2008 Nohl Fellowships announced
Bobby Ciraldo and Andrew Swant of Special Entertainment: two of the gazillions of filmmakers who had money thrown at them yesterday. Just kidding! Yesterday, UWM’s Peck School of the Arts announced grantees of the 2008 Mary L. Nohl Fellowships, and to our collective surprise here at VS HQ, fully five of the seven awards went to … filmmakers. In a town increasingly notorious for its thriving film community, it’s tempting to see this as a kind of coup d’etat. The press release follows, and I’m sure we’ll hear lots from VITAL Source bloggers and the wider Milwaukee arts commentary world about the jury’s decisions. Last year there was controversy when it was suggested that not enough women were represented in the show; will the arts community feel this year that the scales have been tipped too unfairly toward artists working in film and new media? And will the gender issue come up this year as well, as once again, only two of the nine selected artists are ladies? Excerpts from the press release, including artist bios, follow. Each established artist receives a grant of $15,000; emerging artists receive $5,000. The 2007 Nohl Awards show is currently on exhibit at Inova/Kenilworth and will be up until January 18, and I highly recommend a visit – the show is fabulous. Congratulations to all y’all! MARY L. NOHL FUND FELLOWSHIPS FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AWARDED Funded by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Mary L. Nohl Fund and administered by the UWM Peck School of the Arts in collaboration with Visual Arts Milwaukee! (VAM!), the Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowships for Individual Artists provide unrestricted funds for artists to create new work or complete work in progress. The program is open to practicing artists residing in the four-county area (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington counties). The Mary L. Nohl Fund also supports a Suitcase Fund for exporting work by local artists beyond the four-county area. The panel of jurors included Valerie J. Mercer, the first curator of African American art and head of the General Motors Center for African American Art at The Detroit Institute of Arts; Laurel Reuter, director and chief curator of the North Dakota Museum of Art; and Eva González-Sancho, director of the Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain – Région Bourgogne (FRAC Bourgogne) in Dijon, France. The panelists were in Milwaukee October 30-November 1 reviewing work samples and artists’ statements and visiting the studios of the six finalists in the Established Artist category. Established Artists BRENT BUDSBERG & SHANA McCAW Shana McCaw and Brent Budsberg have collaborated for the past seven years constructing site-specific sculptural installations and performances. Their recent work focuses on realistic architectural miniatures utilizing narrative and mood to transform a site. Both are also founding members of the WhiteBoxPainters, a performance art group specializing in public projects. McCaw was born in Dubuque, IA and received an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI in 1999. She currently teaches at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and Cardinal […]
Nov 11th, 2008 by Amy Elliott
Blogging For Naught?
Maybe I don’t get it, don’t quite understand blogging and the point of it. The November Atlantic has a fine feature (Why I Blog), which explains the author’s take on blogging. I still don’t get it, even though he calls it “writing out loud,” and seems to think it beats regular writing with editors breathing down his neck. I’m beginning to think that I’m lost in blog land. It’s been around for a decade and the field is pretty crowded. Is there a secret that successful bloggers use to get attention? Nastier writing? Wildly controversial content? Or does one have to be a star? Should I cut back on my blog postings? Should I escalate my postings? Reinvent my persona? I’ve written hundreds of blogwords, and only received two comments: one was from fellow VS blogger Bobrow and the other you can read about in my “The Big Louse” posting in Dem Bones. I never go to blogs other than the VS blogs. Maybe that’s the problem. IS that the problem? Do successful bloggers spread themselves all over the place? Do they advertise in hardcopy publications? Do I even care? I guess I do, or I wouldn’t be blogging on about it. Frankly, the most fun I have with “Dem Bones” is digging up fun images from Wikimedia. Perhaps people are actually reading my blog and are too busy to comment. Or too lazy. Or too blogged-out. Perhaps the blog craze is reaching the bottom of the word-well.
Nov 11th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
New Land Enterprises’ East Side Proposal Faces No Objections
The most notable item on the agenda was New Land Enterprises' proposal for Farwell Avenue and Kenilworth Place.
Nov 11th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Shameless Shirt-Tailing
I’m going to be in Kansas City in December and plan to stroll over to the Kansas City Art Institute to see “Political Persuasion” Street Posters for Barack Obama.” The posters are from the private collection of a professor at the Institute. It’s near the splendid Nelson Gallery of Art (with a splendid new addition described by Paul Goldberger of the New Yorker magazine as the best museum addition of this decade). A few blocks away is the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. MAM’s current executive director, Daniel Keegan, was in charge there prior to his California sojourn. Interior, Steven Holl addition, Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City People imagine K.C. as a big cow town, and yes, at one time it was home to some impressive stockyards, but it’s way more than that these days. The Missouri river rambles through downtown, a downtown gripped in the condo craze, but also the site of the revival of a number of old venues. I’ll be Amtrak-ing there via the Hiawatha to Chicago and then on to the Southwest Chief for a ride across Iowa and south to Missouri. Seven hours and twenty cups of bad coffee and I’ll be in the grand old Union Station, and directly across from Liberty Memorial Hill where 175,000 Obama fans rallied recently. Like all cities, K.C. has some really bad public art and some awful galleries with awful art: schmoozy florals, cowboys on horses, big eyed kittens, etc. The Nelson will certainly be on my list of places to view art worth viewing, and the new addition features contemporary art, plus a Noguchi sculpture garden. The landscaping surrounding the building was designed by Mr. Kiley, who also designed the gardens at MAM, as well as the Chestnut Grove adjacent to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Exterior, Steven Holl addition, Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City
Nov 10th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Six Characters in Search of an Author
By Jenna Raymond What happens to our thoughts and hopes, and our dreams and personas? They live only as intangible wisps until we act on them, give them flesh or write them down. More often they wither and gasp until we forget them. Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello wrote Six Characters in Search of an Author about the figments of our imaginations. Unlike the fancies we all fabricate and dismiss as asinine, Pirandello lets his characters fight for what they believe is rightfully theirs– completeness. Pirandello’s play begins with a company of actors rehearsing a play. They are melodramatic and unenthusiastic about the writing. A knock on the stage door brings the intrusion of six people and halts the mundane rehearsal. At first the company believes this group of people has shown up to either pitch a new play or audition. It quickly becomes clear that the six are in a unique situatiion: they can only and ever play exactly the parts that were envisioned for them. Even though it’s rife with pain, the six need their fate to be played out exactly the way their author intended. Six Characters premiered in 1921. Since then it has often been modified to fit the specific time and place in which it is performed. UWM student Ben Wilson adapted it to contemporary time by using modern phrases and references. Although the play deals with very distressing issues like prostitution, suicide and the death of a young child, Wilson is adept at supplementing Pirandello’s original work. He was able to add humor without mocking the seriousness of the characters. UWM’s Theatre 508 at 1925 E. Kenilworth Pl. is a wonderful place for young actors to work solely on their craft without bothering with massive sets, intricate lighting or sound. The actors cast in Six Characters in Search of an Author were wholly selfless in their portrayal. Almost all were on stage for the entire duration of the play. A few had no lines at all, or just a few lines, but all were completely immersed into the world created by Pirandello and modified by Wilson and director Jim Tasse. Despite limited dialog, they were all completely present on the stage. Director Jim Tasse let his large cast of actors come to the truth of their characters on their own. It is obvious that each actor developed through trial and experimentation. Tasse doesn’t force line readings or limits his actors in any way. His direction is all about the actors. Their exploration of character and language is simple, direct and powerful. A less capable director would force certain elements that may or may not end up cohesive. Tasse is adaptable and allows the story to expand and contract as needed in order to be truthful. Actor Tommy Stevens, playing Father, showed a comprehension and depth of understanding of not only his character but the others as well. His desperate need to get their story out through charm, cajolery and demand was innately human. Callie Eberdt […]
Nov 10th, 2008 by Vital Archives
So many Activities
By A.L. Herzog “…A record can be made anywhere and by anyone,” says Riles Walsh. “I could hit five recording studios with an old mop from my porch.” Best known as the vocals, guitars, and keys at the forefront of grandiose folk act The Candliers, Riles Walsh – who’s maybe cheeky, or maybe just far-out – recently established a DIY label and collective called Activities as a means to sustain his industrious self, friends, and bandmates and their “generally excessive back catalogs.” Naturally, Walsh rejects the classification of both label and collective, preferring to describe Activities as “a group of people making lots of music” without “hard-line rules or preexisting notions of how music is made or how it must be.” Comprised of members of The Candliers, the Trusty Knife, Farms in Trouble and more, Activities boasts a long list of versatile individuals working behind the scenes. Like-minded yet unaffiliated bands such as Elusive Parallelograms, Freight, John the Savage and Pigs on Ice helped officially launch Activities on September 19, 2008 in a two-night showcase at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn. These bands, who don’t “rely on rock music’s traditional expressions,” also contributed to Activities’ Compilation Volume One: Milwaukee (ACT002) (read VITAL’s review here), as did Crappy Dracula and Dear Astronaut, among others. The comp is available for purchase only via mail order. “Wasting time, maybe?” Walsh says when asked to justify relying on the Post Office. “I don’t know. I’m usually too busy watching paint dry.” He sells himself short; he still manages to keep a hand in everything, including the avant-garde Farms in Trouble, who used the kick-off event as platform to release a full-length called The Gas Station Soundtrack (ACT003). The appropriately titled compact disc — 27 tracks inside a collaged cardstock sleeve adorned by Activities’ signature classic typeface — plays like an impulsive pit-stop receipt. There are sound experiments (“Field Sweep”), short/sweet ditties (“Hot Lunch/Cold Lunch”), sunshiny pop (“Like a Needle in Heaven”) and even a stab at hip-hop (“Many Boss Levels”). A follow-up disc, One Word, is under way, but in the meantime, Activities plans to release The Gas Station Soundtrack on the thriving cassette tape medium. “There will always be something for everyone that wants some at Activities. That is our 200% guarantee,” says Walsh. “And if not we will give the people a commemorative Brett Favre 24 gold karat layered MVP coin.” Either he is legitimately confident, or he has quite the tacky collection to unload. “The only thing we can hope for is that people will like the music,” says Walsh. As for all the rest, he instead focuses on why small imprints like Activities are founded in the first place: “a necessity to create without worrying about how.” VS Check out the record release show for the Trusty Knife on December 6 at Mad Planet, and/or see the Candliers play the Cactus Club in Bayview on November 29, 2008. If you like what you hear, you may direct all inquires about sales and […]
Nov 10th, 2008 by Vital Archives
Greater Tuna
By Peggy Sue Dunigan It’s the small rural town of Tuna, Texas circa 1986– where inhabitants find that Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet demonstrates rampant disrespect for parental authority. Taking this trip to Texas, the Rep’s Stackner Cabaret opened the production Greater Tuna this weekend and presented one third of the Tuna Trilogy’s engaging satire written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. Having toured the American play circuit both nationally and on Broadway for over 21 years, the Stackner’s version of Greater Tuna is directed by J.R. Sullivan and features gifted actors Lee E. Ernst and Gerard Nugent (both members of the Resident Acting Company) in over-the-top portrayals of the rural South. The two DJs on OKKK Radio oversee events in Tuna when they actually report the news they haven’t lost. The radio station format helps narrate the action and delineates a thinly disguised plot while this two-man team portrays the over 20 eccentric personalities that drive the production. In one charming portion of the performance, Ernst plays Petey Fisk, a lisping proponent for the Greater Tuna Humane Society, with loving affection. After a quick change, Ernst (dressed in drag) is the 18-year-old Charlene Bumiller reciting her award winning poem “My Tuna.” Nugent shines as Bertha Bumiller, the mother of three of Tuna’s most difficult teenagers (including Charlene) and wife of womanizer Hank. She shakes her booty to howls from the audience. His Reverend Spikes delivers a eulogy in a rhinestone-studded suit with appropriate showmanship, stringing together every cliché representing the best, or worst, of television preachers. Both Ernst and Nugent hit every opening with nary a wardrobe slip throughout the numerous costume changes with kudos to technical stage support. They also manage to imbue each of these multiple characters with dead on credibility. Yet the two-hour running time (with one intermission) extends the visit to this Texan town and perhaps overstays the welcome, as the satire loses some of its bite through the last half hour. While the play claims “the world outside Tuna is bizarre” the Stackner’s Greater Tuna may be the necessary strategy to relieve those stock market blues. This retro rural Texas offers a humorous evening of quick change on the stage spent with the incredibly comical Ernst and Nugent, and provides a perfect bizarre present for the upcoming holiday season. VS The Rep’s Stackner Cabaret presents Greater Tuna through December 28: 414.224.9490 or www.milwaukeerep.com
Nov 10th, 2008 by Peggy Sue Dunigan
Have A Seat
By Peggy Sue Dunigan “Sitting on chairs upholstered with stars,’’ a quote from Milwaukee’s Poet Laureate Susan Firer used in one of the evening’s dance presentations, describes the Danceworks production Have a Seat featured this past weekend. Five numbers choreographed with chairs and overseen by Guest Artistic Director Janet Lilly cohesively define the performance. This included two world premieres incorporating international choreographers Isabelle Kralj from Slovenia and Navtej Johar from India. While the physical reality of sitting in a chair and the art of dancing might appear contradictory, the two blended seamlessly. A variety of benches, loveseats, and colored chairs enhanced the dance narratives, especially in the second selection. Kralj’s “I Still Don’t Know” displayed varying dimensions of a love relationship danced superbly by Slovenian performers Dejan Srhoj and Ursa Vidmar, often depicted by the distance between their two chairs. “To Sit or To Be,” an avant-garde piece with metaphysical meaning that was choreographed and performed by Navtej Johar, contemplated statuesque poses with witty overtones. And Janet Lilly’s “Glacial Milk” offered a humorous peek at dance to great effect, which included her own dialog. Costumes enhanced both selections, in the first Johar’s flowing gauze pants, and in Lilly’s a full skirted red dress that twirled to her dance. The last piece “Immediate Seating” appeared to imagine a child’s game of musical chairs intertwined with somber country themes of broken homes. Primary crayon colored chairs, eyelet dresses with red leggings, and Raggedy Ann dolls added to the world premiere’s tone and style, admirably danced by the company. If you missed Have A Seat this past weekend, their upcoming production The Bra Project will January 23 through February 1. Danceworks provides an innovative and intriguing evening opening the audience to the narrative expression of dance through body movements. They also demonstrate that age becomes irrelevant when viewing or performing their selections, and each evening encourages the audience’s appreciation for the skill of both dancer and choreographer. VS
Nov 10th, 2008 by Peggy Sue Dunigan
The tour’s the thing
By Dan Agacki With gas prices hovering around $4 per gallon, my band, Bored Straight, decided it was high time to throw some money away. None of us had ever toured before, so contacts were sparse. Half of the shows we booked came to us within a week of leaving. No one knew our band, and our record was out as of that week, so no one had even heard it. It was a patchwork, fly by the seat of your pants sort of deal. Perfect. Our first night was a house show on the south side of Chicago. Attendance was sparse and payment was adequate. Our set was strong, opening up the tour on a good note. We stayed with the FNA’s – cool band and even cooler dudes. The next show was in Clarksville, Tennessee. Traversing Illinois in 90+ degree weather was no picnic. Once in Clarksville, we met up with our friend, Nico. He lead us to the smallest basement I’ve ever seen. But in the face of potential disaster, the kids went nuts. We sold records to kids who didn’t own record players. The hippie mom at the house told me her son was having a bad acid trip. Ah, small town America. I love you so much. Going on no sleep and with me behind the wheel, our next destination was Richmond, Virginia. The drive was tedious on its own, but then we hit “The Accident” – a flaming blocking all three eastbound lanes. Three hours and six miles later, we were on our way. Luckily, our guitarist, Eric, likes driving fast. We got to the show just in time to unload and play immediately. Barely anyone watched, which was good because we stunk. We party-hopped after the show and fell asleep in the daylight. Every city was so new, we wanted to take in every last minute we could. We spent our first off-day of the tour in Richmond. It was a lazy day, ending with earlier bed times than normal. The next morning welcomed us with the site of an open parking space where our van had been parked the night before. Apparently the city of Richmond takes street cleaning seriously. After a two hour bus riding fiasco, we got our van out of impound. Starting our drive three hours later than planned, all spare time evaporated. We headed north to Allentown, Pennsylvania. An accident just outside of Richmond slowed us up even more. Upon reaching Allentown, we promptly got very lost. Fortunately, the show turned out to be amazing. It may have been the best show I’ve ever played in my life. Sweat was dripping from my nose by my third strum. Someone threw a folding chair. Kids were running everywhere. That show still brings a smile to my face. With another day off, Brooklyn was next on the list. We met up with an ex-Wisconsinite and headed out to Coney Island. I wasn’t impressed, but the night was more […]
Nov 10th, 2008 by Vital Archives
Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 10. November 2008
Developers see potential for land under the bridge – Small Business Times Transit Authority to consider sales tax hike for trains, buses – Small Business Times Iron Chef plans restaurant for Palomar project – Small Business Times 27th Street reps battle WisDOT ramp ruling MilwaukeeWorld: I-94 N/S OBJECTIONS RAMP UP Work begins on Aloft hotel project – Small Business Times New Land plans east side apartment building – Small Business Times Alderman pushing for light rail – Small Business Times OnMilwaukee.com Marketplace: New Land creating at Kenilworth and Farwell
Nov 10th, 2008 by Dave Reid
UWM Dorm Traffic, Transit & Parking Plan
This was the third of four meetings being held to discuss Mandel Group's proposed UWM resident hall that would be located on the former Hometown gas station site.
Nov 8th, 2008 by Dave Reid
The Big Louse (Pl. lice)
I’m not going to give the louse who commented to my “Big Snooze” blog much space except to say thank heavens for the “Details” section that allowed me to track down the perpetrator. The lousy comments had nothing to do with my blog content (about a day at the Milwaukee Ballet), but instead was a rant about drug use. Eureka, I traced it back to a site that sells booklets on “How to Pass A Drug Test.” Oddly, it came from Sand Point, Idaho, where Sarah Palin grew up. I spent a week in that town, enroute to Seattle, on the trail of a louse-lawyer who screwed me out of quite a bit of money. It was a useless trip as the attorney I consulted in Seattle told me it would cost me greatly to chase the creep and get my $$$$ back Ah yes, Stella was a fool back then, but the trip wasn’t a total bust. I did get to visit the Pacific Rim, and (in Montana) was stopped by a cop who advised me not to be hot footing it across the countryside at night. Those were the days when Montana had no speed limit. In the pursuit of art, I’ve included a decent line-drawing of a louse. Just so you know.
Nov 7th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
