Art Showcase Magazine by Jonathan Himlin

SUMMER 2012: FAIRS & FESTIVALS

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER:

20 PEOPLE IN ART

Modern dance illusionists Pilobolus will perform live at this year’s Ann Arbor Summer Festival. See page 12 for details.

Christina Sears-Etter

26 ART EVENTS CALENDAR 30 NEW ARTISTS Yana Benjamin, Photographer

14 SUMMERTIME IN YPSILANTI

MICHIGAN SUMMER FAIRS & FESTIVALS

SUMMER FAIRS & FESTIVALS

Summer is short, so waste no time in making the most of it! With so many Michigan fairs and festivals from which to choose, there’s something for everyone. Here again is our selection of some of the best. Enjoy!

Three events you shouldn’t miss if you’re anywhere near Ypsilanti this summer: Michigan Elvisfest, Shadow Art Fair and the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival.

18 MICHIGAN’S FRUIT FESTIVALS CULINARY ART Michigan’s fruit festivals are ripe with fun! Take a bite of three of the best this summer: Belleville’s National Strawberry Festival, South Haven’s National Blueberry Festival and the Howell Melon Festival.

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

ELECTRIC FOREST LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT ART ON THE EDGE

Now in its second year at Rothbury, Michigan, the Electric Forest features a diverse lineup of musicians with a focus on dance and techno music.

PUBLISHER Jonathan E. Himlin ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rory Russell CONTRIBUTORS Yana Benjamin, Photographer Amy Johnston, Writer/Photographer Erin Mann, Writer Nicole Rupersburg, Writer Sandra Xenakis, Writer ADVERTISING 734.904.5904 Rory@ArtShowcaseMagazine.com CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Calendar@ArtShowcaseMagazine.com WEBSITE www.ArtShowcaseMagazine.com SOCIAL MEDIA www.facebook.com/ArtShowcaseMag

Art Showcase Magazine is Southeastern Michigan’s premier print resource for fine entertainment in the arts. Our mission is to cultivate among our readers enhanced support, awareness and accessibility to local high art and culture. We help our readers to maximize the enjoyment they find in the arts, and we assist them in pairing their lifestyle interests with local arts opportunities. Opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photographs, or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE is published by:

SUMMER FAIRS & FESTIVALS

Michigan Summer

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

Festival of the Arts | June 1-3 Grand Rapids 616.459.1300 | www.festivalgr.org Greek Festival | June 1-3 Ann Arbor 734.663.6155 | www.annarborgreekfestival.org Among the various attractions are church tours in which 2,500 guests receive an in-depth presentation and tour of the new Byzantine-style church. Also enjoy a Hellenic cultural exhibit, authentic Greek cuisine and homemade pastries, live Greek music, dancing, and the Agora marketplace, featuring jewelry, ceramics, souvenirs, and more. Taste of Ann Arbor | June 3 734.668.7112 | maura@mainstreetannarbor.org Taste samples from area restaurants at this family-friendly event. Admission is free, tastes are 50 cents each. Main Street, Downtown Ann Arbor from 11am - 5pm. Bavarian Festival 2011 | June 7-10 Frankenmuth, Heritage Park 800.386.8696 | www.frankenmuthfestivals.com Pine Mountain Music Festival | June 7-July 15 906.4821542 | www.pmmf.org Chelsea’s Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights June 7-August 16 (plus July 26-28) 734.433.2787 | www.chelseafestivals.com Canton Liberty Fest | June 14-16 734.394.5360 | www.cantonlibertyfest.com Michigan Pride Festival & Parade | June 15-16 Lansing | www.michiganpride.org

FESTIVALS

Matrix: Midland Festival | May 22-June 26 800.523.7649 | www.mcfta.org Midland Center for the Arts has announced the launch of its annual MATRIX:MIDLAND Festival, featuring world-class performers, musicians and professional speakers. Cinetopia International Film Festival | May 31-June 3 Michigan Theater, State Theater, Angell Hall www.michtheater.org/cinetopia Cinetopia will focus on presenting feature length, story-based films – dramas, comedies and documentary films that have screened at the world’s best film festivals featuring performances by Emily Blunt, Geoffrey Rush, Blythe Danner, Sacha Baron Cohen, Barbra Streisand, Ben Kingsley, Warren Beatty, Mark Duplass, Jess Weixler and many more. The more than 30 films, screened over four days, will be the brightest and the best of contemporary films now playing the international festival circuit.

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

Summer Solstice Jazz Festival | June 22-23 East Lansing 517.319-6927 | www.eljazzfest.com Green Living Festival | June 22-24 | Fri 4-9pm, Sat 11-7, Sun 11-5 www.migreenteam.com/glf One of the planet’s largest green living & wellness events will again be held in downtown Rochester. Shop. Learn. Celebrate at this free weekend festival, offering 250+ exhibits & presentations, stage & street entertainment, contests & prizes, organic food & drink, free massage & wellness programs and fun for all ages. Summer Solstice Wine Release Party | June 23-24 517.592.4663 | www.pioneerwinetrail.com The Summer Solstice Release Party is a self-driving tour of the wineries of the Pioneer Wine Trail featuring a new release wine pairing with food prepared by a local chef or restaurant.

Belleville National Strawberry Festival | June 15-17 313.383-8920 | www.nationalstrawberryfest.com

Wyondotte Street Art Fair

Ann Arbor Summer Festival | June 15-July 8 734.994.5999 | www.annarborsummerfestival.org The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is an exhilarating celebration of performing arts, outdoor entertainment and community spirit. Each year, the three-week event offers dozens of performances, events, activities, exhibitions, parties and more, with eclectic music, dance, theater, film, visual arts and family fun. Celebrating its 29th season in 2012, the Festival has invigorated the cultural life of this community as a joyous downtown event for over two decades. It brings the world to Ann Arbor.

July 11 – July 14, 10 am to 9 pm; Entertainment until 11:00 pm

Detroit River Days Festival | June 22-24 Hart Plaza | www.detroitriverdays.com Marking its sixth anniversary, the Detroit River Days festival will return to Detroit’s historical riverfront. The three-day festival features diverse programming and activities all celebrating Detroit’s maritime, ecological and culinary culture, as well as live concerts with performances by local, national and international musicians.

As one of the largest fine art fairs in the State of Michigan, the 51st Annual Wyandotte Street Art Fair attracts fine artists from across the state, region and nation to showcase their work, and offers a platform to expand community awareness of the creative arts through a quality event that provides cultural enrichment to all ages in a fun and festive environment. This year’s fair will fill the streets of historic Downtown Wyandotte with fascinating sights as more than 300 Fine Artists, Musicians, Performers, Exhibitors and Restaurants take part in the Fair. Join us for a very special artistic event! 3131 Third Street • Wyandotte, Michigan 48192 • 734-324-4502 • email: info@wyan. org • www.wyandottestreetartfair.org

Michigan Challenge Balloonfest | June 22-24 517.546.3920 | www.michiganchallenge.com Join us for the state championship of hot air ballooning, featuring 50 gorgeous balloons. Enjoy thrilling skydiving exhibitions, dog shows, kids’ activities, classic car show, arts festival, musical and family entertainment and more. Don’t miss our night shows - MediLodge Fireworks on Friday and the fabulous balloon glow on Saturday. Michigan Jazz Trail Festival | June 20, 23 & 24 989.832.7170 | www.michiganjazztrail.org Find your Groove in the Great Lakes Bay Region with a full weekend of Blues, Jazz, Soul and so much more! 9th Annual Jazzin’ on Jefferson | June 15-16 www.JazzinOnJefferson.com Celebrating the Jazz Culture of Detroit’s East side. Explore city living. Great music, kids’ activities, pub crawl and DIY show. Jefferson Avenue in Detroit. National Cherry Festival | July 7-14 Traverse City 800.968.3380 | www.cherryfestival.org

more>>> SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

SUMMER FAIRS & FESTIVALS Riverfolk Festival and Jam Camp July 31-August 4 | Manchester 734.323.1761 | www.riverfolkfestival.org Kalamazoo Ribfest | August 2-4 Kalamazoo 269.388.2830 | www.ribfestkalamazoo.com

PHOTO BY AMY JOHNSTON

The Saline Celtic Festival | July 12-14 Rejoice in music, dance, amazing kids’ activities, animals, highland athletics, haggis and more. www.salineceltic.org Michigan Shakespeare Festival July 12-Aug 5 Jackson | 517.998-3673 www.michiganshakespearefestival.com Michigan Elvisfest | July 13-14 Ypsilanti, Riverside Park 734.480.3974 | www.mielvisfest.org Blissfest | July 13 -15 www.blissfest.org/festival The 32nd Annual Blissfest Music Festival will be a celebration of music, culture, art and community featuring a world of diverse and innovative folk, world and roots music and dance at the Festival Farm in picturesque rural northern Michigan. Hot Air Jubilee | July 20-22 | Jackson 517.782.1515 | www.hotairjubilee.com Downtown Farmington Founders Festival July 20-21 www.FoundersFestival.com Downtown Farmington invites you to Go Play in the Streets for a weekend of music, food, and fun activities geared for all ages. Go stroll through the Crafters Marketplace and Farmers Market. Visit the Main Stage for great music and catch a Movie Under the Stars. Cheer on a parade, make crafts with the kids and run around the Go PlayGround. There’s lots to see and do. Go have a fantastic time exploring everything Downtown Farmington has to offer!

Lansing JazzFest | August 3-4 517.371.4600 | www.jazzlansing.com The Lansing JazzFest is a two-day FREE music festival that brings national, regional and local acts to an audience of roughly 15,000 people from across Michigan and nearby states in the streets of Old Town Lansing. Thunder Over Michigan | August 4-5 Ypsilanti, Detroit Willow Run Airport (YIP) www.yankeeairmuseum.org Frankenmuth Summer Music Fest August 7-11 | 800-FUN-FEST www.frankenmuthfestivals.com Dexter Daze | August 10-11 www.dexterdaze.org Great Lakes Folk Festival | August 10-12 East Lansing, MSU Museum 517.432.GLFF | www.greatlakesfolkfest.net Ypsilanti Heritage Festival | August 17-19 734.483.6071 www.ypsilantiheritagefestival.com Howell Melon Festival | August 17-19 517.545.4240 | howellmelonfestival.com

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

Ford Arts, Beats & Eats | Aug 31-Sept 3 www.artsbeatseats.com

more>>>

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

SUMMER FAIRS & FESTIVALS 49th Annual Birmingham Village Fair | May 31-June 3 248.644.1700 | www.enjoybirmingham.com

FAIRS

Art on the Grand | June 2-3 | Sat 10-8, Sun 11-6 248.473.1856 | http://www.downtownfarmington.org A juried fine arts fair, Art on the Grand will showcase over 100 fine artists and crafts persons from across the country. Other activities will include hands-on activities for children, wine and delectable food, live music, and much, much more. New in 2012 – Chalk and Chocolate! Public Art Chalk with College of Creative Studies, Chocolate wine tasting, Empty Canvas performing live and Taste Michigan chocolates. Chelsea Painters Art Fair | June 2-3 | Sat & Sun 10-5 800.888.9487 | www.ChelseaPainters.com Twenty-five award-winning artists will display and sell original fine art and cards in a variety of media. The Royal Oak Clay, Glass and Metal Show June 9-10 | Sat 10-7, Sun 11-5 www.royaloakchamber.com Features 130 juried artists showcasing art created from dirt and flame.. 45th Annual Flint Art Fair | June 9-10 | Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5 www.flintartfair.org The Flint Art Fair is on the grounds of the Flint Institute of Arts.

PHOTO BY AMY JOHNSTON

Ann Arbor Art Fair | July 18-21 | Wed-Fri 10-9, Sat 10-6 Ann Arbor | www.artfair.org | www.a2statestreetartfair.com | www.theguild.org | www.a2southu.com A group of four award-winning, not-for-profit art fairs--Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original; the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair; the State Street Area Art Fair; and Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair comprise this mega event, now in its 52nd year. More than 500,000 visitors attend the Fairs each year and more than 1,200 artists from all over the United States exhibit their work, making the Ann Arbor Art Fair among the largest outdoor art fairs in the country.

Art in the Sun, Arts and Acts | June 22-24 248.344.0497 | www.downtownnorthville.com A brilliant display of art. Over 100 exhibitors from surrounding states take part in this annual festive juried art show in downtown Northville. The Wyandotte Street Art Fair | July 11-14 www.wyandottestreetartfair.org Celebrates its 501st anniversary with a juried art fair, curated crafts market, children’s area and fabulous music.

Shadow Art Fair | July 21 | noon - midnight Corner Brewery, Ypsilanti www.shadowartfair.com Orchard Lake Fine Art Show | July 27-29 West Bloomfield | 248.684.2613 | www.hotworks.org Expect 175 fine artists from around the country, with live artist demonstrations, live entertainment, a youth art competition and kids’ activities. Plymouth Art in the Park | July 13-15 | Fri 11-8, Sat 10-7, Sun 10-5 Plymouth | 734.454.1314 | www.artinthepark.com Held every year in July, this three-day event assembles more than 400 artists from all over the country.

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

Summer Fine Art At the Village | August 4-5 | Sat 10-8, Sun 12-6 Rochester Hills | www.FineArtAtTheVillage.com 101 artists from across the country. The Village of Rochester Hills Shopping Center, NE corner of Walton and Adams.

ASM

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

SUMMER FAIRS & FESTIVALS

ANN ARBOR SUMMER FESTIVAL Highlights Include Bonnie Raitt, Feist, Al Green, Ira Glass, Esperanza Spalding, Rufus Wainwright, Pilobolus, The Moth Mainstage, Circa, Nellie McKay, Cinematic Titanic & More! From soul legends and songbook crooners to aerial acrobats and urban storytellers, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, which runs from June 15 through July 8, features an eclectic mix of music, dance, comedy, film, spoken word, contemporary circus and family entertainment. Now celebrating its 29th season, the festival’s Mainstage series features a variety of performing artists that include: blues icon Bonnie Raitt with special guest Marc Cohn; indie-pop sensation Feist with special guest The Low Anthem; gospel and soul legend Al Green; bassist and jazz dynamo Esperanza Spalding; public radio favorite Ira Glass; modern dance illusionists Pilobolus; eccentric songbird Nellie McKay with special guest Sneakin’ Out; the master storytellers of The Moth Mainstage; theatrical-pop crooner Rufus Wainwright; political satirists The Capitol Steps; the bemused B-movie bashers of Cinematic Titanic; and acclaimed contemporary circus troupe Circa.

TOP OF THE PARK LINEUP & SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES Friday, June 15 5:00 pm Hannah Winkler 6:00 pm Match By Match 7:00 pm Rio & The Rockabilly Revival 9:00 pm Third Coast Kings 11:00 pm After Dark w/ DJ Kirsten Carey Saturday, June 16 5:00 pm Retreat: Chi-Kung 5:00 pm Dan Henig 6:00 pm Chris Bathgate 7:00 pm Theo Katzman 7:30 pm Aerial Acrobatics 8:00 pm Al Green (Hill Auditorium) 9:00 pm Lady Sunshine & The X Band 11:00 pm After Dark w/ DJ Michael Dykehouse Sunday, June 17 5:00 pm Retreat: Pilates 5:00 pm The Wanna Bees 6:00 pm R.O.C.K. 8:00 pm Taj Weekes & Adowa 10:00 pm Movie: Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

The festival’s Mainstage performances take place in Power Center for the Performing Arts, Hill Auditorium, and the Michigan Theater. The outdoor activities at Top of the Park continue at Ingalls Mall, located directly in front of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies on Washington Street near the Burton Memorial Tower. A boutique music and arts festival, The Ann Arbor Summer Festival offers an array of ticketed and free events, both indoors and out, featuring a progressive mix of local, national, and international artists. Presenting more than 100 events each season and attracting a diverse audience of more than 60,000 people, the festival continues to grow as a major cultural event in the Ann Arbor community, and as a leading multi-arts celebration that enriches the cultural, economic, and social vitality of the region. For more information, visit the festival website at: A2SF.org.

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

Monday, June 18 | Top of the Park DARK 7:00 pm 33 1/3 Series (Arbor Brewing Company) Tuesday, June 19 6:30 pm Tasting Tuesday 6:30 pm Rock the Mall Teen Music Competition 10:00 pm Movie: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Wednesday, June 20 6:30 pm Wind Down Wednesday 6:30 pm The Barons of Tang 8:00 pm October Babies 10:00 pm Movie: The Help Thursday, June 21 6:30 pm The Lucas Paul Band 8:00 pm Esperanza Spalding (Power Center) 8:00 pm The Ragbirds 10:00 pm Movie: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Friday, June 22 5:00 pm Magdalen Fossum 6:00 pm Dark-Eyed Molly 7:00 pm The Martindales 9:00 pm Measured Chaos 11:00 pm After Dark w/ DJ Paw Paw

Pilobolus

Sunday, June 24 Power Center, 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 23 5:00 pm Retreat: West African Dance Workout 5:00 pm Molly Bancroft 6:00 pm Peter Mulvey 7:00 pm 1592 8:00 pm Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass (Power Center) 9:00 pm The Sun Messengers 11:00 pm After Dark w/ DJ Chuck Sipperley Sunday, June 24 5:00 pm Retreat: BollyFit 5:00 pm Jeanie B! & The Jellybeans 6:00 pm Ratboy Jr. 7:00 pm Pilobolus (Power Center) 8:00 pm Drivin’ Sideways 10:00 pm Movie: Hugo Monday, June 25 | Top of the Park DARK 7:00 pm 33 1/3 Series (Arbor Brewing Company) Tuesday, June 26 6:30 pm Tasting Tuesday 6:30 pm The Flutter & Wow 8:00 pm Bearfoot 10:00 pm Movie: Ghostbusters Wednesday, June 27 6:30 pm Wind Down Wednesday 6:30 pm Sumkali 7:30 pm BollyFit Dance 8:00 pm Nellie McKay wsg Sneakin’ Out (Power Center) 8:00 pm Noori 10:00 pm Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany’s Thursday, June 28 6:30 pm Bill Bynum & Co. 8:00 pm The Moth Mainstage (Michigan Theater) 8:00 pm The Infamous Stringdusters 10:00 pm Movie: The Big Lebowski Friday, June 29 5:00 pm Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo (Power Center Lawn) 5:00 pm Gwenyth Hayes 6:00 pm Alejandra O’Leary 7:00 pm Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo (Power Center Lawn) 7:00 pm Tree City & The ContraBand 9:00 pm The Macpodz & Friends 11:00 pm After Dark w/ DJ Maxx Makau Saturday, June 30 4:00 pm Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo (Power Center Lawn) 5:00 pm Retreat: Gyrokinesis 5:00 pm Roland Remington 6:00 pm Hoodang 6:00 pm Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo (Power Center Lawn) 7:00 pm Rampage Swing 8:00 pm Rufus Wainwright (Power Center) 9:00 pm Orquesta Sensacional 11:00 pm After Dark w/ DJ Brian Tomsic Sunday, July 1 4:00 pm Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo (Power Center Lawn)

SCHEDULE OF 2012 MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES BONNIE RAITT - Friday, May 25 With special guest Marc Cohn Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m. ($65.50, $60.50, $55.50, $45.50, $35.50)

THE MOTH MAINSTAGE - Thursday, June 28 Under the Influence: Stories that Shape and Shake Us Co-presented by Michigan Radio Michigan Theater, 8 p.m. ($35 General Admission)

FEIST - Tuesday, June 5 With special guest The Low Anthem Power Center, 8 p.m. ($50, $45, $40, $30)

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT - Saturday, June 30 Power Center, 8 p.m. ($50, $45, $40, $30)

AL GREEN - Saturday, June 16 Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m. ($75, $65, $55, $45, $35) ESPERANZA SPALDING - Thursday, June 21 Power Center, 8 p.m. ($50, $45, $40, $30) IRA GLASS - Saturday, June 23 Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass Co-presented by Michigan Radio Power Center, 8 p.m. ($55, $50, $45, $35) PILOBOLUS - Sunday, June 24 Power Center, 7 p.m. ($50, $45, $40, $30, $10 Kids) AN EVENING WITH NELLIE MCKAY - Wed., June 27 With special guest Sneakin’ Out Power Center, 8 p.m. ($25 General Admission)

5:00 pm Retreat: Contact Improv 5:00 pm Supersonic Music Makers & The Fortytwo 6:00 pm Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo (Power Center Lawn) 6:30 pm Anna Banana Band 8:00 pm Madcat & Kane wsg Big Dave Steele & Mike Shimmin 10:00 pm Movie: Jurassic Park Monday, July 2 | Top of the Park DARK 7:00 pm 33 1/3 Series (Arbor Brewing Company) Tuesday, July 3 6:30 pm Tasting Tuesday 6:30 pm The Ben Daniels Band 8:00 pm Dick Siegel & The Brandos 10:00 pm Movie: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Wednesday, July 4 5:00 pm The Capitol Steps (Power Center) 6:30 pm Wind Down Wednesday 6:30 pm Tumbao Bravo 8:00 pm Los Gatos 8:00 pm The Capitol Steps (Power Center) 10:00 pm Movie: Forrest Gump Thursday, July 5 6:00 pm Cinematic Titanic (Michigan Theater) 6:30 pm Lightning Love 8:00 pm Charlie Slick 9:00 pm Cinematic Titanic (Michigan Theater) 10:00 pm Movie: Answer This!

THE CAPITOL STEPS - Wednesday, July 4 Power Center, 5 p.m. & 8 p.m. ($50, $45, $40, $30) CINEMATIC TITANIC - Thursday, July 5 Michigan Theater, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. ($25 GA) CIRCA - Friday, July 6 & Saturday, July 7 Australian Cirque Nouveau Power Center, 8 p.m. ($45, $40, $35, $25, $10 Kids)

Festival Ticket Information

In Person: Michigan League Ticket Office, 911 N. University Avenue By Phone: (734) 764-2538 Online: A2SF.org

Festival Venue Information

Hill Auditorium 825 N. University Avenue Michigan Theater 603 E. Liberty Street Power Center for the Performing Arts 121 Fletcher Street Top of the Park at Ingalls Mall 915 E. Washington Street

Friday, July 6 5:00 pm Taylor Fernandez 6:00 pm Khalid Hanifi 7:00 pm The Saints of Soul 8:00 pm Circa (Power Center) 9:00 pm Brother Joscephus & the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra 11:00 pm After Dark w/ DJ Joey D Saturday, July 7 5:00 pm Retreat: Capoeira 5:00 pm Jennie DeVoe 6:00 pm Nervous But Excited 7:00 pm Creolization 7:30 pm Jumping Stilt Acrobatics 8:00 pm Circa (Power Center) 9:00 pm Thornetta Davis 11:00 pm After Dark w/ DJ Chill Will Sunday, July 8 | So Long Sunday (Closing Night ) 4:30 pm Ariel & Zoey & Eli, Too 5:00 pm Retreat: Yoga 6:00 pm Big Bang Boom 8:00 pm George Bedard & The Kingpins 10:00 pm Movie: Dirty Dancing

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

SUMMER FAIRS & FESTIVALS

IT’S SUMMERTIME IN YPSILANTI

Three Events You Shouldn’t Miss if You’re Anywhere Near Ypsilanti this Summer: Michigan Elvisfest, Shadow Art Fair and the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival

BY AMY JOHNSTON

Michigan Elvisfest - July 13-14 Do you lie awake at night and muse about which is better: Clean-Cut Elvis or Las Vegas Polyester Jumpsuit Elvis? Apparently, some of us have given this query a great deal of consideration, as you will see on July 13 and 14, when more than 7,000 people from around the country, all potentially wearing pink and black shirts, flock to Depot Town’s Riverside Park in Ypsilanti to participate in the spectacle of the Michigan Elvisfest. This is not just any old Midwest Elvisfest teeming with run-of-the-mill amateurs, but a full-fledged concert featuring toptier professional Elvis Tribute Artists. In fact, it’s the largest Elvis Festival in the U.S. This year’s Elvises are Kavan, (the “World’s #1 Rock-nRoll Elvis”), festival co-founder Matt King (he rocks the rhinestones), international ETA award winners Chris Ayotte and Irv Cass, songwriter/ actor Ted Torres, “true gentleman” Robert Washington, Jesse Aron (with his “majestic voice”), Quentin Flagg, aka the Hoosier Hurricane, Nick Guiterrez, Rick Saucedo and newcomer Nick Miller. What’s the Michigan Elvisfest like? Festival goer J Earl Duncan describes the experience: “It’s kind of like the reducto ad absurdum of Hunter Thompson’s search for the American Dream. He didn’t need all

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

those drugs, he just needed to see a guy in an Elvis jumpsuit show up to the karaoke tent with a CD of his own music.” Truly! Although being surrounded by more sideburns in one place than you’ve ever seen and witnessing Elvis shaking hands with Elvis and passing a doughnut to yet another Elvis are surreal events unto themselves, official happenings at the festival include the Candlelight Vigil for the King, spirit-lifting Gospel Hour and America’s Most Wanted Car Club Classic Car Show, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels Graceland Trip Raffle and, of course, Elvis(es) in concert. So come to Ypsilanti in your polyester best to pay tribute to the King. Hot dogs will be served! For more information, go to www.mielvisfest.org. Shadow Art Fair - July 21 If you think Ypsilanti’s Shadow Art Fair is a handful of kids sitting around a table in the dark with a couple of flashlights, making primitive animalshaped shadows on the wall, think again. The Shadow Art Fair, held at the Corner Brewery each July in the wake (or shadow) of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, is a jubilant paroxysm of local creative talent. And I’m not talking about a few paintings of flower pots that will complement the beige sectional sofa. No. For twelve straight hours, you can binge

on originality while daintily sipping from a colossal stein of Buzz Saw American IPA or Milestone Porter and tuning in to bands getting wacky in the garden. Founder Mark Maynard describes participants from past fairs: “I’m thinking, for instance, of Reverend Aitor, who drew unflattering portraits of people as they sat with him in the corner that one year, or Amelia Marks, who operated her fortune telling machine, or Thomas Kula who wrote haikus to order, or me and my friends Melissa and Jennifer, who gave out free hugs and zines with the purchase of vegan gumbo, or Molly Mast, who took photos of people’s feet, or Ted Kennedy, who filmed people’s expressions as they listened to prerecorded affirmations played to them over headphones…” Of course, you can still buy photos, paintings, pottery, zines and sculpture, too, in case you really, really must find something to offset your boring couch. The Shadow Art Fair was invented and organized by Michigan Design Militia members Mark Maynard, Jennifer Albaum, Molly Mast, Timothy Furstnau, Chris Sandon and Melissa Dettloff, in response to the need to get local art viewed by more people and connect artists with one another. Mark Maynard writes in his blog, “This is about creating a special, beautiful little space once a year in which people can hang out, drink good beer, meet people with incredible ideas, and engage in productive conversations about art and creativity.” On July 21st, make this non-traditional art fair your new tradition. For more information, go to www.shadowartfair.com. more>>>

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

SUMMER FAIRS & FESTIVALS Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival - July 27-28 More than 60 Michigan brewers, 450 beers and you... what else do you need to know about the Summer Beer Festival transpiring on July 27 and 28 at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti? A few things, actually. First, circle this article and hang on to your copy of Art Showcase Magazine, just in case you have such a rousing time sampling beers that you forget by 2013 what it was that made you so giddy and giggly in 2012 (or the next day, for that matter). All joking aside, the first thing to know about this popular 21-andover celebration of artful craft brewing is that it sells out online well ahead of the actual event, and tickets went on sale May 1st. Second, kids are not allowed in. Sorry, that’s just the way it is. Third, designated driver tickets can be purchased online for a mere 5 bucks. The caveat there, as you might imagine, is that designated drivers, for whom consumption of the delightful, delicious, divine, fizzy cerveza is strictly verboten, may find themselves grappling, Greco-Roman style, with those little red devils perched on their right shoulders, the ones who use black magic to drop beer tokens in their paths. Once you have your babysitter and accountable designated driver figured out, there’s nothing separating you from your 15 drink tokens, each worth 3 ounces of hand-crafted Michigan beer. That’s right, 45 ounces of IPA, Russian imperial stout, Scottish, Belgian, weizen, lager, pilsner, barleywine, English bitter, Irish, farmhouse, porter, stuff with smoke, fruit, peanut butter and jelly (I’m not joking- Short’s make a peanut-butter-andjelly brew), rye and the kitchen sink—all yours to mix and mingle in whatever fashion you see fit. Additional tokens can be purchased at the festival for a mere 50 cents. Don’t wait to purchase tickets online... you may regret it. To purchase tickets, go to www.michiganbrewersguild.org. ASM

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

CULINARY ART

MICHIGAN’S FRUIT FESTIVALS ARE RIPE WITH FUN BY ERIN MANN

Michigan has plenty to offer by way of summer festivals, including those that celebrate the bounty of fruits grown in our great state. There’s no better way to spend a warm, sunny day than enjoying delicious, affordable, family-friendly fun at one of the area’s fruit festivals. National Strawberry Festival, Belleville June 15-17 http://www.nationalstrawberryfest.com The National Strawberry Festival transforms the small town of Belleville into a strawberry wonderland June 15-17. The event attracts over 200,000 people over Father’s Day weekend from southeastern Michigan with family-friendly entertainment, special events and strawberry treats. The festival began in 1976, after an area farmer approached community leaders about creating an annual event to feature the local strawberry crops. Now in its 35th year, the festival is a product of the partnership among the Belleville Chamber of Commerce, local strawberry growers and area churches. Through the years, the festival has assisted over 40 community service organizations in Belleville with their fundraising efforts. The event promotes foot traffic to area businesses and is also an advertising opportunity for sponsorship partners. Throughout the three day festival, roughly 1,500 pounds of luscious, red berries will be hulled and used for strawberry desserts, jams and breads. Dedicated volunteers devote their time to preparing and rolling fromscratch pie crusts for strawberry pies, and baking cheesecakes and shortcakes that will be adorned with fresh strawberry topping. Kids’ activities include face painting, pony rides and a petting zoo. Enjoy carnival rides and games from two midways located on Main Street and at Belleville High School.

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

The festival will also have juried craft booths and free concerts on three stages. Don’t miss the parade on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. where over 30,000 people gather to watch floats, clowns, acrobats and listen to marching bands and other musical entertainers. Celebrate Father’s Day by bringing dear old dad to the festival on Sunday for a car show hosted in Victory Park near the 5 Points intersection. A display of rare white tigers is a new attraction this year. The tigers have appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and on Late Night with David Letterman. According to the festival’s executive director, Joan Bodnar, the event is being provided to the festival for free, in exchange for being allowed to charge the public for camel rides and a parakeet exhibit.

Howell Melon Festival, Howell August 17-19 http://www.howellmelonfestival.com The 52nd annual Howell Melon Festival rolls into Howell’s downtown August 17-19 and attracts some 35,000 patrons. The Howell Jaycees started the event in 1960 to celebrate the Howell melon, a cantaloupe hybrid distinctive to the area. The festival is now hosted by the Howell Downtown Development Authority. The popular melon ice cream sold at the festival is only made once a year just for the weekend event. Howell melons are grown at the nearby Dinkelville Melon Farm and the ice cream is made at the Michigan State University Dairy. The proceeds from ice cream sales support various Rotary Club programs. On Friday night Howell Parks and Recreation Authority holds the 35th annual melon run, a 5K/10K run through residential streets, historic Lakeview Cemetery, and Howell City Park. The race starts and finishes in Downtown Howell. The event also offers shorter races for young children. PHOTO BY JAMIE GARVISON

National Blueberry Festival, South Haven August 11-14 http://www.blueberryfestival.com South Haven, one of Western Michigan’s beautiful beach towns, is also home to one of the longest running blueberry festivals in the United States, which takes place August 11-14. Over 50,000 visitors attend to honor this bumper crop, and the numbers continue to grow annually as South Haven gains popularity as a summer vacation spot. Michigan is the largest producer of cultivated blueberries in the world, growing upwards of 100 million pounds each year. Most of the blueberry growing acreage is concentrated in the Southwest of the state near Lake Michigan within 50 miles of South Haven, where sandy glacial soils and high water tables contribute to blueberry growing success. The area is known as the “World’s Highbush Blueberry Capital.”

Grand River will shut down between Barnard and Center Streets on Saturday to facilitate street vendor booths, a Fine Arts & Wares section, a main entertainment stage, and a kids’ activity area including an artificial ice rink. Meanwhile, those who imbibe can visit the tent at the Opera House to listen to live music while enjoying tasty BBQ and beer from Michigan breweries. The Howell Area Historical Society offers steam engine rides and depot tours at the historic train depot. The main entertainment stage will host Detroit rocker, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday night. On Sunday, festival-goers can visit the local farmer’s market on State Street from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and participate in the “Livingston Sensation” singing contest in the amphitheater. ASM

Nutritionists consider the small, juicy blue-black berries a “superfood,” because they pack a mighty nutritional punch of vitamins and antioxidants. Blueberry growers credit the consumer focus on a healthier diet for the increase in blueberry sales in recent years. Attendees can bring a blanket or chair to enjoy a free concert from the grass, and various vendors selling food and beverages line Water Street during the festival. The route for the National Blueberry Festival 5K Run/ Walk leads participants along the scenic shores of Lake Michigan and through downtown South Haven. Other attractions include blueberry pancake breakfasts, a parade, a fish boil dinner, pageants and a blueberry bake-off competition. The Blueberry Festival Craft Fair takes place on August 11 and 12 at the west end of Dyckman Avenue, across Dyckman bridge in Stanley Johnston Park’s wooded grounds and will showcase 140 artisans. The craft fair features an eclectic collection of crafts and quality fine arts from local, regional and national craftspersons, including paintings, sculptures, pottery, needlepoint, wood crafts, jewelry and more.

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

PEOPLE IN ART

CHRISTINA SEARS-ETTER

BY SANDRA XENAKIS PHOTOS BY JANA BENJAMIN

The Leader of People Dancing Honors the Past and Defines Her Future Through Dance

Modern dance fans in Ann Arbor have known and loved People Dancing since it was founded by Whitley Setrakian Hill twenty-seven years ago. But Christina Sears-Etter, artistic director for almost half that time, says things have changed recently. “It’s a whole new company since 2010. And it’s pretty organic, the way it’s come together.” That has a lot to do with Christina herself. A Full Dance Card In addition to running People Dancing (Whit Hill “gifted” her the company in 1999), Christina teaches dance to children at Arts in Motion, Ann Arbor, and is currently adjunct professor of dance at Wayne State University in Detroit. Teaching at WSU has allowed her to work with dancers of various ethnic groups, ages and body types, and to bring that diversity into her company. It’s not always an easy task. She points out there are African-American, Arab and white students all interacting with each other on the dance floor, offering numerous opportunities for misunderstanding. Hand gestures, for example, mean different things to different ethnic groups. “I have to watch how I use my hands while teaching,” she says, stretching out a slender arm and pointing, then flipping the palm up and wiggling

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

her fingers. “I notice how people react to certain gestures and modify my behavior. I’m always looking for a high level of communication and connection with the dancers.” What she calls her “prolonged love affair with dance” began at the age of three. Her mother enrolled her in dance classes in central Indianapolis, where she grew up. “I took to tap right away,” she recalls with a grin. “One instructor told me I didn’t have the body for ballet, but that just made me work harder. I’m always more determined in the face of adversity.” When she was 13, her family moved to rural North Carolina, plunging her into culture shock. Serious race and ethnic issues that had been in the background of her life were suddenly front and center. “I danced at a very successful studio in Tarboro,” Christina recalls. “The owner, Bobbie Jean, had severe curvature of the spine from polio. She was a remarkable individual. She had us dancing in the streets, at community events, at the Elks Lodge. She brought in break dancers from New York. But this was the rural South! I danced with my AfricanAmerican friends at the studio, but we weren’t welcome in each others’ homes. As a young dancer negotiating several different worlds at the time, I became sensitive to these issues.”

feels her instructors and their connection to tradition helped keep her grounded during difficult times. “My teachers were a big deal to me. I have Cherokee heritage, and I’ve adopted the Native American way of honoring my elders. Today, in this culture, we don’t honor the past. We want everything to be fresh, fresh, fresh! We’re experiencing a tradition deficit.” She stands and gestures behind her. “I call it ‘backspace,’ the connection to the past that supports us. I’m not against innovation—far from it. I’m obsessed with movement invention in choreography. But I contrast that with the energy of people and cultures that came before. I dance to make things whole. Dance works in me, works in my life.”

Honoring the Past From there she moved to New York State and then Michigan, where she pursued a degree in dance at the University of Michigan. Christina

Christina earned an MFA in dance from State University of New York, Brockport, and has studied and taught jazz, tap, modern dance, and fusion. Her performance career includes professional revues, off-Broadway musical theatre and experimental performance, and several years with her own company in London and New York. In 2002 she received the prized

Creative Artist Award from the state of Michigan and ArtServe, and in 2010 was honored with the Maggie Allesee New Choreography Award. Defining Her Future She is currently working on a credential in somatics and experiential movement, exploring conflicting images of femininity in culture. Her three children have studied dance, and her husband is an attorney and vice-president of People Dancing. Future plans for the company include expanding guest artist services and expressing dance in new forms, like video. Christina will also continue teaching, choreographing new work, and bringing diversity to the stage. “There is still a lot of discrimination in the arts along socioeconomic and ethnic lines,” she says. “I try to remain alert to this. It doesn’t make the work easier, but it makes us better. We’re richer as a company.” See www.peopledancing.org for a complete list of upcoming dance concerts, classes and events. ASM

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

ART ON THE EDGE

PHOTO BY ANDREW WYATT

ELECTRIC FOREST LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT Thursday through Sunday, June 28-July 1 in Rothbury, Michigan / www.electricforestfestival.com BY NICOLE RUPERSBURG

The Electric Forest festival is in its second year and, while it takes place on the same grounds (the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan) and on the same weekend (around the Fourth of July) as the former Rothbury Festival did in 2008 and 2009, it is not the same festival. Electric Forest features a diverse lineup of musicians with a focus on dance and techno music. The festival also emphasizes the fusion of community and art to create a full-blown multi-sensory experience that engages festival-goers creatively on multiple levels.

Named one of Paste Magazine’s “Top 10 Most Intriguing Inaugural Music Festivals” in 2011, last year’s Electric Forest, produced by Madison House and Insomniac, is redefining the music festival scene with a whole new approach to the weekend-long camping plus music festival experience as the intersection between music, community and art. With dozens of live performances from some of the biggest names in the dance music community – including Bassnectar, Girl Talk, Richie Hawtin and Steve Aoki – there is no doubt that this is a music festival that will keep attendees grooving the whole weekend of June 28 to July 1. But the venue is as much a part of the experience as the music itself. The Sherwood Forest creates the kind of magical backdrop to transform this music festival into something otherworldly. By day Sherwood Forest is a place to relax and explore. Lounge in one of the hammock villages clustered among the trees, investigate one of the many trails deep in the woods, and check out the art installations situated throughout. The Forest Stage is located in the middle of

more>>>

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

ART ON THE EDGE Sherwood and will have live performances and surprise unbilled appearances all day and night. Then, at night, Sherwood is transformed into an ethereal playground with an extravagant light display that soaks the surrounding forest in vibrant neon colors.

PHOTO BY ANDREW WYATT

The grounds of the Electric Forest festival provide an endless opportunity for different activities and entertainment beyond the festival itself. There is also an indoor water park, a championship golf course, horseback riding through Double JJ Ranch, Big Wildcat Lake for picnics and beach volleyball, and even a “Solar Glow Disc Experience” – glowin-the-dark disc golf. There is lodging available for all comfort levels, from cabins and log homes to resortstyle hotel rooms to RV parking and pre-fab tents with cots (and access to air-conditioned bathrooms and showers). Regardless who you are the Double JJ Ranch can provide the kind of lodgings you prefer, all within a short walk or shuttle ride (free!) to the stages. New this year are special curated events by such respected music festival production partners as ESL Music, Dim Mak, Check Yo

Ponytail and Paxahau. They will be producing events within the event at the Tripolee, Forest and Wagon Wheel stages throughout the weekend. Electric Forest 2012 continues to promote its philanthropic initiatives this year with the Electric Forest Roy Price Memorial Food Drive, and the festival’s Music in Schools Program (in partnership with Shelby High

School and Montague Area Public Schools in Michigan). Music, art, nature and community: there is a natural symbiosis between these elements and Electric Forest is a whole new kind of festival that brings them all together. For more information including set list and to purchase tickets, visit www.electricforestfestival.com.

ASM

PHOTO BY MATT McKINDLES

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

ARTS CALENDAR VISUAL ART | MUSEUMS ARAB AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM The Arab American National Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn. Open Wed. thru Sun. Info: 313.582.2266, www.arabamericanmuseum.org. CHARLES H. WRIGHT MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND STILL WE RISE: Our Journey Through African American History and Culture This long-term exhibition serves as the central experience of the museum, highlighting the journey through African American history and culture. The Museum is located at 315 East Warren Avenue, Detroit. Open Tues thru Sun. Info: 313.494.5800, www.chwmuseum.org. DIA June 1-Sept 2 PATTI SMITH: CAMERA SOLO This selection of images from the past decade reveals the artists, poets, authors, family and friends from whom Smith draws inspiration. The exhibition includes 70 black and white gelatin silver prints and a small selection of original Polaroid prints and items from Smith’s personal collection. June 21-Aug 19 FIVE SPANISH MASTERPIECES On temporary loan: Portrait of the Matador Pedro Romero, Francisco de Goya; The Holy Family with St. Anne and the Infant St. John the Baptist, El Greco; Soft Construction with Boiled Beans, Salvador Dalí; Portrait of a Man, Diego Velázquez; and the returning DIA masterwork, Melancholy Woman, Pablo Picasso. July 11-Jan 6, 2013 PICASSO AND MATISSE: THE DIA’S PRINTS AND DRAWINGS This exhibition features almost all of the works by Picasso and Matisse in the museum’s prints and drawings collections, showcasing their revolutionary achievements that defined much of 20th-century art. Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, www.dia.org. FLINT INSTITUTE OF ARTS Thru June 12 CAPTURED IN GLASS Exhibition of historic and paperweights.

contemporary

Thru July 29 THE EPIC AND THE INTIMATE: FRENCH DRAWINGS Thru Aug 19 THE GOLDEN AGE OF PAINTING: 1600-1800 Rubens, van Dyke, Rembrandt, Hogarth, Gainsborough, and other masters from the period.

VIOLA E. BRAY - A LEGACY OF GIVING Renaissance and Baroque works. ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM: THEN & NOW FIA, 120 East Kearsley St., Flint. 810.234.1695. www.flintarts.org. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER Thru June 24 PORTRAITS OF COURAGE: WOMEN OF RAVENSBRUCK Stories and photographs of local Ravensbruck survivors. Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills. 248.553.2400 / www.holocaustcenter.org. KELSEY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY Opens June 8 A MAN OF MANY PARTS: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FRANCIS WILEY KELSEY Special exhibition of rare manuscripts and other artifacts which pays homage to the museum’s namesake. Kelsey’s wide-ranging vision helped to build the University of Michigan into an internationally renowned center of learning. Free Admission. 434 South State St., Ann Arbor, 734.764.9304. www.lsa. umich.edu/kelsey. MOCAD (Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit), 4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit. www.mocadetroit.org/upcomingexhibitions. THE TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART Thru Aug 5 REFRACTION/REFLECTION Photographic images from the beginnings of the medium in the nineteenth century through contemporary times will be displayed. Among the artists represented are Berenice Abbott, Ansel Adams, Eugene Atget, Imogen Cunningham, Robert Frank, Adam Fuss, Nadar, Man Ray, Edward Steichen, and Alfred Stieglitz. Thru Sept 2 FOR THE BIRDS Celebrates the rich diversity of avian art in the TMA permanent collection, delighting both art and nature lovers alike. May 31-Aug 26 REVELATION: MAJOR PAINTINGS BY JULES OLITSKI Russian-born Jules Olitski (1922–2007) first gained international acclaim as a Color Field painter, one of a group of highly regarded artists employing intense color in abstract form as the carrier of emotional meaning. June 14-Sept 9 COLOR IGNITED: GLASS 1962-2012 To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Toledo Workshops, TMA presents an enticing “coming of age” look at the medium. International in scope, the exhibition showcases studio glass created during the past halfcentury, spotlighting pivotal work. Wolfe Gallery. Free Admission. 2445 Monroe St., one block off I-75, Toledo. 419.255.8000. www.toledomuseum.org.

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

U-M MUSEUM OF ART (UMMA) Mar 17-July 22 HAROON MIRZA In his work noted visual artist Mirza explores and attempts to restore the relationships humans have with sound that occur through objects, actions, and forces, relationships largely screened behind the black boxes of electronic keyboards, digital music players, TV monitors, and the bits of information they play. Thru Aug 5 Recent Acquisitions: Curator’s Choice, Part II This is the second part of a two-part exhibition introducing exciting, recently acquired works from UMMA’s collections given to the museum during the past five years. Part I ends on March 18. Thru Aug 12 PETER CAMPUS: KIVA Peter Campus is an early pioneer of video art. June 9 -Sept 2 FLIP YOUR FIELD: ABSTRACT ART FROM THE COLLECTION This series asks guest UM faculty curators to consider artwork outside their field of specialization from UMMA’s renowned collections to challenge their own thinking as well as that of UMMA’s audiences. June 9 - Sept 2 JUDITH TURNER: THE FLATNESS OF AMBIGUITY Noted American photographer whose subject matter is mostly architecture. Admission to the Museum is free. $5 suggested donation is appreciated. 525 S. State St., Ann Arbor 734-764-0395. www.umma. umich.edu. Admission to the Museum is free. $5 suggested donation is appreciated. 525 S. State St., Ann Arbor 734-764-0395. www.umma.umich.edu.

VISUAL ART | GALLERIES June 2 & 3 POTTER’S GUILD SPRING SALE Cooperative organization of over 50 members offering pottery, sculpture, tile-work and wearable art. Sat -Sun.10am-5pm. Free parking. 201 Hill Street, Ann Arbor. www.pottersguild.net. Thru June 10 THE PRINT Annual exhibition showcasing experimental print techniques. The Ann Arbor Art Center, 117 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor, 734.994.8004. www. annarborartcenter.org. Thru June 16 ENTOURAGE AND HABITATS Creative creature researchers and artists Jenny Pope (wood block prints) and Michelle Tock York (ceramic and found objects) bring their zany, heartfelt and exquisitely intelligent interpretations of the geography, creatures and spirits inhabiting our world. River Gallery Fine Art, 120 S. Main St., Chelsea. 734.433.0826, www.chelsearivergallery.com.

Thru June 17 NORA VENTURELLI: VICE VERSA The title of this series is the result of the morphing of charcoal drawings into paintings, with the objective that the paintings maintain the same gestural and linear nature of her drawings, and “vice versa”. WSG Gallery, 306 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734.761.2287. www.wsg-art.com. Thru June 29 VAL MANN: RECENT WORKS New work explores line, color and texture through mixed-media encaustic studies of vintage sewing patterns, simple color studies of birds and plants and 3-dimensional contour drawings of birds. Two Twelve Arts Center, 216 W. Michigan Ave., Saline. 734.944.ARTS. Info: www.twotwelvearts.org. Thru June 30 MARCIA POLENBERG: THE BIRTHDAY PARTY Clay Gallery, 335 Main Street, Ann Arbor, 734.662.7927. www.claygallery.org. May 25-Aug 26 BEVERLY PEPPER: PALINGENESIS 1962-2012 This is the first major presentation of Pepper’s work in recent years and the first to explore the power and vision of her work in steel. From daring, welded steel of the early 1960s, to pristine geometric works of the late 1960s and 1970s, to the upright sentinels known in public and private collections around the world, the exhibition carries through to ascending monoliths of recent years. The exhibition is exclusive to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Info: www.meijergardens.org. May 31-June 30 WORKS OF KAREN GALLUP Retrospective of the artist’s work. Riverside Arts Center Gallery, 76 North Huron St, Ypsilanti. 734.480.2787. www.riversidearts.org. June 1-24 WEST OF CENTER Fourth annual contemporary art, all media show that showcases a wide range of accomplished pieces, including sculpture, acrylics, digital collage/archival prints, assemblages, mixed-media, pastels, oil on canvas, ink stamp, photography, graphite on paper and more. 248.344.0497. Northville Art House, 215 W. Cady Street, Northville. www.northvillearts.org. June 5-July 30 Reception: Thurs. June 7, 5-7pm LESLIE SOBEL: WATERSHED MOMENTS The series is inspired by vintage survey maps of the Mississippi River and current satellite images from when it flooded last spring. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. www. kerrytownconcerthouse.com. June 7-July 15 Reception: Fri. June 8, 6-9pm NATURE AS SPIRIT Multimedia exhibit in which 26 local, regional,

and national artists explore nature as a source of spirituality in contemporary life. Gallery Project, 215 S. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor, 734.997.7012. www. thegalleryproject.com. June 19-July 28 Reception: June 22, 7-10pm KARIN WAGNER CORON: WETLANDS The show will feature a large multi-media installation piece and drawings centered around Michigan wetlands. WSG Gallery, 306 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734.761.2287. www.wsg-art.com. July 5-28 Reception: Sat., July 7, 5-7pm ANN ARBOR WOMEN ARTISTS SUMMER JURIED SHOW An annual exhibition featuring 2-D and 3-D works. Riverside Arts Center Gallery, 76 North Huron St, Ypsilanti. 734.480.2787. www.riversidearts.org. July 31-Sept 9 Reception: Fri. Aug 3, 7-10pm CONNIE CRONNENWETT: GRASSES, VINES AND LINES WSG Gallery, 306 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734.761.2287. www.wsg-art.com.

PERFORMANCE ART Thru June 2 WHITE BUFFALO The Purple Rose Theatre Company presents a world premiere by Don Zolidis. Inspired by true events, White Buffalo tells the story of the miracle birth of a white buffalo calf on a family farm in Wisconsin. When a white buffalo is born on Carol Gelling’s small farm, it heralds a Sioux prophecy of peace on earth and unity to mankind. Quickly, the farm becomes a hotbed of spiritual outpouring -- from Native American pilgrims to the Dalai Lama. When a mysterious businessman offers to buy the calf, Carol must decide whether the white buffalo signals the end of her financial hardships or the beginning of her personal enrichment. White Buffalo contains some adult language and content. The Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea; 734.433.7673, www.purplerosetheatre.org.

Thru June 10 NUNSENSE Award-winning off-Broadway musical smash, about a handful of surviving nuns from a Hobokenbased missionary, who stage a variety show after a batch of tainted vichyssoise poisons the rest of the order. Tickets: 734.268.6200. The Encore Musical Theatre Co., 3126 Broad, Dexter. www. theencoretheatre.org. June 1-3 & 7-9 THE 39 STEPS Eastern Michigan University Theatre presents Broadway ‘s longest running comedy. A riotous spoof of the well-known Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name. EMU Sponberg Theatre, 103 Quirk Hall, Ypsilanti. Tickets: 734.487.1220, www. emich,edu/emutheatre. June 1-3 & 7-9 BRILLIANT TRACES A lost runaway bride shows up at the door of an Alaskan hermit. Both have been wounded and embittered by life, both are refugees from so-called civilization. Trapped in the snowbound cabin, they slowly must find common ground, exploring each other’s, and their own, lives and pasts. Free, but $10 donation appreciated. Carriage House Theatre is a recent addition to the Ann Arbor arts scene with a mission to liven up the Old West Side with an affordable, intimate, and exciting theatre experience. 541 Third St., Ann Arbor. Info: CHTheatreA2@gmail.com. June 7-10 SWEENEY TODD Sondheim’s haunting musical brings the gritty underworld of 19th Century London to gruesomely delightful life. Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, comes home after being exiled by an evil judge who banished him and ravaged Sweeney’s wife. With the help of the diabolical baker below, Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney seeks revenge on the judge and the unwitting inhabitants of London develop an insatiable taste for “meat” pies. Adult themes. Tickets $9-$22. Presented by Ann Arbor Civic Theatre. Lydia Mendelssohn Theater, Ann Arbor. www.a2ct.org.

more>>>

Thru June 3 RED The 6X Tony-award winning drama about great contemporary artist Mark Rothko. Set in his 1958 New York studio, Mark mixes paint for a large, very commercial project, while his assistant questions Rothko’s theories of art and artistic integrity. Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron St., Ann Arbor; 734.663.0681, www. performancenetwork.org.

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

ARTS CALENDAR June 7, 8 & 9 CORSETS, GRAINS & GREENWAYS: DANCING DOWNTOWN ANN ARBOR Ann Arbor Dance Works presents a unique site dance performance with several community partners celebrating the layered histories of some of downtown Ann Arbor’s favorite locations. Taking place in buildings and sites along a four-block route in the heart of downtown, the performance begins at WSG Gallery and embraces several sites for approximately 90 minutes. Advance tickets recommended: MUTO 734.763.8587. Location begins at WSG, 306 S. Main Street, Ann Arbor. www.annarbordanceworks.com. June 7, 8 & 9 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST By Oscar Wilde. Presented by That Theatre Company, a community theatre extension of the Lincoln Drama Non-Profit. 7pm. Tickets $10 at the door. Washtenaw Community College in the Language Arts Building Theatre, 4800 E. Huron River Dr., Ann Arbor. Info: 734.973.3300. June 7-17 THE FOLIO PROJECT Two forgotten actors. A mountain of annotated papers. In 1621, they all collide in a printer’s shop behind a pub—two years later, one of the greatest books of all time is born. This show tells the unlikely and littleknown story of the construction of Shakespeare’s Folio. Fusing words with movement, the Manganello brothers attempt to bring the Folio into 2012. This devised work strives to take Shakespeare out of the grave, off the pedestal, and put him back on stage—where he belongs. Tickets: 734.961.8704. Mix Studio Theater, 130 W Michigan, Ypsilanti. www. thenewtheatreproject.org. June 7-24 THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR The beloved Shakespeare in the Arb is now in its twelfth season and going strong. Directed by Kate Mendeloff and presented by the U-M Residential College and U-M Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum. Show runs 6:30-9:30pm. Tickets: 734.647.8986. The Arb, 1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor. www.mbgna.umich.edu. June 14-17 LA BOHEME Set in 1840’s Paris, La Bohème portrays the challenges of living life on the edge, particularly for Mimì and Rodolfo, whose initial passion is stifled by their impoverished existence. Two professional casts, chorus and orchestra breathe new life into Puccini’s masterpiece that inspired the popular musical RENT. Thurs, Fri & Sat at 7:30, Sun at 2pm. Michigan League, 911 N University Ave., Ann Arbor. Tickets: MUTO 734.763.8587 or www.arboropera.com. June 14-23 RED, WHITE AND TUNA The much anticipated third installment in the Tuna trilogy takes the audience through another satirical ride into the hearts and minds of the polyester-clad

citizens of Texas’ third smallest town. The entire cast of over twenty eccentric characters of both genders and various ages are played by two actors! Riverside Arts Center, 76 North Huron St, Ypsilanti. Info: 734.480.2787, www.riversidearts.org. June 14 - July 15 IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY Michigan premiere, 2010 Tony nominee for Best Play. Directed by Suzi Regan. This provocative look at gender roles and female sexuality in the Victorian age is sure to be the year’s most stimulating comedy. Contains adult themes. Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron St., Ann Arbor; 734.663.0681, www.performancenetwork.org. June 15-17 THE PLAY’S THE THING Ann Arbor Civic Theatre presents a weekend of new works. All performances are free. Info: 734.971.2228. A2CT Studio Theater, 322 W. Ann St. Ann Arbor. www.a2ct.org. June 21-30 THE JOY EXPERIMENTS A scientist who might be her subject. A woman who might be a moth. A lover. Meet these characters in a play about loss, love, & transformation. Learn fun facts about Saturniidae moths & mouthlessness, about supposed to’s & their aftermath. Based on poems by Katie Frank. Directed by E. Vaandrager. Free, but $10 donation appreciated. Carriage House Theatre, 541 Third St., Ann Arbor. Info: CHTheatreA2@gmail.com. June 21-Sept 1 ON GOLDEN POND An American classic by Ernest Thompson.This charming love story follows Ethel and Norman Thayer as they return to their summer home in Maine. Their respite is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of their estranged daughter, her fiancé, and his teenage son. Directed by Michelle Mountain. The Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea; 734.433.7673, www. purplerosetheatre.org. June 24 PILOBOLUS An American institution for nearly 40 years, Pilobolus returns to Ann Arbor with its dancers who leap, fly, intertwine, and break all of the rules. With styles ranging from playful to intense to gravity-defying, the company has been universally celebrated for its startling mix of humor, intelligence, physical invention, and raw athleticism. Sun at 7pm. Power Center for the Performing Arts, 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.764.2538, www.A2SF.org. July 12-Aug 12 FIDDLER ON THE ROOF In the village of Anatevka, Tevye, a poor dairyman, tries to instill in his five daughters the traditions of his tight-knit Jewish community in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. Tickets: 734.268.6200. The Encore Musical Theatre Co., 3126 Broad, Dexter. www. theencoretheatre.org.

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012

Aug 2- Sept 2 BURN THIS This explosive play, set in 1986 Manhattan, captures the recklessness of that decade. Pale, a cokesnorting, Jersey restaurant manager, and Anna, an up and coming choreographer, meet when her roommate Robbie, Pale’s brother, dies. Contains adult themes. Directed by Ray Schultz. Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron St., Ann Arbor; 734.663.0681, www.performancenetwork.org.

MUSIC June 9 RICKIE LEE JONES Called the Bohemian Queen and named by VH1 as one of the 30 greatest women in rock, Rickie Lee Jones has been hard to classify. She’s performed straight jazz, blues, synth pop, new wave rock, pop covers, trip-hop, gospel, ambitious singer-songwriter music, and more, putting her unique spin on each style. Sat 8pm. Doors open at 7:30. The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. Info: 734.761.1800, www.theark.org. June 13 UMMA JAZZ SERIES: SUNNY WILKINSON AND ELLEN ROWE Music from The Great American Songbook, penned by such masters as, Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Rogers and Hart, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields and Cole Porter. Wed. 8pm. Free. UM Museum of Art (UMMA) Apse, 525 S. State St., Ann Arbor. www.umma.umich.edu. June 15, 22 & 24 19TH ANNUAL GREAT LAKES CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL MINIFEST This year’s festival theme, WHITE NIGHTS, will highlight composers of Russian and Scandinavian descent, including Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff. Artists appearing on the KCH concerts include GLCMF artistic director and pianist James Tocco, pianist Sofija Gülbadamova, violinists Yehonatan Berick, Itamar Zorman, Tai Murray and Kimberly Kaloyanides Kennedy, the Catalyst Quartet, Sima Trio, Attacca Quartet, Trio Terzetto, and the Ariel Quartet. Fri 15 & 22 at 8pm, Sun 24 at 2pm. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.769.2999, www. kerrytownconcerthouse.com. June 16 AL GREEN One of the all-time great voices of soul, Al Green brings his joyous musical tour de force to Ann Arbor as part of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival’s opening weekend celebration. Sat at 8pm. Hill Auditorium, 825 N University, Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.764.2538, www.A2SF.org. June 22 & 23 FLOWERS, MUSIC & MANSIONS The lush gardens of an urban paradise make an idyllic setting for the Palmer Woods Music in Homes concerts. Detroit’s Historic Palmer Woods opens the gates to one of the finest gardens in our

neighborhood for the grand finale weekend of the series, featuring two very diverse jazzy evening celebrations. On Friday, enjoy a mixture of jazz and classical influences, as well as Argentine tango and Spanish works, performed by the Spencer Barefield Super String Quartet. On Saturday, the Ralphe Armstrong Quartet will journey through the jazz world with a funk-fusion-R&B edge. Tickets: 313.891.2514 or www.palmerwoods.org. June 23 INDIAN TABLA MUSIC WITH JOHN CHURCHVILLE Local tabla player Churchville hosts an evening of Indian classical, light classical, fusion, and folk music 8:30-10:30pm. Crazy Wisdom Tea Room, 114 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. www.crazywisdom.net. June 24 JAZZ MASTER DELFEAYO MARSALIS NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis returns to Ann Arbor to perform original arrangements of the classic Duke Ellington Such Sweet Thunder suite. Sun 7pm. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.769.2999, www. kerrytownconcerthouse.com. June 30 RUFUS WAINWRIGHT The son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrige, Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of his generation. Presented by the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Sat at 8pm. Power Center for thePerforming Arts, 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.764.2538, www.A2SF.org. July 11-15 LOUIS NAGEL ANNUAL CONCERT AND LECTURE SERIES After a memorable residency on the music of Schubert last summer, celebrated pianist Louis Nagel returns to present his new series Bach and More. Wed, July 11, 8pm — Lecture I; Thurs, July 12 at 8pm— Concert I; Sat, July 14 at 4pm — Lecture II; Sun July 15 at 4pm— Concert II. Free admission to lectures. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.769.2999, www. kerrytownconcerthouse.com. July 14 MICHELE RAMO GROUP Mediterranean jazz with Michéle Ramo, 8 string guitar, violin and mandolin; Heidi Hepler, voice, Walter White, trumpet/flugelhorn; Michael Malis, piano; Ralphe Armstrong, bass; Miguel Gutierrez, percussion. Sat at 8pm. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.769.2999, www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com. July 28 TUMBAO BRAVO Six-piece ensemble that performs the authentic rhythms of Cuba with original jazz harmonies. Formed in 2003 by Paul Vornhagen and Alberto Nacif. Sat at 8pm. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N.

Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.769.2999, www. kerrytownconcerthouse.com. Aug 4 AN EVENING WITH SUSAN CHASTAIN Long-time townie vocalist and former owner of The Firefly Club. With Paul Keller on bass and Phil DeGreg on piano. Sat at 7 and 9pm. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.769.2999, www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com Aug 24 KATHY KOSINS The award-winning jazz singer with an eclectic musical palette. With Paul Keller and Sean Dobbins. Fri at 8pm. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.769.2999, www. kerrytownconcerthouse.com. Wednesdays thru Sept 19 THE RON BROOKS JAZZ TRIO Every Wed, 9pm -midnight. No cover. The Raven’s Club, 207 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734.214.0400, www.theravensclub.com. Fridays July 6 thru Aug 20 YPSI CROSSROADS MUSIC FESTIVAL Live musical entertainment, with family-friendly opening acts. On Washington St., between Pearl and Michigan in historic downtown Ypsilanti. Street is blocked to vehicular traffic. Sorry, no dogs. www. ypsicrossroads.org.

OTHER EVENTS June 3 TASTE OF ANN ARBOR This annual community event features local restaurants offering visitors bite size, and some not so bite size, tastes of what they do best. Sun 115pm. Tickets for food tastes can be purchased at the event for $.50 each. Music by various artists. Info: mainstreetannarbor.org. June 4 & 5 ANNUAL PEONY FESTIVAL The Peony Festival this year celebrates the 90th anniversary of the famed Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden, the largest collection of antique and heirloom peonies in North America. Free. Guided and selfguided tours. Peony sale on Sat between 10-4. Live music between 11-1pm. Nichols Arboretum, 1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor. Info: 734.647.7600 0r www.mbgna.umich.edu. June 8, 9 & 10 2012 SUMMER FILM SERIES Annual event presented by the Center for Japanese Studies. Free admission. Fri at 7pm, Sat at 5 & 8pm, Sun at 5 & 8pm. Angell Hall, University of Michigan, 435 S. State St., Ann Arbor. Info: www.ii.umich.edu/cjs. June 9 & 10 2012 MISSION ZERO FEST Well-known local favorites singer/songwriter and pianist Vienna Teng and blues and boogie-woogie

legend Mr. B’s Joybox Express will be two of the great musical acts being showcased at the Mission Zero Fest, dedicated to celebrating sustainability in all its forms in a fun, festive atmosphere. Re-skilling workshops, green home tours, food and dancing. Free. 700 block of Fountain Street, Ann Arbor. www. missionzerofest.org. June 10-15 ANN ARBOR RESTAURANT WEEK A local celebration of dining in our community. Extraordinary three course dinner menus and fixed price fare lunch menus from Ann Arbor’s best restaurants Prices vary by location; visit mainstreetannarbor.org for more info. June 24 ECOLOGY CENTER’S ANNUAL ECO-RIDE Michigan’s largest bike-a-thon for the environment! Join us for a fun, family-friendly event for a great cause. Riders of all ages and skill levels will love our scenic, supported routes and tour stops...the loop in the park is great for walkers and roller-bladers, too. Or you can just come along to enjoy the great music, food and festivities in Ann Arbor’s beautiful Riverside Park. Sunday. Info: www.ecocenter.org/EcoRide. June 24 THE ART OF LOCAL Local food to please every palette, from Avalon breads to McClure’s pickles. Pop-up gallery space, featuring the art of Lulu Zheng, Katherine Larson, and Lea Bult. Blues powerhouse Laith Al-Saadi and local bluegrass favorites The Appleseed Collective providing great music. Free admission. 2-6pm. The Produce Station, 1629 S. State St., Ann Arbor. Info: 734.668.7848. www.producestation.com. June 30 ZANY UMBRELLA CIRCUS Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, Zany Umbrella Circus doesn’t have elephants, animals, or three rings. Instead, it uses magic, storytelling, street theater, and visual arts to put on an unforgettable show. This interactive performance includes acrobatics on aerial fabric and trapeze, fire juggling, and slack rope walking. Proceeds benefit environmental education programs. Two shows --Sat at 11am and 1:30pm. Leslie Science & Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.997.1553 or www.lesliesnc.org. July 13 ROLLING SCULPTURE CAR SHOW More than 400 exotic, antique, classic, concept cars on Main, Liberty, Fourth, and Washington in the heart of downtown. Presented by the Main Street Area Association Sat. 2-10pm. Free. www. mainstreetannarbor.org. Saturdays thru Sept 9 RENTSCHLER FARM AND SALINE RAILROAD DEPOT MUSEUMS The farm animals have returned, young lambs and their ewes, as well as baby pigs, Trixie and Dixie. At the depot museum, visit the fully furnished caboose. 11-3pm. 1265 E. Michigan Ave., Saline. Info: 734.944.0442. www.salinechamber.com.

SUMMER 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

NEW ARTISTS

YANA BENJAMIN PHOTOGRAPHY | ANN ARBOR www.yanabenjamin.com | photography@yanabenjamin.com

Photography is my medium, my expression, the witness of my life. It helps me define my ideas using visual language. Before discovering my deep interest in photography, I worked as a journalist in a press agency. I was looking for free expression, but instead I had a job that only allowed me to work with facts. I was producing well written facts. In photography I found a messenger of my passion and strength translated into visual language. What I have discovered in the past years is that many people of my generation are struggling with their own misunderstood reality and inability to understand others because they are so deeply involved with their own self, sometimes without even knowing it. But the language of photography is universal. It conveys feelings and connotations that all of us should understand, based on our previous experience. But, the most important part of making art is the creative process itself. At that moment nothing else exists, just me and the viewfinder, waiting for the right moment, holding my breath. I can`t hear or speak, I look at the world through the lens, which became a part of my own flesh. “Click.” All the senses are concentrated to one hundredth of a second. I am in my element. My recent work deals with exploration of reality and the projections of reality - surreality. I photograph subtle feeling of human presence in an urban environment with empathy and compassion. As a street photographer, I am interested in the narrative and visual juxtapositions that can occur often by chance. I primarily use black and white to understand the spatial and other formal qualities without having to deal with the color element, which tends to be more literal and brings out another layer of form. I am looking for visual order in a world and the world`s surreal reflections, where every moment gets lost in infinity. If I get to capture the moment, it takes on a life of its own, the relationships of objects and juxtapositions take on different denotations and importance. So the real becomes something else on a two dimensional plane. It becomes my reality.

ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2012