Christi Awards Celebrates Key Arts Supporters

By Guest Blogger, Kimberly Cauley
Kimberly is a member of the CCAC Board of Directors, a freelance writer and communications consultant. She also volunteers her marketing expertise in support of Junior Achievement of Delaware.

Most love the aura of celebration and celebrity that the Grammys, Oscars and Golden Globes exude. If you crave the same “atmosphere” within your own backyard, for a more reasonable ticket price, the 2009 Christi Awards offers it! On October 22 at 6:30 pm, Christina Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) will present its biannual(?) Christi Awards at the baby grand at The Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market Street, in Wilmington.

The event will honor four individuals for their dedication, commitment and love of the Arts in Delaware. This year, the honorees are:

Richard Rothrock, Outstanding Achievement by an Artist
Michael Kalmbach, Outstanding Achievement in Arts Advocacy
Fostina Dixon-Kilgoe, Outstanding Achievement in Arts Education
Jeff Santoro, Outstanding Philanthropy in the Arts

The Honorary Co-Chairs are The Honorable Governor Jack Markell & Mrs. Carla Markell, Mr. William Allen & Dr. Kim Allen, and Mr. & Mrs. Ed. Loper. Co-Hosts for the evening are Lauren Wilson of Channel 6 Action News and Michelle Schiavoni of Christiana Care Health System.

For seventeen years, CCAC’s Christi Awards has simultaneously honored its recipients and raised awareness for the institution. As the four elements – wind, fire, water and earth are necessary for the world to exist, the four elements of the Arts – inspiration, passion, hope and knowledge – are necessary for a community to thrive with the Arts.

A reception with student and faculty performances, light fare and drinks will be held at CCAC, 705 N. Market Street, immediately following the awards program. Tickets are $60 or $50 for 2 or more. Purchase by calling The Grand Box Office at 302.652.5577.

See http://www.ccacde.org/.

New Art Kicks Off New Festival

By Guest Blogger, Chuck Holdeman

Wednesday evening saw the opening, concurrent with the Fringe Wilmington Festival, of the NWAA (New Wilmington Art Association) show at a newly renovated, but still unfinished space at 312 Market Street. Association leader Michael Kalmbach informed me that this is still not the location where the organization hopes to permanently settle, an address one block south. The roof is still leaking there, but a contract has been signed for repair. #312 is a large space with art spread out all over, and there is even a corner, sheltered by a curtain, with an overtly sexual sculptural piece.

And if you go, don’t miss the basement, where there is both whimsy and the serious, and where you can pick up an application for the services of “The National Identity Renunciation Bureau.” The art on display has lots of variety, some work highly crafted and some raw but all with fascinating complexity. Fringe Wilmington continues through October 4 and the gallery is open Thursday and Friday 6-9, Saturday 1-9, and Sunday 12-4.

See http://newwilmingtonart.blogspot.com/.
See http://www.fringewilmingtonde.com/.

Chamber Music in October

Would you believe that the Pyxis Quartet’s October 1 concert at the Delaware Art Museum has been sold out since August? The Concerts on Kentmere series will be presented in the Pre-Raphaelite gallery and an option for dinner on the Chihuly Bridge can be part of the package for those lucky few who booked early.

The Pyxis Quartet was founded this year and I hope they will play together for many years to come: Hiroko Yamazaki, piano, Meredith Amado, violin, Amy Leonard, viola and Jie Jin, cello are a formidable combination.

If you did NOT book early for the Concert on Kentmere, fret not. You have two other opportunities to hear the Pyxis this fall: They will be playing on Thursday, October 29, at noon at First and Central Presbyterian Church just off Rodney Square and on Sunday, November 1 at Grace United Methodist Church at 3:00 p.m.

But don’t forget the Newark Symphony Chamber Series which starts on Saturday, October 3, with a star-studded ensemble of players. Thomas DiSarlo, concertmaster of the Philadelphia group Camerata Ama Deus, will play a violin etude by Ernst, and two Mozart violin duos with Amy Walder. Walder will switch to viola to join Susan Kiley, who will trade in her NSO viola role for a violin, and Charles Thomas, cello and Thomas DiSarlo, violin for the Haydn Emperor Quartet. The final piece in the concert will be the Schumann E-flat Piano Quartet with Vincent Craig, piano, DiSarlo, violin, Amy Walder, viola and Charles Thomas, cello.

On October 11 at 4:00 p.m.,near perfect acoustics in the Church of the Holy City will enhance the delightful sound of the Copeland String Quartet: Eliezer Gutman, violin, Thomas Jackson, violin, Nina Cottman, viola and Mark Ward.

And if you are still hungry for chamber music (and macaroons), don’t forget the Hotel Dupont Chamber Series. On October 27, you will hear the Nielsen Wind Quintet, the Strauss Happy Workshop and a local composer, Chuck Holdeman’s Petit Concert.

On Tuesday, December 1, David Amado teams up with his wife, Meredith, for an evening of Mozart violin sonatas at the Hotel Dupont.

There is no shortage of chamber music in the Diamond State this season!

See http://www.delart.org/.
See http://www.desymphony.org/.
See http://www.newarksymphony.org/.
See http://www.copelandstringquartet.com/.

Casting Call: It's Not Mean to be Green

Casting three men and two women (ages 18 years and older) for IT’S NOT MEAN TO BE GREEN, THE MUSICAL, based on the book by Jamie Kleman. Show debuts April, 2010 as part of the Children's Series at The DuPont Theatre in Wilmington, Delaware, with tours continuing through June. (Candidates must be able to commit to tour schedule.)

Seeking 3 men and 2 women and Stage Manager/Director, with musical and dance background. The play revolves around 5 lead characters: one 8-year-old boy, one 12-year-old girl, a mom, a dad, and a narrator. Auditions to be held two evenings in mid October: one in West Chester and one in Wilmington. Call 302-753-5588 or email jlk@itsnotmeantobegreen.com to schedule an audition. Please come with musical selection of your choice. Readings will be provided. Actors will be compensated and travel stipends provided. Must be able to perform morning and afternoons, with rehearsals 3 days a week, running November through March.

See www.duponttheatre.com/childseries.html.

Shopping "on the Green"

Art on the Green in New Castle is my second Christmas shopping adventure (the first being the Arden Fair).

Since my pal Carol and I had not found Cynthia Marriott’s booth at the Arden Fair, we were delighted to find her at Art on the Green. “But I was at the Arden Fair!“ she protested. “That and here (Art on the Green) are my two best days of the year.” Perhaps we didn’t see her at Arden because, like today, people were in a holding pattern around her booth, looking at her brilliant colors and admiring her self-locking earrings. (More at cynthiamarriottdesigns.blogspot.com)

Carol went wild over Sioux City Soaps. They had some wonderful scents: cantaloupe, green tea, lemongrass, and rosemary. And we both thought that Plays with broken glass was the wittiest booth title at the fair.

Not only were there a cluster of artists on the hill overlooking the Delaware River, but some 300 exhibitors ranging from license plate mapmakers to knitters to Christmas kitsch crafters made it a great reason to be out in one of the last warm days of the season.

Composer's Work Featured on Recording by Mélomanie

By Guest Blogger, Chuck Holdeman, composer of “Sonate en Trio”, which will appear on the new Mélomanie CD
Chuck is a regional composer of lyrical, contemporary classical music, including opera, orchestral music, songs, chamber music, music for film, and music for educational purposes.

What an outstanding pleasure it is for a composer to hear his work played by the terrific players of Mélomanie! The group is recording the work and I’m delighted that they will also feature a portion of the music at their October 2 soiree and fundraiser.

My approach to writing for the flute, ‘cello, and harpsichord includes taking advantage of the resonance and color of the harpsichord to create a rhythmic and harmonic canvas on which to paint lyrical and intertwining lines for the flute and ‘cello. At other times, the harpsichord has a solo or interacts as an equal in fugato passages.

Sonate en Trio is one of several of my works which pay tribute to Ravel and Debussy, whose seductive and colorful harmonic sense is often related to the impressionist painters who were their contemporaries.

See http://www.melomanie.org/
See http://www.chuckholdeman.com/.

A Message from the Delaware Division of the Arts

By Guest Blogger, Paul Weagraff
Paul is the Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts, as well as a talented actor! He has performed in numerous productions throughout the Delaware Valley.

Fall has arrived—and with it—school, new programs, and new schedules. This is the time of year when routines get established, or re-established as the case may be. There is no better time to look at what’s going on in the arts and work that into your schedule.

Make the arts a regular part of your routine. Whether visiting a museum, taking in a play, or exploring a new culture through one of Delaware’s many festivals, there are many ways to engage in the arts: as audience, as participant, as patron.

We all know the arts contribute to a vibrant economy, to a comprehensive education, and to strong communities…but only if people participate! October is National Arts and Humanities Month, so take part in the national celebration of arts and culture.

Visit DelawareScene.com and check out what’s happening in the arts around you!

Newark Film Festival

Perhaps it was my mood or my companion or possibly Al Mascitti’s glib introduction to In the loop, Armando Ianucci’s brilliant mockery of how the US managed to involve the UK in Iraq, but I laughed at the horror of it all and felt better for the catharsis.

Outrage, an exposé of homophobic homosexuals in Congress, left me cold – and yet, I have thought and talked about it more than any other movie and the accusations therein will influence my vote in 2012.

Sin nombre takes one from Honduras through Guatemala and Mexico on top of a train and gave a view of the life immigrants are fleeing when they come breathlessly across the border with Texas.

Hunger was an ice-cold view of the most horrific abuse of IRA prisoners --overlayed by the strained and artificially patrician overtones of Maggie Thatcher.

Valentino provided material for reminiscence of a 60s Vogue reader but the staged intimacies fell flat.

Moon was a diabolical puzzle: Sam Bell notices that his body and brain are failing just weeks before he finishes his three-year contract as a miner on the dark side of the moon.

Summer hours was a surprisingly slow and disjointed story of a mother’s death and the family she leaves behind. Many red herrings and several threads of stories that did not hold together left me happy that I could crown the evening with dinner at Saigon.

But the film which made the entire festival worthwhile was Horse Boy, a film about desperate parents of an autistic boy who decide to take him to Mongolia to be treated by Shamans. There was an effect, but the overly educated parents were slow to attribute it to the witchcraft they had sought.

Barry Schlecker deserves so much credit for the panoply of film choices, the invitation of local celebrities to introduce films, the contest for filmmakers to create 30-second commercials of the Film Fest sponsors, the organized activities in Newark, the contacts with film companies and film initiatives whose web addresses are listed below. Special recognition goes to Brian Soward of the Delaware Film Company for his tireless promotion of the initiative to bring films to Delaware. Please visit the sites listed below to support some of these filmmakers and if you love cinema, please patronize the Newark Cinema Center 3 to keep it afloat for next year’s Newark Film Festival.

You can still see Wiener takes all, Liberation, Valentino, Afghan Star, Outrage, Valentino, Cheri and Horse Boy at the Delaware Art Museum September 25 – 27 .

www.newarkfilm.com

delawarefilmcompany.com

http://www.whatsthedif.net/hub/

http://www.bringfilmtodelaware.com/

Delaware Loses an Arts "Jewel"

A few weeks ago, Delaware lost an extraordinary member of its Arts community. Artist Julie Baxendell passed away in August after a brave battle with breast cancer. This Saturday afternoon, a celebration and memorial will be held in her honor at Peninsula Gallery in Lewes (520 E. Savannah Road, Lewes).

I met Julie nearly 10 years ago, while working for The (then) Wilmington Music School. Charged with identifying regional artists to exhibit in the school's space, I began where I thought most sensible: the artist roster of the Delaware Division of the Arts. I systematically started alphabetically, but called off my search entirely when I found Baxendell's work.

To me, her use of color and texture was explosive and playful, and her paintings evoked such "feeling"---I wish I could explain better. I was an instant fan, and she remains among my favorite artists. I have been to numerous exhibits and events where her work was displayed and loved spending time with her and her work. She often painted tranquil scenes of Sussex County where she lived, but her series of Key West, Italy and Portugal are equally as striking.

Not only was she an accomplished talent (she received a 2002 Artist Fellowship from the DDOA and a 2003 Fellowship from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation), she was an extremely joyful and generous individual, donating works for the benefit of such organziations as the Children's Beach House, The Wilmington Music School and AIDS Delaware.

I am grateful to have known her and am honored to own some of her work. I ask you to help keep her contribution to the Delaware Arts scene alive and discover all that she has given us. I know you'll not be disappointed. Thank you, Julie. You will be truly missed!

See http://www.juliebaxendell.com/.

Mélomanie at Blue Ball Barn

Mélomanie, a music ensemble which supports and collaborates withlocal composers, is launching their fall season with a fundraiser concert and party in Blue Ball Barn. The program is one of their signature ‘provocative pairings of early and contemporary works’ – combining four early composers and two contemporary works by local composers.

The contemporary works are two of the works by regional artists which will appear on the ensemble's new CD produced by Meyer Media. Mélomanie has secured grants for the recording project from WSFS Bank, DDOA, educational institutions, individuals and other sources.

Harpsichordist Tracy Richardson says, “Our ensemble has had the good fortune to collaborate with these superb composers over several years, and we want to document our work together in order to bring it to a wider audience.” Contemporary works by Christopher Braddock and Chuck Holdeman and baroque works by Georg Muffat, Michel Corrette, Marco Uccellini, and George Philipp Telemann will be the provocative pairings for the party.

Come to the party at Blue Ball Barn on Friday, October 2 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a preview of works appearing on the CD.

$75 Adults advance tickets
$65 Young Friends of the Arts (35 and under)
$85 Tickets at the door

For more information, visit www.melomanie.org or email info@melomanie.org or call 302-764.6338 to reserve tickets.

Teaching Through Image: September Wilmington Art Loop

Great art is often beautiful to behold: Monet’s Water Lilies, symphonies by Mozart and ballets danced by Baryshnikov are all pleasing to the senses. But art may also serve as a vehicle for political or social expression. The powerful work of artist-teachers Michael Kalmbach and Lori Crawford pulled me in off the gallery floor right into their worlds and viewpoints.

Step into the gallery of the Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD) and you get a fabulous treat. Until October 15, the faculty and staff exhibit is on display. Jewelry, 3-D design, illustration and painting are among the mediums presented by these talented artists. Michael Kalmbach, founding member of the New Wilmington Art Association, and winner of this year’s Christi Award for Outstanding Achievement in Arts Advocacy, was there with one of his works. Presidential Auras, McCain, 2008, (pictured with Michael and son Thurman) is from his Presidential Auras series, which also includes images of Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. It’s hard not to laugh out loud when you see the life-sized cardboard cut-out of McCain that Kalmbach has transformed into a painting using acrylic paint, a felt backdrop, and a plastic covering. McCain stares out with what Kalmbach describes as a menacing glare, while the pattern of acrylic paint creates his “aura”: a drape resembling a Native American fur garb. Kalmbach explained how he calculated saving the creation of his least favorite candidate’s painting for last, when Kalmbach’s technique would be perfected.

For more information about Michael Kalmbach and the New Wilmington Art Association, visit: http://newwilmingtonart.blogspot.com

Lori Crawford, an associate professor of art at Delaware State University, was awarded the 2008 Individual Artist Fellowship in Works on Paper from the Delaware Division of the Arts. Her three-dimensional works on display at the Mezzanine Gallery in the Carvel Building include computer photographs of women printed on brown paper bags. Crawford explained to me how, years ago in the South, a person’s skin color might be compared to the shade of a brown paper bag. Church doors were sometimes painted that same color, so that parishioners might be assessed before being allowed to enter. Each one of Crawford’s bags shares a woman’s personal experience with race as well as her photograph. One woman speaks of the Vitiligo affecting her skin’s pigmentation. Another woman, of mixed heritage, expresses her exasperation over always having to explain and qualify her ethnic background. Crawford has interviewed women all over the world for this project she thought would end with the completion of her thesis in 1996. She also fashions reliefs of women in action poses from crumpled brown paper bags, with titles like The Bag Lady: Stomping Out Racism and The Bag Lady: Kicking out Sexism. (Pictured with Lori Crawford.) Her works are on display until September 25, 2009.

http://mysite.verizon.net/crawford-style/index.html

Arden Fair: Goddesses and Recycled Teapots

Live music, big crowds, and “Hippie-dom” at its best: the Arden Fair delivers! Parked cars were stacked for blocks and happy families and couples strolled on the local roads to get to the fair. The grounds were jammed with little booths, each one with its own wares or creations, from fragrant dried flowers to birdhouses and mobiles made from old silverware and whisky containers.

I stopped to talk to Ehanamane (pictured), an artist based in Smyrna. A member of the Nanticoke tribe of southern Delaware, she spoke to me of the medicine bags and goddesses she creates. Ehanamane uses geodes, leather, beads and metals in fashioning her unique creations. She told me she sensed it was her year to create goddesses she designs to be worn as necklaces. The Nanticoke Indians are Delaware’s only Native American people. Ehanamane, whose name means “Walks Among,” told me she was the only artist representing Native Americans at the fair.

Email her at ehanamane@verizon.net.

The quirkiest creations I saw were those of West Chester-based Maryann Zawicki. Her “Agape Garden” is a collection of fun garden art including bird feeders made from clear bottles and wind chimes of teapots with antique silverware dangling from them. All of Ms. Zawicki’s art is made from recycled materials. When I asked her where she found her materials, she told me, “If you had an old piece of silverware in your trash, and I liked it, I would just take it.” As fellow hoarder and recycler of trash, I enjoyed the whimsical, nostalgic feel of her artwork.

See www.mazeesagapegarden.com.

Arden Fair: Margaret's View

The Arden Fair is usually my first Christmas shopping adventure. My friend Carol and I have gone together for years. We arrive at 9 o’clock, walk the fair before the crowds arrive and plan our purchases. Then she has a fruit smoothie and I have two hot dogs. Fortified, we go back with our wallets ready.

We first encountered a revolutionary design of saltshaker – a beautiful ceramic dome, which, when inverted, can be filled with salt. Turn it back over and the shelf inside the dome keeps the salt from falling out until you shake it vigorously. Potter Suzanne Kent says she did not invent this, but her work is beautiful and practical.

But more inventions were present among the jewelers. Ava Leas brought her pins and chain-ges. She uses a simple chain with a ring on either end which she uses to make brooches into chokers. A wonderful way to wear that inherited heavy pin that you love but which would pull your blouse off your shoulder if you pinned it on. Leas creates pins which are layered metal in silvers, golds and bronzes – layered leaves, butterflies with a Jewish CHAI for life. She had many fanciful earrings, too.

Not present, to my chagrin, was Cynthia Marriott who invented the self-locking earring. Each stem is folded back and twisted so it will never fall out of your ear. (How many of us have a collection of single earrings because one fell out!). Will Cynthia show up at the Art on the Green in New Castle?

Also absent was Gwen of Gwen’s Goodies. I usually stock up on her jams for presents. Her rhubarb jam was so good I put down my toast and wrote her a letter right away.

But present, as ever, was George, (pictured above) whose hard work makes everything at Arden work, from directing traffic to saving shows with extra lighting solutions to booking the hottest musicians imagined and to just keeping everyone together. Can’t be done without him.

Suzanne Kent – 610-436-5806
See Ava Leas at www.pinsbyava.com.
Cynthia Marriott – 610-647-7115
Gwen’s Goodies – 610-872-4041

Newark Art Loop

Terry Foreman was locking up the door of the Newark Arts Alliance as we strolled up to enjoy our first Newark Art Loop. Apologetic, Foreman offered to reopen just for my friend and me. “The Newark Art Loop is not like the Wilmington Art Loop. The merchants are not hosting an evening like they do in Wilmington,” said Foreman.

Nonetheless, we still found a trove of treasures: At Newark Natural Foods, the delicate gouaches by Barbara Paul Selby had contrasting styles: the full-colored, delicate pastel effect and a gouache of green and blue reminiscent of book illustrations.

At Adria Café, Yaprak Soysal’s photographs showed his mastery of capturing reflections on water and the detail of enlarged flowers.

Samuel Coppola’s technique of intricately detailed color and pencil work (see black and white sketch above) is an interesting contrast to his fantasy works, which had less appeal for me than the junk food on display in Cereal Bowl where the works are being shown.

Gecko does a regular exhibit of jewelry for each monthly loop: Lisette Ffolkes’ necklaces of jointed Chinese-style fish on a double necklace are worth seeing. A brief tour of Cucina di Napoli left me hungry to see more of Nancy Williams Woodward’s work in acrylic. Caffe Gelato featured acrylics by Karin Lang – all scenes of Greece in a Mediterranean blue and white. Striking, but I felt they priced a bit high.

The Newark Arts Alliance will have a reception for the artists in the September show juried by Yolanda Chetwin on September 11 from 6 to 8 p.m.

See www.newarkartsalliance.org.

ARTY at the Party!

Our fun-loving, party-hopping correspondent, ARTY, is back---this time fresh from the City Theater Company Annual Picnic, held last Saturday at the home of CTC Board Prez, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald.

Arty was thrilled to rub elbows with BOTH long-time CTC actors and supporters as well as new fans & friends. Kerry Kristine McElrone and Jim Burns, CTC Gal and CTC Guy respectively, stopped by, taking time out from work on the upcoming "NOT Just Shakespeare in the Park", a free, three-day outdoor theater collaboration from CTC and the City of Wilmington. Be sure to join them for that event next week---September 8, 9 & 10 in Willingtown Square on Market Street.

CTC Producing Artistic Director Michael Gray was thrilled that there's already buzz on the street for the 09-10 season, launching with "Sweeney Todd" in December. Actor Mary Catherine Kelley, seen most recently as Queen Elizabeth in CTC's "Beard of Avon", arrived with a de-lish cake in hand...amaretto flavor, perhaps? Actor Todd Holtsberry--often seen as the CTC Barker--distributed postcards promoting his performances in "4Play", showing next week at Philly Fringe.

As I polished off my second piece of chicken along with a fabulous potato-and-bean salad from Barb Bullock and James Kassees, I got a sneak-peek at the season marketing materials. Great stuff by Phengo Photography+Design. I'm thinking I can't wait for December....CTC's coming season will deliver an early holiday gift, for sure!

If you, too, cannot wait that long to get your fix of "Delaware's Off-Broadway", look for info on CTC's annual "relive the retro" adult party & fundrasier, PROM NIGHT!, coming October 24.

See http://www.city-theater.org/.

Got a party you'd like ARTY to attend? Send us an email at info@artsinmedia.com.

Wilmington Gets Its Fringe On

Just when you thought you’ve heard about all the fun arts happenings Wilmington has to offer, something new comes to town! On October1-4, 2009, the city offers its very first Fringe Wilmington Festival, with a preview party on September 30. The festival will boast performance and visual art, as well as a 24-hour filmmaking competition. The presentations will take place at various locations, including The Baby Grand, OperaDelaware Studios, the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, as well as other venues along Market Street.

What is a Fringe Festival? The festival gets its name from one that started 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Several alternative theater companies performed on the “fringe” of the Edinburgh International Festival, and a tradition was born. Today, fringe festivals can be found in New York City, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Houston. These festivals offer opportunities for artists and performers to showcase material that might not be seen otherwise, because of its edgy, offbeat or “alternative” quality.

Some highlights of Fringe Wilmington include Robin Gelfenbien’s My Salvation Has a First Name, a Wienermobile Journey, OperaDelaware’s performances of “Black Horses” and “The Stronger” and Project Capoeira’s exciting Afro-Brazilian dances.

Tickets for individual performances are $10 or less, and all-access packages are available starting September 1, 2009.

See http://www.fringewilmingtonde.com/

Call for Children's Group Auditions at DuPont Theatre

By Guest Blogger, Diana Milburn
Diana is local musician and Manager of Audience Development at the DuPont Theatre

It's turning out to be a season of unique opportunities here at the DuPont Theatre. This is the first of two or three coming down the pike. I can't wait to tell you about this one, and there will be more, so stay tuned, Broadway fans!

Not since the boys of St. Edmond's Academy joined the cast of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in 1996 have local performers been invited to share the stage with a national Broadway touring company at the DuPont Theatre. On Saturday, September 12, the producers of THE WIZARD OF OZ come to Wilmington to hold auditions for a group of twelve local Munchkins to round out the October cast that opens our 2009-2010 season.

Here's some info on the company: "The selected children will be from an existing group of 12 and will be chosen by the National Tour talent representatives based on the best overall group talent. No individual children and/or partial group will be selected nor allowed to audition. Deadline for mandatory registration for the audition is Friday, September 4."

It’s an incredible opportunity for young aspiring actors/actresses to follow their yellow brick road. For group leaders seeking additional details, email me at Diana.L.Milburn@usa.dupont.com.

So come on out and "sing it high - sing it low" to be on stage at the DuPont Theatre.

Choral Groups Announce Audition Dates

Two local choral groups---one for children, one for adults---have announced dates for their 2009-2010 season auditions. Love to sing? Check out the below info from Wilmington Children's Chorus and the Delaware Valley Chorale. And good luck to all!

The Wilmington Children's Chorus invites children in grades 3 through high school to audition for the "Singing Ambassadors of Wilmington". Audition Workshop & Select Choir Auditions: Wednesday, September 9. This workshop is open to all interested singers and is an opportunity to review audition material with WCC staff. Auditions for returning WCC members will be held following the workshop. Call 302.762.3637 to reserve your spot. General auditions are granted by appointment: Saturday, September 12 & Sunday, September 13.

For further details, visit www.wilmingtonchildrenschorus.org.

The Delaware Valley Chorale will hold auditions by appointment September 8, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. and September 12 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew & Matthew, 719 N. Shipley Street, Wilmington, Delaware. Singers should bring two (2) copies of a prepared classical solo with piano accompaniment (demonstrating appropriate range and tone). Singers must also demonstrate music-reading ability. To schedule an audition, contact Barbara Kidd at 302.234.4866 or BMKsop@aol.com.

For further details, visit www.delawarevalleychorale.org.

Farewell Summer: The Language of Good-bye

The Delaware Humanities Forum concluded its summer book series with Maribeth Fischer’s The Language of Good-bye at Presto on August 14. A performance by actors from City Theater Company was followed by a discussion with Rehoboth-based author.

The actors instantly transported us to an ESL (English as a Second Language) classroom. Annie is a newly divorced teacher who has left her husband for another man. Kerry Kristine McElrone, who plays the sometimes flustered teacher, listens attentively and with expression to the students. Mary Catherine Kelley is moving in her portrayal of Sungae, a Korean artist who finally decides to learn English after living seventeen years in this country.

In her novel, Fischer explores the role of language and its relationship to culture, expression and thought. Annie begins to understand her students’ difficulties with foreign language and culture. Her student Ba (played by James Kassees) says “You think Vietnam a war, you forget it is my country.” We later discover Sungae has refused to learn English, because she is afraid to have words for the great losses in her life.

The author related how her own experience as an ESL teacher gave her insights into foreign culture and language. Fischer, who is currently completing another novel, cautioned the authors in the audience about making a work of fiction too autobiographical. A lively discussion about the use of “life material” in fiction ensued. I look forward to more exciting things The Delaware Humanities Forum has in store for us in the coming months.

See http://www.dhf.org/.

Exposing Artists' Inspiration

Last week, I joined a small group of media folk to preview the Delaware Art Museum's summer exhibit, “Exposed! Revealing Sources in Contemporary Art”. What a treat! It was wonderful to hear the Curator of American Art, Heather Campbell Coyle, talk so enthusiastically about the pieces and the fascinating background information she amassed in her research for the show.

First in our tour was the oldest piece in the exhibit: a 1964 offset lithography piece by Eugene Feldman entitled Friend's Wife (Mrs. JFK). The stark, grainy image grabs you, revisiting the raw emotion in the original Eddie Adams photo of Jackie O at Kennedy's funeral.

As expected (and to my delight), there is a series of large Warhols lining the wall. The seven colorful screenprints of Mao, 1972 come from a 10-piece portfolio. I've been enamored with all things Andy Warhol since I was a teenager (thanks to junior-high art teacher, Mrs. P.), so of course I was thrilled to see these extraordinary works, on loan from a private collection. They’re classic Warhol—irreverent, campy and powerful.

Another piece that struck me was the enormous 60-piece Deluxe by Ellen Gallagher, an African-American artist whose expansive creation features the techniques of collage, laser etching, clay, and crystal embellishment, incorporated into ad pages of Ebony magazines from the 1960s. You could literally spend hours with this piece and not take in every meticulous detail. It is a breathtaking and brilliant commentary on culture, beauty and media imagery.

Coyle’s favorite pieces include the Gallagher and a series by Richard Prince, based on pulp fiction nurse novels from the 1950s and 1960s. She noted that she enjoyed discovering the “backstory” to these artists’ inspirations, how they derived information and images from pop culture, poetry and media, and made it their own. “It adds a richness to the story if you know what the artist started with,” she said.

You can also read Coyle’s blog on the exhibit at http://exposed-exhibition.blogspot.com/.
Don’t miss this exhibit, on view until October 4.

See http://www.delart.org/.

Modern Millie: Thoroughly Entertaining!

Starry-eyed aspiring actresses, an evil conniving villain, and an unlikely hero who saves the day: Thoroughly Modern Millie at the New Candlelight Theatre in Arden has it all. This rousing production, set during the 1920s, runs through October 10. The show is beautifully staged, choreographed and performed.

Millie Dillmount, sung beautifully by a sympathetic Erica Scanlon Harr, is a small town girl following her dreams to New York City. Her odyssey lands her in a fleabag motel, which is merely a front for a “white slavery” ring funneling unsuspecting young women to Hong Kong via a laundry hamper. Micki Sharpe, who also directs the show, plays the hysterical, conniving Mrs. Meers, slipping in and out of her fake pigeon English when necessary. Bun Foo and Ching Ho, unwilling cohorts in her slave trade, are played by Reza Mirsajadi and Brian Peeke respectively. They are side-splittingly funny as they sing their numbers in Mandarin, with the subtitle translations overhead.

As Millie’s dream of marrying her boss goes hopelessly wrong, she meets and falls in love with Jimmy Smith, played by the handsome and lithe Justin Damm. The wealthy Muzzy Van Hossmere is expertly sung by Jillian Pirtle. Megan Pisors’ portrayal of the slightly clueless Dorothy Brown is charming. As the big boss Mr. Graydon, actor Patrick O’Hara almost makes us want to like his bumbling, womanizing character.

Be sure to see this heart-warming show, filled with snappy dance numbers, whirling secretaries’ desks and flapper dresses.

See www.newcandlelighttheatre.com.

More Artful Excitement in August

Weekends in August are usually so quiet in most cities, but Wilmington on August 14 was quite the exception. I found myself revisiting the notion of human cloning as I struggled to get from one exciting event to the next. Several new exhibits had opened on the Art Loop, ArtFest was exploding on Market Street, and the Delaware Humanities Forum was concluding its Interpreting Dreams series.

Philadelphia-based Melinda Steffy is the Art Loop’s featured artist this month. Her exhibit "Vegetable/Mineral" is hanging in the lobby and along the classroom corridors of the Music School of Delaware. Though these hallways are a slightly cramped venue for some of her larger, more colorful works, the marriage of music and art is a vibrant one. How wonderful to think a student or teacher might pause after a cello lesson to look at Sequence I-III. (see photo). Steffy related to me she had an ancestry of quilters. The idea of using found objects such as old lace, or discarded plastic colored barrettes in her work continues this tradition. These objects retain their original meaning within the framework of the piece. Her show “Remnants and Residual Memories” runs from August 21 to October 4 at the Connelly Center Art Gallery at Villanova University.

See www.melindasteffy.com.

Walk into the 2nd floor gallery of the Carvel State Building, and you see the photographs and captions, all beautifully blown-up and mounted. Take a few steps closer and you are drawn into the captivating and tragic tale of homelessness in our city. Valerie Miller of the Delaware State Housing Authority worked in conjunction with Friendship House, Inc. to coordinate this Photovoice project. Eight men, all over the age of 55 and living in Andrew’s Place shelter, took photos of various locations or situations familiar to them. Underneath each picture, a caption explains things a person who isn’t intimately familiar with homelessness might not notice or understand. One photo, entitled Budget Motel shows rows of empty Budget rental trucks open in the back. The caption explains that the workers from Budget leave them open because they know the homeless crawl in there to sleep. Another photo shows a woman who had just looked for food in a trashcan, and the caption relates just how common this practice is for the homeless. In reading the captions and viewing the photos, we gain a glimpse into the hardscrabble life of the homeless and destitute in our city and country. The Photovoice exhibit will be at the Carvel Building until August 28.


See www.artsdel.org/services/mezzanine.shtml.

August Art Loop at the DCCA

Entering the Dupont Gallery I at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts on August 14 gave me a jolt. Having read the excellent notes written by Assistant Curator Susan Isaacs should have cushioned the shock but the seven stark graphite and gouache works of Zoë Charlton’s Imitation of a Life left me breathless.

Perhaps it is because Charlton has captured the good and enchained it in evil – as often happens in life. She has taken a loop from a 1934 film Imitation of Life directed by John M Stahl which is a scene in which a successful black businesswoman comes to find her daughter who has run away and is trying to pass as white. Charlton has put a Ku Klux Klan hood on the daughter’s head.

So is this an imitation of success? When the tearful mother tries to woo back her daughter to ‘black’ life, is it begging her to fail?

The seven works seem also quite stark – all on creamy white paper with no frames, the graphite figures of naked women seem indefensible – vulnerable – enslaved to the unseen evil powers that have made them toys of their masters. The occasional spots of color are mocking accessories to the crime.

If you need a lift when you leave the Dupont I, visit the Fractious Happy installation by Heather Harvey in the Constance S and Robert J. Hennessy Project Space or just wander the halls and acquaint yourself with works of the studio artists who are the mainstay of the DCCA – or come back on September 4 and see the brilliant colors of a Ken Mabrey or a fanciful construct by Jane Quattarone.

Read excellent curator notes by J Susan Isaacs and find out about future exhibits and dates : www.thedcca.org

Bid on a local artist

If you're going to Middletown for the Peach Festival, check out the regional artists at the Gibby Center, 51 W. Main St. A silent auction is under way to Aug. 21 on unframed artwork.

Gallery hours are 6 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 14; then noon to 5 p.m. Thurday and Friday; and 10 to 5 Saturday. There'll be a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 21. Call (302) 449-5396 to learn more.

Brandywine Guitar Quartet Braves the Storm

The guitars of BGQ plucked Dan Graper’s arrangement of a William Zinn string quartet version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” as one hundred people listened in the beautiful Pell Gardens along the C & D Canal in Chesapeake City.

The music and the idyllic setting seemed like something from another world – picnic blankets, happy faces, dogs and babies, and a very Spanish-sounding classical guitar quartet.

After two movements of Mozart, the quartet played Graper’s arrangement of a Georg Philipp Telemann string quartet, which showed their virtuosity – especially in a tricky fugal movement. They suddenly changed style in a Vivace they added to the Telemann.

Chris Braddock joined Graper on “Ballad for Kay” for two guitars by Nick Webb of Acoustic Alchemy.

After a dramatic Intermezzo from the opera “Goyescas” by Enrique Granados, a crack of thunder drowned the applause. The quartet continued with “Blue Tango” by Leroy Anderson, but those clouds burst and the crowd ran for cover.

The untimely ending left the crowd hungry for more, but no worries. Their appetite can be appeased on October 18 at Kennett Flash in Kennett Square, when BGQ will repeat the show and feature Mark Unruh in a ragtime/swing song that garnered him a bluegrass guitar prize.

See www.myspace.com/brandywineguitarquartet.
Dan Graper’s music: www.myspace.com/dangraper.
Chris Braddock’s music: www.braddockmusic.com.

Two “Loopers” Weigh In on August Art

A collaborative review by bloggers Jessica Graae & Margaret Darby.

Jessica:
I began my Loop at the Delaware Art Museum. The overwhelming interest in the program “Illustrating Her World” produced two interest groups, and I happily joined the second for a “pre-tour” of the adjacent Copeland Sculpture Garden and the Labyrinth. There, volunteer Carol Maurer explained the genesis of these peaceful spots, built entirely by volunteers in a former reservoir for Bancroft Mills.

“Illustrating…” follows Ellen Pyle’s development from student to master illustrator. Lisa Smith, her great-granddaughter, gave an informative and heartwarming tour, beginning with a tour of Pyle’s paintings created while studying under Howard Pyle. One can see that Ellen Pyle’s style is reminiscent---if not almost identical---to that of her teacher. Smith described with passion how, after being widowed at age 42 with four children, this determined woman began to paint again and found a niche for herself as an illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post. Amazingly, for this exhibit, Smith was able to interview some of the actual models for Pyle’s illustrations, as well as obtain some original furniture featured in the paintings.

Next on my itinerary was “Un-capped”, a fresh new idea bringing graffiti art to the Loop. I traveled to a forlorn part of town, near the Fort Christina Park, not sure what to expect. Immediately I was greeted by a booming beat from a DJ table inside a fenced area where the artists were painting. Artists were all around: standing on forklifts spraying the hard-to-reach parts of the wall and kneeling to get the low corners. Serafino, one of the muralists, told me he chose to do a portrait of a soldier to honor those in Iraq. Though the mural was a spontaneous creation by many artists from the local hip-hip community, all came together as one unified piece. Freedom, a young woman I talked to, noted that some artists had previously been “in trouble” for creating their work. With “Un-capped”, they were happy to be part of a mainstream city-sponsored event---legal and much appreciated!

Margaret:
If you like blue, visit Graig Morris’ display upstairs at The Exchange on Market. Blue man in Key West shows a black man with graying hair on a bench in front of a hurricane fence on which the words ‘Restricted Area – Authorized Personnel Only’ are handwritten in red ink. The man is wearing a shirt of midnight blue; his face shows the weary wariness of being shut out of the mainstream. Venus is a small Florentine-style portrait of Venus rising from a Bahama-blue ocean. A new work portrays a young Michelangelo on scaffolding under the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

The real party was at Gallery 919. Beth Trepper’s set of three Pre-Raphaelite-style photographs taken in the gardens of Gibraltar captured the essence of works you will recognize from the Delaware Art Museum. She took antique wood frames and created matting with dried flowers in a William Morris wallpaper style.

Trepper has a knack for staging: her self-portrait dancing on the grounds of an Irish Castle makes you want to kick your shoes off and jump into the work to follow the dancer. The addition of a wig made her cousin look like a 1940s lost waif; her portrait of Edward and Patricia was so strikingly happy…I was delighted to meet Patricia herself and find that it was Trepper’s mother.

In Makin’ Bacon, a female pig perches pristinely at a French café table across from glamorous Debbie, dressed in black; the pieces gives off a hip New Yorker fashion issue feel.

Trepper’s friends and family catered, played music and sang a four-part a capella welcome.

While I can’t guarantee that Trepper and her relatives will be there every day, the photographs themselves are well worth a visit.

See http://www.bethtrepper.com/.

Wilmington's Got the Blues

There has been an amazing line-up of outdoor entertainment and arts in the city this summer. The Riverfront Blues Festival, an annual three-day event, kicked off on August 7. Headliners Walter Trout and the Radicals, Charlie Musselwhite and Delbert McClinton were the main attractions.

Despite the heat and humidity, the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park was packed with humanity on Sunday: People sitting in chairs and blankets spread on the grass. Some die-hard fans crowded the stagefront, dancing and enjoying the music up close. A Tribute to Freddie King rocked the Main Stage with their rendition of “Sweet Home Chicago,” while the audience sang along. Their awesome sax and guitar riffs reminded us that the Blues is really the daddy of rock n’ roll.

On the Bandwagon Stage, 61 North gave us a Blues tour around the world, passing through England, Ireland, and the U.S. They played the classic American blues song, “When Things Go Wrong (It Hurts Me Too),” inviting guest musicians to play toward the end of their set.

Delbert McClinton delivered a program ranging from Country-Western to Chicago and New Orleans. His touching ballad “Sending Me Angels” was sweet and lyrical. From his upcoming album Acquired Taste, he sang a rollicking song, “People Just Love to Talk”. His earthy harmonica-playing gives his music the flavor of back porch blues. I watched as people carrying coolers and lawn chairs happily bounced their way out of the park on their way home to the beat of “Have a Little Faith in Me.”

The Brandywiners: Love and Betrayal in Camelot

The Brandywiners, a musical theater company now in its 78^th year, presented “Camelot” on Friday evening, nicely staged by James F. Smith. This grand production, complete with full orchestra and colorful medieval costumes, graced the outdoor stage at Longwood Gardens. The company provides a stage for local amateur and professional thespians, while supporting civic organizations and charities through ticket sale proceeds.

The orchestra, assembled and directed by C. Lawler Rogers, Sr. is stunning. The balance between the accompaniment and the cast is excellent, with each note from the pit precise and in tune. The actors do well with Lerner and Loewe’s bittersweet musical, which is sometimes heavy on the dialogue. The show’s hilarious, yet telling one-liners keep the first act light: Arthur asks Merlin why he has never taught him of love and marriage and Merlin chides, “Don’t scramble them together that way.” The second act becomes dark and brooding: a tale of betrayal and greed. The music, humor and quirky storybook characters keep the show engaging.

Erin Cates plays a sympathetic Guenevere, singing with a clear, sweet tone. Guenevere’s “Before I Gaze at You Again” is one of musical theatre’s gems with its haunting melody and expansive phrases. Kudos to Ted Harding (Arthur) who reprises the role he did with the Brandywiners in 1981. Alexander Bowditch’s (Mordred) cuts through the stage like a knife with his confident and perfectly evil performance. He leads the men’s chorus in “Fie on Goodness”, one of the wittiest numbers in the show. In this number, we catch Broadway at its best and raunchiest, well before the “politically correct” movement made its presence known. One man sings, “When I think of the pleasures that earlier filled my life…Like the time I beheaded a man who was beating his naked wife”.

In addition to its annual summer production, the group also performs concerts of Broadway and American music under the auspices of the Brandywiners Chorale.

See http://www.brandywiners.org/.

"Artsy" Observations from a Beach Vacation

Art comes in many forms. Since I am still (mentally) returning from our annual trip to Delaware's Beaches, I thought I'd share some "new finds" and favorite things. If you're headed down DE Route 1, check out:


*Gallery 50, 50-A Wilmington Avenue & Ward Ellinger Gallery, 37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach
Photos courtesy of Gallery 50/Susan Finsen (left) & Ward Ellinger Gallery (right)

These two galleries are filled with all things I enjoy about visual art: color compositions that shout at you from the walls; warm and welcoming artists/gallery owners; and contemporary art that is truly within my financial realm. Gallery 50 was featuring work by Rose Minetti and Susan Finsen (up until 8/5), whose neon-bright, odd-sized pieces immediately grabbed my eye. At Ward Ellinger Gallery in the CAMP Rehoboth courtyard, Ellinger's work of abstract expressionism makes the space burst with bold shapes and color, and endless energy.
http://www.50contemporaryart.com/
http://www.wardellinger.com/

*Kindle, 111 Bank Street, Lewes
I lunched here on a whim, and I am compelled to tell everyone. The restaurant, known for previous digs in Milton, has an atmosphere reflective of its name---warm & cozy but chic. Nice price & selections on wine list. Waitstaff friendly & right-on with recommendations. I had a vegan wild mushroom & multigrain soup so flavorful---Kindle, please make this a menu staple! Also had the BLAT (bacon, lettuce & tomato 'wich with avocado), with so much chunky, creamy avo, I (almost) forgot about the bacon.
http://www.kindlerestaurant.com/

*Seafood Shack, 42 1/2 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach
We love this little aqua blue-and-pink spot, tucked between shops just past CAMP Rehoboth. Yummy po'boy sandwiches (full of shrimp, crab, oysters or all), casual back patio (where dogs are welcome, YAY!), live music at night. But maybe the best thing? The red sangria by the glass. Ask your friendly host, co-owner Steph, her secret ingredient and she'll tell you it's the cinnamon. I think it's all of the above...but I'll have another sangria to be sure.
http://seafoodshackrehoboth.com/