Bull City Sculpture Show

In Durham, art is a pretty big deal, so much so that starting tomorrow it will even be on street corners throughout Downtown Durham. Friday, May 2, marks the launch of the Bull City Sculpture Show which will continue through October. The show consists of large-scale installation pieces which will be in place from the Historic Durham Athletic Park to the American Tobacco Campus. Find a map and more information here.

Arts Exhibit Highlights Two Durham Greats

Lilac Time by Edith London

The SunTrust Gallery at the Durham Arts Council is currently hosting an exhibit that brings together two of Durham’s most renowned artists, Silvia Heyden and Edith London. Titled “Together Again,” the exhibit pairs new tapestries from Heyden and paintings from the late London – a body of work which will likely never be presented together again. 

The two women shared many similarities, despite their different mediums. Both began their careers in Europe – the Swiss Heyden in Zurich and the German London in both Rome and her native Berlin – and their works share a connection to the Bauhaus tradition. They then separately moved to Durham because their husbands took positions at Duke University. It was the Duke connection that introduced the two women, and they continued to produce acclaimed works throughout their time here. Both displayed their art around the United States and Europe.

Weaverly Flow by Silvia Heyden

London passed away in 1997, but Heyden still lives in the area and weaves tapestries at her home on the Eno River. 

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 28, Heyden will be giving an artist’s talk at the gallery which will be succeeded by a screening of A Weaverly Path, a documentary focused on her life. At 10:30 a.m. on February 8, she will offer a workshop titled “From Fiber to Color” for $15. You can register at online. All of the events are at the Durham Arts Council building at 120 Morris St. in Downtown Durham.

Learn more about arts in Durham online and stay up to date on arts events with the Durham Event Calendar.

Nasher Museum Celebrates Summer with Art, Dance, Music, Food

This summer, the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University will present four new exhibitions and a series of free programs, including gallery talks, craft and drawing sessions, contemporary dance, guest chefs in the café, live music, book discussions and more.

“Our summer exhibitions, from old masters to young emerging artists, offer something exciting for every visitor,” said Sarah Schroth, interim director and Nancy Hanks Senior Curator of the Nasher Museum. “We are proud to present programs -- our widest variety ever -- that encourage people with many interests to come visit us.”

The museum’s original traveling exhibition, “Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey,” is on view through July 21. The accompanying catalogue is now available at the Nasher Museum Store. The 176-page book includes many images that highlight the most important and iconic works Mutu has created since the mid-1990s. It also portrays the installation at the Nasher Museum, which includes new collages, a monumental wall drawing, videos and selections from the artist’s sketchbooks. The catalogue includes scholarly essays by Trevor Schoonmaker, Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher Curator of Contemporary Art at the Nasher Museum, art historian Kristine Stiles and critic and musician Greg Tate, paired with an illustrated chronology of Mutu’s work.

For the first time, the American Dance Festival (ADF) brings a 2013 season performance to the Nasher Museum with “This Land Is Your Land” by Seattle choreographer and ADF faculty member Mark Haim on June 25 and 26.  The work, which debuted in Paris in January, is set to a country music score and is based on a simple, continuously mutating walking pattern with 14 performers. Tickets are $15 and available from Duke University Box Office online or by phone, 919-684-4444.

More than 70 works of art spanning six centuries are featured in “The Human Position: Old Master Works from the Collection,” opening June 20. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures and works on paper from the 14th through the 19th centuries, all from the Nasher Museum’s collection and rarely on view. Artists include European old masters, including Italian Renaissance and baroque painters such as Titian’s contemporary Bonifacio de’Pitati, Spanish court painters Vicente Carducho and Francisco Rizi, French neoclassical artists François Gerard and Merry-Joseph Blondel, master printmakers Dürer, Callot and Rembrandt, and many more. “The Human Position” is on view through August 26.

A contemporary installation, “The Cinematic Impulse,” explores the relationships between cinema, visual art and culture. Artists use a variety of visual strategies to recognize the effects of Hollywood, from photography and video art to film. “The Cinematic Impulse” includes works by Isaac Julien, Christian Marclay, Robin Rhode, Cindy Sherman, Xaviera Simmons, Eve Sussman and more, drawn from the museum’s collections. The show opens June 29 and will be on view through Sept. 8.

An intimate group show featuring works by Pedro Lasch, Susan Harbage Page and Yinka Shonibare focuses on the human consequences of the creation and regulation of borders. The show complements the upcoming exhibition “Lines of Control: Partition as a Productive Space” (Sept. 19-Feb. 2, 2014). Page and Lasch examine the experience of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, documenting in visual terms the effect such journeys have on material objects and, by extension, their human carriers. Shonibare’s installation, “Scramble for Africa,” assembles 14 mannequins around a table with a map of Africa at its center. The work reimagines the Berlin Conference (1884-85) that resulted in a continent separated and parceled out among European powers, creating divisions that led to conflict and bloodshed.

“Summer Days Nasher Nights” continues every Thursday night and some Wednesdays and Sundays with guest chefs in the café, live music, wine tastings, free films and book discussions. Visitors can explore exhibitions through “Summer Make and Take,” hands-on activities on Tuesday mornings and early Thursday evenings.

The Nasher Museum, at 2001 Campus Drive at Anderson Street on the Duke campus, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday; and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The museum is closed Mondays. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and members of the Duke Alumni Association, $3 for non-Duke students with identification and free for children 15 and younger. Admission is free to all on Thursday nights. Admission is free to Duke students, faculty and staff with Duke Cards. Admission is also free to Nasher Museum members. 

Learn more about Durham, NC at www.durham-nc.com.

"Making it Happen" Gallery Show and Sculpture Announcement at Liberty Arts at 3rd Friday Art Walk

Liberty Arts will be hosting a bevy of events during the Third Friday Art Walk Friday, June 21st  2013.  There will be a Gallery Show, "Making it Happen" and a reception from 6pm-9pm along with a historic sculpture announcement.

There will also be the first public unveiling of Artist Leigh Hayes, “Rings of Fire,” at 7.30 pm. Imagine glass rings rising from a molten bath. Steel drummer, Wilton Dubois, of Resounding Steel, will be on hand both playing his instruments and giving a demonstration of steel drum construction techniques. This event will also provide an opportunity to view the new installed bar by Liberty Arts artists Mike Lupa and Jackie MacLeod.

Liberty Arts is a collaborative nonprofit arts community that reflects the dynamic and diverse personality of Durham, NC. Liberty Arts believes in community outreach and encourages visionary thinking. Liberty Arts Sculpture Studio & Foundry is located at 923 Franklin Street, Durham, 27701 in the Cordoba Center for the Arts (adjacent to Scrap Exchange).

For more information on arts in Durham visit www.durham-nc.com.

The New York Times Spent 36 Hours in Durham

The New York Times regularly runs a piece in their travel section where they write about what a traveler can do with, well, 36 hours in a place.  On Sunday, January 20th, the world will see what they think can happen in Durham in 36 hours.  Heads up, it's a lot!

Like Durham, the article focuses a great deal on great food, music, the arts, and the open and welcoming culture of intellect.  In other words, the article captures Durham right down to the last nuance and lets it shine as the funky, authentic place that it is.

The story is on the paper's website, and will hit the stands on Sunday. There is an accompanying slideshow, as well.

Coverage like this is always appreciated.  Durham is also up for a major accolade from Southern Living Magazine.  Read more about that online and be sure to vote daily for Durham!

Durham Funds Public Art Grant

Durham has always been a vibrant and welcoming place for artists to create and show their work. That's why it should come as no surprise that the City of Durham would be giving its support to make art accessible to all through a public art project.

Passersby on Durham’s West Main Street will soon be enjoying a new Civil Rights mural thanks to a recent grant from the City of Durham to a renowned artist.

The City of Durham, in the scope of the Durham City and County Cultural Master Plan and in fulfillment of the purposes of the Public Art Grant Initiative Pilot Project, have awarded a grant to artist Brenda Miller Holmes to oversee the design, creation, and delivery of a mural to be located on the eastern exterior wall of a building located at 112 W. Main St.

According to Renee Leverty, chair of the Durham Cultural Advisory Board, this mural will honor not only an important part of Durham’s history, but also give an opportunity for true community participation. “The project includes many aspects that make it so appealing,” Leverty said. “The aesthetics of her work, a strong community and educational outreach, and a mentorship that will give a local artist the opportunity to gain expertise in the area of public art, which are all good things for Durham.”

Holmes will lead a process for public input into the design of a painted mural commemorating the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Durham. Project coordination will begin this month and continue through January 2013. Holmes is looking for 15 Durham youth (between 15-20 years old) and 15 Durham adults (age 21 and older) to participate in the creation of the project between February and June 2013. Applications to participate are available for interested residents and are due by January 15, 2013.

According to Holmes, there are several educational components that will be included in the mural creation, including four educational workshops, scheduled once weekly during February’s Black History Month, as well as six design workshops to be held between March and mid-April 2013.

About Brenda Miller Holmes 
Brenda Miller Holmes is a muralist and art educator that has been facilitating collaborative community mural projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and internationally for the last 10 years and has studied and worked with Master Muralist Susan Cervantes of Precita Eyes Muralists from 2005-2011. Holmes was trained in an artistic approach mirroring that of popular education, and her interest lies in the intersection of art, community empowerment, and social justice. She is passionate about sharing this unifying and transformative creative experience. Beyond mural making, her art teaching experience spans a variety of media and she has facilitated workshops with people of all ages, from toddlers through adults. Holmes can be reached by email at Brenda@BrendaMillerHolmes.com

About the Office of Economic & Workforce Development
Guided by the City’s Strategic Plan, the Office of Economic & Workforce Development helps ensure that Durham has a strong and diverse economy by increasing the city’s tax base through several revitalization initiatives, including new development efforts in the central city area. The department also plans and promotes cultural awareness and events, identifies and recruits target industries as well as assesses and trains Durham residents to fill new jobs. For more information go here, “like” on Facebook, or “follow” on Twitter.

To find out more about Durham's thriving art scene, click here. Fore more information about arts events in Durham, click here.

American Dance Festival Kicks Off 79th Season

Twenty years after starting at American Dance Festival (ADF) as an intern, Jodee Nimerichter launches the festival's 79th season this weekend as the festival's director. For the previous 43 years, the ADF was lead by Charles Reinhart who retired in 2011. Reinhart was in charge of the festival when it moved to Durham in 1977 at the invitation of then Duke University President Terry Sanford.

Under Nimerichter's leadership, the festival boasts an outstanding line-up of performances and activities including seven ADF commissioned world premieres, two US premieres and eight ADF  company and choreographer debuts.

The 2012 season opens tonight with a one-night-only performance of Doug Elkins & Friends' Fräulein Maria at DPAC - Durham Performing Arts Center. The Opening Night Fête will continue on to Parizäde for food, wine and more dancing. Proceeds from the party will benefit ADF Educational Programs. See the ADF web page for ticket information.

The 2012 American Dance Festival continues through July 28 with performances at DPAC and Reynolds Theater, Duke University. Go to ADF's calender online, and see the DPAC and Duke Ticket Office for tickets.

Call for Art Submissions to Support Independent Animal Rescue

In the past week Durham earned national attention as the second best place to be a pet in U.S. News & World Report's list of the 10 Best Cities to Be a Pet. Based on the amount of money spent on pets each month, the ranking reveals just how important pets are to people in this community. The Independent Animal Rescue plays a significant role in Durham's pet community and they are looking for help.

Independent Animal Rescue (IAR), an all-volunteer, nonprofit animal rescue and rehabilitation program based in Durham, is currently organizing its 10th Annual Painted Chair and More Auction Saturday, July 28 at Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Durham.  This major fundraiser benefits IAR’s mission to rescue and provide care for homeless, abandoned, and abused dogs and cats throughout the Triangle and features a live auction of fine art and a silent auction of art, prints and other items, food, music and fun.

Call for Art Submissions (Live Auction)
Accepted media are original oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels, prints, mixed media and fine crafts. Also desirable is 3D art such as hand painted furniture (chair, dressers, chests, stools etc.) indoor and outdoor sculpture, fiber art and quilts and jewelry. Not accepted are copies or computer-generated prints. Art may reflect a theme of dogs or cats, but is not required. 2D entries must be framed and ready to hang or with hardware attached to a canvas frame to allow for suspension.

Deadline for Submission is Friday, June 22, 2012
Live Auction submission forms available on the IAR homepage.

Submissions must include a completed application, digital photo of the entry and a short artist bio.  Artists will be contacted to confirm their entry; accepted work will be displayed prior to the event on IAR’s website.

All sales proceeds from the auction will be 100% directed to support the programs and mission of IAR. All art donations are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.

Also Seeking Silent Auction Items
IAR is also accepting donations of gift certificates, animal-related items, jewelry and the like for its accompanying silent auction. Contact pca@animalrescue.net to donate silent auction items.

Durham's Art Scene Welcomes and Promotes "Outsiders"

As the old saying goes, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  So, too, is the appreciation of that which one considers art.  Expressed in many forms, Durham, NC is fortunate to have an art scene that is eclectic, exciting, and as open and welcoming as the community itself.

In 2009, Pam Gutlon opened her Outsiders Art & Collectibles gallery on Iredell St.  A lover of art produced by artists who are self-taught - outsider art - Gutlon set out to create a showcase for the work and the artists alike.  It was an act of passion and an expression of her commitment to the community overall.   "I strongly believe that bringing Durham’s business, non-profit, and art communities together better serves the community as a whole," she said. Her gallery regularly serves as both a place for art to be displayed and sold, as well as a venue to create community. 

Soon the gallery will host it's first wedding, it hosts monthly open houses with 300 to 500 people attending, and is even the site of a writing group that claims that the artwork on the walls helps shake them loose from writer's block and provides inspiration.

The outsider art community enjoys growing good fortune that there are places at which their art is celebrated.  Durham's Outsiders Art & Collectibles is one of a cadre of places that has taken hold nationally wherein people  like Durham artist Odinga Tyehimba can find not only a place to display his work, but also a champion to trumpet his talent in a way that artists themselves often struggle to.

In Tyehimba's case, Gutlon reports, this has yielded great interest by the publication Raw Vision - a leading periodical on the subject of outsider art.  Tyehimba's work is also likely to be included in a show at the The Gregg Museum of Art & Design at North Carolina State University.  These two outcomes can combine to be life changing for an artist.

By Bruce New

Next week, Gutlon is again showcasing the work of artist Bruce New.  Her gallery is one of the places where he can have his work shown and be on hand to connect directly with those who buy it.  For an outsider artist, it is not a common experience to have an ally the likes of Gutlon.
 
Says New, "My work is an attempt to document my existence – to leave a visual record of my thoughts, ideas, and fantasies. I reside in the wilds of Kentucky, with a bird and our son, on a mountaintop, right next to the sun, where I create my artwork...." New, a Kentucky artist, has lived his entire life there and has always made art. As a child he created notebooks of comic heroes and battle scenes of war but never thought he could be an artist and instead dreamed of being Reggie Jackson.

The relationship between the two has been a fruitful one, Gutlon says.  She's particularly excited about his return.

New's return engagement is Saturday, March 10 from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.  Live music will be performed by Katharine Whalen (formerly of the Squirrel Nut Zippers) and Her Fascinators.   Only Burger and The Parlour will be there, too.   

The event is free and open to the public - everyone is welcome, just like in Durham.

See also:
Information about other Durham Art Galleries

Durham Family Theatre Presents: “The House at Pooh Corner” A Musical for All Ages

In a community motivated by things that are genuine and authentic, the arts are a really big deal.  Just such a place, Durham, NC is home to many theaters producing and hosting performances and artists from the local to the international mega-stars.  With thirteen theaters, the largest of which is the fourth most attended theater in the US, Durham is a true focal point for performing arts in North Carolina and the Southeast.

Cast of "The House at Pooh Corner"

In the play “The House at Pooh Corner,” presented by Durham Family Theatre, written by A.A. Milne and adapted by Betty Knapp, Pooh and Friends gather in the Hundred Acre Woods for a Mergency Meeting called by Christopher Robin. Eeyore needs a house before the blizzard arrives. Piglet is afraid of nearly everything and Tigger bounces into the Woods with Unexpected Consequences! All the while, Christopher Robin, Pooh and Friends sing the most lively and beautiful songs with music put to A.A. Milne’s hums by H. Fraser-Simson.

Presented on March 9, 10, 16, 17 at 7:00 pm and March 10 & 17 at 1:00 pm at Whitford Hall in Duke Memorial United Methodist Church (504 W Chapel Hill Street), tickets are available on Durham Family Theatre's website.

Durham Family Theatre presents plays and classes for all ages year-round. As diversity is important in Durham, their mission is to create a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, inter-generational community-based theatre, reaching into and being fed by Durham's neighborhoods, where amateurs and professionals of all ages, races and economic status can gain skills that lead to meaningful careers and relationships while creating engaging, exciting, transforming theatre.

“The House at Pooh Corner” is presented through arrangements with The Dramatic Publishing Company.

Museum Must Sees: For a Limited Time Only

For only a few more short weeks, Durham boasts two highly acclaimed exhibits which explore the perspectives and experiences that define both Durham and the greater Southeast. For those looking to spend the winter hours indoors, the following exhibits are well worth a visit.

Presented by the Museum of Life and Science, RACE: Are We So Different? brings together the everyday experience of living with race, its history as an idea, the role of science in that history, and the findings of contemporary science that are challenging its foundations. The award winning interactive exhibition, developed by the American Anthropological Association in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota, is the first of its kind to tell the stories of race from the biological, cultural, and historical points of view. The exhibit will be up through January 22, 2012 – consult the museum’s calendar and make some plans to visit.

NC Central University Art Museum's popular and thought provoking exhibition Let Your Motto be Resistance: African-American Portraits is currently on exhibition through the middle of the month. Originally presented as the inaugural exhibit of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture, the collection of photography reveals the nation’s history through an African-American lens. This very special exploration of African-American culture will remain on display until January 15, 2012. Check the museum’s website for hours and make arrangements to visit as soon as possible.

Durham Storefront Project Brings Art to Downtown

Durham is a creative and innovative place where diverse and passionate people come together to shape a better community. This sentiment is clearly apparent through Durham’s expression of community through the arts as exemplified by the Durham Storefront Project.

Center Studio Architecture Storefront

The Durham Storefront Project is a collection of 14 art installations in the windows of historic buildings throughout downtown. Each installation features the work of a local artist in collaboration with business and property owners.

Started in late 2010, the Durham Storefront Project evolved out of a desire to increase the vibrancy in Downtown Durham while connecting artists and businesses in a meaningful and collaborative way. The Project is made up of an independent group of artists and art enthusiasts. The Durham Storefront Project has also enlisted the support of two arts organizations at the core of the Bull City's thriving arts scene: The Scrap Exchange and the Durham Arts Council.

The Durham Storefront Project opened during the Durham Art Walk Holiday Market and will remain up through January 2012. To explore the full line-up of artists and locations or download tour information, visit the Durham Storefront's website.

Photography Exhibit Highlights African-American Resistance

A diverse community of passionate citizens, Durham has a long and proud history as a civil rights center. Durham was the site of North Carolina's first sit-in and three years later, was the place Dr. Martin Luther King launched a new battle cry in his “Fill The Jails" speech. Some of the same civil rights leaders who pushed for advancement in Durham, NC are portrait subjects featured in a new exhibition to come to North Carolina Central University  by way of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

Angela Davis

A stunning collection of photographic portraits, “Let Your Motto be Resistance: African-American Portraits,” will open at the North Carolina Central University Art Museum on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m. The collection reveals the nation's history through an African-American lens, using the lives of well-known abolitionists, artists, scientists, writers, statesmen, entertainers and sports figures.

Originally presented as the inaugural exhibit of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, the exhibit includes 69 prints that highlight individuals whose passion, determination and talent played an influential role in shaping notions of race and status over the past 150 years. Among the featured photographers who employ a variety of strategies to create their powerful images are Mathew Brady, James VanDerZee, Doris Ulmann, Edward Weston, Gordon Parks, Irving Penn and Carl Van Vechten.

The exhibit’s title was taken from a speech to the National Convention of Colored Citizens in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1843, by celebrated abolitionist and orator Henry Highland Garnet. In the speech titled “Call to Rebellion,” Garnet challenges the American slaves to rise up and emancipate themselves, arguing that armed unrest would be the most effective way to end slavery. “Let your motto be resistance,” he exclaimed, “Resistance! Resistance! No oppressed people have ever secured their liberty without resistance.”

“The need to resist, to challenge race-based assumptions, laws and practices that sought to limit black life, has always been a central tenet of African-American culture,” said Kenneth Rodgers, director of the NCCU Museum of Art.  “This resistance has many faces.  While some African-Americans demanded change at any cost, others chose nonviolent confrontations.”

African-Americans found many strategies to challenge, to struggle and to resist. From the image of “Gordon,” a formerly enslaved man whose whipped and scarred back speaks volumes about the strength needed to survive, to the sheer beauty of dancer Judith Jamison, whose creative expression calls into question notions of supposed racial inferiority. Portrait subjects were selected by photography historian and Smithsonian guest curator Deborah Willis.

The NCCU Art Museum is on Lawson Street across from the Farrison–Newton Communications Building. The Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The exhibit will run until Jan. 15, 2012.

Duke Launches New Arts Portal

Those with feet on the ground in Durham know it is the place where great things happen.  Be it visual art, performance, food, or community, Durham plays host to a wide breadth of options to experience and get involved.

Durham's accolades are so numerous that there's a website devoted to them, and the destination continually shows up in articles lauding its quality of life, food and art.  That said, Duke felt a need to highlight not only the community's offerings, but also the university's involvement and enabling of some of the features.  To wit, this site was born.

"The arts scenes at Duke and across Durham have both blossomed over the past several years. Members of the Duke community are deeply involved in Durham concerts, shows, classes and other arts activities. Duke Performances and others at Duke are holding events at venues across town. We developed this site to highlight how this artistic synergy is benefiting both sides," said David Jarmul, Associate Vice President of News and Communications at Duke.

"Duke has certainly helped to pave the way to some great enhancements that make Durham a continually growing visitor destination," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.  "This site gives students a great starting point in exploring Durham by providing a type of lens or filter through which they can become introduced."

The site will be used in a variety of ways by Duke, primarily as a way to inform prospects that Duke is part of a significant community of cultural offerings on par with many larger places, and that the university plays a significant role in forming the cultural experience options in Durham.