VITAL
Mardi Gras Roller Derby
As you’ll note we’ve got a place holder where the column head used to be. This is because after receiving a “cease and desist” notice on our column title, this column and Vital Source entered the exciting world of COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT. But we’re not pissy. In fact we are giving you a chance to vote for a new name for the column. Stay tuned for more details! Now back to the derby! DAREDEVILS OUT-STUNT NINJAS! Shevil Knevils, 70, win over Crazy 8’s, 49 It was a night of triumph for the underdog team of the Shevil Knevils as they won their first match this season, winning over the Crazy 8’s 70-49 Jammers Irrational Velvet, the Eviscerator, Femaldehyde, Trash Talkin’ Tina and Moby Nipps were in fine form on the track. Blockers like Terror Lapinski, Nasty Canasta, and many others made it difficult for the 8’s jammers to break through. The 8’s found a lot of their players sitting in the penalty box and had trouble sustaining momentum. I talked with jammer Irrational Velvet about the victory. “I’m thrilled about the Shevils beating the reining season champs for a second season. I have to say, the 8s are a blast to play against. When jamming, I did what I could to nickel and dime the score board. Lots of small victories jam by jam really added up for us,” Velvet said, then added about her team. “Each Shevil gave all of herself for every second of the bout to chisel away at victory. All in all, we really harnessed our aggression and played a smart, cohesive bout.” PINKOS PUMMEL PINKIES with POINTS! Rushin Rollettes, 89 win over Maiden Milwaukee, 52 The Rushin Rollettes continued their reign of terror as they defeated Maiden Milwaukee 89-52. They once again unleashed their assault of jammers including Hacksaw, Jackie O’Nihilate, Rhoda Ruin, Fly Girl, Reina Pain, and High D. Voltage. The Maidens had an impressive jammer ensemble this evening as well with the always reliable Rejected Seoul, Super Hera, Grace Killy, Damaged Goods, and the mysterious Sea Hag kicking out the jams. However, the Rollettes gained an early lead and the Maidens never recovered. I checked in with Rollette Roadie Foster to talk about the win. “I am so proud of the Rollettes! I feel that we played together as a team for the first time this season and I think the championships are now in our grasp. Rhoda Ruin stepped it up and proved she is indeed a fantastic jammer. She was amazing!” Foster said, then continued to cite Rollette performances. “I also thought fellow Captain Jackie O’Nihilate, newbie Sevo and second year Rollette Melba Toastya had fantastic games. We came in ready to win and that’s just what we did.” Foster also talked about her favorite part of the game. “My favorite moves are always hitting jammers out of bounds and slowing up so that they have to wait to come back in. It makes them so angry! And I love laying a […]
Mar 1st, 2009 by Tea Krulos
Stupor Bowl
As I begin to write this, my inaugural blog as Vital Source’s Heartless Bastard, it is less than 24 hours after the latest Super Bowl, in which a bunch of physically overdeveloped, mentally underdeveloped men representing Pittsburgh narrowly defeated a bunch of physically overdeveloped, mentally underdeveloped men representing Arizona. That’s about as much as I can tell you about the game itself, the 43rd (or, in NFL parlance, the XLIIIrd) in an annual series of Sunday time-wasters. Clearly, the idea of this tedious, grunting spectacle as an Important Event came into the head of an advertising executive who wondered, “Is there some way we can sell more tasteless beer to people who are already drinking it?” Our media—as ever, focusing on important issues—have given the television commercials a lot of coverage, ensuring not only that Budweiser can get some free advertising on top of its expensive advertising, but also that viewers can enjoy these clever/funny/pointless ads without sitting through endless replays of large, dim men running into each other in flagrant suppression of homoerotic urges. At least there was the halftime show. After the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction of several years past—up until that fateful moment, no one was really sure Ms. Jackson had breasts, or so I would’ve thought from the “shocked, shocked” response—the Super Bowl organizers have taken great care not to inflame the FCC. Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, Prince: sure, they all have nipples, but not attractive ones. This year, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band put on a pretty fine, if standard, show. Springsteen himself was in predictably good form—perhaps even better than usual, as he knew he had to run around for less than 15 minutes—and the only potential for trouble came when the Boss slid on his knees until his pelvis bumped into a camera. Fortunately, his pants withstood the impact with nary a popped button: surely a tribute to the strength of American-made trousers. Springsteen could be said to be one of the few people at the Super Bowl who attempted to earn his fee (by various estimates, two to nine million dollars), although his upbeat attitude didn’t quite match the rather less upbeat mood of the United States. A football game might not be the place to break out downtrodden anthems like “Atlantic City” or his recent title track for the movie The Wrestler, but the 90 million people watching from their decreasingly valuable homes might have appreciated a note of the blue-collar sincerity Springsteen is supposed to represent. But this was The Boss, and these days that’s not a nickname likely to arouse positive passion in the hearts of the downsized, the laid off, or the evicted. I was reminded of shows I’ve attended at which I found myself disconnected from the crowd, asking basic questions of relevance: Why guitars? Why drums? Why microphones? Why music? I felt something similar watching Springsteen at the Super Bowl, although of course disconnection was easier and less eerie: it was a […]
Feb 28th, 2009 by Jon Gilbertson
The Bay View Arts Guild wants your art!
The Bay View Arts Guild is looking for creators of fine art and crafts to exhibit and sell their work at the South Shore Frolics Festival of Art on Sunday, July 12, 2009. The well-received festival is held in scenic South Shore Park in Bay View (Milwaukee) with Lake Michigan as a backdrop. There is room for 70 exhibitors. 12’x12′ sites are available for $75, with an additional jurying fee of $5. Deadline for the first jurying is March 31, 2009. An application is available at www.bayviewarts.org/events, by calling 414- 482-1543, or by writing to BVAG, P.O. Box 070137, Milwaukee, WI 53207. This is the Arts Guild’s fifth year of collaboration with the Bay View Lions Club, and the 60th annual South Shore Frolics. Information about the rest of the three-day event can be obtained by contacting the Bay View Lions at 414-769-0855.
Jan 29th, 2009 by Vital Archives
Dragonfly Vintage Goods launches new Etsy site
In the dead of Winter, Dragonfly realizes that no one wants to leave their nice warm houses (and understandably so)so they’ve decided to try and bring Dragonfly to you with a new Etsy site! If you’re local and looking for something bigger; furniture-type things, you won’t find them there but you will see some of the Dragonfly collection on Milwaukee Craigslist. Just go to milwaukee.craigslist.org/ and search for East Side/Brady St. and you’ll see what Dragonfly has listed. Post holiday sales are going on for another week or so: vintage clothing 25% off, 20% off new books, 50% off 2009 calendars and all furniture is 10% off. Mention this email and get an additional 10% off your purchase. If you DO feel like getting out of the house, please remember to patronize your favorite local businesses so they’ll all still be here in the springtime! (No, seriously)
Jan 29th, 2009 by Vital Archives
VITAL Source makes NY Times, thanks to MJS
Sheesh. Say what you want about the declining importance of our nation’s foremost daily newspapers, but I bet if you made the New York Times you’d tell all your neighbors. I know I would… and so I am. This morning we were all in the office, just settling into our coffee and email, when the phone rang. It was a VITAL reader who saw in today’s Times that VITAL had gone out of business. The reader had called to express his condolences but was delighted to hear that the story was untrue. We all work in one giant open office, so there’s no such thing as privacy. Ryan had taken the call, and from one side the conversation had sounded unremarkable. But as soon as she hung up, she yelled “What the _____!” and ran to a computer where she looked up the article in question. We all gathered round and read in horror. Here it is: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/business/media/26gamer.html The thrust of the story is about how the owner of one magazine, Hardcore Gamer, faced with shutting the book down, put it up for sale on eBay and successfully sold it. The lead paragraph mentions Vital Source as being among over a dozen magazines to fold in January 2009 alone. Even though it’s just a passing mention, it’s still the New York Times and I felt the need (once again) to clarify our position. Through the website, I emailed Stephanie Clifford, the author: I read with interest this morning your story about Hardcore Gamer and its quest to stay in business by selling to the highest eBay bidder. I do urgently need to clarify, however, one item. As the editor in chief and co-publisher of Vital Source, which you mentioned in your opening paragraph, I feel compelled to let you know that we are not folding, but simply ceasing to print. We currently enjoy a very healthy web audience and will be launching a much-expanded portal in early March. This portal … will serve the hyper-local constituency of the Milwaukee-area population, and allow us to better meet the information, entertainment and news needs of our audience. Of particular note is the fact that we have not lost one single print advertiser to the change; ALL of them signed up with us online. Thanks in advance for any consideration in clarifying this. I’m sure you know that many people will read your article and simply take it at face value if no addendum is offered. I can be reached at 414-XXX-XXXX if you’re interested in speaking further about how one magazine is evolving rapidly to meet the changing demands of the marketplace. Best Regards, Jon Anne Willow To my surprise (just because you never know if people read their site-submitted messages), I received a prompt and courteous response with the assurance that a correction (which she had me verify) would be printed in the paper with an addendum added to the online story. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who contacted her. […]
Jan 29th, 2009 by Jon Anne Willow
Theatre Gigante releases new dates for production of The Beggar’s Opera
Theatre Gigante (formerly Milwaukee Dance Theatre) will present a production of The Beggar’s Opera March 12-14 at the Off-Broadway Theater, 342 N. Water Street. The Beggar’s Opera is written by Theatre Gigante’s artistic directors Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson and is based on the classic social satire originally written by John Gay in 1728. Please note the following performance dates and times: Thursday, March 12 at 8 PM (also the opening night reception) Friday, March 13 at 8 PM Saturday, March 14 at 8 PM Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 seniors and $10 students with ID. For tickets, please call the Off-Broadway Theater Box Office (414) 278-0765.
Jan 28th, 2009 by Vital Archives
Thanks to our Fearless Leaders
Not much time to write at the moment, but I wanted to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who attended our Fearless Leaders Awards last Thursday evening. There was so much warmth in the room, and our leaders told some incredible personal stories that brought laughter, tears and smiles to the faces of all within earshot. It wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors and network of support, so thanks to all of you as well from the bottom of our hearts. Soon we’ll be putting up a photo album from the evening and we are looking at some video footage we’d like to edit together. Stay tuned for information on the 2010 awards. That starts in the fall and promises to be bigger and better every year going forward. Peace, Jon Anne
Jan 26th, 2009 by Jon Anne Willow
Milwauke Art Museum announces new Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions
Milwaukee, WI, January 26, 2009 — The Milwaukee Art Museum has appointed Brady Roberts as Chief Curator, announced Museum Director Daniel Keegan today. Roberts will assume his position on March 2, 2009. Roberts, who succeeds Joseph Ketner, most recently was the curator of a contemporary art space in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that represents artists from around the world. From 2001 to 2006, he served as curator of modern and contemporary art at the Phoenix Museum of Art. Before moving west, Roberts was the executive director of the Dubuque Museum of Art from 1997 to 1999, and the curator of collections and exhibitions of the Davenport Museum of Art (now the Figge Art Museum) from 1989 to 1997. “Brady Roberts is a widely respected curator who is known for his scholarly record and for the ambitious nature of the projects he initiates,” said Keegan. “He is committed to framing important art-historical questions with topical relevance, developing a strong interpretive point of view, and fostering new discoveries for new audiences and visitors.” As Chief Curator, Roberts will oversee the Museum’s collections and exhibitions — including the research, cataloguing, care, display and interpretation of the artworks, as well as the acquisition of significant new works — while leading the curatorial staff of 25 departmental professionals. In 1989 Roberts earned his Master of Arts in art history from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and completed his thesis, titled Willem de Kooning’s Existential Aesthetics. He received his Bachelor of Arts in art history from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has curated a number of touring exhibitions with major scholarly catalogues, including Constructing New Berlin in 2006 and Grant Wood: An American Master Revealed in 1996. Laurie Winters, curator of earlier European art and coordinating curator of the upcoming exhibition Jan Lievens, has been promoted to Director of Exhibitions, a new position at the Museum effective March 2. Winters, who specializes in earlier French and Central European painting, joined the Museum in 1997. In 2007, Winters was one of ten U.S. curators selected to participate in the inaugural year of the Center for Curatorial Leadership, a program at the Columbia Business School in New York that prepares top curators for positions in museum leadership. Winters has organized—often with international colleagues—a number of exhibitions that have ranked among the best-attended shows in the Museum’s history. In 2000-2001, in conjunction with the opening of the Museum’s new addition, she was responsible for the expansion and renovation of the European galleries. In 2002, Leonardo da Vinci and the Splendor of Poland was named one of the top five exhibitions of the year by Apollo magazine, and earned Winters Poland’s Cavalier’s Cross of the Order of Merit. Biedermeier: The Invention of Simplicity, which concluded its international tour to the Albertina in Vienna, the Deutsches Historisches Museum-Berlin, and the Musée du Louvre in Paris in January of 2008, has been recognized as a model of international collaboration. Additionally, the Biedermeier catalogue was named Book of the Year (2007) at the […]
Jan 26th, 2009 by Vital Archives
I love today.
(Getty) We just inaugurated a young, smart, black, basketball-playing president and said goodbye to George W. Bush. Expectations aside, overblown or otherwise, something feels cosmically righted today. I was too young to vote during the 2000 elections, but I spent a lot of energy protesting the Bush campaign, and when he was reelected in 2004, the mood on our small liberal arts campus was dejected, and angry. It was drizzling, cloudy and cold. I watched a normally level-headed and considered professor throw a student out of our discussion group in a fit of frustration. Today we had a humble potluck at the office, with veggie tacos and pasta salad and some cheap champagne leftover from one of our gallery nights. There were just a few of us, but the mood was gleeful, and together we watched the what may have been the most joyful civic moment of my life. For almost a decade, it’s been hard to feel stirred or called to action by moments of national togetherness given the heavy, dampening hand of the Bush administration and every form of war they waged. Even the fortifying unity of protest and dissent became exhausting over time; if neither the UN nor the biggest anti-war protests of all time couldn’t stop the President, there was a feeling that nothing could — not even, perhaps, the 2008 election. But this morning we all hugged each other as we watched W.’s helicopter disappear on the horizon, roused and comforted and ready to move on. Barack may be inheriting the country’s most dire climate ever, but I don’t think that our grand expectations will cripple him, nor do I expect that it will take a miracle for him to succeed. In fact, his primary strength as president may be the incredible ability he has had so far to inspire a massive shift in public attitude, erase a thick layer of chalky cynicism in one sweep and rally the world’s adoration. We all got misty this morning as we watched — and felt — the turf of history shift underneath us. For most of my adult life I’ve felt that we lived in a world too treacherous to bring new people into, but I have never wanted kids so badly as I wanted kids today. The call to take the momentum of the last 12 months and use it to take responsibility for our future and the future of our country and the world resonates: In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city […]
Jan 20th, 2009 by Amy Elliott
Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops Writes Final Chapter in Proud History
MILWAUKEE – After 82 years of bringing Milwaukeeans the most current novels, the world’s literature, nonfiction bestsellers and thousands of well-known authors, the four Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops will be shuttered after March 31. The landmark company has been a family-owned and operated business since its founding in 1927, two years before the onset of the Great Depression. Although the business not only survived that economic downturn but went on to thrive by adapting to countless changes in readers’ styles and tastes, it could not weather the current economic turmoil nor the dramatic changes in how people shop in the new century, according to the company’s president, Carol Grossmeyer. Grossmeyer took over managing the business in 2007, three years after the death of her husband, A. David Schwartz, son of founder Harry W. and his wife, Reva Previant Schwartz. After growing up in the family business, David formally joined the company in 1963 and assumed ownership in 1972. “The successful business model of multiple bookshop locations that saw tremendous growth in the ’80s and ’90s was no longer effective in the 21st century,” Grossmeyer said. “Profound shifts in how people shop and equally great changes in the book industry left many well-established bookshops with dwindling sales. David successfully led us into the new century fighting for our ground. But the winds of change were gales, and at the time of David’s passing in 2004, we were a wounded business. The most recent economic crisis was, for us, the final blow.” The four Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops are located at 17145 W. Bluemound Rd. in the V. Richards Plaza in Brookfield; 2559 N. Downer Ave. in Milwaukee; 10976 N. Port Washington Rd. in the Pavilions in Mequon; and 4093 N. Oakland Ave. in Shorewood, two blocks north of Capitol Dr. A total of 65 part- and full-time employees work at the four retail locations and at the Schwartz corporate office in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. “We are profoundly saddened by this difficult situation,” Grossmeyer said. “We all take great pride in the belief that the shops brought our customers the very best books the world has to offer. I like to think that the bookshops have played a vital role in the intellectual life of our city by bringing hundreds of authors to read and share ideas, and I hope that we can take some small credit for introducing new writers to our city’s readers.” Rebecca Schwartz, David’s daughter and chairman of the board, added, “The Harry W. Schwartz booksellers have been a vital part of the Schwartz experience. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to have hundreds of smart, passionate and inspiring booksellers who enthusiastically conveyed the dedication to reading that Schwartz represents. We consider many of our long-time employees part of the Schwartz book-selling family.” Following the closing of Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, the Downer Avenue location will re-open as Boswell Book Company in April. The new bookshop will be solely owned and operated by Daniel Goldin. Goldin has been […]
Jan 19th, 2009 by Vital Archives
The video part three – THE AUTO SHOW
The video you’ve all been waiting for: Noah and I clowning around at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. We met journalists from all over the world, mingled with hot models, sat in a lot of cars that are worth more than our lives and test drove a 2010 Ford Fusion. Exhausting! One more video to come!
Jan 16th, 2009 by Amy Elliott
DETROIT: The video part two – the Corned Beef Experience
Noah did a bang-up job capturing the spirit of corned beef on camera. Watch the video here, and ignore my really silly hair: Parts three (the Auto Show) and four (the full-length travelogue) to come!
Jan 15th, 2009 by Amy Elliott
