Category: Arts

REVIEW: American Berserk

Tara Dorje Leave a comment

In Valerie Hegarty’s American Berserk, the country is crumbling.

Hegarty unseats classic Americana through her sculptures. A tree branch emerges from a gallery wall to spear a portrait of George Washington. Next to this less-than-subtle Pinocchio imagery, a nearby pair of ceramic topiaries—cut in the shape of our nation’s first president—are comical in their quietness.

 

 

For Hegarty, the rotting of fruits is a colorful affair. Cave-like apple cores are covered by bright red skins, splayed-out bananas writhe into tongue shapes, and watermelons are twisted into disconcerting smiles.

 

 

As ceramic conch shells unfurl into picture frames, the paintings they reveal are distorted by their spirals. A window frame at the exhibition’s entrance is draped in floral-print cloth. Yet the fabric melts down the pane as the rickety wood splits into pieces. Hegarty insists that America be viewed in all its misshapen glory.

 

 

American Berserk is on view at the Institute for Humanities Common Room until December 21st.

PREVIEW: Tiny Expo: Indie Holiday Art & Craft Fair

Mary O'Byrne 1 Comment

At the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, Tiny Expo will hold their annual fair with 45 vendors of artists and crafters, as well as free opportunities for guests to craft. There will be a variety of vibrant handmade art to see, offering a great opportunity for holiday shoppers and to support local artists (which is awesome!) The fair is a part of the Winter Art Tour, which supports ten art shows in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti during the second weekend in December.

Check out the holiday fair on Saturday, December 9th, at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, from 11:30am-5:30pm. Coffee from Sweetwaters will be provided, and from 1-4pm, free opportunities for guests to craft will be happening in the library’s Secret Lab.

PREVIEW: Princess Ida

Neha Srinivasan Leave a comment

The show that the University of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society (UMGASS) is putting on this semester is Princess Ida. If you haven’t heard of Gilbert and Sullivan, they were a duo (a librettist and composer respectively) who wrote comic operas in the late 1800s. While the 1800s were a long time ago, the humor in the operas is as fresh now as it ever was. And it doesn’t hurt that UMGASS does a beautiful job of adding even more exuberance to that humor.

Gilbert and Sullivan operas are so absurd that it’s hard to know where to begin giving a synopsis. In the most general sense, Ida is about women’s education. But for more details, I recommend you come to the show.

Showtimes are Thursday 12/7 – Saturday 12/9 at 8pm, and Saturday 12/9 – Sunday 12/10 at 2pm. Tickets are available at umgass.brownpapertickets.com, at the door, or free with a Passport to the Arts.

PREVIEW: Sasha Velour at Necto

Abby Z Leave a comment

This Friday night, the 8th, stop by Necto to see the most recent champion of the emmy-winning TV show RuPaul’s Drag race, Sasha Velour!  Sasha is a Brooklyn based queen who uses her training in visual art to create dynamic and emotive performances that are a treat for the eye and the mind.  Since her win she’s traveled the world, stopping in Australia, South America and Europe, before finally gracing our small town of Ann Arbor!

The dragster events are held once a month, and feature performances from both internationally famous drag queens and tremendously talented local performers from both the Detroit area and all across the state.  This week’s event will be hosted by Jadein Black and Chanel Hunter, and the show will also feature a cast of local talents.  The event will be 10$ at the door for those under 21, and only 5$ for those over!  Necto is an 18+ venue so be sure to bring your ID.  She’s expected to draw quite the crowd so arrive early, although the first show officially begins at 9:45 with an encore at midnight!

PREVIEW: halfway between

Aria Gerson Leave a comment

For dance students at Michigan, their coursework concludes not with a thesis or project, but with a concert.

halfway between, a BFA dance concert, is the culmination of four years of hard work for three students: Danielle “Dee Dee” Fattore, Yoshiko Iwai, and Callie Munn. The concert consists of solos and group work choreographed and performed by the students themselves.

The dance program consists of technique classes, mostly in ballet and modern dance, and labs in improvisation and chorography as well as coursework on the history, culture, and biomechanics of dance. This concert is the consummation of that work. As someone who has recently gained a deeper appreciation for the art of dance, I’m eager to see their performances.

halfway between runs this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (December 7, 8, and 9) at 8:00 PM at the Betty Pease Studio Theater in the Dance Building. The show runs about an hour with no intermission. Tickets are $7 general admission at the door.

PREVIEW: Violet

brynel Leave a comment

The University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance is bringing the breathtaking musical Violet to the stage this weekend!  Violet is a beautiful story about the journey to healing for a young woman whose face was disfigured in an accident.  It’s a relatable tale of friendships, hardships, and finding beauty and hope in difficult situations.

On her journey from North Carolina to Oklahoma, Violet meets Monty and Flick, two soldiers heading to Arkansas.  Throughout the musical there are some of the most beautiful musical numbers that help tie the story together.  When Violet finally makes it to Oklahoma, she meets the preacher that she hopes will heal her disfigured face.  Will she return home healed by the preacher, or as the same person as before?

Violet will be performed at the Arthur Miller Theatre on Thursday 12/7 at 7:30pm, Friday 12/8 at 8pm, Saturday 12/9 at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday 12/10 at 2pm.  Tickets are $20 for General Admission and $12 for Students with a valid ID.

More information can be found at: http://tickets.smtd.umich.edu/single/EventDetail.aspx?p=3355