Category: Visual Arts

PREVIEW: Who is Luther Burbank?

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Who is Luther Burbank?

WHO IS LUTHER BURBANK?– a new piece in eighteen parts. Three students from a variety of arts related disciplines have teamed up to create an original work of experimental theater. Willie Filkowski, an Interarts Performance major, Corey Smith, a composition major, and Nola Smith, a dancer major, have designed an extracurricular, innovative performance involving a variety of curious media: “dancing, text, video, original music, potatoes, prizes, costume changes, a LOT of dirt.” Inspired by a 1914 found text, Our Wonder World Vol. X: The Quiz Book, the collaborative event will entertain and puzzle, but ultimately answer the questions “Who is Luther Burbank?”

Presented with support from Basement Arts and Arts at Michigan, “WILB?” will run Thursday April 18-Saturday April 20. Performances are FREE and begin at 7 pm each night, with an additional late show at 11 pm on Friday the 19th. The show will be held in the Walgreen Drama Center on North Campus. See you there!

REVIEW: Covered: Gifts of Art

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COVERED: A COLLECTION OF ARTIST’S BOOKS

This semester, I am taking  Barbara Brown’s Book Arts class through the School of A&D. Over the course of four months, my class and I have bound several styles of books in various media: wood, leather, paper, metal, thread, digital design, collage, photography, illustration, text, printmaking, and more. Some books tell literal stories while others show illustration. Some books have blank pages while others have full spreads of design. These artist books are so much more than simply spaces for narration or illustration, however. They are gorgeous, laborious, contemporary artifacts that pay homage to  that ancient and dying art of bookbinding.

With a range of skill sets in the course- from artists, to engineers, to architects, to writers- these books have grown into a beautiful collection of work. From now until June 10th, a selection of these artist books will be on display at the Taubman Health Center’s Gifts of Art show. In the lobby of the main entrance to the hospital is a gallery that features a rotating collection of local artwork. Be sure to stop in and look around at the student work. The variety and talent on display is worth the visit! To learn more about artist books, check out Barbara Brown’s website. The gallery is open from 8 am to 8 pm. See you there!


PREVIEW: UMMA’s 24-Hour Art21 Screening

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UMMA’s 24-Hour Art21 Screening

If you find yourself at the UGLI this Staurday night, studying into the wee hours of the morn and, nearing dawn you need a study break, never fear! Entertainment is on the way. UMMA and the UGLI are teaming up to present a 24-hour marathon screening of Art21. PBS’s series features one hour pieces on famous twentieth century contemporary artists. The episodes to be aired this weekend will include celebrated  names such as Kara Walker, Ai Weiwei, El Anatsui, Cindy Sherman, Matthew Barney, Barry McGee, Laurie Anderson, Marina Abramović, Jeff Koons, John Baldessari, and many more (ninety, to be exact, because this event honors 100 working artists). The series invites viewers into the studios, homes, galleries, and creative spaces of these pioneering stylists. This behind-the-scenes look is inspiring to artist types and others alike.  So whether you intend to be at the library this weekend or not, you will certainly have something enjoyable to do!

For more information on Art21, click here. The Facebook event and the UMMA’s student blog The Annex will also tell you everything you need to know about the screening. See you there!

PREVIEW: UMMA’s Student Late Night

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UMMA’s Student Late Night

On Thursday April 4th from 8-11 pm, the UMMA will host the annual Student Late Night. Since September, the UMMA Student Programming Advisory Council (SPAC) has been planning for this multi-media evening. The venue will be jam packed with activities, performances, and prizes.  WCBN Radio will be DJ-ing all night; live music  includes Music School senior Peter Felsman and friends who will accompany a performance by Cadance Dance Company.  The Ann Arbor Art Center will host an art-making activity. The SPAC has arranged a scavenger hunt throughout the museum, featuring pieces from the permanent collection. But there will also be ample opportunity to explore the visiting exhibits by El Anatsui, Florencia Pita F/P Mod, and Francis Alÿs. There will also be  a photo booth for you and your friends as well as free snacks and refreshments. The evening is partially  sponsored by Arts at Michigan and a number of local businesses and restaurants whose goods are up for prizes. Come get your UMMA gear, including buttons featuring images from the permanent collection, and so much more.

Bring your friends! In the meantime, check out the SPAC’s blog The Annex. 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!