February 20, 2007 UMBC Presents Pianist Noel Lester in Concert Thursday, March 8, 2007 8 p.m. UMBC Fine Arts Recital Hall Featuring a Historical Survey of Ragtime Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. The UMBC Department of Music’s PRIME Series presents pianist Noel Lester in concert on Thursday, March 8, 8 p.m., in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Noel Lester has delighted audiences and critics alike for his performances throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and through his recordings and radio broadcasts. He appears regularly as a soloist, chamber pianist, and soloist with orchestra. Noel Lester made his European debut in 1991 at the Ernst Barlach Haus in Hamburg and he has since performed extensively throughout the U.K., Germany, France, Switzerland, Holland, and Poland. He has participated in international festivals at Maastricht and Belfast. In November of 2000, he made his Asian debut with recitals in Sendai and Tokyo. His radio recitals include NPR, the BBC, RTE Dublin, SDR Stuttgart, Radio France, on the nationally-syndicated show, A Note to You, produced by WGBH-Boston, over WQED Pittsburgh, WNYC, and many others. As a recording artist, he may be heard on the Centaur, Elan, Koch International, Museum of Modern Art, RWYA, and Sonora labels. The first half of the pianist’s program will feature classical works by Scarlatti, Haydn and Schubert; the second half will focus on the history of ragtime, from its precursors to works by modern masters: Sonata in F Minor, Longo 187 Domenico Scarlatti Sonata in C Major, Longo 3 Domenico Scarlatti Sonata in F Major, Hob. XVI/23 Joseph Haydn Three Impromptus: Franz Schubert B-flat Major, Op. 142, No. 3 E-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 2 A-flat Minor, Op. 90, No. 4 “The Riches of Rags” Precursors: “Old Folks at Home” Variations (1856) Stephen Foster Pasquinade (1863) Louis Moreau Gottschalk The King of Ragtime: Maple Leaf Rag (1899) Scott Joplin Solace (1909) The Next Wave: The Baltimore Todolo (1908) Eubie Blake Dill Pickles (1906) Charles L. Johnson Novelty Rags: Kitten on the Keys (1921) Zez Confrey Dizzy Fingers (1923) European Imitators: Ragtime (1920) Igor Stravinsky Ragtime (1921) Paul Hindemith Golliwog’s Cakewalk (1908) Claude Debussy Modern Masters: The Graceful Ghost Rag (1971) William Bolcom Spring Beauties (1997) Brian Dykstra Admission Admission is $7 general, $3 for senior citizens, free for all students, and free with a UMBC ID. Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or by calling MissionTix at 410-752-8950. Tickets will also be available at the door (cash or check only) immediately prior to the concert. Telephone Public information: (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Media inquiries only: 410-455-3370 Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts MissionTix: http://www.missiontix.com Online News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news Directions • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Administration Drive Garage. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Administration Drive Garage. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Administration Drive Garage. • Visitor parking is available in the Administration Drive Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. Posted by tmoore February 15, 2007 UMBC Department of Visual Arts Presents Spring 2007 Visiting Artists Vincent Grenier, Filmmaker, March 8 Micki Spiller, Sculptor, April 4 Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. The UMBC Department of Visual Arts presents its Fall 2006 series of Visiting Artist Lectures, featuring Vincent Grenier and Micki Spiller. Vincent Grenier Filmmaker March 8, 7 pm, Fine Arts Building Room 221 Vincent Grenier was born in Quebec City, Canada. He has made experimental films and videos since the early 1970s when he received an MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute. Grenier’s films have been shown in the United States, Canada and Europe at showcases such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Anthology Film Archives, the Pacific Film Archives, the Collective for Living Cinema and Cinéma Parallel in Montréal. His films and videos have earned him production grants from the Canada Council and elsewhere. His films and videos include: Tabula Rasa (2004), 2nd prize Media City Festival, Windsor, Canada, Views from the Avant Garde, New York Film Festival and Onion Film & Video Festival; Here (2002), Awarded Gold for best Experimental film, New York Film Expo; Color Study (2000), Rotterdam Film festival, London and Toronto Film Festivals, Lincoln Center, second prize at the Black Maria Film Festival; Material Incidents (2001), Rotterdam Film Festival & New York Video Festival; Feet (1994) 2nd prize at the 1995 Black Maria; Out in the Garden (1991), Best Documentary, 1992 Ann Arbor Film Festival, Best Experimental Documentary, 16th Atlanta Film/Video Festival, shown on WNET and London Film Festival; You (1990), Black Maria Festival; Time’s Wake (1987), prize winner, Black Maria Festival. Seven of Grenier’s films & videos were curated in the Whitney Museum of American Art 1970-2000 American Century Film program. Films by Grenier are in the collections of the Donnell Media Library in NYC, the National Film Archive, Ottawa, the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, and AGO, Toronto. Grenier is on the faculty in the Cinema Department at Binghamton University and lives in Ithaca, New York. Micki Spiller Sculptor April 4, 12 noon, Fine Arts Building Room 215 Micki Spiller is an artist whose work examines the curiosities of space. She will speak about a recent project, Lost and Found in the Stacks, exploring the imaginary spaces created in books. In this project, Spiller breaks down barriers between libraries and museums by creating works that can be checked out of the Brooklyn Public Library. From the outside, these works resemble books, however when opened they reveal an elaborate miniature architectural world inspired by particular books. For example, one project replicates period rooms from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as inspired by E.L. Konigsberg’s mystery From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Spiller has exhibited her work at such venues as the Islip Art Museum (East Islip, New York), Indiana University Gallery (Terre Haute, Indiana), Spaces (Cleveland, Ohio), Franklin Furnace Archives (New York City), and at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Spiller has participated in artist residency programs at the Smack Mellon Studios (Brooklyn, New York), The Evergreen House (Baltimore, Maryland), Henry Street Settlement (New York City), the AIM program at the Bronx Museum of Art (Bronx, New York), Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts (Omaha, Nebraska), and at the World Views Studios in the World Trade Center (New York City). She has been the recipient of numerous grants such as the Pollock-Krasner Grant, Art Matters Grant, and New Jersey State Council on the Arts Grant. Spiller received her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute, and her MFA from Ohio State University in sculpture. Currently, she serves on the faculty at Parsons School of Design and The Pratt Institute. Admission All events are free and open to the public. Telephone Public information: (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Media inquiries only: 410-455-3370 Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts Online News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news Directions • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to Visitor Parking. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to Visitor Parking. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to Visitor Parking. • Visitor parking is available in the Administration Drive Garage and the Commons Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. Posted by tmoore February 13, 2007 UMBC Department of Theatre presents the “IN 10” Theatre Festival and National Play Competition Five Short Plays Presented Each Evening, Including the Premiere of a New Work by Heather McDonald March 1-4, 2007 UMBC Theatre Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. The UMBC Department of Theatre presents the IN 10 Theatre Festival and National Play Competition, March 1-4 at the UMBC Theatre. Each evening, theatergoers will enjoy five short plays, including the premiere of a new work by Baltimore area playwright Heather McDonald. Inaugurated in 2006, the annual IN 10 National Play Competition seeks to address the scarcity of strong roles for young women in contemporary American plays. By creating a national competition for 10-minute long plays that feature solid acting opportunities for young actresses, the UMBC Department of Theatre hopes to help commence a new era in contemporary American playwrighting. The national winner is awarded a $1,000 cash prize and performances at the Festival. Additionally, each year the IN 10 Festival and National Play Competition commissions a new work by a noted American playwright. The winner of the 2007 IN 10 Competition is EM Lewis, whose work, The Edge of Ross Island, will be staged along with the work of three other finalists: Ruth McKee's Otherwise Engaged, Ira Gamerman’s A Girl with a Black Eye, and Mark Young’s The Final Movement. The commissioned playwright for 2007 is Maryland resident Heather McDonald, whose play, The Two Marys, will receive its premiere during the Festival. Susan McCully, IN 10’s artistic director and member of the faculty of UMBC’s Department of Theatre, said, “A very concrete intent drives the IN 10 Festival. University theatre departments throughout the United States tend to have more women than men in their programs, but most of the stronger roles in contemporary theatre are for men. Young actresses need to work on plays in which their characters drive the action.” Lynn Watson, chair of UMBC’s Department of Theatre, added, “When we first did IN 10 last season, it was very gratifying to see the effect that producing those plays had on our young female cast. At rehearsal discussions and talk-backs with audiences, we could hear and see the actors' exhilaration at finally occupying the center of the dramatic action, rather than reflecting it or revolving around it, as is all too often the case. In our acting classes, young woman often search in vain to find contemporary scenes where issues that engage them are addressed with complexity and subtlety, if they’re addressed at all. So much of the time, young female characters are two-dimensional and ‘functionary’—the girlfriend, the daughter, the co-worker—serving to advance the story or provide a foil to respond to male concerns. Last year, the young women in IN 10 responded with tremendous pleasure and pride as they took on characters and issues written expressly for them. And we are seeing the same response this year in the cast of IN 10 2007.” About the Playwrights IN 10 Competition Winner: EM Lewis: The Edge of Ross Island EM Lewis’ work has been read and produced around the country. Her new full-length play, HEADS—a hostage drama set against the war in Iraq—was read at Pacific Resident Theatre, and will be included in New York University’s hotINK International Festival of New Plays in January 2007. Infinite Black Suitcase, a large ensemble piece set in rural Oregon, was developed and received a workshop production at Moving Arts in 2005. The play was named a semi-finalist for the O’Neill Playwrights Conference in 2006 and a finalist in the Hinton Battle Theatre Lab’s “Diverse Voices” playwriting contest. Lewis is a writer-in-residence at Moving Arts Theatre Company in Los Angeles and a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights. Outside the theatre world, Lewis is co-founder and editor of the online literary journal Sunspinner. She lives in Santa Monica, California and is originally from Oregon. IN 10 Competition Finalists: Ruth McKee: Otherwise Engaged Ruth McKee’s plays include The Nightshade Family, which was a finalist in the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Contest, Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, and was recently read at Playwrights Horizons; Security Check, presented at Six Figures Theatre Company’s Artists of Tomorrow Festival 2006; 500 Words, produced in the 2005 Baldwin New Play Festival at the University of California, San Diego; Cargo, produced in BNPF 2004; Mail Returned, produced at UCSD and in the Six Figures AOT Festival 2004; The Noise Room, developed at HB Playwrights Foundation; Development, produced at Access Theater and Chashama in New York. Originally from Canada by way of Bangladesh and Kenya, Ruth has a BFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU and an MFA in Playwriting from UCSD, San Diego. She currently lives in Los Angeles and teaches playwriting at UCSD and Idyllwild Arts Academy. Ira Gamerman: Girl with a Black Eye Ira Gamerman received his BA in theatre from Towson University. His plays have been performed in Maryland, California, Alaska, and at such prestigious venues as the Kennedy Center. In 2005, he participated in the Kennedy Center’s summer playwriting intensive, where he studied under such nationally/internationally known playwrights as Lee Blessing, Roberto Aguirre Sacassa, and Gary Garrison. Gamerman is the founder of The Playwrights Group of Baltimore, a group dedicated to developing new plays in Baltimore. His first full-length play, No One Told You..., received a Maryland State Arts Council grant for playwriting in 2005. His second full-length play, Split, won first place production and third place play at the 2006 Baltimore Playwrights Festival. Ira was voted “Best Playwright Of Baltimore” by Baltimore’s City Paper in 2006. As a songwriter/guitarist, Ira fronts local indie band, EVEN SO. Mark Young: The Final Movement Mark Young is a Chicago playwright and Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, where many of his plays have been developed. He has twice been a finalist for the Heideman Award at the Actors Theatre of Louisville for his plays Night (2004) and Black And White (2002). In 2002, his play They All Fall Down was a finalist for the Arts & Letters Prize, selected by John Guare. They All Fall Down subsequently appeared at the Source Theatre in Washington D.C., along with his one-act play New Orleans, as part of the 2002 Washington Theatre Festival. Both They All Fall Down and New Orleans received the Source Theatre’s H.D. Lewis New Play Award, as an evening of one acts titled Young Love. He is a graduate of St. John’s College and received his M.A. from the University of Chicago. Commissioned Playwright: Heather McDonald: The Two Marys Heather McDonald was commissioned by Houston Grand Opera and composer Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking) to write the libretto for an opera based on Graham Greene’s novel The End of the Affair. The opera, also titled The End of the Affair, had its world premiere at Houston Grand Opera in March 2004 directed by Broadway director Leonard Foglia and starring Australian soprano Cheryl Barker and New Zealand baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes. The opera received a second production at Madison Opera, and a third production will be in Seattle at Opera Pacifica fall 2005. Subsequent productions are planned for Pittsburgh, New York and Australia. Heather McDonald’s play An Almost Holy Picture was produced on Broadway starring Kevin Bacon and directed by Michael Mayer. It was nominated for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize. The play premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse starring David Morse and was named Best New Play of the Year by the Los Angeles Times. Ms. McDonald received the Kesselring Award for Best New American Play from the National Arts Club. The play has subsequently been produced at Center Stage in Baltimore, Round House Theatre in Washington, D.C., the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre and in numerous other theatres around the country. Holy Picture has been translated into Spanish and produced in Mexico and Spain. Her play When Grace Comes In received joint World Premieres at The La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre. The play was a finalist for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and was developed at The Sundance Theatre Laboratory, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and The New Harmony Project. Ms. McDonald has continued to work on Grace and a new version received a workshop through FirstLook Productions in New York directed by Rebecca Taichman and starring Marcia Gay Harden. The production Ms. McDonald directed of her play Dream of a Common Language for Theatre of the First Amendment was nominated by The Washington Theatre Awards Society for eight Helen Hayes Awards and won four including Outstanding Resident Production. Dream premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and was produced Off-Broadway at The Judith Anderson Theatre. It has had many other productions. Ms. McDonald directed her play Available Light, a play with music, at Signature Theatre, which was supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA support allowed for the commissioning and recording (at the NPR studios) of a full score by composer David Maddox. Available Light premiered at The Actors Theatre of Louisville in the Humana Festival. Other plays include Faulkner’s Bicycle, The Rivers and Ravines (commissioned and produced by Arena Stage), Available Light, and Rain and Darkness: Hitting for the Cycle. They have been produced at many theatres including Yale Repertory Theatre, The Actors Theatre of Louisville – Humana Festival of New Plays, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Center Stage, the McCarter Theatre, the La Jolla Playhouse, Arena Stage, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Rivendell Theatre, the Magic Theatre, New Playwrights Theatre and Off Broadway in New York. Recent and new projects include a commission from Signature Theatre for a new play, tentatively titled The Suppressed-Desire Ball, directing Michele Lowe’s play The Smell of the Kill at Round House Theatre, The J. M. Barrie Project, a collaborative piece with the MFA Acting students at Case-Western Reserve University and The Cleveland Playhouse, and a commission to adapt Gerda Lerner’s memoir FIREWEED: A Political Biography for Madison Repertory Theatre. She has three times been awarded NEA Playwriting Fellowships and been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. She has been a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and won the First Prize Kesselring Award. She has been the recipient of a TCG Extended Collaboration Grant and a McKnight Fellow, and in 2005 an NEA/TCG Playwriting Residency Award. Her plays are published by the Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Inc., American Theatre Magazine, and in several collections. Ms. McDonald has had a long commitment to teaching and as associate professor and playwright-in-residence at George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts - Institute of the Arts for the past fourteen years. She has taught many other workshops around the country in various graduate playwriting programs and is on the faculty of the Kennedy Center Summer Playwriting Intensive. She received her MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts’ Dramatic Writing Program. Performances Thursday, March 1, 4 pm (preview) (free admission to UMBC campus community) Friday, March 2, 8 pm (opening night) Saturday, March 3, 8 pm (with talkback following performance) Sunday, March 4, 4 pm Note: Plays contain adult language and subject matter that may not be appropriate for children. Admission $10 general admission; $5 students and seniors; $3 for the preview. The performance on Thursday, March 1st is free for the UMBC campus community. Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or by calling MissionTix at 410-752-8950. Telephone Public information: (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Media inquiries only: 410-455-3370 Directions • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Theatre. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre. • Visitor parking is available in the Commons Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. Posted by tmoore February 12, 2007 UMBC Theatre Faculty in the News UMBC's Department of Theatre faculty and alumni recently received favorable reviews in the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post and the Washington City Paper. A production directed by Xerxes Mehta, professor of theatre, was reviewed in the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post. The double bill of one-act plays by Harold Pinter--The Collection and The Lover--also included set and costumes by Elena Zlotescu, associate professor of theatre, and Lynn Watson, chair and associate professor of theatre, was dialect consultant. The Pinter plays were produced by Rep Stage, the professional theatre company in residence at Howard County Community College. The new artistic director of Rep Stage is theatre alumnus Michael Stebbins. In addition, Assistant Professor of Theatre Colette Searls' direction of Vigils at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, DC was favorably reviewed in the Washington Post and Washington City Paper. Posted by elewis February 9, 2007 UMBC Department of Theatre Presents Lecture by Lee Breuer Prize-Winning Writer and Director Friday, March 9, 7 p.m., UMBC Theatre Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. The UMBC Department of Theatre presents a lecture by writer and director Lee Breuer on Friday, March 9, 7 p.m., at the UMBC Theatre. Lee Breuer was founding artistic director of Mabou Mines theatre company in New York City, which he began in 1970 with colleagues Philip Glass, Ruth Maleczech, JoAnne Akalitis, David Warrilow, Frederick Neuman and Bill Raymond. He is a writer, director and lyricist who also works outside the company in film, on Broadway and on a variety of theatrical projects in Europe, Africa, Asia and North and South America. Breuer’s most recent work with Mabou Mines is the puppet opera Red Beads, created in collaboration with puppeteer Basil Twist and composer Ushio Torikai. Of the September 2005 New York City premiere, The New York Times said, “...theater as sorcery; it is a crossroads where artistic traditions meet to invent a marvelous common language. It is a fairy tale, a puppet play and a chamber opera...amazing work.” Breuer’s best known work is The Gospel at Colonus, a Pentecostal Gospel rendering of Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus created with composer Bob Telson and starring Morgan Freeman and Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama, which premiered at The Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival, and was performed on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater in 1988 for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. The Gospel at Colonus was televised on the PBS series Great Performances. The production received numerous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination (1988), the Obie for Best Musical (1984), and an Emmy Television Award. In 1988 Lee Breuer was awarded the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, popularly referred to as the “Genius” grant. He has also been awarded playwriting grants and fellowships from CAPS, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation. In April and May 2007, Breuer will direct the Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.) production of Mabou Mines’ Peter & Wendy. Admission Admission is free, but seating is limited. Reservations are strongly recommended by calling 410-455-2476 or visiting www.umbc.edu/arts. Telephone Public information: (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Media inquiries only: 410-455-3370 Directions • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Theatre. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre. • Visitor parking is available in the Commons Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. ### Posted by tmoore February 2, 2007 UMBC Presents Edgeworks Dance Theater in Concert February 21, 2007 8 p.m., UMBC Theatre Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. UMBC presents Edgeworks Dance Theater in performance on Wednesday, February 21st, at 8:00 p.m. in the UMBC Theatre. Edgeworks Dance Theater will present the Baltimore premiere of its new work, Project: Cold Case, the hard-hitting critically-acclaimed component of the company's Negro Dance Theater Project, reflective of a continuing exploration of Black masculinity and image, identity, and representation in contemporary America. Commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center through its Local Dance Commissioning Project Program, Cold Case goes beyond the surface to resurrect the past and to present the now, challenging audiences to emerge from their own prejudices and fears and to fearlessly move into the future with a greater sense of understanding and compassion. Cold Case moves from what is considered to be on the edge of society to venture into extreme conditions in the hopes of achieving humility and tolerance. Cold Case moves from the edge to the center, reaching out. Edgeworks Dance Theater is an ensemble of American men, predominantly African-American men, that aims to break down stereotypes through dance utilizing a spectrum of performance, choreographic and teaching styles, reflecting the diversity of experiences and perspectives of both its members and guest artists. “Movement contrast and counterpoint are deployed with confidence and clarity. Simpler motion is rich and resonant...” --George Jackson, Dance View Times “The strongest evidence that dance can communicate what even the most heartfelt words cannot.” --Sarah Kaufman, The Washington Post Admission General admission: $15.00. Students and seniors: $7.00. Box Office: www.missiontix.com or 410-752-8950 Telephone Box Office: 410-752-8950 UMBC Artsline (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts UMBC Arts News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. Photos on this release Copyright ©2007 Astrid Riecken. Directions • From I-95 take exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the UMBC Theatre. Parking is available in The Commons Garage. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the UMBC Theatre. Parking is available in The Commons Garage. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ ### Posted by tmoore January 17, 2007 UMBC Presents Spring 2007 Music Concert Season Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. The UMBC Department of Music presents its spring 2007 season, featuring three series: TNT (Then, Now, Tomorrow: Music for the Adventurous Listener), PRIME (Resounding Traditions) and a Student Concert Series. Returning this year is the bi-annual Music of Japan Today Festival on March 30th, 31st and April 1st. TNT Series (Then, Now, Tomorrow: Music for the Adventurous Listener) Tuesday, February 6 Nota Bena Contemporary Ensemble and the Queens College/Aaron Copland School of Music Percussion Ensemble 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall Free admission Public information: 410-455-ARTS The Nota Bene Contemporary Ensemble and the Queens College/Aaron Copland School of Music Percussion Ensemble, both under the direction of percussionist Michael Lipsey, will perform Igor Stravinsky's L'Histoire de soldat and John Cage's The City Wears a Slouch Hat (1942), with text by Kenneth Patchen. The Nota Bene Contemporary Ensemble is dedicated to the performance of twentieth-century music, including classics of the repertory, new music, and faculty and student works. Based at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queen’s College, the ensemble has performed at New York University’s Black Box Theater, the Open Ears Festival Marathon, worked with violinist Todd Reynolds and improvised with Sylvan Leroux of the Fula Flute Ensemble. Recent performances have featured works by Louis Andreissen and Frederic Rzewski. March 30, 31, and April 1 Music of Japan Today 2007 Festival and Symposium Complete schedule to be announced. Public information: 410-455-ARTS Western art music has existed for a relatively short time in Japan—it is only since the 1950s, countering Japan’s rush to adopt all that is “Western,” that some composers, led by Yuasa, Mayuzumi, Takemitsu and Ichiyanagi, began to move away from stylistic modeling of nineteenth-century European forms and twentieth-century dodecaphony towards a more individualistic approach. Concerned with reflecting philosophical and musical elements from their own culture, they began to discover and develop their “own music.” The music of these artists reflects a new global confluence of multiple cultures—a powerful cross-fertilization of aesthetics and musical characteristics from both East and West. The music is reflective of a variety of aspects of contemporary Japanese and Western societies, while at the same time deeply rooted in a traditional culture that has evolved over many years. In Music of Japan Today 2007, UMBC will host a three-day symposium of performances, lecture-recitals, panel discussions, and paper presentations on topics that concern Japanese music from the widest possible range of disciplines and expertise. Three guest composers of international stature will participate in the symposium: Hiroyuki Itoh, a winner of international composition prizes in Europe and Japan (including the prestigious Akutagawa Award), has been commissioned and performed by major ensembles including the New Japan Philharmonic, the Nieuw Ensemble, and the Arditti Quartet; Hiroyuki Yamamoto, whose works have been performed at Forum ’91 (Montreal), Gaudeamus Music Week ’94 (Holland), and ISCM World Music Days (2000 in Luxembourg and 2001 in Yokohama), has received prizes for his work, including the Japan Music Competition, Toru Takemitsu Composition Award, and Akutagawa Award; and Shirotomo Aizawa, winner of an Ataka Prize, and a composition prize from the National Theater in Japan. He has studied composition in Tokyo, Berlin, and Vienna, and conducting with Seiji Ozawa, among others. Performances during the symposium will include a broad range of works for different genres (solo instrument, chamber music, computer and electronic music, traditional instruments) by Itoh, Yamamoto, and Aizawa, as well as other Japanese composers. They will include premieres of new works by the guest composers. The performers for these concerts will include faculty and students of the UMBC Department of Music, and guest musicians from the Baltimore/Washington DC area and other international new music centers. This symposium is the sixth in a series of events since 1992 to address Japanese and other Asian musics, organized by Kazuko Tanosaki and E. Michael Richards. Sunday, April 22 Franklin Cox, cello 3 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall $7 general admission, $3 seniors, free for students, free with a UMBC ID. Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or 410-752-8950. Public information: 410-455-ARTS Cellist Franklin Cox has performed in numerous festivals and new music ensembles, including the Indiana University New Music Ensemble, the Group for Contemporary Music, and SONOR, as well as at the 1980 and 1982 Spoleto Festivals, the 1983 Banff Summer Chamber Music Festival, the Xenakis Festival and Darmstadt Revisited Festival at UCSD, and at the Darmstadt Festival since 1988, where he received a special citation for cello performance in 1990. He received a Bachelor of Music degree in composition from Indiana University, a Master of Arts degree in composition from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in composition at the University of California, San Diego. His program will include Time and Motion Study II by Brian Ferneyhough and the world premiere of Crutch by Aaron Cassidy. Dr. Cox has studied with Brian Ferneyhough, Roger Reynolds, Joji Yuasa, Steven Suber, Fred Fox, Harvey Sollberger, Fred Lerdahl, and Jack Beeson. He received an Alice M. Ditson Scholarship and Dissertation Fellowship at Columbia University, Regent's Fellowship and a Dissertation Research Fellowship for Outstanding Research at UCSD, a full scholarship to the 1990 June in Buffalo Festival, and full scholarships for the 1988 and 1992 Darmstadt Festivals. He was awarded a Stipendium Fellowship at the 1990 Darmstadt Festival, won 2nd prize in the Los Angeles Arts Commission competition in the spring of 1991, and was co-winner of the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis (highest award for composition) in the 1992 Darmstadt Festival. Thursday, May 3 New Haven Quartet 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall Free admission Public information: 410-455-ARTS The New Haven Quartet is comprised of Ayano Kataoka (percussion), Steve Wilson (tenor), James Deitz (percussion), and Josh Quillen (percussion), all graduates of the Yale University School of Music in New Haven. They specialize in interpreting percussion classics by composers such as Toru Takemitsu and Stuart Saunders Smith (professor of music at UMBC) while commissioning new works from young composers such as Mark Dancigers. Their uniquely diverse backgrounds converge to create a group sound like no other. The quartet's program will include: • Raintree by Toru Takemitsu • And Sometimes the Ears/When the Body Betrays by Stuart Saunders Smith • Lion Lying Down by Mark Dancigers • …And Points North by Stuart Saunders Smith • Songs 1-9/Polka in Treblinka by Stuart Saunders Smith Monday, May 14 Allen and Patricia Strange 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall $7 general admission, $3 seniors, free for students, free with a UMBC ID. Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or 410-752-8950. Public information: 410-455-ARTS Violinist Patricia Strange will present a program of music by composers Allen Strange and Larry Austin, including Strange's Goddess, Heroes: The Boys (Ghost Tracks), Elemental Vamp, SideShow: Six Gothic Images from the Darkside, and Quinault Cathedral, and Austin's Redux. Allen Strange is one of the leading authorities on analogue electronic music; his Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls (1972) is now a classic text. He also wrote Programming and Meta-Programming the Electro-Organism (1974), the operations manual for the Buchla Music Easel and has documented the 200 Series synthesizers made by Buchla. He co-founded two performance groups, Biome (1967-72), in order to make use of the EMS Synthi, and, with Buchla in 1974, the Electronic Weasel Ensemble. He was president of the International Computer Music Association (1993-98) and has appeared as a guest artist-lecturer throughout the world. With his wife, Patricia, they have recently published The Contemporary Violin: Extended Performance Techniques. Strange composes for live electronic instrumental ensembles, for live and taped electronics with voices and acoustic instruments, and for the theatre; most of his works for acoustic instruments require extended performance techniques. He is particularly interested in linear tuning systems, spatial distribution of sound, the isolation of timbre as a musical parameter, and composing for groups of like instruments or voices (consorts). Elements of vaudeville, rock-and-roll, country-and-western music, and the guitar techniques of Les Paul are found in his works. His theatre pieces employ various media including film, video, and lighting effects. Strange lives on Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound pursuing a full-time career composing and concertizing with his wife. Patricia Strange is an active performer of contemporary violin literature and has concertized throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico and Europe. With her husband, Allen Strange, she co-founded two live electronic music ensembles, BIOME and The Electric Weasel Ensemble. She received a Bachelor of Music degree from California State University Fullerton and a Masters of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego. Ms. Strange has held positions in the San Diego Symphony, Opera San Jose, San Jose Cleveland Ballet Orchestra, Mid Summer Mozart Orchestra and was principal second violin with the San Jose Symphony. She has also taught violin and viola at San Jose State University. She and her husband, Allen Strange, have published a book entitled The Contemporary Violin; Extended Performance Techniques, available from Scarecrow Press. She currently lives on Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound and remains active as a performer, teacher and director of the SoundScape Contemporary Chamber Players.   PRIME Series Resounding Traditions Sunday, January 28 Newberry’s Victorian Cornet Band 3 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall $10 general admission, $5 seniors, free for students, free with a UMBC ID. Tickets are available at the door, cash or check only. Public information: 410-455-ARTS Newberry's Victorian Cornet Band, led by guest conductor and UMBC Director of Bands Jari Villanueva, presents a program entitled Music of the Gilded Age. The music of America's Gilded Age—the post-Civil War and post-Reconstruction years from 1865 to 1901—celebrated the country's unprecedented ecomonic, territorial, industrial and population expansions. The program will feature music by Suppé, Grafulla, Sousa, Pryor, Verdi and others, and will feature solo performances by cornetist Elisa Koehler and trombonist Jared Denhard. Sunday, February 11 Franklin Cox, cello, and Rachel Franklin, piano 3 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall $10 general admission, $5 seniors, free for students, free with a UMBC ID. Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or 410-752-8950. Public information: 410-455-ARTS Cellist Franklin Cox and pianist Rachel Franklin join forces to present an afternoon of chamber music. Both artists are members of UMBC’s distinguished music faculty. The duo's program will feature both Brahms cello sonatas, No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38, and No. 2 in F major, Op. 99. Franklin Cox has performed in numerous festivals and new music ensembles, including the Indiana University New Music Ensemble, the Group for Contemporary Music, and SONOR, as well as at the 1980 and 1982 Spoleto Festivals, the 1983 Banff Summer Chamber Music Festival, the Xenakis Festival and Darmstadt Revisited Festival at UCSD, and at the Darmstadt Festival since 1988, where he received a special citation for cello performance in 1990. He received a Bachelor of Music degree in composition from Indiana University, a Master of Arts degree in composition from Columbia University, and a PhD. in composition at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Cox has studied with Brian Ferneyhough, Roger Reynolds, Joji Yuasa, Steven Suber, Fred Fox, Harvey Sollberger, Fred Lerdahl, and Jack Beeson. He received an Alice M. Ditson Scholarship and Dissertation Fellowship at Columbia University, Regent's Fellowship and a Dissertation Research Fellowship for Outstanding Research at UCSD, a full scholarship to the 1990 June in Buffalo Festival, and full scholarships for the 1988 and 1992 Darmstadt Festivals. He was awarded a Stipendium Fellowship at the 1990 Darmstadt Festival, won 2nd prize in the Los Angeles Arts Commission competition in the spring of 1991, and was co-winner of the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis (highest award for composition) in the 1992 Darmstadt Festival. As a Pro Musicis International Award winner, British pianist Rachel Franklin has given her solo debuts in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York, and Jordan Hall, Boston. The Boston Globe enthused about her “beautiful differentiations of color, touch and texture” and described a performance on her solo debut CD as “not inferior...to the recorded performances by Cortot and Rubinstein.” She has also given European Pro Musicis solo debuts in Paris and Rome. At the Wigmore Hall, London, where she has given several recitals, critics applauded her “stunning individuality,” “exquisite dynamic control,” and “amazing power and solidity of technique.” The Washington Post praised her “cool-headed bravura and panache.” In Dublin The Irish Times said: “Of the many qualities that distinguished Rachel Franklin's recital, it was perhaps the intelligence underpinning her creative interpretations that caused her to stand out from so many other young pianists...” She has been featured on NPR's Performance Today, with whom she has given frequent spoken broadcasts. Her recital broadcasts include BBC Radio 3, WQXR and WNYC in New York and WJHU in Baltimore, and Radio Telefis Eireann in Ireland. Thursday, March 8 Noel Lester, piano 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall $10 general admission, $5 seniors, free for students, free with a UMBC ID. Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or 410-752-8950. Public information: 410-455-ARTS Pianist Noel Lester has delighted audiences and critics alike for his performances throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and through his recordings and radio broadcasts. He appears regularly as a soloist, chamber pianist, and soloist with orchestra. Noel Lester made his European debut in 1991 at the Ernst Barlach Haus in Hamburg and he has since performed extensively throughout the U.K., Germany, France, Switzerland, Holland, and Poland. He has participated in international festivals at Maastricht and Belfast. In November of 2000, he made his Asian debut with recitals in Sendai and Tokyo. His radio recitals include NPR, the BBC, RTE Dublin, SDR Stuttgart, Radio France, on the nationally-syndicated show, “A Note to You,” produced by WGBH-Boston, over WQED Pittsburgh, WNYC, and many others. As a recording artist, he may be heard on the Centaur, Elan, Koch International, Museum of Modern Art, RWYA, and Sonora labels. The program will feature works by Beethoven, Scarlatti, and Brahms, plus a historical survey of ragtime, from its roots to today. Sunday, March 11 UMBC Symphony Orchestra 3 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall Free admission. Public information: 410-455-ARTS The UMBC Symphony Orchestra performs under the direction of Wayne Cameron. The program will feature the winners of the High School Concerto Competition and the Department of Music Concerto Competition performing Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85; Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61; Édouard Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21; and Béla Bartók's Violin Rhapsody No. 1. Sunday, April 15 Tiemann-Belzer Duo 3 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall $10 general admission, $5 seniors, free for students, free with a UMBC ID. Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or 410-752-8950. Public information: 410-455-ARTS Exploding on the scene with their debut CD Crypto, the Tiemann-Belzer Duo is an unusual jazz ensemble featuring percussionist Scott Tiemann and saxophonist Matt Belzer. By boiling down a more traditional instrumentation to only the melodic and rhythmic placeholders, the group creates a distinctive sound—a disciplined and creative approach to performance. Featuring new compositions by Belzer, who recently joined the UMBC music faculty, this group is a collaborative effort by musicians who have developed that heightened awareness of each other for which jazz musicians strive. Sunday, May 6 UMBC Symphony Orchestra 3 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall Free admission. Public information: 410-455-ARTS The UMBC Symphony Orchestra performs under the direction of Wayne Cameron. The program will feature Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E minor ("From the New World"), and pianist Rachel Franklin performing the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15. Monday, May 7 UMBC Chamber Players 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall Free admission. Public information: 410-455-ARTS The UMBC Chamber Players perform under the direction of E. Michael Richards. The program will feature music of Beethoven, Rorem, Prokofiev, Matsudaira, and others.   Student Recital Series March 2 & 3 The Vocal Arts Ensemble directed by David Smith. 7 pm both evenings, Fine Arts Recital Hall. Admission is free. 410-455-ARTS. Thursday, April 26 The UMBC Jazz Ensemble (Big Band) directed by Jari Villanueva. 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall. Admission is free. 410-455-ARTS. Saturday, May 5 The Jubilee Singers directed by Janice Jackson. 7 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall. Donations accepted. 410-455-ARTS. Tuesday, May 8 The UMBC Percussion Ensemble directed by Tom Goldstein. 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall. Admission is free. 410-455-ARTS. Wednesday, May 9 The UMBC New Music Ensemble directed by Stuart Saunders Smith. 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall. Admission is free. 410-455-ARTS. Thursday, May 10 The UMBC Wind Ensemble directed by Jari Villanueva. 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall. Admission is free. 410-455-ARTS. Saturday, May 12 The UMBC Camerata directed by David Smith. 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall. Admission is free. 410-455-ARTS. Tuesday, May 15 Department of Music Honors Recital. 8 pm, Fine Arts Recital Hall. Admission is free. 410-455-ARTS.   Additional Information Telephone MissionTix box office: 410-752-8950 Public information: (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Media inquiries only: 410-455-3370 Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts UMBC News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news MissionTix: http://www.missiontix.com/ Directions • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Fine Arts Building. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building. Parking is available after 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and all day during weekends in gated Lots 16/9A for a 50¢ fee, quarters only. From any campus entrance, circle around Hilltop Circle (the road the encircles the campus) to Hilltop Road. Take Hilltop Road toward the center of campus. The Fine Arts Building will now be directly in front of you. Proceed through the stop sign. The road will curve to the right. If Lot 16 is full, you may also pay to park in Lot 9A, which sits on the hill immediately above Lot 16—return to the stop sign and turn left toward Lot 9A, and then to the gate. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. Posted by tmoore January 12, 2007 UMBC Presents the Phoenix Dance Company February 7, 8, 9 & 10, 2007 8 p.m., UMBC Theatre Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. UMBC presents the acclaimed Phoenix Dance Company, the professional dance company in residence at UMBC, in concert on February 7, 8, 9 and 10, 2007 at 8 p.m. in the UMBC Theatre. Renowned for its revolutionary exploration of dance and technology, the Phoenix Dance Company features riveting choreography by Carol Hess and Doug Hamby (hailed as “bold and ambitious” by The Washington Post), and performances by the award-winning Sandra Lacy and other artists. The program will include: A hardcore/punk work by Carol Hess, In Fits and Starts/Scenes from a Personal Space, featuring the chaotic and thrashy music of Baltimore band Lilu Dallas. Square Breath by Doug Hamby, first premiered at Dance Place in Washington, D.C., by Doug Hamby Dance, and now set to a new score by Ferdinand Maisel. Dancers, moving through a wired space, help create the sound score to this strong, powerful and percussive creation. The extraordinary Sandra Lacy in two highly expressive solos, one of her own and one choreographed for her by Ting Yu-Chen. 22 Dean Street by Doug Hamby, a soulful response to the music of Charlie Hayden. …of no small use or advantage, a rich landscape of movement for seven women created through an choreographic process involving a radical interpretation of the graphic symbols of baroque dance scores, by Carol Hess. The premiere of Persona by Carol Hess, a new solo about personal identities, performed by Jenifer Dobbins with a tiny wireless surveillance camera. Admission General admission: $15.00. Students and seniors: $7.00. Box Office: www.missiontix.com or 410-752-8950 Telephone Box Office: 410-752-8950 UMBC Artsline (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts UMBC Arts News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. Photos on this release Copyright ©2007 Enoch Chan. Directions • From I-95 take exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the UMBC Theatre. Parking is available in The Commons Garage. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the UMBC Theatre. Parking is available in The Commons Garage. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ ### Posted by tmoore January 8, 2007 Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery Presents Two Exhibitions: Photographs of the Athenian Acropolis: The Restoration Project and Celebrating Samuel Beckett at 100 January 29 - March 24, 2007 Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. Opening on January 29th and continuing through March 24th, UMBC’s Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery presents two exhibitions: Photographs of the Athenian Acropolis: The Restoration Project and Celebrating Samuel Beckett at 100. Significantly damaged by air pollution, earthquakes, wars, erosion and the rusting of iron used in previous restorations, most of the Acropolis monuments have been partially or entirely disassembled and subsequently reconstructed in an effort to preserve their architectural integrity. The Acropolis exhibition, featuring the photography of Socratis Mavrommatis, details these ongoing restorations carried out by the Acropolis Restoration Service since 1975. It was the role of Mavrommatis, chief photographer of the project for more than 25 years, to capture on film the incomparable beauty of the monuments, and, at the same time, the difficulty of working on large pieces of marble of artistic and historical importance. Photographs of the Acropolis have usually been directed at an idealistic rendering and dramatization of the subject, romantically emphasizing the beauty of their abandoned state and damaged condition. The photographs of the restoration work carried out on the monuments, by contrast, show them as they are, as true to reality as possible. The exhibition images, photographically printed in black and white on large panels that also contain descriptive text, are chronologically arranged and depict four key areas of the restoration effort: the rationale for preservation, the preparation for intervention, the main restoration work in process, and images of the monuments themselves. The photographs include large panoramic shots of the buildings, sometimes encased in scaffolding; close-ups of architectural features such as columns, cornices and friezes; documentation of damage by pollution, explosions and other factors; and the disassembly and reconstruction of some of the monuments. Photographs of the Athenian Acropolis: The Restoration Project was produced by the Acropolis Restoration Service of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. The exhibition opened in Athens at the renowned Benaki Museum in 2002, and has traveled to Brussels, Paris, Rome and London. The North American tour is organized by the Thomas J. Walsh Gallery, Fairfield University. The presentation at UMBC is co-organized by Richard Mason, associate professor of Ancient Studies, and the Library Gallery. Public Program On February 14th from 4 to 5 pm, the Gallery will present Katherine A. Schwab, associate professor of art history at Fairfield University, who will speak on The Parthenon East Metopes: Technologies of the 21st Century and New Discoveries. This lecture will be held in the Gallery; admission is free. The Glory of Ruins Concurrently showing with Photographs from the Athenian Acropolis: The Restoration Project is The Glory of Ruins, on display in the nearby Library Rotunda and curated by a group of eight UMBC students taking part in an Ancient Studies/Honors College internship. This exhibition displays nineteenth and twentieth century photographs depicting classical Athens and Attica, all from the Special Collections of the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery. Celebrating Samuel Beckett at 100 The Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery celebrates the centenary of Samuel Beckett, one of the leading writers and dramatists of the twentieth century, with the exhibition Celebrating Samuel Beckett at 100. The Irish-born author, whose stirring texts in French and English were recognized by the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969, is considered by some the best writer of English since Shakespeare and the greatest French playwright since Molière. Curated by Angela Moorjani in association with the Library Gallery, the show will present Beckett’s words and images as filtered through the imaginative work of a number of visual and stage artists. On view will be select photographs, etchings, artists’ books, and rare editions of Beckett’s works. Public Program for Celebrating Samuel Beckett at 100 On Thursday, February 8th, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm, a program will feature three of UMBC’s resident Beckett scholars—Xerxes Mehta, Angela Moorjani and Wendy Salkind—in readings, performances and discussions related to the works on display. The program will be held in the Library Gallery, free admission, with a reception to follow. Gallery Information The Albin O. Kuhn Gallery serves as one of the principal art galleries in the Baltimore region. Objects from the Special Collections Department, as well as art and artifacts from all over the world, are displayed in challenging and informative exhibitions for the University community and the public. Moreover, traveling exhibitions are occasionally presented, and the Gallery sends some exhibits on tour to other institutions nationwide. Admission to the Gallery and its programs is free. Acknowledgements Reflections from the Heart: Photographs by David Seymour is organized by the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery, University of Maryland, Baltimore County in collaboration with The Corcoran Gallery of Art and the George Eastman House. The exhibition is made possible by generous support from Ben Shneiderman. Additional support is provided by the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Baltimore County Commission on Arts & Sciences, the Friends of the Library & Gallery, the Libby Kuhn Endowment, the Judaic Studies Program at UMBC, and Epson USA Inc. The presentation of both exhibitions is supported by an arts program grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support for Photographs from the Athenian Acropolis: The Restoration Project comes from the Friends of the Library & Gallery and the Department of Ancient Studies. Additional support for Celebrating Samuel Beckett at 100 comes from UMBC’s Office of the President, Office of the Provost, the Departments of Modern Languages and Linguistics, Theatre, and English, and the Humanities Forum. The reception is sponsored by the Friends of the Library & Gallery and the Libby Kuhn Endowment. Hours Sunday 1 P.M. – 5 P.M. Monday 12 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Tuesday 12 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Wednesday 12 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Thursday 12 P.M. – 8 P.M. Friday 12 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Saturday 1 P.M. – 5 P.M. Telephone UMBC Artsline (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS General Gallery information: 410-455-2270 Web UMBC Arts & Culture Calendar: http://www.umbc.edu/arts Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery: http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/gallery/ UMBC News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. Directions UMBC is located approximately 10 minutes from downtown Baltimore and 20 minutes from I-495. • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Walker Avenue Garage or Albin O. Kuhn Library. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Walker Avenue Garage or Albin O. Kuhn Library. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Walker Avenue Garage or Albin O. Kuhn Library. • Daytime metered visitor parking is available in the Walker Avenue Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. ### Posted by tmoore December 4, 2006 UMBC Department of Music Presents a New Work by Carlo Alessandro Landini December 12, 2006 UMBC Fine Arts Recital Hall Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu The UMBC Department of Music presents an Honors Recital, including the premiere of a new work by Carlo Alessandro Landini (pictured), performed by Ruckus, the professional contemporary music ensemble in residence at UMBC, on Tuesday, December 12th, at 8:00 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Carlo Alessandro Landini, born in Milan, 1954, was unanimously awarded the Premier Prix of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in 1981. In the same year he received a Fulbright Award, which enabled him to teach at the University of California, San Diego from 1981 to 1983. Since then, he has lived in Italy and now holds the teaching chair in composition at the G. Nicolini Conservatory in Piacenza. He has won numerous competitions (Ennio Porrino, Valentino Bucchi, Città di Mestre, Franco Margola), and is the only composer ever awarded twice (2002 and 2004) the prestigious K. Serocki Prize in Warsaw, Poland. He is also a regular guest composer at the Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt. His new work, Coming to Life. Generation, Transition, Interlocking of Phases, was commissioned by Ruckus to commemmorate UMBC's 40th Anniversary. The composer has described the work in the following terms: In thermodynamics, phase transition (also called phase change) is the transformation of a thermodynamic system from one phase to another. The distinguishing characteristic of a phase transition is an abrupt sudden change in one or more physical properties, in particular the heat capacity, with a small change in a thermodynamic variable such as the temperature. Under the Ehrenfest classification, phase transitions are labeled by the lowest derivative of the free energy that is discontinuous at the transition. First-order phase transitions – such as in Landini’s piece – exhibit a discontinuity in the first derivative of the free energy with a thermodynamic variable. The various transitions to be found in Coming to Life are classified as first-order transitions because they involve a discontinuous change in density (which is the first derivative of the free energy with respect to a chemical or physical potential). The first-order phase transitions are those that involve a latent heat (the repression of drives, not unlike that imagined by Freud, involves the idea of a typical “latency of emotions” as the self-containment and transformation of whatever aesthetic form into very few number of basic, even trivial elements and gestures). During such a transition, a system either absorbs or releases a fixed (and typically large) amount of energy. Because energy cannot be instantaneously transferred between the system and its environment, first-order transitions are associated with “mixed-phase regimes” in which some parts of the system have completed the transition and others have not. This phenomenon is familiar to anyone who has boiled a pot of water: the water does not instantly turn into gas, but forms a turbulent mixture of water and water vapor bubbles. In Wagner’s operas and Mahler’s symphonies the transition may require a considerable, never experienced before, amount of time. Mixed-phase systems are difficult to study, because their dynamics are violent and hard to control. However, they can be emulated by the artist. The presence of symmetry-breaking (or non-breaking) is important to the behavior of phase transitions as it is to the behavior of an artwork. It was pointed out by Landau that, given any state of a system, one may unequivocally say whether or not it possesses a given symmetry. Therefore, it cannot be possible to analytically deform a state in one phase into a phase possessing a different symmetry. Landau’s law receives its poignant application in Landini’s Coming to Life, whereas it is impossible for the solid-liquid phase boundary to end in a critical point like the liquid-gas boundary. Typically, like in the realm of physical world, also in Landini’s piece the more symmetrical phase is on the high-temperature side (the “passionate” side of growing layers of sound and increasing dynamics) of a phase transition, and the less symmetrical phase on the low-temperature side (where the form dramatically falls into the realm of entropy and of disintegration). Admission Admission is free. Telephone Public information: (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Media inquiries only: 410-455-3370 Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts Online News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news Directions • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Administration Drive Garage. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Administration Drive Garage. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Administration Drive Garage. • Visitor parking is available in the Administration Drive Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. ### Posted by tmoore November 15, 2006 UMBC Department of Theatre Presents "The Faulkner Project: As I Lay Dying," Directed by Robert Allen November 29 - December 9, 2006 UMBC Theatre Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. The UMBC Department of Theatre presents The Faulkner Project: As I Lay Dying, directed by Robert Allen at the UMBC Theatre from November 29 through December 9. What makes William Faulkner one of the truly visionary American writers of the 20th century? The Department of Theatre at UMBC takes on the world of Faulkner, focusing on his groundbreaking novel As I Lay Dying. More than a straightforward adaptation, The Faulkner Project seeks to unleash the haunted power of his provocative world and compelling characters. The novel As I Lay Dying follows the adventures of the Bundren family as they embark on an extraordinary quest to bury their mother Addie in the town of her birth—her dying wish. This effort subjects the clan to nothing less than fire and flood, as well as tragedy and comedy on a scale comparable to James Joyce’s Ulysses. Written as a series of inner monologues from the perspectives of the different personalities, Faulkner’s text unfolds a macabre story that offers a profound revelation of the human soul. An epic journey lightly disguised as a funeral procession, the work explores the secret nature of character, hope, love, and the struggle of the artist. Directed and conceived by Robert Allen, The Faulkner Project: As I Lay Dying was adapted by Justine Moore and features set design by Tamas Szalczer, costume and makeup design by Melanie Lester, light design by Terry Cobb, sound design by UMBC student Brian Rudell vocal and dialect coaching by Christopher Marino and dramaturgy by UMBC graduate Gedalya Chinn. UMBC Associate Professor Emeritus Larry Lasher provided expertise as a Faulkner scholar. Performances Wednesday, November 29, 8 pm (preview) Thursday, November 30, 8 pm (opening night) Friday, December 1, 8 pm Saturday, December 2, 8 pm Sunday, December 3, 4 pm Thursday, December 7, 4 pm (free for the UMBC campus community) Friday, December 8, 8 pm Saturday, December 9, 8 pm Admission $10 general admission; $5 students and seniors; $3 for the preview. The performance on Thursday, December 7th is free for the UMBC campus community. Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or by calling MissionTix at 410-752-8950. Telephone Public information: (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Tickets: 410-752-8950 Media inquiries only: 410-455-3370 Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts Tickets: http://www.missiontix.com/ Online News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news Directions • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Theatre. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre. • Visitor parking is available in the Commons Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. ### Posted by tmoore November 1, 2006 Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture Exhibition on MPT 11/1 The Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture's "Raymond Loewy:Designs for a Consumer Culture" exhibition will be featured on MPT's "ArtWorks This Week" on Wednesday, November 1. Professor David Yager, the Center's executive director, gives a tour of the exhibit and a look into the mind of industrial designer Raymond Loewy. For more information, visit www.mpt.org/artworks/thisweek. For more information on the exhibition and upcoming arts events at UMBC, visit www.umbc.edu/arts. Posted by elewis September 27, 2006 UMBC Department of Visual Arts Presents Fall 2006 Visiting Artists James Duesing, Animation, October 11 SKIF++, Music & Videography, October 16 Billie Grace Lynn, October 26 Hasan Elahi, Video & Internet Art, November 9 Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. The UMBC Department of Visual Arts presents its Fall 2006 series of Visiting Artist Lectures, featuring James Duesing, SKIF++, Billie Grace Lynn and Hasan Elahi. James Duesing Animation October 11, 7 pm, Lecture Hall VII (ITE Building) James Duesing is a computer animator and video artist. His work has been exhibited throughout the world in venues as diverse as the Sundance Film Festival, PBS, SIGGRAPH, the Berlin Video Festival, MTV, the Shanghai Animation Festival, Film Forum, the Seoul Animation Center and some of the finest rec rooms in the USA. His work is held in collections at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Goethe Memorial Museum, Tokyo; the UCLA Film Archive, Los Angeles; and The Israel Museum. His work has received much recognition, including grants from Creative Capital, the National Endowment for the Arts, an American Film Institute Fellowship, an Emmy Award, the Deutscher Videokunstpreis, and a CINE Golden Eagle. He has been Co-Director of the STUDIO of Creative Inquiry, a center for interdisciplinary collaboration in art and science projects. He currently is a professor in electronic and time based art at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Art. SKIF++ Music & Videography October 16, 12 noon, Fine Arts Studio A Jeff Carey (laptop SuperCollider) and Robert van Heumen (laptop LiSa) are the electronic backbone of the electroacoustic sextet OfficeR that brings structured improvisation in a very unique way. As SKIF they work with similar structures, ranging from sonic bursts to melodic melancholy, using joysticks and selfmade controllers to keep it all in line (most of the time). SKIF++ is the collaboration of SKIF and Bas van Koolwijk's (laptop Max/MSP/Jitter) processing of the SKIF-sound into video and back again to audio. Playing music in many contexts, as a computer musician, electro-acoustic composer and improviser, Jeff Carey's music ranges many aspects of computer music from non real-time acousmatic composition, electro-acoustic composition, to improvisation and performs in a number of units such as Office-R(6), USA/USB, the acclaimed feedback project 87 Central, and N-Collective related projects. Electronic musician Robert van Heumen is using STEIM's live sampling software LiSa with all kinds of controllers (some have called them sexy). He is active as a member of the electro-acoustic sextet OfficeR, part of the N Collective, and has shared the stage with Michel Waisvisz, Jeff Carey, Oguz Buyukberber, Anne LaBerge, Guy Harries, Daniel Schorno, Roddy Schrock and Nate Wooley. His soundworld is a mixture of environmental sounds, toys, voices, sounds from kitchen appliances, half of the time smashed beyond repair. He is the SampleMan of SKIF++. The video of Bas van Koolwijk can be seen as an aggressive attack on the illusion of video itself. Through a rigorous and formalistic approach, Van Koolwijk exposes the face of the machine which lives behind the often-placating veil of the televised image. Billie Grace Lynn Sculpture & Performance Art October 26, 7 pm, Fine Arts 215 Billie Grace Lynn is a sculptor whose work has been exhibited in group shows at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, SPACES Gallery in Cleveland, the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Atlanta, Georgia. She has had recent solo and two-person exhibitions at the Lowe Art Museum in Coral Gables, Florida, the Rochester Contemporary in Rochester, New York, and Deluxe Arts in Miami, Florida. Her work is represented in several private and corporate collections, including those of the Rene and Veronica DiRosa Foundation, the Gap/Banana Republic, and the UC San Francisco Health Care Center. She has received awards and grants from the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Art Matters, the NEA Artist Project Grant Program, and recently received a Florida Visual Artist Fellowship. Lynn teaches at the University of Miami. Originally from Alexandria, Louisiana, she studied at the Newcomb College of Tulane University (BA, Philosophy and Religious Studies) and the San Francisco Art Institute (MFA, Sculpture). Hasan Elahi Video & Internet Art November 9, 7 pm, Fine Arts 215 Hasan M. Elahi is an interdisciplinary artist with an emphasis on technology and media and their social implications. His research interests include issues of surveillance, simulated time, transport systems, and borders and frontiers. He has had numerous exhibitions nationally and internationally in venues such as PS122 and Exit Art in New York; the Kulturbahnhof in Kassel, Germany; the BBC Big Screen in Manchester, UK; and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has also lectured at the American Association of Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University and the Tate Modern Gallery in London. His work has been supported with significant grants and numerous sponsorships from the Ford Foundation/Philip Morris, Creative Capital Foundation, DuPont Industries, the West Virginia Cultural Center and the Asociación Artetik Berrikuntzara in Donostia-San Sebastián in the Basque Country/Spain among others. Currently, he is an assistant professor at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Admission All events are free and open to the public. Telephone Public information: (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Media inquiries only: 410-455-3370 Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts Online News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news Directions • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to Visitor Parking. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to Visitor Parking. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to Visitor Parking. • Visitor parking is available in the Administration Drive Garage and the Commons Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. Posted by tmoore UMBC Department of Theatre presents Problem Child by George F. Walker, directed by Colette Searls October 17-22, 2006 UMBC Theatre Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. The UMBC Department of Theatre presents Problem Child by George F. Walker, directed by Colette Searls at the UMBC Theatre from October 17 to 22. Denise and R.J. want their baby back. Holed up in a cheap motel, they impatiently await a social worker's verdict while fending off the antics of a drunken innkeeper. With a wink to Jerry Springer, this strangely twisted comedy exposes the human desperation behind class prejudice and questions the reach of social control. George F. Walker is one of Canada's most prolific playwrights, and also one of the most widely produced Canadian dramatists both in Canada and internationally. His screen credits include Due South, The Newsroom and This is Wonderland. In 1997, he published a cycle of six new plays, including Problem Child, all of which take place in the same suburban motel room. The production features set design by Daniel Ettinger, costume design by Celestine Ranney-Howes, light and sound design by Terry Cobb and movement coaching by Wendy Salkind. Performances Tuesday, October 17, 8 pm (preview) Wednesday, October 18, 8 pm (opening night) Thursday, October 19, 4 pm (free for the UMBC campus community) Friday, October 20, 5 pm (special performance for UMBC alumni) Saturday, October 21, 8 pm Sunday, October 22, 4 pm Admission $10 general admission; $5 students and seniors; $3 for the preview. The performance on Thursday, October 19th is free for the UMBC campus community. Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or by calling MissionTix at 410-752-8950. Telephone Public information: (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Tickets: 410-752-8950 Media inquiries only: 410-455-3370 Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts Tickets: http://www.missiontix.com/ Online News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news Directions • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Theatre. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre. • Visitor parking is available in the Commons Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked. Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. ### Posted by tmoore September 20, 2006 Center for Art and Visual Culture presents Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture September 21 – November 25, 2006 Contact: Thomas Moore Director of Arts & Culture 410-455-3370 tmoore@umbc.edu Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file. UMBC’s Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC) presents Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture, opening on Thursday, September 21st and continuing through November 25th. The exhibition surveys the creativity of Raymond Loewy, arguably the most prominent industrial designer of the twentieth century. Loewy (1893–1986) became involved in the emerging world of industrial design in the 1920s after a successful career in commercial illustration. His modern designs soon became ubiquitous in western culture, streamlining and modernizing silverware and fountain pens, supermarkets, department stores, lipsticks and locomotives. Loewy and his teams designed the color scheme and logo for Air Force One, the John F. Kennedy memorial stamp, the Greyhound Scenicruiser, the Avanti car and the interiors for NASA’s Skylab. He designed the well-known icons of Exxon, BP and Lucky Strike cigarettes. Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture showcases his work, placing it in the wider context of the shaping of a modern look for consumer culture. The exhibition brings his work to life through an array of original drawings, models, products, advertisements, photographs, and rare film footage of Loewy at work. The presentation draws heavily on Loewy’s personal archives, a treasure collection of images and information not previously available to researchers or the public. The exhibition is organized by the Hagley Museum and Library of Wilmington, Delaware, and toured by ExhibitsUSA. The exhibition is curated by Hagley Museum staff, including Glenn Porter, Director Emeritus, Lynn Catanese, Head of Manuscripts and Archives, and Jim Hinz, former Library Conservator. Events On Thursday, September 21st from 5 to 7 pm, the CAVC will host an opening reception for Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture. On Monday, October 16th at 6 pm, the CAVC will present a panel discussion, Designs for a Consumer Culture, moderated by Steve Ziger of Ziger/Snead, and featuring Antonio Alcala, creative director at Studio A; Abbott Miller of Pentagram; Tom Strong of Strong/Cohen Associates; and Tucker Viemeister of Studio Red at Rockwell Group. Admission to the panel discussion is free. University of Baltimore, Student Center, Multipurpose Room, 5th Floor. (21 West Mount Royal Avenue at the southeast corner of Maryland and Mount Royal Avenues. On street parking is available in addition to lot parking at 1401 N. Charles Street.) On Saturday, November 18th, 2006, from 10 am to 12 pm at UMBC’s Commons, six to ten area high schools will participate in a High School Design Fair Competition in which students will re-design everyday objects selected by their instructors. Each high school class will visit the Raymond Loewy exhibition to discuss Loewy's strategies and standards for design before beginning their individual projects. Students will be asked to keep in mind Loewy's design goals of simplicity, ease of maintenance and repair, grace and beauty, convenience of use, economy, durability, and expression of the function in form. Three judges will select first, second, and third place prizes as well as the best overall school. Judges include: Megan Hoolahan, Mens Designer, UnderArmor; David Yager, Executive Director, CAVC, and Director of the Center for Convergent Design; and a faculty member from UMBC’s Department of Visual Arts. About the Center for Art and Visual Culture The Center for Art and Visual Culture is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of contemporary art and visual culture, critical theory, art and cultural history, and the relationship between society and the arts. The CAVC serves as a forum for students, faculty, and the general public for the discussion of important aesthetic and social issues of the day. Disciplines represented include painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, digital art, video, film, television, design, architecture, advertising, and installation and performance art. Since 1989, the CAVC has incorporated a number of public programs into its exhibition programming schedule to further impact the communities it serves. Symposia, lecture series, conferences, film series, visiting artist series, and residencies have all been fundamental in an effort to create an ongoing dialogue about contemporary art and culture. The Center has also initiated a number of projects with Baltimore and surrounding schools systems to integrate the contemporary artist and their concerns into the classroom. These projects take place on-site at both middle schools and high schools and are team taught by the instructors at these schools, professional artists, and students from the CAVC’s Internship Program. The Center produces one to two exhibition catalogues each year. Each document is fully illustrated and contains critical essays on the given subject by a variety of distinguished professionals in the field. Recent publications include Postmodernism: A Virtual Discussion and Paul Rand: Modernist Design. These books and catalogues are published and are distributed internationally through Distributed Art Publishers. Since 1992, the Center for Art and Visual Culture has actively pursued the organization of exhibitions that contain the aesthetic, theoretical, and educational potential to reach both a national and international audience. Over the years, the CAVC has traveled these exhibition projects to a broad spectrum of museums, professional non-profit galleries, and universities national and internationally. Recent traveling exhibitions include: • White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art (2003) • Fred Wilson: Objects and Installations (2001) • Adrian Piper: A Retrospective (1999) • Bruno Monguzzi: A Designer’s Perspective (1998) • Minimal Politics (1997) • Kate Millet, Sculpture: The First 38 Years (1997) Beyond the scope of these traveling exhibitions, the Center for Art and Visual Culture also undertakes an exhibition schedule that includes a Faculty Biennial, and projects such as the Joseph Beuys Tree Partnership. As part of the educational mission of the CAVC, one graduate thesis exhibition and one undergraduate senior exhibition are scheduled on a yearly basis. This multi-faceted focus for presenting exhibitions, projects and scholarly research publications focused on contemporary art and cultural issues positions the Center for Art and Visual Culture in a unique position within the mid-Atlantic region. Acknowledgements Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture is made possible by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The exhibition is organized by ExhibitsUSA, the purpose of which is to create access to an array of arts and humanities exhibitions, nurture the development and understanding of diverse art forms and cultures, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities. ExhibitsUSA is generously supported by the Adair Margo Gallery Inc.; Altria Group Inc.; James H. Clement, Jr.; ConocoPhillips; the Cooper Foundation; Douglas County Bank/Ross and Marianna Beach; DST Systems Inc.; Edward Jones; the William Randolph Hearst Foundation; the Helen Jones Foundation; the William T. Kemper Foundation, Commerce Bank, trustee; the Richard P. Kimmel and Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation Inc.; Land O' Lakes Inc.; Mrs. Tom Lea; the National Endowment for the Arts; the National Endowment for the Humanities; SBC Missouri; the Society of North American Goldsmiths; Sonic, America’s Drive-In; Sterling Vineyards; the Summerlee Foundation; the Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust; Valmont Industries; the Woods Charitable Fund; and the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. ExhibitsUSA is a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. Hours and Admission Sunday and Monday: Closed Tuesday through Saturday: 10 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Admission is free. Telephone UMBC Artsline (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS Center for Art and Visual Culture: 410-455-3188 Web UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts Center for Art and Visual Culture: http://www.umbc.edu/cavc Images for Media High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail. Directions UMBC is located approximately 10 minutes from downtown Baltimore and 20 minutes from I-495. • From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building. • From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Fine Arts Building. • From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building. • Daytime metered visitor parking is available in the Administration Drive Garage. • Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/ ### Posted by tmoore August 31, 2006 UMBC Department of Music Presents Fall 2006 Concert Series The UMBC