The Arts Paper - April 2014

yuag 5

book review 7

ism 8

artists next door 10

calendar 12

The Arts Paper a free publication of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven • newhavenarts.org

April 2014

manic mark books the best page 10

Brahms Requiem April 24

Rachmaninov Fantastique May 15

New England Conservatory Concert Choir

Ilya Yakushev, piano

Classics Series at Woolsey Hall

Tickets $15-69 NewHavenSymphony.org 203.865.0831 x10

The Arts Paper April 2014

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Jazz Lives captured Exhibit explores photos by Friedlander, Hinton

staff Cynthia Clair executive director Soonil Chun director of finance Julie Trachtenberg director of development & marketing Debbie Hesse director of artistic services & programs Bobbi Griffith director of membership & advertising Stephen Grant communications manager Winter Marshall executive administrative assistant David Brensilver editor, the arts paper Amanda May Aruani design consultant

board of directors Robert B. Dannies, Jr. president James Alexander vice president Lois DeLise second vice president Ken Spitzbard treasurer Mark Potocsny secretary directors Daisy Abreu Wojtek Borowski Susan Cahan Lindy Lee Gold Charles Kingsley Kenneth Lundgren Jocelyn Maminta Josh Mamis Elizabeth Meyer-Gadon Frank Mitchell Mark Myrick Vivian Nabeta Eileen O’Donnell Bill Purcell David Silverstone Dexter Singleton Richard S. Stahl, MD

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Book Review Elizabeth Weinberg recommends Messud’s The Woman Upstairs

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Where art and theology meet At 40, Yale Institute of Sacred Music remains unique

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven promotes, advocates, and fosters opportunities for artists, arts organizations, and audiences. Because the arts matter.

The Arts Paper is published by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, and is available by direct mail through membership with the Arts Council.

For membership information call 203.772.2788.

To advertise in The Arts Paper, call Bobbi Griffith at the Arts Council.

Arts Council of Greater New Haven 70 Audubon Street, 2nd Floor New Haven, CT 06510 Phone: 203.772.2788 Fax: 203.772.2262 info@newhavenarts.org www.newhavenarts.org

Artists Next Door Mark Nussbaum’s Manic Productions lures touring bands to local venues

The Arts Council is pleased to recognize the generous contributions of our business, corporate and institutional members. executive champions The United Illuminating Company/Southern Connecticut Gas Yale University senior patrons Knights of Columbus L. Suzio York Hill Companies Odonnell Company Webster Bank corporate partners Firehouse 12 Fusco Management Company Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Yale-New Haven Hospital

honorary members Frances T. “Bitsie” Clark Cheever Tyler In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, the Arts Council now prints The Arts Paper on more environmentally friendly paper and using soy inks. Please read and recycle.

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business patrons Albertus Magnus College Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale Newman Architects, llc Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects People’s United Bank Quinnipiac University Wiggin and Dana

business members Bar Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman, llp Duble & O’Hearn, Inc. Griswold Home Care United Aluminum Corporation foundations and government agencies The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund DECD/CT Office of the Arts Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation The Ethel & Abe Lapides Foundation First Niagara Foundation The George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation NewAlliance Foundation Pfizer The Wells Fargo Foundation The Werth Family Foundation media partners New Haven Independent WPKN

april 2014 •

The Arts Paper April 2014

Letter from the editor In this edition of The Arts Paper, we recognize the Yale Institute of Sacred Music as it celebrates its 40th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, I conducted interviews with a number of folks about what makes the institute so unique.

Marguerite Brooks, an associate professor of choral conducting at the Yale School of Music and the founder of the Yale Camerata, explained that the institute offers students an “amazing number of interdisciplinary possibilities,” and said, “I don’t know of another place that does it.”

I wrote in my piece: “Thomas Troeger, the Yale Divinity School’s J. Edward and Ruth Cox Lantz Professor of Christian Communication … described the institute as a crossroads where music, the arts, and theology meet.

The institute’s uniqueness ‘is why I took the job at Yale,’ Troeger said.”

Hank Hoffman’s Artists Next Door profile introduces readers to local music impresario Mark Nussbaum, whose Manic Productions has been booking bands into local venues for the better part of a decade.

Hank tells us: “Chances are if you have been out to see live music at places like Café Nine or The Space in the past decade that you have attended a Manic Productions event. Nussbaum books an estimated 15-20 shows a month at about 10 different venues in the Greater New Haven area.”

Steve Chupaska, a guest contributor, has offered readers a glimpse into how some local bands used the seemingly protracted winter to gear up for springtime tours. Steve also tells us a bit about a group called The Both, a project conceived by former ’Til Tuesday singer Aimee Mann and The Pharmacists’ Ted Leo that makes an appearance this month at Toad’s Place.

Yale University Art Gallery

Along those same lines, Stephen Grant, the Arts Council’s communications manager, contributed a review of local musician Andy Daps’ latest release, Laments & Lullabies.

This month, we’re pleased to feature another excellent column by Elizabeth Weinberg, who reviewed Claire Messud’s The Woman Upstairs.

Weinberg tells us that Messud’s latest book “asks questions about the masks we wear, and the ways we misread those around us, even those we trust. And the answers are, ever inevitably, heartbreaking — but so, too, are they exquisite.”

Also previewed in this edition of The Arts Paper is an exhibit at the Yale University Art Gallery called Jazz Lives: The Photographs of Lee Friedlander and Milt Hinton.

Writing about the exhibit, I explained that “while Friedlander and Hinton’s images depict the individuals who developed jazz as an art form in New Orleans over the course of many decades, the collections that make up the larger exhibit reflect the evolution of a musical style and its relevance today.”

In addition to the articles in this edition of The Arts Paper, we at the Arts Council are pleased to let you know about our reimagined blog, ArtNHV.com, which will regularly showcase our artist-members and let you know what of interest is going on in and beyond the Greater New Haven region.

I hope you’ll enjoy the articles in this edition of our publication, which we continue to scrutinize with an eye on appealing to an ever-growing readership. As we remind you to do each and every month, please remember to recycle this publication when you’re finished reading it. Until then, enjoy the articles herein.  Sincerely,

In the next issue …

The May edition of The Arts Paper will include a story about the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s season-ending program, which features performances of Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, with pianist Ilya Yakushev (pictured), and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique.

Photo of Mr. Yakushev courtesy of NHSO.

On the Cover Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne performs at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford during a show promoted by Mark Nussbaum. Read about Nussbaum’s Manic Productions on page 10. Photo by Greg Scranton.

Correction David Brensilver, editor The Arts Paper

A feature story that appeared on page 5 of the March edition of The Arts Paper was written by Hank Hoffman. The byline was incorrect. We regret the error.

richard wilson and the Transformation of European Landscape Painting On view through June 1, 2014 related exhibition

Art in Focus: Wales April 4–August 10, 2014

VISIT WITH FRIENDS

ya l e c e n t e r f o r b r i t i s h a r t Expanded museum now open Yale University Art Gallery, view of the American paintings and sculpture galleries, 2012

• april 2014

Free and open to the public artgallery.yale.edu

1080 Chapel Street, New Haven Admission is free

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Richard Wilson, Snowdon from Llyn Nantlle (detail), ca. 1765–66, oil on canvas, National Museums Liverpool (Walker Art Gallery), Courtesy of National Museums Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery

artnhv.com • 3

The Arts Paper April 2014

the arts council sounds off on …

Colleen Shaddox’s latest success david brensilver Hamden-based writer Colleen Shaddox has been named the winner of the Shakespeare in the ‘Burg one-act playwriting competition, which is administered in conjunction with the Shakespeare in the ’Burg theater festival, in Middleburg, Virginia.

Shaddox’s play, a comedy called The Shakespeares, imagines what might have caused the Bard to retire from the theater and stop writing at the relatively young age of 49.

Selected from 165 entries from around the world, Shaddox’s one-act play will be performed on April 5, as part of the above-mentioned Shakespeare in the ’Burg theater festival.

In January 2012, Shaddox’s short story Consummation: 2004 was published by the Main Street Rag as part of Suicidally Beauti-

ful: A Collection of Short Stories.

Consummation: 2004 tells the sad story of a long-suffering Red Sox fan named Jerry O’Boyle, who had the misfortune to fall in love the night New York Yankees shortstop Bucky Dent hit an unlikely home run that ended Boston’s 1978 season. In Shaddox’s comically tragic story, O’Boyle is haunted

by Dent’s heroics until the day he dies in September 2004 without seeing his favorite team win its first World Series title in 86 years.

Shaddox has written for such media outlets as the BBC, National Public Radio, The New York Times, and many other magazines and newspapers. Her essays and short stories appear in numerous anthologies.

The Arts Council congratulates Shaddox on her most recent success.  David Brensilver is the editor of The Arts Paper.

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Photo: © David Ottenstein

For enrollment and schedule information contact: administrator@newhavenballet.org 203-782-9038

april 2014 •

The Arts Paper April 2014

Jazz Lives on view Yale Art Gallery displays photos by Friedlander, Hinton david brensilver his month, the Yale University Art Gallery opens an exhibit called Jazz Lives: The Photographs of Lee Friedlander and Milt Hinton. Joshua Chuang, the gallery’s Richard Benson Associate Curator of Photography and Digital Media, pointed out during a recent telephone conversation that “lives” can be interpreted as either a noun or a verb.

He makes a good point.

While Friedlander and Hinton’s images depict the individuals who developed jazz as an art form in New Orleans over the course of many decades, the collections that make up the larger exhibit reflect the evolution of a musical style and its relevance today.

With direction from Chuang, Molleen Theodore, an assistant curator of programs at the gallery, and Pamela Franks, the organization’s deputy director for exhibitions, programming, and education and the interim Seymour H. Knox, Jr., Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, the exhibit was curated by Yale University students Nina Wexelblatt, Alexander Dubovoy, and William Gearty.

Of the three of them, only Wexelblatt – a

T

comparative literature major who’ll gradto reissue the artist’s 1992 monograph uate in May – had any previous curatorial sparked an interest in displaying images experience, having served as a curatorial from the new edition. fellow at the Jewish Museum and at the Showing Friedlander’s work alongside Whitney Museum of American Art. Hinton’s, Theodore said, was gallery direcDubovoy, a tor Jock Reynolds’ sophomore, and idea.

Gearty, a senior, Born in 1934, are involved with Friedlander began the Yale Undermaking trips to graduate Jazz ColNew Orleans in lective.

1957 and around The genesis of that time became Jazz Lives was the sort of an unofficial Yale University cataloger of visual Press’ plan to documentation for release an exthe Archive of New panded edition of Orleans Jazz at Friedlander’s 1992 Tulane University, monograph The a project started – Nina Wexelblatt Jazz People of New

by Bill Russell and Orleans: Playing Richard Allen. for the Benefit of Friedlander’s the Band. The forthcoming title, which was photographs of New Orleans jazz muslated for release in March, is called Playsicians span decades, as do Hinton’s. ing for the Benefit of the Band: New Orleans Whereas Friedlander’s photographs priMusic Culture. marily depict artists who were relatively The Yale University Art Gallery, Theounknown outside of New Orleans when dore said, is home to a large repository of their portraits were taken, Hinton’s images Friedlander’s photographs. Naturally, plans depict some of the most well-known jazz

“We were interested in presenting jazz as more than just music.”

musicians of our time.

Hinton, who died in 2000, was a jazz bassist who worked with the likes of Cab Calloway, Dizzie Gillespie, and Billie Holiday.

When they started organizing the exhibit, Chuang said, he and the students spent time listening to jazz and watching YouTube videos of Hinton performing.

Wexelblatt, Dubovoy, and Gearty, Chuang said, “have really enjoyed this immersion into this world.”

That’s due in part to the fact, Theodore said, that “the students … get this opportunity to work as curators and they’re treated as curators at the gallery.”

Dubovoy and Gearty, Wexelblatt said, share “a deep interest in … giving jazz a bigger presence on the Yale campus.”

“The idea of being a curator … I think can be defined variously,” Theodore explained.

“We were interested,” she said, “in presenting jazz as more than just music. … We chose photographs that told the story for us.”

Chuang explained that both Friedlander and Hinton “were interested in this kind of Continued on page 6

Lee Friedlander, Young Tuxedo Brass Band, New Orleans, 1959. Gelatin silver print. © Lee Friedlander, Courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco. Photo and image details courtesy of Yale University Art Gallery.

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The Arts Paper April 2014

Jazz exhibit Continued from page 5 intimate view of specific people.”

Friedlander’s “interest in these particular musicians in New Orleans … says a lot about his attraction to the unadorned vernacular American scene,” Chuang said.

“This was jazz played in people’s backyards or front porches. … He’s after a kind of authenticity.”

Access to the Milton J. Hinton Photographic Collection was made possible by David Berger and Holly Maxson, who knew the celebrated bassist and maintain an archive of his work.

Part of what makes Hinton and his work so compelling, Chuang said, is that he played with so many well-known artists, not to mention the fact that he photo-

graphed so many of them.

Some of Hinton’s life work is represented, in part, in Playing the Changes: Milt Hinton’s Life in Stories and Photographs (Vanderbilt University Press, 2008), which will be available for purchase during the exhibition.

Of particular interest, with regard to Hinton’s photographs, is the fact that be-

cause he was on the road much of the time, exhibition prints were not made from his original negatives until long after he took the pictures.

Most important, in terms of his contributions to jazz and its history, is the fact that Hinton “managed to touch so many aspects of jazz as it evolved,” Chuang said. 

Jazz Lives: The Photographs of Lee Friedlander and Milt Hinton is on view at the Yale University Art Gallery April 4-Sept. 7. Several related programs have been organized in conjunction with the exhibit. Local and student musicians will perform at the gallery on April 6, at 3 p.m., and April 24, at 5:30 p.m. Performances by area high-school and middle-school students are scheduled to take place

on April 13, at 3 p.m. An open jam session hosted by a house band is scheduled for April 27, at 3 p.m.

And a talk by Fairfield University music program coordinator Brian Torff, a jazz bassist whose mentor was none other than Hinton, is scheduled for April 30, at 12:30 p.m. Learn more at artgallery.yale.edu.

Milt Hinton, Louis Armstrong, Hotel room, Seattle, ca. 1954. Gelatin silver print. © Milton J. Hinton Photographic Collection, MiltHinton.com. Photo and image details courtesy of Yale University Art Gallery.

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Free and open to the public. Limited seating.

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april 2014 •

The Arts Paper April 2014

the best book i read this month

The Woman Upstairs, by Claire Messud Elizabeth Weinberg Nora Eldridge has regrets. She has regrets, and she wants you to know about them: from the very opening lines of Claire Messud’s novel The Woman Upstairs, she explains, “It was supposed to say ‘Great Artist’ on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say ‘such a good teacher/daughter/ friend’ instead; and what I really want to shout, and want in big letters on that grave, too, is FUCK YOU ALL.” Ever since Publisher’s Weekly published an interview with Messud in which the author took her interviewer to task for claiming that she “wouldn’t want to be friends with Nora” — a notion that Messud called out as both sexist and naïve — much has been said about the anger at the root of The Woman Upstairs. As Messud pointed out in that same interview, “if it’s unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man to be angry, it’s totally unacceptable for a woman to be angry.” The Woman Upstairs explores that unacceptability, illustrating one form of perhaps particularly feminine anger — the anger of regret, of having lived a life that is not the one that’s dreamed of. In this way, the novel is a striking, and important, work of feminist literature.

But what’s most compelling about Nora’s has been handed the opportunity to live her anger is the clarity with which it’s rendered ideal life. She falls, in a sense, in love with amid a panoply of other emotions. The them, giving herself over to this ideal family Woman Upstairs is told from Nora’s perto such an extent that her entire sense of spective, from a vantage point years after self becomes vulnerable. the novel’s events are first set into motion.

By the time Nora is telling her story, a When the story begins, betrayal has occurred and Nora has spent her adult Nora is dismayed, hurt, life devoting herself enand furious. But while fury, tirely to the care of her an emotion so primal, can parents and to her work make a swamp of a naras an elementary school rative, overwhelming all teacher, and has, as a repossible nuance, Nora — sult, practically given up and Messud — does not on her dream of becoming allow this to happen. She an artist. Instead, she has walks the reader through become what she terms each step of the way, a “woman upstairs,” that setting up the inevitable is, “the quiet woman at betrayal without, in turn, the end of the third-floor betraying to the reader hallway, whose trash is what exactly is about to always tidy, who smiles happen. And she explains, brightly in the stairwell with startling clarity, what with a cheerful greeting, she felt and what she did Image courtesy of Random House. and who, from behind not feel: when Nora thinks closed doors, never makes a sound.” Enter she might be falling in love with Sirena, she the Shahids — Reza, the quiet, intelligent explains, “I knew it was potential rather than boy in Nora’s third-grade class; Skandar, his actual, but I didn’t understand then that it professor father; and Sirena, Reza’s effusive wasn’t Real. I didn’t see that I’d made it up. artist mother — and Nora feels as if she … I built houses and entire lives, upon these

beliefs. If you’d told me my own story about someone else, I would have assured you that this person was completely unhinged.

Or a child. That’s always the way.” A lesser writer might allow Nora’s anger to become one-note, to overwhelm any trace of joy and excitement, but Messud uses Nora’s retrospective narration to render the story more sharply. Nora understands, at least in part, what went wrong, and she is willing to admit it.

The end result is a novel that is, at times, difficult to read, as few characters are allowed to pass through without scrutiny, and few emotions or moments of pain are permitted to go undescribed. So put it down when you must, but return to it. Because at its heart, The Woman Upstairs asks questions about the masks we wear, and the ways we misread those around us, even those we trust. And the answers are, ever inevitably, heartbreaking — but so, too, are they exquisite.  Also recommended: The Luminaries,

by Eleanor Catton.

Learn more about New Haven-based writer and editor Elizabeth Weinberg at elizabeth-weinberg.com.

Join the Arts Council!

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven is dedicated to enhancing, developing, and promoting opportunities for artists, arts organizations, and audiences throughout the Greater New Haven area. Join us today! newhavenarts.org/membership The Arts Paper Read our feature articles and download the latest edition. artNHV.com Arts Council on Facebook Get the inside scoop on what’s happening in the arts now! facebook.com/ artscouncilofgreaternewhaven Creative Directory Looking for something? Find local creative businesses and artists with our comprehensive arts-related directory.

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The Arts Paper April 2014

Where art and theology meet

The Yale Schola Cantorum on tour in Istanbul.

Yale Institute of Sacred Music celebrates 40 years david brensilver photos courtesy of the ism

or 40 years, the Yale Institute of Sacred Music has remained a unique organization that serves as a sort of bridge between the Yale Divinity School and the Yale School of Music.

F

An outgrowth of the Union Theological Seminary’s School of Sacred Music, in New York City, the ISM “was founded to train church musicians,” and still does, its director, Martin Jean, pointed out during a recent interview. In the four decades since its founding here in New Haven, where it was endowed by Clementine Tangeman and her brother, J. Irwin Miller, the ISM has

There’s an art

to finer senior living.

extended its educational reach into other artistic areas while providing a home for the celebrated Yale Schola Cantorum – the vision for which, the group’s founder, Simon Carrington, said in a recent telephone conversation, was Margot Fassler’s.

Fassler, who served as director of the ISM from 1994 to 2004, wanted the institute to champion the finest sacred choral music composed before 1750 (the year of J.S. Bach’s death). If a university affiliated organization was to be that flag-bearer, it should be at Yale, Fassler believed.

The Yale Schola Cantorum was launched in 2003 as a 24-voice choir made up of singers from around the Yale University campus – vocalists who were already enrolled in various university programs. The following year, Carrington established a voice program at the ISM that began with four and now consists of eight graduate-level vocalists – the Voxtet, a unit sponsored by the ISM that serves as the core of the Yale Schola Cantorum.

Many of the voice program’s alumni have gone on to enjoy impressive careers. Tenor

is part of our tradition.

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The Arts Paper April 2014

Derek Chester has established himself sponsored by the institute and appointed as a leading Evangelist in performances by either the divinity or music school. of Bach’s passions. Sherezade Panthaki’s Thanks to that somewhat complicated place in the sacred-music landscape has model, Brooks said, the ISM offers students become “extremely prominent,” Carrington an “amazing number of interdisciplinary said. And there are others – tenor Steven possibilities.”

Soph and countertenors Michael Wisdom, “I don’t know of another place that does Jay Carter, and Ian Howell, to name four – it,” she said. whose names Carrington mentioned in the Thomas Troeger, the Yale Divinity same context.

School’s J. Edward and Ruth Cox Lantz Carrington himself, of course, is an inProfessor of Christian Communication, ternationally recognized performer and has been on the ISM’s faculty for nearly scholar, having been a founding member of a decade. He described the institute as a the King’s Singers, in Cambridge, England, crossroads where music, the arts, and theand conducting all over the world. ology meet.

Carrington, who spent six years directing The institute’s uniqueness “is why I took the Yale Schola Cantorum before passing the job at Yale,” Troeger said. the baton to Masaaki Suzuki, said, “Schola David Hill, a sought-after English choral became extremely well known around the conductor who in July succeeded Suzuki country and abroad,” in no small part beas director of the Yale Schola Cantorum, cause of recordings the group has made. said working at the ISM – where he teaches And while “it took about three years to conducting (as he does at the Yale School really get it to fly,” Carrington said, that’s of Music) – “fulfills so many of the things actually a reflection of how quickly the enthat I believe in.” semble garnered widespread acclaim.

Hawkins joined the divinity school fac“By creating a choir of this nature … ulty in 1976 and thus has seen the ISM nearer to a professional chamber choir grow significantly from its inception three than … anything else years earlier. in the United States,” After leaving in Carrington said, the 2000 to teach at BosISM demonstrated its ton University, where commitment to the he ran the Luce Prounderstanding and gram in Scripture and performance of sacred Literary Arts, Hawkins music. was “lured back” to Marguerite Brooks, Yale in 2008. an associate professor “When I returned … of choral conducting the whole thing was a at the Yale School of much bigger deal,” he Music and the founder said. of the Yale Camerata, Today, Hawkins pointed out that “most explains that the ISM of the major choral is about “religion and – Peter Hawkins …” – which is a way pieces … have a sacred element to them.” of saying the institute And that reflects the exists to foster underinstitute’s place at the standing of theology in intersection of art and theology. religious and artistic practice.

Still, not all of the students she works “We’re interested in the theological with at the ISM pursue church work profes- context for a work of art … the theological sionally. implications of it,” Hawkins said.

Brad Wells, for example, who was recAs Carrington does, Jean, who’s been the ognized in 1998 with the institute’s Aidan ISM’s director since 2005, gives Fassler – Kavanagh Achievement Prize and went on his predecessor – a good deal of credit for to earn a doctorate from the Yale School of the institute’s growth over the last 20 years Music, founded the vocal ensemble Roomin particular. ful of Teeth, which won a Grammy Award Fassler “started building very important this year for “Best Chamber Music/Small bridges to academic departments in (the) Ensemble Performance.” arts and sciences,” Jean said.

Graduate students at the ISM who Jean, a church organist who said, “My life deepen their understanding of the areas has always been on the bench on Sunday they’re studying at the Yale Divinity School morning,” is working to further expand the and Yale School of Music, “really run the ISM’s interdisciplinary focus – in large part gamut, in terms of their (subsequent) emthrough a fellows program geared toward ployment,” Brooks said. engaging other religious traditions.

It’s worth explaining that the Institute of He finds importance in getting the instiSacred Music is a place where theologians tute’s “view looking toward the world.” can deepen their understanding of the The fellows program was launched in music and art that have long expressed 2010, Jean said, to expand the ISM’s enscared themes, and where musicians can gagement with sacred music, worship, and further understand the theological world the arts beyond western traditions. into which their work will take them.

What makes the ISM unique, from Jean’s And music is not the only art form that’s perspective, is that other programs, while explored at the ISM. Poet Christian Wiman teaching church music, “don’t do it alongand Dante scholar Peter Hawkins, who have side people who are teaching theology.”  appointments at the Yale Divinity School, are faculty members at the ISM. That is, Visit the Yale Institute of Sacred Music they and their counterparts at the ISM are online at ism.yale.edu.

“We’re interested in the theological context for a work of art … the theological implications of it.”

Marguerite Brooks on the podium.

David Hill conducts the Yale Schola Cantorum.

The Yale Camerata performs in Battell Chapel.

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The Arts Paper April 2014

Concert pitch

Mark Nussbaum’s Manic Productions lures touring bands to local venues

hank hoffman photos by greg scranton unless otherwise noted pril Fool’s Day 2009 was a turning point for Mark Nussbaum. Not because someone played an elaborate prank on him. Rather, it was the date when he realized that his yearslong hobby of promoting music shows could actually be — had finally become — a career.

On that night, Nussbaum’s Manic Productions was presenting Dinosaur Jr. — a legendarily loud band that had long been a favorite of Nussbaum’s — in a sold-out show at Daniel Street in Milford.

“Load-in for the show as at noon. It was the first show where I had to be there all day,” recalls Nussbaum in an interview at his apartment, which doubles as his office.

“For this show, I helped the band load in, was running to get them their hospitality, helped them set up, was able to watch the show and helped them load out. It was really satisfying.”

He even arranged for late-arriving New Haven Register music writer Pat Ferrucci to bring along some renowned Elm City pizza for the group to savor after their set. He had turned it into a real business the year before. That was the night he knew it was working out.

Nussbaum, known as “Manic Mark,” has been booking and promoting indie rock and punk shows through his Manic Productions since he was a high school student in 2002.

Chances are if you have been out to see live music at places like Café Nine or The Space in the past decade that you have attended a Manic Productions event. Nussbaum books an estimated 15-20 shows a month at about 10 different venues in the Greater New Haven area (with occasional events in Hartford and Danbury).

Among his high profile shows last year were a Flaming Lips concert at the Oakdale Theatre that drew 2,500 people and a soldout show by the diffident indie chanteuse Cat Power at Center Church on the Green

A

Built to Spill performs at the Ballroom at The Outer Space.

in New Haven. While Nussbaum got his start putting together bills of punk and ska bands, he says, “There is no genre of music

we won’t book. Our philosophy has always been to book any and all music if it’s good music.”

Nussbaum keeps a folder for every show and every venue on his computer. He plugs every new date into Google calendar. As part of his job, Nussbaum listens to new music constantly. Daily, he checks a plethora of online music blogs — Pitchfork, Stereogum, Paste, and others — and follows record labels like Sub Pop, Jagjaguwar, and Matador.

“I want to see what bands are being signed, what bands are touring, and what bands are releasing new music,” he tells me.

Nussbaum also benefits by the relationships he has built over the years with touring groups.

“If we do a show with them and it’s successful, they’ll reach back out when they’re coming round,” he says.

What is he looking for as he listens to new music? One part of it is bands that offer something familiar, new groups in-

fluenced by the greats who make those sounds their own.

“But also, if something sounds new and groundbreaking, I want to try and bring in different kinds of bands like that,” he says.

In his research, he tries to “paint a picture of where they’re at in their musical lives.”

Understanding a group’s aesthetic and drawing power is key to figuring out what venue is the best fit. Should they be on the Wednesday night free show he curates at BAR or play the expansive Ballroom at The Outer Space? Do they make sense for Café Nine or do they need to play to the all-ages crowd at The Space? In a conversation with me last year, Steve Rodgers, owner of The Space, praised Nussbaum’s acuity in appraising the prospects of up-and-coming performers.

Nussbaum got into music promotion by helping promote the shows of the Flaming Tsunamis, a ska-punk band led by a friend.

The first show he organized, at the Madison Arts Barn in April of 2002, drew 350

Quasi performs at Cafe Nine.

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The Arts Paper April 2014

The Mantles perform at BAR in New Haven.

“There is no genre of music we won’t book.

Our philosophy has always been to book any and all music if it’s good music.”

-Mark Nussbaum people. The Madison Arts Barn was an established venue, but after that Nussbaum devoted his efforts to promoting shows on a DIY, or “do it yourself,” basis. He rented halls — his second show was at the Guilford Knights of Columbus hall and featured “7 bands for $7” — and put on house shows in basements.

One show a month became two, then three. But these independent efforts in fraternal halls were not without their struggles.

“Someone else would see we were doing shows and they would rent (the same hall) and something would go wrong and the hall would be ruined,” he recalls.

The pattern continued until they began booking acts at the Wallingford American

J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. at Arch Street in Hartford.

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Legion Hall.

“That’s when we really blossomed,” Nussbaum says.

Nussbaum promoted over 100 shows at the hall, including highly regarded underground acts like High on Fire, Lou Barlow, Rainer Maria, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. By the time a new neighbor’s low tolerance for loud music put the kibosh on the Wallingford American Legion Hall scene, Nussbaum had developed a working relationship with Steve Rodgers, owner of The Space (and now also The Outer Space and The Ballroom). His entrée to The Space acted like a domino effect, opening doors at other venues.

When Daniel Street came along, Nussbaum says, “It was huge for us. It was a bigger room than we had ever worked with.”

The ability to book Daniel Street — which ended a couple of years ago when new owners took over — inspired Nussbaum to pursue bigger name acts like Dinosaur Jr. “I really enjoy bringing good music to the state,” says Nussbaum. “It’s really fulfilling seeing people enjoying themselves at the live experience.” 

Mark Nussbaum. Photo by Harold Shapiro.

Visit Manic Productions on the Web at manicproductions.org.

See more of Greg Scranton’s photos at flickr.com/photos/gregscranton.

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CALENDAR Classes & Workshops Center for the Arts 283 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

“Living in Song” Workshops. Join one of three unique workshop series, each with a member of Sweet Honey in the Rock. These three different workshops will run simultaneously, led by three of the five members of the Grammy Award-winning African American female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, currently celebrating its 40th anniversary season. April 1-April 3 and April 15-17. Free. (Registration required, limited availability). 7-9 p.m.

Creative Arts Workshop 80 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-562-4927. creativeartsworkshop.org.

Spring Classes and Workshops. Explore your creative side with visual arts classes and workshops for adults and young people in book arts, design, drawing and painting, fiber, fashion, jewelry, photography, pottery, printmaking, and sculpture.

Spring Session runs through May 30. See the course brochure or visit the website for dates, times, fees. Online registration available.

Elm City Dance Collective Center for the Arts at Christ Church, 84 Broadway, New Haven.

401-741-8140. elmcitydance.org.

Contemporary Technique. Intermediate/advanced contemporary technique taught by Kellie Ann Lynch through May 1. Classes are held every Thursday with the exception of Thursday, April 17. $160 for the semester, $17 drop in, $14 student drop in. 6-7:30 p.m.

Guilford Art Center 411 Church St., Guilford. 203453-5947. guilfordartcenter.org.

Classes at Guilford Art Center. Classes in the visual arts for adults and children, including pottery, weaving, metalsmithing, painting and drawing, blacksmithing, and more, through June 6. Tuition assistance is available. Visit website for full descriptions and fees.

Neighborhood Music School 100 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-624-5189. neighborhoodmusicschool.org.

Dancing With Parkinson’s. Based on the Dance for PD™ program of the Mark Morris Dance Group, this class encourages people with Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders to experience gentle movement in a variety of dance styles, with live music. No experience is necessary and walkers, canes, and wheelchairs are welcome!

Mondays (excluding holidays) through June 30.

Contact instructor Laura Richling at lrichling@ neighborhoodmusicschool.org Free. 1:30-2:45 p.m. Middletown Senior Center, 150 Williams St., Middletown.

English Country Dance. All dances will be taught by Paul McGuire. Come with or without a partner.

Beginners welcome. Live music by Marshall Barron, Grace Feldman, Phoebe Barron, Margaret Ann Martin, and musicians from Marshall’s Dance Band Workshops. Runs through April 4. 8-10:30 p.m.

Paul Mellon Arts Center Choate Rosemary Hall, 332 Christian St., Wallingford. 203-697-2398. choate.edu/boxoffice.

The New York City-based ballet company Ballet NY, founded in 1997 by former New York City Ballet principal ballerina Judith Fugate, along with international guest artist Medhi Bahiri, offers emerging choreographers the opportunity to create new works for accomplished dancers. April 4.

7:30 p.m.

Royal Scottish Country Dance Society Whitney Arts Center, 591 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203281-6591. rscdsnewhaven.org.

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Saxophonist Candy Dulfer appears at Southern Connecticut State University’s John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts on April 11 as part of the venue’s spring jazz series.

Photo by Carin Verbruggen.

Scottish Country Dancing. Enjoy dancing the social dances of Scotland. Come alone or with a friend. All dances taught. Wear soft-soled nonstreet shoes. Every Tuesday evening through May 20. $8 per evening. First night free. 7:45-10 p.m.

phers present a collection of new works as the culminating project of the dance major. 8 p.m.

Patricelli ’92 Theater, Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 213 High St., Middletown. 860-6853355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Wesleyan University Center for the Arts World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown.

860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Wesleyan Youth Gamelan Ensemble Classes.

Your child can visit on the first day to try the gamelan — if he or she likes it, sign him or her up!

The Youth Gamelan Ensemble was founded as a Wesleyan University Center for the Arts program in 2002 by Wesleyan artist –in-residence I.M. Harjito, who guides the group. Classes (10 a.m.) run through May 1 and conclude with a performance on Thursday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. $30 for the semester. No prior experience necessary.

11-12 Friday-Saturday

Yale Peabody Museum Community Education Center 230 West Campus Drive, Orange.

203-934-0878. ctnsi.com.

Classes in Natural Science Illustration. Ongoing classes in natural science illustration at the Community Education Center at Yale West Campus.

We offer instruction in basic drawing, watercolor, pen and ink, oil painting, colored pencil, and mixed media. Our instructors are certified natural science illustrators. For information, visit website, send e-mail to ctnsi.info@gmail.com, or call 203934-0878. Monday-Friday, through May 31.

Dance 3-5 Thursday-Saturday Spring Senior Thesis Dance Senior choreogra-

Student Dance Concert Choate Rosemary Hall students perform. 7:30 p.m. Paul Mellon Arts Center, Choate Rosemary Hall, 332 Christian Street, Wallingford. 203-697-2398. www.choate. edu/boxoffice.

25-26 Friday-Saturday Threshold Sites: Feast A moving exploration of the relationship between body/self, home/community, and environment/ecosystem through the lens of food, this project took off from a central question: How does the way we experience and enact our own corporeality impact the way we live in and experience our communities and our environments? 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Cross Street Dance Studio, Wesleyan Center for the Arts, 160 Cross St., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan. edu/cfa.

25-26 Friday-Saturday The See Yourself Project The Elm City Dance Collective presents sidewalk performances drawing on the themes and exercises used to create their latest work, Almost Porcelain. Passersby will be prompted to direct living statues and interact using movement creation processes. The result will be short public dance performances, each one original and different from the next. Friday, 5-9 p.m., at The Green (corner of Temple and Chapel streets); Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at Broadway

Triangle (corner of Park and Elm streets). 401741-8140. elmcitydance.org.

Exhibitions Beverly Kaye Gallery 15 Lorraine Drive, Woodbridge. 203-387-5700. artbbrut.com, BeverlyKayeGallery.blogspot.com.

Anthony Guyther: Redux. Forty five years of symbolist collage created by self-taught Martha’s Vineyard artist Anthony Guyther. His works were enlarged and used as backdrops in the fashion windows of Bonwit Teller in New York City in the 1960s. A book by the same name is also available and many vintage collages from that book will be offered for sale. Call for an appointment. April 3-July 24. Open by appointment Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free.

City Gallery 994 State St., New Haven. 203-7822489. city-gallery.org.

Splash. Phyllis Crowley’s photographs of swimmers, pools, and fountains. Crowley shows the joy and ebullience of human motion in water, with hints of the risks of staying under. The abstract images of water dripping and gushing from fountains and pools convey the beauty we see in this life force. April 3-27. Thursday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m.

Opening reception: Saturday, April 5, 2-5 p.m. Free.

Creative Arts Workshop 80 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-562-4927. creativeartsworkshop.org.

Prizewinners Show: Hillary Charnas and Rebecca Murtaugh. Works by Hillary Charnas and Rebecca Murtaugh, prizewinners of CAW’s 2013 International Juried Show How Simple Can You Get? will be on display in the Hilles Gallery through April 3.

Mon-Fri, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

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Creative Works Gallery Features Bart Conners Szczarba. Works by Bart Conners Szczarba, on view through April 11. Mon-Fri, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

DaSilva Gallery 897-899 Whalley Ave., New Haven.

203-387-2539. dasilva-gallery.com.

Synchronicities: New Paintings By Marc Osborne.

“My new paintings, a series entitled Synchronicities, extend directly from my recent resumption of songwriting, singing, and performing with Hand, a band whose origins go back to my high school days in Switzerland.” – Marc Osborne. April 5-April 30. Artist reception: Saturday, April 5, 6-8 p.m. Free.

Elm City Artists Gallery 55 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-922-2359. elmcityartists.com.

Equinox. Works by Sharon Morgio, Ralph Schwartz Regina Thomas, Laura Wilk, and Margaret Ulecka-Wilson. Paintings in oil, watercolor, pastel, collage/mixed media, and unique pottery, both decorative and functional. On view through April 26.

Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Free.

Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 283 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Senior Thesis Exhibition. Zilkha Gallery showcases the work of the Class of 2014’s thesis students in the Department of Art and Art History’s art studio program. Each student is invited to select a single work from his or her senior thesis exhibition for this yearend showcase of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and architecture. April 29-May 24. Tuesday-Sunday, 12-5 p.m.; Saturday, May 24, 2-4 p.m. Free.

Senior Thesis Exhibition Reception — Week Two. View the talents of the seniors in the art studio program of Wesleyan’s Department of Art and Art

History — Emily Roff, Allison Greenwald, Evita Rodriguez, Rebecca Schisler, Katie Deane, and Oliver Citrin. April 2, 4-6 p.m. Free.

Senior Thesis Exhibition Reception — Week Three.

View the talents of the seniors in the art studio program of Wesleyan’s Department of Art and Art History — Hannah Knudsen, Pik-Tone Fung, Jessie Loo, Julia Drachman, Nathaniel Elmer, and Isaac Madwed. April 9 . 4-6 p.m. Free.

Firehouse Art Gallery Milford Arts Council, 81 Naugatuck Ave., Milford. 203-306-0016. milfordarts.org.

Green Exhibit. The Firehouse Art Gallery presents a green exhibit, on view through April 4. Friday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Free.

Photography Exhibit. The Firehouse Art Gallery is excited to present a photography exhibit, on view April 17-May 16. Friday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m. An opening reception will take place on Thursday, April 17, 6-8 p.m. Free.

Fred.Giampietro Gallery 91 Orange St., New Haven.

203-777-7707. giampietrogallery.com.

Linda Lindroth – Recent Disturbances. On view through April 19. Wed-Sat, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free.

Chuck Webster and Outside Art. An opening reception will take place on Friday, April 4, 6-8 p.m. April 4-May 10. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 11a .m.-4 p.m. Free.

New Work by Will Lustenader. April 25-May 24.

Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Opening reception: Friday, April 25, 6-8 p.m. Free.

Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge. 203-387-2522. jccnh.org.

The Colors of Israel by Joan Jacobson Zamore.

Exhibit runs through June 13. Free.

Violinist Hilary Hahn appears at Fairfield University’s Quick Center for the Arts on April 11. Photo by Peter Miller.

Yale Institute of Sacred Music Celebrating 40 Years at Yale march 29–may 3, 2014 Music

Q

Worship

Arts

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performances

John Slade Ely House 51 Trumbull St., New Haven. 203-624-8055. elyhouse.org.

113th Annual Juried Art Exhibition. Works by artists from the Northeast, representing the New Haven Paint and Clay Club, in oil, watercolor, drawing, mixed media, graphics, and sculpture. On view through April 13. Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 2-5 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Few customs or traditions have endured for longer than a millennium, but the use of icons in Russia is among them. The exhibition features more than 225 Russian Orthodox icons along with other liturgical and devotional items. Icons are often called “windows into heaven” because they are said to give viewers a glimpse of the eternal realm. April 5-27. Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission and parking.

Kehler Liddell Gallery 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven. 203-389-9555. kehlerliddell.com.

Silent Poem, Spoken Light – Work by Maureen M. Squires and Sarah Beth Goncarova. This exhibition explores one of the most integral yet continuously perplexing questions of the art-making practice: How does one create work that is highly communicative yet largely unspoken? Artists Maureen M. Squires and Sarah Beth Goncarova examine this concept through calligraphy, poetry, painting, and installation. On view through April 20. Free and open to the public.

Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies Gallery Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 343 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860685-2330. wesleyan.edu/mansfield/exhibitions.

Artist Lecture — Mary Heebner. In the multidimensional installation Silent Faces/Angkor, Mary Heebner knits together imagery and writing to create an elemental, spiritual, and involving interpretation of the myths of the ancient Angkor temple complex that plays on the links she has found between human and geographic forms. April 7.

4:30 p.m. Free.

Knights of Columbus Museum Knights of Columbus, 1 State St., New Haven. 203-865-0400. kofcmuseum.org.

Windows Into Heaven: Russian Icons and Treasures.

Miller Memorial Library Senior Center Hamden Art League, 2901 Dixwell Ave., Hamden. 203494-2316. hamdenartleague.com.

Hamden Art League’s Goldenbells Art Exhibition.

Yale Camerata Yale Schola Cantorum Nepathya, special guest artists

exhibitions Visions of the Sacred George Kordis: Light and Rhythm David Michalek: Slow Dancing

literature and spirituality Fanny Howe Spencer Reece

Plus film, lectures, and symposia.

Full listing at ism.yale.edu/events/40-year-celebration

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This 59th annual exhibition will feature original works of art by local HAL members and nonmembers in acrylic, oil, pastel, watercolor, printmaking, and mixed media. This non-juried show includes works by professional, amateur, and emerging artists. Awards donated by local benefactors and businesses will be presented at opening reception.

April 8-24. Open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Opening reception: Tuesday, April 8, 7-9 p.m. Free and open to the public.

New Haven Lawn Club 103 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-777-3484. sites.google.com/site/ kennethhansonlandscapes.

Dual Exhibit. Greenland’s Melting Glaciers and Icebergs by Satish K. Dhawan (in the Rotunda) and Himalayan Journeys by Kenneth Hanson (in the main dining area). Photographs taken in Nepal and Pakistan and in the Pamir Mountains, on the Tajik-Afghan border. On view through April 20.

Open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission and parking.

Spectrum Gallery Arts Center Killingworth, 61 Main St., Centerbrook. 860-663-5593. spectrumartgallery.org.

Jammin’ Exhibit Celebrating Jazz’s influence on the arts. Exhibition of painting, sculpture, photography, fine crafts. New fine art gallery and artisans store. Opening reception: April 18, 6:30-9 p.m. On view April 18-May 26. Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m-5 p.m. Free.

Cruz. April 3-June 20. Monday and Wednesday, 3-5 p.m. Presented in collaboration with the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the Department of Religious Studies. Free.

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-432-5050. peabody.yale.edu/exhibits/tiny-titans.

Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies. In 1923, the Flaming Cliffs of the Gobi Desert yielded one of the great finds of paleontology. Entombed within sunbaked sandstone, to the surprise of all in the expedition, was a collection of oval-shaped oddities: the first dinosaur eggs known to science. On view through August 30. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 12-5 p.m. $5-$9.

Galas & Fundraisers 26 Saturday Something Blue Benefit Gala Artspace hosts a gala fundraising event on Saturday, April 26, at 6 p.m., at 50 Orange St. and 45 Church St., in New Haven. This event will feature silent and live auctions. Prizes include a weeklong vacation at Sol Lewitt’s Amalfi Coast property and a ski trip to The Hermitage Club in Vermont. Ticket are $100$1,000. Auction lots can be previewed, tickets can be purchased, and absentee bid forms can be downloaded online at artspacegala.org.

Music Film 3 Thursday Religion and Film Series: I Can Do Bad All by Myself Films at the Whitney Humanities Center supported by the Barbakow Fund for Innovative Film Programs at Yale. Presented with the Initiative for the Study of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion, the Program in American Studies, the Film Studies Program, and the Department of Religious Studies. 7:30 p.m. Yale Institute of Sacred Music, Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St., New Haven. 203-432-5062. ism.yale.edu/event/ religion-and-film-i-can-do-bad-all-myself.

Wesleyan University Center for the Arts CFA Hall, Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 287 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-2500. wesleyan.edu/dac.

Oral Fixations. From strange hybrid “lovebirds” to disembodied mouths and monumental bubble gum, the subjects of assistant professor of art Julia Randall’s drawings seduce the viewer. The exhibition Oral Fixations is a 10-year retrospective of the meticulous, hyperrealist drawings by Ms. Randall. Free.

9 Wednesday

Whitney Humanities Center 53 Wall St., New Haven. 203-432-0670. yale.edu/whc/GalleryAtTheWhitney/current.html.

Visions of the Sacred: Puppets and Performing Arts of South and Southeast Asia. This exhibit is drawn from curator Kathy Foley’s collection of Asian religious theater materials. Foley is a professor of theater arts at the University of California Santa

Crossing Over Isabel Castro (Mexico/USA) will present a rough cut of her soon to be released documentary. 7 p.m. Yale University and NEFIAC, Luce Auditorium, Yale University, 34 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven. 203-432-3422. crossingoverdocumentary.com.

Two Generations Together Guatemalan filmmaker Luis Argueta will present the rough cut of his soon to be released documentary, and show scenes from his work in progress, The U-Turn. theuturnfilm.com. 7 p.m. Yale University and NEFIAC, LC 102, Linsly-Chittenden Hall, Yale University, 63 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven. 203-432-3422. vimeo.com/72932847.

14 Monday

Visit the Wesleyan University Center for the Arts this month to enjoy free student recitals.

Learn more at Wesleyan.edu/cfa or by calling 860-685-3355.

2 Wednesday Haven String Quartet at Best Video See the Haven String Quartet play in the coolest video store around! Get a preview of the music that will be performed at the quartet’s next series concert on May 10 (at the Unitarian Society of New Haven), entitled “Around the Ringstrasse: A Voyage to Vienna II.” 8 p.m. $5. Music Haven/Haven String Quartet, Best Video, 1842 Whitney Ave., Hamden. 203-745-9030. musichavenct.org.

Bach’s Lunch Concert – Women Composers Works by Fanny Mendelssohn and Germaine Tailleferre. Performed by Neighborhood Music School faculty pianists Mary Bloom and Margaret Ann Martin. 12:10-12:50 p.m. Neighborhood Music School Recital Hall, 100 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-624-5189. neighborhoodmusicschool.org.

Yale Schola Cantorum and Juilliard415 | Bach’s St. John Passion Masaaki Suzuki, conductor with members of Yale Baroque Ensemble. Pre-concert talk by Markus Rathey in Sterling-Sheffild-Strathcona Hall. Presented in collaboration with The Juilliard School with support from Yale School of Music. 7 p.m. Free. Yale Institute of Sacred Music, Woolsey Hall, 500 College St., New Haven. 203432-5062. ism.yale.edu/event/yale-schola-cantorum-and-juilliard415-bachs-st-jo.

5-6 Saturday-Sunday Marcin Dylla, Guitar The New England Guitar Society brings the talented Marcin Dylla to Milford Center for the Arts. Saturday at 8 p.m. Hailed by the Washington Post as “among the most gifted guitarists on the planet,” Marcin Dylla is a rare phenomenon in recent history of the classical guitar. There will also be a master class on Sunday at 2 p.m. ($10 auditors, $50 performers, who must register in advance). $20, $18 seniors, $15 Milford Arts Council members. Milford Arts Council, Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Ave., Milford. 203878-6647. milfordarts.org.

12 Saturday Chris Coogan Quintet A multi-talented entertainer, composer, performer, teacher, choir director, and producer, Chris Coogan is rooted in jazz and gospel traditions. His repertoire includes straight-ahead jazz, jazz fusion, and boogie-woogie. John Mobilio, bass; Jim Clark, sax; Rex Denton, trumpet; Jim Royle, drums; Chris Coogan, piano and vocals. 8 p.m. $25. Milford Arts Council, Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Ave., Milford.

203-878-6647. milfordarts.org.

17 Thursday

Works by guest composer Andrew Ford and music by Yale School of Music composers are featured in an April 17 New Music New Haven program at Morse Recital Hall, in Sprague Memorial Hall, at the Yale School of Music. Photo of Mr. Ford by Jim Rolon.

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“Living in Song” Showing Three of the five members of the Grammy Award-winning African American female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, currently celebrating its 40th anniversary season, present the culmination of

their “Living in Song” residency and workshop series at a free showing featuring all of the workshop participants. 7 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Cromwell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

24 Thursday Brahms Requiem In the aftermath of losing both his mother and his musical mentor Robert Schumann, Brahms wrote this sweeping, emotional Requiem for the living. The New Haven Symphony Orchestra and the renowned New England Conservatory Concert Choir will lift your spirits from the somber introduction to the joyous finale. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Woolsey Hall, 500 College St., New Haven. 203-865-0831. NewHavenSymphony.org.

Javanese Gamelan Music with Guest Singer Peni Candra Rini Experience the culture of Java with advanced students of Javanese gamelan, who perform with special guest singer Peni Candra Rini from The Institute Seni Indonesia in Surakarta.

8 p.m. $2. Wesleyan Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

25 Friday 13th Annual Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Weekend – Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Concert The Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra, directed by adjunct professor of music Jay Hoggard ’76, and the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble, directed by jazz ensemble coach Noah Baerman, perform exciting programs of classic jazz compositions at the opening event of the 13th annual Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Weekend. 8 p.m. Free. Wesleyan Center for the Arts, Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Homegrown String Band The Homegrown String Band is Georgianne and Rick Jackofsky and their two daughters, Erica and Annalee. Inspired by the rural string bands of the early 20th century, this 21st century incarnation of the traditional family band utilizes unique instruments including guitar, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, mandolin, ukulele, harmonica, and others. 8 p.m. $15 ($10 Milford Arts Council members). Milford Arts Council, Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Ave., Milford. 203-8786647. milfordarts.org.

26 Saturday The Elizabeth Verveer Tishler Piano Recital A piano recital featuring the participants of the Elizabeth Verveer Tishler Piano Competition. 2 p.m.

Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, The Russell House, 350 High St., Middletown.

860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

13th Annual Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Weekend – Oliver Lake Big Band Composer, arranger, poet, bandleader, and saxophonist Oliver Lake is a cofounder of the internationally acclaimed World Saxophone Quartet with Julius Hemphill, Hamiet Bluiett, and David Murray; as well as the multidisciplinary St. Louis collective the Black Artists Group. 8 pm $20 general public, $18 senior citizens, Wesleyan University faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students, $6 Wesleyan University students. Wesleyan Center for the Arts, Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Spring Jazz NightOut Concert Arts Center Killingworth presents a night of jazz the nationally acclaimed Keith Marks Trio, featuring Keith Marks, flute. Opening is Connecticut’s Cedric Mayfield and Epitome. Includes cash wine bar, hors d’oeuvres, and dessert reception with food served starting at 6:30 p.m. Orchestra $40, balcony $30. The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. 860-6635593. artscenterkillingworth.org.

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The Arts Paper April 2014

the hottest shows on Broadway, such as Pippin, Wicked, Book of Mormon, Mamma Mia, and many others. Cocktail reception and silent auction at 6:30 p.m.; dinner and entertainment at 8 p.m. $125 individual ticket (sponsorship opportunities are available). 294 Pine Orchard Road, Branford.

203-457-0138. LegacyTheatreCT.org.

Symposium | The Passion in Context In four lectures scholars from different disciplines will place Bach’s masterwork in its wider cultural and religious context. The talks, which are geared toward a general audience, will explore different reactions to the death of Christ, ranging from Byzantine antiquity to the middle ages and contemporary literature. 1-6 p.m. Free. Linsly-Chittenden Hall, 63 High St., New Haven. 203-432-5062. ism.yale.edu/event/symposium-passion-context.

The Wesleyan University Center for the Arts presents a talk by Yale Repertory Theatre playwright-in-residence Paula Vogel on April 21 in Memorial Chapel.

Photo by Carol Rosegg.

Poetry Reading and Artist Discussion Maureen M. Squires and Sarah Beth Goncarova host a poetry reading and artist-led discussion with poet Judith Vollmer, professor of English from the University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, to complement their exhibit Silent Poem and Spoken Light. 3-5 p.m. Free and open to the public. Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven. 203-3899555. kehlerliddell.com.

30 Wednesday Chinese Music Concert – Spring Harmony Wesleyan University’s Chinese Music Ensemble performs a variety of Chinese instrumental music — traditional, modern, and hybrid — under the direction of graduate student Joy Lu. 8 p.m. $2 Wesleyan students, $3 all others. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Wesleyan Taiko Concert Beginning, intermediate, and advanced students in the Taiko Drumming Ensemble perform the thunderous and exhilarating rhythms of Japanese Taiko drumming under the direction of visiting instructor in music Barbara Merjan. Several dynamic styles will be showcased, demonstrating both traditional and contemporary Taiko repertoire. 7 p.m. $2 Wesleyan students, $3 all others. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Special Events 3 Thursday Literature and Spirituality | Fanny Howe, Poet Film Color: A Story in Black and White. A meditation on the nature of art and faith using film images, poems, and other texts. Fanny Howe is the author of more than 20 books of poetry and prose.

Howe says, “If someone is alone reading my poems, I hope it would be like reading someone’s notebook. A record. Of a place, beauty, difficulty.”

5:30 p.m. Free. Yale Institute of Sacred Music, 409 Prospect St., New Haven. 203-432-5062. ism.yale.edu/event/literature-spirituality-series-fanny-howe.

5 Saturday 11th Annual Edible Book Tea What is an edible book? It’s made of something you can eat and it looks like a book or makes reference to one! Make your own book to share, or just come to see the show. There is no fee, just bring some tea! Drop off and set up books between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.; enjoy the show from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free and open to the public. Creative Arts Workshop, 80 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-562-4927. creativeartsworkshop.org/html/events/ediblebooks.html.

Broadway in Branford Benefit Gala Join us for Legacy Theatre’s second annual gala, “Broadway in Branford,” to benefit the restoration of the historic Stony Creek Puppet House. This blacktie event features a cocktail reception, auction, dinner, and entertainment by performers from

• april 2014

6 Sunday Third annual “The Big Draw — Middletown” Third-annual campus-wide community celebration of drawing, sponsored by the Friends of the Davison Art Center. 1-4 p.m. For more information, please call 860-685-2500. Free. Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University, 301 High St., Middletown. 860-685-2500. wesleyan.edu/dac.

Napathya: Balivadham Kutiyattam Balivadham Kutiyattam: An Enactement of Sanskrit Drama.

8 p.m. Free. Cooperative Arts and Humanities Magnet School, 177 College St., New Haven. 203432-5062. ism.yale.edu/event/guest-artist-napathya-balivadham-kutiyattam.

14 Monday Skeletons in the Closet: It’s ID Day at the Peabody! At Identification Day the Museum’s experts attempt to identify artifacts, rocks, feathers, insects, shells and any other objects you may have. You never know when something that seems “normal” could actually be significant. All specimens are welcome, but living creatures must be safely secured in breathable containers and promptly returned outside. April 14 . 10am-2pm $5-$9. 170 Whitney Avenue, New Haven. 203432-5050. peabody.yale.edu/events/skeletonscloset-its-id-day-peabody

16 Wednesday Family Day at the Peabody Museum It’s the fourth annual Family Day at the Yale Peabody Museum! We’ll set up many of our fun and exciting games, crafts, and other activities for the whole family to enjoy. Bring your family and friends and enjoy a wonderful day at the museum.

10 a.m.-2 p.m. $5-$9. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven.

203-432-5050. peabody.yale.edu/events/family-day-peabody-museum.

Roxi Fox, Disease Detective When Billy the Pirate gets sick, can Roxi Fox solve the mystery of what happened to his friend? Join Roxi’s adventure with ticks, mosquitoes, and microbes in this puppet show by Betty Baisden. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Free. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-432-5050. peabody.yale.edu/events/roxi-fox-diseasedetective.

9 Wednesday

Talks & Tours

Gallery Talk by Mary Heebner Mary Heebner is an internationally known painter, book artist, writer, publisher, and installation artist whose books, scroll paintings, drawings, and texts make up the multi-dimensional installation Silent Faces/ Angkor. A luncheon buffet will be served following the gallery talk. 12 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies Gallery, 343 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-2330. wesleyan.edu/ mansfield/exhibitions.

3 Thursday

17 Thursday

Beckerman Lecture Series: Russ and Daughters Mark Russ Federman of New York’s iconic Russ and Daughters hosts a smoked fish and vodka tasting followed by a multimedia presentation of his recent book, Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes from the House That Herring Built.

5:30 p.m. $25 members/$30 nonmembers. Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven, 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge. 203-387-2522. jccnh.org.

8 Tuesday Artful Lunch Series — Laurie Nussdorfer One artwork, one speaker, fifteen minutes. Join the Friends of the Davison Art Center for a presentation by Laurie Nussdorfer, William Armstrong Professor of History and Professor of Letters, Wesleyan University, about her favorite works in the Davison Art Center collection. Bring your bag lunch and enjoy coffee, homemade cookies, and conversation. 12:10 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Davison Art Center, Alsop House Dining Room, 301 High St., Middletown.

860-685-2500. wesleyan.edu/dac.

Senior Talks in the History of Art Seniors Isadora Dannin and Grace Kuipers in the Art History Program of Wesleyan University’s Department of Art and Art History present their honors talks. 4:30 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 41 Wyllys Ave., Room 112, Middletown. 860685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Theater These Paper Bullets Meet the Quartos. Ben, Claude, Balth, and Pedro. Their fans worship them.

Their former drummer will stop at nothing to destroy them. Can these fab four from Liverpool find true love in London and cut an album? These Paper Bullets is a rocking and rolling version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with a serious backbeat. On stage through April 5. Tuesday-Saturday, 8 p.m. $20-$98. Student, senior, and group discounts available. Yale Repertory Theatre, 222 York St., New Haven. 203-432-1234. yalerep.org.

Orchestra New England silent film gala

may 3, 2014

one presents its 3rd annual Silent Movies Night with Maestro Sinclair leading the ONE theatre orchestra in accompanying classic films of the three giants of the 1920s: Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin!

Saturday, May 3, 2014, at 8:00 p.m. at the Co-op High School, corner of Temple and Crown Streets.

17 Thursday Bitten! Bloodsuckers and Climate The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is partnering with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station to spread the word about the causes and prevention of infectious diseases. Come to an informative and engaging program for the whole family that includes crafts, live mosquito larvae, and hands-on science. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-432-5050. peabody. yale.edu/events/bitten-bloodsuckers-and-climate.

Sponsored by

for ticket prices and subscription details please call (203) 777-4690 or go to our website www.orchestranewengland.org

artnhv.com • 15

The Arts Paper April 2014

Arts Paper advertising and calendar deadlines

Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs appear at Café Nine on April 19. Photo by Troy Martin.

Vatzlav by Slawomir Mrozek Vatzlav is a castaway slave who becomes shipwrecked and washes up on a remote island where he encounters a zany cast of characters. This panoramic political farce is a mash-up of 18th-century French philosophical tales like Voltaire’s Candide and the Marquis de Sade’s Justine. In 77 brisk episodic scenes, a bizarre and biting tale unfolds. April 10-12. Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. $8 general public, $5 senior citizens, Wesleyan University faculty/ staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan University students, $4 Wesleyan University students. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts Theater, 271 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.

The House That Will Not Stand Following the mysterious death of her white lover, Beartrice Albans, a free woman of color in New Orleans in 1836, imposes a six-month period of mourning on herself and her three daughters. But as the summer heat intensifies, a handsome bachelor comes calling, a family secret is revealed, and the foundation of her household is rocked to its core. April 18-May 10.

Tuesday-Saturday at 8 p.m. $20-$98. Student, senior, and group discounts available. Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-4321234. yalerep.org/on_stage/2013-14/house.html.

We Will Rock You This hit musical by the British rock group Queen captures the legendary band’s grandeur and spirit in a production that is still breaking box office records in London. In the future, computer-generated music reigns, live rock is outlawed, and conformity is enforced – until a pair of renegades break free and search for a long-buried electric guitar. April 25-27. Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 pm. And 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Ticket price based on seating location. Shubert Theatre, 247 College St., New Haven. 203-5625666. shubert.com.

The deadlines for the May and June editions of The Arts Paper are Monday, March 24, at 5 p.m., and April 28, at 5 p.m., respectively.

Calendar listings are for Arts Council members only and should be submitted online at newhavenarts. org. Arts Council members can request a username and password by sending an e-mail to sgrant@newhavenarts.org. The Arts Council’s online calendar includes listings for programs and events taking place within 12 months of the current date. Listings submitted by the calendar deadline are included on a monthly basis in The Arts Paper.

BULLETIN BOARD

The Arts Council provides the job and bulletin board listings as a service to our membership and is not responsible for the content or deadlines.

Call For Artists For the 64th annual Art of the Northeast Exhibition, May 31–July 26. Open to all media. Curator: Andrew Russeth, art critic: New York Observer, Gallerist, and 16 Miles of String. Awards: Best in Show: $3,000 prize and solo exhibition at Silvermine Arts Center. Artists must reside in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, or Vermont. Deadline: April 25. Apply at: silvermineart.org/art/call-for-entries.php.

Artists Arts for Learning Connecticut is a statewide arts-in-education nonprofit that is seeking artists in the disciplines of music, dance, theater, storytelling, and visual arts. Our mission is to engage participants of all ages and abilities in learning creatively through the arts. Applicants must demonstrate excellence in their art form, be adept at working within the educational setting, have a flexible schedule, and be willing to travel statewide. To apply please download the application from yaconn.org/contact/for-artists/ or call Mike Kachuba, education manager, at 203-230-8101.

Artists For the Arts Center Killingworth’s Annual Autumn Outdoor Arts Festival, October 11 & 12. Seeking artists in all media. Exhibit on the Madison Town Green (Boston Post Road/Copse Road, Madison, Conn.). Festival participants also have the opportunity to exhibit in the new Spectrum Gallery show in Centerbrook, Conn. Prospectus and registration form available at artscenterkillingworth.org. $70 registration fee. Register early!

16 • artnhv.com

Singers The award winning Silk’n Sounds Chorus is looking for new members from the New Haven area. We invite women to join us at any of our rehearsals to learn more. We enjoy four part a cappella harmony in the barbershop style, lively performances, and wonderful friendships. Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 7-9 p.m. at the Spring Glen United Church of Christ, 1825 Whitney Ave. in Hamden. Contact Lynn at 203 623-1276 for more information. silknsounds.org.

Volunteers Learn new skills, meet new people, and be part of a creative organization that gives to the community. Upcoming volunteer opportunity: Jazz NightOut concert set-up and break-down at The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook on April 26, 2014. Teens are welcome and earn community service credit. Visit artscenterkillingworth.org or call 860-663-5593.

Services Art Consulting Services Support your creativity!

Low-cost service offers in-depth artwork analysis, writing, and editing services by former arts newspaper editor, present art director of the New Haven Free Public Library. An independent curator of many venues. Johnes Ruta 203.387.4933, azothgallery.com, azothgallery@comcast.net.

Birthday Parties at Guilford Art Center Schedule a two-hour party and our youth program instructors will tailor projects to your child’s creative

interests. Themes include Outer Space, Pirates, Clay, Puppets, Jewelry, Fairies, and others. Art parties offer a fun and creative environment for children’s celebrations. Please call Lynn Fischer at 203-453-5947 x. 11 for more information and to request a brochure. $100 for five children minimum; $15 for each addition child. guilfordartcenter.org.

Chair Repair We can fix your worn out chair seats if they are cane, rush, Danish cord, Shaker Tape, or other woven types! Celebrating our 25th year!

Work is done by artisans at The Association of Artisans to Cane, a project of Marrakech, Inc., a private nonprofit that provides services for people with disabilities. Open Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 203-776-6310.

Professional Art Installer For residential and commercial work. Over 15 years’ experience in museums, galleries, hospitals, and homes in New York City, Providence, New Haven, Chester, etc.

Rate is $30 an hour, no job too small or large.

Contact Mark at (203)772-4270 or send e-mail to livepaint@aol.com. More information and examples at ctartinstall.com.

Web Services Startup business solutions. Creative, sleek Web design by art curator for art, design, architectural, and small-business sites.

Twenty-five years’ experience in database, logistics, and engineering applications. Will create and maintain any kind of website. Hosting provided.

203.387.4933, azothgallery.com, azothgallery@ comcast.net.

Space Performance Space. Elegant contemporary performance space with seating for up to 376 people.

Great for concerts and recitals. Free on-site parking, warm lighting, built-in sound system, adjacent social hall, and kitchen available. Unitarian Society of New Haven, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden.

Call 203-288-1807 x. 201 or visit usnh.org.

Jobs Please visit newhavenarts.org for up-to-date local employment opportunities in the arts.

april 2014 •

The Arts Paper April 2014

Rock

Notes best of … new music

In winter, bands gear up for spring tours stephen chupaska This past winter, weather wise, we all harmonized on a common chorus: It was horrible.

“This winter,” David Keith, one half of the duo Mission 0, said, “well, it’s a lot of shoveling.”

That was also the refrain of many of New Haven’ musicians, who when they weren’t digging out, were driving to gigs on icy roads and unloading kick drums over snowbanks.

But just because the weather was shovel-heavy and inhospitable doesn’t mean that winter has been a downtempo time for local bands.

Instead, many musicians use the slower pace to plan for summer tours, record, or write new material.

“Being stuck inside brings a lot of good things,” Sam Perduta, a singer-guitarist from the garage-folk ensemble Elison Jackson, said.

In January Elison Jackson put out an EP called Bullet Through the Attic Window and have been assembling a spring tour that will take the band in a full circle from New York City through Northern New England and back around through Boston.

“We’ve been working on booking those shows and talking about the next step,” Perduta said.

Justin Roberts, who sings and plays guitar with Fake Babies, said his band has been meeting and rehearsing regularly and talking about the summer.

“We all went away for the holidays, but we started talking again in January,” Roberts said. “(Winter) gives you

time away from the hustle and bustle. We can concentrate on coming up with good material.”

Roberts said that come summer, Fake Babies is looking to make the rounds in the Northeast, as well as in New Haven.

With an EP to emerge in the spring, Keith said Mission 0 is focusing on planning an April tour around the Northeast.

Perduta said that this winter the city felt somewhat bleak and depressing to him, which affected some of his lyrics.

“There’s a line: ‘Not much to do, but get arrested.’” Perduta said with a laugh.

On the contrary, Keith said his songwriting isn’t changed too much by the weather.

“I don’t see too much of a difference,” Keith said. “Creativity comes in spurts and as a string of ideas.”

Others tend just to draw on Yankee mettle.

Roberts said that when he was younger, the winters would get to him, but not so much now that he’s in his 30s.

“You feel more mature,” he said. “You just deal with it.”

But still, in winter there are stir-crazy audiences who are desperate to get out and see live music. So, that can mean bands push on through inclement conditions Perduta said that this winter Elison Jackson was to rendezvous at a club in Bridgeport, only to learn that their drummer had skidded off the road and couldn’t make the gig in time.

“So we had a keyboard playing play drums and he didn’t know any of the fills,” he said. “Afterward, people came up to us and said we sounded great. Who knows?” 

Andy Daps’ Laments & Lullabies stephen grant Andy Daps might be the best kept secret in the Connecticut music scene. His latest solo project, Laments & Lullabies, combines soft vocals and country-folk rhythms to create a solid adult contemporary record that is reminiscent of something John Mayer or Jack Johnson might create. The storytelling record was completely written

by Andy Daps, who in addition to singing the vocal parts, plays bass, and acoustic and electric guitars. Guest musicians and vocalists appear on the record, as well, adding to the already rich sound.

The 11-track album is a gentle whisper of strong lyrical content and arrangements. A prime example of this is “Burning Sage,” a standout tune that could easily be heard on festival stages under the summer sun. Its upbeat feel and satisfying groove is achieved with help from Jon Blanck on tenor sax. The record gets bluesy on “Westward Wind,” which finds Daps singing, “Going to move onward, going to move upward, (and) going to leave this life behind.”

When not producing his own music, Daps can be heard playing bass with bands throughout the area. His upcoming shows include an April 18 performance with the Brandt Taylor Band at Steel Horse Saloon in North Haven and a May 9 performance with TC and the Speakers at Grand Central Cafe in Wallingford.  For more information about Andy Daps and to listen to and purchase his music, visit andydaps.com.

Stephen Grant is the Arts Council’s communications manager.

The Both

aimee mann and ted leo bring new project to toad’s place

stephen chupaska “It’s a nucleus burning inside of itself,” goes the catchy chorus to “Milwaukee,” the first single from The Both, the nucleus of which are none other than left-of-thedial veterans Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. And it really is the best of both of them, combining Leo’s crunchy Thin Lizzy-inspired guitar riffs with Mann’s ghost-inthe-night vocals.

The song – which was inspired by The Both checking out a statue of Arthur Fonzarelli in Milwaukee (Gerald Sawyer’s Bronze Fonz, an homage to the character Henry Winkler played on the hit series Happy Days) – came out in January, though an album is slated for an April 15 release.

Mann, who fronted ’Til Tuesday of “Voices Carry” fame before embarking on an acclaimed solo career, and Leo, who fronts his excellent band the Pharmacists, got together in 2013 and played a handful of dates around the country. This outing is a full-fledged tour, which makes a stop at Toad’s Place on April 27. 

Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. Photo by Christian Lantry.

• april 2014

artnhv.com • 17

The Arts Paper April 2014

Portraits of young artists at play New Haven Lawn Club exhibits photos of Music Haven students Photos by Kathleen Cei Since 2006, Music Haven has been providing free musical instruction to young people in New Haven’s most underserved neighborhoods.

From April 23 through May 3, photographs of Music Haven’s enthusiastic young students will be on view at the New Haven Lawn Club. The photographs were taken by Kathleen

Cei, Music Haven’s communications manager. An opening reception, which will feature a performance by Music Haven’s student orchestra, “Harmony in Action,” is scheduled to launch the exhibit on April 23 at 5 p.m. Exhibit hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Admission is free. Visit musichavenct.org for more information. 

WEXPLORE THE

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

18 • artnhv.com

april 2014 •

The Arts Paper member organizations & partners

Arts & Cultural Organizations A Broken Umbrella Theatre abrokenumbrella.org 203-823-7988 ACES Educational Center for the Arts aces.k12.ct.us 203-777-5451 Adele Myers and Dancers adelemyersanddancers.com Alyla Suzuki Early Childhood Music Education alylasuzuki.com 203-239-6026 American Guild of Organists sacredmusicct.org The Amistad Committee ctfreedomtrail.org ARTFARM art-farm.org Arts Center Killingworth artscenterkillingworth.org 860-663-5593 Artspace artspacenh.org 203-772-2709 Artsplace: Cheshire Performing & Fine Art cpfa-artsplace.org 203-272-2787 Backstage Players Company backstageplayerscompany.org Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library library.yale.edu/beinecke Bethesda Music Series bethesdanewhaven.org 203-787-2346 Blackfriars Repertory Theatre blackfriarsrep.com Branford Art Studio branfordartstudio.com 203-488-2787 Branford Folk Music Society folknotes.org/branfordfolk

• april 2014

Center for Independent Study cistudy.org Chestnut Hill Concerts chestnuthillconcerts.org 203-245-5736 The Choirs of Trinity Church on the Green trinitynewhaven.org City Gallery city-gallery.org 203-782-2489 Civic Orchestra of New Haven conh.org Connecticut Dance Alliance ctdanceall.com Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus ctgmc.org 800-644-cgmc Connecticut Guild of Puppetry ctpuppetry.org Connecticut Natural Science Illustrators ctnsi.com 203-934-0878 Connecticut Storytelling Center connstorycenter.org Creative Arts Workshop creativeartsworkshop.org 203-562-4927 DaSilva Gallery gabrieldasilvagallery.com 203-387-2539 Elm City Artists, LLC elmcityartists.com 203-218-3832

Greater New Haven Community Chorus gnhcc.org 203-624-1979 Guilford Art Center guilfordartcenter.org 203-453-5947

New Haven Symphony Orchestra newhavensymphony.org 203-865-0831 New Haven Theater Company newhaventheatercompany.com

Milford Fine Arts Council milfordarts.org 203-878-6647

Hamden Art League hamdenartleague.com 203-494-2316

Music Haven musichavenct.org 203-215-4574

Pantochino Productions pantochino.com

Hamden Arts Commission hamdenartscommission.org 203-287-2546

Music with Mary accordions.com/mary

Paul Mellon Arts Center choate.edu/artscenter

Musical Folk musicalfolk.com

Play with Grace playwithgrace.com

Neighborhood Music School neighborhoodmusicschool.org 203-624-5189

Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, New Haven Branch rscdsnewhaven.org 203-878-6094

Heritage Chorale of New Haven heritagechoralenewhaven.org Hillhouse Opera Company 203-464-2683 Hugo Kauder Society hugokauder.org The Institute Library institutelibrary.org International Festival of Arts & Ideas artidea.org International Silat Federation of America & Indonesia isfnewhaven.org John Slade Ely House elyhouse.org Knights of Columbus Museum kofcmuseum.org

Elm City Dance Collective elmcitydance.org Elm Shakespeare Company elmshakespeare.org 203-874-0801

Long Wharf Theatre longwharf.org 203-787-4282

Encore Music Creations encoremusiccreations.com

Madison Art Society madisonartsociety.blogspot.com 860-399-6116

Fred Giampietro Gallery giampietrogallery.com 203-777-7760

Melinda Marquez Flamenco Dance Center melindamarquezfdc.org 203-361-1210

New Haven Review newhavenreview.com

Guitartown CT Productions guitartownct.com 203-430-6020

Legacy Theatre legacytheatrect.org 203-457-0138

Firehouse 12 firehouse12.com 203-785-0468

Meet the Artists and Artisans meettheartistsandartisans.com 203-874-5672

Magrisso Forte magrissoforte.com 203-397-2002 Mamas Markets mamasmarketsllc.com

New England Ballet Company newenglandballet.org 203-799-7950 New England Festival of Ibero American Cinema nefiac.com New Haven Ballet newhavenballet.org 203-782-9038 New Haven Chamber Orchestra newhavenchamberorchestra.org New Haven Chorale newhavenchorale.org 203-776-7664 New Haven Free Public Library nhfpl.org 203-946-8835 New Haven Museum newhavenmuseum.org 203-562-4183 New Haven Oratorio Choir nhoratoriochoir.org New Haven Paint and Clay Club newhavenpaintandclayclub.org 203-288-6590 New Haven Preservation Trust nhpt.org

Orchestra New England orchestranewengland.org 203-777-4690

Shoreline Arts Alliance shorelinearts.org 203-453-3890 Shoreline School of Art and Music shorelineartandmusic.com 203-481-4830 Shubert Theater shubert.com 203-562-5666 Silk n’ Sounds silknsounds.org

Wesleyan University Center for the Arts wesleyan.edu/cfa West Cove Studio & Gallery westcovestudio.com 609-638-8501 Whitney Arts Center 203-773-3033 Whitney Humanities Center yale.edu/whc Yale Cabaret yalecabaret.org 203-432-1566 Yale Center for British Art yale.edu/ycba Yale Glee Club yale.edu/ygc Yale Institute of Sacred Music yale.edu.ism 203-432-5180 Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Child Life Arts & Enrichment Program ynhh.org 203-688-9532 Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History peabody.yale.edu 203-432-5050 Yale Repertory Theatre yalerep.org 203-432-1234

Creative Businesses Fairhaven Furniture fairhaven-furniture.com 203-776-3099 Foundry Music Company www.foundrymusicco.com Hull’s Art Supply and Framing hullsnewhaven.com 203-865-4855 MEA Mobile meamobile.com The Owl Shop owlshopcigars.com Toad’s Place toadsplace.com

Community Partners Department of Arts Culture & Tourism, City of New Haven cityofnewhaven.com 203-946-8378 DECD/CT Office of the Arts cultureandtourism.org 860-256-2800 Fellowship Place fellowshipplace.org Fractured Atlas fracturedatlas.org Hopkins School hopkins.edu

Site Projects www.siteprojects.org

Yale School of Music music.yale.edu 203-432-1965

Susan Powell Fine Art susanpowellfineart.com 203-318-0616

Yale University Art Gallery artgallery.yale.edu 203-432-0600

Marrakech, Inc./Association of Artisans to Cane marrakechinc.org

Theatre 4 t4ct.com 203-654-7711

Yale University Bands yale.edu/yaleband 203-432-4111

Overseas Ministries Study Center omsc.org

Trinity Players/ Something Players 203-288-6748

Young Audiences of Connecticut yaconn.org

Town Green Special Services District infonewhaven.com

University Glee Club of New Haven universitygleeclub.org

JCC of Greater New Haven jccnh.org

Visit New Haven visitnewhaven.com Westville Village Renaissance Alliance westvillect.org

artnhv.com • 19

The Arts Paper arts council programs

Perspectives …

Gallery at Whitney Center Location: 200 Leeder Hill Drive, South Entrance, Hamden Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-7 p.m. & Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.

Self Ease: Contemporary Portraiture Curated by Debbie Hesse Dates: March 17–June 17 Public Reception: May 10, 3-5 p.m.

Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery Location: The Arts Council of Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon St., 2nd Floor, New Haven Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Artist. Art Therapist.

Artwork and Reflections from Regional Art Therapists Organized by Debbie Hesse Learn more at artistarttherapist.wordpress.com Dates: April 3–May 9 Reception: April 4, 5-7 p.m.

Artist Talk by Evie Lindemann at 5 p.m.

Make.Art.Work.

Perspectives ... The Gallery at Whitney Center. Passive Participant (detail). Eileen Carey.

Career Strategies for Visual Artists – Season 2 Spend a full day with Make.Art.Work.

Date: Saturday, April 5 Location: Housatonic Community College, Bridgeport Session 1 (10 a.m.-12 p.m.) Marketing Popular artist/author Jackie Battenfield returns to Make.Art.Work. to share a collection of marketing strategies that build upon the techniques she shared with us last year.

Lunch (12-1 p.m.) JPeg Jam! Session 2 (1-4 p.m.)

The Gallery and Beyond Get the scoop from top arts professionals on working with galleries, selling through Art Fairs, open studios and other vehicles. Bill Carroll, program director of The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Studios in New York, Denise DiGrogoli Amuso, co-founder of Troy Fine Art Services in Southport, Will K. Wilkins, executive director of Real Art Ways in Hartford, and Anne von Stuelpnagel, director of exhibitions at the Bruce Museum of Arts and Science in Greenwich.

For more info and registration, visit makeartwork.org Program presented by The Arts Council of Greater New Haven, Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County, and the Greater Hartford Arts Council, with support from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation.

#ArtNHV Blog

Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery. Briah Luckey.

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven is pleased to announce our new blog, #ARTNHV. The blog will cover the arts in Greater New Haven featuring arts advocacy, exhibition reviews, events, photos, artist spotlights and more. Your input is important so feel free to join the conversation and leave a reply!

Visit today: artnhv.com

Writers Circle Connect with writing professionals in the Greater New Haven area. Join us for the second Writers Circle on April 24 at 12 p.m. For more information visit us online at newhavenarts.org Perspectives ... The Gallery at Whitney Center.

Advice from the AC Dates: Thursdays, April 3 & 17, 1-4 p.m.

Location: TBD Let the Arts Council staff help you find exhibition space/opportunities, performance/rehearsal space, and develop new ways to promote your work or creative events and activities. Debbie Hesse, the organization’s director of artist services and programs, will be available for one-on-one appointments. To schedule an appointment call (203) 772-2788. Walkins are welcome.

Photo Arts Collective

Photo Arts Collective. Beverly Peterson Stearns.

The Photo Arts Collective is an Arts Council program that aims to cultivate and support a community of individuals who share an interest in photography, through workshops, lectures, exhibitions, portfolio reviews, group critiques, and special events. The Photo Arts Collective meets the first Thursday of the month at the Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven, at 7 p.m. To learn more, send e-mail to photoartscollective@gmail.com.