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2005 Past ExhibitionsTHE ART OF TIBETMar 31–May 29
Nestled in the mountains of the Himalayas and presently under Chinese occupation, Tibet is one of the most idealized and romanticized areas in the world. The Sun Valley Center for the Arts' upcoming multidisciplinary project, The Art of Tibet, asks why the beauty of this remote landscape, the spirit of its people and the mystery of its religion have captured the hearts, minds and imaginations of individuals worldwide.
The project includes an exhibition of historic Tibetan art alongside thematically related work by three contemporary artists, scholarly discussions by two leading Tibetan art and culture experts and a residency by Tibetan monks who will lecture, perform and create a sand mandala at The Center, Ketchum.
“The goal of our unique multidisciplinary projects is to examine an idea in depth, and Tibet is the kind of incredibly rich topic that lends itself well to this approach,” says Kristin Poole, The Center's Artistic Director. “You can grapple with the question of the West's fascination with Tibet , as Orville Schell will, or discuss Tibetan art and culture from an artistic and religious point of view, as Robert Thurman will. The musical performance of the Drepung Loseling monks is extraordinary, and we expect their sand mandala to pull the community together much the same way that the Dalai Lama's visit did last year.”
Poole notes that The Center developed its Tibet project before the Dalai Lama decided to visit the Wood River Valley , but added speakers as a result of the community's enthusiastic response to the Dalai Lama's visit.
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITIONS
At The Center, KetchumMar 31–May 29
Tibetan art is one of the last great artistic traditions to become known in the West. Most of the artwork in this exhibition is inspired by Buddhism, a religion based on the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni, who was born about 2,500 years ago in what is now Nepal . Buddhism was officially introduced into Tibet in the seventh century after it had already expanded to include many schools of teaching. The objects exhibited in the gallery—all dating from the nineteenth century or earlier—include small figurative works in bronze, silver and bone; ceremonial and everyday objects; a group of beautifully patterned saddle blankets; and thankas (cloth paintings) and mandalas (circular paintings used as aids in meditation). Ten of the objects on display are on loan from the Pacific Asia Museum but were once in the collection of part-time Sun Valley resident Nancy King, a mountain climber and explorer who fell in love with Tibetan culture and collected art on her travels. After she died, her husband donated the collection to the Pacific Asia Museum . Ketchum-based Davies Reid Gallery is also lending a number of objects to the exhibition.
The work of three contemporary artists will be exhibited alongside these historic artifacts. Linda Connor's luminous photographs contemplate the poetry and mystery of sacred sites in Tibet and India . Kirsten Bahrs Janssen's piece Connecting You and Me, and Everything consists of a gold line of spools that will pulse when participants pull a thread from one end of the sculpture. Arlene Shechet's installation, Thin Air , is inspired by the form and meaning of the stupa—a Buddhist shrine that traditionally houses relics or commemorates a holy person or event. Balanced crystal forms are blown by mouth, with each piece retaining an imprint of the breath.
At The Center, Hailey - The Art of Tibet: Through Local Eyes Apr 9–June 2 A juried exhibition of local photographers' images of Tibet complements the work on display in Ketchum. The exhibition will be held in The Center's Hailey location at 314 Second Ave. S. After an opening reception Sun, Apr 9 from 2 to 4pm, regular gallery hours will be Wed–Fri, noon to 6pm.
LECTURES AND RELATED EVENTSVirtual Tibet , a Lecture by Orville SchellMon, Apr 3, 7pm Community Library, Ketchum
Orville Schell is the dean of the School of Journalism at UC-Berkeley as well as one of the country's most thoughtful observers of China. Schell has served on the board of Human Rights Watch, has been a frequent contributor for everything from 60 Minutes to Frontline and has published fourteen books. His book Virtual Tibet tracks the West's fascination with and visions of Tibet from Shangri-La to Brad Pitt.
The Gift of the Tibetans, with Robert Thurman Thu, Apr 6, 7pm Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, Sun Valley Free for members/ $10 non-members MEMBERS, please reserve your tickets in ADVANCE!
Robert A. F. Thurman is not only a scholar but also the most visible and lucid advocate for Tibetan Buddhism in America. Ordained by the Dalai Lama as the West's first Buddhist monk in 1965, Thurman is a prolific author and the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University. As the co-founder and president of Tibet House, Thurman has worked closely with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to make Tibetan Buddhism accessible to Americans and to educate the West about Tibet 's political struggles. Although members are admitted free, they will need to stop by or call The Center beforehand to reserve a ticket. Tibet : Cry of the Snow Lion Thu, Apr 20, 6pm Community Library, 415 Spruce Ave. N. , Ketchum Ten years in the making, Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion was filmed during nine journeys throughout Tibet , India and Nepal. The film chronicles Tibet 's recent past through riveting personal stories, interviews and undercover and archival images. Sponsored by the College of Southern Idaho. Art of Tibet Family Day Sun, Apr 23, 3–5pm The Center, Ketchum Families will tour the show, talk about the art and create their own Tibet inspired projects. EVENTS WITH THE DREPUNG LOSELING MONKSSand Mandala Creation The Center, KetchumFri, May 26, 12–5pm Sat, May 27, 11am–8pm with wine tasting 5:30–6:30pm Sun, May 28, 12–5pm
Of all the artistic traditions of tantric Buddhism, that of painting with colored sands ranks as one of the most exquisite. Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery will create a sand mandala depicting Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. Special events in connection with the sand mandala include an Opening Ceremony Fri, May 26, 12:15 pm; construction of a community sand mandala Sat, May 27, 12–3pm and Sun 12–3pm; open late for Gallery Walk Sat, May 27 till 8pm; and Closing Ceremony Mon, May 29, 3 pm.
Sacred Music Sacred Dance performance Thu, May 25, 7pm Limelight Room, Sun Valley Inn VIP tickets $50 / Members $15 / non-members $20 / children 12 and under free
Robed in magnificent costumes and playing traditional Tibetan instruments, the Drepung Loseling monks perform ancient temple music and dances for world healing.
Guided Meditation at Community Prayer Wheel Fri, May 26, 5:30–6:30pm Sawtooth Botanical Garden, Ketchum
Lecture: Opening the Heart: Arousing the Mind of Universal KindnessSun, May 28, 2pmLimelight Room, Sun Valley Inn Held in conjunction with the Sun Valley Mountain Wellness Festival.
Acknowledgments The Center is grateful to Robert and Paula King, The Pacific Asia Museum, the Amarillo Museum of Art and Davies Reid Gallery for the generous loan of historic Tibetan art and artifacts. We are honored to have the participation and partnership of many organizations in this project. We are grateful to the Community Library, Sawtooth Botanical Garden , CSI and the Sun Valley Mountain Wellness Festival for hosting and or sponsoring associated events.
Biodiversity: Order, Consumption & ManJan 27-Mar 25, 2006 Conflicts between humanity and nature run throughout time. This multidisciplinary project explores natural history and ecology with an emphasis on man's influence upon the world's ever-dwindling biological diversity.
In the GalleryThe incredibly detailed and researched species paintings by Isabella Kirkland, the dramatic and often unsettling photographs of natural history museums by Richard Barnes and the politically satirical, Audubon inspired paintings and prints of Walton Ford each explore how science, ecology and politics can inform art making and how art can contribute to both political and scientific dialogs. This thought provoking project brings together for the first time all six of Isabella Kirkland's TAXA paintings. The highly detailed series is the result of years of research and study at natural history museums around the world. Almost every plant and animal is measured, photographed, drawn and observed first hand, either live or from preserved materials. Resembling Flemish memento mori paintings, they depict nearly 400 species whose existence has been compromised in some way through man's influence. Each animal or plant has been subjected to political, commercial or biological forces ranging from trade, re-settlement and dams, to deforestation, trophy hunting, and the introduction of non-native species. Richard Barnes' Animal Logic series touches on the relationships we have with nature and history and the ways we collect and catalogue it. His highly detailed photographs of animal skeletons and taxidermy taken after hours at natural history museums in France and the United States are shot in color and are often large scale. By examining and documenting these subjects within the confines of replicated natural sites, Barnes poses questions about the relationship between natural environments and those created by man. Walton Ford's paintings and prints appear to be large-scale descendents of the eighteenth and nineteenth-century tradition of natural history painting and engraving. However, his life sized birds and animals often serve as metaphorical stand-ins for different cultures in allegorical narratives. Social and political commentary is cloaked in the guise of natural history. Ford's meticulous paintings satirize the history of colonialism and the continuing impact of political oppression on today's social and environmental landscape. Extinction, cultural misconnections, world politics, natural history, and the grotesque are all repeating elements in Ford's work.
Lectures and Related EventsLocal Biodiversity with Trish KlahrThu, Feb 9, 7pm The Center, Ketchum Klahr has been the Director of Science for The Nature Conservancy of Idaho since 1995. In this capacity, she is responsible for providing scientific leadership and support for the conservation programs of the Idaho Chapter. She oversees the identification of new priority conservation areas where the Conservancy can focus efforts at protecting native plants, animals and natural communities. Trish will discuss issues of biodiversity and conservation specific to our region.
An evening with artist Isabella KirklandThu, Feb 16, 7pm The Center, Ketchum Isabella Kirkland will speak about her paintings and how they came about, by way of the 17 th C. Dutch still-life tradition, current biodiversity research, and her explorations in material longevity. Her current cycle of work, TAXA, explores how this old art form can simultaneously document, educate, and advocate. After studying and painting nearly 400 species of plants and animals in the last 6 years, Kirkland portrays individual creatures' stories of amazing adaptations to life. Some highlight man's attempt to control nature, while others show the heroic efforts of individuals in trying to save a bird or plant. Most of the stories behind the species in the pictures illustrate the profound complexity of life.
The Future of Life with Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Edward O. Wilson Thu, Feb 23, 7pm Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood, Ketchum $10 members/$15 non-members Dr. Wilson is one of America 's most prominent scientists and the author of two Pulitzer Prize winning books, On Human Nature and The Ants, as well as other groundbreaking books such as Naturalist, Sociobiology and Consilience. A professor of biology at Harvard from 1955 until 1997, Wilson has received many of the world's leading prizes in science and conservation. His work in sociobiology forms the foundation of current evolutionary psychology study. His research on insect societies has informed the work of contemporary complexity theorists who are examining complex natural systems. In his most recent book, The Future of Life, Wilson focuses on the state of the natural environment, analyzing the threat to our biosphere and offering a set of recommendations for the protection of life on Earth.
It's the First Place to Be! Begin your gallery walk at the Center Gallery Fri, Feb 17, wine tasting 5:30 – 6:30 Open ‘til 8pm Painter Isabella Kirkland will be in attendance and give a casual talk about her work at 6:15pm.Fri, Mar 10, wine tasting 5:30 – 6:30 Open ‘til 8pm
Artists in the SchoolsIsabella Kirkland will visit local art and science students and share how she became intimately involved with cataloging compromised species. Kirkland , who was once the only female taxidermist in New York , has traveled around the world to study the exotic and lost species she paints. She will share slides of her work and stories of her adventures.
Paradise Paved November 25, 2005 through Jan 18, 2006 Paradise Paved, which explores the influence of defiant skateboarding and surf cultures established in the 70's and 80's on today's popular street aesthetic. This aesthetic reach is so pervasive it can be seen in mega brand stores including Old Navy and Nordstrom's. The artists in the exhibition are a part of a group of independent, creative individuals who, in the 1990's, were jettisoned from their teens, full of ideals, each creating art that builds upon their experiences as vibrant members of youth subcultures of the 70's and 80s. Drawing inspiration from skateboarding, graffiti, street fashion, surfing, video games, and independent music of the day, their prominence has greatly affected current art world trends and the worlds of fashion, music, literature and film. In the Gallery Skateboarders and graffiti artists are no longer considered fringe elements nor do they perceive themselves as outsiders. As the street lifestyle becomes chic, acts of defiance are now mainstream. Young artists with an affinity for graffiti and a carefree, rough, do-it-yourself attitude are frequently seen in museums and galleries worldwide. These artists, whose 70's counterparts would have shuttered at the idea of participating in the mainstream art world, now pursue their art professionally rather than as acts of rebellion. Artists Andrew Schoultz, Mark Mulroney and Chris Ballantyne have transformed the Center's gallery with site-specific murals, paintings and sculpture into dynamic and colorful political and social commentary. Each grew up in the age of give a hoot, don't pollute , the latchkey kid, and endless hours of TV and Frogger—it was an age of isolation, liberation, and ever changing perceptions of what it means to care for the planet. As children of the 70s, they create emotionally charged worlds with an emphasis on landscape and nature. Despite being avid skateboarders and surfers, these pleasures haven't interfered with their professional art careers. Each has received fine art degrees from leading art schools and their work has been seen at major institutions and galleries world wide including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art , The Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. This project is made possible with generous support from the Board Bin.
In the Project Space RVCA, a lifestyle clothing company with an activist approach to consumerism, developed its Artists Network Program to showcase the talent of established as well as unknown artists who inspire the daily life of today. Enjoy selections from the ANP Collection including hand painted skateboard decks, t-shirts, zines and designs by artists such as Barry McGee, Chris Johanson, Neckface, Clare Rojas, Russ Pope and Ed Templeton.
Lectures and Related Events Opening Party! Fri, Nov 25, 5:30-8pm Riding the Concrete Wave, a slide lecture with Michael Brooke Thu, Dec 1, 7pm The Center, Ketchum, Free Spend an evening with skateboard historian, scholar and self-proclaimed skate geezer, Michael Brooke. Publisher of a popular skate magazine as well as the author of Concrete Wave: The History of Skateboarding and Skate Legends, a book that features the top 150 skaters from the past 40 years, Brooke will speak about the history of the sport, its movement from a fringe activity to a mass marketed hobby, and his own experience as a boarder. Dogtown and Z-Boys Thu, Dec 8, 7pm The Center, Ketchum, free This critically acclaimed documentary takes a look at the transormation of skateboarding from its former image as a land-bound pastime for surfers to its status today as an extreme and acrobatic sport. Director: Stacy Peralta (91 min.) Rated PG13.
CLASSES Teen Night - Skate shirts and trucker hats Fri, Dec 2, 6:30-8:30pm HUB, Community Campus, Hailey, Free Watch Tony Hawk's, Secret Skatepark Tour, featuring the Hailey Skate Park, while creating your own skate gear. Design your own or use templates to screen print onto t-shirts and trucker hats. Family Day - Tags, Marks & Decals Sun, Dec 4, 3-5pm The Center, Ketchum, Free Taking cues from the art in the gallery and the influence of urban street cultures, families will explore graffiti, skateboard and surf designs and develop tags (graffiti inspired signatures) and graphics of their own which they will then make into stickers to mark their personal property. Adult and Teen Art Class Underground Comics with MaryEllen Mahar Fridays, Jan 6-Feb 10, 12-2pm $125 members / $175 non-members The comic medium isn't limited to stories about men in tights with alter egos. It can also be the foundation for animation and film making. Through the research and practice of different comic forms, explore the infinite possibilities of producing menaing through sequences of images and words. One day a week for six weeks, discuss story pacing, camera angles, plot and character development and students will learn how to structure, develop and finish a comic book in their own style. Creating a comic book is a cool way to express yourself, whatever your story.
Outside the Loop Film Festival Thursday, January 12 – Sunday, January 15, 2006 Locations: Magic Lantern
Theatre in Ketchum and The Mint in Hailey.
Directors Terry Zwigoff ( Bad Santa, Ghost World ) and John O'Brien have been invited to curate an independent film festival that embraces concepts and subject matter addressed in the overall multidisciplinary project. Producer/director Terry Zwigoff is the critically acclaimed director of the documentary Louie Bluie, a portrait of the obscure and eccentric blues musician and artist, Howard Armstrong. His second documentary, Crumb, is a portrait of the controversial comic book writer/artist, Robert Crumb. Zwigoff's fictional films include Ghost World, Bad Santa and the upcoming film Art School Confidential starring John Malkovich. Vermont filmmaker John O'Brien achieved critical acclaim for his film Man with a Plan, which documents Vermont icon Fred Tuttle. His other films include Nosey Parker and Vermont is for Lovers. All films are $7.50
except for the opening night double feature. Purchase tickets at
the theaters.
Opening Night Party with Terry Zwigoff and John O'Brien Thu, Jan 12, 5-6:30pm The Center, Ketchum, Free Opening Night DOUBLE FEATURE Thu, Jan 12, 7pm Magic Lantern Theater, Ketchum, $25 Louie Bluie (1986, 75 min, unrated) Crumb (1994, 120 min, Rated R) Director Terry Zwigoff will be in attendance and will lead a post film discussion about the double feature. FRI, JAN 13 The Mint, Hailey 7pm: Man with a Plan (1996, 89 min, Rated PG) The film's director, John O'Brien, will be in attendance and will lead a post film discussion. SAT, JAN 14 Magic Lantern, Ketchum Noon American Movie (1999, 107 min, Rated R, Director: Chris Smith) Introduced by John O'Brien 2:30pm City of Ghosts (2002, 116 min, Rated R, Director: Matt Dillon) Introduced by Terry Zwigoff SAT, JAN 14 The Mint, Hailey 7pm Bad Santa (2004, 90 min, Rated R) Introduced by the film's director: Terry Zwigoff. SUN, JAN 15 Magic Lantern Theater, Ketchum Noon Ghost World (2000, 111 min, Rated R) Introduced by the film's director: Terry Zwigoff. 2pm Nosey Parker (2003, 104 min, Rated PG13) Introduced by the film's director: John O'Brien.
Defining America : 1935-1940 September 14 – November 16, 2005 Docent Tours
Every Tuesday at 11:00 An exhibition of work by WPA New Deal photographers Jack Delano Walker Evans Dorothea Lange Russell Lee Peter Sekaer Ben Shahn John Vachon Marion Post Wolcott In response to the debilitating Great Depression that was precipitated by the 1929 Stock Market crash, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised a “New Deal” for the forgotten man. In 1935 he implemented a federally funded public works program that created jobs for a huge variety of American citizens including artists, architects, writers and actors. Defining America : 1935-1940 explores this crucial time in the nation's history. The foundation of the project is an exhibition of photographs commissioned by the Farm Security Administration, an arm of the Works Progress Administration that was a component of FDR's New Deal. The photographers employed by the FSA shaped our idea of America 's heartland, exposing the faces of hard working rural families, the look and feel of small town USA , and the diversions that entertained and sustained a country mired in poverty. Many of the FSA photographers are recognized today as leaders in documentary photography. Included in the exhibition will be some of the first color photography shot in the country by Jack Delano, Russell Lee, Jack Vashon and Marion Post Walcott. Also included is a collection of vintage black and white work by Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Peter Sekaer and Ben Shahn. The narrative and compositional qualities of these photographs is outstanding, providing an intimate look into the mood and spirit of country and a citizenship trying to establish itself. The Sun Valley Center for the Arts acknowledges with gratitude the individuals and institutions that have loaned works to this exhibition: Michael and Leslie Engl, Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York, NY; Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA; The Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA. With additional thanks to Richard and Judy Smooke for their guidance and expertise, and the Jeri L. Waxenberg Foundation for support of Holly Near's residency. It's the First Place to Be! Begin your Gallery Walk at the Center Friday, October 7 Wine Tasting 5:30-6:30 Open until 8:00 pm MUSIC Arlo Guthrie's 40th Anniversary Tour of “ Alice 's Restaurant Massacree” with special guests Abe Guthrie, Gordon Titcomb and The Mammals Tuesday, August 23, 7 pm $35 adults / $10 kids Arlo Guthrie celebrates 40 years of “ Alice 's Restaurant,” the song and movie that set off a new generation of activism. It was Arlo's father, Woody Guthrie, who chronicled through song America 's life in the 1930s and 40s. “This Land is Your Land” A Lecture Across Time and Culture A Century of Music and Activism with Holly Near and Ronnie Gilbert Friday, November 4, 7 pm Center Gallery, Free of charge Musical partners and life-long activists Holly Near and Ronnie Gilbert (of the legendary folk group, The Weavers) share stories of their lives as artists working for change. They'll discuss historical events that have inspired songs, as well as songs that have inspired change. Join us as these artist-activists integrate history, music and spiritual resolve into a presentation on the power of folk music. This evening will include a sing-a-long featuring the music of the Woody Guthrie. A Concert with Holly Near and Ronnie Gilbert Saturday, November 5, 7 pm Liberty Theatre, Hailey Tickets $15 adults, $5 students Join powerhouse singers Holly Near and Ronnie Gilbert (of The Weavers) as they take audiences on a compassionate, humorous, reflective musical journey that affects the soul as well as the mind. “Music of social and political commitment never dies, it simply moves in mysterious cycles of energy and acceptance. Gilbert and Near prove that music and politics can be successfully combined without either being subordinate to the other.” The Washington Post Classes Defining America Family Day Sunday, September 25, 3-5pm Drop-in activity Center Gallery, Free of charge Family days are designed for parents and kids to do art together. Families will look at the photographs in the gallery and answer questions about how the people in the pictures are portrayed. After looking at the photos, families will document themselves, create a family story, and a large scale drawing of themselves and their environment. Kid's Art Class Portraits with Kelley Cooper Mon & Weds, Nov 7, 9, 14 & 16, 3:30-5pm $45 members/$70 non-members Age 8-12 Registration deadline: Fri, Oct 21 Center Gallery, Free of charge This class will explore the relationship with family and self in paint and pastel. Participants will refer to family photos and chosen objects from the home to supplement their imagery. Self-portraits will be approached in a similar manner where students will be responding to the images in the Center's Defining America exhibition and create their own images of how they perceive themselves in relation to the world. Film Series Thursday, September 22, 7pm - TWO MOVIES: Roll On, Columbia Directed by Michael Majdic & Denise Mathews (57 minutes) Center Gallery, Free of charge Until the mid-eighties, not many people were aware of Woody Guthrie's connection to the Pacific Northwest . This documentary, completed in 2000, explores the songmaker's role in promoting the Grand Coulee Dam, “the biggest thing that man has ever done,” according to him. He wrote a song a day for one month, creating some of his best known work, like Roll On, Columbia and Pastures of Plenty. Riding the Rails Directed by Michael Uys and Lexy Lovell (72 minutes) Center Gallery, Free of charge This award-winning film is a riveting documentary of hope and hardship. During the Great Depression, more than a quarter of a million teenagers left their home and hopped freight trains looking for work or adventure. As this country's history continues, the lessons learned by this “forgotten” generation of America 's children, who rode the rails in search of a better life are a powerful reminder of what could turn up around the next curve. Thursday, September 29, 7pm Man in the Sand Directed by Kim Hopkins (89 minutes) Center Gallery, Free of charge Thirty years after Woody Guthrie's death, his daughter Nora, discovering a vast treasure of unrecorded, never-before-seen Guthrie lyrics, decided to seek out a contemporary artist to “help look for the man behind the myth.” This 1999 film is the story of how Nora and Woody Guthrie acolyte Billy Bragg, along with Wilco, brought Woody's words to life and created the Grammy nominated albums Mermaid Avenue and Mermaid Avenue Vol. 2. Thursday, October 6, 7pm McKercher House, Hailey (2nd and Pine), Free of charge Grapes of Wrath Directed by Tom Ford (128 minutes) Steinbeck's masterpiece beautifully comes to life in this classic 1940 screen version. The film recreates the impact of the Great Depression and a mid-30s drought upon one representative family - the Joads. Viewers experience the plight of the Joads as they are forced off their land by mechanized farming and undertake an epic journey west to the supposed Eden of California to struggle for jobs and survival along with thousands of other migrant workers. Lectures Steinbeck and Documentary Expression Lecture by Susan Shillinglaw, Former Director of the Center for Steinbeck Studies Friday, October 14, 7pm Center Gallery, Free of charge John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath has offered generations a compelling, visceral portrait of the Great Depression. Through this book, which earned Steinbeck the Pulitzer Prize, we witness the struggle of the Joads and, through them, we better understand the powerful social forces that displaced huge numbers of Americans in the 30s. Susan Shillinglaw, a professor of English at San Jose State University , and one of the leading Steinbeck scholars in the nation will speak about Steinbeck's remarkable ability to document the life and times of our country through the stories of individual men and women. Shillinglaw says, “Steinbeck endures because he does not permit readers to complacently dig in, like the hermit crab. He embraces the fullness of life. With compassion, tolerance, and humility, he surveys landscapes: of place, of spirit, of a nation.” The Photographers of the WPA Lecture by photography expert, Penelope Dixon Thursday, October 20, 7 pm Center Gallery, Free of charge It is the photographers of the WPA that made the vast social implications of the Great Depression visible. They changed the way that Americans thought about the country and set the tone for the next century of documentary photographers. Most Americans can easily recall the poignancy of Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother or Walker Evan's images of suited and hatted men as they wait in line for relief checks or bread. Penelope Dixon, author of Photographers of the Farm Security Administration: An Annotated Bibliography will talk about the work of the eight photographers included in Defining America. In 1983 Penelope Dixon was the first specialist with the American Society of Appraisers to be certified in photography. She worked as the Director of Photography for the Phillips Auction house (NY) and has served as consultant to a number of photographer's estates. Currently, Dixon is the principal of an independent appraisal firm which specializes in Fine Art Photography. A Dustbowl Diary Reading and discussion of Out of the Dust with author Karen Hesse Thursday, October 27, 7pm McKercher House, Hailey (2nd and Pine), Free of charge Karen Hesse, author of Out of the Dust , is a versatile, gifted writer who is dedicated to children's literature. Her unique style has earned her literary fame and served to widen her sphere of readers to include adults. In Out of the Dust , Hesse immediately gains our attention by using the unusual form of free verse, she gives the story concise, intense meaning. Lean, stark and pared down, it is like the Oklahoma panhandle during the dust bowl. The narrative also becomes a kind of eulogy for those who stayed behind, witnessing the demise of a way of life. Its imagery is that of a hot, dirty habitat where everything, including the people, is choking, burning up and blowing away. Hesse has been awarded both the Newbery Award and a MacArthur Genius Fellowship for her lyrical and sensitive writing. She will read from Out of the Dust and lead us through the experiences of her characters.
A Great Mania: The Influence of Delft Pottery July 15 – September 2, 2005 docent tours Tuesdays at 11am Delft or Delftware are terms for the idyllic, romantic blue and white tin-glazed earthenware originally produced in Holland and the United Kingdom in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Netherlands' city of Delft dominated the industry, so much so that all pottery made in this fashion was labeled Delft. By the mid-eighteenth century no domestic setting was complete without a selection of this ubiquitous ceramic ware. The great mania continues today. Over the centuries the style has fallen in and out of fashion and is still vicariously collected and replicated worldwide. To this day, Delft and Delftware remain household names. Many contemporary artists look to Delftware for inspiration and as a framework for social commentary. In this exhibition, beautifully rendered paintings of Dutch cargo ships and floral imagery rooted in the history of Chinoiserie by Los Angeles artist Tony de los Reyes accompany a group of international contemporary clay artists whose work is inspired by Delftware, but is anything but romantic. Their unconventional and subversive ceramics comment on industrialization, the environment, war and matters of perception. Paul Scott 's plates depict industrialization's tragic effect on the idyllic landscapes immortalized in traditional Delftware. Charles Kraft paints highly detailed weapons of war such as grenades in the domestic Delft style. Michelle Erickson , a master of 18th century ceramic traditions, creates sculptural forms relevant to current events with Delft techniques. Robert Dawson deconstructs the Willow Pattern and breaks the image down to minimal and formalist designs. Léopold Foulem juggles historic ceramic forms to create abstractions that serve nothing but aesthetic purposes. Each artist draws from Delft's pervasive traditional vocabulary and dances with its historic readings, creating dialogs that are fresh and relevant to the issues of today.
In the project spaceRoger Anderson's Letters from Mayhem This Delft inspired alphabet tells the tale of a troubled youth that begins innocently and quickly turns strangely corrupt.It's the First Place to Be!Begin your Gallery Walk at the Center Gallery Fridays, Aug 5, & Sept 2 Wine Tasting 5:30-6:30 Open until
8pm The Sun Valley Center for the Arts acknowledges with gratitude the collectors, artists and galleries who helped make this exhibition possible. I am indebted to Mark del Vecchio of Garth Clark Gallery in New York for his efforts in connecting us with this outstanding group of ceramic artists; and to Billy Howard of Howard House Contemporary Art, Seattle; and David McDonald of Carl Berg Gallery, Los Angeles for their generous assistance with the loans of Tony de los Reyes' paintings. Special thanks to Adam Frank from Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York who was instrumental in the loan of Roger Anderson's prints. Inside / Out: Four Perspectives on the Human Form
May 28 – July 9, 2005In the Center Gallery
Inside / Out: Four Perspectives on the Human Form includes artists whose work focuses on the body, clothing and issues of identity. The exhibition will include works on paper and sculpture by Kiki Smith, Lesley Dill, Judy Hill and Elizabeth Jameson. Struggling with issues of identity as humans, as women, and as objects of fashion these four artists use their art to consider how our external form is and isn't a reflection of our internal systems and self-perception.
Because Inside / Out examines issues of the body it is not insignificant that all of the artists included in the exhibition are women. Since the dawn of time societies have had expectations about how a woman's body should look and how it should be adorned. Each of these artists holds a fascination for social history that manifests itself in questions and commentary on the state of being female in the early 21 st century.
Related Events
The Center's programming for Inside / Out will include a series of lectures by exhibiting artists as well as by writers and social historians who explore the history of fashion and current ideas about how girls make the transition to womanhood. Inside / Out is underwritten in part the Roy A. Hunt Foundation and the Jeri L. Waxenberg Foundation. Torsos: A class Exploring Self-Expression With Marjolaine Renfro and Michele Black Friday, May 27, 1-4 pm at the Sun Valley Resort as part of the Mountain Wellness Festival $35 class fee If you were to create an image of yourself, what would it look like? What aspects of your personal journey would you express? What learned experiences would you want to convey? This three-hour class is about creating an image of your feelings, desires, longings, pain, and joy. It is about celebrating your identity and emotions through creative expression. Participants will map their personal history through visual images using a clear plastic female torso (approximately 2 ½ ft. high and 1 ½ ft. wide). You will collage your own individual image. Your torso may show your personal travels, travails, triumphs or traumas. Collage materials will be provided, however if you have personal items to incorporate in your piece, please feel free to bring items such as old letters, e-mails, photographs, poetry, jewelry, shells, and other trinkets. Please call the Sun Valley Center for the Arts at 726-9491 x 10 to register in advance.
Girls' World: An Interactive Exploration of Self-Image for girls and their parents In conjunction with St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center at the Center, Wed, Jun 15, 5:30-7pm, Free of charge The evening will begin with a tour of Inside / Out for girls and their parents led by the Center's Artistic Director, Kristin Poole. St Luke's Community Health Services workers Kerry George, EdD and Julie Caldwell, Parenting Educator, will then use the exhibition's themes to lead participants in an interactive, artistic discovery of the girls' perceptions of self-image and identity. This fun, creative exploration will spark dialogue between girls and their parents about issues of self-expression, body image, and self-image.
EVERYDAY OBJECTSApr 15 – May 20, 2005
You'd be surprised by the beauty that can be found in everyday objects. Artists John Bisbee, Bob Dix, Lisa Hoke, Sheila Pepe and Cindy Tower transform cheap inorganic mass-produced materials such as common plastic laundry detergent bottles, rubber bands, construction nails, and paper cups into abstracted shapes that suggest the natural order and symmetry of organic forms such as flowers, landscapes, and even cellular structures. These artists redefine the notion of sculpture and bring new meaning to the act of recycling by using disposable artifacts of everyday life.
Common paper goods are a source for inspiration as well. You'll find curious tree dioramas by Yuken Teruya made from the paper bags of fast food joints like Burger King, Band-Aid mountain drawings by Amanda Wojick and fake wood-grain shelf paper landscapes by Victoria Haven. Playing with the idea of waste and excess, Everyday Objects brings to light the reality of our consumer society and its effect on our environment while realizing that beauty can be found in even the most mundane, ephemeral material.
EVENTS Community Projects In celebration of Earth Day, the Center is collaborating with students and art teachers to produce sculptures made from singular objects. You'll find them in the most unusual public spaces around the valley.
Noise, Nonsense and Sound April 18-22 During the second week of their residency, Ethos Percussion Group will work with students and community members to build instruments from everyday objects.
Family Day Everyday Objects Sun, May 1, 3-5pm See art classes for description.
CONFLUENCE
Jan 26 - Apr 1, 2005 Confluence explores the merging of Middle Eastern cultural traditions with current Western thought through an exhibition of contemporary art, and evenings of literature, music and film.
Questioning conventional thinking with regard to gender, Islamic tradition and identity, artists Ghada Amer, Shirin Neshat, and Shahzia Sikander grapple with paradoxical issues of women as both subject and object, and fuse Western ideals with Middle Eastern traditions. Now living far from their homelands in New York and London, each artist reflects upon her heritage and its intersection with contemporary life through a variety of traditional and non-traditional media including video, paint, needle and thread.
Pakistani-born artist, Shahzia Sikander rigorously trained as an Indian and Persian miniature painter before studying art in New York. Her deep knowledge of miniature design, mythology and symbolism mingles with contemporary Western elements developing a unique, experimental approach to painting. Sikander's delicate work exposes Western stereotypes about Muslim and Hindu women and often expresses the historical turmoil of her native Pakistan.
Exiled from her home in Iran, Shirin Neshat investigates the cultural conflicts resulting from the collision of Eastern tradition and Western modernity. Her compelling photographs and poetic video work explore the role of women in Islamic society and their collective cultural identity.
Initially inspired by the veil, textiles have remained an important factor in the paintings of Egyptian artist Ghada Amer where erotic images of women are often abstractly embroidered. Amer's work is full of contradictions and is inspired by European fashion magazines, pornography, the Islamic idea of martyrdom and a repressed sense of self.
Docent Tours every Tuesday For Gallery Walk, the Center - It's the First Place to Be!Sat, Feb 19 & Fri, Mar 11 5:30 – 6:30 free wine tasting Open ‘til 8pm for Gallery Walk
RELATED EVENTSAn Evening with Geraldine BrooksThu, Feb 17, 7pm Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood, Ketchum $7 members / $10 non-members
During eleven years as a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Geraldine Brooks' beats included some of the world's most troubled areas, including Bosnia, Somalia, and the Middle East. Her journeys throughout the world resulted in two acclaimed works of nonfiction, Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women and Foreign Correspondence: A Penpal's Journey from Down Under to All Over. A compelling and animated speaker, Brooks' lecture will address her experience in the Middle East and discuss the social and political climate that has become the focus of the world. She will read from Nine Parts of Desire, which explores the sensual lives of women under Islam. (The title of the book comes from the declaration of a son-in-law of Muhammad, who claimed that God had created sexual desire in ten parts and given one to men, the other nine to women.)
In addition to her work for the Wall Street Journal, Brooks' writing has appeared in the New York Times and The Washington Post. Born and raised in Australia, Brooks lives with her husband, Tony Horwitz, and their son in rural Virginia. Year of Wonders was her first novel and her second, March will hit bookstores in early 2005.
Opening Event for Confluence! Planetary Percussion: Drum Circle Magic from Around the GlobeWed, Jan 26, 7pmAt the Center, Free of chargeCelebrate
the opening of Confluence at Sun Valley Center for the Arts with
an exploration of world rhythms with members of Ethos Percussion
Group. For more information on this event please go to the Performing
Arts page. Two Evenings of Film Wed, Mar 16 & 23, 7pm location TBA , free of charge Three films will provide further insight into contemporary life in the Middle East.
Mar 16KandaharDirected by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 2001 Filmed on the border of Iran and Afghanistan, Kandahar is a politically urgent story of a young female journalist named Nafas who must return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to rescue her sister. The sister, distraught over the ever-present persecution, has written to Nafas vowing that she will commit suicide by the next solar eclipse. This austere and fascinating movie includes a number of seemingly bizarre and random episodes which combine to paint a picture of the reality of life in this unreal world. Kandahar has won awards at a number of international film festivals including 2001 Cannes Film Festival, Fellini Unesco Award in 2001, and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival.
Mar 23 Hollywood HaremsDirected by Tania Kamal-Eldin, 1999 A half-hour documentary that takes critical aim at Hollywood's abiding fascination with all things Eastern. Juxtaposing film clips from the 20s through the 60s, 70s, and 80s, Hollywood Harems explores the organization of gender, race and sexuality in Hollywood's portrayal of the exotic East and the indiscriminate fusion of things Arab, Persian, Chinese and Indian. We see how these Technicolor fantasies have worked to shape and reinforce derogative assumptions about peoples of the East.
Afghanistan Unveiled By Brigitte Brault and Aina Women Filming Group, 2003Filmed by the first-ever team of women journalists trained in Afghanistan, this rare and uncompromising film explores the effects of the Taliban's repressive rule and the recent U.S. military campaign. The filmmakers present Hazara women who have been left to live in caves to fend for themselves. They also find moving examples of hope and discovery. Women Who Make Movies says “ Unveiled is a revelatory and profound reminder of the independent media's power to bear witness and reveal truth.” The film was recently aired in November by PBS and has been screened at independent film festivals throughout the world.
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