NCMA Rodin Lecture is Tomorrow Morning
Just a reminder that David Steel, Curator of European Art for the N.C. Museum of Art, will be hosting a free lecture entitled “New Rodin Acquisitions”. Dr. Steel will discuss several of the highlights and behind-the-scenes insights on the entire installation process of the pieces. The lecture is at 10am at Jones Auditorium at Meredith College. Doors open at 9:30am.
Art Museum Sets Opening Date
The North Carolina Museum of Art has officially set the date for the opening of its new, 127,000 square foot
package of butter sticks
museum. As expected April 24 is the big date for its opening. The current building is being renovated to house special exhibitions, an expanded box office, and facilities for NCMA’s family and public programs.
Designbox Running Exhibit Trio
A couple of weeks ago three interesting exhibits began in the area:
Paul Friedrich
Onion Head Monster Poster Exhibition
Thru October 4, 2009
Colony Movie Theater, Six Forks and Millbrook
9 new posters featuring the cartoons of Bus Champion, All-Time Monster Champion and most recently Bug Champion, Paul Friedrich
The Conquerors
Thru October 24, 2009
Artspace
In association with local artist Paul Friedrich, Artspace presents The Conquerors, an exhibition showcasing cutting-edge American artwork. The Conquerors features the work of five nationally known artists exhibiting for the first time in Raleigh: Mark Bodnar, Mari Inukai, Liz McGrath, Bill McRight, and Bonnie Brenda Scott. These artists are recognized as dynamic leaders of the Lowbrow painting style from the pages of Juxtopoz and Hi Fructose magazines.
Originating in California in the early 1980’s and currently moving towards the East Coast, Lowbrow is a rapidly spreading underground art movement that combines traditional painting subject matter with modern ingredients of underground comics, hot-rod culture, and punk rock. The Conquerors reflects current trends in the Lowbrow genre from the East and West Coasts.
Images at
http://www.artspacenc.org/gallery_two.html
2 BIT SHO
Thru October 4, 2009
2 Bit Sho
features work by artists from and inspired by the the Triangle’s game industry. Designbox, along with Spark Plug Games, artists Adam Capps, Chris Norris and Paul Friedrich have recruited local gaming artists for a 2 Bit Sho. The exhibit features video game inspired works and pieces by artists currently working in the Triangle’s video game industry. Never before exhibited in Raleigh, author/collector Dave Ellis will be displaying 5 vintage game consoles from his collection. DJ Scoplecopter has composed exclusive "chip tunes" inspired by video games for the show’s music.
curated by Adam Capps, Chris Norris and Paul Friedrich [db]
Big New Feature: Gogo Do-it Calendar
Those filthy calendars! This one only has downtown events. That one is so cluttered with basketweaving and high school plays, you’ll never use it. That other one is only usable if you happen to be visiting a specific website.
How much would you pay for a calendar that only features the good stuff? But wait, there’s more! How about a calendar that updates itself when impressive events get scheduled? Fifty dollars? A hundred dollars? Uh-uh! Oh, There’s more, a lot more! How much would you pay for a calendar that not only contains the right events, but can easily integrate into your very own calendar system? Two hundred dollars? Think again!
Introducing the gogo raleigh Gogo Do-it Calendar System. With just a few steps, planning nirvana is at your fingertips, complements of gogo raleigh . Oh, did I mention that it is free ?
OK, enough Ronco sales pitch. The big feature is finally here! Hopefully your life in the Triangle just became a nonstop stream of fun. Powered by Google Calendar, the Gogo Do-it Calendar System allows users a multitude of ways to integrate the best events in the Triangle into their own calendar systems. Here are just a few ways:
Basic
While viewing any page at gogo raleigh , click the Gogo Do-it tab in the right sidebar and a list of upcoming events will expand. Each of the items links to more information such as event time, location, ticket information, and more.
Simple
To see more than just a list of events, go to the Gogo Do-it calendar site at Google Calendar . A link to this will live in both the gogo raleigh Calendar page (tab at the top of this page) and in the expanded Gogo Do-it sidebar section. Google Calendar’s standard views are powerful: Week, Month, and Agenda (list). Navigate to a different week or month by using the arrows or the calendar layout in the top left corner. Click on an event, and you’ll see expanded information such as time, location, and a URL linking to more information.
Full Google Calendar Integration
Google Calendar is the easiest calendar system for viewing in the business. Much like World Book’s old human anatomy overlays, Google displays each selected calendar as an overlaid transparency. This allows one to subscribe to and easily toggle calendars they infrequently need as well as their core calendars. To get the best experience, get a Google account and add the gogo raleigh Gogo Do-it Calendar to your own Google Calendar. The best way to do this is to go to the Gogo Do-it Calendar page at Google (click Gogo Do-it in the sidebar and click “View Complete Calendar”). Next and click the “+Calendar” icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. The “gogoraleigh” will then appear in your “Other Calendars” list where you can customize its color.
Google Calendar users can add specific events to their personal calendars easily. While viewing the Google Calendar, click on an event, then click on “Copy To My Calendar”. This will add the event to your personal Google Calendar whether or not you’ve added the Gogo Do-it Calendar to your Other Calendars list.
A bonus feature will appear soon. As new events are announced on gogoraleigh, a button will appear so one can easily add the event to their personal Google Calendar. For example, here is a button for adding Thursday night’s Coldpay/Elbow concert to a personal Google Calendar
iPhone Integration: There are many ways to integrate the gogoraleigh calendar into the iPhone. The simplest is for users who prefer the web version of Google Calendar. Once the Gogo Do-it calendar is in your “Other Calendars” list on Google Calendar, you can use it on the iPhone. Simply navigate in Safari to calendar.google.com . At the bottom of the page, click “Settings”, and make sure “gogoraleigh” is checked. On the iPhone Google Calendar offers Day and Month views. Unfortunately it does not offer link recognition in an event’s Description section. Copy and Paste is necessary to to see more. Thankfully, though, the map function for each event links to the iPhone’s Google Map native app.
iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, Outlook, iCal
Another way to integrate the gogoraleigh Gogo Do-it Calendar into your iPhone’s calendar is to subscribe to the calendar via Outlook or iCal . After syncing your portable device, the latest Gogo Do-it events will appear. The iPhone will show gogoraleigh as a subcalendar, which can be displayed on its own or included in the “All Calendars” view.
No doubt, this is a big, big undertaking for gogo raleigh . Peruse the calendar and you’ll see that there are many, many events entered. Getting to the calendar is easy from this website, however it can be even easier if you set it as a bookmark in your browser.
The possibilities with the system and I hope you enjoy having it as a resource to finding fun in the Triangle.
Barrel Monster’s Daddy Gets 50 Hours
The creator of the Barrel Monster, Joseph Carnevale, has been sentenced to 50 hours of community service. According to the News & Observer report, he will likely serve this sentence with Habitat for Humanity.
This is a tough one. The Barrel Monster was hilarious. I don’t like Carnevale’s creativity. I love it. We need more of this kind of thing in Raleigh. Although the owner of the barrels, Hamlin Construction, was amused and wished to not press charges, completely allowing Carnevale off would have set a dangerous precedent.
In theory we cannot have a society where it is OK for one to steal and mutilate someone else’s property without permission. We see this enforced with music mashups, photography on the web, etc. If we allow Carnevale to avoid any sort of punishment due simply to the merit of the outcome, then what happens when the next artist steals property to create art that is, perhaps, of lesser merit? Where do we draw the line on what materials are OK to take without permission?
Some ask why the cops weren’t out stopping “real criminals”. What, exactly, is a “real” criminal? Someone who steals $500 of materials for their art? $20,000 in the name of art? I have a hard time believing reports of the barrels’ pricetag of $385, however if that is correct, is it OK to steal $385 worth of materials from Jerry’s Artarama? Does Jerry refund artists if their final product is as worthy as the Barrel Monster? Of course they don’t.
Not only is the value of ownership in our society an issue here, but also the value of process. The disappearance of a few barrels caused the construction company to halt the project long enough to replace the missing barrels that ensure public safety. While in this case the disturbance was very small, it is a cost in addition to the disappearance of the property, that has to be considered. Do any of us like being forced to work overtime for free? I don’t.
Additionally, the purpose of the barrels is for public safety. What if the disappearance of barrels was critical enough to cause a driver or bicyclist to have an accident?
As much as I love Carnivale’s work, the means by which he attained his materials is not something that a peaceful society can tolerate. It created an additional burden on the owners and the period of time when barrels were missing created a safety hazard to the community.
Carnivale’s punishment of 50 hours of community service is a bit severe, though. He basically will lose 5 days of work/leisure as his sentence. Thankfully the charges will be dropped once he completes his sentence.
Well Done Media Hits The Road
Today marks the beginning of a cross-country road trip for Helena and Tim at Raleigh’s Well Done Media. Their project involves documenting their adventures and experiences while on the road, as well as art, music (including meeting with the Triangle-based Bowerbirds and Megafaun on their national tours), and any other interesting people or things they encounter.
A massive media project will be growing each day as they travel and outsource part of the project to blog viewers in real time. This should be fun to watch over the next couple of weeks.
CAM Files Site Plan
This week a site plan (.pdf) was submitted to the city for the new Contemporary Art Museum (CAM). The 2-story facility is planned for Martin and Harrington streets, and includes 21,064 square feet of space. It is little, but it is a start!
The Umstead Presents Entomology Artist Marley
The
Umstead Hotel & Spa
(warning: music) recently began a fascinating exhibit in its Art + Nature Series. The artist is
Christopher Marley
, a renowned entomologist, who sources rare butterflies and insects from all over the world and creates art with them.
Marley will be here July 16 th to give an illustrated talk about his world travels in pursuit of artful butterflies and insects. Mingle with Chris and other guests for an interactive discussion about his work, inspirations and technique. There will be wine, light hors d’oeuvres and a glimpse into this artist’s passion for the living world.
The event will take place on Thursday, July 16 th from 5:30-7:30pm. Space is limited and tickets cost $35 per person. Call 919-447-4065 by July 14 th to reserve your spot.
As part of the event, The Umstead Hotel and Spa is offering a special rate for all Art + Nature Lecture attendees of $129. To make a guestroom reservation, call the hotel (919-447-4050) and mention booking code “BUGS0709”.
Marley’s exhibit will be on display through mid-August, and art tours are available upon request.
New York Times Visits The Triangle
Today’s
New York Times features a 36-hour visit
to some of the Triangle’s eclectic offerings. From Poole’s to the Scrap Exchange to the Eno River Park, the writer bounced along several interesting stops. (The Cat’s Cradle story isn’t quite right, though. Nirvana and Pearl Jam both played to very full houses in the same summer, 1991.)
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy To Headline Artsplosure
The band on hand to celebrate the opening of the RBC Center 10 years ago will be back to headline this year’s
Artsplosure festival
.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
will play on the main stage late Sunday afternoon of the May 16 and 17 festival.
Like previous years, this 30th edition of Artsplosure will include the art market, two music stages, Kidsplosure, large-scale art installations, and more. The weekend-long event is free to the public. The Art Market showcases the talent of more than 170 juried visual artists and crafters from across the country. Artwork by fine artists and crafters exhibiting in 11 different categories will be available for purchase, including painting, photography, pottery, jewelry and more.
The Main Stage and North Carolina Stage will be located in Moore Square. In addition to Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, the event will feature musical performances by Kellylee Evans, Buckwheat Zydeco , The Soul of John Black, Trombone Shorty, Tropic Orchestra, Jonathan Scales, and others to be announced at a later date. New this year, performances will run until 10:00PM on Saturday.
Kidsplosure provides activities and entertainment for children. In addition to the many arts and crafts available, the Kidsplosure Stage will provide live family-friendly entertainment.
Each year, the Spring Arts Festival attracts up to 80,000 people over the course of the weekend. The event is presented by Artsplosure, a nonprofit corporation that also produces First Night Raleigh.
Arts Commission Honors Achievements
Last night the
Raleigh Arts Commission
presented their 2008 Medal of Arts awards in a ceremony that ranged from touching to hilarious to truly bizarre. Each year since 1984 around five people who have most positively impacted arts in the Raleigh area are honored by the city’s official arts advisory body. This year’s awards went to:
- Capital Bank (accepting: Grant Yarber)
- Susan Spurlin Newberry (of Pinecone fame)
- Lucy Daniels
- Lenard D. Moore
- Jeffery H. Richardson
- Dr. Charles “Chuck” Davis
The host of this year’s ceremony was Tift Merritt , who gave a wide-eyed welcome before handing over the bulk of the hosting duties to Arts Commission members Laura Raynor and Brian Starkey. The evening was dotted with a hugely diverse complement of live entertainment beginning with the Broadway Series South Student Ensemble’s performance of “One” (from “A Chorus Line”). Alternating with official presentations were performances by Al Batten and the Bluegrass Reunion, Tift Merritt and the Community Music School Honor Vocal Ensemble, Poet (and honoree) Lenard D. Moore, and the African American Dance Ensemble.
The evening was about the award winners, though, and and rightly highlighted each one’s contributions with a short introduction by an esteemed colleague, a top-notch profile video package not dissimilar from those seen on American Idol, and a short acceptance speech by the recipient. For example, the presentation for Broughton High School’s band director, Jeff Richardson (“JR”), began with a presentation by Elizabeth Grimes-Droessler who is in charge of the arts in the school system. The package, hosted by Ira David Wood, III showed JR in action, teaching the marching band at school, and even included plenty of snippets revealing his unique nature. “By nurture I don’t mean ‘nurture’,” Grimes-Droessler quipped. The real meat here, though, was impressions by school faculty and band alumni. JR, just like the others, has passionately made an indelible mark on the arts in Raleigh. Each presentation quickly opened a window into the interesting, sometimes creepy, but always endearing, characters that we are lucky to have here.
The night’s strangest moment came with Merritt’s performance with the children’s choir. I didn’t recognize the song, but it was an outstanding piano ballad along the lines of Sarah MacLachlan’s “Angel” (except it was in 4|4). While the song was stunning and the nervous choir was adequate, the ballad’s moment was doused by Merritt’s incessant foot stomping; not tapping, stomping !
The highlight of the night had to be the presentation for Chuck Davis and his Dance Ensemble. Davis needs no microphone and radiated his inclusive love throughout the audience when speaking. However the banter between him and the perky, adorable Raynor was something of which Hollywood producers dream. Hilarious and honest!
Davis and Merritt closed the ceremony with the evening’s keynote. While the accomplishments of many in the room are well known, we all need to share that energy and inspire tomorrow’s recipients. “The children are always watching. Lead the way and they will follow.”
A reception followed where the Broughton Jazz Band offered their take on some big band classics. That was the point where the evening truly jelled. Artists interacting with each other; a true community.
Read more about the evening by downloading the official program (.PDF)
Art Raleigh To Celebrate Arts & Crafts
Art Raleigh, the fourth and final festival of the Arts Alive on Lichtin Plaza series, will be held October 18-19, 2008 in downtown Raleigh. This first-of-its-kind art fair will showcase Raleigh’s leading galleries, arts organizations, and a juried arts and crafts market.
Several local art galleries will present an assortment of their pieces at the festival. Participating galleries and visual art organizations include Adam Cave Fine Art, ArtSource Fine Art and Framing, Artspace, The Collectors Gallery, Flanders Art Gallery, Gallery C, Lee Hansley Gallery, Long View Gallery, M. Street Gallery, Nicole’s Studio and Art Gallery, Points of View Photography Gallery, Rebus Works, and Visual Art Exchange.
In addition, a juried arts and crafts market will feature only North Carolina artists. Approximately 25 fine artists and crafters will be on hand to sell their work at the event, which is free to the public.
Art Raleigh will also feature two large-scale installations. Hillsborough artist Jim Adams will create a temporary sculpture, “Hope Rises”, a tall tower made primarily of bamboo and other renewable materials. Atop the tower will sit a pod, which will be lit at night to create an ambient glow. “Hope Rises” will speak of newness, hope, and a gathering of people that make up our diverse community. Artist Mathew Curran of Raleigh will create the second installation, “Esse Quam Videri“. The large vibrant mural, including colorful, fun, positive graffiti, will include elements of Raleigh and its skyline. Both installations will be interactive, inviting event visitors to participate in the creation of the final work.
Art Raleigh will culminate the Arts Alive on Lichtin Plaza series. Each festival was designed to showcase the richness and diversity of contemporary art and enliven the outdoor Lichtin Plaza at Raleigh’s beautiful Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. The Capital Holiday Arts Celebration, the first festival in the series, was held November 24, 2007 and highlighted some of the Triangle’s premier holiday arts performances. Puppet Fusion, a celebration of the art of puppetry, took place March 6-7, 2008. Art on the Edge, a contemporary arts festival featuring international and local performers, was held August 21-23, 2008. Artsplosure serves as the producer and organizer of Arts Alive on Lichtin Plaza.
Shimmer Wall Official Illumination Thursday
With Tropical Storm Hanna on the way, city officials have decided to throw the switch on the new convention center shimmer wall on tomorrow night (Thursday) at 8:45pm. The ceremony will happen across McDowell Street from the featured wall
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