Art Showcase Magazine - Fall 2012 by Jonathan Himlin

2012 FALL ARTS PREVIEW ISSUE

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER:

12 FALL ARTS CALENDAR

Local artist and public art advocate Margaret Parker makes the case for the fight for Art in Public Places, on the ballot in Ann Arbor this November. See page 16 for the story. Photo by Amy Johnston.

23 ART NEWS

06 THE FIGHT FOR PUBLIC ART IN ANN ARBOR

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES

Local artist and public art advocate Margaret Parker asks for your support to pass the millage for Art in Public Places, on the ballot in Ann Arbor on November 6th.

2012 FALL ARTS PREVIEW FALL ARTS PREVIEW

16TH ANNUAL EDGEFEST 2012: WORLDLY MEASURES

YPSILANTI’S RED ROCK BBQ

The 16th annual Edgefest, hosted by the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor, will jazz up your world from October 31 to November 3, 2012.

Masters of the art of barbecue know “low and slow” is the key to tasty, tender smoked meat. We think Ypsilanti’s new downtown barbecue is doing things right.

ART ON THE EDGE

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CULINARY ART

PUBLISHER Jonathan E. Himlin ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rory Russell CONTRIBUTORS Amy Johnston, Writer/Photographer Erin Mann, 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:

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

2012 FALL ARTS PREVIEW BY AMY JOHNSTON

The Tempest Replica, by Kidd Pivot University Musical Society September 21-22, 2012

True, it’s another fiery election year, but can we refrain from talking elephant-versus-donkey bloodsport for a minute? Instead, let’s cast our votes for the sights and sounds raging through galleries, theaters, stages, clubs and coffeehouses around the region this fall. Performing Arts and Music Without fail, The University Musical Society brings capital performances to its venues, opening with modern dance company Kidd Pivot on Friday, September 21 and Saturday, September 22 at the Power Center. Known for intermixing movement, sound and visual media, Kidd Pivot performs The Tempest Replica, a new dance piece based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Of artistic director Crystal Pite, Ballet Tanz says, “Pite’s as energetic as a sparkler and fluid as quicksilver.” Next, on September 27, Hill Auditorium fires up its centenary season with a performance of Richard Wagner, Mason Bates, and César Franck, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, not coincidentally, Hill’s first-ever performing ensemble in 1913. Also in September, China’s

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600-year-old grand opera, kunqu, by the Suzhou Kun Opera Theater of Jiangsu Province appears Friday-Saturday, September 28-29, at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre as part of a collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Michigan. (Find a succinct explanation of the term kunqu in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performancehttp://www.answers.com/topic/kunqu.) UMS October highlights include the October 4 debut of traditional choral and folk music from the Republic of Georgia by the all-male vocal ensemble, Basiani. In 2001, UNESCO designated Georgian Folklore as “a masterpiece of the spiritual treasury of the world’s ‘non-material’

Liberty Local

Handmade Craft Fair Saturday, October 27, 10 am to 9 pm Jason Gibner

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet University Musical Society October 6-7, 2012

culture.” And while Basiani’s harmonies are fit for churches and distinctly ceremonial-sounding, their powerful earthly masculinity will make you crave barbecue. Over the weekend, don’t miss UMS debut performances by the ever-inventive contemporary ballet company Aspen Santa Fe Ballet on Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7, as well as a special one-hour family performance Saturday, October 6 at 1 pm. The UMS fall season continues at the Power Center for Performing Arts with the award-winning Jerusalem String Quartet, featuring Shostakovich and Beethoven, Wednesday, October 10, and Parisian company Théâtre de la Ville, performing Eugène Ionesco’s “Theater of the Absurd” classic, Rhinocéros, Thursday-Sunday, October 11-13. Then, perennial favorite and much loved Murray Perahia, with a program of Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven, Schumann, and Chopin, takes the stage by storm Saturday, October 20. The following weekend brings a performance by the Mariinsky Orchestra of St. Petersburg under the baton of Valery Gergiev with pianist Denis Matsuev; the orchestra will be performing Stravinsky’s groundbreaking 1913 masterpiece The Rite of Spring and works by Strauss and Shostakovich on Saturday, October 27. (I’ll be wearing my “Vote for Denis” shirt to that concert.) On Sunday, October 28, the month closes with a high-definition broadcast in the Michigan Theater of a performance of a new play from London’s National Theatre, The Last of the Haussmans. more>>>

The Ann Arbor Art Center will host the 2nd annual Liberty Local: Handmade Craft Fair on Saturday, October 27 from 10 am - 9 pm. Liberty Local is an indoor indie artists’ market showcasing handmade crafts from regional artist vendors whose work embraces the indie spirit – unique, handmade and creative. It will take place on two floors of the Art Center’s historic building located at 117 W. Liberty St. in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor. Liberty Local will feature 36 vendors representing a wide variety of crafts. Each vendor was selected because of the high quality of their original handcrafted work. “We are pleased to have so many great returning artists and excited about the new artists.” said Kate Jones, Special Events Director. “I am so glad we are once again able to support the local indie craft scene with this great show,” said Gallery Shop Director Amy Farnum. For more information on all of the Liberty Local artists, as well as event information visit http://annarborartcenter.org/content/libertylocal or www.facebook.com/libertylocal. Proceeds from a $1 admission fee will support the programs of the Ann Arbor Art Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging the community in the education, exhibition and exploration of the visual arts. Offering studio art classes, workshops, exhibitions, summer camps and more, the Art Center is the place where creativity and community meet. For more information, please visit www. annarborartcenter.org.

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FALL ARTS PREVIEW Still on the local front, between mid-September and early November, the Ann Arbor Symphony will perform three mainstage concerts and a family concert. Events begin at Hill Auditorium with Beethoven’s beloved Ode to Joy (aka 9th Symphony) on September 15 and pick up again at the Michigan Theater on October 6 with Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor (inspired by Beethoven’s 9th Symphony), played by Roman Rabinovich, and followed by Sibelious’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major. The mainstage concerts wrap up at the Michigan Theater with Sabor Latino, a daring sampling of passionate music, from Ravel’s Bolero and Strauss’s Don Juan to Moncayao’s Juapango. Finally, A2SO ushers in cold season with a family concert. Enjoy renditions of Carnival of the Animals, selections from the Lion King, Raccoon Tune and a Doggy Petting Zoo (sponsored by the Human Society of Huron Valley) at the Michigan Theater on November 4. Heading into Detroit, events at the Michigan Opera Theatre include an October 13-21 run of Rossini’s 200-year-old The Barber of Seville, a comedic opera about a wealthy man who enlists the help of his local barber to help win the hand of a lovely young woman. Then, the Detroit Opera House’s annual Halloween party returns for its fourth year on October 26, with two floors of tricks and treats in their magnificent grand lobby and lounges, two DJs and spooky surprises. October 27-28,, New York City Ballet performers, including principals, soloists and members of the corps de ballet present New York city Ballet MOVES, dynamic works performed with live accompaniment by the New York City Ballet

Michigan Opera Theatre’s The Barber of Seville October 13-21, 2012

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orchestra. It’s a full calendar at opera, so be sure to check in for the full schedule at http://www.michiganopera.org/ Intimate Ann Arbor The Greenwood Coffee House Series, hosted by First United Methodist Church on Fridays at 8:00pm, starts off its season with Memphis songwriter Jeremy Horn on September 28 and continues with an eclectic assortment of local and national talent through December 7. Please visit http://www.fumc-a2.org/coffee_house.cfm for the full schedule. As well, the Ark promises another packed autumn schedule, with such an abundance of talented artists, I’m just going to have to route you to http://theark.org because if I try to list all of them, it will be like trying to bring the whole neighborhood up in the Mars Rover. Last, one special event can’t be overlooked: it’s townie treasure Funky Kingston! DJ Brian Tomsic livens dancers at the newly renovated Elk’s Lodge on October 19 with practically the entire history of Jamaican music. Words We all know election season is capable of evoking rancor, but if slouching on a sagging mattress, listening to warped vinyls of Charles Bukowski has you feeling too dog-from-hell-esque, it’s time to get some fresh air and fresh poetry. On September 29, White Lotus Farms partners with One Pause Poetry to welcome Tracy K. Smith for a poetry reading in the flower gardens of their Liberty Street organic farm. Princeton faculty member Tracy K. Smith has published three collections of poetry. Her collection Life on Mars won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

In other spoken word news, the U of M School of Art and Design continues another season of the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker series at the Michigan Theater with short film creator PES on September 13. Director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Green Hornet) says: “Clicking on a PES film is to open a safe and suddenly see a million ideas glittering and exploding.” Next, calling all photographers! On September 20, iconic photographer Sally Mann is the focus. Time’s Reynolds Price says, “Few photographers of any time or place have matched Sally Mann’s steadiness of simple eyesight, her serene technical brilliance, and the clearly communicated eloquence she derives from her subjects, human and otherwise – subjects observed with an ardor that is all but indistinguishable from love.” Other incredible Penny Stamps speakers include Jennifer Karady and Paul Reickhoff, Peter Hirshberg, Heavy Industries, Alexis Rockman, Oliver Stone, Paola Antonelli, Stefan Sagmeister, Chris Jordan, Janine Antioni and and Jim Hubbard. Astounded yet? All Penny Stamps lectures are free. Take that to the bank!

Norma Penchansky-Glasser’s Line - Motion - Leve Washington Street Gallery Through October 13, 2012

Visual Art As you’d expect, autumn in the midwest yields a vast visual arts landscape. In town, WSG keeps the quest for creative fire alive with Norma Penchansky-Glasser’s exhibit of drawings and sculpture, Line - Motion - Leve, September 11- October 13, with opening reception on September 14, 7-9pm. Also showing are all 16 gallery members and visiting artists. For six hours of maximum sensory stimulation, canoodle with Art on the Farm, Dexter’s coziest and most loved art event around, held October 28 on a gorgeous Island Lake Road farm. Founder Lauren Kingsley of the the Painted Trout says, “I’m always impressed by the quality of artists I’m able to invite. Each year I select a handful of new artists to join an established core group.” Not only will 30 artists have their work on display in this mixed-media event, and not only will bluegrass music accompany the whole thing, but as co-conspirator Jack Spack, Jr. lets us know in no uncertain terms, “This is not art on a stick.” (Spack for president!)

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FALL 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

FALL ARTS PREVIEW Keep in mind, even though it’s all the way in Ohio, the Toledo Museum of Art is hardly further than Detroit, so there’s no excuse to miss the exclusive Manet: Portraying Life. This exhibition is the first to focus exclusively on Manet’s considerable talents as a portraitist. Among paintings visitors will see are: Lady with a Fan (Jeanne Duval), 1862, lent by the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest; The Railway, 1872–73, from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; The Monet Family in their Garden at Argenteuil, 1874, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and Émile Zola, 1868, from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. The show will be on view Oct. 7 through January 1, 2013. (www.toledomuseum.org) Back in Michigan and back to politics... At the Northville Art House, Detroit and Ann Arbor artists participate in Vote for Me! Artists Respond the Presidential Election of 2012. The show, featuring over a dozen artists’ views on the upcoming election, will open in the Art House’s upper gallery with a reception and artists’ talk on Friday, October 5, from 6-9 p.m. The show will continue through October 27th during the Art House Gallery hours. This is just a wee sample of happenings around town. Please see the Art Showcase calendar (pages 12-15) for more. And even if your attention is diverted from the gladiator ring for a while, don’t forget to vote. Your access to art may depend on it! ASM

Mask (mwana pwo) Chokwe peoples Probably late 19th century Wood, tukula powder, clay, string, metal, fur, snakeskin, cloth University of Michigan Museum of Art, Gift of Candis and Helmut Stern 2005/1.201

August 18, 2012 through February 3, 2012, UMMA is home to African Art and the Shape of Time. The exhibition includes 30 works from various esteemed collections and is organized around five themes that explore the multiplicity of time in Africa: The Beginning of Things, Embodied Time, Moving Through Time, Global Time and Now. At the DIA, running from October 14, 2012 through January 21, 2013, Fabergé: The Rise and Fall features more than 200 precious objects from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, home of the largest collection of Fabergé in the United States. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to glimpse imperial Russian treasures made by the House of Fabergé, including jewel-encrusted parasol and cane handles, an array of enameled frames, animals carved from semi-precious stones, and miniature egg pendants. Also in Detroit at the Tangent Gallery and Hastings Ballroom, prepare to meet your dark doppelganger in the form of art that is “guaranteed to intrigue, disturb, inspire or repulse” at Damned V: An Exhibition of Enlightened Darkness. Here, local and international talent, cirque/ butch-inspired performance, and three nights of themed events October 25 - 27, including The Darkness, The Enlightenment and The Masquerade, will pervade the recesses of your consciousness. (www. thatdamnedshow.com/)

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House of Fabergé, Henrik Wigström, workmaster, Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg, 1912, egg: lapis lazuli, gold, diamond; frame: diamond, gold, platinum or silver, lapis lazuli, watercolor, ivory. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt (photo: Katherine Wetzel. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)

Manet: Portraying Life October 7, 2012 - January 1, 2013 Canaday Gallery, Toledo Museum of Art

THE RAILWAY, 1873 Oil on canvas, 93.3 × 111.5 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington. Gift of Horace Havemeyer in memory of his mother, Louisine W. Havemeyer, 1956.10.1 Photo courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Toledo Museum of Art has co-organized and is the only U.S. venue for this exhibition, the first to focus exclusively on Édouard Manet’s considerable talents as a portrait painter. A contemporary of the Impressionists, Manet (French, 1832–1883) is often called the father of modernist painting. The exhibition showcases 40 paintings as well as photographs on loan from major museums in Japan, North America and across Europe. Manet painted his family and friends in addition to literary, political and artistic figures, often in the context of everyday life. The point of departure for this exhibition is TMA’s Portrait of M. Antonin Proust (1880), acquired by Museum founder Edward Drummond Libbey in 1924. Admission: Single ticket: $8 adults, $5 seniors and students. Combination tickets (admission to both Manet: Portraying Life and Made in Hollywood: Photographs from the John Kobal Foundation): $12 adults, $10 seniors and students. There is a $1 handling fee for tickets purchased online at manet.toledomuseum.org. Audio tour available for an additional $3. TMA members receive unlimited free admission. An illustrated companion book will be available at the Museum Store and toledomuseum.org.

FALL 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

FALL 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 Sept 20-Aug 4, 2013 VISIONS OF OUR 44TH PRESIDENT A groundbreaking, collective art exhibit, created to honor and celebrate the significance of the first African American President of the United States, Barack Obama. Forty-four busts was created from a model that served as a blank canvas, giving each of forty-four contemporary artists from across the country free reign to creatively interpret this milestone in American history. The Museum is located at 315 East Warren Avenue, Detroit. Open Tues thru Sun. Info: 313.494.5800, www.thewright.org. DIA Oct 14 thru Jan 21 FABERGE: THE RISE AND FALL Features more than 200 precious objects from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, home of the largest collection of Fabergé in the United States. Thru 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 Aug 4 - Oct 28 ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST WORKS ON PAPER This exhibition offers an intimate look at smaller works on paper by artists such as Paul Jenkins, Robert Motherwell, Joan Mitchell, Adolph Gottlieb, and Sam Francis. Sept 15-Dec 30 DRAWING TOGETHER: INTERNATIONAL CARTOONS Drawn from the international cartoon contest held annually in Istanbul, Turkey, this exhibition presents more than 100 award-winners from over 35 countries, with dates ranging from the competition’s inception in 1983 to 2011. Oct 6-Aug 13, 2013 AROUND THE WORLD WITH 80 OBJECTS Rarely seen selections that cross borders and time have been drawn from the FIA’s vault and assembled into this provocative and stimulating exhibition. Flint Institute of Arts, 120 East Kearsley St., Flint. 810.234.1695. www.flintarts.org.

FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS AND SCULPTURE PARK Thru Jan 6, 2013 BODY DOUBLE: THE FIGURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE Featuring Carole Feuerman’s new monumental sculpture “Quan” on display publicly for the first time. The exhibition runs in conjunction with Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize. 1000 East Beltline Ave., NE, Grand Rapids. www.meijergardens.org. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER Permanent galleries, lectures and special events. Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills. 248.553.2400. www.holocaustcenter.org. KELSEY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY The Kelsey’s permanent exhibition in the William E. Upjohn Exhibit Wing features highlights from our collections, including a colorfully painted Egyptian mummy coffin, magical amulets from the ancient Near East, an array of glass vessels, Greek pottery, Roman sculptures, and a unique large-scale watercolor representation of the famous Villa of the Mysteries murals from ancient Pompeii. 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 Oct 7- Jan 1, 2013 MANET: PORTRAYING LIFE Toledo is the exclusive U.S. venue for this major exhibition that explores the creative force of Édouard Manet (French, 1832–1883) and his twofold work in the genre of portraiture: posed portraits as well as portraits depicting everyday life in the Paris of his time. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and school age children. Admission is free for Toledo Museum of Art members.

Thru Jan 13 BENJAMIN WEST: GENERAL WOLFE AND THE ART OF EMPIRE Benjamin West’s 1770 canvas The Death of General Wolfe was one of the most celebrated paintings in eighteenth-century England. Rare items from British America of the 1700’s are also exhibited. Thru Feb 3 AFRICAN ART AND THE SHAPE OF TIME Thirty works organized around five themes that explore the multiplicity of time in Africa: The Beginning of Things, Embodied Time, Moving Through Time, Global Time, and NOW. 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 Ongoing on Thursdays PENNY W. STAMPS SPEAKER SERIES Sept 27 - Jennifer Karady & Paul Rieckhoff: Soldiers’ Stories Oct 4 - Peter Hirshsberg: Urban Prototyping Oct 11 - Heavy Industries, Young-hae Chang Oct 18 - Alexis Rockman: Picturing the Unimaginable Oct 25 - Oliver Stone: Untold Thursdays at 5:10pm. Free admission. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor. http://art-design. umich.edu/stamps. Thru Oct 7 ARTPRIZE 2012 An open art competition, giving away the world’s largest art prize. Part arts festival , part social experiment - this international art contest is decided solely on a public vote. Downtown Grand Rapids. www.artprize.org.

Oct 7- Jan 20, 2013 MADE IN HOLLYWOOD More than 90 images on the stars, the sets and the scenes created by the American film industry and captured by the most important Hollywood studio photographers between 1920–1960.

Thru Oct 21 NORMA PENCHANSKY-GLASSER: “LINE-MOTION-LEVE” Drawings and bronze sculptures by the artist. WSG Gallery, 306 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734.761.2287. www.wsg-art.com.

Oct 19–Jan 13, 2013 LESLIE ADAMS:DRAWN FROM LIFE Adams presents a new body of approximately 20 works incorporating Old Master painting compositions and drawing techniques. 2445 Monroe St., one block off I-75, Toledo. 419.255.8000. www. toledomuseum.org.

Thru Oct 21 ANNUAL ALL-MEDIA EXHIBITION The 90th juried exhibition showcasing new and emerging artists throughout Michigan. The Ann Arbor Art Center, 117 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor, 734.994.8004. www.annarborartcenter.org.

U-M MUSEUM OF ART (UMMA) Thru Dec 30 YOUNG-HAE CHANG-HEAVY INDUSTRIES The Seoul-based art collaborative, Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries (YHCHI) is known for innovative video works that exist at the nexus of visual art and digital literature.

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Thru Oct 25 ABOVE AND BELOW Twenty local fiber-artists. Two Twelve Arts Center, 216 W. Michigan Ave., Saline. 734.944.ARTS. Info: www.twotwelvearts.org.

Thru Oct 26 CANAN TOLON Tolon’s work builds complex frameworks through her paintings and installations that seem to allude to man-made structures, film frames, and futuristic worlds, undulating from possibility to endless repetition. Her exhibition presents new work inspired by her residency in Michigan. UM Institute for the Humanities Gallery, 202 S. Thayer, Ann Arbor. 734.936.3518, www.lsa.umich.edu/humanities. Thru Oct 27 MARK CHATTERLEY Large-scale outdoor ceramic sculptures. River Gallery Fine Art, 120 S. Main St., Chelsea. 734.433.0826, www.chelsearivergallery.com. Thru Nov 7 Reception Oct 3, 4:30-7:30 POSTERS AND POLITICS Works by 20 international artists. EMU University Art Gallery, 900 Oakwood, Ypsilanti. 734.487.1268, www.emu.edu/galleries. Oct 4-Nov 10 GREAT LAKES, SMALL WORKS Artist Reception: Oct 5, 5-7pm. Awards will be given during the reception. All eight Great Lakes states are represented in this year’s exhibit with a total of 148 pieces of artwork. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Riverside Arts Center, 76 N Huron, Ypsilanti. www.riversidearts.org. Oct 5-27 VOTE FOR ME! Reception: Oct 5, 6-9pm Artists respond to the 2012 presidential election. 248.344.0497. Northville Art House, 215 W. Cady Street, Northville. www.northvillearts.org. Oct 5-Nov 4 INNER/OUTER:PAINTINGS BY NANCY WOLFE Reception: Thurs. Oct 10, 5-7pm Paintings that reflect “the search of an inner/outer view of the earth, its figures, its beauty, and its strangeness”. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. 734.769-2999. www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com. Oct 5 & 6 GHOULTIDE GATHERING 6th annual Halloween artist spectacular featuring original work from artists around the country. Fri 5-8 & Sat 10-2. New show site at the Chelsea Fairgrounds, 20501 Old US-12 Hwy., www.ghoultidegathering.com. Oct 6 HARVEST ART MARKET Annual event at Silver Maples of Chelsea runs from 10-4 and features a “market mix” of art and fine craft, as well as a bake sale, and a performance by the Arbor Woodwind Quartet. Free admission. 100 Silver Maples Dr., Chelsea. www.silvermaples.org. Oct 6 FALL ARTISTS WORKSHOP The Ann Arbor Women Artists (and a few good men) invites the public to join our Fall Artists Workshop: “Mixed Media Innovations in Acrylics” with Valerie Allen. 10-4pm. Cost $45. Riverside Arts Center, 76 North Huron St., Ypsilanti. www.annarborwomenartists.org. Oct 9-Nov 18 ANTONIA KUO Reception and Gallery Talk, Nov 2, 7-9pm Winner of the 2012 Kreft Juried competition, Antonia Kuo returns with an exhibition of drawings, paintings, and prints exploring the idea of conatus, the inherent life force pervading all spheres of nature, matter, and the mind. Concordia University Kreft Center for the Arts, 4090 Geddes, Ann Arbor. 734.995.7358. www.cuaa.edu.

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FALL ARTS CALENDAR Oct 16-Nov 24 MICHELLE A. HEGYI: HOW THE DAY CHANGES WITH THE LIGHT Reception: Oct 19, 7-10pm Hegyi’s works have been described by reviewers as both “landscapes of the soul” and “ethereal dreamscapes”. WSG Gallery, 306 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734.761.2287. www.wsg-art.com. Oct 16-Nov 27 THE ANN ARBOR WOMEN ARTIST FALL EXHIBITION Reception: Thurs. Oct 18, 6-8pm This juried exhibition will be held at the Ann Arbor District Library, 3rd floor. Our juror is Vicki C. Wright, Director of Collections and Exhibitions for the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Downtown AADL branch, 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor. 734.327. 4200. www.aadl.org. Oct 27 LIBERTY LOCAL HANDMADE CRAFT FAIR The Ann Arbor Art Center hosts the 2nd annual indoor indie artists’ market showcasing handmade crafts from regional artist vendors. 10am-9pm. On both floors of the historic building located at 117 W. Liberty St. in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor from 10am to 9pm. 734.994.8004. www.annarborartcenter.org. Oct 28 ART ON THE FARM More than 30 artists with works in every media from landscape painting to stained glass, from soap and book arts to jewelry. Sun 10-4pm. Info 734.424.4822. Lakeview Farm, 12075 Island Lake Rd., Dexter. www.artonthefarmdexter.com.

THEATER & DANCE Sept 20-Dec 15 SUPERIOR DONUTS Tracy Letts’ warm, comedic drama about a burnedout donut shop owner and his new idealistic employee. Directed by Guy Sanville. The Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea; 734.433.7673, www.purplerosetheatre.org Sept 20-29 PAINTING CHURCHES Comedy about an artist on the verge of fame who comes home to try to paint a portrait of her aging parents. PTD Productions presents at the Riverside Arts Center, 76 N Huron St., Ypsilanti. Tickets: 734.483.7345, www.ptdproductions.com. Sept 21-Oct 13 THE PILLOWMAN Martin McDonagh’s Tony-nominated play about an unsuccessful author and his emotionally stunted brother as they are interrogated by two bulldog policemen about their suspected involvement in a recent string of child murders. Mix Studio Theatre, 130 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti. www. threefoldproductions.org.

Sept 27-Oct 21 THE FANTASTICKS A quintessential celebration of love in all its gorgeous simplicity and heartbreaking complexities. The world’s longest-running musical. Tickets: 734.268.6200. The Encore Musical Theatre Co., 3126 Broad, Dexter. www.theencoretheatre.org. Sept 27-Oct 28 THE GLASS MENAGERIE Set in 1937 St. Louis, this wistfully poetic memory play is regarded by many as Tennessee Williams’ most personal story, and his greatest masterpiece. Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron St., Ann Arbor. 734.663.0681, www.performancenetwork.org. Sept 28-29 SUZHOU KUN OPERA THEATER In 2001, UNESCO declared kunqu, the 600-year-old grand opera of China, a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” To experience kunqu is to see Chinese characters/roles, historical and contemporary, come alive on stage, revealing their Chinese emotions and values. Tickets: 734.764.2538. Presented by UMS at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 N University, Ann Arbor. www.ums.org. Oct 4-7 ALMOST, MAINE A comedy by John Cariani, directed by Jerry Schwiebert. A funny, warm and whimsical romantic comedy set in the mythical town of Almost, Maine. Tickets: 734.764.2538. UM Theatre Dept. presents at Arthur Miller Theatre, 1226 Murfin, North Campus, Ann Arbor. www.music.umich.edu/performances. Oct 9-19 UNTRANSLATABLE! A series of dance improvisations for camera by Peter Sparling. Free - no tickets required. Noon6pm at Duderstadt Center, Duderstadt Gallery, 2281 Bonisteel Blvd., UM North Campus, Ann Arbor. www. music.umich.edu/performances. Oct 11-14 SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE A musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, directed by Mark Madama, music direction by Cynthia Kortman Westphal. A compelling story about inspiration - in art and in life. Presented by UM Theatre Dept. Tickets: 734.764.2538. Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 N University, Ann Arbor. www.music.umich.edu/performances. Oct 12-Nov 3 PICKING PALIN Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company of Detroit presents the Michigan premiere of Picking Palin, by Stephen Padilla, directed by Molly McMahon. Tickets: 313.408.7269 or www.magentagiraffe.org. Oct 13-21 THE BARBER OF SEVILLE Desperate to be loved for who he is, not what he has, the conniving Count Almaviva is forced to devise disguises and tricks to woo the beautiful Rosina,

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enlisting the help of a local barber named Figaro. Rossini’s comic masterpiece! Tickets: 313.237SING or Ticketmaster. Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway, Detroit. www.MichiganOpera.org. Oct 18-Nov 4 WOYZECK Follow the tale of Woyzeck, his mistress Marie, and the dangerous love triangle as you move through The New Theatre Project’s adaptation -- an interactive haunted house created in collaboration with Brendalinda Performance Collective and Threefold Productions. Mix Studio Theatre, 130 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti, www.thenewtheatreproject.org. Oct 19-21 A BARD BY ANY OTHER NAME Ann Arbor Civic Theatre presents a zany original comedy based on three of Shakespeare’s beloved plays, directed by Amanda Barnett October. Tickets: 734.971.2228. A2CT Studio Theater, 322 W. Ann St. Ann Arbor, www.a2ct.org. Oct 19-27 MERCHANT OF VENICE One of Shakespeare’s most popular yet controversial comedies, grappling with justice/ mercy, honor/ betrayal and the truth of love/lust in a world where cash is king. Presented by EMU Theatre Dept. at the Sponberg Theatre, 103 Quirk Hall, Ypsilanti. Tickets: 734.487.1220, www.emich,edu/emutheatre. Oct 27-28 NEW YORK CITY BALLET MOVES One of the world’s foremost dance companies, NYCB Moves includes dynamic works from the company’s vast repertoire, including choreography by Christopher Wheeldon, George Balanchine, William Forsythe and Peter Martins. Tickets: 313.237-SING or Ticketmaster. Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway, Detroit. www.MichiganOpera.org.

MUSIC Sept 30 PETER YARROW An icon of American folk music, Yarrow co-wrote “Puff the Magic Dragon” and was part of the beloved folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary in the 1960’s, sharing a message of tolerance and non-violence. Sun at 7:30. The Ark, 36 S Main St., Ann Arbor. 734.763.8587, www.theark.org. Sept 30 INGRID MICHAELSON Fall acoustic tour with special guest Sugar and the HiLows. One of today’s generation’s favorite artists and composers. 7:30 pm. Presented by The Ark. Tickets: 734.763.8587. Power Center for the Performing Arts, 121 Fletcher, Ann Arbor. www.theark.org. Sept 27 CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA As part of the Hill 100 celebration, UMS is proud to present the Chicago Symphony, which opened Hill Auditorium on May 14, 1913 at the 20th Ann Arbor May Festival. This concert, conducted by CSO music director Riccardo Muti, marks the 204th Chicago

Symphony program since its UMS debut, opening UMS’s 14th season in 1892. Thurs 7:30 pm Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University, Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.764.2538, www.ums.org. Oct 6 BRAHMS AND FRIENDS The Ann Arbor Symphony welcomes pianist Roman Rabinovich in a thrilling program featuring Brahms Piano Concerto No 1 in D Minor and Sibelius Symphony No 2 in D Major. 8pm. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor. Tickets 734.994.4801 or online at www.a2so.com. Oct 6 SHEILA JORDAN National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master of 2012 Sheila Jordan with the Dobbins-Krahnke-Weed Trio. Sat 7 & 9pm. Tickets: 734.769.2999. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor. www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com. Oct 10 JERUSALEM QUARTET Returns for its fourth UMS concert to kick off the 50th Annual Chamber Arts Series The ensemble was recently awarded the BBC Music Magazine Award in Chamber Music for an unprecedented third time. Wed 7:30pm Tickets: 734.764.2538. Rackham Auditorium, 915 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor. www.ums.org. Oct 20 MURRAY PERAHIA In the more than 35 years he has been performing on the concert stage, Murray Perahia has become one of the most cherished pianists of our time. Program includes Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven, Schumann and Chopin. Sat 8pm. Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University, Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.764.2538, www.ums.org. OCT 27 MARIINSKY ORCHESTRA Conductor Valery Gergiev has long been associated with the Mariinsky (formerly known as the Kirov) Orchestra – including 11 previous UMS appearances. This program features Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, which had its world premiere in 1913 in Paris, just 16 days after Hill Auditorium opened. The concert also features piano soloist Denis Matsuev, for Shostakovich’s Concerto in c minor for Piano, Trumpet, and String Orchestra. Sat 8pm. Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University, Ann Arbor. Tickets: 734.764.2538, www.ums.org. Oct 28 ANNUAL HALLOWEEN CONCERT The University Orchestras come together for this holiday favorite, full of tricks and treats. The concert includes an array of spooky classical music combined with popular Halloween favorites. Get out your scariest costume or come dressed as you are to enjoy this delightful event for the child in all of us. Sun 4 & 7:30pm. Tickets available at the League Ticket Office 734.764.2538. Reserved Seating $12/ $8. Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University, Ann Arbor. www.music.umich.edu. Oct 28 JESSE BLUMBERG & MARTIN KATZ Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Wolf, Debussy, and more. Jesse Blumberg, baritone and Martin Katz, piano. Sun 4pm. Tickets: 734.769.2999. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor. www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com. Oct 28 THE CONCORDIA CHOIR Annual fall concert under the direction of Dr. Brian L. Altevogt. Free and open to the public. Sun 4pm. Chapel of the Holy Trinity, Concordia University, 4090 Geddes Road, Ann Arbor. www.cuaa.edu/kreftarts. Oct 29 & 30 ARLO GUTHRIE Arlo’s brand new “Here Comes The Kid” tour celebrates his father Woody Guthrie’s immeasurable contributions to the landscape of American folk music. Mon & Tues at 8pm. The Ark, 36 S Main St., Ann Arbor. 734.763.8587, www.theark.org.

FALL 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES

THE FIGHT FOR PUBLIC ART

BY SANDRA XENAKIS PHOTOS BY AMY JOHNSTON

Local Artist Asks for Your Support to Pass Millage for Art in Public Places on November 6th.

Local artist and public art advocate Margaret Parker makes the case for art in public places in Ann Arbor.

It’s a sizzling August day in Ann Arbor. Outside, canoeists and scullers are plying the Huron River. Inside the NEW Center, dozens of cultural leaders are hotly debating a proposal for a four-year city millage to fund art in public places. If the millage is passed by voters on November 6, the current Percent for Art program will be suspended. Conversation is loud and lively, as it often is around public funding for public art. Throughout the hubbub, installation artist Margaret Parker sits quietly. Finally, Deb Polich, president of Artrain and executive director of the Arts Alliance, nods at Parker. “We need to hear from Margaret, who put this issue on the table in the first place,” she says. While numerous cultural and civic leaders have advanced the cause of funding for public art in Ann Arbor over the past 15 years, it’s fair to say that Parker has led the charge.

one percent of capital project budgets for public art. As chair of AAPAC and a long-time arts advocate, Parker was instrumental in convincing the city council to adopt the program. She believes Ann Arbor was the first Michigan city to do so.

“You have to remember there was nothing before we started five years ago,” she points out.

“[Before that] there was no relationship with the city for any kind of art. We kind of broke the egg. Now there’s a city office that’s working on public art projects. People talk about art in the city council and say, ‘art should be this or art should be that.’ Art is right there in the middle of our civic conversations. That’s fantastic!”

She’s referring to the establishment in 2007 of the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission (AAPAC) and Percent for Art program, which sets aside

When Parker graduated from the University of Michigan with a BFA degree, she started looking into funding for murals and film. One of her

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current projects, “Dream House,” integrates video on the foreclosure crisis with a walk-through installation made of t-shirts woven through a wire frame. She’s submitted it to the non-competing, “New Frontiers” section of the Sundance Film Festival and is waiting for acceptance. (See www. margaretparkerstudio.com for more information on Parker’s artwork.) She lobbied for arts funding in Lansing back in the ‘70s. In the ‘80s she and her husband, Mark Hodesh, moved to New York City, which had a Percent for Art program. She found it “stimulating” to see pieces on the street by Nevelson, Calder and Picasso. Next they moved to Maine, where there was a Percent for Art at the state level. “Every new school had a mural on the wall, a sculpture out in front, mosaics at the drinking fountain,” she recalls. “Those Maine kids could talk about art. Abstract art didn’t stop them for a minute; they loved it. I thought that was striking.” When she and Hodesh returned to Ann Arbor in 1997 to run Downtown Home and Garden, which they own, Parker became involved with a group of business owners and artists who wanted public art in the parking structure being built at 4th and Washington. “That was the start of it. I was there for the next 12 years,” she says, laughing. Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Parker had been producing her own art installations and paintings and submitting work to competitions. Now she and her fellow advocates needed to learn how to raise money, hire project managers, select artists, conduct public surveys, and make presentations. Several years later, when AAPAC and the Percent for Art program were established, Parker also had to master working with the city administration and communicating with the city council and the public. In 2008, the first challenge facing the fledgling commission was installing public art at the new Municipal Plaza, already under construction in downtown Ann Arbor. The commission started looking at various artists’ work. Parker laughs wildly as she says, “It wasn’t exactly what you’d call a smooth start-up!” By now, most Ann Arbor residents have heard about the controversy swirling around the new Municipal Plaza fountain. The world-renowned German artist Herbert Dreiseitl was chosen over artists from Michigan or even America. Many were critical of the choice. “Everybody finds some arrow to sling,” Parker says, “but every public art program around the country says that is the pattern. When public art is installed, it’s startling. It’s visible, it’s new. It raises all those questions that art raises: What’s it good for? Who decided on this? Everybody voices their feelings. [This] comes out as controversy, negative stuff. Then it sort of fits into the landscape and people start to like it.” Parker explains the commission’s reasoning in selecting Dreiseitl: “The building had a mission. It could show us ways to solve storm water management, which is a huge problem in our area. There happens to

The $750,000 Municipal Plaza Fountain became the center of a controversy related to Ann Arbor’s Percent for Art program. Parker defends the fountain, praising its environmentally conscious message and calling it a feather in Ann Arbor’s cap. be one artist who developed a whole art around recycling storm water in public art pieces. And he was in town as a keynote speaker for the Huron River Day celebration. So we invited him to make suggestions on our project.” Dreiseitl offered to submit drawings for a pedestrian-friendly fountain that recycles storm water, integrated with the rain garden, walkway and reservoirs already being installed at the new site. That he wanted to work with Michigan fabricators was a key factor in the commission’s decision. Ultimately, the artist received only 20% of the $750,000 fee; the lion’s share went to the Michigan firms who built the fountain and recycling system. “Those people were thrilled to work with an internationally known artist and architectural designer,” she says. “It’s a huge feather in our cap for Ann Arbor, a pretty small city, to have found this designer [whose] work celebrates what we’re trying to do as a city. It celebrates our environmental awareness and how we’re growing.”

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FALL 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES

Dream House by Margaret Parker is a suspended walk-through installation with video where dreams of home collide with realities of the foreclosure crisis.

In the past five years, AAPAC has produced three completed projects, and 12 more are under development. Parker’s term ended in 2011, although she continues to support the commission’s work. She agrees that a millage would provide more flexibility than the current funding program, which sets the conditions that the public art piece must be permanent and related in some way to the city department from which the funds are used (i.e. money from the city’s water and sewer utility was used to fund the Municipal Plaza fountain). While several city council members and the mayor are confident the millage will pass, community leaders have expressed dismay at the very short time period between now and November 6 to educate the public.

There are several issues about this vote that might confuse voters, they say, including what happens to public art funding if it doesn’t pass. Although the city council has given assurances they will keep the Percent for Art program in place if voters don’t approve the millage, Parker is worried. She believes “the council voted unanimously for a millage as a vote of confidence for public funding of public art. I’d hate to see the city lose this effort. If the millage doesn’t pass, the Percent for Art funding mechanism no longer has support . . . I think it’s pretty clear that it will be gone.” That would make Margaret Parker—and many other city residents—deeply unhappy.

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She feels that art is especially important to the Ann Arbor community, adding new life and dimension and attracting economic development. “Cultural groups need to work together and find agreement on projects that should be funded,” she says. “The whole art segment of the economy is a huge diversification, an economic stimulant. Wherever artists go, people want to go there too. It’s that simple.” Supporters of public art in Ann Arbor can go to www.bforart.com. For more information on this vote and to see if you are a registered voter in the city of Ann Arbor, visit www.a2gov. org, click on elections and look for ballot information. ASM

MARGARET PARKER ON ART IN PUBLIC PLACES States like Ohio, Minnesota, Maine, California and Texas among others have proven over the last 30 years the economic benefits of public art – it adds to the quality of life that attracts new entrepreneurs and keeps young people living and working in the community. l Public art shows the vibrant, imaginative soul of our people. l Public art stimulates our children, makes our city an open art class at any time of day or night without any entrance fee. (Just ask them if they like it.) l City Council is passing the decision to fund public art on to you, the voters, so it’s now up to you whether public art will be funded in Ann Arbor. l Millage funding will be less restrictive and easier to use than the old system. It will fund a wide range of temporary and permanent projects. l It’s cheap, only $11 a year per family funds projects in neighborhoods and parks, along city streets, at city gateways and in downtown. l If you don’t vote for the millage, city funding for public art will very likely come to an end l

MARGARET PARKER ON HER ART

“Individuality and identity are American ideals that are caught up and changed by events, social conflict and history. The large installations I make create communal spaces that evoke contemporary issues. Here viewers see themselves in a larger historic context, like the set of a grand opera where anyone’s life becomes a great role and their actions take on epic consequences.” “T-shirts make rich material for art as found objects with their own evocative cultural identity. They’re the shape of the human torso whose soft flexible knit makes them as changeable and expressive as human skin. They’re printed with texts and imagery that personalize and memorialize them. As I work with each shirt, it’s cut apart but nothing is cut off or left out, the size of the shirt limits the final piece. The repetition of using T-shirts in many possible ways has become a theme in itself, like Dan Chamberlin’s use of crushed cars. They seem to keep asking me, “what else, what else can we become?” “The large woven enclosures are seen from the outside as one whole space. But the weaving acts as camouflage, people disappear inside them. When you’re inside you can still see through the walls to the outside. This makes a wonderfully mysterious space, this simultaneous awareness of what’s going on inside and outside seems to me to be an expression of a primary female experience.”

FALL 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

ART ON THE EDGE

THE 16TH ANNUAL EDGEFEST 2012: WORLDLY MEASURES - OCT 31-NOV 3 “A BLENDING OF IMPROVISATIONAL-AVANT JAZZ WITH THE COMPOSERS’ OWN ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL ROOTS”

Wadada Leo Smith headlines Friday night at Edgefest 2012: Worldly Measures

The 16th annual Edgefest, hosted by the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor from October 31 to November 3, will explore new music created by today’s American improvisers and composers who now, more than ever, are reaching back to multiple artistic roots, reflecting a growing awareness of the cultural complexity of contemporary American society. The accumulations of different origins, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, filtered by contemporary, uniquely American experiences, have produced a cornucopia of new music; a blending of improvisational-avant jazz with the composers’ own—often multiple—artistic/cultural roots. “The idea of Edgefest, and of the Concert House for that matter, is to offer a deeper and wider experience of music and its possibilities,” said Deanna Relyea, KCH Founder and Executive Director. “This is very close to our hearts - in fact, it’s what we’re all about.” In the tradition of Edgefest the roster includes international musicians Jason Kao Hwang leading his “Burning Bridge” composition at the 2010 Edgefest. as well as performers and ensembles from our home community of Jason is returning for this year’s Edgefest with his jazz quartet, EDGE. Southeast Michigan and showcases some of the most celebrated and Photo by Patricia Lay-Dorsey. creative multi-instrumentalists on the scene today.

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EDGEFEST 2012 LINEUP & SCHEDULE Wadada Leo Smith: TEN FREEDOM SUMMERS

AB BAARS - IG HENNEMAN DUO Ab Baars, tenor saxophone/clarinet/ shakuhachi Ig Henneman, viola

Rudresh Mahanthappa’s INDO PAK COALITION

The Wednesday, Thursday and Friday concerts will start at 7pm, and the first event on Saturday is the parade at noon, with concerts starting in the afternoon through the evening. The performers for each day are:

Jason Kao Wang’s EDGE QUARTET Taylor Ho Bynum SEXTET Taylor Ho Bynum, cornet Jim Hobbs, alto saxophone Bill Lowe, bass Mary Halvorson, guitar Ken Filiano, bass Tomas Fujiwara, drums Rudresh Mahanthappa

“Too often, jazz is obsessed with its past, but these are the musicians who are taking the music forward,” Relyea added. “I think it’s the future. Our country is so diverse and our music is reflecting that.” As part of the 10th anniversary of Edgefest in 2006, KCH created a series of free public performance events that took place during the days and early evenings in restaurants, cafés and galleries in downtown Ann Arbor, featuring some of the areas most accomplished creative musicians. The Fringe project, now a festival staple, has been very successful in moving creative and imaginative music making out of the conventional concert hall venue and into public spaces such as bars, restaurants and markets.

Wednesday, Oct. 31 Dutch pianist Fred Van Hove Jason Hwang’s Edge Quartet Ab Baars - Ig Henneman Duo

Mary Redhouse Marty Ehrlich: FABLES Marty Ehrlich, clarinets/flute/saxophones Hankus Netsky, piano/accordion Marcus Rojas, tuba BEN ALLISON BAND Ben Allison, bass Steve Cardenas, guitar Brandon Seabrook, banjo Allison Miller, drums Fred Van Hove, pianist Ed Sarath: TIMESCAPE

Thursday, Nov. 1 Rudresh Mahanthapa’s Indo Pak Coalition Ben Allison Band Edge Quartet with Deanna Relyea and Piotr Michalowski--new work by Jason Hwang on poetry by selected award winning NYC poets. Friday, Nov. 2 Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet Wadada Leo Smith Quartet Saturday, Nov. 3 Edgefest Parade at 12PM Mary Redhouse Wadada Leo Smith Quartet University of Michigan Jazz ensemble led by Wadada Leo Smith Marty Ehrlich’s Fables

This year, the Fringe series will surprise, delight, and educate an audience that might not otherwise have ventured into the concert hall setting of Edgefest. Details of the Fringe events will be announced soon. Past venues have included Argiero’s Restaurant, the sh’AUT space in Braun Court, and Sweetwaters Café in Kerrytown. For more information, go to: www. kerrytownconcerthouse.com/index.php/events/ edgefest/. ASM Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet

FALL 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE

CULINARY ART

YPSILANTI’S RED ROCK BBQ A Great Neighborhood Spot for Brew and ‘Cue

Masters of the art of barbecue know “low and slow” is the key to tasty, tender smoked meat. Like great barbecue, Shawn Cool and business partners (parents John and Nancy) recognized good things come to those who wait when opening a successful restaurant. Red Rock Downtown Barbecue opened its doors last spring after years of planning and extensive renovations of the space (formerly bar and local music venue TC’s Speakeasy) in downtown Ypsilanti. Red Rock is a welcome addition to the newer businesses that have popped up along W. Michigan Avenue, like Bona Sera Cafe and Mix Marketplace. Proof of downtown Ypsi’s revival can be seen from Red Rock’s sidewalk patio where you can enjoy a pint of suds from their extensive beer list featuring craft brews from Michigan breweries like New Holland Brewing Co., Dragonmead Microbrewery, and Original Gravity in Milan. (When I visited, an impressive 18 out 20 draft beers on the list were brewed in the Mitten.) The interior space is open and inviting. Light pours in through the tall front windows and casts a glow on the horseshoe-shaped wooden bar at the center of the restaurant. The exposed brick, black leather adorning the back wall and wooden tables and chairs lend a coziness to the restaurant. The space is not over-designed or trying too hard. Red Rock has the ideal atmosphere for a date night or a family meal with the kids; exactly what you’d want from a neighborhood bar/restaurant. The meats are prepared with a dry rub of brown sugar and spices and smoked in a 500 lb.-capacity rotisserie smoker behind the restaurant. To complement

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BY ERIN MANN PHOTO BY AMY JOHNSTON

207 West Michigan Avenue Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (734) 340-2381 | www.redrockypsi.com PHOTO BY ANDREW WYATT

the smoky flavor of the meats, each table is stocked with barbecue sauces: a South Carolina-style honey mustard sauce, a North Carolina-style vinegar sauce with red pepper flakes and jalapenos, and a house barbecue sauce. From sweet to spicy there is a condiment for everyone.

Start your meal off with an appetizer to prepare your palate for what’s to come. The burnt ends—bite-sized bits of crispy, charred brisket topped with jalapenos—are a popular choice and often sell out during service. The rest of the menu is straightforward and includes some lighter fare like salads and sandwiches, but the entrees and sides are where you should direct your attention (and your appetite). Smoked half chicken, pulled pork and St. Louis spare ribs can be ordered individually and are served with your choice of southern-style sides like cowboy beans and collard greens. The creamy mac n’ cheese is baked to perfection and is a must try. Frugal folk will appreciate the Perfect Trifecta; a smorgasbord of housesmoked meats including brisket, ½ rack of ribs and pulled pork. The carnivorous trilogy is served with a couple of cornbread muffins and choice of two sides. This entree can easily be shared (or not, if you’re really hungry) and for only $25 it’s a good way to sample a number of entree items on the menu. Red Rock serves desserts made by Melange Bistro in downtown Ann Arbor and are currently offering Southern favorites like peach cobbler and dark chocolate cake. ASM

ART NEWS

THE BARD GETS A MAKEOVER IN A2CT’S PRODUCTION

Ann Arbor Civic Theatre presents A Bard by Any Other Name, a zany original comedy based on three of Shakespeare’s beloved plays, directed by Amanda Barnett October 19-21, 2012, at the A2CT Studio Theater, 322 W. Ann St. Ann Arbor, 48104, near downtown Ann Arbor. Performances are October 19 and 20 at 8pm and October 20 and 21 at 2pm. All tickets are $12 for general seating. For additional information, maps, and directions visit the A2CT website at www.a2ct.org or call the office at 734-971-2228. In A Bard by Any Other Name, local playwright and actor James Ingagiola re-imagines some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays in the style of iconic contemporary writers. Hamlet becomes a pause-intensive Pinteresque tragicomedy, Two Gentlemen of Verona gets roughed up in the style of David Mamet , and Macbeth becomes a Southern Gothic tragedy under the influence of Tennessee Williams.

AACT SEEKS 2013-14 DIRECTORS

Ann Arbor Civic Theatre is currently looking for directors for its 2013-14 Main Stage season. Civic produces six adult productions--musicals and non-musicals--each season. A2CT invites directors to submit to direct a play of their choice; in particular the selection committee will consider shows that have recognizable titles, gender balance, casts of six or more characters, engaging scripts and manageable production goals. This year, A2CT has a list of appropriate titles for potential directors who want to direct but need ideas for shows. All directors interested in A2CT’s next season should submit an application which includes a resume, references, and a one-page summary of the show and the director’s vision of the production for up to three titles. The deadline for submissions is 4pm Friday, November 2. Applications, guidelines, a list of appropriate titles, and additional information are available online by visiting www.a2ct.org. The play selection committee will hold director interviews January 12-13, 2013. The ’13-14 season and directors will be chosen by the middle of February, 2013. For additional information, call or visit the A2CT office Monday through Friday from 9am-4pm at 734-971-2228, or visit our website at www.a2ct.org.

ANN ARBOR ART CENTER PRESIDENT & CEO MARSHA CHAMBERLIN TO RETIRE THIS FALL

After more than 30 years of dedication and leadership, Ann Arbor Art Center President & CEO Marsha Chamberlin will step down and retire this fall. Marsha was tapped as CEO in 1980, and under her direction the Ann Arbor Art Center has flourished. To date, it is the only organization in Ann Arbor that offers hands-on art education, art appreciation programs and exhibitions all in one facility. We wish Marsha all the best in the next chapter of her life and sincerely thank her for all she has done to inspire others in the art world throughout her career. At press time, her successor had not yet been announced, but we understand that the search has been narrowed to only a few candidates.

MEIJER GARDENS CURATES ARTPRIZE EXHIBITION “BODY DOUBLE: THE FIGURE IN CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE” Coinciding with the fourth annual ArtPrize competition, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will host 26 U.S. and international artists in the group exhibition “Body Double: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture.” This exhibition focuses on the human figure as both an object and a metaphor. The exhibition will remain on display in Meijer Gardens’ sculpture galleries until January 6, 2013. “Body Double: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture” illustrates the diversity and depth of the figure in Contemporary Art, from more literal terms to those implied or symbolically stated. As an ArtPrize Exhibition Center, the exhibition will be free of charge during ArtPrize (September 19 – October 7). Exhibition areas will be open to the public during Meijer Gardens’ regular business hours, as well as official ArtPrize hours (Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.). All other areas of Meijer Gardens observe regular hours and standard admission fees. Visitors can register to vote, purchase official ArtPrize merchandise and utilize the ArtPrize shuttle to explore the downtown venues. Shuttle information will be available at ArtPrize.org closer to the event.

FALL 2012 • ART SHOWCASE MAGAZINE