The Arts Issue, September 2014

/// Special Feature

The Arts Issue A complete arts season preview for 2014–2015

It’s obvious: West Michigan wants more of the arts. DeVos Performance Hall just got a $300,000 upgrade to bring in The Phantom of the Opera in 2016. Before you say, “That sounds like a lot of money for one show,” the money is an investment. With the upgrades, Broadway Grand Rapids can bring in larger shows like The Lion King, Wicked or Aladdin. The arts are also using technology as a means to connect to the public as well. Recently, the Grand Rapids Art Museum opened GoSite,which is an information-sharing space for the community, including Grand Rapids residents and tourists. Con Artist Crew is also using technology to art lovers’ benefit with the new app, ArtLustr, where people can access and purchase art anywhere with Wi-Fi connection. And those are just a few of all the new options the art world offers us this season. Read on for the rest.

by REVUE Staff and Minions

Owls by Jessica Bohus

REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

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The Arts Issue | profile

ArtPrize Collaborators Extend Far and Wide Q&A with Chris Protas, director of the Firebarn Gallery in Grand Haven

By Kerri VanderHoff

You expanded even further into ArtPrize by organizing the participation and transportation of art by several established artists currently living and working in New York City. What motivated this?

Tyler Loftis, who is originally from here and a founder of our group in NYC, Painting In New York, had a vision years before ArtPrize that it would be extremely important to show work and interact here. Some of us even moved here. So when ArtPrize came along it almost kind of weirded us out. It was quite a validation for his vision and our belief in this area as a place for art. A year later a Grand Haven business owner started Artwalk.

A big part of Tyler’s original vision is that this area is ready to become more of a place for art. We were more excited to show the New Yorkers how cool it is here, rather than the other way around. It demonstrated that these established and famous NY artists working in the highest realms of the “fine” art world fit in here. Plus, just superficially speaking, I like to mix what I see as NY’s hyper-educated approach with Michigan’s salt-ofthe-earth approach; they can both be their own forms

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

There’s a group of Grand Haven artists living and working bi-coastal — that is the West Coast of Michigan and New York City. Tell us a little about your group and how and why that came about.

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“In general, the idea is genius. It creates conversations about art among the general public where perhaps there was none or very little prior. In my opinion, that’s the way to evolve culturally; just put the work out there, a lot and consistently.“ —Chris Protas, on ArtPrize Another Dimension by Chris Protas

Flora by Mariangela Fremura

Oct. 9. I’m inviting the leaders in West Michigan’s art community to that event, and that of course includes ArtPrize, GRAM, UICA, Kendall, Muskegon Museum of Art and many others. Last year, we were honored to have Todd Herring, ArtPrize’s communications and marketing director, as our keynote speaker. ArtPrize also produced a badge to indicate participation in both ArtPrize and Artwalk, which they’ve agreed to do again this year. They’ve been very open to collaboration.

What do you think of ArtPrize in general? How do your invited artists from NYC approach ArtPrize in their way of thinking?

Europa and the Flying Fish by Kyle Staver

of elitism as well as strengths. I think they round each other off.

One of those works won a coveted jury prize. Why do you think it stood out to the judges?

It was an amazing outcome, we were really grateful.

The piece was “Europa and the Flying Fish” at GRBC (Grand Rapids Brewing Company) by Kyle Staver. It’s a piece that contains a lot of the visual language artists use to create a convincing picture. It contains more than

just tone and interesting line work. She juggled a lot of balls at the same time and made it look easy. Well, that’s what I would have said anyway, you may have to ask (jurist) John Yau. How else have you participated or collaborated with ArtPrize, directly or indirectly and do you have plans for future ways to integrate?

I’ve invited Annmarie Erickson, executive vice president of the Detroit Institute of Arts, to speak at Artwalk on

In general, the idea is genius. It creates conversations about art among the general public where perhaps there was none or very little prior. In my opinion, that’s the way to evolve culturally; just put the work out there, a lot and consistently. The viewer and the artist slowly evolve together and become ever more sophisticated.

By sophisticated, I don’t refer to education or any specific kind of knowledge, just deeper understanding through exposure, and that’s very personal. For the New Yorkers, I think it breaks open their conversation.

You can get used to what it feels like to talk about art in a certain way. ArtPrize challenges that by including so many different kinds of art and artists. Also, the humility here is very contagious. My ego has been whipped into shape a bit coming here from NYC. I love it, my work has improved a lot. At least I think so. n REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

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The Arts Issue | profile

West Michigan’s Choice:

Jessica Bohus

Fennville sculptor Jessica Bohus talks to REVUE about winning the West Michigan Area Show’s People’s Choice Awards, sculpting air with wire and contradictions as an artistic process

You received the People’s Choice Award at the West Michigan Area Show for your wire sculpture “Running on Air.” How does it feel to win an award based on the popular vote of your audience?

I think the thing I like about ArtPrize is that it started out being more of a “people’s choice” kind of movement. Maybe it’s harder for the vast humanity to pick what is considered “high art,” but if the vast humanity’s opinion is valid, then why not have them pick what they like? Art is in the eye of the beholder and I’m happy to be appreciated.

How long did “Running on Air” take to create?

I don’t set a time clock… That’s another one of those things where it’s like, yes, that took me this long, but it took me my whole life to get to the point where it took me this long. So, I do a lot of horses and then in an installation situation I’ll bring a few extras and then put up the ones that I think fit together as a grouping. I’ve used that title a lot, because I like the idea of running on air and I think it has a lot of good metaphors for me, but the horses under that title have been in many different installations and art shows.

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

You said in a release following the West Michigan Area Show you compared the process of working with steel to working with a three-dimensional drawing. What do you mean by that?

I really enjoy being able to sort of pose them in whatever scene they’re in. Sometimes I’ll install them and I’ll have to rearrange how they fit together — bend a leg here, or move his tail around or put his nose over by that guy — they relate as a herd together. I like the idea that most of what you’re seeing is in your head. There are the lines behind the shape, but the shape is all in your head. I like that about art in general.

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You’ve mentioned before that you like making horses “because they’re full of contradictions.” Your ArtPrize bio also talks about sculptures as “carved air,” which is also kind of a contradiction. Is it fair to say thematically speaking, you like the idea of contradictions in art?

It’s almost invisible, some of what I do. It’s there, but it’s not there, and it’s hard to document. I find it interesting that these pieces hang on the world around them, much more so than a painting.

What inspires you?

I’m out a lot. I walk a lot. I have a lot of horses in my area. I read a lot. It’s all in my head; I try and feed my head good things. n Interview conducted and condensed by Anya Zentmeyer. Edited by Lindsay Patton-Carson

CARMEN

BY GEORGES BIZET

OCT 31-NOV 1, 2014 DEVOS HALL 7:30PM

TICKETS START AT $25 STUDENT TICKETS $5 616.451.2741 EXT. 2 TICKETMASTER OPERAGR.ORG

REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

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The Arts Issue | ArtPrize

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ArtPrize by the Years:

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

By Cathryn Smits

What makes ArtPrize successful is its ability to polarize the community.

Is it legitimate art if anyone can enter? Just because the public likes the piece the most, does it actually make it the best? And why are there so many big-ass pieces of art? Like any big event, there are the hits, the misses and the things that just make you laugh out loud. We’ve found some of the best.

2009

2010

• Vandalism became an unfortunate trend throughout every year, starting with Young Kim’s Piece Salt and Earth. Praised among the arts community, the piece was defaced by ArtPrize patrons interested in creating their own, technically lax, art in these stunning portraits made of granular salt and clay. To add insult to injury, Salt and Earth failed to advance to the top 10 despite a last-minute social media push from fans. #sorryyoungkim

• 2010 was the first year for Juried Awards, but instead of inspiring legitimate art, most entries just grew in size.

The SteamPig Experiment became one such example.

This giant landmark made Steam Punks poop their pants and turned ArtPrize into a whizzing contest in terms of intensity.

• The Nessie Project was originally intended for installation on Reeds Lake as a prank, hoping to be the Banksy of lake monsters. When that didn’t work, Nessie showed herself via the Grand River during ArtPrize and is now living the fabulous life in John Ball Park.

• Bill Secunda’s Moose evoked a general “WTF?” as his life-size moose statue used welded nails as a medium and inspired future entries of weird things made out of other useless things.

2011 • Making an appearance in more than just your nightmares was President Gerald R. Ford Visits ArtPrize. This lifelike statue of President Ford admiring a bronze bust of himself was like being Paris Hilton in a meta version of House of Wax. • ArtPrize became more like JesusPrize with God Jr. popping up all over the place. There was a macho Jesus, bronze Jesus, bottle cap Jesus and then there were the Jesuses (what’s the plural of Jesus? Jesi?) that were just the downright scary and indescribable. By the time it was announced that Mia Tavonatti’s mosaic, Crucifixion, won the top prize, we were all just really, really tired of Jesus.

• Light became a major source of influence in 2012. Kumi Yamashita’s Origami, a clever play on the Japanese art of paper folding, is an installation that featured 99 origami paper sheets to cast shadows of different facial profiles of the citizens of Grand Rapids. Correspondingly, Lights in the Night launched thousands of sky lanterns from harmonized points in the city, honoring Grand Rapids residents and guests.

2013 • 2013 became notorious for awkward moments. Head in the Clouds depicting legs floating from clouds hung in the interior stairwell at The BOB, and All ways =The Same Destination an installation of a cross formed by two caskets, installed almost directly underneath the prior, put a bad taste in some ArtPrizer’s mouths. Given the venue’s recent history, it was a little too topical.

• A similarly awkward moment was presented when David Dodde’s Piece, Fleurs et Riviere was decommissioned from the contest. This temporary installation of magnetized flowers positioned on Alexander Calder’s La Grande Vitesse was meant as an homage to the artist. But like watching a bad break-up, the piece was taken down almost instantly upon the insistence of The Calder Foundation.

• ZOMG!! Cat ladies rejoiced for the Cat Video Festival sponsored by Walker Art Center at ArtPrize this year.

Featuring Maru, Lil’ Bub and Nyan cat, hearts melted and many likes were shared as crazy cat people gathered to watch Kittens Inspired by Kittens and many more. n

TOP ROW: The Nessie Project, Salt and Earth (after viewer tampering), The Steampig Experiment. Center ROW: Crucifixion, the giant penny, Origami.

Bottom Row: Lights in the Night, Fleurs et Riviere, Head in the Clouds, All Ways = The Same Destination.

REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

• David Lubber’s installation on the Grand River gave us hope that art does exist with his kinetic sculpture, The Grand Dance. Animated by The Grand River, this sculpture pays tribute to our life-giving river. Bonus: It glows in the dark.

• It’s not enough to make a big penny made of other pennies. Make it spin, and ArtPrize puts you in the top 10. Helping Mom One Penny at a Time literally made ArtPrize your momma’s art contest.

2012 • ArtPrize 2012 grew infamous as Kalamazoo stunt artist SinGh’s entry was thrown in a dumpster before the competition began. His piece Captivity was intended as a political statement but failed miserably as most covered their faces in shame at what looked like Saddam Hussein hanging from a noose.

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The Arts Issue | ArtPrize

The Art of Curating: Context Matters

By Kerri VanderHoff

P

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

icture this: you just bought the latest release from your favorite band. You can’t wait to listen to it from start to finish, to really let it unfold, to go back and give it another go after the first run through.

Now imagine, would you do this on your tiny little laptop in a crowded space with lots of noise all around?

Of course not! You would put it on your best sound system, with proper speakers and minimal distraction, and really immerse yourself in the experience. You would take time to consider the songs on their own as well as part of the entire album, and you might also appreciate the order in which they are presented and the theme that develops throughout.

Why? Because context matters. You want to optimize the music’s presentation so you can best enjoy what it has to offer.

So it goes with art as well. Context matters.

Curating matters.

While traditional art organizations and many museumgoers are long familiar with curatorial practices, with the radically open phenomenon known as ArtPrize now entering its sixth year in Grand Rapids, the general public is becoming increasingly aware of the value of curating as well.

No matter the venue, whether a traditional gallery or nontraditional location, visitors can often “feel” when works of art are presented in a thoughtful way. When each work can be appreciated on its own and also enhanced by its surroundings.

In the same way, one can also feel disconnected with the art when the presentation is cluttered and mismatched.

“Essentially, a curator is one who selects artists and artwork, organizes the selection and presents it in a way that creates new meanings and provides context,” said Michele Bosak, curator of exhibitions at Kendall College of Art & Design at Ferris State University.

Cindy Buckner, associate curator at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, explains the process in further detail.

“In curating an exhibition, many things are taken into consideration: the size and scale of the pieces relative to each other, how the colors of the works look in a given grouping, whether the subject matters of the works are comparable or complement each other, how the piece relates to the space of the room, etc.” Buckner said. “By taking all these things into account, each work of art is shown to its best advantage, and ideally the context in which it is placed can produce new insights into the work.”

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While professional curators such as Bosak and Buckner work on an individual level and then also in the larger context of the exhibition. What happens between two works when dedicate a significant amount of time to keeping up with what’s happening in the art world, including the new artplaced in proximity to each other (think about placement in terms of aesthetic, context, proportion)? Does it strengthen ists, exhibitions and galleries that are creating an impact the interpretation?” around the world, those new to the art of curating should not be shy about approaching the task with a strong personal Buckner agreed with the importance of placement, and added a couple of words of practical advice as well. commitment.

“Leave a good amount of space between the pieces When asked what three most important things a nonso that the viewers can appreciate them. Sometimes less is traditional venue should consider when curating an exhibition, Bosak responded: Authorship.

Vision. Destabilizing.

“A curator is an author of sorts and frames the meaning of the work,” she said. “Choose work that speaks to you. If you cannot be excited about the work and create context, how do you expect your audience to be interested?”

—Michele Bosak, curator of exhibitions at Kendall College of Art & Design Maintaining your vision is important as well. Bosak said curators can do this by creating a short blurb that describes the more,” she said. “[And it’s] almost always better to install a essence of the show. work of art so that it is centered at eye-level, unless it was “Whenever you feel off-track or questioning too many made to be seen from a different viewpoint.” aspects, return to that short written description.”

Ideally, the experience with a well-curated exhibition In terms of destabilizing, Bosak said you have to consider should leave visitors walking away as if they just spent quality works by themselves and next to one another. time listening to their favorite album. Satisfied yet wanting “A curator’s job is to destabilize the audience by creating more, with thoughts and ideas about the work still lingering possibilities for new meanings to occur. Always consider the in their minds. n

“Essentially, a curator is one who selects artists and artwork, organizes the selection and presents it in a way that creates new meanings and provides context.”

Inside last year’s Artprize exhibition at Kendall, which won the juried award for best venue.

REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

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The Arts Issue | Season Preview

Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World and the whimsical Butterflies Are Blooming.

Emerging Sculptors, Sept.19-Jan. 4 Chrysanthemums and More, Sept. 19-Oct. 26 Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World, Nov. 25-Jan. 4 Splendors of Shiga, Jan. 30-Aug. 15 Butterflies Are Blooming, March 1-April 30

Grand Rapids Art Museum

101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids artmuseumgr.org, (616) 831-1000

Fed Galleries at Kendall College of Art & Design

Photo: Matt Gubancsik

visual art (106) Gallery and Studio (Calvin College)

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

106 S. Division, Grand Rapids calvin.edu/centerartgallery/studio, (616) 526-6271 There are two main events at the (106) Gallery this fall. The season kicks off with Reflexion, a 2014 ArtPrize exhibition that includes several forms of traditional and non-traditional painting, printmaking, sculpture and installation.

Following Reflexion is the Art Education Exhibition, where art pieces from graduating Art Education students from Calvin College are displayed.

Reflexion – ArtPrize 2014, Sept. 5-Oct. 12 Art Education Exhibition, Dec. 5-Jan. 23

Con Artist Crew Gallery 1111 Godfrey, #198, 16C, Grand Rapids

The Con Artist Crew mixes art with technology, presenting its audiences with ArtLustr.

This program can be utilized anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection and allows viewers to browse and purchase art featured in the gallery’s shows.

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See Facebook for upcoming shows: facebook.com/pages/Con-Artist-Crew

Glitter Milk Gallery

901 Alpine Ave. NW, Grand Rapids glittermilkgallery.com

Glitter Milk Gallery aims to combine highbrow and lowbrow art into one world.

Hence the name. Glitter represents something gaudy and milk is the nectar of life. So what happens when you combine the two?

This theme is explored through illustration, graphic design, pop surrealism, lowbrow and sculpture with bi-monthly shows. For Glitter Milk’s ArtPrize debut, the gallery presents the League of Extraordinary Ladies exhibition, which brings in Laurie Langford and Angeline ALB from Canada. Together, they will celebrate “self-made communities amongst women, and the almost cartoonish characters that women utilize in order to express themselves.”

League of Extraordinary Ladies, Sept.

24-Oct. 12

Fire Barn Gallery 18 N. 5th St., Grand Haven firebarngallery.com

Fire Barn Gallery’s Seeing the DIA: ArtWalk Site-Map 2014 exhibition is a tribute to the Detroit Institute of Arts, where artists will copy or interpret a piece of art from the DIA’s collection. The show will be judged by Annmarie Erickson, executive vice president of the Detroit Institute of Arts, who is the opening keynote speaker and also presenting the awards.

Seeing the DIA: ArtWalk Site-Map 2014, Sept. 24-Oct. 12

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park 1000 E. Beltline NE, Grand Rapids meijergardens.org, (616) 957-1580

2015 is about to be a big year for Frederik Meijer Gardens with the celebration of its 20th anniversary and the opening of the highly anticipated Japanese Garden. The sculpture exhibit Splendors of Shiga will follow the Japanese theme. Catch a glimpse into the rich history of Japanese culture with displays of pottery scrolls, kimonos, along with a video in the auditorium and maps and didactics in the atrium. Of course, you can always catch annual crowd pleasers like

This fall at the GRAM, the ArtPrize 2014 exhibition titled [DIS]COMFORT ZONES will wow audiences with its strange twist on art. The exhibition takes risks while pushing boundaries that draw viewers out of their comfort zones. Artists will make changes on subject matter, processes and point of view in order to invoke a new perspective on how we see the world — through themes of body and identity, politics and war, vulnerability and ambiguity, danger and violence, fragmentation and distortion and culture and religion.

GRAM Selects ArtPrize 2013: Encore, through Oct. 12 ArtPrize [DIS]COMFORT ZONES, Sept.

24-Oct 12 Marks of Genius: 100 Extraordinary Drawings from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Oct. 26-Jan. 18, 2015

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

314 South Park St., Kalamazoo kiarts.org, (269) 349-7775 The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts celebrates a whopping 90th season this fall with a special exhibition, Lasting Legacy: A Collection For Kalamazoo. In it, visitors will be able to see highlights from the KIA’s collection, including pieces by celebrated artists such as Rembrandt, Andy Warhol, Mary Cassatt, Milton Avery and more. The Institute further celebrates its collection by getting local artists involved with its exhibition Double Take - Artists Respond to the Collection.

The exhibition is exactly how it sounds: 30 Kalamazoo artists are brought in to interpret a KIA work that inspires them. Toward the end of the year, KIA brings in contemporary Korean sculptor, Seungmo Park, who is known for his detailed wire-wrapped objects.

Double Take - Artists Respond to the Collection: Aug 23-Jan 4 A Collector’s Eye: Works from the Collection of Sheila and Jim Bridenstine, Sept. 6-Jan. 4 Lasting Legacy - A Collection for Kalamazoo: Sept. 6-Dec 7

Art of the Live Experiment: Date TBD I AM: Money Matters (ArtPrize exhibition), through Oct. 12

LaFontsee Galleries 833 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids 410 W Center St., Douglas lafontsee.us

LaFontsee Galleries showcases scores of local artists — even more so since opening a second location in Douglas. Take a peek at URBAN/RURAL Michigan Outlook, a collection of works that focuses on Michigan’s diversity through landscapes.

William Powhida, Kendall College of Art & Design, for Artprize Seungmo Park - Meticulously Snipped and Wrapped, Dec. 20-March 15

Kendall College of Art and Design 17 Fountain St. NW, Grand Rapids kendall.edu, (616) 451-2787

Kendall takes a deeper look into identity with this season’s exhibition program. I AM, a three-part exhibition, explores the internal and external perceptions of self, making you look closely at how you view yourself and how you present yourself to the outside world. The first installment, Money Matters, is KCAD’s ArtPrize exhibition, intends to raise “bold questions about currency, consumption, and value in exploring their influence on human beings, our emotions, and our understanding of the world around us.”

URBAN/RURAL Michigan Outlook Art Opening and Live Jazz (Douglas location): Sept 6 URBAN/RURAL Michigan Outlook (Douglas location), Sept. 6-Oct. 4 Modern Twist Art Opening and Gallery Stroll (Douglas location), Oct. 11 Fall Celebration Art Opening Reception (GR location), Nov. 7

Con Artist Crew’s Commix exhibit at UICA

LowellArts!

lowellartscouncil.org, (616) 897-8545 Since 1977, LowellArts! has brought the West Michigan community a mix of eclectic entertainment, from art and theatre to music and festivals. The 2014/2015 season is no different, with the annual Fallasburg Fall Festival for the Arts kicking off the season. In its 46th year, the festival presents juried fine arts and crafts booths, as well as activities for children, live music and food. Throughout the season, LowellArts! is dedicated to diverse arts offerings, from looking at the watercolor medium to interactive dinner theatres and artist markets.

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Con Artist Crew Develops ArtLustr App to Make Art More Accessible

Megan Klco, LaFontsee Galleries REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

on Artist Crew, an eclectic group of West Michigan artists, is giving audiences universal accessibility to shows. The group has developed ArtLustr, an interactive electronic still program that can be used anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. Users can connect to ArtLustr at kiosks in the gallery, at home or on the go, enabling them to learn more about art events, various artists and even allow them to purchase art through the app. The Crew’s innovative program has brought West Michigan a new way to experience art, making it more convenient for both the audience and the gallery.

According to Magdalene Law, owner of Con Artist Crew, ArtLustr is a oneof-a-kind platform designed to ease some of the pressure from gallery owners while maintaining sales.

“ArtLustr benefits galleries by allowing [owners] to focus on networking and building relationships with their visitors instead of on selling art pieces,” Law said.

Although the program is still in its beta phase, results have shown the platform is successful in increasing sales.

“What we look at is the normal amount of art an establishment usually sells in a given time frame,” Law said. “Then we look at what was sold when the Con Artist Crew was there.”

During one of the first shows with ArtLustr, the gallery saw sales traffic jump from one or two pieces a month to more than 10 pieces within a few weeks.

“The awesome thing is that we know it solves a problem,” Law said. “What we’re currently working on is how it’s solving the problem and what we can do to tailor it to the art establishment to achieve the best results.”

The program’s convenience not only benefits the galleries, however. By using a highly accessible web-based program, Con Artist Crew creates the opportunity to expand from its small, niche group of fans and expose new audiences to its particular art style.

“We don’t want to push the art. If you like it, you like it,” Law said. “Grand Rapids can be traditional when it comes to art and we want to open up the community to contemporary street art. We feel that it brings color, energy and movement to what otherwise would have been boring, un-inspirational buildings.” —Carlie Soule

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The Arts Issue | Season Preview

Double B Take

Q&A with Vicki Wright from the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts on its 90th anniversary and exhibition celebrating both KIA’s collection and local artists it inspires

46th Annual Fallasburg Fall Festival for the Arts, Sept. 20-21 Explore: Watercolor, through Sept. 27 Michigan Watercolor Society Exhibition Travel Show, Oct. 1-31 Cookin’ With Gus Fall Dinner Theatre Production, Date TBD The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs, Date TBD LowellArts! Holiday Market, Winter A Second Glance: A Showcase of Local Artists from ArtPrize 2014, January The Tropical Pickle Spring Dinner Theatre Production, Date TBD 29th Annual West Michigan Regional Art Competition, Spring LowellArts! Student Art Show, Date TBD

Muskegon Museum of Art

296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon muskegonartmuseum.org, (231) 720-2570

Karen Bondarchuk’s Seated Bull (tarred and feathered), pictured right, in response to Andy Warhol’s General Custer, pictured left.

How did the concept for the Double Take exhibit develop?

We feel the Kalamazoo region and West Michigan in general is very rich in the visual arts and one of the things we’re doing this year at KIA is celebrating our 90th anniversary. We have amassed a pretty distinctive and strong collection, particularly in American art, but in other areas, as well, so we wanted to find a way to highlight what we think are two great visual arts resources in Kalamazoo. That is, firstly, the KIA’s collection of art, which is now almost 4,500 pieces and secondly, to highlight and to showcase the vibrant community of visual artists that we have living here in this area.

Get a taste of multicultural art through a number of mediums at Muskegon Museum of Art this year. Special exhibitions include Japenese robot toys, a photography exhibition that honors the events that happened on 9/11, an artist that takes LEGOs and turns them into breathtaking sculptures and more.

The season ends with the 87th Regional Exhibition, which celebrates the talent we have in Michigan.

Color and Whimsy: The Art of Jacques Potin, through Sept. 18 Nancy Crow: Transformational Quilts, through Oct. 26 Remember and Rebuild: Picturing the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Sept. 11-Nov. 9 Stuart Klipper: The World in a Few States, Sept. 11-Nov. 9

West Michigan Symphony: Celebrating 75 Years, Sept. 18-Nov. 2 Japanese Warriors: Robots from the Warren Schwartz Collection, Nov. 6-Feb. 15 Japanese Traditions, Nov. 6-Jan. 26 Festival of Trees, Nov. 20-30 The Essential Elijah Pierce, Dec. 11-Feb. 9 Branching Out: Michigan Woodworkers, Dec. 11-Feb. 9 Belinda The Ballerina & Friends: The Illustrations of Amy Young, Feb. 5-April 26 The Art of Brick®: LEGO® Brick Art by Nathan Sawaya, Feb. 19-May 3 Postcard Salon, Feb. 26-March 12 Expressions 2015: 33nd Annual Muskegon County Student Art Exhibition, March 25-April 23 Manierre Dawson: Engineering Abstraction, April 30-Aug. 9 Take Me Out To The Ball Game, May 7-Aug 30 87th Regional Exhibition, June 4-Aug. 5

Saugatuck Center for the Arts 400 Culver St., Saugatuck sc4a.org, (269) 857-2399

Not just art, not just theatre and not just music, Saugatuck Center for the Arts offers well-rounded culture for West Michigan. This fall’s art exhibition features Richard Renaldi’s photographs of men, women and children touching each other in some manner. The pieces look at social boundaries and what it means to be a stranger, as all people in the photos do not know each other. SC4A is featuring a number of films as well, with a number of documentaries slated for the fall.

Touching Strangers, through Nov. 2 Creativity Revealed, Sept. 2 Real to Reel: Finding Vivian Maier, Sept. 11

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

Do you think it presents a unique challenge for an artist to create his or her own version of a piece that’s already so distinctive or well known?

Absolutely. Not every artist would have wanted to undertake a project like this.

We invited 45 or 50 artists and we have 30 who are participating. So, we invited artists who we thought would respond to this kind of challenge or project. ... I’m sure we missed some great artists; there wasn’t an open call. We really spent some time thinking about artists that we were fairly confident would respond to a project like this.

What do you think the Double Take exhibition can teach us, as viewers, about how the creative process works?

Throughout history, all artists are in some way or another responding to works that have come before them and artists who have come before them. So it’s interesting to see this kind of literal comparison between an artist who really is picking up a particular work and interpreting it in some way. The statements are important, too, because the statements will help people understand a little bit about the thought process (the contemporary artist) went through and what exactly they were reacting to.

Vicki Wright is the director of collections and exhibitions at Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Double Take: Artists Respond to the Collection will be on exhibit and opened for public tours until Jan. 4. —Anya Zentmeyer

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Anila Quayyum Agha, Grand Rapids Art Museum, for ArtPrize

Henry Brimmer, at UICA for ArtPrize Intriguing Conversation: Community for All, Sept. 18 Janice Siegel, Sept 19 Al Stewart, Oct. 4 Real to Reel: Fed Up, Oct. 9 Saugatuck Shorts, Oct. 18 Real to Reel: Life Itself, Nov. 13 Suzanne Vega, Nov. 22 Real to Reel: Shoot Me: Elaine Stitch, Dec. 11

Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts 2 W. Fulton, Grand Rapids uica.org, (616) 454-7000

Part of the UICA’s mission is to build a creative community through collaboration.

For this year’s ArtPrize, the UICA puts that mission to work through an exhibition that’s simply titled: Collaboration. The gallery space is used to host themes that accompany collaboration, including community, identity, learning and nature. In addition, you can expect the UICA to devote time to quality film programming, where you can watch independent titles you may not see anywhere else. And of course, there’s the an-

20,000 Days on Earth at UICA nual OddBall, where proceeds will go toward the UICA. Life After Beth, through Sept. 4 Frank, through Sept. 11 The Dog, Sept. 5-8 The Congress, Sept. 12-25 OddBall 2014: Lux, Sept. 13 The Zero Theorem, Sept. 19-Oct. 2 Davie Bowie Is..., Sept. 23 Collaboration, Sept. 24-Oct. 12 20,000 Days on Earth, October 3-19

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MOVEMEDIA:

Grand Rapids Ballet Company

performing arts Actors’ Theatre

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

143 Bostwick Ave. NE, Grand Rapids actorstheatregrandrapids.com, (616) 234-3817 Actors’ Theatre presents five shows this season. 4000 Miles is a drama about reaching an understanding between a 21 year old and his 91-year-old grandmother. Chess is a musical about two chess masters chasing after a championship and the same woman. Water

By The Spoonful is the story of an Iraq War veteran who joins an online classroom and finds support in coping with the aftermaths of war and addiction. The Light in the Piazza is a 1953 love story in the Tuscan countryside. Lastly, Other Desert Cities portrays a family gathering in which a tragic past event is spurred to life when the daughter Brooke aims to record it in her memoir.

4000 Miles, Oct. 2-11 Chess, Dec. 4-11 Water By The Spoonful, Jan. 29-Feb. 7 The Light In The Piazza, March 19-28 Other Desert Cities, May 14-23

Broadway Grand Rapids 122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids broadwaygrandrapids.com, (616) 235-6285

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Metamorphoses, Nov. 13-15, 20-22 Existence: The Funniest Thing That Evey Happened To Us, Feb. 5-7 Pride and Prejudice, April 23-25, 30-May 2

Broadway Grand Rapids will present four award-winning shows for its 2014/2015 season, including Kinky Boots, Once, Annie and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In addition to the main shows, BGR will present four special events: Elf: The Musical, I Love Lucy Live On Stage, Dancing Pros Live! and Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles.

These shows are great enough to keep us at bay until the company brings in The Phantom of the Opera in 2016.

Circle Theatre

1607 Robinson Rd. SE, Grand Rapids circletheatre.org, (616) 632-1980 The Circle Theatre will announce its 2015 performances at the Season End Party on Sept. 7. The party will include food and beverages, sneak previews and special one-day discounts. Tickets are free for 2014 season ticket holders and $10-$12 for the general public. The event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sept. 30-Oct. 5 Once, Nov. 4-9 Elf: The Musical, Nov. 28-30 Annie, Jan. 13-18 I Love Lucy, Feb. 10-12 Dancing Pros Live, April 17 Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles, May 13 Kinky Boots, June 2-7

Calvin Theatre Company

Season End Party, Sept. 7

Farmers Alley Theatre Kalamazoo farmersalleytheatre.com, (269) 343-2727

Beehive, Mason Street Warehouse at

3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids calvin.edu/academic/cas/ctc, (616) 526-6282

Saugatuck Center for the Arts

This fall, Calvin Theatre takes you into the past with Metamorphoses. Watch the tales of Ovid unfold with ancient characters such as King Midas, Orpheus, Eurydice, Apollo and Cupid. Rid away the winter blues with the

short comedies of Existence: The Funniest Thing That’s Every Happened To Us. As spring approaches, journey through the trials and triumphs of Pride and Prejudice.

Farmers Alley Theatre is bringing six major productions to West Michigan for 2014 and 2015. The season kicks off with a family friendly musical, The Secret Garden, followed by the feel-good number, And The World Goes ‘Round. The new year starts off with a comedy, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, then moves to a famous modern

theatre show The Glass Menagerie. Expect romance this spring with Dogfight and end the season The Great American Trailer Park Musical.

The Secret Garden, Sept. 19-Oct. 12 And the World Goes ‘Round, Dec. 5-28 Vanya and Sonia Marsha and Spike, Feb. 6-22 The Glass Menagerie, April 10-26 Dogfight, June 5-28 The Great American Trailer Park Musical, July 17-Aug. 9

Gilmore Theatre/WMU Theatre 1903 W Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo wmich.edu/theatre, (269) 387-3227

WMU Theater offers a wide variety of performances this upcoming season. Ranging from documentary to comedy to Shakespeare, WMU Theater offers productions for all theatrical tastes.

Check Your Privilege, Sept. 26-Oct. 12 One Man, Two Guvnors, Oct. 10-19 Cymbeline, Oct. 24-Nov. 2 Hair, Book and Lyrics, Nov. 14-23 Late Night Broadway – Starring Broadway’s Jeff Blumenkrantz, Dec. 4-7 The Whale, Jan. 23-Feb. 8 Gaslight, Feb. 6-15 Charlotte’s Web, March 20-29 Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding, March 26-April 12 Man of La Mancha, April 10-19

Grand Rapids Ballet Company

341 Ellsworth Ave. SW, Grand Rapids grballet.com, (616) 454-4771 Classic and contemporary themes take over Grand Rapids Ballet Company during the upcoming season. It begins with the Season Kick-Off Party, followed by classics that include several variations of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Beethoven. On the contemporary side, audiences can enjoy MOVEMEDIA, Who Am I? A Butterfly Ballet and Spring Break for Kids.

30 N Division Ave., Grand Rapids grct.org, (616) 222-6650

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre brings in an eclectic array of performances this season.

The musical productions include the family friendly Mary Poppins, a story of war and love with South Pacific, a children’s musical based off the book Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day, an adult comedy Avenue Q and a teen favorite, Footloose. If you’re not the singing type, drama performances include the heartfelt The Boatwright and children’s play, A Little Princess.

The Boat Wright, Sept. 12-28 Mary Poppins, Nov. 14-Dec. 14 The Mousetrap, Jan.16-Feb. 1 South Pacific, Feb. 22-March 22 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, April 24-May 3 Avenue Q, May 29-June 14 Footloose, July 24-Aug. 2 A Little Princess, July 24-Aug. 2

GVSU Fall Arts

gvsu.edu/fallarts, (616) 331-2185 GVSU celebrates all aspects of the arts with this lineup that includes poetry, art, music, dance, lecture and a holiday celebration.

Take a look through Stuart and Barbara Padnos’ expansive art collection, discuss professional journalism in a DIY age with Scott Simon and get introduced to new dance language, GaGa, through Gallim Dance, a New York City-based contemporary dance company.

Pioneers of American Musical Theatre: Music from the Lost Operettas of John Philip Sousa, Sept. 15 Shared Passion: A Gift of the Stuart and Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Sept. 30 Lecture: Scott Simon, “Professional Journalism in a DIY Age,” Oct. 6

An Evening of Poetry and Conversation with Mark Doty and Dorianne Laux, Oct. 16 Gallim Dance: Articulate Bodies, Visceral Language, Oct. 27 The Many Moods of Christmas: Celebrating the Traditional Music of the Holidays, Dec. 8

GVSU Theatre

290 Lake Superior Hall gvsu.edu/theatre, (616) 331-2300 Following its annual tradition, GVSU kicks off its theatre season with the Shakespeare Festival on Sept. 26. This year, the university’s theatre is set to perform the Bard’s The Comedy of Errors. GVSU takes a dark and heartfelt turn in November with The Women of Lockerbie. The play is based on a true story about a plane exploding over Lockerbie, Scotland. The women in Lockerbie take the belongings from those who perished in order to clean them up and give them back to the deceased’s families.

Shakespeare Festival, Sept. 26 The Comedy of Errors, Sept. 26-Oct 5 Performance Studio Series, Oct. 19-21, 2014 and Feb. 13-15, 2015 The Women of Lockerbie, Nov. 7-16 GVSU Opera Theatre Presents Company, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 6-8, 13-15 Restoration Comedy, March 20-22, 26-29

Holland Civic Theatre

50 W. 9th St., Holland hollandcivictheatre. org, (616) 396-2021

Holland Civic’s season kicks off with a play within a play, Man of La Mancha. Inspired

by Don Quixote, it’s a musical that follows the novel’s writer, Miguel de Cervantes, in the late sixteenth century. The Civic’s Artistic Committee is also working on creating

Gallim Dance: Articulate Bodies, Visceral Language, GVSU

a unique, original script that has never before been seen on stage. Mysteriously called Special Christmas Production, it revolves around mall Santas. The season ends with the ever-popular production Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Man of La Mancha, Oct. 2 Special Christmas Production, Nov. 28 The Importance of Being Earnest, Jan. 29 January Thaw, April 9 The Velveteen Rabbit, July 9 Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr., Aug. 6

Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids

2727 Michigan NE, Grand Rapids jtgr.org, (616) 234-3595

Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids has devoted nearly two dozen years to providing quality productions with Jewish themes that also have a mass appeal. This season is no different, with three productions on the 2014/2015 schedule. The first production of the season, One Night with Fanny Brice, is a one-woman show about the life of vaudeville and radio singer. Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids follows it up with Arthur Miller’s classic Death of a Salesman and ends with The Triangle Factory Fire Project, based on the tragic events during a 1911 factory fire.

One Night with Fanny Brice, Jan. 7-18 Death of a Salesman, April 16-26 The Triangle Factory Fire Project, June 11-21

Kalamazoo Civic Theatre

329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kazoocivic.com, (269) 343-1313 With 14 different shows, there is never a dull moment during the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre’s 86th season. The productions range from comedies to tragedies and everything in between. Take the kids to a showing of Shrek the Musical or for those that want a little date night, Crazy for You is the perfect play with a balance between wittiness and romance. Productions that transcend age include the delightful My Fair Lady and the fantastical The Hobbit.

My Fair Lady, Sept. 26-Oct. 12 I Was a Rat, Oct. 17-25 Grand Ole Music, Nov. 14-22 Shrek the Musical, Nov. 28-Dec. 14 Lend Me a Tenor, Jan. 9-24 The Who’s Tommy-The Rock Musical, Jan. 23-Feb. 7 The Hobbit, Feb. 20-27 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, March 6-22 Stepping Out, March 20-April 4 Richard the 3rd, April 10-25 A Piece of My Heart, April 24-May 3 Crazy for You, May 1-16 Anne of Green Gables, May 15-23

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Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

Season Kick-Off Party, Sept. 13 Grand Rapids Ballet School Junior Company Halloween Spooktacular Oct. 24-26 The Nutcracker Premiere Gala, Dec. 11 The Nutcracker, Dec. 12-14 & 19-21 Clara’s Nutcracker Party, Dec. 14 Swan Lake, Feb. 6-8 & 13-15 MOVEMEDIA Program I, March 13-15 MOVEMEDIA Program II, April 16-17 & 19 Grand Rapids Ballet School Junior Company Who Am I? A Butterfly Ballet, March 7 and 21 Spring Break for Kids, April 7-9 Beethoven, May 8-10 & 15-17

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre

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making it more than just the story you’ve heard over and over again at Sunday school.

If biblical isn’t your style, go for seductive with the classic opera Carmen, which kicks off the season. Opera GR’s version will be performed by more than 50 adult and youth chorus singers and feature the GR Symphony Orchestra as well.

Carmen, Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Noah’s Flood, Feb. 13-15 Tosca, May 1-2

Stark Turn Players starkturnplayers.org

Just in time for Halloween, Stark Turn Players turns Poltergeist into its annual musical parody. Written by Sarah E. Stark and Jacqueline Frid, the team is turning to local musician Julia Yob for music composition. Upping the fun and excitement is a midnight show on Oct. 24, where there will be refreshments and a costume party and contest.

Once, at Broadway Grand Rapids and The Wharton Center

Miller Auditorium

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

1903 W Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo millerauditorium.com, (269) 387-2309 For more than 40 years, Miller Auditorium has brought in top-notch entertainment you could only see in big-city environments. Well, Miller makes it so you don’t have to travel to the big city to see shows like Sister Act, STOMP, Beauty and the Beast and Blue Man Group. Miller is also bringing back author and humorist David Sedaris, as well as Mannheim Steamroller for a special Christmas-themed performance. That’s not the only time Miller gets in the holiday spirit. For Halloween, Miller brings in Jekyll and Hyde, a modernized telling of the classic tale about good and evil. For those looking for something more eccentric, DIAVOLO: Architecture in Motion fuses a number of practices together: ballet, martial arts, contemporary dance, acrobatics, gymnastics, hip-hop and everyday movement to explore the environment and fragility of the human body.

Jekyll and Hyde, Oct. 3-4 Parson’s Dance, Oct. 14 Pinkalicious, Oct. 26 David Sedaris, Oct. 27 Sister Act, Nov. 1 Last Comic Standing, Nov. 8 The Lettermen, Nov. 16 Elf the Musical, Nov. 25-26 Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, Nov. 29 Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, Dec. 2 Wynonna and the Big Noise - A Simpler Christmas, Dec. 18

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Magic of Motown, Jan. 17 Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Jan. 21-22 The Four Bitchin’ Babes - Hormonal Imbalance, Jan. 31 Ballroom with a Twist, Feb. 6 Gold Company- From Brazil with Love, Feb. 14 STOMP, Feb. 27 Ivy and Bean the Musical, March 1 PFX- Pink Floyd Experience, March 14 The Women of Ireland, March 15 Blue Man Group, March 20-21 Peter and the Starcatcher, March 29 Air Supply, April 18 DIAVOLO - Architecture in Motion, April 21

Opera Grand Rapids 161 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids operagr.com, (616) 451-2741

Opera Grand Rapids gets biblical this season with Noah’s Flood. You know the story. God gets pissed at mankind, except for Noah, who’s doing OK in God’s eyes. So he builds an ark and, well, you know. Except this time around, the story is played out by Opera Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Symphony soloists and local youth arts organizations,

Muskegon Civic Theatre

425 W Western Ave. #401, Muskegon muskegoncivictheatre.org, (231) 722-3852

Van Singel Fine Arts Center 8500 Burlingame SW, Byron Center vsfac.com, (616) 878-6800

Van Singel Fine Arts Center prides itself on a number of things. It not only brings in a number of high-quality off-Broadway performances every year, but keeps its ticket prices affordable in order to provide rich culture and education to the community. This spring, Van Singel performs the true and tragic life story of Buddy Holly in Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story. It follows his overnight success to his plane-crash death less than two years after “That’ll Be the Day” climbed up the airwaves.

Also expect intimate musical performances

by Terell Stafford, Kris Hitchcock and Small Town Son and The Texas Tenors.

Four Stand Up Dads, Oct. 16 Christmas with Selah,Dec. 12 Kris Hitchcock and Small Town Son Old Mission Collective, Jan. 15 The Texas Tenors, Jan. 18 Electrify your Strings, Jan. 27 Ivy and Bean the Musical, March 3 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, March 5 Buddy- The Buddy Holly Story, March 31 Cool Jazz feat Terell Stafford and Byron Center Jazz Ensembles, May 2

With five different productions this year, there are plenty of opportunities to see the hard work that goes into Muskegon Civic Theatre’s shows. Bring the family for a holiday performance of A Christmas Story or Peter Pan, for not just the young, but young at heart. For adults, Working presents a musical look at the daily grind we all have to endure.

Working, Sept. 19-21, 25-28, Oct. 2-4 A Christmas Story, Nov. 21-23, 28-30, 4-7 Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (Season Special): Jan. 16-18, 22-24 Other Desert Cities, Feb. 20-22, 26-28, March 1, 5-7 Peter Pan, April 30, May 1-3

Poltergeist a Musical Parody, Oct. 23-26 10-Minute Playwrighting Contest, Nov. 1 Lake Effect Fringe Festival, April 30-May 3

Wealthy Theatre

1130 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids grcmc.org, (616) 459-4788 x 130

Tosca, presented by Opera Grand Rapids

Movies and music take over Wealthy Theatre this fall. The Meanwhile Movie series contin-

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The Arts Issue | Season Preview

ues with titles such as The Big Lebowski, Labyrinth, The Jerk and more on screen this fall. Hitting up the stage are musicians that are part of the Live at Wealthy Theatre series.

These intimate performances include Vieux Farka Toure, Joan Osborne and My Brightest Diamond to name a few.

Meanwhile Movie: The Big Lebowski, Sept. 2 Live at Wealthy Theatre an Evening with Vieux Farka Toure, Sept. 8 Meanwhile Movie: Labyrinth, Sept. 9 Meanwhile Movie: The Jerk, Sept. 16 Meanwhile Movie: The Neverending Story, Sept. 23 Meanwhile Movie: Dirty Dancing, Sept. 30 Live at Wealthy Theatre presents an Evening with Joan Osborne, Oct. 16 Live at Wealthy Theatre presents an Evening with My Brightest Diamond, Nov. 11 Live at Wealthy Theatre presents and Evening with The Bad Plus, Dec. 12 Christopher Titus: The Angry Pursuit of Happiness, Jan. 15

Brian Regan, Dec. 13 Holiday Pops, Dec. 14 Annie, Dec. 16-21 MasterWorks 4: Tchaikovsky & Beethoven, Jan. 10 Blue Man Group, Jan.16-18 Pippin, Jan. 27-Feb. 1 “MASTER HAROLD”...and the boys, Jan. 30-31 Theatre2Film Project, Jan. 30-Feb. 8 The Hot Sardines, Feb. 8 Walnut Street Theatre- A Life in the Theatre, Feb. 11-12 I Love Lucy, Feb. 13-15 Macbeth, Feb. 20-March 1 Wicked Divas: Broadway & Beyond, Feb. 21

Mike Lloyd

Photo: Tim motley

Phantom sets a new stage for Broadway entertainment in GR

Wharton Center

750 E. Shaw Ln., East Lansing whartoncenter.com, (517) 353-1982

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

We just dare you to go through Wharton’s season without finding something you’ll enjoy. The center brings almost every sort of performance art to the stage, from music and comedy to theatre, jazz and ballet. The list just goes on and on. This season, expect to see Broadway hits like Once, Annie and The Phantom of the Opera as well as big names like David Sedaris, Rosanne Cash and Brian Regan.

MasterWorks1: 85th Season Opener, Sept. 12 Michele Norris, Sept. 15 60/50 Theatre Project, Sept. 18-28 Signature Lecture with Soledad O’Brien & Isabel Wilkerson, Oct. 2 Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Oct. 8 Carrie the Musical, Oct. 10-19 MasterWorks2: Chopin & Mendelssohn, Oct. 11 Lewis Black, Oct. 12 Once, Oct. 14-19 Rosanne Cash, Oct. 23 Post Comedy Theatre, Oct. 26 David Sedaris, Oct. 26 Eisenhower Dance- The Light Show, Oct. 30 MasterWorks 3: Choral Fantasy, Nov. 1 Freshman Showcase, Nov. 6-9 Lansing Symphony Jazz Band I, Nov. 9 Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Nov. 9 Anna Deavere Smith, Nov. 10 Dance Theatre of Harlem, Nov. 12 Arturo Sandoval, Nov. 14 Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Nov. 14-23 Dancing Pros- Live, Nov. 15 Julian Sands in- A Celebration of Harold Pinter, Nov. 16 The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller, Dec. 3

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Q&A with Mike Lloyd, Broadway Grand Rapids Executive Director

Lewis Black at Wharton Center Long Lost Stories, Feb. 21 2Cellos, Feb. 22 Susan Cain, March 2 MasterWorks 5: Enigma Variations, March 7 Reduced Shakespeare, March 19 The Gruffalo’s Child, March 21 Moscow City Ballet- Swan Lake, March 21 Lansing Symphony Jazz Band II, March 22 Mummenschanz, March 25 Strange Interlude, March 26-April 4 Jumpin’ Jazz Kids- A Swinging Jungle Tale, March 29 The Phantom of the Opera, April 1-12 Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, April 16 Hair, April 17-26 Ira Glass, April 18 Harold and the Purple Crayon, April 19 Spectrum: The Music of Motown, April 24 Itzhak Perlman, April 25 Cécile McLorin Salvant, April 29 Fly Guy and other Stories, May 2 MasterWorks 6: Firebird, May 15 Kinky Boots, May 26-31 Celtic Woman, June 17

When The Phantom of the Opera comes to DeVos Hall in May 2016, it will mark quite a few milestones for Grand Rapids theatre. What does this opportunity mean for Broadway Grand Rapids?

The Phantom of the Opera is a singular event for Broadway Grand Rapids and the community. It will be the first time ever a show has been on stage at DeVos for two whole weeks —16 performances — which means there’s more regional draw. We will have people coming to town throughout Michigan, probably Indiana, possibly Canada, Ohio. This is huge for our community. The second thing is that it’s a huge show in terms of its physical presence. There will be 18 semis coming to town unloading stage sets and costumes — like 300 tons worth.

What are some of the structural modifications planned in order to host Phantom of the Opera?

For this show to come here, DeVos Hall has to be modified, has to be upgraded.

They’re things you wouldn’t see from your seat, but for the famous signature chandelier that falls into the hall, we have to have structural steel put into the ceiling so everybody is safe when this dramatic collapse happens. All of the sets need a special reinforced stage to be able to hold the weight and to allow for sort of two levels of staging right there in front of you.

What’s the number-one reason hosting Phantom of the Opera is worth the $300,000 investment required to make those modifications? $300,000 is a lot of money if we’re talking about out of your wallet or mine, but in terms of the total dollar impact in the community, it’s a drop in the bucket. It is a one-time investment that sets up the opportunity for many other shows like Aladdin or like Wicked or like Lion King to come here, too. You do this once and you can have all of those and that makes Grand Rapids competitive with any other markets in the Midwest.

Interview conducted and condensed by Anya Zentmeyer. Edited by Lindsay Patton-Carson

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The Arts Issue | Season Preview

Superposition: University Music Society

Photo: Kazuo Fukunaga

music Fontana Chamber Arts

359 S. Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 200, Kalamazoo fontanachamberarts.org, (269) 382-7774

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

The Fontana Chamber Arts will showcase a variety of concerts during the 2015 season.

These include string quartets, clarinet, piano, banjo and choral groups.

600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids fhfineartscenter.com, (616) 493-8966 If variety is your style, Forest Hills Fine Arts Center is the place to visit this year. The 2014/2015 season brings a comedy act by Frank Caliendo, sixties hits by The Midtown Men, country star Kix Brooks, a piano holiday special by Jim Brickman, a juxtaposition of famous Broadway acts in 100 Years of Broadway and last but not least, Celtic Thunder, an Irish stage show.

Frank Caliendo, Oct. 10 The Midtown Men - Four Stars From the Original Cast of Broadway’s Jersey Boys, Oct. 24 An Evening with Kix Brooks, Nov. 7 Jim Brickman On A Winter’s Night, Dec. 15 The Very Best of Celtic Thunder, March 27 100 Years of Broadway, April 22

Emerson String Quartet, Sept. 26 Pacifica String Quartet with Anthony McGill (clarinet), Oct. 24 Béla Fleck, Banjo – with Brooklyn Rider, Nov. 15 Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna, Nov. 30 Jordi Savall (violin), Jan. 24 Dinner and a Show – Kris Bowers Trio, Feb. 20, Garrick Ohlsson (piano), March 7 The Last Southern Gentlemen featuring Ellis Marsalis and Delfeayo Marsalis, April 17

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Forest Hills Fine Arts Center

The Gilmore

359 S. Kalamazoo Mall Suite 101, Kalamazoo thegilmore.org, (269) 342-1166

Ben Folds performing with Grand Rapids Symphony

The Gilmore presents its 15th season of Rising Stars concerts. The concerts will feature performances from six talented young pianists from across the world: Louis Schwizgebel, Jerry Léonide, Beatrice Rana, Joseph Moog, Igor Levit and Denis Kozhukhin. In addition to the six stars, there

will also be performances by highly soughtafter pianists Helene Grimaud and Murray Perahia.

Helene Grimaud, Sept. 19 Louis Schwizgebel, Oct. 12 The Great Gilmore Getaway, Oct. 17-19 Jerry Léonide,Nov. 23 Beatrice Rana, Feb. 1 Murray Perahia, March 18 Joseph Moog, April 19 Igor Levit, May 10 Denis Kozhukhin, May 31

Grand Rapids Symphony

300 Ottawa NW Suite 100, Grand Rapids grsymphony.org, (616) 454-9451 This year marks not only Grand Rapids Symphony’s 85th year, but also the final season under Music Director David Lockington.

In honor of Lockington, the program will include some of his favorites. In addition, audiences can expect to see the concerts infused with artistic visual elements, filling the season with great diversity.

Beethoven’s Fifth, Sept. 19-20 Dancing and Romancing, Sept. 26-28 Inspired By Art, Oct. 4 Dylana’s Sibelius, Oct. 10-11 Symphony in D, Oct. 15 Ben Folds, Oct. 18 Copland and Brahms, Oct. 24-25

Kix Brooks at Forest Hills Fine Arts Center

Hope College Great Performance Series 141 E 12th St., Holland hope.edu/gps, (616) 395-7860

Hope College Great Performance Series is bringing in Lucky Plush, a Chicago-based dance theatre company, for its season opener. The company is performing a full-evening piece called “The Queue.” Following that is Sweet Honey in the Rock, a Grammy-winning a capella group with more than 40 years experience mixing music with social activism.

Over the next few months, Hope will bring

Peter VS. the Wolf, Feb. 8 (Chenery Auditorium) Heavenly Life, Feb. 21 (Miller Auditorium) Fire and Water, March 28 (Miller Auditorium) Elijah, April 10 (Miller Auditorium) Michael Cavanaugh in Concert: The Songs of Elton John & More, April 24 (Miller Auditorium) Sarah Chang, May 15 (Chenery Auditorium)

Lucky Plush Dance, Sept. 25-26, (Knickerbocker Theatre) Sweet Honey in the Rock, Oct. 17 (Dimnent Chapel) Brentano String Quartet, Nov. 7 (Dimnent Chapel) Rastrelli Cello Quartet, Jan. 23 (Dimnent Chapel) Broadway’s Next Big Musical Hit, Feb. 12-13 (Knickerbocker Theatre) The Bad Plus, March 28 (Knickerbocker Theatre)

The State Theatre provides Kalamazoo with an eclectic entertainment roundup for 2014 and 2015. Dweezil Zappa, son of experimental rocker Frank Zappa, not only gives audiences a chance to experience his father’s music through his Zappa Plays Zappa, but also hosts a guitar class as well.

Things get jammy in Kzoo with Gov’t Mule headlining in September, UV Hippo hosting a Hippoween and Umphrey’s McGee performing in November. Oh, BUT THEN things get sexy when Thunder from Down Under takes over Kalamazoo for a night. Whew. Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

359 S Kalamazoo Mall 100, Kalamazoo kalamazoosymphony.com, (269) 349-7759 New and exciting things are happening this season with Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. With performances for both kids and adults alike, everyone can enjoy what the KSO has in store. See the symphony as it performs live with concerts being held in both Miller and Chenery auditoriums. Exciting new shows are not the only things happening with KSO. With a new executive director, you can expect a new, fresh feel for the music and upcoming season overall. That’s not all that is new this year, though. With the new appointment of Sarah Park as concertmaster, KSO is buzzing with excitement. Join them for this season as they celebrate even bigger and better with the help of their new staff.

Invitation to the Dance, Sept. 20 (Miller Auditorium) The World of Vaughan Williams, Oct. 5 (Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU) Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Oct. 18 (Chenery Auditorium) Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies, Oct. 25 (Miller Auditorium) A Hero’s Life, Nov. 14 (Miller Auditorium) How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss, Dec. 7 (Chenery Auditorium) Sounds of the Season, Dec. 20 (Miller Auditorium) The World of Prokofiev, Jan. 18 (Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU) Bobby McFerrin Takes On Gershwin, Jan. 30 (Miller Auditorium)

Kalamazoo State Theatre

404 S Burdick St., Kalamazoo kazoostate.com, (269) 345-6500

Dweezil Master Class, Sept. 9 Zappa Plays Zappa, Sept. 9 Social Distortion, Sept. 12 Gov’t Mule, Sept. 13 Iron and Wine, Sept. 15 Mike Birbiglia, Sept. 16 Ani DiFranco, Oct. 14 The Polish Ambassador, Oct. 25 Hippoween - UV Hippo and More, Oct. 31 Umphrey’s McGee: Nov. 6 Thunder from Down Under, Nov. 14 The Temptations, Nov. 15 1964 The Tribute, Feb. 14

St. Cecilia Music Center 24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids scmc-online.org, (616) 459-2224

Experience music being taken to the next level and enjoy the harmonious sounds of chamber orchestras to grand bands, jazz, classical and more in a beautiful building with fine-tuned acoustics. St. Cecilia starts things out strong, too, with its annual Great Artist Gala. A fundraiser for the music center, St. Cecilia nabbed 20-time Grammy award winner Chick Corea to perform. Not that it burns out after that, however. Things continue on strong with folk singer Justin Townes Earle performing in December and jazz vocalist René Marie headlining in the spring.

Great Artist Gala, Sept. 18 Ralston Bowles & An All Star Cast, Oct. 23 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Nov. 6 Joshua Redman, Nov. 20 Justin Townes Earle, Dec. 11 Grand Band and Grand String Orchestra, Dec. 14 Concert Band Winter Concert, Jan. 9 Sinfonia and Orchestra Concert Winter Concert, Jan. 10 Philharmonic Winter Concert, Jan. 10 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Stellar Performance, Jan. 22 Christian McBride Trio, Feb. 19 René Marie, March 12 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Final Season Performance, April 23 Grand Band and Grand Orchestra Spring Concert, May 3 Sinfonia and Philharmonic Spring Concert, May 16 Concert Orchestra and Concert Band Spring Concert, May 16

University Musical Society Burton Memorial Tower 881 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor ums.org, (734) 764-2538

If you’re overwhelmed by the volume and quality University Musical Society manages to bring in every year, we hear you. It’s hard not to go through the list and need a breather.

It’s OK, take your time. If strings are your thing, the season starts off with violinist Itzhak Perlman and is followed up by the Emerson String Quartet. But if strings aren’t your thing, that’s cool, because UMS has dance, jazz, symphony, opera and theatre, including superposition, which is part of UMS’ international theatre series. The performance is inspired by the mathematical notions of quantum mechanics and was created by visual and sound artist Ryoji Ikeda.

Iron and Wine at Kalamazoo State Theatre

Itzhak Perlman, Sept. 14 - Hill Auditorium Emerson String Quartet, Sept. 27 Rackham Auditorium

REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

The Classical Concert, Nov. 7 Singing’ in the Rain, Nov. 14-16 Love and Life, Nov. 21-22 Family Matinee: The Firebird, Nov. 22 Holiday Pops, Dec. 4-7 Fifth Third Cirque de Noel, Dec. 16-18 Sandi Patty Yuletide Joy, Dec. 23 Hough Plays Dvorák, Jan. 9-10 The Romantic Concert, Jan. 16 Native Sounds, Jan. 17 A Night at the Oscars, Jan. 23-25 Inspired By Wagner, Jan. 30-31 Little Red Riding Hood with the Grand Rapids Ballet, Jan. 31 rePLAY: Symphony of Heroes, Feb. 7 New World Symphony, Feb. 20-21 Symphony with Soul, Feb. 28 Brass and Variations, March 6-7 Green Eggs and Ham, March 14 The Best of Broadway, March 13-15 Mozart and Tchaikovsky, March 27-28 The Baroque Concert, April 17 Brilliante, April 18 LIVEARTS, April 24 David’s Grand Finale: Mahler’s “Resurrection,” May 8-9 Symphonic Silhouettes with Le Ombré, May 15-17 Family Matinee: Symphonic Silhouettes, May 16

in two quartets: the Brentano String Quartet and Rastrelli Cello Quartet. The Crentano String Quartet is a straight-ahead, top-tier, classical string quartet. Mixing old and new music, they are setting a new standard. The Rastrelli Cello Quartet is composed of four Russian cellists who blur classical with jazz with tango, all in one performance. Following that up is Broadway’s Next Big Hit Musical, a hilarious improv group where the first half is musical improv based on audience suggestions. The audience then votes on a theme, the group takes an intermission, and they come back with fully “planned” out improv musical for the second half. The Bad Plus is a jazz trio that finishes up the season.

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The Arts Issue | Season Preview

Making Sure Music Matters W

ArtPrize turns up the volume for musicians with structural changes aimed to increase their exposure

hen Grand Rapids musician Molly BouwsmaSchultz told people about the song she entered in ArtPrize last year, the response was often the same.

“Half of the time when I would tell people about the piece they would say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know music was a category.’ So then I had to explain that to them instead of talking about the song or what I’m about and what I do,” said BouwsmaSchultz, who won the $2,000 St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) award in rock/blues for her song, “In my Heart (To the Moon).”

However, changes to this year’s voting structure will increase the visibility of musical acts in the time-based category, and may give artists like Bouwsma-Schultz and the other 85 musical acts entered in this year’s competition a real shot at winning one of the juried or public awards.

“We hope there is more diversity in the public vote final round just in terms of the mediums that are represented there,” said Todd Herring, director of communications for ArtPrize. “Music falls squarely into time-based work and so because of that, a lot of times, time-based works didn’t necessarily get into the final round. So, this year there’s a guarantee

Music by the river.

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

Photo: Cathy Holbrook

of five time-based works that will make it into the second round of voting for the public consideration.”

Instead of having a “Top 10” overall vote, ArtPrize will now have a “Final 20,” which includes the top five entries from each of the four artistic categories of 2-D, 3-D, installation and time-based works. Combined with an increased number of musical busking stations, which are outdoor stages for musicians to perform at during the first two weeks of ArtPrize, musicians have more opportunities than before to garner public interest.

“ArtPrize gives a very urban art experience,” Herring said. “So, having musicians that are presenting their work for consideration in the form of busking, in our opinion, gives them more opportunity and elevates what they are doing.”

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Jimmie Stagger performs in the St. Cecilia music tent.

Photo: Cathy Holbrook

As ArtPrize’s official “music hub,” SCMC will remain unchanged, said Executive Director Catherine Holbrook.

Inside SCMC, there will still be listening stations and live performances in the President’s Room for the first two weeks of the competition. New, however, is the addition of more busking stations, which will allow for more musicians to perform live in clear view of the public before the first round of votes are cast.

“It’ll increase the exposure musicians have in terms of the public realizing music is part of ArtPrize and they can vote for songs, they can vote for musical artists,” Holbrook said.

This means ArtPrize musicians not only have a chance at winning the $2,000 SCMC award in their genre, but also one of the $20,000 juried or public time-based category awards.

“Just hearing that, I feel a lot better,” said Dutcher Snedeker, who was part of SCMC’s winning jazz group Brad Fritcher + trios last year.

Despite St. Cecilia’s efforts at giving the music medium a place in the ArtPrize spectrum, it’s that feeling of being lesser that musicians seem to have struggled with most.

“It kind of felt like there’s this distinction of ‘Here’s ArtPrize and here’s the local music award,’” Snedeker said. “While it was really nice to have St. Cecilia’s invest in local artists ... to be entered in the larger prize and to be recognized with other visual artists definitely shows that music isn’t just a nice little topping to ArtPrize.”

Snedeker is entering the competition under his own name as a solo act this year, featuring a new piano tune called “Foolin’,” which can be found on the recently released Brad Fritcher + trios album recorded with SCMC prize money.

“I like that ArtPrize is realizing that although music might not be as staggering or have the visual impact of a huge sculpture, it still can move people emotionally and provide some sort of connection with what’s being created,” Snedeker said. —Anya Zentmeyer

Kiss & Cry: Charleroi Danses, Belgium, Oct. 10-12 - Power Center Gregory Porter, Oct. 15 - Michigan Theater Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer, Oct. 16 Michigan Theater Belcea Quartet, Oct. 18 - Rackham Auditorium Théâtre de la Ville: Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, Oct. 24-25 - Power Center Ryoji Ikeda’s Superposition, Oct. 31-Nov. 1 - Power Center Apollo’s Fire & Apollo’s Singers: Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, Nov. 6 - St. Francis of Assisi Quatuor Ébène, Nov. 9 - Rackham Auditorium San Francisco Symphony: Michael Tilson Thomas, Nov. 14-15 - Hill Auditorium Bob James, Nov. 15 - Hill Auditorium Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele, Nov. 19 - Hill Auditorium Yuja Wang, piano and Leonidas Kavakos, Nov. 23 - Hill Auditorium Handel’s Messiah: Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra: UMS Choral Union: Jerry Blackstone, Dec. 6-7 - Hill Auditorium Rossini’s William Tell: Teatro Regio Torino Orchestra and Chorus, Dec. 9 - Hill Auditorium Helen & Edgar, Jan. 7-10 - Power Center Eighth Blackbird, Jan. 17 - Rackham Auditorium Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Jan. 23 Power Center Mariinsky Orchestra: Valery Gergiev, Jan. 24-25 - Hill Auditorium Dawn of Midi / Dysnomia, Jan. 31 - Trinosophes Tomasz Stańko, trumpet, Feb. 5 - Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre Jennifer Koh, Feb. 6 - Rackham Auditorium Mendelssohn’s Elijah: UMS Choral Union & Ann Arbor’s Symphony Orchestra, Feb. 14 - Hill Auditorium

Beethoven and Blue Jeans, West Michigan Symphony

Compagnie Non Nova: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Feb. 14-15,1921 - Skyline High School Experimental Theater Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Feb. 15 - Hill Auditorium Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Feb. 19 - Hill Auditorium The Campbell Brothers perform John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, Feb. 20 Michigan Theater Trisha Brown Dance Company, Feb. 21-22 Power Center A Bill Frisell Americana Celebration, March 12-13 - Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre Kyle Abraham: Abraham.In.Motion, March 14-15 - Power Center Chicago Symphony Winds, March 22 Rackham Auditorium Academy of St. Martin in the Fields: Jeremy Denk, March 25 - Hill Auditorium Gilberto Gil, April 4 - Hill Auditorium Max Raabe and the Palast Orchestera, April 9 - Hill Auditorium An Evening with Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, April 16 - Hill Auditorium Oliver Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits, April 17 - Michigan Theater Artemis Quartet, April 19 - Rackham Auditorium

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra: MyungWhun Chung, April 23 - Hill Auditorium Lyon Opera Ballet / Cinderella, April 24-26 - Power Center Richard Goode, April 26 - Hill Auditorium

West Michigan Symphony

425 W. Western Ave. #409, Muskegon wsso.org, (231) 726-3231 x 22 The West Michigan Symphony is rolling out the red carpet for its 75th anniversary season. For the season’s kickoff, the symphony will celebrate cinema with performances of scores from a number of films including Spider-Man, Inception, Star Wars, E.T. and more. Throughout the season, expect some not-so-typical symphony shows, including Beethoven and Blue Jeans, which proves classic symphony events can also be casual.

Hollywood on the Lakeshore, Sept. 26 Carmina Burana - Sacred and Profane, Nov. 21 Christmas Magic, Dec. 12 Words and Music, Feb. 6 Beethoven and Blue Jeans, March 13 The Hit Men, April 17 Following the Nordic Son, May 15 The Planets, June 5

Emerson String Quartet JACOB AND NAOMI STUCKI MEMORIAL CONCERT

Friday, September 26, 2014 · 8 pm

Pacifica Quartet with Anthony McGill, clarinet Friday, October 24, 2014 · 8 pm

Béla Fleck, banjo with Brooklyn Rider Saturday, November 15, 2014 · 8 pm

Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna Sunday, November 30, 2014 · 3 pm Saturday, January 24, 2015 · 8 pm

Kris Bowers Trio · Dinner and a Show Friday, February 20, 2015 6:30 pm dinner · 8 pm performance

Garrick Ohlsson, piano Subscriptions and single tickets on sale now!

FONTANACHAMBERARTS.ORG · 269/382-7774 DOWNTOWN KALAMAZOO

Saturday, March 7, 2015 · 8 pm

The Last Southern Gentlemen featuring Ellis & Delfeayo Marsalis Friday, April 17, 2015 · 8 pm

REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

Jordi Savall, viol

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The Arts Issue | Season preview

museums, culture & history MONDAY

1/2 off all MI craft drafts 9PM - 1AM

TUESDAY

karaoke and $3 domestic jumbo tall boys

WEDNESDAY karaoke and $2 wells

THURSDAY

$2 domestic bottles open - close

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

Live entertainment

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

SUNDAY

NFL Ticket Bloody Mary & Mimosa Bar $4 burger basket $6 PBR pitcher

Black Arts and Cultural Center 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall 201 blackartskalamazoo.org, (269) 349-1035

This fall, the The Black Arts and Cultural Center brings The Piano Lesson to the stage.

This show portrays a family’s struggle over the ownership of an old piano, which played a key role in their ancestral history. Following The Piano Lesson is the African Company Presents Richard III. This performance showcases a production within a production, during which the African Company is faced with the challenge of overcoming the white dominance of theater during the early 19th century.

The Piano Lesson, Oct. 24-26 and Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Kwanzaa celebration; Dec. 26-Jan. 1 African Company Presents Richard III, April 24-26 and April 30-May 3

Gerald R Ford Museum 303 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids fordlibrarymuseum.gov, (616) 254-0400

Gerald F. Ford Presidential Museum puts a spotlight on aircraft carriers with its exhibition, Taking the Seas: The Rise of the American Aircraft Carrier. For decades theses ships have aided military efforts across the globe, launching planes to areas in crisis.

The exhibition will cover the development of the ships along with the influence they have had in the presence of the United States expanding military efforts abroad.

Taking the Seas: The Rise of the American Aircraft Carrier, open now

Grand Rapids Public Museum 272 Pearl Street NW, Grand Rapids grmuseum.org, (616) 456-3977

THE WESTBAR ON THE BESTSIDE 801 5th St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504 (616) 456-9058 theholidaybargr.com

46 | REVUEWM.COM | September 2014

Real Pirates exhibit at Grand Rapids Public Museum

ARRRG, MATEY! Bearded scallywags make their way to Grand Rapids this fall at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship is an interactive exhibition showcasing more than 200 authentic artifacts recovered from the wreckage found on the coast of Cape Cod. This touring exhibition

is put on by National Geographic and Premier Exhibitions Inc., and tells the story of Whydah from its creation to its final voyage.

ArtPrize, Sept. 24-Oct. 12 Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship, opens Oct. 18

Holland Museum

31 West 10th St., Holland hollandmuseum.org, (616) 392-9084 You don’t have to be a certain age to appreciate the magic The Wizard of Oz has brought to its audiences, whether from its book origins or movie adaptation. Holland Museum is taking a deeper look at L. Frank Baum’s classic with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a traveling exhibition, from the Great Explorations Children’s Museum.

Holland Museum is also wrapping up Art and Propaganda in Nazi-Occupied Holland this fall. A moving exhibition with powerful imagery that depicts the horrors Hollanders experienced during World War II, propaganda produced by the Nazi Party is on hand, as well as Dutch and Allied posters that countered the images.

Art and Propaganda in Nazi-Occupied Holland, through Oct. 4

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Sept. 24-Jan. 3 Inspiring OZ: Macatawa Park at the Turn of the Century, Oct. 10-Jan. 3 A Hundred Flowers: Phillip A. Harrington Photography from the People’s Republic of China, 1956-1957, Nov. 7, 2014-Tulip Time, 2015

Kalamazoo Valley Museum 230 N Rose St., Kalamazoo kvm.kvcc.edu, (269) 373-7990

Kalamazoo Valley Museum uses its exhibitions to get its visitors to start thinking and talking. With Voices for Social Justice, the museum takes a look at what social justice looks like in Kalamazoo, whether it be today, what it was in the past or what we can expect for the future. Similarly, Kalamazoo for the Union takes our nation’s history and brings it closer to home. This exhibition shows Civil War history through the eyes of those who lived in Kalamazoo County.

Voices for Social Justice, Oct. 4-Jan. 19 Kalamazoo for the Union, Oct.18-May 17 n

REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

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S p ecial A dver t ising S ec t ion

Frank Caliendo Brings His 120-Some Impressions to Forest Hills Fine Arts Center

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The Fed Galleries: Alive Inside

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rom award-winning ArtPrize exhibitions to intimate solo shows by world-renowned artists, The Fed Galleries at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) create experiences that transcend the gallery and challenge conventional presentations of contemporary art.

For the fall/winter season, The Fed Galleries go beyond traditional explorations of identity with I AM, a three-part exhibition series that deftly walks the tension between internal and external perceptions of self. The first installment, Money Matters—KCAD’s 2014 ArtPrize exhibition—raises bold questions about currency, consumption, and value in exploring their influence on human beings, our emotions, and our worldviews. his spring, The Fed Galleries will present the U.S. premiere of Art of the Lived Experiment in collaboration with the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) and the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM).

This large-scale exhibition, originally conceived by UK-based disability arts organization DaDaFest, explores change, adjustment and transmutation in the lives of disabled people, including progressions of technology as well as social perceptions and experiences of disability.

Exhibitions and events at The Fed Galleries are always free and open to the public. Discover more at kcad.edu/galleries.

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Grand Rapids Art Museum Takes You Out of Your Comfort Zone

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Ackman

his fall the GRAM presents its ArtPrize 2014 exhibition, [DIS]COMFORT ZONES. The exhibition displays ways in which art can push boundaries and take risks that pull both artists and viewers out of their respective comfort zones.

The artists use different subject matter, process and point of view to take the art viewing experience to a new level, where it influences viewers to feel and understand the world differently.

Thought-invoking issues and themes that are found within this exhibition include body and identity, politics and war, vulnerability and ambiguity, danger and violence, fragmentation and distortion and culture and religion. In addition to the ArtPrize exhibition, GRAM members will receive exclusive benefits, such as the opportunity to be the first viewers of the exhibition, the chance to meet the artists at the exhibition’s unveiling, early member hours, a private entrance and access to the Member Terrace. Members can also bring up to four guests during ArtPrize, so friends can get the VIP treatment as well. Along with member benefits, the GRAM will also be providing ArtPrize Family Days on Saturdays and Sundays. During this time families can come to the GRAMStudio and create art inspired

by Anila Quayyum Agha’s ArtPrize piece called Intersections, which will focus on light, shadow, shapes and patterns that are found in her work.

48 | REVUEWM.COM | September 2014

here’s a good chance you may not know who Frank Caliendo actually is. That’s because he’s too busy being other people.

Caliendo is possibly best known for his dead-on celebrity impersonations. We’re not talking some rookie Christopher Walken impression, either. Caliendo has been known to do a mean Morgan Freeman, William Shatner, Charles Barkley, Robin Williams and 120 some-odd other famous folk. In fact, his George W. Bush impression made such an impression that he got invited to the White House Correspondents Dinner

by Dubya himself. Don’t call this guy a one-trick pony, however. He’s logged a staggering 117 episodes on “MADTV,” was on Fox NFL Sunday from 2003 until 2012 and had his own television show for a brief while. That Caliendo’s a busy guy. On Oct. 10, he’ll be coming our direction, which is pretty close to his hometown of Chicago, by the way. So we’re sure he’ll have some anecdotes about West Michigan ready to dole out on a whim. Anyway, on that day, he’s scheduled to perform his stand-up at Forest Hills Fine Arts Center, which kicks off the center’s 2014/2015 season.

Grand Rapids Symphony Starts Season Out with a Classic

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n Sept. 19 Grand Rapids Symphony will present its opening-night concert, “Beethoven’s Fifth,” taking audiences back to the 19th century. Following “Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5” is a contemporary piece written by Benjamin Britten, “Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op. 33.” The orchestra takes you through the tale of the fisherman Peter Grimes with four interludes – Dawn, Sunday Morning, Moonlight and Storm. Next is a single movement written just this past year called “Hommage to Kandinsky, A Symphonic Poem for Orchestra.” This piece was written by Philip Sawyers, who was influenced to create this movement by an exhibit he viewed in London called “Kandinsky, the Path to Abstraction.” This exhibit displayed Kandinsky’s works from early representational paintings to his later, more abstract art. The concert is finished by “The Lark Ascending,” Romance for Violin and Orchestra written by Vaughan Williams, with the intentions of the orchestra supporting the soloists. The soloist, representing The Lark, enters and soars above the orchestral chords, giving way to a folk-like melody on the flute. The Lark enters again for the big finish, bringing in the folk-like melody and winding down to a tune similar to the beginning of the piece.

S p ecial A dver t ising S ec t ion

Miller Auditorium Modernizes a Classic

GVSU Fall Arts Brings In Sought-After Gallim Dance

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ased in New York, Gallim Dance is one of the most sought-after contemporary dance companies and GVSU Fall Arts booked them for this season. On Oct. 27, Gallim will present to the Louis Armstrong Theatre stage a new dance language called GaGa. This dance form incorporates past and present movement invention practices, fueled by human emotion. The performance is titled “Gallim Dance: Articulate Bodies, Visceral Language” and aims to find the juxtapositions of the mind and body. If you don’t trust our recommendation, try going with the New York Times, which dubbed Gallim as having dancers “of the highest caliber.” That’s some mega talent coming to West Michigan. Founded in 2007, the company continues to change the landscape of dance, choreography and how humans can use our bodies to communicate through art and dance. Artistic Director Andrea Miller is not only a Juliard dance graduate, but became familiar with the GaGa technique when she studied in Israel with the Batsheva Dance Company under the direction of Ohad Naharin. Grab your GVSU Fall Arts Tickets for a performance that’s unique, quirky, fun and something you won’t see anywhere else in West Michigan.

Gallim Dance

Opera Grand Rapids Heats Up the Stage with Carmen

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ome to DeVos Performance Hall and explore sounds that will give you goosebumps, specifically with Opera Grand Rapids’ production of the classic opera, Carmen. Like many artists before him, French composer Georges Bizet never saw his creation’s success, as he passed away before the opera caught on with audiences.

So that’s a bummer. Lucky for us, however, art lives on even when the artists do not and Carmen has lived on for more than a century. But despite its age, the music and story have withstood the test of time and translates on the international level as well.

The opera got the hip-hop treatment and was produced for MTV, targeting a completely different crowd than Bizet probably ever intended. It makes sense, however, because Carmen has universal themes that are found throughout our society no matter which time period you are living in. The opera follows the titular character as she falls for the beautiful Don Jose and attempts to seduce him. Her seduction leads to his downfall, with Carmen and Don Jose entangling themselves in passion, violence and crime, eventually leading to Don Jose’s jailing. After his release, however, he ends up in even worse trouble than before.

he story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been around for years. Well, a century and someodd decades to be exact. That’s when Robert Louis Stevenson published his novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a story about a man with a split personality. Watch its latest incarnation come to life at Miller Auditorium this season. The production kicks off Miller’s season on Oct. 3 and runs through Oct. 4. Take a close look at Dr. Jekyll as he obsesses with analyzing the good and evil of man and attempts to separate the two qualities on the only worthy candidate: himself. Will he stop his experiments and live his life with fiancée, Lisa Carew, or will he continue his research? Jekyll’s obsessions are just the beginning to this thrilling production, because there is still another side to Dr. Jekyll: Hyde. As Jekyll struggles with his experiment and attempts, he slowly descends into madness.

Fighting against the evil that threatens to consume him, Jekyll must destroy Hyde before his own creation destroys himself. In addition to a thrilling story, the onstage production is also highlighted by a pop and rock hit-filled score by the Grammy and Tonynominated Frank Wildhorn and the double Oscar and Grammy-winning Leslie Bricusse.

St. Cecilia Music Center Welcomes Back Jazz Legend Chick Corea

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hick Corea is back at St. Cecilia Center on Sept. 18, and he’s got some new material with him. The man with 59 Grammy nominations and 20 Grammy wins has reinvented himself with not only all new music, but a new band as well. From acoustic to electric, Corea explores every corner of the jazz genre, and then some. One to always mix things up, he’s gone from avant garde, to jazz fusion and duets to concept albums and even exploring contemporary classical. Basically, you won’t know what to expect at St. Cecilia. One thing to expect, however, is Corea’s band The Vigil, which is a hefty presence in its own right. The band features an all-star lineup, with Carlitos Del Puerto on bass, Marcus Gilmore on drums, saxes, flute, bass clarinet and innovation from Tim Garland, Charles Altura on guitar and Luisito Quintero taking care of percussion. Head to this concert in style and purchase a sponsor ticket, which includes a four-course wine-pairing dinner

by Martha’s Vinyard, premium concert seating, a post-concert reception and a $100 tax deductible donation to St. Cecilia Music Center, which will help the center continue to make its seasons bigger and better year after year.

REVUEWM.COM | September 2014 |

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S p ecial A dver t ising S ec t ion

Kiss and Cry Presents a New Way to View Theatre

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Crystal Wagner

UICA Celebrates Collaboration Through Art

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rt is a reflection of life. Life is made up of teamwork. Teamwork makes the dream work. In this case, the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art (UICA) is using this method toward its 2014 ArtPrize exhibition theme, suitably titled, “Collaboration.” To appropriately kick off the ArtPrize season, the UICA’s annual Fall Gala, the OddBall, will be held on Sept. 13 to debut and showcase a first look at the “Collaboration” exhibition. The artists’ collaborative products will span all four floors of the UICA, including a preview of the newly designed and furnished fifth floor in collaboration with Herman Miller. A strolling dinner will be served by Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and a bar featuring beer, wine, Boxed Water and a signature cocktail will be poured by San Chez Bistro. Each entry housed in the UICA will be a product of 20 artists working with one another presenting their work either as a collaborative project between two or more people or has used the theme of collaboration as its subject matter. The artists will be on hand to discuss their multi-media art works, which include a mix between music, animation and interactive pieces. This year’s OddBall hosts a contemporary garden party theme so be sure to be draped and tailored in floral everything.

West Michigan Symphony Rolls Out the Red Carpet

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elebrating its 75th anniversary, the West Michigan Symphony is rolling out the red carpet. Literally.

For its first performance, there will be a big, red carpet, so get those cameras ready. For Hollywood on the Lakeshore, the Symphony will celebrate music from beloved movies with classic scores and soundtracks with Scott Speck conducting. Take a trip to space (and time) with performances from StarWars and E.T. Those are just a few of a number of films the West Michigan Symphony has chosen for the evening.

Spanning through various genres and decades, Hollywood is just a wave away in this season concert. WMS goes through James Bond’s repertoire with highlights from agent’s two-dozen some-odd films. The Symphony not only throws back to classic Hollywood glamour and glitz with selected pieces from Gone with the Wind and Lawrence of Arabia but includes modern scores from Spider-Man and Inception. An eclectic mix of sounds that includes the classic, the beloved, the edgy and the modern, making a night where there will be something for every personality.

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Kiss and Cry

e all have people who just sort of disappear from our lives and memories as time goes by. You find yourself not thinking about them for years and then all of a sudden, they will pop into your head for no reason at all, causing memories to flood back in. University Musical Society of the University of Michigan explores these themes during their production of Kiss and Cry. The performance setting is woman alone, waiting on the platform of a train station. During her time of solitude and quiet, she is trapped in her own thoughts, with thoughts of the men she’s loved and lost coming in and out of her conscious. The performance not only explores the unique way we think about and remember the people in our past, but it is also performed in quite a unique way: by hands. In this intimate setting, the audience is taken to a mini-set where hands gracefully tell a story, moving around the set with precision.

The production is highlighted by multimedia such as film, dance, text and theatre. Worried about seeing the performance due to the small-scale performers?

Don’t be. Part of the multimedia experience is a big screen projecting this finger ballet.

Broadway Grand Rapids and Wharton Center Makes So You Can See Once Twice

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e’re pretty lucky in Michigan because this fall, we get two chances to see Once. Both Broadway Grand Rapids and the Wharton Center are partners and are bringing the production to two markets in Michigan, giving audiences a number of opportunities to experience the intimate and multiple award-winning show. From Oct. 14-19, audiences can see Once in East Lansing at the Wharton Center. Broadway Grand Rapids brings Once to town the following month, with Once running Nov. 4-9. Based of the 2007 film, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, the musical was performed off-Broadway in 2011 and debuted on Broadway in 2012, where it went on to win multiple Tony awards, a Drama Desk Award and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.

Relatively new to audiences, the production started touring the U.S. in 2013, kicking off in Rhone Island on Oct. 1. Now it’s coming to Michigan, where audiences will become intertwined with a thirty-something Dubliner about to give up on his music dreams.

That is until he meets his muse, a young woman who is the missing piece he needed for his music. Like the film’s independent roots, the stage show is meant to be stripped-down, with the cast serving as the orchestra, as well as minimal stage sets, making sure the production is true to its origin.

Once