The FPA Journal

Nesting Words 6, by Adrienne Gale

NEST

October 29 – November 22, 2009

Opening Reception:

October 29, 5-7 p.m

What is the creative instinct, nesting,that so many animals, including humans share? Who does it, and how? NEST brings together contemporary artworks thatexplore the nesting instinct. Experienc artist created shelters, invented andrealistic creatures who construct them, and other pieces that nestle together. This show features work by Adrienne Gale, C. Ryder Cooley and others.

Curated by Melanie Mowinski.

It’s also Prof. Mowinski’s 40th birthday today! Wish her well and give her hell when you see her today!

Wise words from Arne Glimcher, the chairman of Pace Wildenstein Galleries, in response to the severe tensions in the art market today:

Art is Not an Investment

From Meadows To Meaning: Opening Oct 19th, 8pm
Curated by Merritt Kraft Fletcher, and featuring the work of Doris Carey Scott, Merritt Kraft Fletcher, Doris Billingsley Fletcher, Natalie Tottenham, Yolande Waldron, and Kristen Parker.

This exhibit is multi-generational with a focus on the feminine aesthetic. Themes converge, over-lap, and include responses to the artists’ interaction with nature and their environments, ideas surrounding the animal/human divide, memory and the passage of time, absurdity, myth, love, beauty, philosophy, fertility, and flowers.

Opens October 19, 2009 8 P.M.

Congrats to Merritt, Natalie and Kristen — three MCLA artists taking charge and exhibiting their work.

TWO ON AN ISLAND  by Elmer Rice

October 21-24  at 8:00 in Venable Theatre

Tickets: $2.00  Box Office: x5123

It’s a bitterwsweet comedy by the beloved Elmer Rice, dealing with the trials and tribulations of young theatrical hopefuls in NYC during the Great Depression.  Do come!

Major fall theatre production directed by Bonnie Bishoff (42nd — and last — Venable Theatre production!).  Tech direction by Andy.  Costumes by Dawn Shamburger. Tech Assistant: Glenda Matos.

Cast: Meghan Zaremba, Conor Moroney, Darren Fitzgerald, Ben Leahy, Ben Daniel, Christopher Paton, Christopher Dellea, Costia Karolinski, Lily Cardaropoli, Jackie Coughlin, Jed Krivisky, Nicole Dunn, Josh Smith, Kelly Flanagan, Kimberly Gritman, Lesley Zaya, Megan Cooney, Michael Barry,   Michael Candalet, Michael  Geary, Nola Fafard, Rachel Seklecki, Robin Russel, Sarah Lomes, Sam Cournyn

Stage Managers: Jenna Hoag and Kate Heemsoth

Tech Staff: Adam Duchemin, Alex Joseph(Munoz), Jenny Rolenz, Robyn Warfield, Mikey Dearn, Nicole Sweeney, Sarah DiMarino, Yvonne Camacho, JD Falotico, Sarah Dion, Jesse Egan-Poirier, Chiara Morrison, Megan Tainter, Ryan Cavanaugh, Darren Fitzgerald, Meghan Zaremba

STUDENT ARTISTS Carl Bowlby, Merritt Fletcher, Stephanie Naffah and Jordan Pagan will be participating in this year’s North Adams Open Studio. Here’s an example of Carl’s work — hope to add more pictures from the event soon:

Come see the MCLA area in the NoAMA building, right across from the Eclipse Mill. For more information about Open Studios, go to NorthAdamsOpenStudios.com

You can also find MCLA professors in the mix: Prof. Melanie Mowinski has work at the Elf Parlor (and so do students Natalie Tottenham and Merrit Fletcher and Kristen Parker), and Prof. Mowinski, Prof. Laura Christensen, and Prof. Gregory Scheckler all have work on display at Gallery 51 in the HERE exhibit, which includes thirteen or fourteen additional artists.

the following text is from North Adams Open Studios p.r.:

Double Up – Artists Participating in Open Studios More Than Doubles!

The upcoming North Adams Open Studios this weekend (October 17 and 18,
10am to 6pm) is shaping up to be a stellar art event, with more artists
participating than ever before. Even at this late date, artists are coming
forward to participate, as artists invite friends to join the party at
their studios and galleries host new shows.

Phil Sellers, Chair of the North Adams Open Studios Committee, said “We
had worried that this year would not be quite as big as 2008 because of
the economy, but there has been an explosion of last minute interest,
combined with new gallery shows, and the growth of artists groups such as
the North Adams Artists Coop and the Berkshire Artists Colony. With more
venues, come more artists exhibiting.”

The count of 81 participating artists currently listed on the Open Studios
website is quite misleading. While many of the participants are individual
artists who are opening their studios to the public, a number are actually
galleries representing multiple artists. By checking with these galleries
we have discovered that the works of more than twice as many artists will
be on display throughout the city.

Between the Brill Gallery, studio21south, BAC 2nd Floor Gallery, Beaver
Mill, Berkshire Artists Colony Gallery, MCLA Gallery 51, Kolok Gallery,
North Adams Regional Hospital, NoAMA, Eclipse Mill, Eclipse Mill Gallery,
the North Adams Artists Co-Op, Avalon Seafood Gallery, Elf Parlor, Maya
III, 800,000 Acknowledge. Remember. Renew, Cup and Saucer, and Chapel for
Humanity, the works of 183 artists will be on display.

In addition, there are performances scheduled for Saturday evening
(October 17), including: Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe 8pm at Main Street
Stage; Dr. Dog and The Winterpills in concert 8pm at MASS MoCA; Hoosac
River Lights IIa presenting International light artists 8 to 10PM at
Holden Avenue by the Hoosac River with performances by Marafanyi Live. We
are even expecting a mermaid to appear at 8:30pm as part of the Hoosac
River Lights IIa event. Plus, MASS MoCA will be open with free passes
available at Open Studios locations.

“Getting an accurate count of all the artists participating in this year’s
Open Studios has been challenging”, said BD Handspicker, Marketing
Director for Open Studios. “Some artists exhibiting in multiple locations
end up double counted, but there are also artists participating
unofficially who are under-counted. Some artists are registered
individually, while others are participating through a registered gallery.
The artist count should also include musicians, actors, dancers, light
sculptors, and performance artists. So counting all the artists involved
is like trying to count the stars in the sky. Better to just revel in all
the participants without getting tied up trying for an accurate artist
census.”

So join with us reveling in the art of North Adams. Counting the number of
artists is optional!

–

For the editor and folks with a numeric bent:

1 artist – Avalon Seafood Gallery
1 artist – Elf Parlor
1 artist – Maya III
1 artist – 800,000 Acknowledge. Remember. Renew.
1 artist – Cup and Saucer
1 artist – Chapel for Humanity
4 artists – Brill Gallery
10 artists – Beaver Mill/studio21south/ BAC 2nd Floor Gallery

How are the arts doing during difficult economic times? Many organizations are working their ways through the same financial stresses hitting every business this year. At BerkshireFineArts.com, Charles Giulano outlines the financial capacities and dangers currently pressing Shakespeare and Company to find savvy new ways to revise its business model. For arts management it’s a fascinating problem – The bottom line? “$10 million in debt seems overwhelming. Mescon stated that the debt is likely to be reduced by $2 million rather quickly. When loans are restructured and the company has a solid new business plan there are donors ready to step up with the remaining $1.2 million of the capital campaign. At which point the Kresge grant will provide the final $800,000.” To read his story, click here.

Here’s hoping that the plans and donors fall together and aid one of the most renowned Shakespeare venues in the world!

In a related fundraising event, check out how well-known Berkshires photographer Kevin Sprague is raising funds for his book of Shakespeare and Company photos, Imagining Shakespeare at Kickstarter. Kickstarter is a fascinating way for creative people to raise funds… it’s like knowing ahead of time that there’s a market demand for your work because people can support it ahead of its production. This reverses the usual problem of creating a bunch of artworks and having no idea if they will ever be successful in the market. Congratulations to Kevin for having met nearly half of his funding goal.

A lot of ground-breaking work is being done in a branch of digital photography, called Computational Photography — using computers and software to stitch together vast amounts of digital imagery into new content, such as maps, 3-d renderings of famous locations made from thousands of user-submitted snapshots, and much more. For artists, this new process shows a lot of promise:

PhotoSketch update

(From Siggraph 2009 Asia)

CALL FOR ENTRIES

MCLA Student Artwork at the annual North Adams Open Studios

OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS

Deadline EXTENDED: THIS WEDNESDAY, October 7th

The Fine and Performing Arts department invites ALL MCLA STUDENTS to submit work to be exhibited in the annual North Adams Open Studios on October 17th and 18th, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. both days. Open Studios is a city wide event. Artists open their studios, galleries open their doors and a variety of artists display their works throughout the downtown area, utilizing storefronts and co-op spaces. The student space will be right in the midst of all this activity.

All work should be ready to hang, and have been created while a student at MCLA. Submission does not guarantee entrance into show.

If selected, student is expected to sit in the MCLA Student Space for a minimum of two hours during the course of the North Adams Open Studios Weekend. This is a great professional opportunity for building your arts resume and networking with area artists.

For more information, please contact Professor Mowinski: Melanie.mowinskiATmcla.edu

Welcome to the FPA Journal, a weblog of fine and performing arts related announcements, topics, and discussions.

This is one of the  MCLA Blogs officially sponsored by the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Contributors are staff and faculty members of the college, as well as students.