Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Next Week in the Alley: Divas, DJs and More


Put Thursday, June 3, on your calendar for lots of Arts in the Alley activities from 6 to 9 pm -- three gallery openings, live performances and tunes from a local DJ. In the Arts Initiative gallery, John Sherman Lathram III presents The Ladies of Ohio: Digital Divas, a photo exhibition of Ohio's female illusionists. The show includes select, large-scale images from Lathram's upcoming book of the same name. At 7 and 8 pm, several local female illusionists featured in the book -- including Paige Passion, Danyel Vasquez (above), Diamond Hunter and Vivi Velour -- will perform on a stage in the alley. Music will be provided by a guest DJ and refreshments will be served. Across the Alley, the Ohio Art League will present the opening of Amateur Cartography, works by Jen Adrion, curated by Haley Boehning. And the Shoebox gallery continues an exhibition of works by Linda Diec (whose work is shown below). All activities are in the alley at South Campus Gateway, just off High Street at 10th.

Notable News

The Emerging Artist Studio -- our short radio feature that airs weekly on WOSU's Capital City Radio station -- has posted two of our most recent interviews on the program's website. The show, which spotlights Karen Bell talking with local emerging artists, most recently features dancer and choreographer Coco Lupe and artist Laura Alexander (see her work above). You can listen to the interviews here.

Couchfire Collective presents ABX, a two-venue show May 28-29 in Arts in the Alley at South Campus Gateway. The show, which focuses on Visual Rhythms, features artworks by 14 local independent artists in the Ohio Art League Gallery (1552 N High St) and the Arts Initiative gallery (1568 N High St). Opening reception is Fri, May 28, 6-9 pm, with music by special guest DJ Moxy. The exhibition was organized by Juan Cerrera and curated by Stephanie Rond.

ARTillery is hosting a "last Saturday" Art Market in Arts in the Alley on Saturday, May, 29, from 1 to 6 pm. Artists from around the community have been invited to set up their wares for sale in the alley at South Campus Gateway.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Scarlet and Gray Theatre Named in New York

The Ohio State University has announced that the Scarlet & Gray Theatre is the name of the theatre being constructed in New York City to house performances of the UK’s Royal Shakespeare Company during its unprecedented six-week residency in summer 2011. The name was unveiled May 12 -- at an event at the university residence, welcoming visitors from the RSC to town -- by President Gordon Gee; RSC Artistic Director Michael Boyd and the Arts Initiative's Karen Bell (above). Ohio State is joining with Lincoln Center Festival and Park Avenue Armory to bring the renowned theatre company to New York for the Lincoln Center Festival. As part of the collaboration, the university was given naming rights for the theatre – a thrust-stage auditorium that brings actors and audiences closer together. The theatre is a full-scale replica of the award-winning Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The sponsorship opportunity for the university was created when the Wexner Family made a generous gift to the Royal Shakespeare Company America to support the RSC’s 2011 visit to the US. The family requested any credit or visibility resulting from their charitable contribution be assigned to the university.


Guests at the event enjoyed a short vignette performed by RSC actors, including Howard Ward (above) and Akiya Henry (middle photo).

Notable News

Six actors, two directors and leaders from the Royal Shakespeare Company were in town last week to celebrate the growing partnership between two world-renowned institutions -- OSU and RSC. While in the community, the actors presented a short "Shakespeare in a Suitcase" program at the downtown Columbus Metropolitan Club, at a luncheon attended by nearly 200 business, community and university leaders. The troupe presented a 20-minute vignette of Henry V, in a program that drew in the audience, which included Lady Susie Sainsbury, chairwoman of Royal Shakespeare Company America, and Abigail Wexner.


Following lunch Karen Bell, associate vice president for arts outreach, moderated a discussion that included Jacqui O'Hanlon, RSC director of education, and Michael Boyd, artistic director. They talked about the partnership and Stand Up for Shakespeare America, an educational leadership program that involves local schoolteachers in the Columbus area.

Later that day, the RSC actors presented a vignette of Much Ado About Nothing for about 200 OSU students, faculty, staff and local teachers at OSU's Drake Performance and Event Center. They presented the program on a stage that worked just fine -- though it was actually built for the premiere of Three Sisters that same day.

Bell, O'Hanlon and Boyd had a discussion with the audience and fielded questions from the campus community about the partnership and educational leadership program. All photos above by Kevin Fitzsimons, Photo Services.

Nineteen local schoolteachers (above) -- from Metro High School, Columbus City Schools and Reynoldsburg City Schools -- were also on campus last week to work with the RSC guests, particularly education practitioners Ginny Grainger and Rachel Gartside. The teachers have been involved with the program for one year, traveling last summer to Stratford-upon-Avon and working with OSU faculty throughout the academic year. Their efforts based on the program are making an impact with students in their classrooms. Last Thursday, the teachers had the chance to explore more Stand Up for Shakespeare activities. A few MFA acting students joined the session at the Arts Initiative office (below). Ten MFA actors from Ohio State will be involved in the RSC program starting this summer.


Upcoming Arts in the Alley Events

Couchfire Collective presents ABX, a two-venue show May 28-29 in Arts in the Alley at South Campus Gateway. The show, which focuses on Visual Rhythms, features artworks by 14 local independent artists in the Ohio Art League Gallery (1552 N High St) and the Arts Initiative gallery (1568 N High St). Opening reception is Fri, May 28, 6-9 pm, with music by special guest DJ Moxy. The exhibition was organized by Juan Cerrera and curated by Stephanie Rond.

Save the Date! Thursday, June 3, marks the opening reception for The Ladies of Ohio: Digital Divas, a photo exhibition of Ohio's female illusionists by John Sherman Lathram III in the Arts Initiative gallery, 1568 N High St in the South Campus Gateway complex. The show features large-scale photographs from the artist's upcoming book by the same name. Best of all, a DJ will provide music and some of the ladies from the book will perform at the 6-9 pm opening reception.

Monday, May 3, 2010

May 6 in the Alley

The weather is supposed to be perfect this Thursday, May 6 -- so head on over to Arts in the Alley at South Campus Gateway from 6 to 9 pm for gallery openings and live music! The Ohio Art League presents SEEPS, works by Justin Cramer, curated by Molly Jo Burke. According to the OAL, Cramer's paintings resemble eruptions of organisms that tend to thrive in grime, exposing underground tensions. The Shoebox gallery presents a show of works by ARTillery members, including Jesse Mills, Kate Dowell, Lisa Belsky, Lance Thompson, Uriah Landfried, Lisa McLymont, Katie Kikta, Jen Kiko, Bobby Rosenstock, Heather Wirth, Whitney Moore and Eric Rausch. And Mathematic Abstractions, works by Carly Witmer, continues in the Arts Initiative space. Live music by local rock band the Jive Pilots -- including original music and cover tunes -- will liven up the alley itself. All events are free!

Notable News

Check out our latest radio guests! The Arts Initiative's radio show -- the Emerging Artist Studio on WOSU's Capital City Radio -- has four new interviews posted online. Check out the spots featuring Karen Bell interviewing Chris Roche, Emily Bach, Helma Groot and Joe Graziosi. Click here.

An Afternoon with the Royal Shakespeare Company! Michael Boyd, renowned artistic director of the UK’s Royal Shakespeare Company, will be at Ohio State on May 12 along with six actors from the RSC Acting Company. The actors will present a “vignette” of a Shakespeare work, while Boyd will take part in a panel discussion with the RSC’s Jacqui O’Hanlon, education director, and Karen Bell, OSU associate vice president for arts outreach. They will present the program at 4 pm in Drake Performance Center. More information is available here.

The Earth Day Art Market attracted crowds of shoppers to the Arts in the Alley event on Saturday, April 24. Most of the vendors set up their wares in the Gateway Film Center lobby because of threatening weather, though others braved the showers and sold their works in the alley. Vendors sold everything from jewelry and glass to fiber works, ceramics, paintings and silk-screened t-shirts. A children's book reading and live music added to the festivities.

Whistling in the Dark Theatre Company presents The Colony by Galen Roth: A Staged Reading on Sunday, May 9, at 7 pm in the Shoebox at South Campus Gateway, 1570 N High St. The event is part of the group's "Sundays @ 7" series, and is just $3, including refreshments. A new work, The Colony is a philosophical thriller that explores the darker sides of destiny and fate in an artists' colony where six artists eventually become dissatisfied with their lots in life.

Call for Artists. Courage Unmasked for Joan's Fund -- a campaign to support head and neck cancer research at the James Cancer Center -- is seeking 50 artists from a variety of mediums to transform 50 radiation masks into works of art. The masks will be auctioned off next spring to raise funds for the campaign. Interested artists will be asked to submit two images of their current work. The campaign kicks off May 21. For information or to submit art samples, contact Melinda Cogley at MelindaCogley@msn.com.