JOIN US FOR THE SPRING EXHIBITIONS PREVIEW
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FRIDAY, MAY 15
moderated by tyler green
Featuring a conversation with Catherine Opie and Jack Whitten
WEXNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS | THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | 1871 NORTH HIGH STREET | COLUMBUS, OHIO 43210-1393
05+06 2015
NON-PROFIT ORG U S POSTAGE P A I D COLUMBUS OHIO PERMIT NO 711
M AY + J U N E 2 0 1 5 E V E N T S
wexner center for the arts
Catherine Opie Portraits and Landscapes
onView
MAY 16–AUGUST 2, 2015
Hassan Hajjaj
My Rock Stars Experimental, Volume I
Catherine Opie Portraits and Landscapes
Renowned photographer Catherine Opie (b. 1961) returns to the Wexner Center for the regional debut of a recent series of work that pairs formal portraits of fellow artists, family, and friends with intriguingly abstract landscapes. Among contemporary photographers, the Ohio-born artist is exceptionally attuned to histories of representation (from 17th-century European portraiture to American pictorialism), and Portraits and Landscapes vigorously embodies her conversation with tradition. However, among the over 40 color photographs on view, you’ll also discover several new developments—as well as stunning departures—in Opie’s practice. For the portraits Opie posed her subjects against a black drop cloth and used theatrical lighting, saturated color, and variations in scale to render their faces and bodies in intimate detail. You’ll encounter renowned visual artists and performers (including many familiar to Wex audiences, such as John Waters, Miranda July, and Elizabeth Streb) as well as notable athletes, critics, and writers. Opie’s work in portraiture, acclaimed for over two decades, has often focused on communities to which she belongs, and her recent work sustains that commitment. As Opie says of her recent portraits, “They are friends and people that I admire.” In contrast to these highly personal portraits, and unlike her previous landscape photographs that articulated a specific sense of place, Opie’s recent landscapes depict space as a haze of blurred color and light. As Opie has noted of these works, “Nature is a dream state at this point…. I’m asking people to go back to the sublime and to a place of beauty.” Organized by the Wexner Center for the Arts and curated by Bill Horrigan, Wexner Center Curator at Large.
THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Catherine Opie Untitled #9, 2013. Pigment print, 40 x 60 in. Collection of Tristin and Martin Mannion, Boston. Mary, 2012. Pigment print, 33 x 25 in. Works © Catherine Opie, images courtesy the artist and Regen Projects, Los Angeles.
THIS PAGE FROM TOP: Jack Whitten Prime Mover, 1974. Acrylic on canvas, 54 1/4 x 75 1/4 in. MottWarsh Collection, Flint, MI. Apps for Obama, 2011. Acrylic on hollow core door, 84 x 91 in. Collection of Danny First, Los Angeles. Works © Jack Whitten.
JACK WHITTEN PAINTING
FIVE DECADES OF Explore the groundbreaking work of African American artist Jack Whitten in the first career-spanning retrospective of his dynamic oeuvre. Featuring nearly 50 canvases, the exhibition traces the trajectory of Whitten’s restless formal experimentation with paintings that, while abstract, often contain cultural, political, and social references. Born and raised in Alabama, Whitten (b. 1939) began painting in the 1960s, a period of cultural turmoil that gave the artist ample inspiration for poignant and potent works that respond to the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the work of Martin Luther King Jr. In the ensuing decades, Whitten’s shape-shifting style has transformed and evolved, encompassing abstract and highly textured canvases; paintings with surfaces “processed” by rakes, squeegees, and other tools; and mosaic-like, mixed-media compositions that incorporate paint compounds transformed into tiles. Today, Whitten continues to respond to current events and pay homage to friends and public figures in his highly personalized yet incredibly approachable manner of abstraction. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and made possible by generous lead underwriting support from Dr. Paul Jacobs and corporate support from RBC Wealth Management. Additional funding has been provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, LLWW Foundation, and proceeds from the 2014 Biennial Art Auction. Institutional support for MCASD is provided by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and the County of San Diego Community Enhancement Fund.
FREE RELATED EVENTS Spring Exhibitions Preview
Walk-in Tours
FRI, MAY 15 A CONVERSATION WITH CATHERINE OPIE AND JACK WHITTEN | 5 pm RECEPTION | 6–9 pm
SAT, MAY 23 | 1 pm SAT, JUNE 6 | 1 pm THU, JUNE 25 | 5 pm
Don’t miss this chance to hear from photographer Catherine Opie and painter Jack Whitten, who share a stage for the first time in this talk moderated by acclaimed art critic Tyler Green, host of the Modern Art Notes Podcast. The conversation begins in the Film/Video Theater at 5 pm. Enjoy complimentary snacks and a cash bar as DJ CitizenDorianS spins tunes in the café 6–9 pm. The galleries open at 4 pm so you can view the exhibitions before the talk. Arrive early—seating for the conversation is first come, first served.
Get the most out of your visit to the galleries with an informative and enlightening Walk-in Tour. Tours are free with gallery admission, which is free on Thursday evenings and always free for college students and members. No registration is required, and you’ll have plenty of time to ask questions and discuss the work on view. Extend your tour with a visit to the expanded Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum led by Wexner Center docents. Contact (614) 292-6493 or edweb@wexarts.org for details.
RSVP at wexarts.org/rsvp or by emailing rsvp@wexarts.org.
MEET AT THE GALLERY ENTRANCE
EXHIBITIONS TICKET INFO
FREE members, college students (with valid ID), under 18 $8 general public $6 senior citizens (65 and older) Ohio State faculty and staff (with BuckID) FREE ADMISSION DAYS
Every Thursday 4–8 pm and on the first Sunday of each month
SUPPORT FOR FREE ADMISSION DAYS
onScreen
CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
(Albert Serra, 2013)
Story of My Death
(Lisandro Alonso, 2014)
Jauja
Hard to Be a God
Queen and Country
THU, MAY 7 | 7 pm
THU & SAT, MAY 14 & 16 | 7 pm
TUE, MAY 26 | 7 pm
FRI–SAT, JUNE 12–13 | 7 pm
The maverick Catalan filmmaker Albert Serra is known for his radical and minimal cinematic interpretations of great literature. In his acclaimed new film, Serra gives us a dreamy period piece that finds an aging Giacomo Casanova coming face-to-face with a new age being ushered in—and embodied in the form of Dracula. Rather than the campy results you might expect, Serra and his nonprofessional actors present a cinematic vision rich with metaphor and allegory. (148 mins., DCP)
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Jauja is the story of a Danish captain’s desperate search for his daughter behind enemy lines in Patagonia during the “Conquest of the Desert” in 1882. The solitary quest takes him to a place beyond civilization, and perhaps beyond time itself. A moving human drama set against breathtaking landscapes reminiscent of John Ford’s classic films, Jauja finds Lisandro Alonso—one of Argentina’s most influential directors—presenting his most ambitious film to date. (108 mins., DCP)
Girlhood
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
(Céline Sciamma, 2014)
FRI–SAT, MAY 8–9 | 7 pm
“One of the best coming of age movies in years.” —INDIEWIRE
Marieme is a shy, bored, put-upon teenager living in a disadvantaged banlieue (or suburb) of Paris. Recruited to join a gang by three tougher girls, she sheds some of her inhibitions, restyles her hair, changes her name, and tries to take charge of her own life. Teenage girlhood, with its nervous stretches of boredom and its violent, electric upsurges, has been filmmaker Céline Sciamma’s dominant subject so far. Her previous two films (Water Lilies and Tomboy) were audience favorites here, and Girlhood has widely been praised as her best to date. (112 mins., DCP)
(Aleksei German, 2013)
“Beautiful, brilliant… a message from another time.”—CINEMA SCOPE When legendary Russian director Aleksei German died in 2013, he left behind this extraordinary final film that critics have hailed a masterpiece. A phantasmagoric adaptation of the revered sci-fi novel by the Strugatsky brothers, Hard to Be a God focuses on Don Rumata, one of a group of Earth scientists who have been sent to the feudal planet Arkanar with the directive not to interfere in its development. Treated by Arkanar’s natives as a kind of divinity, Don Rumata is both godlike and impotent in the face of the chaos and brutality around him. (170 mins., DCP)
(John Boorman, 2014)
“A moving portrait of a nation that couldn’t account for all it had lost in a war that it won.” —TIME OUT NEW YORK
Picking up 10 years after the events depicted in Hope and Glory (screening here on June 11), Queen and Country is John Boorman’s vivid and lyrical memoir of postwar British family life after the hardships and destruction of war. The Rowans are still at their Thames-side home but adjusting to change as the now-adult Bill begins his compulsory military service during the Korean War. With David Thewlis, Richard E. Grant, and Callum Turner. (115 mins., DCP)
(Isao Takahata, 2013)
TUE, MAY 19 | 7 pm Based on a Japanese folktale, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya follows a bamboo cutter who finds a tiny magical girl in the forest and raises her as she grows—quickly—into a beautiful young woman. The elegant animation and rich character development by Studio Ghibli cofounder Isao Takahata makes Princess Kaguya a welcome departure from animated films aimed only at children. In Japanese with English subtitles. (137 mins., DCP) The film screens in conjunction with the exhibition World of Shojo Manga! Mirrors of Girls’ Desires, on view at Ohio State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum through July 5. Visit cartoons.osu.edu for more information.
The Mafia Only Kills in Summer (Pierfrancesco Diliberto, 2013)
THU, JUNE 4 | 7 pm Directed by and starring satirical newscaster Pierfrancesco Diliberto (aka “Pif”—an Italian Jon Stewart, if you will), The Mafia Only Kills in Summer is a dark comedy about a boy in Palermo whose romantic view of the Mafia prevents him from recognizing its corruptive hold on everyday Sicilian life. Styled as a fictional biography and largely told in flashback, the film follows the boy as he crosses paths with real-life anti-Mafia figures—all eventually murdered—and comes to grips with his obsession. (90 mins., DCP)
About Elly
(Asghar Farhadi, 2009)
FRI–SAT, JUNE 19–20 | 7 pm From the director of A Separation, Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, comes About Elly, the story of a group of friends in Iran who are vacationing by the Caspian Sea. In a twist reminiscent of Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Avventura, Elly, who is invited as a potential match for one of the divorced men on the trip, mysteriously disappears, and the friends begin pointing fingers as to who might be at fault. Unreleased in the US after the original distributor went bankrupt, About Elly captured the Silver Bear at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and was voted the 4th greatest Iranian film of all time in a poll of Iranian critics. (119 mins., DCP)
NEW DOCUMENTARY Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock & Roll (John Pirozzi, 2014)
THU–FRI, MAY 28–29 | 7 pm
1971
(Johanna Hamilton, 2014)
FRI–SAT, MAY 1–2 | 7 pm
“An examination of the abuses of government power that could hardly be timelier.”—THE WRAP Before Edward Snowden, WikiLeaks, and even Watergate, there was the Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI. On March 8, 1971, this group of eight ordinary citizens broke into an FBI office in Media, PA, removed every file in the office, and anonymously mailed documents to the press. The heist yielded a trove of damning evidence, most significantly the illegal COINTELPRO domestic surveillance program overseen by J. Edgar Hoover. Never identified or caught by the FBI, the burglars speak about their actions for the first time in this gripping and pointedly relevant documentary. (79 mins., DCP)
Because I Was a Painter (Christophe Cognet, 2013)
FRI–SAT, MAY 22–23 | 7 pm When the Allies liberated the concentration camps in 1945, they discovered thousands of secretly created artworks. Hidden from the Nazis, these drawings provide an invaluable view of life during the war, and for 70 years, the story of the artists who made them has remained untold. The remarkable Because I Was a Painter interviews in depth the artists who survived the camps, offering a sensitive study of suffering, beauty, and how art can bridge the gap between the two. (104 mins., DCP)
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten examines and unravels Cambodia’s tragic past through the country’s popular music stars of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Combining interviews with surviving musicians, never-before-seen archival material, and rare songs, the film tracks the winding course of Cambodian music as it morphs into a unique style of rock and roll. A vibrant musical culture that was nearly lost forever under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime is revived and celebrated. (106 mins., DCP)
Image courtesy of the artist
MAY Kristin Lucas
Involuntary Reception (2000) Kristin Lucas plays a woman possessing (and possessed by) strange electrical forces, whose deadpan account of her isolated life is both humorous and poignant. Quarantined from physical contact, she exists only on-screen, a tragic character always at risk of contamination from the many signals buzzing through the vast digital ether. (6:45 mins., video)
OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP QUEEN AND COUNTRY Image courtesy of BBC Worldwide America STORY OF MY DEATH Image courtesy of M’aidez Films JAUJA Image courtesy of Cinema Guild
Forbidden Films: The Hidden Legacy of Nazi Film (Felix Moeller, 2014)
HARD TO BE A GOD Image courtesy of Kino Lorber QUEEN AND COUNTRY Image courtesy of BBC Worldwide America GIRLHOOD Image courtesy of Strand Releasing
FRI–SAT, JUNE 26–27 | 7 pm
THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA Image courtesy of GKIDS
Experts estimate that of the nearly 1,200 feature films that were produced in Nazi Germany, roughly 100 were blatant Nazi propaganda. Decades later, dozens of these films remain under lock and key, still banned in several countries. Utilizing historical clips, contemporary interviews, and recorded discussions from public screenings, director Felix Moeller (Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Süss) examines the power and potential danger of film when used for ideological purposes while capturing just how contentious these films remain today. (94 mins., HD-CAM)
THE MAFIA ONLY KILLS IN SUMMER Image courtesy of Distrib Films ABOUT ELLY Image courtesy of Cinema Guild THIS PAGE FROM TOP DON’T THINK I’VE FORGOTTEN Image courtesy of Argo Pictures 1971 Photo: Andreas Burgess FORBIDDEN FILMS Image courtesy of Zeitgeist Films BECAUSE I WAS A PAINTER Image courtesy of Cinema Guild ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL Images courtesy of Distrib Films US
Image courtesy of the artists
JUNE Sam Green and Andy Black
A Cinematic Study of Fog in San Francisco (2013)
This experimental documentary by Wex regular Sam Green and veteran cinematographer Andy Black is a love letter to an iconic, ephemeral weather phenomenon and the city that is so well known for it. The codirectors employ interviews with residents, tourists, meteorologists, and even the Golden Gate Bridge’s foghorn operator alongside archival footage and views of San Francisco in all its misty glory. (10 mins., video)
FILM/VIDEO TICKET INFO
$6 members, students, senior citizens $8 general public $3 children under 12
FILMS FOR FAMILIES! On the Way to School (Pascal Plisson, 2013)
SAT, MAY 2 | 1 pm In many parts of the world, getting to school is a challenge in itself, and this globetrotting documentary shows us what some young people must face simply to make it to the classroom. In Kenya, Jackson and his sister cross paths with dangerous elephants; in Patagonia, Carlito and his little sister ride a horse over 11 miles each way through treacherous terrain; in Morocco, Zahira and her friends trek across mountains and hitchhike to get to class on time; and in India, Samuel is pushed through swamplands in a homemade wheelchair by his younger brothers.
Film/Video tickets are on sale at tickets.wexarts.org and the Patron Services Desk on the entrance level of the building. In-person ticket sales continue until a half-hour after show times or until the start of the second film of double features. SCREENINGS
Touching and inspiring, On the Way to School celebrates the strength, determination, and courage of these young students willing to brave great obstacles in order to pursue their education. In French, Swahili, Maasai, and Spanish, with English subtitles. (75 mins., DCP) Questions about content? Contact Jean Pitman at (614) 292-4614 or jpitman@wexarts.org.
SUPPORT FOR YOUTH AND FAMILY PROGRAMS
All events are in the Film/Video Theater, unless otherwise indicated. Non-English language films have English subtitles, unless otherwise indicated. All programs are subject to change.
EX exhibitions PP
Sun
Mon
Tue
public programs
FV film/video ME membership PA
performing arts
ST store
Inaugurated in 1989 as a bold experiment in presenting and supporting the creation of contemporary art in a university setting, the Wexner Center wraps up its 25th Anniversary Season by welcoming back familiar faces and fan favorites: photographer Catherine Opie; indie-pop heroes Stephin Merritt and Belle and Sebastian; Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited, screening for free at this summer’s Wex Drive-In series, and more.
May
5 PP FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
On the Way to School
Film/Video Theater | 10 am Register at tickets.wexarts.org
onView IN THE GALLERIES MAY 16–AUGUST 2
Catherine Opie: Portraits and Landscapes Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting
19 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
The Box MAY
25
Kristin Lucas Involuntary Reception
WEXNER CENTER CLOSED FOR MEMORIAL DAY
26 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
Hard to Be a God
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
JUNE
Sam Green and Andy Black A Cinematic Study of Fog in San Francisco
Store Find the perfect gifts for the moms, dads, and grads in your life at the Wexner Center Store. Choose from cool housewares, jewelry, movies, and books. Don’t forget: members save on all store purchases, including Herman Miller furniture. The store closes May 25 for Memorial Day and June 14–15 for its annual inventory. Too busy to come in? Shop online at store.wexarts.org.
Heirloom Café Stop by Heirloom and savor seasonal fare made with produce from the Heirloom Urban Garden, now in full swing. Dig into thoughtfully prepared salads, entrées, soups, and chef specials, plus a range of beverages and tasty baked goods. Heirloom is open regular hours this spring and summer (Mon–Wed 8 am–4 pm; Thu–Fri 8 am–8 pm), so join us for breakfast, lunch, or dinner before a movie, performance, or gallery tour. Heirloom is closed May 25 for Memorial Day.
Find out more at wexarts.org Read complete event descriptions and updates, buy tickets, and view trailers. JAUJA Images courtesy of Cinema Guild
14 PA NEXT@WEX FEST
15
June
WEXNER CENTER STORE CLOSED FOR INVENTORY
WEXNER CENTER STORE CLOSED FOR INVENTORY
Belle and Sebastian with Jungle and Son Lux LC Outdoor Pavilion Doors | 5:30 pm
2015–16 Artist Residency Awards
In its 25 years as a research and development laboratory for the arts in all disciplines, the Wexner Center has sponsored hundreds of artists through creative residencies and commissions. Each season, key projects are selected as beneficiaries of our Artist Residency Award program, through which we dedicate significant resources to sponsor the creation of new work. We’re pleased to announce our award recipients for 2015–16: British theater innovators (and Wex audience favorites) Improbable in performing arts; New York–based artist Sarah Oppenheimer in visual arts, as part of a two-year residency; and noted filmmaker Kelly Reichardt, a veteran of our Film/Video Studio program. Visit wexarts.org/press for more.
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
FV NEW DOCUMENTARY
FV ZOOM: FILMS FOR FAMILIES!
1
1971
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
2
On the Way to School
Film/Video Theater | 1 pm FV NEW DOCUMENTARY
1971
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
7 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
Story of My Death
8 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
Girlhood
9 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
Girlhood
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
14
15
16
PP COSPONSORED TALK
The Results: Shakespeare and Autism Film/Video Theater | 3:30–4:30 pm
PP FOR TEENS
Pages Open Mic Reading and Reception
CML Whitehall Library | 6:30–8 pm 4445 East Broad Street
EX SPRING EXHIBITIONS PREVIEW
Galleries Open | 4 pm
A Conversation with Catherine Opie and Jack Whitten
FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
Jauja
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm PA NEXT@WEX
Galleries and Café | 6–9 pm
Stephin Merritt (of the Magnetic Fields) with Advance Base
22
23
Film/Video Theater | 5 pm
Reception
Performance Space | 8 pm
FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
Jauja
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
21 FV CLASSICS
From Mayerling to Sarajevo
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
FV NEW DOCUMENTARY
Because I Was a Painter
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
FV NEW DOCUMENTARY
Because I Was a Painter
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm PP FOR TEENS
Other Prom Performance Space | 8–11 pm
28 FV NEW DOCUMENTARY
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock & Roll
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
4 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
The Mafia Only Kills in Summer Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
11 FV CLASSICS
Hope and Glory
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
18 FV WEX DRIVE-IN
The Darjeeling Limited Wexner Center Plaza | dusk
29 FV NEW DOCUMENTARY
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock & Roll
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
5 FV CLASSICS
The Trial
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
12 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
Queen and Country
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
19 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
About Elly
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
26 FV NEW DOCUMENTARY
Forbidden Films: The Hidden Legacy of Nazi Film
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
30 ME GENWEX PRESENTS
Off the Grid
VIP preparty | 8–9 pm General admission | 9 pm–1:30 am Everywhere at the Wex
6 FV CLASSICS
The Trial
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
13 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
Queen and Country
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
20 FV CONTEMPORARY SCREEN
About Elly
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
27 FV NEW DOCUMENTARY
Forbidden Films: The Hidden Legacy of Nazi Film
Film/Video Theater | 7 pm
onScreen CLASSICS SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS FOR FILM/VIDEO
ROHAUER COLLECTION FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR FREE AND LOW-COST PROGRAMS
From Mayerling to Sarajevo
The Trial
Hope and Glory
(Max Ophüls, 1940)
FRI–SAT, JUNE 5–6 | 7 pm
THU, JUNE 11 | 7 pm
THU, MAY 21 | 7 pm
NEW RESTORATION!
NEW 35MM PRINT Max Ophüls’s career led him from Europe to Hollywood and back again; along the way he created some of the most beautiful, emotional, and pleasurable films that cinema has ever seen. This seldom-screened masterwork follows the love affair of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Czech Countess Sophie Chotek, who marry against the wishes of the court and are later assassinated in Sarajevo. Ophüls relishes the absurdity of court life while delighting in its elegance. His famous camerawork is equally elegant, fluidly describing the rigorous repression that the lovers face. (90 mins., 35mm)
(Orson Welles, 1962)
Welles’s not-always-faithful adaptation of Franz Kafka’s novel stars Anthony Perkins as Josef K, a bureaucrat charged with a neverspecified crime. Welles made a number of changes to Kafka’s work (including the ending) and upon completion considered it his best film, as it was his first since Citizen Kane to be released as he intended. Also starring Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider, and Welles, and featuring pinscreen animation sequences by Alexandre Alexeieff. (118 mins., DCP)
(John Boorman, 1987)
John Boorman’s memoir of World War II–era London follows 10-yearold Billy Rowan (Sebastian RiceEdwards) and his family during the days of the Blitz and their eventual retreat to a Thames-side home. Best-known for grittier fare including Point Blank, Deliverance, and Hell in the Pacific, Boorman displays a deft comedic touch in depicting wartime destruction and strife through the eyes of a child. Also starring Sara Miles. Boorman’s 2014 sequel, Queen and Country, screens here June 12–13. (113 mins., 35mm)
The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, 2007)
WEXNER CENTER PLAZA The Wexner Center brings the big screen outside for Wex Drive-In, our annual series of free, festive, open-air film screenings on the Wexner Center Plaza at 15th Avenue and High Street. All Drive-In movies start at dusk (generally around 9 pm), but you’re invited to come at 8 pm to choose your spot. Pack up a few blankets or lawn chairs, and get ready to enjoy beer from Seventh Son Brewing and wine from our cash bar, pizza from Mikey’s Late Night Slice, plus Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (with a free scoop for members) and free Pam’s Market Popcorn. Once again our summer kicks off with a film by the beloved Wes Anderson! In The Darjeeling Limited, three estranged brothers (Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman) reunite for a train trip across India after not seeing each other for a year following their father’s death. As the trip proceeds, past squabbles bubble back to the
COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR WEX DRIVE-IN
SEVENTH SON BREWING CO. MIKEY’S L ATE NIGHT SLICE
The film screens in conjunction with Cinevent, Columbus’s annual gathering of cinephiles and collectors. Cinevent 47 takes place May 22–25; visit cinevent.com for more information.
THU, JUNE 18 | dusk
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR WEX DRIVE-IN
surface, especially after two of the brothers learn the third has arranged a reunion with their mother at the end of the line. Also with Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Waris Ahluwalia, Natalie Portman, and Barbet Schroeder. (91 mins., 35mm) In the event of rain, the film screens in Mershon Auditorium at 9 pm. Heirloom Café is open until 8 pm if you want to grab a bite before heading outside.
UPCOMING WEX DRIVE-INS:
JUL 16: Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958) AUG 13: Cry-Baby (John Waters, 1990)
THIS PAGE FROM TOP THE TRIAL Image courtesy Rialto Pictures FROM MAYERLING TO SARAJEVO Image courtesy of The Film Desk THE TRIAL Image courtesy Rialto Pictures HOPE AND GLORY Image courtesy Sony Pictures THE DARJEELING LIMITED Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
onStage
Stephin Merritt
(of the Magnetic Fields) with
Advance Base
SAT, MAY 16 | 8 pm PERFORMANCE SPACE $22 all audiences
“A contrarian pop genius.”
Belle and Sebastian
—NEW YORK TIMES
Magnetic Fields front man Stephin Merritt returns to the Wex for an intimate concert accompanied by his longtime bandmate, cellist Sam Davol. One of America’s most talented songwriters, Merritt’s droll, piercing wit and artfully crafted lyrics and melodies have won him legions of devoted fans worldwide. For this concert, the wordsmith extraordinaire (and author of the recently published, Scrabble-inspired book of poems, 101 Two-Letter Words) presents a unique set of acoustic versions of selected songs from his extensive catalog. Hear him up close as he performs exactly 26 songs—with each song title starting with a different letter of the alphabet, and the set list running in alphabetical order. Solo artist Owen Ashworth, formerly Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, performs an opening set of bittersweet, minimalist songs under his moniker Advance Base.
with
Jungle and Son Lux
SUN, JUNE 14 DOORS | 5:30 pm LC OUTDOOR PAVILION $32 in advance $35 day of show TICKETS AVAILABLE VIA TICKETMASTER ONLY
Presented by PromoWest Productions in association with the Wexner Center for the Arts and CD102.5 FM. Don’t miss out—get your tickets now for this year’s Next@Wex Fest featuring Belle and Sebastian, who return to Columbus for the first time in nearly 12 years (their last performance in town was at the Wex in November 2003). The Scottish indie-pop group is touring in support of their new release Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, which finds them mixing fresh electronic dance elements inspired by Detroit techno and Giorgio Moroder with their ever-literate lyrics. Breakout British modern soul band Jungle will also stir up the rhythm, and composer, producer, and performer Son Lux (aka Ryan Lott) will open with a set of sparkling electro-pop grooves.
Note: this show is standing room only.
Pick up your copy of the limited-edition box set of Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance—on vinyl and with bonus tracks— now on sale at the Wexner Center Store. Next@Wex Fest is a partnership of the Wexner Center, PromoWest Productions, and CD102.5 FM and provides support for Wexner Center programming and the children’s charity arm of CD102.5 FM.
“One of the most singular and instantly lovable pop bands of our time.” —PITCHFORK ON BELLE AND SEBASTIAN
TICKETS.WEXARTS.ORG
The Wex’s online ticketing platform is easy and convenient to use, and you can even print your tickets at home whenever you like. Member and student tickets are available, too, for most events. ACCESSIBILITY
Please contact houseweb@wexarts.org with questions about accessibility and ADArelated accommodations for any event. L AT E S E AT I N G
Late seating and reentry after the program has begun are not permitted at dance and theater presentations. MAJOR SEASON SUPPORT FOR PERFORMING ARTS
THIS PAGE FROM TOP STEPHIN MERRITT Photo: Marcelo Krasilcic
MAJOR SUPPORT FOR NEXT@WEX FEST
JUNGLE Photo: Dan Wilton SON LUX Photo: Shervin Lainez BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Image by Soren Solkar
Member News & Events GENWEX PRESENTS
EVERYWHERE AT THE WEX AGES 21 AND OVER $50 until May 15 $60 May 16–May 29 $70 day-of-event $100 VIP preparty Wexner Center members receive $10 off any ticket Sign up and save at wexarts.org/join
SOUNDS
Lauren Flax
meet
(of CREEP)
Mark Spurgeon
Giant Claw
(sound collage/experimental electronic)
DJ Lance
(The Remix on CD102.5)
SNACKS Barcelona Restaurant & Bar Black Creek Bistro Cameron Mitchell Premier Events The Chintz Room Ethyl & Tank FUSIAN Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams The Table TILL Dynamic Fare Tip Top Kitchen and Cocktails Trattoria Roma and more to be announced
If you’re a frequent attendee of Wexner Center events, you’ve likely met Mark Spurgeon as our manager of ticketing in patron services. After 14 years at the center, this spring Mark begins his tenure as our membership manager. We asked him to share his memories of and perspective on the Wex in honor of the occasion. Please share—what’s your earliest memory of the Wex? My earliest memory of the Wexner Center is tied to my discovery of outsider art. I was awestruck by the scope of Leslie Payne’s vision, particularly the handmade airplane featured here in the 1991 exhibition Visions of Flight. Constructed entirely of found materials, his large-scale work filled one of our galleries and fueled my interest in selftaught artists. What’s your fondest Wex memory? The conversation between director Jim Jarmusch and film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum (part of our 2001 retrospective of Jarmusch’s work) reflected the best qualities of the Wex—eclectic, irreverent, and challenging! The director, who cut a singular figure with his distinctive pompadour, was especially charismatic as he entertained questions on film, rock and roll, life in Ohio, and William Blake.
Photo: Brandon Ballog
membership manager
What is one thing the Wexner Center has taught you over the years? You will be rewarded by slowing down to pay particular attention to the details. If you allow your expectations to override your experience, you are unlikely to glean the full potential of the moment. Why become a Wexner Center member? With a small investment, you gain priority and discounted access to some of the most stimulating programs and people in the city. You’ll savor a discount on local and seasonal fare in Heirloom Café as well as on our always-fresh mix of merchandise in the Wexner Center Store. Integrate your social and creative selves at an institution that believes in blurring the boundaries!
The contemporary art party of the season returns for its sixth incarnation in May—and at the close of our 25th anniversary celebration. Join us as we look back to our memorable beginnings in 1989 and look forward to an unforgettable night of fun. Sample delicious bites from local restaurants, and enjoy music from DJ Lance, Giant Claw, and headliner Lauren Flax (of electronic duo CREEP). The Brooklyn-based DJ, songwriter, and producer—called “one of our favorite DJs” by VICE—will reign over the dance floor with her signature atmospheric grooves. VIP passes get you early access to food, drinks (plus a couple of free ones), a performance choreographed by Nico Garlo (Nicole Garlando), and more. Best of all, you’ll be doing good while you have a great time, as all proceeds benefit Wexner Center education programs for children and youth. Get your tickets now before prices increase—and before they’re gone!
OFF THE GRID 2014 Photo: Danielle Petrosa
SAT, MAY 30 8–9 pm VIP | 9 pm–1:30 am
A Singular 25th Anniversary Season —Thanks to You The region’s premiere screening of Boyhood, introduced by its audacious director, Richard Linklater. Visits by acclaimed filmmakers Catherine Breillat and Terry Zwigoff. A rapturously received performance by Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet in Landfall, and the world-premiere of Ann Hamilton and SITI Company’s the theater is a blank page. Riveting public lectures by such luminaries as T. J. Clark, Kerry James Marshall, Lucy Lippard, and Zadie Smith. And of course Transfigurations: Modern Masters from the Wexner Family Collection, with its exquisite concentration of works by Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, and Jean Dubuffet. These are but a few of the unforgettable moments we’ve been privileged to share this special anniversary season with our members, patrons, advocates, artists, and friends. Your support and engagement—year in and year out—make such exceptional programs and cultural experiences possible.
Head to wexarts.org/blog for the complete conversation. Send Mark a hello or your questions about Wex membership at mspurgeon@ wexarts.org.
Members, get the scoop
Transfigurations: Modern Masters from the Wexner Family Collection. Installation view at the Wexner Center. Photo: Katie Spengler.
Members get the scoop on upcoming events and priority access to tickets—and a free scoop of Jeni’s ice cream at our Wex Drive-In screenings. See the onScreen pages for details.
Kronos Quartet and Laurie Anderson perform Landfall. Photo: Mark Allan.
LEAD SUPPORT FOR OFF THE GRID
Anne Bogart of SITI Company and Ann Hamilton. Photo: Katie Spengler.
Richard Linklater introduces Boyhood. Photo: Brooke LaValley.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR OFF THE GRID
HEIDELBERG DISTRIBUTING
PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR OFF THE GRID
JAMES AND MARY LYSKI
CRANE GROUP
KAUFMAN DEVELOPMENT
KOOPERMAN GILLESPIE MENTEL, LTD
OYO
THE KULLMAN GROUP | STREET SOTHEBY’S
ROWE BOUTIQUE
inSight Image courtesy of Ohio State’s Department of Theatre
CONSPONSORED TALK
The Results: Shakespeare and Autism
FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
FOR TEENS
FREE SCREENING FOR SCHOOLS
Other Prom
On the Way to School TUE, MAY 5 | 10 am
PERFORMANCE SPACE
FILM/VIDEO THEATER
FREE
FREE for registered school groups Educators, bring your class to the Wexner Center for a free screening of Pascal Plisson’s documentary On the Way to School (2013). Following four groups of students from Kenya, Morocco, India, and Argentina during their long trek to school, the film offers an extraordinary glimpse into the daily life of children from around the world as it celebrates their determination to get an education. (75 mins.) See the onScreen pages for more about the film. Register now at tickets.wexarts.org. Questions? Contact edweb@wexarts.org or call (614) 292-6493.
Intervention in the Columbus Community
SAT, MAY 23 | 8–11 pm
Youth ages 12–20 (ID required at the door) from the LGBTQ communities and their allies are invited to don their most fabulous attire for our annual Other Prom. The theme of this year’s prom, cosponsored by Kaleidoscope Youth Center, is “masquerade.” Singles, couples, and groups of friends are welcome to join us for plenty of free food and beverages, and of course a terrific DJ spinning the best music. The evening ends with a dance-off and crowning of a (non–gender specific) King and Queen. Free prom photography available. Help spread the word! Contact Jean Pitman at (614) 292-4614 or jpitman@wexarts.org with questions.
Art & Environment
THU, MAY 14 | 3:30–4:30 pm
A Professional Online Course for Teachers
FILM/VIDEO THEATER FREE
CONTENT OPEN JUNE–AUG 2015
Created by London-based actor/director Kelly Hunter, the Hunter Heartbeat Method is a dramabased treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) founded in Shakespeare’s storytelling and the rhythm of his verse. Ohio State’s Shakespeare and Autism research team was formed to study whether this methodology can break through the communicative blocks caused by autism and produce potential long-term benefits. Robin Post, the project’s director and a visiting assistant professor in Ohio State’s Department of Theatre, and Marc J. Tassé, director of the Wexner Medical Center’s Nisonger Center, join us to present the results of their 18-month study. Ohio State’s work with Hunter developed as a result of the university’s ongoing partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company. This talk is part of the university’s Shakespeare and Education Festival, May 14–16. See theatre.osu.edu for details. Cosponsored by Ohio State’s Department of Theatre.
$75 course fee; Ohio State graduate credit available with additional fee Designed primarily for K–12 art teachers, Art & Environment is an online-only professional development course that provides educators with an in-depth introduction to the field of Eco Art, as well as a basic introduction to environmentalism. With 12 years of experience teaching Eco Art, Director of Education Shelly Casto has wide-ranging materials and resources to share with teachers around the world. Teachers will leave the course with an extensive online curriculum packet and an array of ideas from fellow participants. General classroom (grades K–5), humanities (6–12), and science teachers (6–12) exploring interdisciplinary connections will also find the course of interest. Teachers may schedule their time flexibly while content is available. For more information, go to wexartenvironment.wordpress. com. Register now at tickets.wexarts.org.
Pages Open Mic Reading and Reception THU, MAY 14 | 6:30–8 pm NEW CML WHITEHALL LIBRARY 4445 EAST BROAD STREET FREE
Write On We already knew the 1,800 high-school students who have gone through our Pages program in the last decade were learning a lot—how to think critically, write cogently, and express themselves confidently. But we were pleased to see that an external evaluator thinks so, too. Randi Korn & Associates (RK&A), an evaluation firm based in Alexandria, VA, recently studied the Wexner Center’s pioneering, yearlong literacy and writing program in which students respond to contemporary art under the guidance of artists, teachers, and Wex educators. To evaluate Pages, RK&A used a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, including scored pre- and post-program assessments of writing and interviews with students and stakeholders. The firm found that the program “deepens students’ learning and has a tremendous impact on the way students experience art and writing,” and that “Pages undoubtedly affects students’ lens on the world, opening up their minds to various forms of art, ideas, and styles of writing.” RK&A also noted
MAJOR SUPPORT FOR PAGES
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR PAGES
that the program “has a direct and measurable effect on students’ creative problem solving and critical thinking, not an easy task for a museumbased program.” Pages project lead Dionne Custer Edwards, the center’s educator for school programs, and Stephanie Downey of RK&A presented the results of the evaluation on March 27 at the 2015 National Art Education Association conference in New Orleans. We couldn’t pull it off without the support of our stalwart Pages funders—American Electric Power, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, and Ohio Arts Council (through its Arts Partnership program)—along with supporters of our other teacher and school programs, including IngramWhite Castle Foundation, Puffin Foundation West, Ltd., and Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation. The vision of funders like these allows us to serve approximately 200 students a year from urban, rural, and suburban high schools.
MAJOR SUPPORT FOR ART & ENVIRONMENT
Celebrate the creativity and hard work of youth participating in Pages, the Wexner Center’s literacy and writing program for students from Columbus-area high schools. Throughout this yearlong program, students experience the contemporary arts at the Wexner Center and respond in prose, poetry, and art. Held in partnership with the Columbus Metropolitan Library, tonight’s reception features an open mic reading of work by this year’s participants. Their writing and art are also featured in a limitedrun anthology published by the Wexner Center. Represented this year: Arts & College Preparatory Academy, Columbus Alternative High School, Delaware Area Career Center, Hayes High School in Delaware, Franklin Heights High School, the Mosaic Program, Pickerington High School Central, and Whetstone High School.
LEFT: Pages students draw inspiration from the exhibition Fiber: Sculpture 1960–present. Photo: Katie Spengler ABOVE: Pages 2014 Open Mic Reading and Reception. Photo: AJ Zanyk
SUPPORT FOR OTHER TEACHER AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS
INGRAM-WHITE CASTLE FOUNDATION
MILTON & SALLY AVERY ARTS FOUNDATION
An alwayseclectic mix FOR THE MOMS, DADS, AND GRADS ON YOUR LIST
CERAMIC SKY PLANTER Patrick Morris for Boskke
DIGITAL FLIP CLOCK IDEA International
MYCLOUD BRIEFCASE Moleskine DOUBLE-STRAND NECKLACES Jennifer Sadler Designs AKADEMIE X: LESSONS IN ART + LIFE Phaidon HOW TO BE A PERSON: THE STRANGER’S GUIDE TO COLLEGE Sasquatch Books BOYHOOD: TWELVE YEARS ON FILM Photographs by Matt Lankes Texts by Richard Linklater and cast University of Texas Press CHORD CUBES Uncle Goose
Summer Hours Galleries
Calendar of Events Published 6 times a year Volume 27, Number 3 May+June 2015
START MONDAY, MAY 11
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Information Visiting the Wexner Center L o c at i o n The Wexner Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Ohio State University at the corner of High Street and 15th Avenue. Off-site locations for other Wexner Center events are noted throughout this calendar/newsletter. Parking Parking is available in the Ohio Union Garages on campus and at the South Campus Gateway Garage, located one block east of North High Street between 9th and 11th Avenues. Very limited, shortterm parking is available at the parking meters in front of Mershon Auditorium. c h e c k f o r u p d at e s Check wexarts.org or call (614) 292-3535 for updates. All programs are subject to change. Galleries Please note that the Wexner Center galleries are closed Mondays and between exhibitions. See the exhibitions pages for a current schedule.
General Support Tickets Purchase tickets at tickets.wexarts.org or from the Patron Services Desk (614) 292-3535 on the entrance level of the Wexner Center. Ticketing services for sales and pickup of prepaid tickets are available at event locations one hour prior to showtimes. Film/Video tickets are available until a half-hour after showtimes or until the start of the second film of double features. (Sorry, no refunds or exchanges for Wexner Center tickets, unless an event is canceled.) osu students All Ohio State University students receive benefits including discounts in the Wexner Center Store and on films and performing arts events. Check out the schedules in the calendar and on the website! r e n ta l s Mershon Auditorium and selected Wexner Center spaces are available for corporate meetings or gatherings. See wexarts.org for details.
Tours group tours Prearranged group tours are available to school, youth, and college/university audiences, as well as adult community groups. These hour-long tours can be tailored to many different interests. Please make reservations for all group tours at least three weeks in advance. Call the education department at (614) 292-6493.
walk-in tours Walk-in Tours require no advance reservations. These tours feature highlights of the current exhibitions. See the current schedule inside this calendar.
ON THE COVER: Catherine Opie, Oliver and Mrs. Nibbles, 2012. Pigment print, 33 x 25 in. Collection of Alan Hergott and Curt Shepard. © Catherine Opie, image courtesy the artist and Regen Projects, Los Angeles.
The Wexner Center for the Arts is part of The Ohio State University and receives major institutional support from the university. Major support is also provided through the Corporate Annual Fund of the Wexner Center Foundation and by Wexner Center members. The foundation is a private, nonprofit partner of the university’s Board of Trustees, established to provide trustee guidance and financial support for the Wexner Center. g e n e r a l O p e r at i n g S u p p o rt for the Wexner Center
Wexner Center Foundation Leslie H. Wexner Chair Michael V. Drake, MD Vice Chair James Lyski President Trustees Nicholas K. Akins David M. Aronowitz Jeni Britton Bauer Shelley Bird Michael J. Canter Adam Flatto Sherri Geldin Ann Gilbert Getty Michael Glimcher Elizabeth P. Kessler C. Robert Kidder Nancy Kramer James E. Kunk Mark D. Kvamme Bill Lambert Ronald A. Pizzuti Janet B. Reid, PhD Joyce Shenk Alex Shumate A. Alfred Taubman Abigail S. Wexner John F. Wolfe Ex Officio Mark Shanda Bruce A. Soll Joseph E. Steinmetz Mark E. Vannatta
Senior Programming Staff Sherri Geldin Director Jack Jackson Deputy Director Shelly Casto Director of Education Jill Davis Director of Exhibitions Management David Filipi Director of Film/Video Charles R. Helm Director of Performing Arts Bill Horrigan Curator at Large Jennifer Lange Curator of Film/Video Studio Program Calendar of Events Staff Ryan Shafer Editor Brandon Ballog Graphic Designer Barret Hoster Graphic Designer Kristen Grayewski Associate Editor Annie Jacobson Graduate Associate Sylke Krell Manger of Production