artists next door 4 festival 6
q&a with john sayles 9
international elements 10
The Arts Paper a free publication of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven • newhavenarts.org
June 2015
FESTIVAL 2015
JUNE 12-27
A RT I D E A .O R G
The Arts Paper june 2015
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Artists Next Door Hank Hoffman Interviews Laura Marsh
staff Cynthia Clair executive director Debbie Hesse director of artistic services & programs Kyle Hamilton director of finance Matt Reiniger communications manager Denise Santisteban events & advertising coordinator Winter Marshall executive administrative assistant David Brensilver editor, the arts paper Amanda May Aruani design consultant
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board of directors Robert B. Dannies, Jr. president Eileen O’Donnell vice president Lois DeLise second vice president Ken Spitzbard treasurer Mark Potocsny secretary directors Daisy Abreu Laura Barr Wojtek Borowski Susan Cahan Todd Jokl Charles Kingsley Kenneth Lundgren Jocelyn Maminta Josh Mamis Elizabeth Meyer-Gadon Frank Mitchell Mark Myrick Uma Ramiah David Silverstone Dexter Singleton Lindsay Sklar Richard S. Stahl, MD Rick Wies honorary members Frances T. “Bitsie” Clark Cheever Tyler
Arts & Ideas Turns 20 Celebrating the Festival’s History
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Q&A with John Sayles Filmmaker to Screen Four Movies
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 Denise Santisteban at the Arts Council. Arts Council of Greater New Haven 70 Audubon Street, 2nd Floor New Haven, CT 06510 Phone: 203.772.2788 Fax: 203.772.2262 info@newhavenarts.org www.newhavenarts.org
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International Elements Artists from Around the Globe to Appear in New Haven
The Arts Council is pleased to recognize the generous contributions of our business, corporate and institutional members. executive champions The United Illuminating Company/Southern Connecticut Gas Yale University senior patrons Knights of Columbus L. Suzio York Hill Companies Odonnell Company Webster Bank corporate partners AT&T Coordinated Financial Resources/Chamber Insurance Trust Firehouse 12 Fusco Management Company Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven Yale-New Haven Hospital
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.
business patrons Albertus Magnus College Gateway Community College Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale Newman Architects Quinnipiac University Wiggin and Dana
business members Beers, Hamerman & Company Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman, LLP Duble & O’Hearn, Inc. Griswold Home Care United Aluminum Corporation foundations and government agencies Carolyn Foundation The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund DECD/CT Office of the Arts Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation The Ethel & Abe Lapides Foundation First Niagara Foundation The George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation, Bank of America, N.A. and Alan S. Parker, Esq. Trustees The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation NewAlliance Foundation Pfizer The Wells Fargo Foundation The Werth Family Foundation media partners New Haven Independent New Haven Living WPKN
FEATURING
ACIS AND GALATEA BY MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP NORTHEAST EXCUSIVE in 2015 TAYLOR MAC: THE 1990s FESTIVAL COMMISSION RAGAMALA DANCE COMPANY WITH RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA CARMEN DE LAVALLADE DARLENE LOVE RODNEY KING BY ROGER GUENVEUR SMITH
FESTIVAL 2015
JUNE 12-27
A RT I D E A .O R G 2 • newhavenarts.org
MACHINE DE CIRQUE LUCINDA WILLIAMS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR BY 600 HIGHWAYMEN and much, much more!
june 2015 •
The Arts Paper june 2015
Letter from the Editor June is a special time in and around New Haven, in large part thanks to the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, which is in its 20th year. In this issue of The Arts Paper, we explore the organization’s history and celebrate the visionary individuals who founded and launched the festival in 1996. Twenty years ago, Anne Calabresi, Roslyn Meyer, and the late Jean Handley sought to create an event that would bring New Haveners together. Certainly, they accomplished that and much more, alongside equally idealistic folks like Norman Frisch and Paul Collard. For the past 10 years, under Mary Lou Aleskie’s leadership, the festival has continued to bring extraordinary artists and ensembles to New Haven. The festival has introduced numerous international performers to U.S. audiences and developed longstanding relationships with some of the most important and influential artists working today. This year, the festival offers thought-provoking programs that reflect on who we are and where we’ve been and shows us that we continue to face many of the societal challenges we did 20 years ago. This year’s program also celebrates artists who have a history here in New Haven and those who call the area home. Many of the festival’s programs are, as always, free and open to the public, including an annual concert series on the New Haven Green. In addition to several festival preview articles, this issue of The Arts Paper includes an Artists Next Door feature by Hank Hoffman about local artist Laura Marsh. Hank explains in his piece that “Marsh
has long incorporated what she calls ‘Americana’ — red, white, and blue trim and other national signifiers — into her art. But recently she has been more specifically referencing and deconstructing the stars and stripes.” And Marsh says, in Hank’s story, “I want to reexamine, reassess, re-imagine the flag so it can actually represent way more people than it does in its flat state.” While the International Festival of Arts & Ideas celebrates its 20th year, the Arts Council continues to celebrate its 50-year history. Following the June 6 Audubon Arts On the Edge festival — which the Arts Council originally organized for the International Festival of Arts & Ideas as part of that organization’s programming — the Arts Council will throw itself a 1960s-themed birthday party on Audubon Street, with live music performed by the band Satisfaction. Tickets to the party will be available in advance. Learn more at newhavenarts.org or by sending email to Coleen Campbell at coleencamp@ gmail.com. The July-August double issue of The Arts Paper will explore the Artspace exhibit Arresting Patterns: Race and the Criminal Justic System, among other programs and goings-on. We hope you enjoy the stories presented herein and that you’ll remember to recycle this print publication once you’ve finished reading it. n
On the Cover
Machine de Cirque, from Quebec, Canada, will perform thier circus act at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas this month. See story on page 10 about a few of the international artists appearing at the festival.
In the Next Issue …
Sincerely,
David Brensilver, editor The Arts Paper
The July-August 2015 issue of The Arts Paper will explore the Artspace exhibit Arresting Patterns: Race and the Criminal Justice System, which features works by Titus Kaphar. Pictured here is a detail of Kaphar’s “The Jerome Project (Asphalt and Chalk) III.” Image courtesy of the Jack Shainman Gallery.
Wednesday, June 17 & Thursday, June 18, 7:30 pm
Screening of Mr. Turner (2014) Directed by Mike Leigh Whitney Humanities Center 53 wall street, new haven The first major collaborative exhibition between the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art
The Critique of Reason Romantic Art, 1760–1860
Through July 26, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 5:30 pm
Andrew Carnduff Ritchie Lecture: A Conversation with Mike Leigh Robert L. McNeil Jr. Lecture Hall Yale University Art Gallery 1111 chapel street Admission is free | Learn more at britishart.yale.edu
YA L E U N I V E R S I T Y A R T GA L L E RY Free and open to the public Tues.–Fri. 10 am–5 pm | Thurs. until 8 pm (Sept.–June) | Sat.–Sun. 11 am–5 pm 1111 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut | 203.432.0600 | artgallery.yale.edu Image: George Stubbs, A Lion Attacking a Horse, 1770. Oil on canvas. Yale University Art Gallery, Gift of the Yale University Art Gallery Associates
• june 2015
Screenings sponsored by the Yale Center for British Art, Yale University Art Gallery, Yale Film Study Center (courtesy of Paul L. Joskow), Films at the Whitney, Whitney Humanities Center. Lecture sponsored by the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery.
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artists next door
Sew Interesting hank hoffman images courtesy of the artist “I see a lot of U.S. flags in Connecticut,” artist Laura Marsh told me in an interview at Artspace in New Haven. Marsh’s phrasing was deliberate, choosing to say “U.S. flags” instead of “American flags.” Marsh’s work — whether it’s the fabric-based installations and collage shown as part of the Vertical Reach exhibition at Artspace or videos uploaded to YouTube — is colorful and playful but with a polemical edge. How are we seduced and manipulated by imagery like national flags and advertising art? How does this imagery influence — and perhaps constrict and fragment — notions of identity, whether personal or political? She has a conflicted relationship with some of the imagery she appropriates, Laura Marsh, with her Reimagined U.S. Flag Installation, at Artspace during the gallery’s Vertical Reach exhibition. particularly when that imagery strives to peddle stereotypical gender roles. While Marsh may be attracted by some of the a fanciful work. The base consists of gaudiness and boldness of the imagery, stripes of light blue and white, refershe bridles at the agenda it serves. encing Argentina’s flag. Sewn-together “I would call it being ‘disgustingly sefabric suspended from the ceiling curves duced,’” she said. “When I’m conflicted downward in a graceful arc to the base. by an image, spending time with it, disElements of the U.S. flag are included, as secting it, pasting it, or sewing it into are stripes of other colors. (“This almost something means that I’m trying to figure has a Gay Pride feel,” Marsh said.) Stars out why and how I’m disgusted and how are cut out of some of the strips, a symI can change that message so it doesn’t bolic “deconstruction.” At the base, the represent that for me.” composition arcs back up into a pair of Marsh has long incorporated what she legs from a female mannequin in a kind calls “Americana” — red, white, and blue of yoga or dancer’s pose. trim and other national signifiers — into Marsh sought to broaden its meaning her art. But recently she has been more and message. “I was thinking of a figure/ specifically referencing and deconstructground relationship with this,” Marsh ing the stars and stripes. Reimagined U.S. said. “How could the female figure Flag Installation, one of her fabric-based emerge out of the national symbol? installations at “I want to reexArtspace, is an amine, reassess, explicit meditation re-imagine the on the questions of flag so it can acinclusion and exclutually represent sion as they relate way more people to the “American than it does in flag.” its flat state,” A residency last Marsh told me. year in Argentina “By making it made a big impresa sculpture, an sion on Marsh. “Evinstallation, it erybody I met in my envelops more — Laura Marsh stay in Buenos Aires movement, more is also ‘American,’” gesture, the poshe said. “It’s offentential to appeal sive to say you’re from ‘America’ and I to more people.” don’t want to perpetuate that problem.” Taking a sculptural approach is also The work of Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar a choice to distance her flag from the also influenced Marsh. A 2014 video rectangle. “The rectangle references the installation by Jaar in New York’s Times box, the idea that we all have a national Square commented on U.S. hegemony by identity and that we will remain true to superimposing the statement “This is not that in one or many aspects of our lives,” America’s flag” over a digitized version of Marsh said. the flag. Is that the box we are in? “Yes, I’d like With the flag installation at Artspace, to expand that more and at least chalMarsh pondered how she could “merge lenge what the box represents and how the U.S. flag with the Argentinean flag many people it’s serving,” Marsh said. to work off both and be a more inclusive Marsh, who has a painting background Americas flag.” — she said her painting training taught Reimagined U.S. Flag Installation is
laura marsh’s fabric art deconstructs the u.s. flag her how to use colors together — has been making installation work for about a decade. She still makes two-dimensional work — mixed-media collages and drawings — primarily to work out ideas. But it is only in the past year that she has “acknowledged to myself that sewing is my form.” Her mother and grandmother sewed. It was a craft handed down for generations from woman to woman. But, as Marsh noted, not so much these days. “It feels like a dying craft,” Marsh said. But where her mother sewed “out of stinginess” — making or mending garments rather than buying new ones — for Marsh, “It’s more of a celebratory action. “I’m driven by materiality itself. For me, texture, the line quality on some of the material or patterning draw me in just on their own,” Marsh said. “Sometimes when I see materials, I just want to work with (them). “Play is something I bring to the studio every day,” Marsh said. “It’s fun. Making this work and having the alchemy of that work and throwing something else into
the mix and combining it is extremely exciting.” Just searching out the fabrics and other materials is part of the process, part of the “play.” “I like the idea of hunting for materials in unusual places where I think folks don’t go looking for art materials,” Marsh said. That includes secondhand stores, the English Building Market on Chapel Street, and in her travels to other countries. Much as she has with advertising imagery, Marsh has a conflicted relationship with some of the materials she employs. “When I buy spandex, I think of cheap gymnast outfits and tutus,” she said. “I’m repulsed by the girliness they represent but want to use it for that reason.” Marsh wants viewers to experience her work in an accessible way, in a “tactile” way. And she means that literally. “I’m very satisfied when I see someone touching my work,” Marsh said. “It makes me feel that I’ve actually transcended the idea that you just look at art. You can experience art in many ways.” n
“I want to reexamine, reassess, re-imagine the flag so it can actually represent way more people than it does in its flat state.”
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Families ~ Events ~ Community
Photography Judy Sirota Rosenthal info@sirotarosenthal.com www.sirotarosenthal.com 203-281-5854 june 2015 •
The Arts Paper june 2015
the ac sounds off on...
A Week of Art in the Bay Area
Political prisoners depicted in Ai Weiwei’s work at Alcatraz.
debbie hesse
I
n February, I escaped the frigid, single-digit temperatures in New England to visit my sister in Oakland, California, and to see my daughter off at the airport for her trip back to Shenzhen, China. I was very fortunate that during the week of my visit, two prominent, site-specific projects were on view. Each, presented by the For-Site Foundation, was situated in a historic military post-turned national park. Each folded local histories into compelling universal metaphors — one tranquil and peaceful, the other highly politically charged. In the Presidio, a U.S. Army post until 1994 and now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and managed by the National Park Service, were three stunning Andy Goldsworthy installations located at various sites both indoor and out. Driving along Lovers’ Lane, we stumbled upon Woodline, a meandering, sculptural installation in and of eucalyptus, set in a space in a grove where cypress trees had once been planted among the eucalyptus and over time had been squeezed out. Goldsworthy’s sculpture, created from local, remediated, natural materials, trans-
formed the grove by creating an ephemeral, serpentine pathway through the forest, reconnecting spaces and people. My daughter Allie, already in her running gear and in training for the Beijing Marathon, practically sprinted from the car and took a leisurely jog through the installation. The following day, I caught a ferry to Alcatraz Island, known for its previous incarnation as the formidable high-security federal prison, Alcatraz, and now a bird sanctuary managed by the National Park Service. Notable Beijing-based artist-activist Ai Weiwei transformed the former prison into a multimedia installation that focused on ideas about freedom and constraint. Each building became a canvas for a different yet thematically connected project. Unable to leave China, the dissident artist had to develop the artwork from his Beijing studio. In With Wind, colorful, whimsical kites decorated with mythical hybrid birds hung from the ceiling, contrasting the dark, eerie, peeling spaces. The next building we walked through contained 175 portraits made of Legos depicting political prisoners, some in exile because of their beliefs, from around the globe. Using Lego pixels, Ai constructed colorful paintings that referred to childhood
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innocence, to examine weighty issues. In another building, tables were set up and postcards were provided to write to political prisoners around the world. Stamped postcards, collected in large postage bins, were mailed daily. We paused to read about some of the personal stories before sending off a few letters to far-off freedom fighters. In the last building, poems and lyrics written by prisoners resounded from a row of bare, dimly lit prison cells. Each poem occupied a separate cell to create a chilling symphony of despair and hope. The next morning, I found myself hauling pedestals to help my sister Kayla install her exhibition in San Francisco at Wisdom 2.0, an annual conference designed to address ways people can utilize technology to connect to one another in meaningful ways. Kayla, a creative, strategic consultant, recently graduated from the John F. Kennedy University in Berkley with a master’s degree in transformative arts. The program aims to prepare artists to facilitate positive change, globally, through art and the creative process. While Kayla networked at the conference, I stopped by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (mostly under construction) and the Contemporary Jewish Museum, where I saw In That Case: Havruta in Contemporary Art, a collaborative video installation by artist Helena Keeffe and food activist Jessica Prentice. Here, three round videos of dinner plates showed food elegantly arranged into colorful mandalas. A synchronized video tryptic showed aerial views of plates through the process of meal consumption to reflect on global cultural food rituals and community. My next stops were the Creative Growth Art Center and Impact Hub, both conveniently located on the same block in Oakland. I recently learned about Creative Growth while visiting the Brooklyn Museum to see the Judith Scott’s show Bound and Unbound. Scott, an “outsider” artist with Down syndrome, was institutionalized for decades until her twin sister became her legal guardian and brought her to Creative Growth, where she found the creative voice that, sadly, had been sadly stifled for so many years. Creative
A piece of Ai Weiwei’s With Wind at Alcatraz.
Growth is an incredible place — cheerful, vibrant and oozing with art. Differently-abled artists arrived daily to draw, paint, sculpt in a nurturing, supportive, and airy communal studio replete with a large public gallery that shows and promotes the work. We brought Kayla’s “canine in training,” Gina, in with us; Gina was a big hit and got to practice for her future therapeutic career. Finally, we strolled down the block to Impact Hub (a more industrial version of The Grove here in New Haven), where my sister’s partner was about to launch her math-focused start-up. A communal pot luck lunch for 35 was set up in the main room, adjacent to an art gallery. If the work buzz gets too intense, one can take a “time out” upstairs to meditate or nap in a green-glowing, pillow-strewn, geodesic dome. The place gets an A-plus for hipness. On our last night, we took the BART train to Chinatown, where I proudly watched Allie order, in Mandarin, “off the menu” culinary specialties for all of us. In all, my unofficial, self-created professional development week of “creative growth” reinforced my faith that the creative spirit is everywhere, as is the urge to make, share, challenge, and inspire. n Debbie Hesse is the Arts Council’s director of artistic services and programs.
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Festival Celebrates 20 Years programs have reflected life in new haven and beyond
david brensilver
I
n July 1995, the Special Olympics World Summer Games were held at the Yale Bowl, here in New Haven. It was an event, Roslyn Meyer said, that did an extraordinary job of pulling together the local community. Anne Calabresi went so far as to say it was the first time the New Haven community had come together to do anything. The 1980s had been a dark time for the city, a period marked by chronic drug-related crime and depression. Meyer remembers articles that The New Yorker’s William Finnegan wrote in September 1990 about the drug trade in New Haven and the toll it had taken on the city. Calabresi had established the Nine Squares Neighborhood Youth Leagues, a social-service organization that she said “gave me a picture of the city … how incredibly segmented we were,” and, in 1992, she, Jean Handley, Meyer, and the latter’s husband, Jerome Harris Meyer, founded LEAP (Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership), a New Haven-based organization that serves the academic and social interests of young people in underserved neighborhoods. Following the success of the Special Olympics, Calabresi and Meyer wanted to do something that would continue to bring people and communities together. They had experience creating something from nothing, having founded LEAP, and Calabresi had done her share of traveling to various European festivals. “Anne really wanted people to see what New Haven could be,” Meyer, who was of like mind, said. The vehicle for that effort was the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, which, this month — and for the 20th consecutive year — will bring remarkable artists
Festival founders, left to right, Jean Handley, Roslyn Meyer, and Anne Calabresi. Photo by Judy Sirota Rosenthal.
from near and far to perform in New Haven. The idea was to create something lasting on the heels of the Special Olympics, and not to wait to do it. “We wanted to make it happen right after the Olympics,” Calabresi said. “The idea was to get people to get to know each other,” Meyer said, to erase neighborhood borders and break down fears. “We were trying to make a festival that could only happen in New Haven — that grew out of New Haven.” “I’ve always been interested in how people communicate and how people think about each other,” Calabresi explained. What New Haven has going for it, Meyer and Calabresi each said, is a billion-dollar setting, one that includes the New Haven Green and a multitude of venues. Handley, who died in 2010, added fear-
Yo-Yo Ma performs with the Silk Road ensemble in 2011. Despite terrible weather, the New Haven Green was packed with undaunted concertgoers. Photo by Alisha Martindale.
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lessness to the equation. Pointing out that as a longtime SNET executive and the first female member of the Quinnipiack Club, Handley was plenty comfortable breaking glass ceilings, Meyer said, “(Handley) was incredibly gutsy. Jean allowed us to be gutsy.” What Calabresi, Handley, and Meyer needed to bring the festival to fruition within a year was a leader, and they found that in Norman Frisch, who signed on as artistic advisor. The festival’s first executive director was Elinor Biggs. While Frisch worked on the programming for the inaugural festival — booking such artists and ensembles as the French company Cirque Baroque, Ellis and Branford Marsalis, Rubén Blades, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the Beijing Opera — Calabresi, Meyer, and Handley left as little to chance as possible. They looked at 10year weather maps and conducted an audience study. Putting on the first festival, a five-day affair, was a huge undertaking. The organization operated in a state of financial craziness for five and a half years, Meyer said, adding that the challenges the festival faced were substantial. “For the first couple of years, the festival was a leap of faith,” Meyer said. There are still challenges, of course, not the least of which is funding. That the festival endures, Meyer said, is a testament to the organization’s current executive director, Mary Lou Aleskie, who arrived at the festival in August 2005, succeeding Paul Collard and interim director Mary Miller. Collard, who arrived from London in 1998, succeeding Frisch and interim director Cynthia Hedstrom, brought to the festival a certain programming gravitas. “I think this festival was always ambitious and profound,” Aleskie said, explaining that festival staff worked diligently from the organization’s beginning to establish its credibility. “That was critical and fundamental to
our vision,” Meyer said. “We wanted people to notice New Haven.” In 1998, Collard brought the National Theatre’s (London) production of Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen to New Haven, a piece of programming that Meyer described as a coup. The play had just opened in London, she said, and “nobody else could get it.” A similarly important moment for the festival came in 2011, when Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble performed a free concert on the New Haven Green. Despite terrible weather, the green was packed with undaunted concertgoers. To Aleskie, the festival is about the relationships it’s developed with artists and those who’ve had a history with and in the area. It’s also about the themes that weave their way through the programs. Mark Morris and Angélique Kidjo are two internationally renowned artists with whom festival audiences are familiar. The Mark Morris Dance Group returns to the festival this year to perform Acis and Galatea, a staging of Handel’s opera with costumes by celebrated designer Isaac Mizrahi. Michael Chybowski and Adrianne Lobel, each of whom studied at the Yale School of Drama before embarking on successful careers in the performing arts, are part of the production’s creative team. Chybowski designed the lighting and Lobel created the sets. Kidjo, a Grammy Award-winning Afro-pop singer-songwriter who hails from Benin, in West Africa, also returns to the festival this year. Kidjo, who was recognized in January with the festival’s Visionary Leadership Award — an award created in honor of Handley’s profound influence on the festival’s development — is in the final year of a three-festival residency with the organization. Angela Bowen and Carmen de Lavallade are two artists whose association with New Haven runs deep. Bowen, a dancer, educator, and activist who founded the Bowen-Peters School of Dance here in
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The Arts Paper june 2015
New Haven in 1963 — an educational organization that groomed and inspired Shari Caldwell, whose Caldwell Dance Center has been operating in town since 2010 — is the subject of a documentary film by Jennifer Abod called The Passionate Pursuits of Angela Bowen, which will be screened by the festival in conjunction with a panel discussion and master class. A Black, lesbian feminist, Bowen has long championed equality in all contexts and has been an inspiration to many in New Haven and elsewhere. De Lavallade’s one-woman multimedia
“I don’t see an end to the depth of exploration that’s possible.” — Mary Lou Aleskie
work, As I Remember It, created with Joe Grifasi and co-writer Talvin Wilks, chronicles her extraordinary career in dance, which has included tenures at the Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theater and work with the legendary Alvin Ailey. In addition to performances of As I Remember It, de Lavallade will appear in a conversation with Grifasi, a Yale School of Drama graduate, and others. Through its programming this year, the festival will take a look back at the history that has shaped our society over the past several decades. Actor, writer, and director Roger Guenveur Smith will star in his one-man show, Rodney King, which explores the brutality King endured at the hands of Los Angeles police officers in 1991, the acquittal one year later of those who assaulted him, which sparked riots in that city, and King’s 2012 drowning death. Images of police officers mercilessly beating King and of the subsequent riots remain as horrifying today as they were then. Those images first played out on television nearly 25
years ago. Today, sadly, we’re seeing similar scenes play out with sick regularity. Smith’s piece is a stark reminder of the issues that continue to plague us, as is a site-specific theater piece called Cry You One, a work created by the New Orleans-based organizations Mondo Bizarro and ArtSpot Productions that laments the rapid disappearance of wetlands in Louisiana and elsewhere. Ten years ago, in August 2005, Aleskie arrived in New Haven as Hurricane Katrina was battering the Gulf Coast. The following summer, the festival presented Uprooted: The Katrina Project, a multidisciplinary program featuring artists who’d been displaced by the storm. Nearly a decade later, Cry You One will explore issues relating to climate and the environment, continuing a conversation that’s been had for longer than that with little significant global action. “Many things we’re doing have us reflecting on those pivotal moments and where we are today,” Aleskie said. Some of what the festival will explore this year is the sound that has defined the past 20-plus years, and specifically the decade in which the organization was founded. To that end, Aleskie and her colleagues commissioned Taylor Mac: The 1990s, a theatrical presentation by the award-winning performance artist that will showcase the soundtrack of that decade. This year’s festival program is dynamic, diverse, and thought-provoking and reflects what’s happening and what has happened in New Haven and around the world during the past two decades and earlier. That reflection is something the festival has always focused on. That this year marks the 20th annual festival calls for a celebration of that vision, which is an inspired continuation of the one that was implemented in 1996 by Calabresi, Handley, and Meyer. And as audiences gather for festival performances this month, Aleskie and her colleagues will be working on future programs. “I don’t see an end to the depth of exploration that’s possible,” Aleskie said. Visit artidea.org for detailed information about this year’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas.
Welcome to the Festival Dear Friends: It’s hard to believe, but the International Festival of Arts & Ideas will present its 20th annual festival this year. We’ve had a remarkable 20 years, and we see this not just as a big birthday celebration, but as the launch of our third decade of bringing to life a world-class festival in New Haven each June. The festival was founded in 1996 by three visionary women: Anne Calabresi, Jean Handley, and Roslyn Meyer. They had a dream of a festival that would not only bring the best of the world’s artists and thinkers to their city, but would also unite those living here. So much of that vision remains real and true today. At festival 20, we are looking boldly forward while honoring the great moments of festivals past. New Haven kicks open its doors in a big way this year. With our downtown area and the New Haven Green at the heart of all activities, our entire city is transformed into the festival’s stage. From neighborhoods to our watershed lands, festival activities offer us the chance to
Mary Lou Aleskie
show the world what’s great about us while welcoming some of the globe’s most interesting and exciting artists and thinkers to our community. I hope you will join us for this year’s remarkable adventure, and for the many years ahead. Sincerely, Mary Lou Aleskie Executive Director International Festival of Arts & Ideas
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
Roger Guenveur Smith stars in his one-man show, Rodney King. Photo (detail) by Patti McGuire.
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The Arts Paper june 2015
Festival Presents Mix of Film Offerings documentaries, biopic, silent movies to be screened cooper wall Although perhaps best known as the founder of the Bowen-Peters School of Dance here in New Haven, Angela Bowen has played a large number of roles. From professor to activist as a Black, lesbian feminist, Bowen’s influence has been felt in New Haven and around the country. On June 16, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas will celebrate her accomplishments, including an early screening of the documentary The Passionate Pursuits of Angela Bowen, a feature-length documentary that traces her career from her introduction to dance at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in Boston to her becoming the first recipient of a Ph.D. in women’s studies and African American history from Clark University. The 4 p.m. screening at the Iseman Theater will be preceded by a master class at 2 p.m. and followed by a talk at 5:30 p.m. There’s always something special about a blending of artistic mediums, about one kind of art providing a commentary on another. This is exactly what director Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner is — a film about art history. The film explores the last few decades of the eccentric J.M.W. Turner’s life. The
critically acclaimed film will be screened at the Whitney Humanities Center on June 17 and June 18, at 7:30 p.m., with a talk by Leigh on June 18 at 5:30 p.m. Art, when acting as therapy, is capable of allowing one to process nearly everything in life. Art can provide a lens through which one can examine his or her life. It is a release, and that is exactly what the subject of Capturing Grace provides. The film, a feature-length documentary about a dance program designed for adults with Parkinson’s disease, will be screened at the Iseman Theater on June 19 at 12:30 p.m., followed by a discussion with filmmaker David Iverson. Before the “talkie” revolutionized the film industry with the implications of synchronized sound, films were often screened with live accompaniment. In this tradition, Orchestra New England will play alongside Buster Keaton’s The Play House (June 21 at 4 p.m.) and Charlie Chaplin’s The Rink (June 21 at 5:30 p.m.) in screenings at the Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School. A popcorn reception will be held at 5 p.m. Learn more at artidea.org.
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Orchestra New England will play live music with Buster Keaton’s silent movie The Play House as part of the festival this year. Image courtesy of the festival.
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june 2015 •
The Arts Paper june 2015
Q&A with John Sayles
on telling american stories
cooper wall
CW: As an offshoot of that, I was wondering why you chose these four films to screen in context of the social issues of today, i.e. Ferguson.
A
s I write this, I’m sitting in my college’s central common room. A TV is hanging on the wall. It’s tuned to one of the many 24-hour news channels covering the riots in Baltimore. Again, a city has broken out into chaos. And again, the chaos follows the death of an African American person at the hands of police. In the wake of the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, John Crawford III, Eric Garner, and others, the discussion of race has necessarily been brought to the foreground of American politics again. The question is, where does art fit into that discussion? Art often has a way of becoming just as important in the discussion as journalistic rhetoric, if not more so. People can be swayed by journalism, but they are moved by art. To borrow a phrase from George Sand, “art for the sake of truth, art for the sake of the good and the beautiful” manages to weave its way into people’s minds. We might forget an article, but it’s less likely that we forget a well-written piece of literature or, in the case of John Sayles, a well-made movie. As part of this year’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas, the Academy Award-nominated director and screenwriter will be presenting four of his films. Each of them deals with racism in one way or another. Recently, I talked to Sayles about the role of film as an instrument for change and the way these four films fit into the context of our not-so-postracial country. Cooper Wall: I figure that the best way to start this off would be to get some background on your career in order to kind of put the films into context. So my first question for you is how, exactly, did you get into filmmaking? John Sayles: It was something I always wanted to do growing up — I saw more movies and television than I read books — but I actually drifted into it through writing fiction — novels, short stories. I got some short stories published and then some novels published. And then my second novel, the agent who sold it, his agency had a deal with a filmmaking agency on the West Coast; anything the literary agency represented was automatically sent out there as a possible background story for a movie. I always felt like it would make a terrible movie, but I asked for the address and phone number of the film agency and queried them and they said, “Send us a sample of your screenwriting,” and I adapted the nonfiction book Eight Men Out. So it was really my not knowing anybody in the movie business, it was really through fiction writing. And then after a couple of years of writing screenplays — I had acted as the director of a theater — so I thought, “Why don’t we make a movie?” And I had just enough money back then; out of pocket it cost about $40,000. CW: So you got into it through fiction; I’m interested in where you see the divide between those two mediums. JS: Well, they’re both storytelling. It’s just — you have to, in movies, be much more aware
• june 2015
John Sayles. Photo (detai) by Ric Kallaher.
of time and the structure of time. When I do TV jobs, the first question I have to ask is, “How long is your hour?” If it’s HBO or Showtime, it might be 56 to 58 minutes. If it’s for certain networks that have commercial breaks, it might be more like a 42-minute hour and the rest is filled with commercials. And you have commercial breaks to deal with, so your structure has to deal with that. So that when you’re writing a novel — certainly in my last novel, which is going to be 1,000 pages long — you just kind of pick it up and realize the structure of this isn’t going to be a tight thriller structure, you’re going to immerse yourself in the world and stay (in) it. It’s more like a miniseries. So that’s one of the main differences. I think the other big difference is, when you’re writing fiction you’re the judge and the jury. You may work with an editor, but you do most of the work yourself. When you’re making a movie and you’re writing a screenplay, you certainly want to write for other people, for what other people are going to do; that includes the director and the actors and the cinematographer and the production designer and the costume crew. You suggest things. You may just suggest a period and they have to fill in those blanks of what is this particular character going to wear, what is the room going to look like, what shots are we going to use to tell the story. Screenwriting is only one part of the whole. The story is the story. CW: These four films that you’re going to be screening all have to do with some sort of social issue, particularly race. Do you feel
that film allows illumination of those social topics in a different way than, for instance, fiction does? JS: I think “allow” is the right word. It doesn’t necessarily mean people are going to pick up the ball. I always feel like the first 50 or 60 years of American film was part of the problem, not part of the solution. I’m writing something right now that, in part, deals with Birth of a Nation and if you look at the attitudes and the view of American society that was being pushed in the first 50 or 60 years of American film, it’s pretty negative for a lot of people. I think in the late ’50s, early ’60s, things turned around; films started being a little bit more a part of the solution where people might see people from another class or race or sex or whatever in a movie and it might make them more open to those people in real life. So they both “allow” it. I do think that movies are just more visceral. I can do anything I want to in fiction, but it has to go through the reader’s head first. In movies, you can do stuff that goes through the viewer’s head, but there’s also the stuff that just goes straight to their gut. And it’s just visceral. So I think there’s a stronger immediate experience with a movie. Very often it doesn’t last quite as long as a book because rarely do we read a book in one sitting, we’re a little more likely with fiction to take a couple of days to read it and to think about it while we’re reading it a little bit more. Movies can tend to be more like a trip to McDonald’s; 40 minutes after we saw it, we forgot what we saw.
JS: To this day, I think our whole country isn’t represented on the screen. None of these movies were made because we thought, “Oh, I’m going to tackle this social issue.” They were made because I felt they were stories about people I see in the world, I see in real life, but never see on the screen. In the case of the last one, Go For Sisters, it wasn’t in my mind at all; immigration was the issue and it just happened that the actors I wanted when I finished the script, [and] thought about who I wanted to hire, the two women were African American and Edward James Olmos made sense for the detective. In the case of City of Hope, it’s very specifically about American cities and that phenomenon of how the American cities often are passed from hand to hand, from the original settlers to the immigrant group to the next immigrant group to the next immigrant group. And what seems to happen is that when the Black and Hispanic people take over the cities, there’s nothing left. It’s like Detroit — people are fighting over scraps and the economic nation’s moved on and that’s what they’re left with. So they’re all presented in this allegedly post-racial age. We still have to think about what’s the legacy for the people who’ve been pushed to the bottom —whether they’re African Americans or illegal immigrants. How do we work at that? How open should we be? There are some nations that just open their borders and say, “Everybody come in,” but this country has a history of opening and closing in very, very specific ways, often weighted. Sometimes for race, sometimes for sex — Chinese men could come into the country but Chinese women couldn’t. Sometimes for “OK, well if you have a degree you can come in but the people who are uneducated can’t come in.” So, you know, it’s never been: “We welcome everybody.” When we were pissed off with Fidel Castro, Cubans could come in if they were against Castro, and then all of a sudden that became inconvenient. And we started saying, “Well actually, you can’t just come here because we’re now considering you economic refugees rather than political refugees.” So that’s something that’s changed. This is a country of immigrants. This is a country mostly populated by people who weren’t here until 1500. How does the country define itself, continue to define itself through its immigration laws, through its policies, through its economics? That’s all interesting stuff, and it can be very dramatic if you can find individual lives. n The International Festival of Arts & Ideas will be screening The Brother From Another Planet (June 12 at 7 p.m.), City of Hope (June 13 at12:30 p.m.), Sunshine State (June 13 at 4 p.m.), and Go For Sisters (June 14, at 1 p.m.), at the Whitney Humanities Center, as part of the “Engaging Storytellers” series. Sayles and collaborator Maggie Renzi will give a talk on June 13 at 3 p.m. and will participate in a Q&A session following the screening of Go For Sisters. Cooper Wall is a student at Bennington College.
newhavenarts.org • 9
The Arts Paper june 2015
Festival Span
putting the internatio amanda may aruani photographs courtesy of the artists & the festival
M
any remarkable artists will soon descend upon New Haven for 16 days of interesting events and performances. As you can see from our world map, the international talent is coming from every corner of the globe to perform at this, the 20th International Festival of Arts & Ideas. The Arts Paper spoke with the festival’s executive director, Mary Lou Aleskie, in the organization’s offices high above the New Haven Green about this year’s program. Aleskie spoke quickly, with an obviously extensive knowledge about each of festival programs past and present. The festival always has performances worth seeing, but a select few might very well be history in the making. “We are looked at as a place where artists are launched,” Aleskie explained. Over the last 20 years, countless artists have made their U.S. debuts at the festival and have gone on to great success touring the United States. Aleskie cited the National Theatre of Scotland’s The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, David Leddy’s Susurrus, and Conor Lovett’s interpretation of Samuel Beckett’s First Love as examples. One debut not to miss this year, according to Aleskie, is Machine de Cirque, an ensemble of young acrobats from Quebec, Canada. “We have a long-standing tradition of presenting contemporary circus,” she said. “Machine de Cirque is made up of players from Sequence 8, who performed at the festival in 2013.” Circus acts from around the world, including Perfect Catch, a comedic juggling show, and Magmanus, a circus duo from Sweden, will have a strong presence at this year’s festival. “They are teeterboard clowns, basically,” Aleskie said of Magmanus. “They actually take their clothes off mid-air, but it’s family friendly. They are teeterboard clowns playfully entertaining everybody, no big hairy butts or anything like that, but as they say, they ‘take it down to strings.’ After the festival, they will go on to play in Chicago and New York.” In addition to launching many international artists into the U.S. market, the festival has also established relationships with several performers. One of these is Angélique Kidjo, a powerful female vocalist from Benin, Africa. “Angélique Kidjo is a good friend of the festival,” Aleskie said. “This year (her headline concert on the New Haven Green) is the culmination of a three-festival residency with us. She will be bringing Ibeyi, the twin daughters of the late Anga Diaz (the percussionist of Buena Vista Social Club). They just had a big run at South by Southwest, and it’s like ‘Mama Africa’ is bringing in the new generation.” If you want to be exposed to as many international artists as possible, make sure to experience the Yale International Choral Festival, which will feature singers from Jerusalem, Cuba, Sweden, Singapore, and the United States. “People come from all over the globe for this,” Aleskie said enthusiastically. Another international show she is genuinely excited
10 • newhavenarts.org
Machine de Cirque Canada Young acrobats out of Quebec’s thriving circus arts scene. Tue, June 23, 8pm Wed, June 24, 8pm Thu, June 25, 8pm Fri, June 26, 8pm Sat, June 27, 1pm Sat, June 27, 5pm
Ibeyi France & Cuba Twin sisters with a unique sound open for Angélique Kidjo. Sunday, June 21, 7pm
Plena Libre Puerto Rico 12-piece band plays African-based bomba fused with rythms from Latin America. Sat, June 27, 7pm
Pistolera Mexico Led by MexicianAmerican songwriter Sandra Lilia Velasquez. Sun, June 14, 8pm
Moona Luna The bilingual family-friendly spin off of Pistolera. Sun, June 14, 5pm
june 2015 •
The Arts Paper june 2015
ns the Globe
ational in arts & ideas
Magmanus Sweden Duo of teeterboard clowns who will juggle things, as well as themselves, for your entertainment. Sat, June 13, 2015, 1:00pm Sat, June 13, 2015, 5:30pm Sun, June 14, 2015, 3:00pm Sun, June 14, 2015, 6:00pm
YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus Israel & Palestine Part of the Yale International Choral Festival. This program brings students together from Israel and Palestine in song. Wed, June 17, 5pm
about this year is Ragamala Dance Company with Rudresh Mahanthappa performing Song of the Jasmine, a fusion of traditional south Indian dance and contemporary jazz. (It’s meant to be a riff on Song of the “Jazzman.”) “(South Indian dance) as a tradition is rich, deep, and old, but alive and being stretched in this piece. Rudresh composed all the music and will play it live with his quintet,” Aleskie said. “International traditions make people feel at home here,” she said. Obviously, a lot of work goes into presenting a festival of this magnitude. Besides the typical behindthe-scenes work of marketing, the logistics of bringing artists to New Haven from around the world, and the technical aspect of hosting a festival, according to Aleskie, festival staff attend more than 400 shows a year to discover the exceptional. “I go to the Edinburgh festival,” Aleskie said. “As a staff, we also see the Shanghai festival, and the Bogota theater festival. It takes seeing that much work to identify artists that stand out, and stand out in a way that will connect with the audience here in New Haven. “Throughout the 20 years, we have presented international work that is of a particular ilk. … Right from very beginning, the international aspect was not only important but a way to say we (New Haven) are important to the world,” Aleskie said. “We’re looking to put what’s world class on the stage.” In doing so, the festival also puts New Haven on the map for artists. “There really isn’t another quite like this festival, certainly in this region, maybe in the U.S., doing work on this scale,” Aleskie said. “Who you are comes from what you create, and this state creates this festival. … It’s a special place that can host an idea this big. “We present work that deals with issues that are on people’s minds here, but are national and international stories,” Aleskie pointed out. “Hopefully people realize that they are connected and not alone.” n
See map for a few highlights of the festival’s international programming. See page 18 for a schedule of events. Visit artidea.org for full festival schedule.
Ragamala Dance Company with Rudresh Mahanthappa India Classical dance from southern India meets contemporary jazz for this live performance titled Song of the Jasmine. Angélique Kidjo
Tue, June 16, 8pm Wed, June 17, 8pm
Benin This Grammy Award-winning singer songwriter will make her third appearance in New Haven for the festival. Sunday, June 21, 7pm
• june 2015
newhavenarts.org • 11
The Arts Paper june 2015
CALENDAR
Works by David Calloway, Florida (upper left), Jeff Warmouth, Massachusetts (lower left), Pat Lay, New Jersey (center), and Delbert Jackson, right (Massachusetts) part of Intelligent Objects: Empathetic and Smart Art, on view at Creative Arts Workshop June 12 through July 18. The exhibition is the organization’s annual juried show featuring works by artists from around the country. The juror was George Fifield. Images courtesy of Creative Arts Workshop.
Classes & Workshops
Email eileeneder@mac.com. May 25-June 6, May 25-30, and June 1-5. Visit studioborgoart.com/ reservations for pricing.
Artsplace 1220 Waterbury Road, Cheshire. 203272-2787. cpfa-artsplace.org. Summer Art Classes and Workshops. Exciting art camps for elementary-school-aged students, fine art lessons for preschool aged through adult. Workshops in large variety of media including watercolors, pastels, oil, acrylics, pottery, collage, Shibori dye, drawing, anime, and animation. All supplies included. Call for more information or visit website. Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m., June 29-August 1. $25-$235.
Connecticut Natural Science Illustrators Yale Peabody Museum Community Education Center, 230 West Campus Drive, Orange. 203-9340878. ctnsi.com.
Creative Arts Workshop 80 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-562-4927. creativeartsworkshop.org. Spring Classes and Workshops. Creativity is in bloom! Explore your creative side with classes and workshops for adults and young people in book arts, design, drawing, painting, fiber, fashion, jewelry, photography, pottery, printmaking, and sculpture. Spring session runs through June 5. See the course brochure or visit the website for dates, times, and fees. Register online! Neighborhood Music School Audubon St., New Haven. 203-624-5189. neighborhoodmusicschool.org. Junior Chamber Winds A high-quality, week-long chamber music experience with daily master classes for beginning/intermediate students grades 5-8 (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and French horn). One year of playing is recommended. No chamber music experience required. June 29-July 3. Tuition: $385. $9 a.m.-12 p.m. Studio Brodo 44 Via San Gemma Galgani, Borgo a Mozzano, LU Italy. 203-458-1720. studioborgoart.com. Painting in Tuscany. A dream vacation for painters. Connecticut artist Eileen Eder will take a small group of students to the beautiful historic city of Lucca, Italy. Studio Borgo will provide accommodations, workday lunches, all materials (except brushes), easels, and transportation to classes.
12 • newhavenarts.org
Art Classes in Natural Science Illustration. Fire up your drawing skills this summer. We offer a wide range of courses from beginning drawing to mixed-media painting, botanical drawing, and plein air sketching at the West Campus Urban Farm. Visit website for more information. Classes offered through August 25. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Exhibitions City Gallery 994 State St, New Haven. 203-782-2489. city-gallery.org. Trace: Aspasia Anos. The photograph is both palimpsest and ground for the artist’s exploration of transference and transience, departure and return, in a series of mixed-media monotypes. On view Thursday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m. and by appointment, June 4-June 28. Opening reception: Saturday, June 13, 2-5 p.m. Free. Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek Gallery Peter Wnek, 55 East Kings Highway, Chester. 860-526-8920. www.PeterWnekPhoto.com. Soul of the Landscape. Arts Council member Peter Wnek presents Soul of the Landscape, an exhibition of photography celebrating the beauty and spirit of woodlands and waterways, at Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek, 55 East Kings Highway, Chester. On view through July 28. Opening reception: June 7, 4-7 p.m. Visit website for details. Free. Creative Arts Workshop 80 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-562-4927. creativeartsworkshop.org
Intelligent Objects: CAW’s Annual Juried Show. This exhibition explores those artistic objects which appear to be responsive to our existence, or at least demand an empathy if not an emotion, that we give to sentient beings. Intelligent Objects are those artworks that act as independent agents and explore the cross-section of analog and digital media. On view Monday-Friday, June 12-July 18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. DaSilva Gallery 897 Whalley Ave., New Haven. 203-387-2539. dasilva-gallery.com. Angeles Martinez. An exhibition of oil paintings on board. On view June 26-July 10. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Elle Design Studio 1 Main St., Chester. 860-526-8470. galleryoneCT.com. The Artists of Gallery One at Elle Design Studio. Member artists include David Brown, Ashby Carlisle, Catherine Christiano, Bette Ellsworth, Mary Fussell, Gray Jacobik, Judith Barbour Osborne, T. Willie Raney, Diana Rogers, Victoria Sivigny, and Jill Vaughn. Reception on Friday, June 5, 5-8 p.m. Free. Store hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. On view June 2-August 30. Free. Fred.Giampietro Gallery 1064 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-777-7760. giampietrogallery.com. Katherine Bradford. On view through June 13. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. or by appointment. Free. Joe Wardwell. With works by Jana Paleckova. On view June 20-July 16. Opening reception: Saturday, June 20, 6-8 p.m. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Guilford Art Center 411 Church St., Guilford. 203-453-5947. guilfordartcenter.org. Teapots, Vessels, Flagons & Flasks. Guilford Art Center is pleased to announce Teapots, Vessels, Flagons & Flasks, a juried exhibition of pourable containers made by contemporary American artists. Juried by studio potter Hayne Bayless, this exhibit puts the spotlight on creative and
up-to-date renditions of these most traditional forms. Exhibit sponsored by The Spice & Tea Exchange. On view through June 14. Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Admission is free. JCC of Greater New Haven 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge. 203-387-2522. jccnh.org. In the Shadows: A Photography Exhibit by Aviva Klein. Reception TBA. The traveling photography exhibit In the Shadows is a portraiture exploration of agunot, also known as “chained women.” Agunot are women who have been unable to procure a gett, or divorce document, from their husbands, so they cannot remarry. This is a serious issue in the Orthodox Jewish world. On view through July 30 during building hours. Free. Kehler Liddell Gallery 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven. 203-389-9555. kehlerliddell.com. Momentary Landscapes. Investigating the conversation between natural and manmade landscapes, Momentary Landscapes presents a series of linoleum block prints and various forms of collage by artist Liz Antle-O’Donnell. One of two new exhibits at Kehler Liddell on view June 4-July 5. Opening reception: Sunday, June 7, 3-6 p.m. Free. Hello, I Must Be Going: American Pastoral. Capturing a serendipitous story of America today, award-winning photographer Hank Paper presents a collection of contemporary pastoral photographs in Hello, I must Be Going: American Pastoral one of two new exhibits at Kehler Liddell on view June 4-July 5. Opening reception: Sunday, June 7, 3-6 p.m. Free. Knights of Columbus Museum 1 State St., New Haven. 203-865-0400. kofcmuseum.org. Answering the Call: Service & Charity in the Civil War. As America marks the 150th anniversary of the end of its Civil War, the Knights of Columbus Museum commemorates the event with Answering the Call, an exhibition featuring the involvement of Catholic soldiers, chaplains, and nurses during the four-year conflict. On view through September 20. Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission and parking.
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The Arts Paper june 2015
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-432-5050. peabody.yale.edu. Samurai and the Culture of Japan’s Great Peace. Through more than 150 objects, many of which have never been on display, this exhibition explores the fascinating history of the samurai from their violent beginnings to the 250-year Great Peace that marked the final period of their reign. On view through January 3, 2015. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Admission $5-$9.
Katherine Bradford’s Superman Responds, Ship is part of Life Boats, an exhibit on view through June 13 at the Fred.Giampietro Gallery’s Chapel Street location, alongside works by Becky Yazdan. Image courtesy of the artist and Fred.Giampietro Gallery.
New Haven Museum 114 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-562-4183. newhavenmuseum.org. Winfred Rembert: Amazing Grace. This is the first major retrospective of New Haven resident Winfred Rembert, whose art on leather conveys his compelling personal narrative of joy and struggle during the tumultuous moments of the American civil rights movement. On view through June 21. Dates and hours vary. See website for details. Paul Mellon Arts Center Choate Rosemary Hall, 332 Christian St., Wallingford. 203-6972398. choate.edu/boxoffice. Student Artwork Exhibition: Featuring Arts Concentration Seniors. On view through June 7, when school is in session, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. Senior Center of the Miller Memorial Library Hamden Public Library, 2901 Dixwell Ave., Hamden. 203287-2682. hamdenlibrary.org/miller. Stephany Cousins Retrospective. Her vivid, impressionistic florals, portraits, and seascapes will be on view as well as a new series of abstracts entitled Jazz and the French Curve. A past president of the Hamden Art League, which is sponsoring the show, Cousins is also a member of Connecticut Women Artists, Connecticut Pastel Society, and The New Haven Paint and Clay Club. On view through June 23. Open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Free.
Susan Powell Fine Art 679 Boston Post Road, Madison. 203-318-0616. susanpowellfineart.com. David Dunlop: Luminous Harmonies. Dunlop’s paintings are an adventure through time, atmosphere, and motion. Harmony arrives through many forms, color, touch, design, tempo, texture, and light. These new works offer luminous harmonies when the light suffuses the subject with dissolved edges from a unifying source. On view June 1-June 14. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays and anytime by appointment. Realistically Speaking. Seven realists explore different takes on Realism. Featured artists include Del-Bourree Bach, Dan Brown, Grace M. DeVito, Vincent Giarrano, Michael Naples, Cora Ogden, and George Van Hook. On view June 20-July 6. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays and anytime by appointment.
Yale University Art Gallery 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. britishart.yale.edu. The Critique of Reason: Romantic Art, 1760-1860. The first major collaborative exhibition between the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art, The Critique of Reason offers an unprecedented opportunity to bring together treasures of the Romantic art movement from the collections of both museums. On view through July 26. Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursday until 8 p.m. (September–June); and Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. The gallery is closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is free and open to the public.
Film 11 Thursday Film Screening, Youth Film Festival, and Premiere Youth Rights Media presents a selection of student films made during the 2014-15 academic year, including a short documentary about food insecurity and the school lunch program in New Haven Public Schools. A ques-
tion-and-answer panel session with the young filmmakers follows the screenings. 6 p.m. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
17-18 Wednesday-Thursday Film Screening: Mr. Turner. Director Mike Leigh’s biography of the great British painter Joseph Mallord William Turner has been praised by critics for its outstanding performances and painterly cinematography. Leigh presents a critical portrait of Turner’s artistic process, creative community, and daily life. 7:30 p.m. Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
Kids & Families Audubon Arts & Retail District Audubon St., New Haven. 203-772-2788. newhavenarts.org. Audubon Arts On the Edge. Bring the whole family to Audubon Arts On the Edge, a street fair with entertainment and arts activities for kids of all ages. Enjoy face painting, street magic, juggling, stilt walking, hula hooping, art making, and performances by the New Haven Ballet, ACES ECA Jazz Ensemble, Neighborhood Music School Advanced Rock Ensemble, and much more! June 6. 12-5 p.m. Free. Creative Arts Workshop 80 Audubon St., New Haven. 203-562-4927. creativeartsworkshop.org. Adventures in Art: Summer Programs for Young People. Give your child an adventure in art this summer, with weeklong programs in drawing,
Woodbridge Public Library 10 Newton Road, Woodbridge. 203-389-3433. woodbridge.lioninc.org. One Engineer’s “Trajectory” in the Visual Arts. An exhibition of 32 watercolor paintings and prints by Daniel Rosner, Yale Professor (Emeritus) of Chemical Engineering. Artist’s reception: Saturday, June 13, 2-4:30 p.m. As a realist fond of unusual vantage points, in this retrospective Dan depicts subjects from his travels, and iconic Yale University buildings/scenes in New Haven. On view June 1-June 29. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. No admission fee.
This rock is unique in that it was created through human activity. That is, it’s literally garbage. Called “plastiglomerate,” it is “an artificial stone formed through campfire burning of plastic trash into beach sediment and lava fragments,” according to Melanie Brigockas, public relations and marketing manager and special-events coordinator at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. This piece of “plastiglomerate” was found on Kamilo Beach, near Big Island, Hawaii. It’s part of a small exhibit on view indefinitely at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History called Plastic Pebbles? Plasti-What? Photo by Richard Kissel.
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The Arts Paper june 2015
David Dunlop’s Chasing Time is part of Luminous Harmonies, an exhibition of the artist’s paintings on view June 1-14 at Susan Powell Fine Art, in Madison. Image courtesy of the gallery.
painting, pottery, mixed media, and more. Students may register for as many weeks as they choose — from a single week to the full eight. Early drop off and extended day programs available. Call or register online today! Classes offered June 22-August 14. Musical Folk First Presbyterian Church, 704 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-691-9759. MusicalFolk.com. Music Together Classes for Kids. A fun creative music and movement program for babies through 5-year-old children and the ones who love them! Come sing, dance, and play instruments in an informal setting. Classes and demonstration classes are ongoing throughout the year. Classes offered through June 18. Morning, afternoon, and weekend classes available at various locations in New Haven, Woodbridge, Hamden, East Haven, and Cheshire. Demonstration classes are free. Tenweek semester is $216 and includes a CD and book. Each semester features a new collection of music. Four semesters per year: Spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Quartet and Jessica Sack, the Jan and Frederick Mayer Senior Associate Curator of Public Education at Yale University, this performance connects close listening to music with close looking at art. 12:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
5 Friday Music Haven Summer Performance Party Celebrate the accomplishments of our 80 promising young students! Performances by Music Haven students and their teachers, the Haven String Quartet, and pianist Miki Sawada are followed by a potluck feast. Bring your instrument and join us onstage for the “Project YOURchestra” finale! 6 p.m. Free; please bring a dish to
share at the potluck reception immediately following the concert. Charles Garner Recital Hall, Engleman C112, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven. 203745-9030. musichavenct.org.
of Public Education at Yale University, this performance connects close listening to music with close looking at art. 3 p.m. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-4320600. artgallery.yale.edu.
6 Saturday
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Choate Rosemary Hall Orchestra Graduation Concert Free. Choate Rosemary Hall, Paul Mellon Arts Center, 332 Christian St., Wallingford. 203-697-2398. choate.edu/boxoffice.
Handel’s Messiah Brett Judson directs the choirs of Bethesda Lutheran Church and Emanuel Lutheran Church (Manchester), with orchestra and soloists from the Yale Voxtet, in this ever-moving work by Handel. Free parking. Reception to follow. Bring a friend! 4 p.m. Freewill offering. Bethesda Music Series, Bethesda Lutheran Church, 450 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 203-787-2346. bethesdanewhaven.org.
7 Sunday Performance, Playing Images: An Exploration of Music and Art Featuring live music by the Haven String Quartet and Jessica Sack, the Jan and Frederick Mayer Senior Associate Curator
University Theatre 222 York St., New Haven. 203-432-1234. The Dwight /Edgewood Project. The project celebrates its 21th anniversary season with eight original one-act plays written by Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School students and performed by Yale School of Drama graduate students. Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20, at 7 p.m. at the Off-Broadway Theater, 41 Broadway. Free.
Music 3 Wednesday Playing Images: An Exploration of Music and Art Featuring live music by the Haven String
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Special Events 4 Thursday Members’ Program: Members’ Trivia Night Join us for an evening of fun, prizes, and fact finding! Test your visual knowledge of the collection by looking closely at works of art. Weather permitting, refreshments will be served outdoors on the Sculpture Terrace. Registration required; please call 203.432.9658 or email art.members@yale.edu. 6-7:30 p.m. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
6 June Arts Council’s 50th Birthday Party Following the Audubon Arts On the Edge celebration, the Arts Council will host its 50th anniversary party on Audubon Street! The party will be 1960s-themed in honor of the birth of the Arts Council, and ’60s-era music will be performed by groove band Satisfaction. The party will include a record-listening lounge with groovy games, a pizza truck, and refreshments. Period-appropriate dress is encouraged. Tickets will be sold in advance. For more information, visit newhavenarts.org or contact organizer Coleen Campbell at coleencamp@gmail.com.
20 Saturday Bookstore Sidewalk Sale Enjoy discounts of up to 80 percent off on a broad range of the Yale University Art Gallery’s publications. Browse a large selection of free items and receive a coupon for future use at the bookstore. Sales are cash only and nonrefundable. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 1000 Chapel Street, New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
Talks & Tours 10 Wednesday Gallery Talk, Pax Tokugawa: A Glimpse of the Art of the Shoguns In conjunction with the exhibition Samurai and the Culture of Japan’s Great Peace at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Sadako Ohki explores the architectural designs for a building constructed to commemorate Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and related art. 12:30 p.m. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
16 Tuesday Gallery Talk: Whistler in Paris, London, and Venice Learn about the life and artistic development of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, one of the most celebrated artists of the 19th century, by looking closely with exhibition curator Heather Nolin at his earliest and most innovative sets of etchings, the so-called “French,” “Thames,” and “Venice” sets. 12:30 p.m. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
17 Wednesday Gallery Talk: The Critique of Reason, Romantic Art, 1760-1860 Join two of the exhibition curators, Paola D’Agostino, the Nina and Lee Griggs Assistant Curator of European Art, Yale University Art Gallery, and Izabel Gass, graduate research assistant, Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art, for a tour of this major exhibition of Romantic art. 12:30 p.m. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
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Left to right: Jessica Sack, the Jan and Frederick Mayer Senior Associate Curator of Public Education at the Yale University Art Gallery, and the Haven String Quartet (violinists Yaira Matyakubova and Gregory Tompkins, cellist Philip Boulanger, and violist Colin Benn), present Playing Images: An Exploration of Music and Art during a recent exhibition of work by Red Grooms at the Yale University Art Gallery. Playing Images, a series that connects listening to music with looking at art, continues with Sack and the Haven String quartet on June 3 and June 7. Photo and caption information courtesy of YUAG.
Andrew Carnduff Ritchie Lecture: A Conversation with Mike Leigh Director Mike Leigh discusses his most recent film, Mr. Turner (2014), an examination of the last 25 years of the life of the British painter Joseph Mallord William Turner. Leigh is joined by Jacqueline Riding, art historian and consultant on the film, in a conversation moderated by Tim Barringer, the Paul Mellon Professor History of Art, Yale University. 5:30 p.m. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
tors, Paola D’Agostino, the Nina and Lee Griggs Assistant Curator of European Art, Yale University Art Gallery, and Izabel Gass, graduate research assistant, Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art, for a tour of this major exhibition of Romantic art. 12:30 p.m. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
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25 Thursday
Gallery Talk: Whistler in Paris, London, and Venice Learn about the life and artistic development of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, one of the most celebrated artists of the 19th century, by looking closely with exhibition curator Heather Nolin at his earliest and most innovative sets of etchings, the so-called “French,” “Thames,” and “Venice” sets. 12:30 p.m. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. 203-432-0600. artgallery.yale.edu.
23 Tuesday
Beckerman Lecture Series Documentary screening and Q&A with director Michael Mayer. Includes readings by members of the community of their embarrassing and private childhood writings. The Beckerman Lecture Series features significant presenters on contemporary topics that shape our world and community. 7:30 p.m. Tickets per lecture: $12 for JCC Members, $15 for non-members. JCC of Greater New Haven, 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge. 203-387-2522. jccnh.org/lecture-series.
Gallery Talk: The Critique of Reason: Romantic Art 1760-1860 Join two of the exhibition cura-
Theater Hairspray A girl achieves her dream of performing on a TV dance show in 1960s Baltimore in this musical version of the 1988 John Waters film. In 2003, the Broadway production won eight out of 13 Tony Award nominations including best musical and best performance for a lead actor and actress. It was produced by Choate Rosemary Hall alumni Tom Viertel ‘59. On stage June 4-6. 7:30 p.m. Adults $20, senior citizens 65 and older, and non-Choate students $15. Choate Rosemary Hall, 332 Christian St., Wallingford. 203-697-2398. choate.edu/boxoffice. Million Dollar Quartet Inspired by the famed 1956 Memphis recording session that brought together rock ‘n’ roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for the first and only time, this musical brings that legendary night to life with timeless hits including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and “I Walk the Line.” June 1114. Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. 203-562-5666. shubert.com.
Audubon Arts on the Edge Come Join Us for an Afternoon of Free, Family-Friendly Fun Saturday June 6, 12-5 p.m., Audubon Street (between Whitney Avenue and Orange Street) Families with children of all ages are invited to join us on for Audubon Arts on the Edge, an afternoon of free, family-oriented music, dance, hands-on arts-and-crafts activities, and interactive educational programs. Rain or shine! Experience: w Face painting, juggling, street magic, and storytelling w A roaming stilt-walker and hula-hooper w An instrument “petting zoo” with Neighborhood Music School Make:
w Chalk art on Audubon Street with Creative Arts Workshop w Giant pictures on a painting wall w Fun photos with a dress-up tent and photo booth w Calligraphy and paint bottles
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Performances by: w Neighborhood Music School Advanced Rock Ensemble w ACES ECA Jazz Ensemble w New Haven Ballet And more free fun for kids of all ages! For more information about Audubon Arts on the Edge, visit newhavenarts.org or call (203) 772-2788. june 2015 •
The Arts Paper june 2015
BULLETIN BOARD
The Arts Council provides the job and bulletin board listings as a service to our membership and is not responsible for the content or deadlines.
Call For Artists For Arts Center Killingworth’s 2015-2016 Spectrum Gallery exhibits, including the October Autumn Arts Festival and 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 Smithtown Township Arts Council seeks entries for its 34th Annual Juried Photography Exhibition at the Mills Pond House Gallery. Entry deadline: June 15. Exhibit dates: August 8-August 30. Juror: Melanie Craven, co-owner and director of Tilt Gallery of Photography. Open to local and national artists. Prospectus at stacarts.org/exhibits or send a SASE to STAC Juried Photo, 660 Route 25A, St. James, NY 11780. (631) 862-6575. gallery@stacarts.org. $45/three entries. Cash awards for first and second place. 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 the 2015 and 2016 calendar years. Please send your resume and cover letter along with a DVD of not fewer 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.
The Arts Paper advertising and calendar deadlines The deadline for advertisements and calendar listings for the July-August 2015 edition of The Arts Paper is: Tuesday, May 26, at 5 p.m. Future deadlines are as follows: September: Monday, July 27, 5 p.m. October: Monday, August 31, 5 p.m. November: Monday, September 28, 5 p.m. December: Monday, October 26, 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 mreiniger@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.
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Artists The Loft Artists Association, in Stamford, announces an open call for an art show called Lineal Investigations, which will focus on new directions in line. Lines can be hard, sharp, straight, or geometric. They can be organic, smooth, soft, flowing, loopy, or wavy. Works can range from traditional graphite and charcoal drawings to works from all mediums. The key feature is the line! Deadline: July 13. Exhibition September 10–October 11 at The Loft Artists Gallery. Juror: Robbin Zella. Cash and other awards totaling $1,000. Digital entry form and Prospectus at loftartists.com. Artist Members Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven is seeking applications from new prospective members. Visit kehlerliddell.com/membership for more information. 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 every Tuesday from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Spring Glen United Church of Christ, 1825 Whitney Ave., in Hamden. Contact Lynn at 203 623-1276 for more information or visit silknsounds.org. Volunteers Learn new skills, meet new people, and be part of a creative organization that gives to the community. Upcoming volunteer opportunities: Jazz NightOut Concert at The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook and October Outdoor Autumn Arts Festival on the Madison Town Green. Teens are welcome and earn community-service credit. The Arts Center Killingworth is a non-profit arts organization. Visit artscenterkillingworth.org for more details or call 860-663-5593. 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 Grey Freeman at greyf@artspacenh.org.
Services Art Consulting Services Support your creativity! Low-cost service offers in-depth artwork analysis, writing, and editing services by former arts newspaper editor, current art director of the New Haven Free Public Library, and independent curator of many venues. Call Johnes Ruta at 203387-4933, visit azothgallery.com, or send email to azothgallery@comcast.net. 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, email artinstallationspecialistsllc@gmail.com, or visit artinstallationspecialistsllc.com. Art Supplies For Sale Artist downsizing: For sale: stretchers, primed and unprimed canvas rolls, stretched canvases, frames, glass, studio furniture, huge beautiful paper, and more. Please contact scousinsartist@yahoo.com Formerly Bethany Art Studio, now located in Hamden. Birthday Parties Did you know that Creative Arts Workshop is available for birthday parties? Have your birthday party in an art studio. CAW faculty members will lead the party in arts or crafts projects, lasting approximately 1 1/2 hours, leaving time for cake, presents, and memory-making. Choose from a variety of themes and projects. For more information or to schedule a party, call the office at 562-4927. A fantastic idea for children of all ages. 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. 203-776-6310. Historic Home Restoration 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. R.J. Aley Building Contractor 203-226-9933. jaley@rjaley.com. Japanese Shoji Screens Designed for Connecticut homes. Custom built for windows, doorways, or freestanding display, they allow beautiful filtered light to pass through while insulating. For a free quote, contact Phillip Chambers at 203-888-4937 or email pchambers9077@sbcglobal.net. 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. 315 Peck St., New Haven. 203-675-1105. lizpagano.com. Professional Art Installation For residential and commercial work. More than 17 years’ experience in museums, galleries, hospitals, and homes in New York City, Providence, New Haven, Chester, and elsewhere. Rate is $30-$40 an hour, no job too small or large. Call Mark at 203-772-4270 or send email to livepaint@aol.com. More information and examples at ctartinstall.com. Web Services Startup business solutions. Creative, sleek Web design by art curator for art, design, architectural, and small-business sites. Twenty-five years’ experience in database, logistics, and engineering applications. Will create and maintain any kind of website. Hosting provided. Call 203-387-4933, visit azothgallery.com, or send email to azothgallery@comcast.net.
Writing Workshops The Company of Writers is a new creative community for writers of 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. All our faculty are published authors, and many are teachers, editors, or publishers. Course descriptions available online at companyofwriters.net, or by contacting Terry at 203-676-7133. We all have a story to tell. What’s yours?
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. Call 609-638-8501 or visit westcovestudio.com. Live/Work Space ArLoW (Arts Lofts West). Fabulous lofts in New Haven’s first artist-housing development. The units contain high ceilings with flexible options for living and working spaces. Great natural light and interior spaces. Please contact Lynn Calabrese c/o Wm. M. Hotchkiss, management agent, at 203-772-3200 x20 for a rental application. Studio Space Thirteen-thousand square feet of undeveloped studio space available in old mill brick building on New Haven harbor. Conveniently located one minute off I-95, Exit 44 in West Haven. Owners willing to subdivide. Call 609638-8501. Studio Space Branford Center. Artist Co-Op, 1229 Main St. Sixteen-hundred square feet of retail space on historic Main Street in downtown Branford. Total turnkey co-op space for up to five artists. Unique space includes two overhead garage doors and storage. In addition there will be a “pop up” space that will allow for a four-month rotation of space throughout the year. Tremendous visibility, strategically located at three-way traffic signal. Pricing includes Internet, POS, Facebook, and website. Pricing starts at $495 per month. Community Living Space Rocky Corner, the first cohousing community in Connecticut, is seeking new members. It’ll be built on 33 acres in Bethany, near New Haven, will feature 30 homes (including 13 affordable ones), a 4,500 square-foot common house with workshop/kitchen/etc., and an organic farm. Visit rockycorner.org or email welcome@rockycorner.org to learn more.
Jobs Please visit newhavenarts.org for up-to-date local employment opportunities in the arts.
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The Arts Paper june 2015
Festival 2015, June 12-27 Headline Concerts on the New Haven Green Darlene Love June 13, 7 p.m. Family Day Multiple events, including Dan Zanes and Pistolera June 14, 1-9 p.m. Kurt Elling with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra June 20, 7 p.m. Angélique Kidjo with Ibeyi June 21, 7 p.m. Lucinda Williams June 26, 7 p.m. Plena Libre June 27, 7 p.m.
600 Highwaymen Employee of the Year June 20-27 Imani Winds and Special Guests Passion for Bach and Coltrane June 23 Carmen de Lavallade As I Remember It June 25-27 Yale International Choral Festival June 16-20 Yale Institute for Music Theatre Open Rehearsal Readings June 26&27 A Silent Movie Concert with Orchestra New England June 21 Perfect Catch June 20&21 Magmanus June 13&14
Ticketed Events Mark Morris Dance Group Acis and Galatea East Coast Exclusive for 2015 June 18&19 Taylor Mac: The 1990s Festival Commission World Premiere June 12&13
Ideas: Talks & Lectures Roz Chast: Cartoons as Family Memoir June 13 Jelani Cobb: Contingent Citizenship Race and Democracy in the Age of Ferguson June 14
Machine de Cirque June 23-27
From Artist to Activist: A New Haven Legend June 16
Mondo Bizarro & ArtSpot Productions Cry You One June 13-21
Make It New: Cultural Preservation and Artistic Evolution June 17
Ragamala Dance Company with Rudresh Mahanthappa Song of the Jasmine June 16&17
Waterways and Our Changing Environment Presented in Association with WNPR June 17
Roger Guenveur Smith Rodney King June 18-21
Cooperation Amidst Crisis: May Day 1970 and its Lessons June 18
Taylor Mac. Photo by Kevin Yatarola.
A Conversation with Mike Leigh June 18 Artists in the Kitchen June 19 Africa and Global Health Equity June 20 Claudia Rankine: How Art Teaches a Poet to See June 20 Sinatra at 100: Cultural Influences, Back and Forward June 21 Surveillance and Civil Liberties in the United States June 23 21st Century Art and Politics June 24
Gina Kolata: The New Age June 25 Carmen De Lavallade in Conversation June 26
Special Programs Sinatra: An American Icon Celebrating the 2015 Centennial of Frank Sinatra Exhibition, Concert & Ideas Talk June 13-27 Engaging Storytellers: The Independent Cinema of John Sayles and Maggie Renzi Presented in Partnership with the Yale Summer Film Institute June 12-14 Connecticut Critic’s Circle Awards June 22
Tours, Activities, and More Tours Noon to Night Series Family Stage Master Classes & Workshops Weekend Showcase Pop-Up Celebrations
Schedule of events courtesy of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. Visit artidea.org for more information.
New Art, New Cities, New Living June 27
Join us to celebrate
The Arts Council of Greater New Haven’s 50th Birthday Saturday, June 6th, 6 to 8 p.m. Leeney Plaza, Audubon Street
Music by 60’s Satisfaction w Food by Da Legna w Craft Beer courtesy of Erector Square Brewing Collective w Celebratory Cocktail by Ordinary Retro attire encouraged Tickets: $50/$35 for Arts Council members w Purchase at newhavenarts.org by June 1
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The Arts Paper member organizations & partners
Arts & Cultural Organizations A Broken Umbrella Theatre abrokenumbrella.org, 203-868-0428 ACES Educational Center for the Arts aces.k12.ct.us 203-777-5451 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 ARTFARM art-farm.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 Bethesda Music Series bethesdanewhaven.org 203-787-2346 Blackfriars Repertory Theatre blackfriarsrep.com Branford Folk Music Society folknotes.org/branfordfolk
The Choirs of Trinity Church on the Green trinitynewhaven.org
Guilford Art Center guilfordartcenter.org 203-453-5947
Madison Art Society madisonartsociety.blogspot.com 860-399-6116
City Gallery city-gallery.org 203-782-2489
Guitartown CT Productions guitartownct.com 203-430-6020
Make Haven makehaven.org
Civic Orchestra of New Haven conh.org Classical Contemporary Ballet Theatre ccbtballettheatre.org Connecticut Dance Alliance ctdanceall.com Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus ctgmc.org 800-644-cgmc Connecticut Natural Science Illustrators ctnsi.com 203-934-0878 Creative Arts Workshop creativeartsworkshop.org 203-562-4927 Creative Concerts 203-795-3365 CT Folk ctfolk.com DaSilva Gallery gabrieldasilvagallery.com 203-387-2539 Elm City Dance Collective elmcitydance.org Elm Shakespeare Company elmshakespeare.org 203-874-0801 Encore Music Creations encoremusiccreations.com Firehouse 12 firehouse12.com 203-785-0468
Center for Independent Study cistudy.homestead.com
Gallery One CT galleryonect.com
Chestnut Hill Concerts chestnuthillconcerts.org 203-245-5736
Greater New Haven Community Chorus gnhcc.org 203-624-1979
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Hamden Art League hamdenartleague.com 203-494-2316 Hamden Arts Commission hamdenartscommission.org 203-287-2546 Hillhouse Opera Company hillhouseoperacompany.org 203-464-2683 Hopkins School hopkins.edu Hugo Kauder Society hugokauder.org The Institute Library institutelibrary.org International Festival of Arts & Ideas artidea.org International Silat Federation of America & Indonesia isfnewhaven.org Jazz Haven jazzhaven.org John Slade Ely House elyhouse.org 203-624-8055 Kehler Liddell Gallery kehlerliddell.com
Marrakech, Inc./Association of Artisans to Cane marrakechinc.org Meet the Artists and Artisans meettheartistsandartisans.com 203-874-5672 Milford Fine Arts Council milfordarts.org 203-878-6647 Music Haven musichavenct.org 203-215-4574 Music Mountain musicmountain.com 860-824-7126 Musical Folk musicalfolk.com Neighborhood Music School neighborhoodmusicschool.org 203-624-5189 New England Festival of Ibero American Cinema nefiac.com New Haven Ballet newhavenballet.org 203-782-9038 New Haven Chorale newhavenchorale.org 203-776-7664
Knights of Columbus Museum kofcmuseum.org
New Haven Free Public Library nhfpl.org 203-946-8835
Legacy Theatre legacytheatrect.org
New Haven Oratorio Choir nhoratoriochoir.org
Linda S. Marino Art lindasmarinoart.com
New Haven Museum newhavenmuseum.org 203-562-4183
Long Wharf Theatre longwharf.org 203-787-4282
New Haven Paint and Clay Club newhavenpaintandclayclub.org 203-288-6590
New Haven Preservation Trust nhpt.org
The Second Movement secondmovementseries.org
Creative Businesses
New Haven Symphony Orchestra newhavensymphony.org 203-865-0831
Theater Department at SCSU/ Crescent Players southernct.edu/theater
Access Audio-Visual Systems 203-287-1907 accessaudiovisual.com
New Haven Theater Company newhaventheatercompany.com
Wesleyan University Center for the Arts wesleyan.edu/cfa
Best Video 203-287-9286 bestvideo.com
West Cove Studio & Gallery westcovestudio.com 609-638-8501
Blue Plate Radio 203-500-0700 blueplateradio.com
Whitney Arts Center 203-773-3033
Fairhaven Furniture fairhaven-furniture.com 203-776-3099
One True Palette onetruepalette.com Orchestra New England orchestranewengland.org 203-777-4690 Pantochino Productions pantochino.com Paul Mellon Arts Center choate.edu/artscenter Play with Grace playwithgrace.com Reynolds Fine Art reynoldsfineart.com Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, New Haven Branch nhrscds.org Shoreline Arts Alliance shorelinearts.org 203-453-3890 Shubert Theater shubert.com 203-562-5666
Whitney Humanities Center yale.edu/whc Yale Cabaret yalecabaret.org 203-432-1566
The Funky Monkey Café & Gallery thefunkymonkeycafe.com
Yale Center for British Art yale.edu/ycba
Hull’s Art Supply and Framing hullsnewhaven.com 203-865-4855
Yale Institute of Sacred Music yale.edu.ism 203-432-5180
Toad’s Place toadsplace.com
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History peabody.yale.edu
Community Partners
Yale Repertory Theatre yalerep.org 203-432-1234
Silk n’ Sounds silknsounds.org
Yale School of Music 203-432-1965 music.yale.edu
Silk Road Art Gallery silkroadartnewhaven.com
Yale University Art Gallery www.artgallery.yale.edu
Susan Powell Fine Art 203-318-0616 susanpowellfineart.com
Yale University Bands yale.edu/yaleband 203-432-4111
Site Projects siteprojects.org The Company of Writers 203-676-7133 companyofwriters.net The Haven Collective thehvncollective.com
Foundry Music Company www.foundrymusicco.com
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 Overseas Ministries Study Center omsc.org Town Green Special Services District infonewhaven.com Visit New Haven visitnewhaven.com
Lyman Center at SCSU www.lyman.southernct.edu
artnhv.com • 19
The Arts Paper arts council programs
The Arts Council Celebrate With Us Arts Council 50th Birthday Bash Date: June 6, 6-8 p.m. Music, food & drinks. More info at www.newhavenarts.org
Perspectives … 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.
Side by Side Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery. Beth Klinger.
Arts on Air. Left to right: Sarah Strong, Matt Reiniger, Danielle Chapman, and Richard Deming, after an on-air discussion about poetry on WPKN.
Multimedia exhibition featuring works by regional teachers and high school students Curated by Debbie Hesse and Steven Olsen Dates: Through June 6
Side by Side: Part II Artists Who Teach Dates: July 8- September 10
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.
Konbersu Pintadu Painted Conversations from the Diaspora Curated by Debbie Hesse and Movimentu Shokanti Dates: Through June 15
Make Art Work Group show by artists participating in the Make.Art.Work program Dates: June 25-September 4 Reception: July 9, 5-7 p.m.
Audubon Arts on the Edge Families and children of all ages are invited to join us on Audubon Street for our annual Audubon Arts on the Edge! Arts on the Edge is an afternoon of free, family-oriented music, dance, performances, arts and craft activities, and more. Date: Saturday, June 6, 12-5 p.m., rain or shine
Advice from the AC
Perspectives ... Gallery at Whitney Center. Malala, a piece by Hopkins School students, with instructor Peter Ziou.
Location: Creative Arts Workshop, 80 Audubon St., New Haven Date: June 11, 1-4 p.m. Need help finding exhibition space/opportunities, performance/rehearsal space, or developing new ways to promote your work or creative event? Debbie Hesse, the Arts Council’s director of artistic services and programs, will be available for one-on-one consultations. Call (203) 772-2788 to schedule an appointment.
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.
Arts On Air Perspectives ... Gallery at Whitney Center. Francois Poisson.
Audubon Arts on the Edge.
Next Show: June 15, 12-1 p.m. on WPKN 89.5FM and streaming at wpkn.org Listen to the Arts Council’s Arts On Air broadcast every third Monday of the month during WPKN’s Community Programing Hour. Hosted by Matt Reiniger, the Arts Council’s communications manager, Arts On Air engages in conversations with local artists and arts organizations. Links to past episodes are available at artnhv.com/on-air.
Writers’ Circle June Date: TBD Location: Arts Council of Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon St. 2nd floor, New Haven Visit newhavenarts.org and the Arts Council’s Facebook page for information about the next writers’ circle session.
Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery. Tutu Sousa.
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.