Shallow aS a kiddie pool.
A must see...
Andy WArhol
look like a work of art. hoW to’s & revieWs
90 YearS Young: south dAkotA Public broAdcAsting
www.washingtonpavilion.org
not-SolooneY tuneS:
south dAkotA symPhony
ANDY T H e
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JUNe 17 - sePTeMBeR 11, 2011
Š 2011 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Jerstad Family Foundation
Vance Thompson Vision Clear Answers About Clear VisionTM
Kathy & Bob Leech Sheldon F. ReeSe Foundation
Aiming to connect art in a ‘disconnected’ city By Virginia Olson
J
ennifer White knows firsthand that Sioux Falls is a rough town for a local artist. For months she has attempted to promote her abstract art, facing many obstacles. The 30-year-old artist visited a number of galleries offering to consign her art, but had no luck. Kyle Wiese, owner of Cliff Hangers Gallery, knows White’s frustrations. “It’s tough for an emerging artist to get into a gallery,” said Wiese. “Even then it doesn’t mean that the art will sell. A business owner has to cater to what the public is willing to buy.”
‘The Arts Council now sees itself, in part, as a large networking agent,” Luke said. “With this new model, it is able to focus on art outside its own walls.” With an ear to the ground and an ongoing effort to create a network, the new Arts Council feels it can be the physical agent to get the word out not just about local bands, musicians, and visual arts but also for dance, literature, film, and the performing arts. “Sioux Falls is not short of arts programs or talented artists and musicians,” Luke said. “It’s just hard to connect them all.”
Not only artists, but also local bands and musicians struggle to be noticed. Lee Walsh has played with Lunar Funk Theory for the last eight years and admits it’s been an uphill climb. “It takes a long time to build a solid fan base, and that has a lot to do with promoters asking you to play for them and venues wanting you to play their establishment,” Walsh said. “Really the key is putting in hours and hours of work for little or no compensation except for the fact that you love what you do.”
To become a clearinghouse for the arts, the Council knows it must first create a “buzz.” Social networking has become imperative for this citywide network to grow and connect. Recently, Luke has been focusing on the area music scene and visiting with local businesses that see lots and lots of musicians and bands. “Face to face visits with owners of area venues such as Last Stop and Black Sheep as well as with area artists has been a good way to launch the whole networking process,” said Luke. “Bundling all the art in this community and establishing good communication is the goal. The Arts Council wants to be in the midst of it all.”
The Sioux Falls Arts Council is well aware of the city’s art world woes. Micah Luke, the organization’s marketing/business development coordinator, feels the non-profit is in a position to now serve as the best advocate for the arts.
Five local bands and their CD’s that can be purchased at Last Stop: Soulcrate – The Kick Rocks Collection We All Have Hooks for Hands – The Shape of Energy (on line free down load – Girls)
Lunar Funk Theory – Live from the Moon Sewer Rats – Save Yourself Night Shield – Sex., Drunks, & Hip-Hops
Places to catch local music: Boonies, Latitude 44, The Vault, Touch of Europe, VFW, Ramkota Exhibit Hall, Orpheum, Rookies
ArtsSiouxFalls.org
Executive director, Nan Baker feels the Arts Council’s original mission, written in 1969, remains the best direction to grow, strengthen, and diversify the Sioux Falls arts scene. “The Arts Council has always been an organization of art lovers that find ways to promote, support, and fund the arts in Sioux Falls,” said Baker. “We don’t make the arts, but through partnerships make arts happen.” Currently, the Arts Council is working to develop special funding to maintain the city’s 60 pieces of public art. It is also working out plans to bring artists together through networking and social events. Luke is optimistic about the organization’s new path. “There is a thriving creative scene in this community; the Arts Council is finding progressive ways to support it and get things going,” Luke said. “Artists still need to think creatively to get their work out there, but we are here to help.”
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in t S a c D a o r b ic l b South Dakota Pu
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n July 5, 1961 KUSD-TV signed on the air and launched educational television in South Dakota. KUSD-AM had been originating educational programming since it was licensed in May, 1922. In honor of SDPB-TV’s 50th Anniversary in July 2011 and SDPB Radio’s 90th Anniversary in May 2012, South Dakota Public Broadcasting will present a yearlong celebration of the history of this vital South Dakota institution.
Mater artium necessitas If “Necessity is the Mother of Invention,” then surely curiosity is its Father. The curiosity of young Ernest Lawrence and his friend Merle Tuve as teenagers in Canton, South Dakota would eventually lead to a statewide network of TV and Radio stations named South Dakota Public Broadcasting. But if these brilliant young men had any inkling what their hobby would lead to, they would surely be as surprised as many of those who participated in its development. Ernest Orlando Lawrence, the future Nobel Laureate (1939, Physics) was born the son of a Latin instructor at Lutheran Augustana Academy (precursor to Augustana College). His good friend’s father, Anthony Tuve, was president of the institution. Together the boys explored the plains of South Dakota and experimented with the newest technology – wireless!
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Today we use the term “wireless” to describe the ability to receive the Internet without having to plug in our laptop. In 1913 “wireless” described a delivery method for telegraph messages. And it was that form of Wireless that Ernest and Merle began experimenting with in Canton. Wireless operators, know as “Hams,” shared news and information and connected with each other around the region and across the country. It was Ernest who was the first in Canton to know the United States had declared war against Germany during World War One. Ernest and Merle’s experimentation was brought to a halt in 1918 by two events. First, Ernest and Merle graduated from Canton High School. And second, that same year, Merle’s father, Anthony Tuve, became one of the millions of victims worldwide of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. Wanting to be nearer family, Merle’s
KUSD-TV
mother decided to move the family to Minneapolis. Merle would enroll at the University of Minnesota to continue his education. Ernest spent a year at St. Olaf before his mother consented to allowing him to enroll at the University of South Dakota. It was there that Ernest met his professional mentor, Lewis Akeley, Dean of the College of Engineering. Recognizing the intelligence of young Ernest, Dr. Akeley convinced him to major in Engineering. Convincing him required cutting loose $100 from his budget to purchase wireless equipment and find space for Ernest’s experiments in the attic of Science Hall. The experimentation began and references to the wireless station were mentioned in the University newspaper in 1919. On September 13, 1920, USD was granted a General Amateur License #991 with call sign 9APC.
Lawton served as operators with the radiophone set up in the Physics Room of Science Hall. Wires were strung to the chapel stage where the piano was located. The incident was only a test to determine the practicability of the radiotelephone transmitter. Continued tests are to be made and it is possible sometime in the future a regular broadcast service will be established.” Seven days later the University received word that the Department of Commerce assigned the call letters WEAJ to the USD’s radio station. Broadcasting in the 1920’s was a hit-and-miss affair. No set schedule had really been established, and the number and location of listeners could not easily be established. Often the radio station would receive a letter or postcard describing the reception of the radio station and ask for
Early broadcasts continued to be sent in the form of Morse Code – a series of dots and dashes where each group of signals represent a letter of the alphabet. The first voice transmission, which was originally achieved by Wisconsin’s WHA in 1916, was the next step being worked on by Ernest and his early radio enthusiasts. The next major step in broadcasting happened on May 20, 1922. As described in the Volante: “Last Saturday evening the Paulson, Wendell, Jamison, Hawley combo were broadcast from the newly set up radio telephone. Lawrence and
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KUSD-AM partnered with the Extension Division of USD and aired “School of the Air.” The show presented professors on the radio in conjunction with the correspondence courses at the University. The first year, there were nine lectures; the first was “The English Letters of Voltaire.” After the lecture, which was about 20 minutes in length, the hour was filled with a musical program. “School of the Air” remained on the air until the 1960’s and eventually grew to include commercial radio stations across the state, serving thousands of youngsters in one-room country schools and in city schools alike. Necessity and Curiosity came together again in the 1950’s as the technology of television began to develop. Upon receiving information that some channel space had been reserved for educational broadcasters, the University of South Dakota expressed a desire to utilize the bandwidth being made available. While funds were
acknowledgement. Likewise, programming varied as each semester passed. In some cases programs consisted of lectures from professors at the University, and in other cases performances by the USD Music Department and by regional bands were broadcast. The earliest record of a sporting event being broadcast occurred May 19-21, 1925 when the South Dakota Interscholastic Basketball Tournament at Mitchell was carried by relaying the play-by-play from Mitchell to Vermillion via an amateur radio station near the campus, and then sent by telephone to the studios where the game returns were broadcast. The program was received in Yankton where loudspeakers were set up on the street corners. Utilizing radio in an organized fashion to educate – the precursor to Public Broadcasting today – began in the state in 1932 as
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On September 24, 1961 KUSD-TV held its formal dedication ceremonies at the television laboratory. The ceremony was followed by an open house. The next day the station began daily broadcasts, Monday through Friday, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM. Programs consisted of two half-hour segments of educational films and a half-hour live segment. Growth into a statewide network began when the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson and the South Dakota State Legislature appropriated money for stations in Brookings and Rapid City. Stations service central and northeast portions of the state followed a couple years later, and on May 11, 1978 KZSD-TV became the 8th station in the South Dakota Public Broadcasting system.
raised and allocated for a TV broadcast facility, the University began offering courses in TV as early as January 1953. Students initially used dummy cameras constructed of wood to learn the craft of studio production. The studio was an abandoned church that then sat on campus property. By 1955 a closed circuit video system connected a makeshift studio and classrooms with various other rooms. Cameras, lights and other equipment were obtained from local commercial broadcasters (early supporters of “educational� TV). The closed circuit system allowed professors to teach classes to multiple venues simultaneously. The system also provided the opportunity to telecast University basketball games to locations across campus. Finally on July 5, 1961 KUSDTV signed on the air. The station only broadcasted for 2 hours a day on Mondays and Wednesdays, and its experimental antenna caused some consternation among Vermillion TV viewers when Channel 2 would overpower all other stations. Issues were overcome and KUSD settled into a regular schedule.
Satellite delivery of programming began in 1978, a move to the USD Armory (renamed the E.O. Lawrence Telecommunications Center) in 1981 and the buildout of the statewide radio network followed, and by 1996 SDPB launched its first website. South Dakota Public Broadcasting is now a network offering three channels of digital TV and two channels of radio and a comprehensive website. It serves thousands of viewers and listeners, a necessity for many and satisfier of curiosity for people of all ages.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA 11
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n exciting enhancement to one of Sioux Falls’ biggest attractions is about to be completed, the reopening of the River Greenway and Bike Trail between 6th and 8th Streets! This scenic, highly-utilized portion of the trail was closed last winter so that contractors could begin excavation and construction. The project includes improvement to the river walls, improved greenway access, gathering areas, seating, a widened trail, and landscape and irrigation improvements. A new pedestrian bridge replaces the former abandoned railroad bridge, as enhancements are being made to both the east and west riverbanks.
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With flooding concerns experienced by many this past summer, the greenway has been designed to withstand high water levels from the river. While still located in a flood plain, many special materials were used to prevent loss of strength in the infrastructure, and an extensive permitting process with FEMA took several years to complete. Hydraulic river modeling was required to prove this project will not cause any negative flood impacts on adjacent properties.
At the center of the project is a new River Plaza that will provide an idyllic site for local musicians and other community activities. The Plaza will include a stepped edge down to the river, a circular river overlook and illuminated piers. Permanent interpretive displays will be mounted to the piers and are being developed by the Siouxland Heritage Museums. A kayak landing will also be constructed at the south end of the river plaza. New ramps will provide safe access down to the trail for all users—including those with physical limitations—to strollers and bicyclists. Several businesses along this enhanced portion of the greenway are working with Downtown Sioux Falls to provide a special experience, year-round, for residents and visitors alike. You can expect to see this area used as a gathering place for small festivals and local talent performances in the future. The patios of Wild Sage Grille and Falls Landing
welcome you to relax and enjoy the beautiful view in the heart of Sioux Falls. The adjacent businesses, Country Inn and Suites and 8th and Railroad Center, provide convenient accommodations and eclectic shopping and dining offerings as you explore this unique part of downtown. The River Greenway represents an important investment made by the city to benefit citizens and businesses throughout. It adds to the quality of life in our community and takes advantage of our most prominent natural feature, the Big Sioux River. Whether you decide to picnic, read, enjoy a meal or beverage on one of the patios, or just watch the activity along the river, the greenway is a gem that can be enjoyed by everyone!
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e all love a great night downtown. Food, entertainment, shopping, maybe a spa day! You’ve probably got in mind exactly what your favorite aspect of your very own Sioux Falls Downtown is, but how familiar are you with your city center? Did you know there are three distinct districts that comprise the almost 500 Acres of Fabulous in our city? There’s Central downtown, containing iconic businesses that are already familiar, such as Minervas and Zandbroz Variety on Phillips Avenue. However, there are other treasures found on the Eastbank or in Uptown? That’s right, there are classifications in your ever-growing downtown Sioux Falls. These three unique geographic areas downtown are all clamoring for your attention, and rightfully so, since each is individually unique. Catch the trolley for a fun and free way to see the breadth of downtown. It’s a highlight that’s worth the time to experience. Or let the Pedicab take you there (especially if your shoes are too cute to walk in). Let’s will catch you up on the Downtown lingo and geography. Downtown stretches from Minnesota Avenue on the west to Franklin Ave on the east, and the area north of 7th Street is known as Uptown (see illustration). This district is just begging for you to discover how cool it is. Spacious lofts occupy Larsen Square, whose residents can claim closest proximity to New York0-style pizza at A Taste of the Big Apple. These same residents are also lucky enough to simply walk across
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the street whenever they’d like to indulge in a decadent delight from the city’s only cupcakery, Oh My Cupcakes! Lest anyone think Uptown is only about eating, there’s plenty of culture to be had at several free-admission museums. The Old Courthouse Museum, the Museum of Visual Materials and the African American History Museum will all satisfy the appetite of the mind. Once you’ve educated yourself to your heart’s content you can experience a culture of a whole different sort at Wiley’s Tavern, also located in the Uptown district. The Eastbank might be the easiest to identify geographically: it’s on the east side of the river, and is distinguishing itself as an artist’s Mecca. Eighth and Railroad Center, which houses the Eastbank Art Gallery, is also home to ten independent artist studios. Additionally, it hosts a bevy of professional photographers, writers, web designers and creative marketing firms included amongst the almost 100 businesses on the Eastbank. Quirky, expressive, and funky best describe the vibe there. Whether it’s Monks House of Ale Repute, the city’s only Belgian beer bar, or the earth-friendly and artsy vintage clothing store Aviena, you will find shopping and dining unlike any other in Sioux Falls—including the city’s first middleeastern cuisine, Sanaa’s.
Central downtown? Most often identified as the area surrounding Phillips Avenue, its long been the densest shopping, dining, and business sector of downtown. Recent additions such as Crawford’s Bar and Grill, and Parker’s Bistro on Main Avenue, are keeping things new and cutting-edge. The Washington Pavilion and Fat Daddy’s Comedy Club provide excellent excuses to get out of the house for an evening, and numerous ethnic restaurants, clubs, and merchants stand ready for your patronage. Is downtown bigger than you realized? As you travel about you’ll discover beautiful architecture, sculptures, buildings in various states of revitalization (the most exciting part of all!), and parks with scenic vistas giving the city its namesake. We hope you don’t get lost, but if you do, you’ll probably discover something you shouldn’t have been missing!
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range of spectators the events attract. No demographic surfaces as prominent among the men and women of all ages and social strata. The only unifying factor is a love for visual art. “Art should be a daily occurrence. It doesn’t have to be a descending-fromthe-mountain-top experience. It can be at a bar with good friends and good drinks,” Luke said. So far this season, no clear audience preference insofar as technique or style has emerged, nor is there an inclination to vote for known artists. “This year, people cheer more for good art versus people they know,” Luke noted. While Battle for the Arts was created as a fun event to bring art to the masses, many of the artists have taken it to the next level, even
creating practice boards at home to prepare. All artists can apply. Luke said exhibition battle spots are available. The application process involves submitting a portfolio for review. Finished pieces are stored until the end of the season. Last year the pieces were auctioned with proceeds going to the Sioux Empire Arts Council. Battle organizers have not decided if this years pieces will be auctioned or donated for charity purposes. By the end of the season Luke estimates they will have 50-60 pieces. Luke has been developing the idea of Battle for the Arts for more than ten years. He kept searching for the right venue, as well as the right time. He didn’t expect people to take it as seriously as they have. He hopes to expand Battle for the Arts into chapters and eventually leagues throughout the area. Luke sees Battle for the Arts as more than just something to do. “We want people to feel like they’re part of this underground art movement.”
started in 1990 in Braunschweig, Germany. The event, based on appreciation of the art of dancing, has grown from a local event to a world-renowned happening. Luke’s goal is for Battle for the Arts to develop in the same manner. “If a small town in Germany can do it, so can Sioux Falls,” he said. He has started marketing the battle concept as a turnkey solution. An organization, such as an arts council or college club, can pay an annual fee for a guide on running their own battle. Included in the guide are tips on running a successful battle, finding artists, and getting the most out of every stage of a battle. The marketing concept includes movement toward branding the event with the concepts of “tribe” and “revolution.” “It’s about art belonging more to the people and getting people excited about visual art,” Luke said. He hopes that the events promote a more participatory investment than just taking in art at a gallery. The Battle for the Arts concept is unique to Sioux Falls, and there is hope to spread the model as a communitybuilding event more than a competition. “I think it’s extremely important that people feel part of the battles,” he said. Part of that belonging has taken the form of a battle-specific vernacular. “War Correspondents” are spectators who share the battles, often via social media, and “Battle Fatigue” is the exhaustion felt the next day. Luke is also working on battle for the Arts t-shirts based on old military public-relations campaigns. The battle concept is not limited to a visual art format. Last summer comedy exhibition battles took place among local comedians. Luke hopes to eventually turn this into a tournament battle. Luke also attempted a monthly fashion battle, a runway competition with each designer bringing two designs based on a style or color, but it proved hard to find enough local designers to keep that battle going. Various sponsors help make Battle for the Arts possible. Club David provides a venue for the event. Rokk vodka provides various prizes and giveaways, as well as serves as the base for the “Battle Rokker,” the official shot of Battle for the Arts. Sunny Radio 92.1 provides promotions and advertising for Battle for the Arts. Battle for the Arts continues to expand. 8th and Railroad sponsors an exhibition battle during each First Friday block party. Luke has also brought the battle to private events and the El Riad Shrine’s New Years Eve Party. This season’s semi-finals will take place at the first battle in August, followed by the finals at the second battle in August.
A source of inspiration for Battle for the Arts is “Battle of the Year,” an annual “b-boying,” or break-dancing, competition that
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Due to the rural nature of South Dakota, many school-age children live one to three hours from an urban center where they might be exposed to live jazz – the reason the Jazz Diversity Project goes on the road, traveling thousands of miles each school-year, explains Jim Speirs, a jazz musician and account executive for a Sioux Falls, S.D., advertising firm. “Many students live in small communities several hours drive from anywhere. Towns like Oelrichs aren’t places performing groups just happen to swing by,” says Speirs, adding that the group often travels three to six hours to visit one school. Speirs plays with four other professional South Dakota jazz musicians who dedicate time away from their fulltime careers to go on the road with the Jazz Diversity Project. They travel the state sharing the multi-media presentation which takes students through the history of jazz in America - from the turn of the century in New Orleans through the Civil Rights movement to today. “Jazz tells the musical history of our country,” Speirs says. “It’s the one form of music that is truly American,” adds Nathan Jorgensen, saxophone player and assistant professor of music, woodwinds and jazz at South Dakota State University.
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“It was the first time I’d ever heard live jazz. It was amazing,”
Developed to complement eighth grade history and social studies curricula, the presentation centers on a live jazz performance, while combining a fluid mix of narrative and era-specific photos to share the historical and cultural significance of jazz and its musicians in America. “It’s like watching a live documentary,” says Jeremy Hegg, a freelance musician who plays the keyboard and does most of the narrative for the hour-long performance. Performing before more than 26,000 students in 114 South Dakota schools since 2006, the group, which also features an upright bass and drummer, continues to be inspired by their mission and the jazz legacy they leave with each student and community they visit. “Even if we don’t spawn the next generation of musicians, at least we leave them with an appreciation for live music and American history,” Jorgensen says.
Dean Kueter agrees. As superintendent of schools for a small farming community of 500, Kueter says it is important to expose students living in rural communities like his, to many different opportunities. “They need to experience different things from what they see here every day. It helps students become well-rounded, knowledgeable individuals,” Kueter says. “Differences are what helped make our country into what it is today.” When the Jazz Diversity Project performed for his students in 2010 Kueter says the timing couldn’t have been better. “Our band director just started a small jazz band. This was the first time most of our students got to hear professional jazz musicians perform live,” Kueter says. Thanks to grants and corporate donations, the Jazz & Blues Society is able to deliver the Jazz Diversity Project to student audiences at no cost to schools. Current sponsors include; First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard, The Larson Foundation, Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, South Dakota Humanities Council, Sanford Children’s Hospital, National Endowment for the Arts. “The effects of the presentation two years ago last to this day,” says Lynn Mason, music educator and Red Hair’s band director. “In that one day, many of the students developed an interest in jazz that influences their playing and desire to take risks on improvisation.” Impacting thousands of students each year with the rich legacy of jazz is what the Jazz Diversity Project is all about. Who knows, maybe the next Louis Armstrong will be inspired this year?
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By Julie Anderson Friesen s the Reel Dakota film events have grown in awareness and popularity, we’re often asked about our history and how the film festival and the film society took shape, and also what the difference is between the two. So here’s a quick overview of where we’ve been, and a warm invitation to join us where we’re going next. The Reel Dakota Film Festival held its first annual film festival in September of 2010. Founded by Greg Johnson of Sioux Falls, Reel Dakota took shape with the help of some key partners. The Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science provided the critical infrastructure needed for a festival venue including a box office, volunteers, three unique theater settings, and technical leadership. John Pohlman of Lawrence & Schiller committed resources for building a web presence, logo, and print materials. Nick Simon of Los Angeles, CA offered a filmmaker’s perspective on the film submission process. Greg Johnson and Larry Toll then recruited me to the role of festival director and programmer to provide leadership in the screening, solicitation and programming of films, and overall structure of the festival experience. Ultimately, a small but active committee took the festival to the finish line. The 2010 festival embraced all of the fan-friendly elements cinema fest attendees enjoy-pre- and post-film receptions,
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after parties, filmmaker Q&A’s and, of course, indie films that are rarely seen in Sioux Falls. The roster included documentaries, a foreign film, several narrative features, and two film shorts programs. Attendees unanimously said, “We’re blocking off our entire weekend for next year’s event!”
Following the successful launch of the film festival, we formed the Reel Dakota Film Society, keeping the independent film spirit alive throughout the year. Indie films, foreign films, and premieres have screened monthly in the Belbas Theater since January of 2011, often including Red Carpet events prior to screenings with food, drink, and desserts - several with filmmakers present. A first for South Dakota, the Society organized a screening of the Oscar® Shorts Program weeks prior to the Academy Awards, allowing patrons to see rarely viewed nominees in the Live Action, Animation, and Documentary Shorts categories. Nearly 2000 fans have attended the Reel Dakota Film Society and Festival events. The October 2011 festival is already attracting well-known filmmakers and film entries from around the globe. We’re grateful for sponsorships that help us pay for screening fees, filmmaker travel, equipment rental, and more. Our media partners help spread the word to film lovers and potential fans throughout the region. Most important, our ticket buyers and pass holders make Reel Dakota sustainable and enjoyable. Our 2011 event, Reel Dakota Film Festival: Take 2 is expanding. Our event will kick off with opening night on Thursday, October 20th with a post-film gala moved to the Great Hall stage, and films screening in the Belbas and Schulte theaters. The event will continue with 2 matinees on Friday, a special VIP tribute event, multiple screenings on Friday night and all day Saturday, crowned by the Best of Fest and Audience Award winner screenings on Sunday. We have exciting news in the weeks and months ahead with surprises to share on our Facebook page and more.
October 20th – 23rd, 2011 for your passport to cinematic adventure and join us for Reel Dakota Film Festival: Take 2.
Festival passes and tickets on sale soon: reeldakota.org
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$60 per ticket Ticket Price Includes: Sampling of over 200 wines • A premium wine glass from Spiegelau “the class of glass” Limited to the first 1,000 patrons • Single malt Scotch tasting in the sculpture garden • Fulfilling Gourmet Hors d’oeuvres provided by Hy-Vee • Business Casual Attire
Thursday, September 29 • 4:30-9 p.m. Tickets go on Sale July 31
Order your favorite wines at spectacular savings! Tickets Available: at the Washington Pavilion by calling 605-367-6000 or www.washingtonpavilion.org and all Sioux Falls Hy-Vee Stores
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arOund The WOrld WiTh
Blue Man GrOup,
MOvinG One STep FurTher
On TOur!
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t’s 10 minutes to show time at a performance of Blue Man Group, and the buzz in the theater is so loud that the audience seems more like a group of revelers at a party than spectators at a theatrical production. People are boisterous, the energy is electric, the sense of anticipation is overwhelming. By the time the Blue Men appear, the audience is screaming with delight. It’s a scene that is repeated most nights in New York, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, Las Vegas and wherever Blue Man Group is appearing. It’s rare to see theater audiences that revved up at the end of most shows, let alone before one has even begun. And the
decibel level gets higher as the evening progresses. By the end, the atmosphere is euphoric. The Blue Man Group experience is not confined to the United States. There are or have been productions in Tokyo, Toronto, and numerous European cities including Berlin, London, and Amsterdam. Millions of people of all ages and nationalities have seen the show, and countless numbers are repeat visitors. Although the offBroadway production has been around since 1991, demand for the show continues to grow. And Blue Man Group has heeded the call with its first national tour.
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The tour features a combination of Blue Man Group’s best, most beloved pieces from its theatrical show and new material created exclusively for this production. It should not be confused with the recent Megastar Tour, Blue Man Group’s unique, wildly popular exploration of a rock concert. It’s impossible to say definitively why Blue Man Group has become such a cultural phenomenon, but the reasons for its universal popularity are plentiful. The show is a contemporary and timeless comedic piece, performed by three silent, bald-and-blue characters who engage in a variety of set pieces ranging from primitive to sophisticated that combine music, comedy, science, technology and mind-boggling creativity. Just as in vaudeville of yore, there is something on the bill for everyone. “We’ve done surveys to figure out who our audience is, and we’ve found that our demographic ranges from eight to 85 years old,” says Puck Quinn, creative director of character development and appearances. “That’s when we know we’re doing something right. A kid can come to the show and just enjoy the rhythm or the mess or the colors or the spectacle. Adults can come and do the exact same thing, but they might also come away with something to think about. When we do our work well, the show succeeds on multiple levels.” Amid the colors and music and eating and flying food, there are LED screens displaying sometimes silly, sometimes witty, sometimes thought-provoking messages. There is also a sonorous, pre-recorded voice guiding the audience through funny, clever set pieces about a variety of topics, including modern plumbing and technology and choreography.
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“Every couple of years we swap out a whole bunch of material. We want the show to be relevant to the time period that it’s in.”
But the Blue Man Group show is mostly visual and aural – as opposed to oral – and that clearly contributes to its broad appeal: language is not an issue for tourists who speak little or no English. It also enables the show to travel well to other countries: beating paint-covered drums and creating cascades of color has a visceral appeal in any culture, and the feast – in which a member of the
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audience joins the Blue Men onstage to dine on a Twinkie – retains its humor and sweetness wherever it plays. “I think the reason the show works goes back to our ideas about the character,” says Phil Stanton, co-founder of Blue Man with Matt Goldman and Chris Wink. “It might sound heady to talk about it this way, but the Blue Man is a kernel of humanity, or a kind of every man. The blue paint gets rid of race and nationality.” Quinn adds, “The show deals with topics and issues that are common to every culture: Communication. Sensory overload. Beating music and heavy rhythm. Dancing. All of that crosses every border. We have things that we want to say, and the message is there if you want to hear it, but we don’t care if you don’t want to hear it. We just want everyone to have fun.” The relationship between the Blue Men and the audience is paramount; in fact, the audience could be considered an additional – and unpredictable – character in the show. It’s not just that a woman from the audience is selected to appear onstage each night to partake in the feast, or that a man is chosen to get Jelloed – to coin a new verb – or that viewers sitting in the first few rows are so close to the action that they’re given ponchos to wear in case any paint or other material lands on them. It’s that the response of the audience stimulates the Blue Men. That symbiosis undoubtedly fuels the passions of the show’s devoted fans.
The other thing is, we change the show. Every couple of years we swap out a whole bunch of material. We want the show to be relevant to the time period that it’s in. ” The national tour will continue to expand Blue Man Group’s fan base, and returnees will discover a show that is quite different from all its American predecessors. Although the tour includes most of Blue Man Group’s best-known pieces, the show has been reconsidered to accommodate large theaters, and to be environmentally conscious.
“The relationship with the audience is everything,” says Matt Goldman. “Because at the end of the day, the Blue Man is really just trying to connect. He knows, whether intellectually or on a gut level, that in order to get to that ecstatic, heightened moment, he’s got to connect with these strangers. That’s why the Blue Man is so respectful of the audience. That’s why he wants to gain their trust. It’s all about the connection.” Clearly, Blue Man Group is connecting. Stanton recalls a man who saw the show 70 times – “and he wasn’t a weirdo” – and others who have seen it 20 or 30 times. “Usually if people see a play they liked, they’ll tell their friends to go see it,” says Quinn. “But with our show, people want the experience of seeing it with their friends. And that creates that atmosphere of energy and intensity from the start. People are excited for the show to begin. It’s not a passive experience. It’s more like going to a sporting event.” It’s likely that some people come back because there’s so much going on that it’s virtually impossible to catch everything in one viewing. “I tell people that you don’t really start seeing the layers of the onion peeled back until you see the show for the second or third time,” says Quinn. “I also think people come back for very specific reasons: they want to really listen to the music, or pay attention to a particular moment because they couldn’t quite figure out how it was done. And they come back because they want to see how the show is different from night to night.
“Some pieces have evolved a lot more for the tour,” says Stanton. “There’s a good bit of new material, and we’re very excited about that. We are going to be in large theaters, and that was one of the main impulses in finding another way to deliver a lot of the content. We have a new set design, with LED surfaces and LED curtains. It gives the show a completely different look. And we’ve found that we can use the technology to help people focus even more. For instance, it enables people sitting in the last row of the audience to see one of the Blue Men make a tiny gesture with his finger. The new technology is a further application of what we’ve been doing all along, but it takes the show to another level. It looks and feels really modern. We hope to eventually refresh the other shows with some of the material from the tour.” The greatest change is the show’s finale, which is completely new. The traditional finale, in which miles of streamers literally connect each member of the audience, is one of Blue Man Group’s most beloved pieces, and replacing it for the first time is a gutsy move. “We always wanted the show to feel like it was working toward that moment, that ending, when all of the things that make us fragmented in the modern world go away and we become one group,” says Stanton. “It’s hinted at in certain places during the show, and that’s what the arc of the evening is about: two cultures encountering each other, and realizing by the end that there are no barriers between them. And the finale is also a lot of fun. There aren’t many places where you can be with strangers and then have this shared experience.“ “But we want to phase out our dependence on using paper to make this happen,” Stanton continues. “So the national tour is virtually paperless. The new finale has a similar concept, and the same goal: to make the audience look around and encounter other people and have a shared experience. Visually, we’re taking it to another level. And we hope that audiences will find the whole experience even more powerful.”
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{
“while art was food for the soul, popular culture was candy”
}
relegated to just another object to own. With freedom came a challenge to the sense of resonsibility to protect what had long been held as the enduring and less tangible values for art. Commerce to a large degree has become the envelope for everything. Art has become something to invest in as the monetary value of great art (timelessness incarnate) has become another speculative venture in fortune-making. This kind of speculation and value for art made the art market into a strange beast that awkwardly danced between the quantifiable and the unquantifiable and still that strange beast today. Despite the flux of definitions for what art is, there still lies at the heart of it a sense that it must be some sort of expression of transcendant value. Art is something special that is outside of or at least different from the other things that we make or do. It is the territory of the extraordinary. When we say “the art of”, we are talking about something that is “greater than” and it is often so in a way that is hard to quantify or clearly sum up. Pop Art to a large degree took head-on this awkward situation that had been developing over the course of at least a couple of centuries between commerce and art. While much art before warned of or lamented the losses to Fine Art or struggled to redefine it as “art for art’s sake,” Pop Art for the first time used the language of Fine Art to unapologetically embrace and fearlessly approach what had been experienced by many as a real challenge to the greater values of art. By so clearly taking commerce, mass production, the transient, and the banal as subjects of Fine Art, it demanded the reassessment of values. It shook things up and forced the question of how something so seemingly ordinary could be thought of as extraordinary. The 19th century city, in producing a rich, visual culture of commodities, also produced a revolution in aesthetic perception and attitudes towards works of art and artists. There were newfound freedoms for artists in terms of opportunities for personal exploration, expression, new forms of picture-making and artist-centered or artist-generated values for Fine Art. Artists were left to grapple with this on an individual basis and in the new era, art rapidly cycled through movements that represented different approaches to the numerous questions and opportunities that had been raised. Contingent upon this freedom though, was the loss of a structure of support that protected art from being
An important aspect of Pop Art is the affirmation that popular culture is where art most enters into the lives of the average person in our age. In our advertising and on our packaging, in our stories and how we tell them, in our mythology of Hollywood stardom, worship of celebrities, and in our very structure for the consumer culture that these values are exchanged within. These applied arts—commercial arts—are where creativity and the expression of value find a home in our everyday experiences, whether we like them or not. This is where many in our society find their imaginations encouraged, stimulated, and a mirror held up to values—where, in fact, values are shaped. The dominance
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within visual culture of design, packaging and advertising may not necessarily be the highest achievements or the greatest, purest expressions of art. We are being sold something to be sure, but this is where the conversation takes place in a very real and important way on a daily basis. This surface is where art continues to live, and when Pop Art happened it was because it was so alive on this surface. In a sense, Pop Art found and redeemed the values within art that were still maintained and espoused within these applied forms. Pop Art asked, quite simply, “Isn’t there something transcendant, extraordinary, wonderful and fascinating in the way that art enters our lives through these surfaces? Isn’t there beauty in banality if we look at the creative acts that are going into it?” Andy Warhol was specially poised to be the American forerunner of an artistic expression of Pop. In many ways he was quintessentially suited to the task. At a very young age he showed artistic talent as well as an enduring love of popular culture, collecting photos of movie stars in scrapbooks, writing fan letters, reading cartoons and drawing. He was fascinated by fame, celebrity and stardom and wholeheartedly believed in the pursuit of the American Dream, craving the success and riches that it proffered. At the same time he loved banality as a symbol of the things that we all shared in common. He was truly democratic in that sense, and was a sensitive and receptive spirit, seeing so much beauty in simple things and the imperfect reality that served as a counterpoint to the manufactured Hollywood image. Warhol was inseparable from his subject matter. So intrinsically inspired and enraptured by it that he didn’t just create Pop Art, he embodied Pop itself. His background as an extremely successful commercial illustrator in New York City in the 1950s gave him an insider’s perspective on the “Madison Avenue” spin of mass media, the ability and power to create an image that transcends and exceeds its subject, something truly and artfully extraordinary.
{
}
“Warhol tapped into that deep psyche of the American experience and held a mirror up for us to see it”
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convince of anything or manipulate desires or fears in his works of art. He was simply holding out in front the desires (or fears) that had already become apparent in our cultural common experience. Warhol tapped into that deep psyche of the American experience and held a mirror up for us to see it. He simply wanted to lay bare the beauty he saw in everything by holding up that mirror. Loving the quickness of the exchange of values within popular culture, Warhol wanted to free-float on this quick-moving surface, and wanted everyone to float there with him. He was the channel for these exchanges, the mirror ball at an endlessly exciting party. There was a sense of fusion, an answer within how he did it that made any question of paradox or contradiction melt away into an easy and cool seamlessness. There was a sincerity, honesty, and even innocence in his unaplogetic embrace and exploration of the whole of our American situation.
This kind of manufacture was something Warhol enthusiastically embraced in his work, to the extent that he wanted to become a machine himself. In many ways he was a machine, removing himself and any expression from his work. The difference between the machine that Warhol was and the machine of marketing is that Warhol was an art machine. He wasn’t trying to sell anything,
One of the marks of great artists is that their authentic self, and an authentic statement of their unique individuality as human beings, is ingrained and embodied in the work they make. This is the integrity of fully matured artists and it is a difficult point to achieve. The marriage of form, content and personality is what Warhol achieved. It is truly the depth of superficiality within Warhol that makes him such a great and timeless artist. This is why he is recognized as such by so many. He wasn’t an artist working within the Pop Art genre or referencing Pop themes and ideas, he was truly living as a work of Pop Art. As cultural critic Jean Baudriallard says, he was “an anthropological event” and he is singular and unique in this within Pop Art. In doing this he is revealing depth and superficiality in equal measure as a unified whole. That Warhol found and pulled out a true answer to where the fineness lies within Pop and where Pop can be Fine Art is his greatest achievement. Warhol showed us the Art of the Business of Art in a succinct way at a time when that was the question to answer. His greatness lies in the way that in the entirety of what he did it is really food masquerading as candy.
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DM – Is this event solely for established artists to participate? JS - It was important for the event to be a platform for emerging as well as mid and late career artists. Everyone who participates knows this, and the unsaid mantra to last year’s event was ‘check your career at the door’. The work is coming from every direction. The only exceptions being plain air-painting, which is difficult given the event takes place indoors, and heavily conceptual work. But we are working on overcoming those limitations, even if it means building atriums. DM – What were your preconceptions, if any, for the event? JS - Everyone was understandably cautious last year, except
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for some of the faculty who are used to giving demonstrations and being on display. No one knew how this was supposed to look. Now after the success of last year’s canary-in-thetunnel effort, everyone is able to relax a bit and approach the next event with the confidence of having one behind them. Even so, the vitality of the event comes from not being able to rest on one’s laurels. The time frame has a profoundly equalizing effect.
Take the Day 2011
is set for Saturday, October 1 beginning at 10am with a Silent Auction and Artists Reception beginning at 6pm. Refer to www.taketheday.org for all Take the Day information.
Beyond Kill the Wabbit…
H
ow many pieces of classical music do you recognize? Probably a lot more than you might think - the resounding notes of a cell phone ring: da, da, da, daah; Elmer Fudd’s battle cry: Kill the Wabbit; every bride’s march down the isle; scenes from Fantasia 2000; and every slow motion sports drink commercial or race towards a finish line. These melodies - otherwise known as Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Wagner’s Ride of the Valkryies, Pachelbel’s Cannon in D, Stravinsky’s Firebird, and Orff’s Carmina Burana-all conjure up images and emotions in our life. Even so, the number of pieces which are instantly recognizable by the general public has been shrinking for many years. The 15 pieces listed with QR codes on the next page, many chosen as favorites by our Facebook friends, represent the most popular pieces of classical music. But given that J.S. Bach alone wrote over 1,200 pieces, there is so much more music to love! One consequence of the shrinking pool of recognizable repertoire is the challenge it presents when programming a symphony orchestra season. As much as you may love (I can’t get no) Satisfaction, if the Rolling Stones only played that song at every concert, it would get stale. The same is true for orchestras–if orchestras played only the most popular works again and again, the experience would quickly become mundane. Our approach at the South Dakota Symphony has been to balance those pieces which are familiar and beloved to our audience, while sharing the hidden gems of composers already known to be masters or
by living composers who are proving themselves worthy of attention. We can all greatly enhance our enjoyment of music by simply becoming familiar with MORE music. There’s no such thing as a “spoiler” in classical music; the more you listen to a piece, the more there is to hear. In particular, listening to a recording of a piece before hearing it live is a wonderful way to get the most out of a concert experience. If you are new to classical music altogether, the best way to dip your toe in the water is to start with what you enjoy most. If you’re a rocker, begin with pieces that pack a huge punch, like the Finale to Stravinsky’s Firebird or the opening of Orff’s Carmina Burana. If you prefer lighter, more elegant music, try Vivaldi’s Four Seasons or one of Mozart’s Piano Concertos. Then you can begin to branch out into other works by those composers or their contemporaries. One recommendationalways try to keep an adventurous spirit. One thing to remember: if you don’t like something, that’s OK. Classical music spans over 400 years and a myriad of cultures, so there’s plenty to choose from! On the next page, you’ll see a list of 15 of the most popular classical pieces with links to 15-20 second excerpts. Listen through and see which ones you recognize. If you hear something you like, track down a recording of the whole piece and try it on for size. In the past seven seasons, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra audiences have enjoyed many of these pieces. There will be more of them this season, beginning with the one which tops everyone’s list - da, da, da, daah – so don’t miss a beat! facebook.com/SDsymphony • http://www.sdsymphony.org
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J. Strauss
The Top 15 Most Recognized Classical Music Selections Beethoven
Rossini
Wagner
Bizet
Mendelssohn
Bach
Mozart
Handel
Beethoven
Tchaikovsky
Symphony 5
Ride of the Walkyries
Wedding March from Midsummer Night’s Dream
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Symphony 9, Ode to Joy
William Tell Overture, final section
On the Beautiful Blue Danube
Vivaldi
Gershwin
Tchaikovsky
Offenbach
Four Seasons, Spring
Nutcracker, Waltz of the Flowers
Rhapsody in Blue
Can-Can from Orpheus in the Underworld
Carmen, Toreador Song
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Hallelujah Chorus
1812 Overture
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Art • Shopping • Food & Family Fun!
S
ideWalk Arts Festival is the region’s largest oneday street festival. Boasting over 250 arts and craft venders, a Children’s Studio, regional food, and live entertainment, the SideWalk Arts Festival (SWAF) attracts over 40,000 visitors annually. For nearly 50 years the SWAF has been a staple in the programming for downtown Sioux Falls and for the past 11 years the Washington Pavilion’s Visual Arts Center has accepted the task of continuing the vision of its predecessors and making SWAF one of its major fundraisers. With something for everyone, the SWAF brings in artists from all over the country. The Fine Arts section of the arts festival includes a juried section where artists can enter to win Bestin-Show as well as a number of consolation cash prizes. The competition is judged by the Visual Arts Center’s Curator who talks with all the artists about their work. This is an important additional element to the festival. The festival is powered by volunteers and donations. For example, the Boy Scouts sacrifice a full Saturday to help pick up litter, the Civil Air Patrol arrives before dawn to help barricade the streets and Pepsi supplies the festival with hydration. Sidewalk Arts Festival also works closely with many of the city departments. The Sioux Falls Park and Recreation Department provides picnic tables, the Street Department provides barricades and the Police
Department keeps the event safe and enjoyable for everyone. Other organizations that provide their services and time include Girton Adams, Waste Management, Mid America Motoplex, Sioux Empire Jaycees, Sioux Falls Health Department, Billion Automotive, Public Transit and Trolley, Midwest Golf, Lacey’s Chemical Restrooms and Party Land. Without the generosity and support of these organizations, the Sidewalk Arts Festival would not be able to run smoothly and effectively Though the festival is known for all of the vendors and people it attracts to the Sioux Falls area, very few know about the behind the scenes action that goes into making the Sidewalk Arts Festival a success. The Washington Pavilion works closely with several organizations from our community including the Civil Air Patrol, the Boy Scouts, Pepsi and many more. Join us Saturday, September 10 beginning at 9 am as the streets surrounding the Washington Pavilion fill with vendors and visitors from all over the region. Check us out on the Pavilion’s web site. We hope to see you there!
Saturday, September 10, 2011 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. downtown Sioux FallS http://www.sidewalkartsfestival.com
to e c i o V g Givin l a i c o S t n Importa ugh the o r h T s e u s Is s t r A g n i m Perfor Dakota Academy of Performing Arts at the Pavilion
A
Plays for Living Theatre Company
group of 7th graders in a Sioux Falls middle school sit in the auditorium listening to their classmate share her experiences as a bi-racial child. “People react differently depending on whether I am with my mom (who is Caucasian), my dad (who is African American) or whether we are all together. Even the checker at the grocery store acts more open and trusting and less judgmental when I am just with my mom.” At another middle school almost all hands are raised when a discussion facilitator asks how many have known someone who had attempted or completed a suicide. A student then stands before her class and talks about her own very real experience with depression. The auditorium bursts into supportive applause as this 13 year old makes her way back to her seat. At an elementary school 4th graders are deep in discussion as to why certain people bully others and what they might be able to do about the situation. One boy thinks that perhaps he hadn’t been very nice to another boy earlier that same day. All these students are actively participating in a discussion group following a performance of the Dakota Academy of Performing Arts (DAPA) at the Pavilion Plays for Living Theatre Company (PFL.) Performing artists in larger metropolitan communities have had, in the past, advantages over those in South Dakota when it comes to competing for those few much-coveted spots in the better conservatory programs. In May of 2001 DAPA was founded giving a high-level performing arts education, in both instrumental music and acting, to those youth in Sioux Falls and surrounding areas. In September 2010, after 10 seasons as an independent non-profit
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By Sara H. Crosby, MSW, CSW-PIP
501(c)3 DAPA merged into the Washington Pavilion’s Community Learning Center and is now officially DAPA at the Pavilion. The integrity and standard of the programming remains the same and with the infrastructure of the Pavilion as a much-needed base DAPA finally has the sustainability and support to grow as the needs of the community change and grow. DAPA at the Pavilion PFL presently is a company of 30 actors ages 13-22 and is an affiliate of the national PFL company which is based in New York City and has been
giving voice to important social issues for over 75 years. All the scripts are professionally written and published and focus on a variety of social issues including Diversity, Bullying, Prejudice and Discrimination, Alcohol and Drug Use, and Suicide Prevention, to name just a few of the over 75 scripts for adults as well as youth, available through the national office. Direct information on these topics can often be threatening and lead to denial or misunderstanding. These award winning, issue based dramas provide a discussion vehicle to overcome these barriers and allow everyone to explore the subjects through dramatization and professionally facilitated group discussions which follow each performance. In short, Plays for Living brings the unspoken out in the open. Acting students in this program are challenged not only to keep their performances fresh, but also to tackle difficult subject matters and complex characterization. Students use their talents to provide an important social service to the community while gaining significant performance experience. Next season DAPA at the Pavilion PFL will continue to offer five plays. Where Does it End? by William Baldwin Young is a play on bullying, prejudice and discrimination for 8th grade and up. (The company has been honored with an invitation to perform this show in Washington DC in October for the Alliance of Children and Families’ National Conference.) What’s the Difference? by William Baldwin Young is a play on bullying and diversity issues for 4th and 5th grades. Thin Ice, is a play on drug and alcohol prevention for 6th grade. The Survivors, by Leslie Glass is a play about teen depression and suicide prevention and is appropriate for 7th grade through high school. Who Says I Can’t Drink? is a dinner theatre program for parents and their 6th -8th graders on underage drinking. Since February 2002 DAPA PFL has reached over 90,000 children and has shown over and over again the usefulness of the performing arts in teaching important, timely, and sensitive social issues that affect us all. From the student wanting to major in performance in college to the quietest student in the back row The Dakota Academy of Performing Arts at the Pavilion has something to offer to everyone. It is our hope that this programming will give opportunities and enhance skills for young performers while increasing awareness, tolerance, and discussion on many social issues. The; performing arts, whether one is a performer or an audience member, provide experiences that last a lifetime and foster emotional, social and educational growth, while building confidence and self-esteem for all ages.
If one student finds her way into the performing arts conservatory program she dreamed of attending, if the boy in the 4th grade class thinks twice about how to handle his intolerance to diversity, if the classmates of a “different” child have a better understanding of that person’s experience and is able to show empathy rather than bullying, or if one child finds a way to reach out for help with depression or suicidal ideation, then DAPA at the Pavilion has accomplished its mission.
All inquiries as to how to book a Plays for Living play for your school or organization or on becoming an actor in the company should be directed to, Rose Ann Kelly, Director Community Learning Center, Washington Pavilion, 605-367-6000.
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M
ost of us can probably agree that one of the buzzwords of 2011 for electronics and culture has been the word tablet . This recent innovation has allowed us to become even more mobile, reduce the need for pen and paper, and has potentially become the savior for the publishing industry. It has not only increased efficiency in communications, but has also supplied us with another outlet to spend our precious hours of free time watching our favorite YouTube channels. Whether you’re an Apple loyalist or you’re riding the Android wave, there are many options to sort through and consider. Deciding on an operating system is a key factor of the purchase process, but it is also important to weigh other elements such as size, battery life, screen quality, and much more.
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Apple iPad 2 $599 for 32GB version; 3G available through AT&T and Verizon
Released five months ago, this secondgeneration Apple product has been dominating tablet sales. This version is not only thinner than the original, but also lighter. The most impressive attribute of the iPad 2 is the 10-12-hour battery life which should give you plenty of time to play Angry Birds or stream the full season of Spartacus on Netflix.
Motorola Xoom
$599 for 32GB version; 3G available through Verizon
Motorola has managed to produce an impressive competitor to the iPad 2. Motorola has partnered with Google to produce an efficient machine that runs über snappy on the new Android Honeycomb 3.1 software. If you love your Android phone, then you’ll love this tablet. In addition, the Xoom boasts the unique advantages of having micro-HDMI and SanDisk inputs, as well as a dual LED camera flash.
Barnes & Noble Nook Color $249 for 8GB version; Wi-Fi only
A unique tablet option for the avid reader. The Nook gives users access through the Android Market to the Barnes & Noble reader software to download and lend books. What makes this e-book unique is that it runs on the Android Eclair 2.1 OS, it allows for some limited access to web browsing and Android Market applications.
BlackBerry PlayBook $599 for 32GB version; Wi-Fi only
Many have already written off this RIM product. It’s not too hard to blame the general consensus, as the BlackBerry PlayBook still has not partnered with a major US carrier, leaving the device as Wi-Fi only. Unfortunately, at this point, the BlackBerry App World is very limited in selection, and doesn’t even come close to the Android Market or iTunes Store.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 $599 for 32GB version; 3G available through Verizon and AT&T (pending)
Believe it or not, this brand new device is as thin as, and lighter, than the iPad 2. This is another Android tablet running on the Honeycomb OS. Samsung will soon be introducing Touchwiz on this device in the near future, which will open up widgets known as hubs for things such as social media, music and e-books. The main problem with this device is the atrocious battery life of only 7 hours.
The goal of this overview isn’t to highlight the best tablet on the market; but rather accentuate the key benefits and accolades of each device. When making your big purchase, don’t go by the hype or brand loyalty, but rather select the tablet that will best suit your needs and preferences. At the very least, make the Tech Guy happy and go out and buy one!
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