Activities Board" Carolina Free Culture and the Performing Arts and Special Activities Fund all sponsored the event.""What excited us" along with DJ Spooky was the co-sponsors" said Robert Gurdian, Carolina Union president. We like working with different groups" and these are people we haven't worked with before and always wanted to work with. And we know it's a great idea" so it really got us excited to do it.""But Jones said Miller's work is not just for the artistically minded crowd.""The nice thing about Spooky is that it's danceable; it's a little bit aural. His music is really great but he never stopped at music"" Jones said. And anybody who knows Spooky a little bit knows that you'll be able to have a little interaction with him and that there's always a surprise.""Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(01/24/08 5:00am)
For drag queens featured in the documentary "Paris is Burning," sequins, makeup and stilettos aren't just part of a costume. They're part of a lifestyle.
The 1990 documentary about the drag culture in New York City will be screened at 5 p.m. today as the fourth installment in the Global Queer Cinema Film Series.
(01/15/08 5:00am)
CORRECTIONS: Due to a source error, the Jan. 15 front-page article "Grammy winners deliver intimate performance" incorrectly states that singer Mary Chapin Carpenter canceled her 2007-08 tour without explanation. Carpenter canceled the tour in order to recover from an illness. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
(11/20/07 5:00am)
After a day of bingeing on turkey and stuffing, families can find unique ways to spend the rest of the holiday weekend together at the Ackland Art Museum.
This Friday the museum will be hosting its annual "Community Day" from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where visitors can build a puppet, learn Chinese calligraphy and experience a story from Mother Goose together.
"Community Day: Looking and Discovering," is a free, daylong event exploring arts and cultures from around the world, with the Ackland's newly reinstalled galleries and current exhibition "The Art of Looking" as its backdrop.
(10/10/07 4:00am)
The baton is up and the maestro is ready as the UNC Symphony tunes up for the final time before its season opener at 7:30 tonight in Memorial Hall.
The symphony of more than 100 musicians will perform "Symphonie Fantastique" by French composer Hector Berlioz to usher in its new season.
"It's a piece that is very standard repertoire," said Tonu Kalam, the symphony director. "It's one of the most famous big orchestra pieces of the 19th century.
"It has really good writing for all the parts. Everybody has good stuff to play. Nobody sits around, plays two notes and goes home."
(09/21/07 4:00am)
At the second annual Spark Con in Raleigh, visitors will have the chance to watch opera, see the latest fashions and eat their chili, too.
Spark Con is composed of 12 "sparks," or different creative outlets, including a music spark, film spark and chili cook-off spark.
Spark Con was born when a group of Triangle residents brainstormed ideas to promote the entire creative culture of their region.
"Around this area you see independent music scenes forming, you see independent businesses thriving, you see independent art scenes going on," said Lynnea Villanova, co-organizer of Music Spark.
"What this conference wants to do is sort of ignite this area and make it known as the creative hub of the South."
Music Spark is just one of the many festivals under the Spark Con creative conference umbrella, which is the governing body of this weekend's festivities.
However, Chico Scott, co-organizer of Music Spark, stresses that he "didn't want Music Spark to be just an indie-rock showcase," but instead he wanted to create a festival celebrating all the diverse and unique musical talents from the Triangle area.
The festival, which began Thursday and runs through Sunday, will primarily feature local bands from the Triangle.
"This area has been really well-known for music for many years, going back to the original blues stuff and the indie-rock stuff of the '90s," Villanova said. "We're not inviting groups from outside the area because we don't need to - we've got so many great people around here."
Performances scheduled for this weekend's festival include such varied acts as The N.C. Symphony, hip-hop groups Fanu and Camp Lo and house music from DJ Sleazy McQueen.
But the conference isn't just about music.
There has been a push this year for different sparks to collaborate and jointly present events. On Saturday night, Music Spark will join forces with Film Spark and present local filmmakers' work scored by live experimental music.
And anyone interested in starting any kind of spark is encouraged to do so during the initial planning phases of the conference.
"Whoever decides to pick up the handful of that spark organizes it and makes it happen," said Villanova, who is a volunteer along with Scott.
Villanova, a local physician and acupuncturist, and Scott, a Raleigh restaurant and bar manager, have been planning the event since April.
Organizers say the festival can be used as a tool for those new to the area, especially students who want to get connected to their new home.
"If they are from out of town, this is a chance for them to be more integrated with their environment, not just passing through, not just from a transient perspective," Scott said.
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
ATTEND THE FESTIVAL
When: Today through Sunday
Where: Downtown Raleigh
Info: www.sparkcon.com/musicspark.html
(09/14/07 4:00am)
Tonight the Ackland Art Museum will put some music on, let its hair down and keep its doors open into the night with the first "Art After Dark" event of the school year.