artists next door 4
photo archive 6
ac sounds off 9
music in schools 10
The Arts Paper a free publication of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven • newhavenarts.org
M IS S I O N O F F A IT H
The Coming of the Gospel to America
Opening April 9
April 2016
The Arts Paper april 2016
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Artists Next Door Rashmi Talpade
staff
board of directors
Cynthia Clair executive director
Eileen O’Donnell president Rick Wies vice president Daisy Abreu second vice president
Debbie Hesse director of artistic services & programs Nichole René communications manager Lisa Russo advertising & events coordinator
Wojtek Borowski secretary
Christine Maisano director of finance
directors
Winter Marshall executive administrative assistant David Brensilver editor, the arts paper Amanda May Aruani design consultant
Ken Spitzbard treasurer
Laura Barr Susan Cahan Robert B. Dannies Jr. Todd Jokl Mark Kaduboski Jocelyn Maminta Josh Mamis Rachel Mele Elizabeth Meyer-Gadon Frank Mitchell John Pancoast Mark Potocsny David Silverstone Dexter Singleton Richard S. Stahl, MD
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Photos Chronicle City’s History Museum is Home to Bronson Archive
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AC Sounds Off on... Struggle as Impediment and Inspiration
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 the Arts Council at 203.772.2788. 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
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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Music in Schools Yale Program Transcends Arts Education
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 Total Wine & More Yale University senior patrons Knights of Columbus L. Suzio York Hill Companies Odonnell Company Webster Bank Wiggin and Dana WSHU corporate partners Alexion Pharmaceuticals AT&T Cannelli Printing Edgehill Realtors Firehouse 12 Fusco Management Company Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven Metropolitan Interactive University of New Haven/ Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts Yale-New Haven Hospital
business patrons Albertus Magnus College Gateway Community College H. Pearce Real Estate Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale Newman Architects business members Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman, LLP ChameleonJohn Duble & O’Hearn, Inc. Griswold Home Care The Lighting Quotient United Aluminum 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 NewAlliance Foundation Pfizer The Wells Fargo Foundation The Werth Family Foundation media partners New Haven Independent New Haven Living WPKN
M IS S I O N O F F A IT H
The Coming of the Gospel to America
Examining 500 years of evangelization in North America April 9 - Sept 18 1 State Street, New Haven • 203-865-0400 • kofcmuseum.org • Free Admission & Parking 2 • newhavenarts.org
april 2016 •
The Arts Paper april 2016
Letter from the Editor Putting together this issue of The Arts Paper was special for a few reasons, one of which is that it afforded me the opportunity to follow-up on a story (“A Pianist, Dancing with Fate”) we published in the January-March issue about pianist Nick van Bloss, who performed Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 (“Emperor”) with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in late February. I interviewed van Bloss back in November about his struggle with Tourette syndrome, and Lucile Bruce talked with Dr. Christopher Pittenger to get a clinical perspective on the syndrome. Meeting Nick after his sublime performance of the “Emperor” Concerto, I was immediately struck, though not at all surprisingly, by the fact that he’s so much like the friends I made at the Peabody Conservatory and The Juilliard School. Nick is delightfully self-deprecating and generously warm. And he’s a remarkable musician. The morning after his performance at Woolsey Hall, Nick participated in a symposium called “Music and Medicine: Tourette Syndrome” that was organized by the NHSO and the Yale School of Medicine. As much as I’d attended the symposium out of genuine curiosity and as a reporter, I felt more like one friend learning more about another and what his life is like. When the symposium was over, Nick headed to New York en route to Miami, where he was scheduled to perform. Among these pages is an essay about spending time with and around Nick, hearing him play, and learning more about who he is. Beyond these pages is a friendship I look forward to fostering.
A few weeks before the NHSO’s February concert, I spent a Saturday morning at Wilbur Cross High School, observing the Yale School of Music’s Music in Schools Initiative in action. For obvious reasons, I chose to hang out in a second-floor classroom where teaching artist Kramer Milan coached a group of middle-school-age percussionists on their technique. Kramer, like me, did his undergraduate work at Peabody. “I graduated in 1992,” I told him, as one does, to which he replied, laughing, “I was born in 1993.” As much fun as it was to compare notes, it was equally satisfying to watch him encourage members of a younger generation of percussionists. The time I spent at Wilbur Cross that day was part of my reporting on just what the Music in Schools Initiative means to the community—specifically to the youngsters who attend the New Haven Public Schools. My conversations with the program’s lead teacher, Rubén Rodríguez, were inspiring in large part because his passion for what music can do is infectious. Perhaps what I find most hopeful is that the young musicians I met and observed at Wilbur Cross, and their peers, fully understand how fortunate they are to receive such a rich musical education, thanks to their public-school music teachers and the teaching artists who support them. This issue of The Arts Paper also introduces us to hip-hop poet, playwright, and actor Aaron Jafferis’ latest work, Smooth Criminal; to an extensive photo archive at the New Haven Museum that documents life during turn-of-the century New Haven;
On the Cover
The editor at work. Photo by Debbie Hesse.
and to the recent creative pursuits of collage artist Rashmi Talpade. In addition to those stories, we’re thrilled to bring you news of grant funding facilitated by both the Arts Council and the City of New Haven. I hope you enjoy the stories presented herein as much as I enjoyed bringing them to you, and that you’ll remember to recycle this print publication once you’ve finished reading it.
Beachgoers at Lighthouse Point Park, in June 1932. Photo by T.S. Bronson, courtesy of the New Haven Museum. See Story about Bronson’s photo collection on pages 6 & 7.
In the Next Issue …
Sincerely,
David Brensilver, editor The Arts Paper
The May issue of The Arts Paper will celebrate the reopening of the Yale Center for British Art, which has been closed and undergoing a conservation project for more than a year. Pictured here is the center’s Long Gallery following the reinstallation of paintings but before sculptures were returned to the space. Photo by Richard Caspole, courtesy of YCBA.
Meant to Be Shared
Selections from the Arthur Ross Collection of European Prints at the Yale University Art Gallery
celebrate our reopening! Visit us on May 11, 2016
Following the completion of our building conservation project 1080 Chapel Street, New Haven CT | britishart.yale.edu
• april 2016
Through April 24, 2016 YA L E U N I V E R S IT Y A R T GA L L E RY Free and open to the public 1111 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut | 203.432.0600 | artgallery.yale.edu Free membership! Join today at artgallery.yale.edu/membership.
Image: Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Veduta della Piazza di Monte Cavallo (View of the Piazza di Monte Cavallo [now the Piazza del Quirinale with the Quirinal Palace]) (detail), from Vedute di Roma (Views of Rome), 1750. Etching. Yale University Art Gallery, The Arthur Ross Collection
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artists next door
Cut, Paste, Converse rashmi talpade’s photo collages spark dialogue, build community hank hoffman Did you know there was a “house of ill repute” in Wallingford? This was something I found out when I dropped in on a Sunday session for the Wallingford Townscape Community Art Project at the Wallingford Public Library. The ostensible goal of the project— initiated by artist Rashmi Talpade—is to involve community members in creating a museum-quality photo collage of the town. But while the collage is the focus, community-building and storytelling are as important as creating a work of art. Between five and 20 people have been attending the public sessions, which continue into early April on Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons. Attendees cut up printed archival photos and participate in placing them in the composition and gluing them down. “At the same time, the conversation going on is fabulous,” Talpade said in an interview. “They exchange memories and stories of the town.” Talpade is not surprised. The Wallingford Townscape—a project funded by a state Regional Initiative Grant (REGI) and done in collaboration with the library—is inspired by Talpade’s own photo-collages, which she has been creating for more than two decades. Talpade, who immigrated to the United States from India in 1991 when her husband was transferred for work, grew up in Mumbai. (She still refers to it as “Bombay,” though the city’s name was changed officially in 1995.) Her landscapes—assembled from fragments of images she shot in India— evoke the claustrophobic yet invigorating chaos of the modern urban world.
Rashmi Talpade with 3D drawings Still Life 2 (left), Paper Dome (center), and Still Life 1. Photo by Debbie Hesse.
“The Bombay pieces open up such a dialogue. I feel it has to be done with the community, at least one of these pieces,” Talpade said. “The Wallingford Townscape is based on my own experience of people responding to the Bombay pieces.” An arts educator as well as a working artist, Talpade had overseen a similar project with third graders in the Southington school system in early 2015. Collage is approach-
An untitled work in progress by Rashmi Talpade. Photo courtesy of the artist.
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able for community participants because “cutting and pasting don’t require major art training,” Talpade noted. In India, Talpade was trained as a professional artist in all the academic styles, specializing in painting and portraiture. She continues to paint and draw to the present day. But she always loved photography, cultivating her skills in that medium along with her fine-art education. While still in India, she did a lot of collage work. At the time, she used glossy color magazine cuttings because photography wasn’t as accessible or inexpensive. But when she came to the United States in the 1990s, good quality photographic printing became more accessible. “It happened organically,” Talpade said of her photo-collage work. “I like to do photo collages because they are my own photos, totally mine.” Talpade spoke glowingly of her love for Mumbai. “I like old grungy buildings and apartment buildings, even most ugly concrete piles—if you see them in the big picture. In my eyes, the city is a very beautiful place,” she said. She has created numerous cityscape collages of Mumbai, cutting up hundreds of her photos of skies, architecture, street scenes, trees, and vacant lots. Not all of her collages are landscapes, however. She also creates abstract photo collages, great swirls of tightly packed information that read as if they are a unified object rather than a multitudinous collection of fragments. Her approach to collage making is intuitive. She has no specific rules as to where to start within the frame. “I’m not a conceptual artist,” she said. “I just start and work as my instinct takes me.
“The more I plan, I find the crest of creativity ebbing and I don’t want that to happen,” said Talpade. “If it doesn’t work, it gets covered over.” To the extent that planning does go into the collages, it involves the pre-sorting of imagery by subject—sky, metallic objects, architecture photographs, sidewalk, and ground. While her compositional approach is instinctive, it’s not random. For Talpade, considerations of perspective, color harmony, and line are paramount. Particularly line. “Line is the basis of all art, even photography and dance. A powerful line is where art starts,” Talpade declared. Along with her photo-collages, Talpade creates collages from her pen-and-ink drawings of everyday objects. “With drawing, I just like a smooth, flowing line. It could be geometric objects or something organic—just the pleasure of running a pen on paper,” she said. “And then I will draw what I feel like.” In recent years, she has developed sculptural works based on her drawings. “When I draw, I do add a lot of perspective and make them look three-dimensional,” she said, explaining that the natural next step was to “give them depth … give them a body and a physical dimension.” Talpade looks at the world, she said, “through a photographer’s eye.” She was surprised to realize that others don’t see the world as she does. “Light and shade mean a lot to me. I notice it when I’m going around my daily routine,” she explained. “I see things in fragments. I see the patterns of light and shade. I look at the world as a collection of shapes exactly as my collages are.” Having a smartphone is a huge conve-
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nience. Whereas she used to carry her camera everywhere, now she can just pull out her smartphone to capture an image for potential collage use. Image quality is sufficient for her purposes. No individual image is enlarged beyond 5”x7” and each will be cut into fragments. In a sense, the collage becomes a dialog between its constituent parts, which makes it perfect for a community art project. Talpade told me that the Mumbai in which she grew up was very westernized. When she relocated to Wallingford, the biggest lifestyle change was moving from a city to a small town. She felt an absence of the type of community she had experienced growing up A detail of the Wallingford Townscape Community Art Project. in India. Photo by Rashmi Talpade. “I had to get used to the isolation,” Talpade noted. “Maybe that’s why I’m drawing out the Rashmi Talpade's Wallingford Townscape community to come together. Maybe I’m Community Art Project is funded through a compensating for lost community. In India, Regional Initiative Grant (REGI) from the everybody knows everybody. State Department of Economic and Commu“Every time people come together in nity Development's Office of the Arts. The that room and are cutting and pasting and REGI program is administered in the region by talking, I feel so much happier,” enthused the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. Talpade. n
Rashmi Talpade, right, works with a member of the local community on the Wallingford Townscape Community Art Project. Photo by Hank Hoffman.
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City Awards $65,000 in Cultural Vitality Funds pilot initiative extends mayor’s community arts grant program arts council staff In February, the City of New Haven’s Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism awarded $65,000 in Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant funding to 16 community-service-focused arts projects that will be completed and documented by June 15, the end of the current fiscal year. The cultural vitality grants represent an extension of the Mayor’s Community Arts Grant Program, which awards $25,000 in funding, with a $1,500 limit to each recipient. Andrew Wolf, the director of the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, and Community Services Administrator Martha Okafor identified $75,000 in the Community Services Administration budget that could support “arts and culture within New Haven’s underserved populations,” according to the grant-application guidelines. Of the $75,000 identified in Okafor’s budget, $10,000 was set aside for Wolf’s department to focus on grant-application training for local nonprofit organizations. A total of $215,000 was requested in 26 Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant applications. “The demand,” Wolf said, “was really, really exciting.” Wolf had hoped the initiative could be implemented over three years—having pursued that approach, to maximize success for funding recipients, when he worked at the CBS Foundation in New York—but said it was impossible to do so in this context without being able to forecast future city budgets. Grant applications were reviewed by a committee whose members included cultural affairs commissioners and staff and community leaders. Recipients of 2015 Mayor’s Arts Grants were ineligible to apply. The Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant Program is “an innovation in promoting what I call a multiplier effect,” Wolf said. “This was a declaration that (the) arts are a cornerstone of the New Haven community,” he said, adding, “spiritual uplift through the arts” is important to Mayor Toni Harp’s administration. “It’s a bigger story than just giving money,” Wolf said. “It’s strategic.” Through the frame of the cultural vitality grant initiative, he views the city as an investor in a culture of improving lives through the arts. The nonprofit cultural community is “a big part of what makes America great,” he said, “and the vitality grants promote that. It’s very structural.”
The focus of the cultural vitality grants, in Cultural Affairs Commission chair Robert Parker’s words, was “to make sure we were reaching out into various communities in New Haven” that otherwise wouldn’t likely have the resources to conceive and undertake community-service-based arts projects. Music Haven was among the organizations that received funding through the Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant initiative. With $5,000 in funding from the city, Music Haven will organize workshops and performances for children enrolled in an after-school program at the Fair Haven School run by Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services. The project, Music Haven/ Haven String Quartet violinist Yaira Matyakubova said, was the students’ idea and came out of a conversation about different cultures and immigrant experiences. “Can we go play for them?” Matyakubova said the students asked. A project in which Music Haven students would introduce themselves and the music they study to refugee children was conceived and being planned before the organization applied for a Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant. That funding will now allow the Phat Orangez Quartet, an ensemble of Music Haven students, to do a workshop with children in IRIS’ after-school program, and also for the Haven String Quartet to do a concert and workshop for those youngsters. Matyakubova said she hopes the project will develop into a strong relationship between Music Haven and IRIS. “We’re constantly looking for sources of funding,” Music Haven Executive Director Mandi Jackson said. “It was a coincidence that this one popped up. It was a perfect fit.” “We’re happy and proud to lend our name to their grant proposal,” Will Kneerim, IRIS’ director of employment and education services said. The goal of IRIS’ after-school program, Kneerim said, “is to help kids acclimate to the educational system here.” He described the children Music Haven will work with as being “mostly recently arrived refugees” who come from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “It’s this kind of thing that refugee resettlement is all about,” Kneerim said. Parker, talking about the Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant Program and the beneficial impact it is designed to have on underserved residents and, by extension, New Haven’s population at large, said, “It’s about the quality of life for the whole city.” n To see a complete list of Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant recipients, visit cityofnewhaven.com/ArtsCultureTourism.
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Photo Trove Chronicles Turn-of-the-Century New Haven museum archive is the yield of an obsessive collector steve scarpa When New Haven native T.S. Bronson graduated from the Yale School of Medicine in 1889, he took a position as an intern in New York City. His internship was interrupted though when his father, a noted lawyer and jurist, called him home to take care of his grandfather, a distinguished doctor. After his grandfather passed away in 1893, Bronson never practiced medicine again. “I don’t know why I quit, unless it was because at the time the family had too much. I don’t have very much money now,” Bronson told the New Haven Register in 1948. Instead of working, Bronson played violin and viola as a founding member of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. He also embraced photography in a way not available to the general public. Thanks to his family’s wealth, he had the financial wherewithal to own more than 40 cameras and all the necessary developing solutions and equipment—a significant outlay of capital. The resulting output, an amazing 25,000 photographs, now makes up an important albeit largely hidden piece of the New Haven’s Museum’s archives. When Jason Bischoff-Wurstle, the museum’s director of photographic collection, is working on a project these days, Bronson’s archive is one of the first places he looks. “For us, it is integral. It blends into everything we do,” he said. Bischoff-Wurstle said that while Bronson’s background is rarified—he was, after all, an old-school New England Yalie—his interests, in terms of photography subjects, were very democratic. Bronson, who lived from 1864 to 1955, photographed everything. He took pictures of men working, whether building a Yale structure or shoveling snow at
Trolley-track maintenance at Chapel and Church streets, in 1913. Photo by T.S. Bronson, courtesy of the New Haven Museum.
the intersection of Church and Chapel streets. He loved waterfalls and landscapes, capturing East Rock before it became a grad-school enclave. He took pictures of himself in his studio and holding his beloved violin. He photographed people playing at the beaches at Momauguin in East Haven and Lighthouse Point in New Haven. Bronson created a visual record of a city on the rise. “The city was shifting. We were not a sleepy semi-industrial town anymore,” Bischoff-Wurstle said. Bronson photographed Yale events and occasionally freelanced for the Register. He once captured photos of a North Haven trolley wreck that claimed seven lives. His images were syndicated in newspapers across the country. For a
West Rock, January 1, 1909. Photo by T.S. Bronson, courtesy of the New Haven Museum.
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time, he ran a photo-finishing center on Chapel Street. But he never was, in the most traditional sense, a professional photographer. “He was a dabbler. He doesn’t seem as if he is a businessman. He didn’t inherit a fortune and continue the business. He was a benefactor of the arts,” said Bischoff-Wurstle. “He didn’t make money. It just wasn’t his thing.” It doesn’t appear that Bronson’s passion was motivated by a desire to document his city or because of an intense artistic need. It was simply what he did. “There is a sense that this is a moment and that I can do this,” Bischoff-Wurstle said. “It was not about the result. It was about the doing.” Bronson himself couldn’t articulate why he was compelled to be such an obsessive photographer beyond the fact that he felt he was good at it. Perhaps the answer to the question comes from a different angle. Bronson, known around New Haven as Dr. Tom, was an inveterate collector. At one point over the course of his long life, Bronson owned more than 100 violins and violas. He had bookcases filled with thousands of pieces of sheet music. His collections of coins and stamps were so complete that he sold them, not because he needed the money, but because he was bored by them. He loved mystery novels and cataloged them obsessively. In an interview given later in his life, Bronson expressed pride in his photos and music. He claimed that he didn’t marry because his hobbies took up too much of his time. He lived with his sister Marion on Dwight Street in what could be con-
sidered genteel poverty, surrounded by the collections and trappings of a longlost family fortune. When Bronson died in 1955, his photographs became a bit of a concern for his family. Marion offered the collection to the New Haven Colony Historical Society (now the New Haven Museum), but she died before the transfer could be made. It was her executor who finalized the donation four years later. Bronson’s collection became a bit of an albatross for the museum, as well. Sorting 25,000 photographs is a chore under the best circumstances. A wealthy patron and a devoted staff finally made a dent in organizing the collection by 1968. “I do not believe that anyone realized the magnitude of the gift at the time. For some time it was little more than a heap of negatives,” wrote Carroll G.A. Means in 1968, a historical society member who knew Bronson. Over time though, Bronson’s photography, that hobby, became an invaluable piece of the museum’s collection. Whether intentionally or not—and it isn’t clear what his intentions were for his work—Bronson chronicled the life of a city and its region in striking terms. He caught people in the courses of their everyday lives. He documented New Haven as it changed and evolved. Bronson, the reluctant doctor and obsessive collector of coins, stamps, violins, and all manner of ephemera, created a civic good as profound as his father the judge or his grandfather the doctor. n Visit the New Haven Museum online at newhavenmuseum.org.
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The Arts Paper april 2016
Locals skate on a frozen Lake Whitney in Hamden on January 19, 1900. Photo by T.S. Bronson, courtesy of the New Haven Museum. T.S. Bronson with violin. Photo courtesy of the New Haven Museum.
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. issuu.com/artscouncil9 #ARTNHV Blog The Arts Council’s blog, which covers all things art in Greater New Haven. 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. You should be listed here! newhavenarts.org/directory E-newsletter Your weekly source for arts happening in Greater New Haven delivered right to your inbox. Sign up at: newhavenarts.org
• april 2016
Families ~ Events ~ Community
Photography Judy Sirota Rosenthal info@sirotarosenthal.com www.sirotarosenthal.com 203-281-5854
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Arts Build Community Grant Recipients Announced The Arts Council of Greater New Haven is pleased to announce the recipients of its Arts Build Community grants for community-based arts projects. Funded projects will be facilitated throughout the area during the spring, early summer, and fall. “The Arts Council believes in the power of art to connect people. These creative projects, initiated by artists, provide access to the arts and opportunities for community members to enjoy making and experiencing art together,” Arts Council Executive Director Cynthia Clair said. The grant program was designed as a community-engagement initiative that would support efforts in the community to experience art that reflects and is relevant to residents’ lives. The Arts Council believes that participatory art-making experiences can have a profound impact on our community. They can enrich the quality of community life, enhance the lives of individuals, and build connections between people. The Arts Council invited artists, artist collectives, and organizations to submit project proposals for engaging the community through art.
The Arts Council selected five creative projects to fund with small stipends ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. The 2016 grant recipients are: Tere Luna—Experiencing Mexican Culture and Creativity Project: Through a variety of creative arts activities to include a dance, craft, and vocalization workshops, parents and their children will build stronger family connections through hands-on Mexican-culture-themed expression. The workshops will end with a showcase on September 15 in celebration of Mexican Independence Day. Douglas Bethea—Nation Drill Squad and Drum Corp: This flashmob project in Dixwell will provide the drill squad an opportunity to collaborate with other established organizations and show the students the power of strength that comes from working together and creating art. The students of the Nation Drill Team represent almost all of the neighborhoods of New Haven. The event hopes to bring together the Drill Squad
students plus the string players of Music Haven resulting in an event that symbolizes unity in New Haven. Ifeanyi Awachie—Literary Happy Hour: This event creates a space for the talented working and emerging-writer communities of New Haven to bond through the experience of powerful literature while stimulating New Haven’s artistic life by establishing a strong, diverse literary social and “high art” environment. Participants will have access to a hip, free venue with a warm, relaxed atmosphere, to allow for interactions that transcend our city’s social, racial, and class divides. Elm City Dance Collective Arts— People in Motion: The collective plans to invite people to experience the power of dance through the practice and performance of making dance in the moment, also known as dance improvisation or compositional improvisation. ECDC is looking to help people remember what their bodies are capable of and how great it feels to connect with other human beings through the art of dance and dance making.
Community Action Collective (CAC) of Artspace New Haven—Bus Stop: This project will help build community and encourage public engagement with art throughout the Greater New Haven area by displaying art on city buses, bus stops, and Yale University shuttles. This will encourage conversation on subjects and themes usually limited to the confines of academic institutions. n
WHY CHUCK AND ZOE SELECTED EVERGREEN WOODS
“We looked at the other communities in the area but felt like they were very stuffy. Evergreen Woods is friendly and comfortable. The residents are so enthusiastic, and the associates are great.” “We wanted a place where we could enjoy ourselves and continue to contribute. If something were to happen to our health, we appreciate having taken care of it rather than having our kids faced with an emergency.” The 88-acre campus is beautiful – gardens, walking trails, nature areas, manicured landscaping, recreational areas, patios … but, best of all, the people are outstanding.
Please call to set up a convenient time to visit.
203-488-8000
88 Notch Hill Road • N. Branford, CT 06471
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the arts council sounds off on...
Struggle as Impediment and Inspiration david brensilver I’d looked forward to hearing Nick van Bloss play Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 (“Emperor”) since interviewing him in November for the January-February issue of The Arts Paper. And his performance of the piece with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in late February was absolutely sublime. I noted at the time that there is something entirely authentic about van Bloss’ playing, as if the musical dialogue taking place is between composer and performers, with no interference from audience or outside world. With van Bloss, there is no need for the showmanship or contrived emoting that some soloists employ. What was going on, during van Bloss’ performance with the NHSO, was between him, the piano, the music, and the orchestra. He connected the audience to Beethoven’s magic and to the composer’s struggle. And van Bloss’ own struggle, with Tourette syndrome, the subject of the January-February Arts Paper story “A Pianist, Dancing with Fate,” is inexorably tied to his extraordinary gift. The day after the concert at Woolsey Hall, the NHSO and the Yale School of Medicine presented a symposium called “Music Meets Medicine: Tourette Syndrome,” at which Dr. Christopher Pittenger, an associate professor at the Yale Department of Psychiatry and in the Child Study Center, and the director of Yale OCD Research Clinic, and Dr. Robert King, a professor at the Yale Child Study Center and the medical director of the center’s Tourette’s/OCD Clinic, talked about the syndrome in clinical terms, and van Bloss and operatic baritone Jason Duika discussed their personal experiences with Tourette’s.
During his remarks, Dr. King quoted a passage from a 2001 monograph titled Insight and Hindsight into Tourette Syndrome by neuroscientist and Purdue University professor Peter Hollenbeck, himself a Tourette’s sufferer. The passage reads: “I finally apprehend the magnitude of the background noise that I have been experiencing for decades … the people around me do not share my tics because they do not hear the drumbeat.” Pittenger speculated that how one’s brain processes information may be reflected in creative activities—that creativity comes from seeing things that aren’t obvious, that there’s more stuff to be creatively grasped onto. Tourette syndrome, in other words, can be viewed as both an impediment and an inspiration. “I’m ticing all the time,” van Bloss told symposium attendees. At this point in his life, he’s able, much of the time, to redirect the tics from the area of his head to places like his lower legs. Not all the time, though. His neck has always been his problem area. During his performance of the “Emperor” Concerto, in fact, he experienced a tic in his neck. I didn’t notice it during the concert, nor would it have registered, had I noticed it, as anything more than a part of who van Bloss is. “Tourette’s has not only broken my life, but has also made my life,” van Bloss said. Not a second goes by without him being aware that “my body hurts itself.” “It’s very exhausting, because I can’t switch it off,” he explained. When he’s at the piano, though, he’s able to channel that energy. “I’m convinced that playing the piano is almost an extension of the Tourette’s,” he said. “It carries on, albeit in the fingers.”
Nick van Bloss talks about his experiences with Tourette syndrome. Photo by Christopher Gardner.
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Sitting down to a piano a Davenport College, van Bloss described J.S. Bach as “the king of order.” “The order and the pure genius, somehow the focus of the music, gives me an incredible buzz,” he said before playing the Sinfonia from Bach’s Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826. His reading of the Bach was exquisite, despite the fact that it was morning, several hours before he would normally dare to sit down at the instrument. One young Tourettic in attendance asked van Bloss and Duika if either had ever contemplated giving up and ending it all. Duika said he had in the past but today considers his opera career a “tremendous gift.” Duika shared his gift that morning by way of performances, with accompanist William Braun, of “Ò vin, dissipe la tristesse” from Ambroise Thomas’ 1868 opera Hamlet and Henri Duparc’s “Chanson triste,” which was composed the same year. Van Bloss said he’d never contemplated giving up on life. Tourette’s wouldn’t kill him, he pointed out. In fact, the syndrome is an important part of who he is and plays an important role in his extraordinary ability to connect us with the magic of geniuses like Bach and Beethoven. I’ve been luxuriating in van Bloss’ recordings for weeks. Perhaps it’s because I’ve gotten to understand some of his specialness that I’m drawn to him as a person and as a musician. When I’m listening to his performances, though, that’s what I’m doing: listening—being connected to the magic of geniuses like Bach and Beethoven by someone who has an incredible gift, one that can’t be disconnected from who he is.
Nick van Bloss performs the Sinfonia from Bach’s Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826. Photo by Christopher Gardner.
Beethoven’s struggle gave us incomparable musical beauty. And so, too, has van Bloss’. Each of us is special, unique, in some way. Nick van Bloss’ gift is to connect us to magic. And for that—and for him—I’m incredibly grateful. n I encourage you to read “A Pianist, Dancing with Fate” in the January-February 2016 issue of The Arts Paper, which you’ll find at issuu.com/artscouncil9. I encourage you to visit nickvanbloss.com and to purchase his remarkable recordings. I also encourage you to visit Jason Duika’s website, jasonduikabaritone.com.
Left to right: Dr. Christopher Pittenger, Dr. Robert King, Nick van Bloss, and Jason Duika take questions during the “Music and Medicine: Tourette Syndrome” symposium presented in February by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and the Yale School of Medicine. Photo by Christopher Gardner.
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Music in Schools Initiative Transcends Arts Education yale program supports local teachers, changes lives
Teaching artist Daniel Fears, left, with student Joseph Fountain during a private lesson at Morse Summer Music Academy in 2015. Photo by Matthew Fried.
Teaching artist Andrew Robson, left, works with student Nicole Hernandez during a private lesson at Morse Summer Music Academy in 2015. Photo by Matthew Fried.
david brensilver
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n a second-floor classroom at Wilbur Cross High School, Kramer Milan led a group of middle-school-age percussion students through several basic snare-drum rudiments, coaching them on their technique and their cohesiveness as an ensemble. It was a sectional rehearsal on a Saturday morning in early February, and Milan was one of numerous teaching artists from the Yale School of Music’s Music in Schools Initiative working with public-school students who participate in the program’s All-City Honors Ensembles. “I actually like when you drop your sticks, because it’s a sign that you’re relaxed,” Milan told a student who’d lost his grip on a drum stick. “We learn by failing, so it’s all good.” “I need to practice my flams,” Juan “Manny” Boone, who attends Ross Woodward Classical Studies School, said, scrutinizing his technique. “Your flams are fine,” Milan told him encouragingly. “Your flams are good.” A Michigan native, Milan earned an undergraduate degree in percussion from the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University and is in his second year of the
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master’s degree program at the Yale School of Music. He started working as a teaching artist in Yale’s Music in Schools Initiative last year, working with young musicians at Hooker Middle School during the week and at Yale’s Morse Summer Music Academy during the month of July. This school year, Milan has worked mostly at Wilbur Cross High School, on Saturdays. “They come in here being grateful.” Milan said of the students. “They feel that this is something that is worthy of their attention.” Jorge Herrera, a sixth grader at Columbus Family Academy, agreed. “It’s a privilege,” he said. “I love being here.” It’s better than being at home, doing nothing, he explained. “I love to drum,” Herrera said. “Kramer’s a great teacher and he makes everything fun. He makes the boring things fun.” No doubt he was talking about the rudiments he and his peers were practicing. Talking about Milan while walking the halls at Wilbur Cross High School that morning, Rubén Rodríguez, the lead teacher for the Music in Schools Initiative, said, “He’s an amazing musician,” and, “He has a very, very tender heart for teaching. He can relate with the kids in a very special (way)”
Student Jose Ayala warms up before a concert at Morse Summer Music Academy. Photo by Matthew Fried.
with his calm, friendly attitude. A few minutes later, Rodríguez popped his head into another classroom. “Play something beautiful,” he told a group of saxophonists, who enthusiastically complied. Passing by another classroom, Rodríguez heard a teaching artist instructing a young musician named Diego, whose mother, Rodríguez said, had referred to her son, when he was in elementary school, as a “monster.” She’d tried everything she could to get him to curb his wild, disruptive, and mischievous behavior. He’d been out of control. “When he began to study music,” Rodríguez explained, “he became a different person.” The Music in Schools Initiative was established in 2007 through an endowment from the Yale College Class of 1957, which sought to form a partnership between the Yale School of Music and the New Haven Public Schools, to establish a biennial symposium on music education, and to create a visiting professorship. Sebastian Ruth, a 2010 MacArthur Fellow and the founder and artistic director of Community MusicWorks in Providence, Rhode Island—which was a model of sorts for Music Haven, here in New Haven—is currently serving as a visiting
faculty member at the Yale School of Music in the area of community engagement. The aim of the biennial symposium is to extend the dialogue about music education beyond Yale and the New Haven area. Other programs under the Music in Schools Initiative umbrella include the month-long Morse Summer Music Academy, which was established through an endowment from Mr. and Mrs. Lester Morse; week-long festivals during spring and winter breaks that each serve about 150 students (mostly beginners) and are funded through an endowment from the Alfred and Jane Ross Foundation; and an annual solo showcase concert that features student performers nominated by their public-school music teaches. At the heart of the Music in Schools Initiative is the Yale School of Music’s partnership with the New Haven Public Schools, through which teaching artists like Milan assist and support the district’s certified music teachers, having been selected and trained by Rodríguez and Yale alumnus Matthew Fried, who teaches music at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet Middle School. The most important job each teaching artist has, Rodríguez said, is to treat every student with “respect and consideration.”
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The Arts Paper april 2016 Currently, 43 teaching artists are paid to help public-school music educators work with about 340 students during the week and another 240 on Saturdays, when young musicians who play in the All-City Honors Ensembles—eight auditioned groups, including three concert bands, two string orchestras, and three choirs—rehearse. “We are assisting,” Rodríguez is quick to point out. “We are not developing an independent activity.” The public-school music educators design how the teaching artists will help in the schools. Ellen Maust, who supervises the performing and visual arts programs in the New Haven Public Schools and is in her 36th year as a public-school music educator in the city (including 29 years as a music teacher at the Nathan Hale School), explained that the partnership isn’t about doing what the schools can’t. The beauty of the program, she said, is that it’s not replacing something that’s missing. “It’s strategically enhancing” what the public schools offer in terms of music education. On one level, the initiative has helped increase the number of students who’re going on to participate in music in college. On another level, Maust said, “It’s really turned into a social-justice program” that provides young people with not just a musical voice but a confidence they can carry through their everyday lives. “At base,” Yale School of Music Associate Dean Michael Yaffe said, “this is all to provide New Haven kids with the kind of musical activities that more affluent suburban kids can afford.” It’s “an attempt at equalizing city and suburb.” Of Rodríguez, Yaffe said, “He loves the impact that music can have on any individual.” “Music is powerful,” Rodríguez said. He’s seen it change “thousands of lives.” Rodríguez was born and raised in Colom-
bia and attended college there. He studied in France after college, and then returned to Colombia to teach in Bogota for three years before enrolling at the Yale School of Music to study trombone in the master’s degree program. He worked as a Music in Schools teaching artist for two years before being named its lead teacher in 2011. Music literally saved the lives of students he taught in Colombia, where drug-related violence takes the lives of people young and older. Talking about the social issues that challenge students and families in New Haven’s urban neighborhoods, Rodríguez said, “We cannot answer to all those things, but the kids are finding in music a value that helps them find their way to be part of the community they’re living in.” Music, he said, is “like a force moving in the opposite direction” of the negative forces that unfairly plague urban populations. “Through music,” he said, “they’re finding dignity —Rubén and value.” The program “is about music changing lives for the best.” Do the students understand that? “Yes, no doubt.” Music gives them tools they can apply in all aspects of their lives. Rodríguez told the story of a special-needs student for whom music has provided a unique space in which he can socialize, relax, smile, and learn. Another student, who was experiencing “a deep and serious depression” that led to him to stop participating in the All-City Honors Ensembles, was coaxed by Rodríguez to give the Morse Summer Music Academy a shot this
past July. And while the student showed up late, during the second week of the program, and didn’t really begin to participate until the third week, he eventually found comfort in playing music and socializing with his peers. “What medicine didn’t fix,” Rodríguez said, “a caring music community did for him.” The benefits of the Music in Schools Initiative extend beyond the classroom. “Right from the beginning,” Maust said, “we could see parents networking that would never have crossed paths before.” That was “a plus that we didn’t plan for.” “We’re creating a culture of arts appreciators through this program,” she said, and creating arts leaders in the schools. The teaching artists and public-school music teachers, too, gain a lot through working with one another and with their students. The opportunity for pubRodríguez lic-school music educators to work with graduate students from the Yale School of Music has “given them some prominence in the community and in the school district,” Maust said. And “their own musicianship has grown.” It works both ways. Most of the teaching artists “haven’t had the kind of experiences we’re offering,” Rodríguez said. Milan, Yaffe said, is “the poster child” for how the experience working with young urban kids can have a significant impact on the way an ascendant musician thinks about
“The kids are finding in music a value that helps them find their way to be part of the community they’re living in.”
his or her career. Milan is planning to pursue an artist diploma when he’s done with the master’s degree program and said that “I’ll probably get a doctorate” after that. And while “there is no (music education) degree at Yale,” Milan said, explaining that he and his grad-school peers in the Music in Schools Initiative are “sort of specialty teaching artists,” he’s effectively been immersed in the world of music education. Yaffe reiterated that Rodríguez and the teaching artists ask the public-school music educators what they need. If there’s a stereotype in the field that public-school teachers are nervous about receiving outside help, Yaffe believes the Music in Schools Initiative has dispelled any such myths. “We can only do the work that our grad students do because music is in every school in New Haven,” Yaffe said. That is to say that the level of music education public-school students in New Haven are receiving wouldn’t be possible without the public-school programs. On Friday, May 6, the Music in Schools Initiative will present a concert at Woolsey Hall in conjunction with Music Haven, Neighborhood Music School, and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. The idea, Yaffe said, is to showcase young musicians from the New Haven Public Schools in ensembles organized by the four nonprofit organizations. Joint performances will also part of the program, which Yaffe pointed out will help emphasize that there probably “isn’t another urban school district in America that has as much music as New Haven.” “This is a way to connect, to play music with each other,” to be a community, Rodríguez said. n Visit music.yale.edu/community/music-in-schools to learn more about the Yale School of Music’s Music in Schools Initiative.
Student percussionist Juan Boone plays crash cymbals at Morse Summer Music Academy in 2015. Photo by Chris Randall.
Jorge Herrera, a student at Columbus Family Academy, practices snare-drum rudiments on a pad. Photo by David Brensilver.
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Rubén Rodríguez conducts a wind ensemble at Morse Summer Music Academy in 2015. Photo by Chris Randall.
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Smooth, But Hard to Swallow jafferis packs a punch with new work lucy gellman Just moments into a recent performance of Smooth Criminal at Collective Consciousness Theatre, hip-hop poet, playwright, and actor Aaron Jafferis was in full form, sweat dripping off flyaway strands of hair as he pulled a packed house into his narrative. With actors Brittany Wilson and Gracy Brown-Keirstead flanking him, he would assume the role of Aaron past and present, whose lifelong superpower was fighting institutional racism. Wilson and Brown would help him get there, filling in the roles of mother, father, narrator, facilitator, and factchecker where Jafferis had deemed it necessary, and jolting audience members back to reality just when they were starting to think the play was drifting a little too much. If this is sounding ambitious, it was, and continues to be—but never overly so. A work in progress titled to recall the Michael-Jackson-fêting era in which Jafferis came of age, and to take a very close look at the notion of criminality today, Smooth Criminal is candid, intimate, and even funny, charging at systemic racism with a very sharp and incisive sword and coming out victorious, but not without lots of pointed questions, and enough baggage to shoulder all of them. Here’s the quick and dirty of Smooth Criminal, a witty hip-hop odyssey that Jafferis expects to change and expand before its next community presentation later this year. Our protagonist Aaron, otherwise known throughout the play as “undoing racism boy” and a Key-and-Peele-esque “A-Aron,” jumps willingly through his memories to the present, and back into his memories again, pulling the audience with him each time. Audience members witness his childhood and coming of age in vivid, dramatized vignettes: new friendships are forged on the playgrounds of his youth, he grows into boyhood with a tight and diverse group of friends, then watches racial fissure and prejudice unfold before his eyes, all while trying to figure out that lily-white elephant in the middle of downtown New Haven, otherwise known as Yale University. Whatever the challenge, he’s willing to rise to it, using verse and audience participation to scrutinize the problem at hand. Take, for instance, the issue of Yale, to which Jafferis finds a number of uncomfortable but spot-on parallels with the city’s correctional facilities. “When I say a phrase,
Left to right: Brittany Wilson, Aaron Jafferis, and Gracy Brown-Keirstead present a reading of Jafferis’ new work, Smooth Criminal. Photo by Lucy Gellman.
I want you to shout out ‘Yale’ or ‘jail,’” he told the audience in a performance at the end of February, going on to list things like legacy, skin color, high-walls and gated community, and a certain inescapability that applied, inevitably, to both. Or questions that Jafferis and director Will MacAdams ask directly of the audience, urging them to confront uncomfortable realities in their own community while interfacing with its members in real time. Like—how do you speak to a 5-year-old about race? What ways has your racial and socioeconomic upbringing manifested itself in your adult life? How did you see family members act about race and class, and why? It’s this sense of curiosity and experiment in Jafferis the actor and Jafferis the person, often met with unflinching honesty and self-discovery, that takes the work from an interesting think piece on wealth- and racebased systems of oppression to something urgent, something that New Haven (and many cities around the country) arguably needs right now. Jafferis isn’t just painting pictures for his audience, he’s urging it to start talking about something messy and difficult, and using himself as a sort of patient zero. An unexpected and refreshing partner piece to Josh Wilder’s Salt Pepper Ketchup, the first act of which was presented at the Yale Cabaret earlier this
year, Smooth Criminal presents the wicked, ungainly, complicated, and very real sides to things like gentrification, racial cleavage, and the forms that the new Jim Crow takes in this city. In part, that’s because Jafferis has been thinking about some version of Smooth Criminal for his entire life, and working on it in earnest since he participated in an “undoing racism” workshop with the Brooklyn-based Urban Bush Women five years ago. Responding to the organization’s mission to “galvanize communities through performance,” he started committing his experiences to the page during and after the workshop, working through them in free-flowing and expansive verse during a fall writing residency at the Millay Colony for the Arts, in Austerlitz, New York. “I had never really thought as deeply about class, and in this workshop I started asking that question about New Haven, which feels like a kind of crucible of race and class disparity, and a place where the links between those are really tight,” Jafferis told The Arts Paper after four performances of Smooth Criminal in late February. “I started to think of racism as the glue that holds class structure together—and in New Haven, that glue is just mad strong.” He was honest with himself throughout the process, too. “I started thinking about my own story in relation to class,” he added.
“How money manifests in my own life and lives of my blood family … my cousins, my parents, my wider family—and then people who I consider my family who are not blood, my close friends in New Haven. I started to look at the ways money and class in addition to race show up in all of those lives.” The result, he said, is something that is far from finished, but has a clear starting point in the script that he presented for audiences at Erector Square, guided by MacAdams and Collective Conscious Theater Director Dexter Singleton. “I think that the way forward for me as a human being, in terms of being my full self and bringing my full self into all of my relationships, is to be as honest as possible,” he said. “For whatever reason, it’s sometimes easier for me in my writing.” MacAdams, who has known Jafferis for the better part of 17 years and lived in New Haven for 15 of them, feels very much the same way. “I think that one of the wonderful things about being able to do this show in this moment, in this place, is that you can’t distinguish those things without saying them first. That was what was so invaluable. It was for family in the broadest sense of the word. I think with people in that room, there were all sorts of relationships. It’s definitely not the end,” MacAdams said. n
Hip-hop poet, playwright, and actor Aaron Jafferis, during a reading in February of his new work, Smooth Criminal. Photos by Lucy Gellman.
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The Arts Paper april 2016
CALENDAR
The saxophone trio Sax Pack (left to right: Steve Cole, Jackiem Joyner, and Jeff Kashiwa) appears with vocalist Selina Albright (top right) at the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts at Southern Connecticut State University on April 16. Photo of Steve Cole by Jules Ameel. Photos courtesy of Mighty Music Corp (mightymusiccorp.com) and the Lyman Center.
Classes & Workshops ACES Educational Center for the Arts 55 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-777-5451. aces.org/eca. Acting Classes for Kids and Teens Quality acting classes for children and teens. Pantomime, improvisation, theater games, movement, and the staging of a one-act play. Age groupings: 7-11 and 12-15 years. Performance at end of session. Saturday classes ongoing through May 7. Call Ingrid Schaeffer at 203-795-9011 or email ingrids@optonline. net for more information. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Annie Sailer Your Community Yoga Center, 39 Putnam Ave. (near intersection with Whitney Avenue), Hamden. 347-306-7660. anniesailer.com. Modern/Contemporary Dance Classes Classes taught by Annie Sailer. Ongoing adult, intermediate-level dance classes Mondays (YCYC, 6-7:30 p.m.) and Wednesdays (Trinity Lutheran Church, 292 Orange St. at Wall Street, 5:30-7 p.m.) in large, studios with wooden floors. Classes include floor warm-up and big, spatial-movement sequences. Contact Annie before coming as times and locations may change. anniesaier@gmail.com. Classes ongoing through June 29. $15 per class (cash only). Connecticut Natural Science Illustrators Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-695-1215. ctnsi.com. Winter/Spring Art Classes. Come take an exciting art class at the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven. We are offering Basic Drawing, Scientific Light on Form, Drawing and Painting Birds and Bird Models, Basic Watercolor, Basic Colored Pencil, and Drawing Flowers and Butterflies. To register, visit website, email ctnsi.info@gmail.com, or call 203-695-1215. Ongoing through May. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Elm City Dance Collective 860-451-9421. elmcitydance.org/classes. Club Fusion. A high energy, follow-along style dance class designed to make you sweat and dance to some sweet beats! This class is for movers and non-movers alike. Shoes required. Meets once a month on Wednesdays through April 27. 6-7 p.m. $15 per class (cash only). Lyric Hall, 827 Whalley Ave., New Haven. People in Motion. An adult dance class for movers and non-movers alike. This class is designed to help non-dancers experience the joy of movement
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as well as challenge trained dancers. Adults of any age and any ability are welcome. Ongoing through May 15. This class meets once a month on Sundays, 10-11:30 a.m. $15 per class (cash only). Connecticut Capoeira and Dance Center, 1175 State St., Suite 207, New Haven. Southern Connecticut State University 501 Crescent St, New Haven. 203-874-0801. elmshakespeare.org. Teen Troupe Spring Classes. Immerse yourself in great theater. Become the Shakespearean actor you can be! This 10-week class combines training and rehearsal to build an acting ensemble and creates a fully realized performance of a Shakespeare play! Teens only! Ages 13-18. Saturdays, April 2, April 9, April 16, April 30, May 7, May 14, May 21, and May 22 with performances on the final two afternoons. See elmshakespeare.org for details. 12-4 p.m. Suzanne Siegel Studio 2351 Boston Post Road, Bldg. 2, Suite 210, Guilford. 203-215-1468. suzannesiegel.net. Painting Workshops. Contemporary Approaches with Watercolor, Abstraction with Oil and Cold Wax, Watercolor workshop with guest artist, Elizabeth O’Reilly of Brooklyn, and more. Classes ongoing through June 30. See workshops page on website. $250-$350. Watercolor Workshop Contemporary Approaches with Watercolor. Play and experimentation with water-based mediums are our priority in this workshop. Through guided exercises, slide presentations, individualized instruction, and group critiques, you will come away with new toolbox of ideas to use! Ongoing though June 30. Visit website for full description and registration information for this workshop and others. $250. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Workshop: Oil and Cold Wax, Abstraction—Composing with Structure. A lively and instructive workshop exploring ways to use cold wax with oil paint, powders, and other media. We will experiment with tools and marks, balancing intuitive and intentional approaches with the elements of design, as we compose abstract paintings with structure. Slide presentation and discussions with attention to each person’s journey. Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and April 24 . Visit website for full description and registration information for this workshop and others. $250. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Company of Writers The Grove 760 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-676-7133. companyofwriters.net/writingtoberead. Writing Workshops. All ages and levels of experience. We offer prose and poetry workshops, in-person and online services, a summer writers’ conference for teens, and a manuscript consultancy for book-length material. We all have a story to tell. What’s yours? Course ongoing through April 30. Course descriptions and times available online. Private Art Instruction For adults and children. Learn in a working artist’s studio. Ideal for artists, home-schooled youngsters, and those with special needs. Portfolio preparation offered. Draw, paint, print, and make collage in a spacious lightfilled studio at Erector Square in New Haven. Relaxed and professional. I can also come to you. Lessons created to suit individual. References available. Email lizpagano@snet.net.
Dance March 31-April 2 Thursday-Saturday Spring Senior Thesis Dance Concert Senior choreographers present a collection of new works as the culminating project of the dance major. 8 p.m. ’92 Patricelli Theater, Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 213 High St., Middletown. 860-6853355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
April 15-16 Friday-Saturday Spring Faculty Dance Concert—“Storied Places” This collaborative project, inspired by African American histories of migration and arrival, is rooted in a multi-faceted conception of renaissance, and explores states of past and present, of vitality and decay, and of presence and absence. 8 p.m. CFA Theater, Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 271 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
April 28-30 Thursday-Saturday Spring Dance Concert Student choreographers present works created after a full year of dance composition studies. 8 p.m. Patricelli ‘92 Theater, Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 213 High St., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
Exhibitions City Gallery 994 State St., New Haven. 203-7822489.city-gallery.org. Nancy Eisenfeld. City Gallery in New Haven presents new work by Nancy Eisenfeld. In the Clouds features paintings/sculptures that express the movement and shapes of the clouds. Weather changes in the clouds are interpreted from stormy and violent to placid and playful. Nancy imagines what toxic waste and communication systems might look like in cloud interior. On view through April 3. Open Thursday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m., or by appointment. Free and open to the public. College of East Asian Studies Gallery at Mansfield Freeman Center Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 343 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-2330. wesleyan.edu/ceas/exhibitions Light of the East—The Beauty of Movement in Silence. Prominent Korean digital artists Youngho Kim and Jisong Lee examine the “beauty of movement in silence” through photography and video in their first exhibition outside Korea. On view through May 22. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Free. Davison Art Center Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 301 High St., Middletown. 860-685-2500. wesleyan.edu/dac/exhibitions. Philip Trager: “Photographing Ina.” Following a retrospective exhibition in 2006 of his internationally renowned images of architecture and of contemporary dancers, Philip Trager ‘56 created the book Photographing Ina. This exhibition reveals Mr. Trager’s first series in color photography-an unexpected and tender meditation on photographing, on perception, color, and light. On view through May 22. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Free. Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 283 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa/galleries Senior Thesis Exhibitions. Works by Rebecca Brand, Rachel Fox, Miriam Kudler-Flam, Addison McDowell, Elissa Palmer, Milo Farley, Molly Grund, Nathan Harris, Caroline MacNeille, Evan Ortiz, Sophie Becker, Casey Herrick, Samantha Ho, Gla M, and Zach Scheinfeld. On view through April 10. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Free. Senior Thesis Exhibition Reception—Week Three. View the talents of seniors Sophie Becker, Casey Herrick, Samantha Ho, Gla M, and Zach Scheinfeld
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in the art-studio program of Wesleyan University’s Department of Art and Art History. On display through Sunday, April 10. Reception: Wednesday, April 6, 4-6 p.m. Free. Thesis Art Exhibition. Zilkha Gallery showcases the work of the Class of 2016’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/her senior thesis exhibition for this year-end showcase of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and architecture. On view April 26-May 21. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Free. Good News Cafe 694 Main St. South, Woodbury. 203-266-4663. ¡Salud! A solo exhibition of monotypes by Oi Fortin. Several of the prints in this exhibition are from my recent series titled Catalan, an homage to the Spanish masters, in particular Antoni Gaudí. “In these prints, I am trying to capture the sensuality of Barcelona and its environs, and the light that suffuses its citizens as they work and recreate.” On view through May 3. Guilford Art Center 411 Church St., Guilford. 203-453-5947. galleryoneCT.com. The Artists of Gallery One and Friends at Guilford Art Center. Work by a diverse group of mid-career artists who utilize current modes of expression in a variety of contemporary media. The hanging intentionally emphasizes connections between representational and abstract work. On view April 22-May 15. Gallery hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 12-4 p.m.
Opening Reception. The Artists of Gallery One’s member artists include David Brown, Ashby Carlisle, Catherine Christiano, Bette Ellsworth, Gray Jacobik, Rick Lacey, Judith Barbour Osborne, T. Willie Raney, Diana Rogers, Rick Silberberg, and Jill Vaughn. Deborah Hornbake of East Haddam and Steve Lloyd of W. Brattleboro, Vermont (formerly of Chester, Connecticut), will be joining them. April 22. 5-7 p.m. Hamden Art League at Miller Library Senior Center 2901 Dixwell Ave., Hamden. 203-494-2316. hamdenartleague.com. Goldenbells Art Exhibition and Sale. The 61st annual non-juried show features work by both members and non-members. Works of original, two-dimensional art by professional, amateur and emerging artists will be available for purchase. Includes works in oil, pastel, acrylic, pencil, charcoal, watercolor, printmaking, and mixed media. Receiving April 5, 4-6 p.m., two pieces per artist, maximum. On view April 6-April 28. Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Reception, awards presentation, and painting raffle on April 12, 7-9 p.m. Free and open to the public. Kehler Liddell Gallery 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven. 203-389-9555. kehlerliddellgallery.com. Solo Shows by Laura Barr and Penrhyn E. Cook. To kick off spring, two new shows grace the walls of New Haven’s Kehler Liddell Gallery: Paintings and Drawings by Laura Barr, and Wishful Thinking by photographer Penrhyn E. Cook. The exhibits share gallery space through April 24. Opening reception: April 3, 3-6 p.m., featuring music by classical guitarist Neal Fitzpatrick. Gallery hours available on website. Free.
Keyes Gallery Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library 146 Thimble Islands Road, Stony Creek. 203-488-8702. Explorations. Photographs by Roslyn Meyer. On view April 3-April 27. Artist reception: Sunday, April 3, 4-6 p.m. New Haven Museum 114 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-562-4183. newhavenmuseum.org. Fun, Fascinating, and Made in the Elm City. From Clocks to Lollipops: Made in New Haven, highlights an astonishing variety of goods that were, and some that still are, produced in the Elm City. The exhibition runs through September 3 and features more than 100 objects, advertisements, trade cards, photographs, and more, with a wide-ranging products made in New Haven. Hours: Tuesday–Friday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, 12–5 p.m. Free 1-4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month. Susan Powell Fine Art 679 Boston Post Road, Madison. 203-318-0616. susanpowellfineart.com. Spring Into Art. Group show: 21 award-wining artists, with 65 paintings on view including landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, and figurative and abstract works. Artists include Kathy Anderson, Del-Bourree Bach, Peter Bergeron, Dan Brown, Grace DeVito, David Dunlop, James Magner, Deborah Quinn-Munson, Cora Ogden, Polly Seip, Dennis Sheehan, and George Van Hook. On view through April 2. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Annual Still-Life Invitational. For the past 10 years, Susan Powell Fine Art has brought together some of the best artists working today for its Annual Still Life Invitational. “From Realism and Trompe L’oeil to the whimsical, 20 award-winning artists create visual narratives that will make you smile and marvel. It’s so exciting to have so many accomplished artists at one time.” April 8-May 7. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Opening reception: Friday, April 8, 5 -8 p.m. Free. Whitney Center 200 Leeder Hill Drive, Hamden, CT. 203-772-2788. www.newhavenarts.org/ traduzindo-cor-at-perspectives-the-gallery-at-w Traduzindo Cor at Perspectives…The Gallery at Whitney Center. Traduzindo Cor (color) is a multimedia exhibition presented by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven that brings together artists from New England and Cape Verde Islands who use color to communicate ideas about personal and cultural identity and nature in a cross cultural conversation that examines the universality of color as a powerful, expressive language of its own. On view through April 29. Artist talks: Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. Free. Whitney Humanities Center 53 Wall St., New Haven. 203-432-0670. whc.yale.edu/gallery-whitney. Painting in Time: Discovery, Analysis, and Interpretation of a Roman Shield. The current exhibit presents a multi-disciplinary study of one of the site’s most unique artifacts and one of archaeology’s rarest finds—a wooden Roman shield painted with scenes from the Trojan War. On view through June 15. During fall and spring term the Gallery at the Whitney is open to the public Monday and Wednesday, 3-5 p.m., or by appointment by calling (203) 432-0670. Free. Yale Institute of Sacred Music 409 Prospect St., New Haven. 203-432-3220. ism.yale.edu/calendar. Between Clock and Bed. Exhibition curated by Jon seals (MAR ‘15). Works by Laura Mosquera, Natalija Mijatovic, Kirsten Moran, Stephen Knudsen, Kenny Jensen, and Ronnie Rysz. On view through June 2. Hours: weekdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free and open to the general public.
Galas & Fundraisers 17 Sunday New Haven Oratorio Choir Cabaret Join us for a fun-filled afternoon! Members and friends of the choir will perform in a variety show, with some
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surprises and even a chance for audience participation. There will be plenty of food and drink, a silent auction, and Dr. Caterwaul’s Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps. This event is something the whole family will enjoy. Come and support NHOC. Sunday afternoon. 1253 Whitney Ave., Hamden. 860-339-6462. nhoratorio.org.
30 Saturday Artspace Gala & Auction: Back to the Future In celebration of our 30th anniversary, we’re spending the night in 1986. With a live auction of artworks orchestrated by Christie’s devilishly charming auctioneer, Guy Bennet, a Delorean-inspired photo booth, and our specialty Mad Scientist Cocktail. All proceeds will support our Three Decades of Change anniversary programs and campaign. Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. 203-772-2709. artspacenh.org.
Kids & Families Shubert Theatre Peter Rabbit Tales. This production is based on three of Beatrix Potter’s “rabbit tales”—The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, and the Tale of Mr. Tod. Saturday, April 23, 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. $19-$29.
Music 1 Friday German Romantics Terrence B. Fay, tenor and trombone; Alexis Zingale, piano. Works by Schubert and Weber, featuring songs from Schumann’s Liederkreis. 7 p.m. Neighborhood Music School, 100 Audubon St., New Haven. 203624-5189. neighborhoodmusicschool.org. Music Haven Presents The Haven String Quartet presents the music of Josquin des Prez, J.S. Bach, and Igor Stravinsky. 7:30 p.m. Admission: $20; $10 students, seniors, and Initarian Society of New Haven members. Tickets available at musichavenct.org/concerts. Unitarian Society of New Haven, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden. 203-7459030. musichavenct.org. Wu Man and the Shanghai Quartet—“A Night in Ancient and New China” The Shanghai Quartet— violinists Weigang Li and Yi-Wen Jiang, violist Honggang Li, and cellist Nicholas Tzavaras—returns to Wesleyan University for its Connecticut debut with pipa (Chinese lute) virtuosa Wu Man. Featuring the Connecticut premiere of the new quintet Red Lantern by eminent Chinese film composer Zhao Jiping (Raise the Red Lantern). 8 p.m. $22 general public; $20 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
2 Saturday Senior Recital—Justin Friedman Ranging in influences from Bill Evans, Chet Atkins, John Coltrane, Hank Jones, and Count Basie to D’Angelo, James Blake, Travis Scott, Flying Lotus, and Kanye West, this recital by Justin Friedman will take the audience through a musical journey connecting styles from the 20th and 21st centuries through various mediums—mostly the guitar. 7 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, New York Ring Family Performing Arts Hall (former CFA Hall), 287 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cf Senior Recital—Morgan Scribner A journey through history, Morgan Scribner’s senior music recital will showcase how the black body has been used through song and spoken word. While some
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of the repertoire is original, others have been derived from the voices of predecessors in the form of Negro spirituals and slave tunes. 9 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, The Russell House, 350 High St., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
3 Sunday Senior Recital—Carina Devairakkam-Brown A senior music recital by Carina Devairakkam-Brown, “Film Sound as a Narrative Device,” is an exploration of the narrative and expressive capabilities of film scores and sound. 3 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Ring Family Performing Arts Hall (former CFA Hall), 287 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa. Senior Recital—Monique Siaw A senior music recital by Monique Siaw, this performance demonstrates black female narratives on a wide spectrum. With original compositions and arrangements, “AA as Resistance and Healing” shows the power of black art and gives voice to the black female. 7 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
citizens, students, and children 12 and younger. Hamden Arts Commission, Thornton Wilder Hall, 2901 Dixwell Ave., Hamden. 203-287-2546. hamdenartscommission.org. Senior Recital—Nicole Roman-Johnston A senior music recital by Nicole Roman-Johnston, “Experimental Music” is a “sonification” of several levels of what comes out of the Chernoff lab, exploring environmental sounds from what is considered the “natural environment” of the Connecticut River drainage basin, and from the lab environment itself. True experimental music. 2 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa. Senior Recital—Matt Chilton “Fieldwork” is an exploration of site, sound, and collective experiences through the acoustic environments of Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts. Drawing from the insights of experimental music and anthropology, “Fieldwork” aims to challenge the preconceived relations and hierarchies of composer, performer, and audience. 5:30 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
5 Tuesday Graduate Recital—Cecilia Lopez A graduate music thesis concert by Cecilia Lopez. 9 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
8 Friday Four is the Magic Number Part of Neighborhood Music School’s Spring Faculty Concert Series. Gretchen Frazier, violin; Bethany Wilder, viola; YunYang Lin, cello; Ingeborg Schimmer, piano. Piano Quartet KV 493 in E-flat, by W. A. Mozart and Bagatelles, Op. 47, by Antonin Dvorak. 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Neighborhood Music School, 100 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-624-5189. neighborhoodmusicschool.org. Senior Recital—Angus Macdonald A night of original compositions and arrangements by Angus Macdonald. 7 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
9 Saturday Mahler Symphony No. 9 Mahler’s 1909 last completed symphony, at once a memory of his youth and a foreboding of his all-too-soon death in 1911. Maestro James Sinclair leads a modern re-orchestration that may rival Orchestra New England’s much-heralded performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 (performed in 2011) and Das Lied von der Erde (performed in 2012). 7:30 p.m. $20 general admission; $35 reserved seats; $5 student rush tickets at the door. Tickets are available online and at the box office one hour before performance. Doors open 30 minutes before the concert. United Church on the Green, 270 Temple St., New Haven. 203-7774690. orchestranewengland.org. Senior Recital—Harim Jung Whether it is in the drone of the tambura in South Indian music, or in the “drops” of club beats, the bass is essential. In this senior music recital by Harim Jung, “Back to the Bass-ics,” the capacity and limits of the double bass will be explored in fun and family -friendly classical double-bass solos and chamber music works. 7 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Memorial Chapel, 221 High St., Middletown. 860-6853355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
10 Sunday St Luke’s Steel Band: The Joyous Sounds of Steel Drums The high-energy, national award-winning band, with members of all ages, is hailed as one of the most unique and exciting performing ensembles in the state. Its repertoire includes calypso, reggae, classical, popular, and island folk music. 2 p.m. Admission is $7 general admission; $5 for senior
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ular music from Italian, French, Chinese, and American traditions; and original multi-lingual pop compositions. 3 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, The Russell House, 350 High St., Middletown. 860685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa. Senior Recital—Jasmine Mack A senior music recital by Jasmine Mack. 4 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
23 Saturday The 1816 Concert Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the dedication of Trinity Church on the Green’s church house with Orchestra New England and the Trinity Choirs, James Sinclair and Walden Moore conducting. 8 p.m. Orchestra New England and the Trinity Church Choirs, Trinity Church on the Green, 230 Temple St., New Haven. 203-624-3101. trinitynewhaven.org. Wesleyan Concert Choir The Wesleyan Concert Choir presents an afternoon of choral masterworks in exciting collaborations under the direction of adjunct assistant professor of music Nadya Potemkina. 7 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-6853355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
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Senior Recital—Lindsay Starr A senior music recital by Lindsay Starr, featuring original contemporary country songs written over the course of the past four years. 7 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
O Fortuna! The New Haven Chorale welcomes the Hartt School choruses, The Connecticut Children’s Chorus, the acclaimed Hartt Percussion Ensemble, and brilliant pianists Éric Trudel and Miguel Campinho for a spectacular performance of Carl Orff’s raucous Carmina Burana in its exciting piano/percussion version, under the baton of Edward Bolkovac. For all ages! 4:30 p.m. Adults $20; seniors $15; children and students with ID admitted free. New Haven Chorale, Woolsey Hall, College and Grove streets, New Haven. 203-776SONG. newhavenchorale.org.
16 Saturday Rhonda Vincent & The Rage The “new queen of bluegrass” brings her hard driving band back to town. 7:30 p.m. $45 general admission; $55 reserved, $25 Unitarians. GuitartownCT Productions, Unitarian Society Hall, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden. 203-430-6020. guitartownct.com. “Ideas on the Move”—A Conference in Honor of Mark Slobin A conference in honor of the retirement of Winslow-Kaplan Professor of Music Mark Slobin. 8:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Seminar Room, Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies, 343 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa. “Ideas on the Move” Concert A concert in honor of the retirement of Winslow-Kaplan Professor of Music Mark Slobin, featuring Irish music by Stan Scott ‘97, Dora Hast ‘94, and Jim Cowdery ‘85; Yiddish music by Hankus Netsky ‘04 and Matthew Stein ‘16; performances by Matthew Allen ‘92, David Fossum ‘10, Aaron Paige ‘03, and Paul Austerlitz ‘93; and more! 8-11 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
17 Sunday The Second Movement Ensemble presents: Phantasie Created shortly after the concert series, the Second Movement Ensemble is composed of musicians who have strong ties to New Haven, both as performers and teachers. This ensemble is committed to enhancing the art form’s approachability in our society. This afternoon, we will be presenting a program of Britten, Bowen, and Martinu! April 17. This is part of The Second Movement Concert Series, which is based in New Haven. Be sure to check out our website for the rest of our events! 3:00 PM Suggested Donation: $15/5 - Adult/Student. The Second Movement, Artspace New Haven, 50 Orange Street, New Haven, CT. 307-760-0457. www.secondmovementseries.org Senior Recital—Enobong Etteh A senior music recital by international artist Enobong Etteh, “Let There Be Voice!” features arias; art songs; folk and pop-
World Guitar Ensemble Wesleyan University students perform guitar-ensemble music from around the world under the direction of private-lessons teacher Cem Duruöz. 3 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
28 Thursday American Voices The Worcester Chorus and the New Haven Symphohy Orchestra perform Leonard Bernstein’s choral masterpiece Chichester Psalms, Lambert’s Rio Grande, and spirituals that originated during the Underground Railroad movement, plus works by Joan Tower and Vaughan Williams. Symphony at the Shubert Series sponsored by Marcum, LLC. KidTix and Blue Star Tickets are sponsored by Frontier. 7:30 p.m. $15-$74. KidTix and Blue Star Tickets available. $10 student tickets with ID. Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. 203-8650831. NewHavenSymphony.org. Beginners Javanese Gamelan Experience the culture of Java with beginning students of the Wesleyan Gamelan Ensemble. The concert will include a prelude by the Wesleyan Youth Gamelan Ensemble. 7 p.m. Free! Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa. Collegium Musicum Collegium Musicum presents a program of music from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods of European music history. 6 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Memorial Chapel, 221 High St., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
29 Friday Wesleyan Cello Ensemble Wesleyan cellists perform under the direction of private-lessons teacher Julie Ribchinsky. 6 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Memorial Chapel, 221 High St., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra and Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble The Wesleyan University Jazz Orchestra, directed by adjunct professor of music and African American studies Jay Hoggard, and Jazz Ensembles directed by Noah Baerman and visiting assistant professor of music and private-lessons teacher Pheeroan akLaff, present an exciting evening of classic and contemporary jazz repertoire. 8 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
30 Saturday Jay Hoggard Harlem Hieroglyphs Ensemble Vibraphonist, composer, and adjunct professor of music and African American studies Jay Hoggard ‘76 presents music from his new recording Harlem Hieroglyphs in celebration of 40 years since his Wesleyan senior recital in Crowell Concert Hall, almost to the day. This concert is the conclusion of the 15th annual Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Weekend. 8 p.m. $15 general public; $12 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
Special Events 2 Saturday Tour of New York City Photograph Galleries Join the Friends of the Davison Art Center on an exciting tour of New York City’s photograph galleries. Led by noted collector and Wesleyan University’s Jane A. Seney Professor of Greek, Professor and Chair of Classical Studies, Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, the tour meets in New York and visits galleries on 57th Street and in Chelsea. 11 a.m. $65 general public, $60 for the Friends of the Davison Art Center. 57th Street, New York. 860-685-2500. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
16 Saturday The Big Draw—Middletown This fifth annual community event invites everyone to celebrate drawing in all its forms with workshops for all skill levels, from beginners to accomplished artists. The event is organized to encourage creativity, exploration, invention, and fun with activities that celebrate the visual arts. Organized by the Friends of the Davison Art Center. 1-4 p.m. Free. 301 High St., Middletown. 860-685-2500. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
Talks & Tours 6 Wednesday Artful Lunch Series—Melissa Katz Join the Friends of the Davison Art Center for a presentations by visiting assistant professor of art history Melissa Katz about her favorite work in the Davison Art Center collection. Bring your bag lunch and enjoy conversation following the talk. 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/cfa.
7 Thursday Artist Talk with Jisong Lee and Youngho Kim Prominent Korean digital artists Youngho Kim and Jisong Lee examine the “beauty of movement in silence” through photography and video in their first exhibition outside Korea. Both artists build on their long careers in fashion and commercial work to create works that examine the core principals hiding behind what we see. 4:30 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, College of East Asian Studies Gallery at Mansfield Freeman Center, 343 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-2330. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
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BULLETIN BOARD Call For Artist Members Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven is seeking applications from new prospective members. Visit kehlerliddell.com/ membership for more information. GuitartownCT Productions presents Rhonda Vincent & The Rage at the Unitarian Society Hall, in Hamden, on April 16. Photo courtesy of Chris Wuerth.
14 Thursday Neighborhood Spotlight A master class: The Jesse Hameen II Experience. Neighborhood Spotlight is a talk series that feature local experts and members of the Neighborhood Music School faculty in the field of music, dance, and theater. 6-7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Neighborhood Music School, 100 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-624-5189. neighborhoodmusicschool.org.
21 Thursday Senior Talks in the History of Art Seniors in the art-history program of Wesleyan University’s Department of Art and Art History will present their talks—Louise de Verteuil, Flora Donovan, and Bryan Schiavone. In addition, archeology and history double major Samuel Ingbar, German studies major Nicholas Selden, and English major Penny Snyder will also be presenting. 4:30 p.m. Free. Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, 41 Wyllys Ave., Room 112, Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
30 Saturday David McCullough, Jr. Talk David McCullough, Jr. will give a talk, “The Overburdened Child: The 88 Pound Backpack.” This engaging talk followed by a lively discussion, desserts, and coffee will benefit the Financial Aid Fund for the Edith B. Jackson Child Care Program, Inc. 7:30 p.m. Contact amy@ebjchildcare.org. $25 donation. The Foote School, 50 Loomis Place, New Haven. 203-764-9416. ebjchildcare.org.
Theater Annie The world’s best-loved musical returns in time-honored form. Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin and choreographed by Liza Gennaro, this production of Annie will be a brand new incarnation of the iconic original. Featuring book and score by Tony Award-winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin. March 29April 3. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7 p.m.; Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Price varies by seat location. Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. 203-562-5666. shubert.com. Capstone Theater Production—They Alone Know They Alone Know is a study in small-ensemble comedy inspired by the styles of melodrama, vaudeville, cabaret, and Grand Guignol theater. Using texts from the early 20th century, an ensemble of four performers take on a wide variety of roles in this night of sketches, short plays, and other (overly) dramatic pieces. Capstone of Daniel Maseda ‘16. April 7-April 10. 8 p.m. Free. 213 High St., Middletown. 860-6853355. wesleyan.edu/cfa. Wes Out-Loud: Stories of Place A site-specific auditory piece conceived and created for the Wesleyan University campus through a collaboration between theater students and assistant professor of theater Marcela Oteiza. Wes Out-Loud invites the audience to experience Wesleyan as a scenographic space by inserting new narratives into everyday sites. April 28-May 1. 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. $8 general public; $5 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $4 Wesleyan students. 283 Washington Terrace, Middletown. 860-685-3355. wesleyan.edu/cfa.
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Artists The nonprofit Friends of the Ives is launching “Art at Ives,” a juried fine art and crafts show, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, at Ives Concert Park on the Western Connecticut State University Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. This two-day event will feature a wide variety of high-quality original works and a diverse scope of art forms representing every major category. Food and live music, along with art classes, demonstrations, and children’s events also will be included. The event will be held rain or shine. Jurors will view artist applicant’s work. Artists are invited to submit applications via zapplication.org/ event-info.php?ID=4739. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, April 1, and the application cost is $25. A program directory and the Ives website will showcase each artist’s work and provide artist contact information. Artists The Hamden Art League is seeking artists to enter the non-juried show, Goldenbells Art Exhibition & Sale, which takes place April 6-April 28. Two-dimensional work only, no nudes or photography. League may refuse inappropriate work. Receiving: April 5, 4-6 p.m., Senior Center at Miller Memorial Library, 2901 Dixwell Ave. Hamden. Two entries per artist, maximum. $10 per work for members, $20 per work for nonmembers. Artists Guilford Art Center’s Bowls exhibit will explore what continues to be new and vital about this simplest, most ancient, and most elemental of forms, and submitted work is encouraged to explore its many aspects. Entry deadline: April 22. Digital images and entry fee must be received. Exhibit dates: June 17-July 31. Juror Julia Galloway is a utilitarian potter, director of the School of Art and professor at the University of Montana, Missoula. Eligibility: This exhibition is open to bowls in any media, including mixed media. All submitted work must be three dimensional. Open to U.S. residents. Awards: $500 in prize money to be awarded by juror. Entry fee: $30, includes up to three submissions. For more information, and for complete prospectus, please visit guilfordartcenter.org/gac-opportunities/ call-to-artists/ or contact Guilford Art Center at 203-453-5947. Artists The Madison Art Society is hosting its 41st annual juried show May 2-May 27. The exhibition will be held at the Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Road, Madison. The show is open to all Connecticut artists who have graduated high school or are 18 years or older. The prospectus can be viewed at madisonartsociety.blogspot.com. This year’s juror is James Magner, plein air painter from Connecticut and Chatham, Massachusetts. Receiving is April 30, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. The opening reception will be held May 12, 5-7 p.m. Two special events will be held in conjunction with the show. On May 15, at 1:30 p.m., artist Bill Colrus will provide an acrylic painting demonstration. On May 26 at 6:30 p.m., the Guilford Poet’s Guild will host a reading of poems inspired by the art on view in the exhibit. Pick-up of all artwork is May 28, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Artists Smithtown Township Arts Council seeks entries for juried fine art exhibition Of a Botanical Nature at the Mills Pond Gallery. A call for original artwork that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of flora (realistic or representational style). Plants and all aspects of plant develop-
ment such as seed pods, leaves, fruits, and flowers are appropriate. All media considered except photography and computer-generated art. Entry deadline: May 12. Exhibit dates: June 18–July 20. Juror: Wendy Hollender. Open to local and national artists. Prospectus at stacarts.org/exhibits or by sending email to gallery@stacarts.org. 660 Route 25A, St. James, NY, 11780. (631) 862-6575. gallery@stacarts.org $45 for three entries. Cash awards for first and second place. Artists Smithtown Township Arts Council invites submissions for its upcoming juried fine art exhibition Animals in Art—Our Partners on the Planet at the Mills Pond Gallery. Juror/judge Tim Newton. Artists are encouraged to share their artistic vision of animals, both domestic and wild. Artwork may include any animals that live on land, in the sea, or in the air and can range from realism to surrealism to abstraction. Open to American artists age 18 or older. All media considered except photography and computer-generated art. Entry fee $45 for up to three images. Awards: $1,000 Best of Show, $500 Second Place, $250 Third Place. Prospectus at stacarts.org/exhibits/ show/96 or by sending email to gallery@stacarts. org. Entry deadline: June 3. Exhibit dates: July 30-August 24. 660 Route 25A, St. James, NY, 11780. 631-862-6575. gallery@stacarts.org. Artists Jaden Events is accepting applications for the Thames River Art and Craft Show. It is a two-day, juried show held on the beautiful coastal campus of Mitchell College in New London on June 25 and June 26, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. both days. We have a special Referral Refund promotion to help with booth costs. This is an outdoor show, rain or shine, and 10 x 10 white (or light tan) canopies are required. Please visit our Facebook page or website for more information: facebook.com/ ThamesRiverArtAndCraftShow or jadenevents. com. Accepting applications until June 10. Artists For Arts Center Killingworth’s 2015–2016 Spectrum Gallery exhibits, including the Gallery Show. Seeking fine artists and artisans in all media. For artist submission, visit spectrumartgallery.org or email barbara@spectrumartgallery.org. Spectrum Gallery and Store, 61 Main St., Centerbrook. Artists The Gallery Review Committee of The New Alliance Gallery at Gateway Community College is looking for artists to submit their resumes and images for possible exhibition in 2016. Please send your resume and cover letter along with a DVD of not less than 20 and no more than 25 images to Gallery Review Committee, Gateway Community College, 20 Church St., Room S329, New Haven, CT, 06510. Artists The Tiny Gallery: a very big opportunity for very small art. The Tiny Gallery is a premiere space for “micro” exhibitions in the historic Audubon Arts District, located within the lighted display “totem” outside Creative Arts Workshop, at 80 Audubon St., in New Haven. The Tiny Gallery is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Submissions will be considered on a rolling basis and should include a written proposal, artist statement, and images of artwork. Call (203) 562-4927 x. 14, email gallery@creativeartsworkshop.org, or visit creativeartsworkshop.org/tiny. Artists Fourth national monotype/monoprint juried exhibition. Location: Attleboro Arts Museum. Juror: Andrew Stevens, curator of prints, Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin, Madison. Cash prizes totaling $1,800. For prospectus, membership information, and easy, online entry, visit mgne.org. April 6-May 7. Opening reception: April 7, 7-9 p.m. Museum hours: Tuesday-Satur-
day, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $30 members, $45 non-members. Monotype Guild of New England, 86 Park St., Attleboro, Massachusetts. 508-222-2644. Artists Selection by jury for 2016 and 2017 exhibitions, at the Keyes Gallery, Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library, 146 Thimble Islands Road, Stony Creek. Sponsored by Friends of WWML. Receiving Friday, April 29, 4-7 p.m. Pick-Up: Sunday, May 1, 1-4 p.m. Artists should bring three pieces representative of work. All media accepted. $25 entry fee. Bring SASE. 203-4888702.
Policies and Rates The Arts Paper Bulletin Board Listings Policies and Rates, effective with the December 2015 issue. Call for Artists and Volunteer listings are FREE and must be art related. Services and Space Listings must be arts related. Listings are limited to 350 characters (this includes spaces). All listings must be paid in advance for publication. Classes & Workshops listings should be posted to our online calendar page and is a membership privilege. RATES Organizations/Businesses Member organizations and businesses are entitled to three complimentary classified listings in The Arts Paper per year. Listings are also posted on the Arts Council’s website, newhavenarts.org. Rates: $15 per listing, three listings for $30. Listings must be paid for in advance.
Artists Individual artist members are entitled to one complimentary classified listing per year. Rates: $10 per listing, three listings for $25. Listings must be paid for in advance.
Non-members Rates: $20 per listing, three listings for $50. Listings must be paid for in advance.
Please note that the size limitation of listings is 350 characters with spaces. The Arts Council reserves the right to edit your listing for length or content. The Arts Council provides these listings as a service to the community and is not responsible for the content or deadlines. Call for Artists/Volunteers are free and open to all arts organizations, educational institutions, and creative businesses.
To submit a Bulletin Board listing please email your listing to: communications@newhavenarts.org.
april 2016 •
The Arts Paper april 2016
Filmmakers The New England Underground Film Festival is seeking entries for its sixth annual edition, to be held October 8 at the Best Video Film and Cultural Center in Hamden. The festival welcomes narrative, nonfiction, and experimental works, either feature-length or short subjects. The early bird deadline for entries is April 20 and the final deadline for submission is August 20. More information can be found on the festival website, newenglanduff.webs.com.
per season (December and May). Our 2015–16 season will include works by Tavener, Gardiner, and Brahms. An audition consists of meeting with Mr. Shaw, doing some general vocalizing, and performing a one-to-two-minute unaccompanied selection chosen by the singer. An audition may be scheduled at that time, or go to our website, nhoratorio.org, to learn more about NHOC, and follow the link there to schedule an audition.
Instructors Are you a maker who loves to share your knowledge? If yes, MakeHaven has been looking for you. We are hiring instructors to teach fabrication, woodworking, 3D printing, sewing, mechanics, brewing, Arduino, electronics, cooking, and other maker activities. What could you teach us? makehaven.org.
Volunteers Volunteers are a vital part of Artspace’s operation. Volunteering with Artspace is a great way to support the organization, meet new people, and develop new skills. Our volunteers provide a service that is invaluable to making Artspace function smoothly. We simply couldn’t operate without the tremendous support of our volunteers. To find out more about volunteer opportunities, please contact Shelli Stevens at shelli@artspacenh.org.
Musicians The New Haven Chamber Orchestra has openings in the violin, viola, and bass sections for the 2015–2016 season. The orchestra rehearses on Tuesday evenings at the Fair Haven School, 164 Grand Ave. Rehearsals begin after Labor Day. To sit in on a rehearsal or to audition, contact the orchestra via email at info@newhavenchamberorchestra.org. Musicians and Actors Alika Hope and The Ray of Hope Project will be holding auditions in three cities for the following: 1) Guitar players (male, any age), 2) percussion (male, African American, any age), 3) actress, (Caucasian, age 25-45, 5’6” plus), 4) actor (must be fluent in Hebrew, any age). Boston, March 30, 4-7 p.m.; New York, April 6, 6-9 p.m.; Washington, D.C., April 30. All positions paid. Equity and nonunion welcome. Music and sides will be sent to those selected to audition. To submit please send your resume to Troy Valjean Rucker at musicactor@hotmail.com. Volunteers, Artists, and Board Members Secession Cabal, a New Haven-based group of outsider artists working in theatre, film, visual art, and other mediums seeks people for our board, sponsors, volunteers with fundraising experience, and artists in all mediums who agree with our mission and create radical, brave work. Volunteers/board members/sponsors: Please send a brief introduction. Artists, please email a letter of interest/ introduction with examples of your bravest work. More information at art-secession.org. Photographers Are you a fan of photography? A program of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, the Photo Arts Collective 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 each month at 7 p.m. at the Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven. Singers The award winning Silk’n Sounds Chorus is looking for new members from the 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 held every Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.–9 p.m., at the Spring Glen United Church of Christ, 1825 Whitney Ave., Hamden. Contact Lynn at (203) 6231276 for more information or visit silknsounds.org. Singers New Haven Oratorio Choir invites auditions by choral singers (all parts). We are a chamber ensemble rehearsing weekly (Wednesday nights) at Church of the Redeemer, New Haven, under the leadership of Artistic Director Daniel Shaw. We perform a varied repertoire of sacred and secular classical music, including contemporary composers, with two main concerts
• april 2016
Creative Services Art Installation Specialists, LLC An art-handling company serving homeowners, art professionals, offices, galleries, and museums. We offer packing, long-distance or local shipping, and installation of paintings, mirrors, plaques, signage, tapestries, and sculpture, as well as framing, pedestals, exhibit design, and conservation. Contact Paul Cofrancesco at (203) 752-8260, Gabriel Da Silva at (203) 982-3050, e-mail: artinstallationspecialistsllc@gmail.com, or visit artinstallationspecialistsllc.com. Art Mentoring The goal of art mentoring is to give artists individual feedback on their artwork and help them to focus and develop a cohesive body of work. More information at suzannesiegel. net. “I’ve taken many classes and workshops with Suzanne over several years. I totally enjoy her style of teaching. I’m about to use several adjectives to describe Suzanne, and I’m selecting them with great thought,” said Anne Coffey. “She is calm, creative, prepared, a problem-solver, and very encouraging. Suzanne has helped me greatly to progress in my art.” 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 organization that provides services for people with disabilities. Open Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (203) 776-6310. Creative Events/Crafting Parties Our beautiful light-filled space in East Rock is the perfect spot to host an intimate creative gathering or party. We’ll work with you to provide the programming, snacks, drinks, and decorations that will make your event memorable. Rent our space for up to three hours. thehvncollective.com. Creative Services Video recording with Sony, photography and pictures for sale, personalized/ custom greeting cards, paper banners “done by hand,” mutant portraits, slideshows, host of Oasis D’Neon Video Magazine, New Haven history (artists, musicians), proofreader, writer, teacher, raconteur, driver/transporter, logo/poster/sign design, model, interior/exterior painting. For more information, email oasisdneon@gmail.com. Historic Home Restoration Contractor Period appropriate additions, baths, kitchens, and remodeling. Sagging porches, straightened/leveled, wood windows restored, plaster restored,
historic, molding and hardware, Vinyl/aluminum siding removed, wood siding repaired/replaced. Connecticut and New Haven Preservation Trusts. RJ Aley Building Contractor (203) 2269933. jaley@rjaley.com. Web Design & Art Consulting Services Startup business solutions. Creative, sleek Web design by art curator and editor for artist, design, architecture, and small-business sites. Will create and maintain any kind of website. Hosting provided. Also low-cost in-depth artwork analysis, writing, editing services. 203.387.4933. azothgallery@comcast.net.
Space Artist Studio West Cove Studio and Gallery offers work space with two large Charles Brand intaglio etching presses, lithography press, and stainless-steel work station. Workshops and technical support available. Ample display area for shows. Membership: $75 per month. 30 Elm St., West Haven. Individual Studio space also available. Call (609) 638-8501 or visit westcovestudio.org. Studio Space Spacious three-car garage with open floor plan. Has its own heat and electricity and would make a really nice art studio. Great location in the Mt. Carmel/Hamden Center area (just off Whitney Avenue, near Eli’s Restaurant.) $495/month, plus utilities. Call Charlie at (203) 415-3393.
Jobs
The Arts Paper advertising and calendar deadlines: The deadline for advertisements and calendar listings for the May 2016 edition of The Arts Paper is: Monday, March 28, at 5 p.m. Future deadlines are as follows: June 2016: Monday, April 25, 5 p.m. July/August 2016: Tuesday, May 31, 5 p.m. 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 communications@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.
Please visit newhavenarts.org for up-to-date local employment opportunities in the arts.
newhavenarts.org • 17
The Arts Paper april 2016
yale institute of sacred music presents
colm toibin: creating the modern mary
monteverdi: vespers (1610)
teesri dhun (the third tune)
friday, april 15 7:30 pm
saturday, april 23 7:30 pm
Yale Schola Cantorum Davd Hill, conductor
Yale Literature & Spirituality Series
thursday, april 7 5:30 pm
Sterling Library Auditorium 53 Wall St.
St. Joseph Church 129 Edwards St. Preconcert talk at 6:30 pm
Live documentary transgender drama from Pakistan
Marquand Chapel 409 Prospect St.
Book-signing follows
All events free; no tickets required. ism.yale.edu
To advertise in The Arts Paper, call the Arts Council at 203.772.2788.
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203.883.4109 WhitneyCenter.com
200 Leeder Hill Drive Hamden, CT 06517 701015
1144 Chapel St. Open 7 Days 203.865.4855 HullsNewHaven.com
18 • newhavenarts.org
april 2016 •
The Arts Paper member organizations & partners
Arts & Cultural Organizations
The Choirs of Trinity Church on the Green trinitynewhaven.org
ACES Educational Center for the Arts aces.k12.ct.us
City Gallery city-gallery.org 203-782-2489
Alyla Suzuki Early Childhood Music Education alylasuzuki.com 203-239-6026 American Guild of Organists sacredmusicct.org Another Octave CT Women’s Chorus anotheroctave.org Arts Center Killingworth artscenterkillingworth.org 860-663-5593 Arts for Learning Connecticut www.aflct.org Artspace artspacenh.org 203-772-2709 Artsplace: Cheshire Performing & Fine Art cpfa-artsplace.org 203-272-2787 Ball & Socket Arts ballandsocket.org Bethesda Music Series bethesdanewhaven.org 203-787-2346 Blackfriars Repertory Theatre blackfriarsrep.com Branford Art Center branfordartscenter.com Branford Folk Music Society branfordfolk.org Center for Independent Study cistudy.homestead.com Chestnut Hill Concerts chestnuthillconcerts.org 203-245-5736
• april 2016
Civic Orchestra of New Haven civicorchestraofnewhaven.org Classical Contemporary Ballet Theatre ccbtballettheatre.org Connecticut Dance Alliance ctdanceall.com Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus ctgmc.org 1-800-644-cgmc Connecticut Natural Science Illustrators ctnsi.com 203-934-0878 Creative Concerts 203-795-3365
Greater New Haven Community Chorus gnhcc.org 203-624-1979 Guilford Art Center guilfordartcenter.org 203-453-5947
Lyman Center at SCSU www.lyman.southernct.edu
New Haven Theater Company newhaventheatercompany.com
Madison Art Society madisonartsociety.blogspot.com 860-399-6116
One True Palette onetruepalette.com
Make Haven makehaven.org
Orchestra New England orchestranewengland.org 203-777-4690
Guitartown CT Productions guitartownct.com 203-430-6020
Mattatuck Museum mattatuckmuseum.org
Pantochino Productions pantochino.com
Hamden Art League hamdenartleague.com 203-494-2316
Meet the Artists and Artisans meettheartistsandartisans.com 203-874-5672
Paul Mellon Arts Center choate.edu/artscenter
Hamden Arts Commission hamdenartscommission.org
Melinda Marquez Flamenco Dance Center melindamarquezfdc.org 203-361-1210
Hillhouse Opera Company hillhouseoperacompany.org 203-464-2683 Hopkins School hopkins.edu Hugo Kauder Society hugokauder.org
Milford Fine Arts Council milfordarts.org 203-878-6647 Music Haven musichavenct.org 203-215-4574
Performing Arts Academy of CT artsinct.org Play with Grace playwithgrace.com Reynolds Fine Art reynoldsfineart.com Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, New Haven Branch nhrscds.org
CT Folk ctfolk.com
The Institute Library institutelibrary.org
Musical Folk musicalfolk.com
Shoreline Arts Alliance shorelinearts.org 203-453-3890
DaSilva Gallery dasilva-gallery.com 203-387-2539
International Festival of Arts & Ideas artidea.org
Neighborhood Music School neighborhoodmusicschool.org 203-624-5189
Shubert Theater shubert.com 203-562-5666
East Street Arts eaststreetartsnh.org 203-776-6310
International Silat Federation of America & Indonesia isfnewhaven.org
New Haven Ballet newhavenballet.org 203-782-9038
Silk n’ Sounds silknsounds.org
EcoWorks CT ecoworksct.org
Jazz Haven jazzhaven.org
New Haven Free Public Library nhfpl.org
Elm City Dance Collective elmcitydance.org
Kehler Liddell Gallery 203-389-9555 kehlerliddell.com
New Haven Oratorio Choir nhoratorio.org
Elm Shakespeare Company elmshakespeare.org 203-874-0801 Firehouse 12 firehouse12.com 203-785-0468 Gallery One CT galleryonect.com
Knights of Columbus Museum kofcmuseum.org Legacy Theatre legacytheatrect.org Long Wharf Theatre longwharf.org 203-787-4282
New Haven Museum newhavenmuseum.org 203-562-4183 New Haven Paint and Clay Club newhavenpaintandclayclub.org 203-288-6590 New Haven Symphony Orchestra newhavensymphony.org 203-865-0831
Silk Road Art Gallery silkroadartnewhaven.com Susan Powell Fine Art susanpowellfineart.com 203-318-0616 The Bird Nest Gallery thebirdnestsalon.com The Company of Writers companyofwriters.net 203-676-7133 The Second Movement secondmovementseries.org
Theater Department at SCSU/ Crescent Players southernct.edu/theater
Creative Businesses
University Glee Club of New Haven universitygleeclub.org
Access Audio-Visual Systems accessaudiovisual.com 203-287-1907
Vintanthromodern vintanthromodernvintage.com
Foundry Music Company www.foundrymusicco.com
Wesleyan University Center for the Arts wesleyan.edu/cfa
Hull’s Art Supply and Framing hullsnewhaven.com 203-865-4855
West Cove Studio & Gallery westcovestudio.com 609-638-8501
Toad’s Place toadsplace.com
Whitney Arts Center 203-773-3033 Whitney Humanities Center yale.edu/whc Whitneyville Cultural Commons 1253whitney.com Yale Cabaret yalecabaret.org 203-432-1566 Yale Center for British Art yale.edu/ycba Yale Institute of Sacred Music yale.edu.ism 203-432-5180 Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History peabody.yale.edu Yale Repertory Theatre yalerep.org 203-432-1234
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 Fractured Atlas fracturedatlas.org JCC of Greater New Haven jccnh.org New Haven Preservation Trust nhpt.org The Amistad Committee ctfreedomtrail.org Town Green Special Services District infonewhaven.com
Yale School of Music music.yale.edu 203-432-1965
Visit New Haven visitnewhaven.com
Yale University Art Gallery www.artgallery.yale.edu Yale University Bands yale.edu/yaleband 203-432-4111
Community Partners
Westville Village Renaissance Alliance westvillect.org
newhavenarts.org • 19
The Arts Paper arts council programs
Perspectives … The Gallery at Whitney Center Location: 200 Leeder Hill Drive, South Entrance, Hamden Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-7 p.m., and Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.
Traduzindo Cor Curated by Debbie Hesse and José Monteiro Artists from Cape Verde and New Haven present work that, using colors, patterns, and textures, represents a universal language. Dates: On view through April 29
Knack Curated by Debbie Hesse Dates: May 13-September 6 Opening reception: Saturday, May 21, 3-5 p.m. Free and open to the public. Starlight Starbright by Annie Sailer. Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery. Family Reunion: Psyche, Spirit, and Humanness.
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.
Family Reunion: Psyche, Spirit, and Humanness Curated by Matt Reiniger and Debbie Hesse Bringing artwork together that examines our individual and collective memories of human ancestry imprinted and visually represented as faces of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, and wives—a recollection of the wondrously strange and familiar. Family Reunion is a homecoming, a celebration of identity as understood beyond language and reason. Green Smushes Blue by Noe Jimenez. Perspectives... The Gallery at Whitney Center. Traduzindo Cor.
Family Tree A companion show to Family Reunion, Family Tree features of paintings by Mrs. Bennett’s Hamden Hall Country Day School students. Dates: : Family Reunion and Family Tree are on view through April 29.
Katalina’s Bakery Location: Katalina’s Bakery, 74 Whitney Ave., New Haven Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. 6 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m. 6 p.m.
Mother(ing) and Child Curated by Nichole René Rug, made of yarn, inspired by the Social Fiber project created by the artisans of UArts Chapel Haven. Perspectives... The Gallery at Whitney Center. Knack.
This “family show,” an extension of the Family Reunion show at the Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. gallery, explores one of the oldest subjects in the history of art: the relationship between mother and child. But what does “motherhood” in today’s society look like? Dates: April 25-May 31 Opening reception: Thursday, April 28, 4-6 p.m. (in partial celebration of “take your child to work” day). Free and open to the public. Cupcakes will be served, of course!
Advice from the AC Need help finding exhibition space/opportunities, performance/rehearsal space or developing new ways to promote your work or creative event? Schedule a free one-on-one consultation with Debbie Hesse, the organization’s director of artist services and programs by calling (203) 772-2788. Dates: April Art Advice sessions will take place at the James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford, Thursdays, April 7 and April 14, 1-4 p.m.
Arts On AIR Listen to the Arts Council’s Arts On Air broadcast on Monday, April 18, during WPKN’s Community Programming Hour, 12-1 p.m. Hosted by the Arts Council’s communications manager, Arts On Air features conversations with local artists and representatives from local arts-organizations. Listen live and online at wpkn.org.
Writers Circle Join us for our April Writers Circle: “Sit Down and Write!” In this weekend session, writer and Arts Council board member Daisy Abreu will facilitate an open “writing studio” in which writers can work without interruption. Bring a project you’ve been meaning to work on, a piece you’re in the middle of editing and rewriting, or a plan to start something totally new! We’ll provide a place to work, plenty of coffee and tea, water, snacks, places to plug in, and a community of writers working alongside one another! RSVP required: aprilwriterscircle2016.eventbrite.com For more information, please visit newhavenarts.org and the Arts Council’s social-media pages for information about Writers Circle events. To be added to the Writers Circle email list, please email Communications@NewHavenArts.org. Date: Saturday, April 2, 1-4 p.m. Location: The Institute Library, 847 Chapel St., New Haven
Photo Arts Collective 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 events. The Photo Arts Collective meets the first Thursday of the month at the Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whitney Ave., New Haven, at 7 p.m. To learn more, send email to photoartscollective@gmail.com.
Save the Date The Great Give: May 3 & 4
For more information on these events and more visit newhavenarts.org or check out our mobile events calendar using the Arts, Nightlife, Dining & Information (ANDI) app for smartphones.
Happy Drive 2016 (detail) by Insook Hwang. Perspectives... The Gallery at Whiteny Center. Traduzindo Cor.
Joey Loos. Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery. Family Reunion: Psyche, Spirit, and Humanness.
Mixed-media painting by Fethi Meghelli. Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery. Family Reunion: Psyche, Spirit, and Humanness.