Author: nina.j

PREVIEW: Ann Arbor Film Festival

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Ann Arbor Film Festival

The Film Fest is my absolutely favorite Ann Arbor event of the year. Every March since high school, I have visited the town during this celebrated week of film, friendly competition, and finest art. If you are trying to get your daily Starbucks this week and find that the line from the Michigan Theater is out the door and down the block, don’t panic. It’s just Ann Arbor voyeurs trying to get their art film kick!

With shorts, documentaries, animated’s, feature lengths, panels, lectures, opening receptions, after parties, juries, and more, the Film Fest takes over the the entire town in its revelry. From Tuesday, March 19th to Sunday March 24th, the Michigan Theater will host all the screenings of the festival. Restaurants like Sava’s, The Raven’s Club, The Bar, Arbor Brewing Co. and more will host the after-screenings. Tickets run at $7 for students and showtimes happen all day long. So if you are just catching a flick between classes, thats ok! With its range of genres and highly acclaimed status in the industry, this festival is not to be missed.

Click here for a full schedule of the lineup. Enjoy the show, and definitely see you there!

PREVIEW: UMMA AFTER HOURS

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UMMA AFTER HOURS

Twice a year, the UMMA stays open late for visitors to explore the artwork After Hours. On Thursday March 14th, the spring celebration of the late night event will take place in the museum. There are a number of exquisite permanent collection pieces, as well as a series of visiting exhibits that are worth checking out by night. If you can’t find time during regular hours, this a great opportunity to get your art fix. In addition to the usual artwork, there will be live music performed by the Ingrid Racine Quartet, playing Jazz and Afro Pop tunes. From the UMMA’s site, After Hours is about:

Standing before the shimmering fields of color created by West African artist El Anatsui in the career retrospective El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You About Africa, taking a walk around London with the Queen of England’s guards in Francis Alÿs’s video work Guards, traveling to the Himalayas with Buddhist Thangkas and Treasures: The Walter Koelz Collection, Museum of Anthropology, and finding out what an architect does with Alice in Wonderland and Andy Warhol’s dessert recipes in Florencia Pita/FP mod. The

After Hours runs from 7-10 pm. Click here for more info. And for more updates about happenings at UMMA and around campus, check out the blog The Annex. See you there!

PREVIEW: PRISON CREATIVE ARTS 18th ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF ART BY MICHIGAN PRISONERS

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PRISON CREATIVE ARTS 18th ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF ART BY MICHIGAN PRISONERS

Every year for nearly two decades, the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) holds an exhibition of artwork by Michigan Prisoners. The gallery features paintings, drawings, sculptures, collages, and more by incarcerated men and women across the state. Whether or not these artists have participated in PCAP creative workshops, they are eligible to submit their creations to be hung in the show. The curation process is very extensive; it involves trips across the Mitten to all of the correctional facilities where artists are incarcerated. After reviewing and collecting work for the show, PCAP members organize the gallery, hanging the art in honor of the voices who created such striking beauty.

The pieces are absolutely breathtaking. From past years, I recall images of anguish, longing, joy, desire, remorse, and forgiveness; of families torn apart, of the struggle to move forward, and of troubles forgetting the unforgettable. The artwork is so skillfully created that the technicality alone is impressive. But the images are powerful and memorable. They will move you in unforgettable ways.

In addition to the visual art show, PCAP will host several other events throughout the duration of the exhibit. These include a Keynote Address by Hasan Davis in The League, a discussion about incarcerated youth with juvenile correctional facility staff, a reading and release party of the Michigan Review of Prisoner Creative Writing, and panels featuring both the artists and the family members of those who are still incarcerated. These discussions, events, and forums are most important for bearing witness to the experiences of those who are imprisoned. For more details on all of the events listed above, click here.

The art exhibit runs from March 19th to April 3rd, 2013. An opening reception will be held in the Duderstadt Center Gallery on North Campus at 5:30 pm. Thereafter, gallery hours will be 10:00am to 7:00 pm. See you there!

PREVIEW: Word of Mouth StorySLAM: Before & After

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WORD OF MOUTH STORY SLAM

BEFORE & AFTER

Wednesday March 13th, 2013

The Gallery Project

Doors at 7:00 pm

Word of Mouth is back for our second event of 2013. Never been to our slams before? Audience members tell five-minute stories from their lives related to a theme. The friendly competition includes appetizers and live music courtesy of The Vail House Band.

In collaboration with The Ginsberg Center, this month’s theme focuses on stories of Before and After. Having recently returned from their spring break service trips, students will be full of stories of how their expectations, impressions, or understanding of the places and people they’ve encountered have changed from Before to After.

But the slam is not just for students who went on ASB trips! If you have stories of service, transformation, change, or times passing, come share your tales of Before and After with us!

You should notice that we’ve moved! If you’re used to seeing us at Work Gallery on State Street, don’t fret. We are trying a new space. The Gallery Project on 4th Street is a gorgeous, not-for-profit art house that features contemporary art from local creators. Click here for more info on the gallery and here for directions.

Can’t wait to see you there! In the meantime, check us out online:

BLOG

FACEBOOK PAGE

SOUNDCLOUD

To get emails about more upcoming events and workshops or to join our planning crew, shoot us an email.

PREVIEW: DANCE MEDITATION

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Dance Meditation

Dance Meditation is a meditative, community dance party happening in Ann Arbor this Sunday. Originated by Michael Patrick Peters, the practice started in Detroit and has migrated toward our town for the weekend. Based on the yogic movement techniques, the practice is inspired by an experimental healing ideology called Transforming Tension Through Creativity. Dance Meditation involves letting loose and moving the body however it needs to in order to expel tension or creative blockage. Two of my friends wo are U of M grads that recently moved to Detroit attended the original Detroit variation. They claimed it was the most invigorating experience they had ever shared with their new community.

For an energetic, cathartic, liberating, rejuvenating, creative evening of dance, don’t miss this unique opportunity to let loose and be free. The event will start at 5:30 pm on Sunday February 24th at Concourse Hall (4531 Concourse Drive). $15 at the door includes space to dance and tea following the meditation. Check out the Facebook event for more details and directions. See you there!

PREVIEW: Crush, Crumple, Fold: The Art of El Anatsui

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Crush, Crumple, Fold: The Art of El Anatsui

As a part of the “EL Anatsui: When I Last Wrote To You About Africa” exhibit, UMMA will be hosting a film screening of a documentary on the artists work. This film will discus the process, inspirations, and challenges of the world renowned artist. Tuesday, February 19th at 7 pm in the Helmut Stern auditorium.  Read more information about the making of the film and its connection to the exhibit on UMMA’s website. Click here for a quick clip about the film and here to read a review. See you there!