NAU Art Museum presents the Fifth Biennial National Print Exhibition, Aug. 24 – Sept. 25 “Peddlers” by Yuji Hiratsuka, 24"x 32", intaglio, chine-collé
Today is the first day of school. All the new students are here, the professors are slinging out syllabi like Las Vegas card dealers, and everyone is learning about the requirements for their classes, their work schedules and their social lives.
I've spent my entire summer collecting, editing, printing and talking about the 150 plus events that the College of Arts and Letters is putting on this semester. So I suppose I'm a little biased when I consider what students SHOULD be doing--going to cultural activities!
I recently heard some statistics from the National Endowment for the Arts. They say that only 34.6% of Americans attended art exhibits or performances in 2008. In one full calendar year, 65% of Americans were unable to make it to a cultural event even ONCE!
I wish I could tell every one of those people what they're missing.
For instance, at the College of Arts and Letters...
We have MUSIC; the Horizons Concert Series with two American programs in September, an NAU Opera Scenes performance on Sept. 12, and a Faculty Artist Series with Louise and Frank Scott, Jacquelyn Schwandt and John Masserini on Sept. 7.
We have THEATRE and SPEAKERS; Luis Valdez, author of "Zoot Suit" and "La Bamba" will be speaking on Oct. 19. And the Harry-Potter-naked-play, as I affectionately call "Equus" will be performed this season, as well.
And, of course, we have ART, with the first show at the NAU Art Museum, the 5th Biennial Print Exhibition. A reception will be held on Thursday, Sept. 2, 5-7 p.m.
With all the events happening on-campus in September alone, Flagstaff could probably change the national statistics by October. I'm not even mentioning the other cultural offerings that Flagstaff provides, such as FSO, Theatrikos and First Friday. There's really something for everyone, every week, every day.
I think it's a good time for a back-to-school resolution, and I will start. I resolve to attend or participate in a cultural happening once a week throughout the semester, and I will write about my musings every Monday on this blog.
And maybe I'll catch you at the NAU Art Museum opening, wearing my hat.
Christina Forster as Thyona takes a knife to Jesse Miceli's character Constantine in NAU Theatre's production of "Big Love. (If you look closely, you can see Thomas Steinhagen in the background.) Photo by Chie Morita.
by Thomas Steinhagen
Editor's Note: Thomas Steinhagen is a freshman in the Psychology Department. This is his story about participating in the NAU Theatre production of "Big Love" in April, 2010.
Any experience of participating in a Theatre production is nerve-racking. The audition process, the endless rehearsals, and the performances themselves are stressful, in their own ways. I experienced this straight from the beginning of my participation in the NAU Theatre Department’s ““Big Love”.” But, what made this experience even more dramatic, frustrating and exciting was the fact that this was my first on-stage production…ever. And I have to say, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
At the beginning of the Spring 2010 term, I was not intending on auditioning for NAU Theatre program. Although I did take part in Alpha Psi Omega’s 24-Hour Theatre and Arizona Playmakers’ New Works Showcase, I thought that that was as far as my acting would go for the year. The dominating thought in my mind was, “I did not have any prior acting experience; what do I have to offer?” However, with the support of my friends within the Theatre program and my own subconscious desire, I was convinced to audition for the Spring 2010 season.
When it comes to auditioning for performances on the University level, the competition between actors and actresses is high. The stresses and worries of life must be left behind in the waiting room. Focus and determination are the qualities that help someone prepare for the audition itself, but it is the essence of “play” that assures their success. This essence of “play,” or expression of creativity, is what the directors seek in the audition process. Of course, the former two qualities are necessary, but creativity is the most important, as it demonstrates what the performers are capable of performing.
Bear in mind that this was my second official audition for an NAU Theatre performance. The first was abysmal; my audition for New Works Showcase – my two minute monologue from hell. It was so bad, that the directors thought that my failed attempt to audition was part of the audition itself! My second, the audition for “Big Love”, was an improvement – anything was an improvement following my first audition. Sadly, I could not remember my lines, I was losing my focus, and I thought I lost my chance to be in Macbeth or “Big Love”. Fortunately, I was wrong – and I was cast as a “wedding guest” in “Big Love”.
Following the audition process, the cast, directors, and stage managers come together to rehearse. This two month process is considered the most stressful, as actors must learn their lines, “blocking” (or where they must move to and from), and nail down every single detail necessary for a successful production. But not everything is completed at square one; these rehearsals make up a process. For a successful production, everything must be taken bit-by-bit, and tackled one thing at a time. Rehearsals are broken down into: script readings, rehearsals, tech rehearsals, and dress rehearsals. In respect to this order: lines are memorized, characters develop, blocking begins and continues until the end, sound and lighting are added to the mix, and with costumes and makeup, the cast and crew perform a “final draft” of the play.
All of this effort amounts to the eight amazing performances of “Big Love.” And although creativity assures the success of a play, there is one unmentioned factor that is necessary for all types of performances: the audience. Without the audience, there would be no emotion: no reaction to love, death, and among other things, cake in the face. The audience is necessary to the performers, just as the performers are necessary to the audience. Of course, the audiences showed up, or did not show, according to the different days of the week. Opening night and Saturday were amazing, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday were slow, Friday and Saturday were packed, and the last matinee was decent compared to the first. Overall, the audience is what made the performances of “Big Love” so awesome, and without them, the cast and I would be…without a job!
Looking back on the experience of auditioning for, rehearsing, and performing “Big Love,” I must say once more that it was one of the greatest experiences in my entire life. Considering my lack of acting expertise, I have learned so much in the past three months. Some of these things include: how to relax, how to get into character, how to maintain character when things go wrong (or awfully wrong, for that matter), and more. But, some of the lessons I learned took place off the stage, such as: how to behave in public, how to behave backstage, when to listen to others and when to speak, and above all, what it means to have friends that have your back. My experience in “Big Love” can be summed up by the line of Piero: “That life is nothing for us, but an experience that we share with others.”
"Three Ewers," by Jack Heimerman can be viewed at Beasley Gallery through May 6.
"Transmutation," by Erica Brown, is a collection of several oil paintings.
This week the Beasley Art Gallery will feature the Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition II.
Every semester the gallery hosts the BFA Exhibition, which is the culmination of the work of graduating BFA students. This semester the exhibit was split into two showings, each highlighting half of the graduating class.
Jack Heimerman is one of seven artists with work on display in the second exhibition. One of his pieces, titled “Three Ewers,” is both practical and artistic. “I like to create pieces with a function that are still artistic,” he explained. Another piece, titled “Three Tumblers,” has a similar theme, but also incorporates the negative space around the three twisted cylinders.
All of Heimerman’s pieces were fired in an anagama kiln firing. An anagama kiln is an ancient type of wood kiln that gets up to 2,500˚F and produces ash that settles on the pieces. The ash interacts with the flame of the fire and the minerals in the clay body to create a natural ash glaze.
Heimerman also collaborated on two pieces with Misty Ostrowski, who is also featured in the BFA Exhibition II. “I built the body of the pieces and she did the glazing. She used an underglaze to create the patterns on the pieces,” he said.
Another student artist in the exhibit is Erica Brown. Her collection, titled “Transmutation,” includes more than a dozen oil paintings that span over three walls. “It began as a study on communication, which is why I used the hands,” she said, “but as I continued to work on it, it began to become more about growth—both in the paintings and as an artist.”
There will be an opening reception on Friday, April 30, from 6 – 8 p.m. in Beasley Gallery. The exhibition can be viewed daily from 1 – 5 p.m. in the Beasley Gallery located on the second floor of the Fine Arts building
Drinking tea at the tea ceremony. Photo by Amanda Voisard.
I took off my jewelry, donned white socks and prepared to focus on purification and tranquility. There was snow on the ground, but we were celebrating spring.
On March 8, I was lucky enough to join colleagues and friends for a special tea ceremony at NAU's Ceramic Complex. They have a Japanese garden and tea house that hosts occasional tea ceremonies. Visiting artists from Japan have been planning to do a ceremony there for two years, and they invited three different groups of students, faculty and administrators. One of the visitors, reknowned ceramic artist Ayako Tsutsumi, created a clay Japanese lantern during her visit to be placed in the Japanese garden.
There were eight of us in my group. We gathered together and were coached on the etiquette of a tea ceremony, such as how to receive the tea bowl with both hands, turn it to show the front design outward and then to admire out tea bowl as a piece of artwork, as well as a utilitarian tool. There was so many details to remember! I felt a little apprehensive that I was going to make a mistake...and inadvertently offend our hosts.
There's really no prescribed ceremonial etiquette in the United States that compares with a tea ceremony. And even stranger for our U.S. sensibilities was the fact that we were asked to keep silent the whole time.
The eight of us walked up the muddy, winding path from the Ceramics Complex to the tea house. We took off our shoes, quietly entered and sat down to contemplate the scroll with cherry blossoms.
And then Kaori Ono, ceramics workshop assistant to Ayako Tsutsumi, worked some tea house magic. I was spellbound as she ceremonially folded the red napkin, swished hot water around the bowl, tapped the tea scoop(with great intention) and whisked the green matcho tea. The ritual of serving tea is an art performance that has existed since the 12th Century!
In the ceremony I attended, Paula Rice, professor of ceramics, served as "Hanto," or the person who actually delivers the tea to the guests.
"I tried to bring out my gracious Japanese self, which is a trick when you are tall and blond," Rice told me. "I wore the kimono that they had given me, a very fine gift indeed."
Tea bowls are traditionally more aesthetically important than the tea pot, and the ones we used were on loan from the NAU Art Museum's permanent collection. My bowl was red porcelain, with a beautiful floral design.
The ceremony quieted me down from a busy day. It made me stop and drink in the beauty of nature and art, open my eyes a little wider and savor things more slowly. I think we all walked into the ceremony with some excitement--but we most definitely left it with some peace.
If you're interested in being involved in the ongoing Japanese garden, being a gardener, helping out in construction of the various garden element, or presenting tea ceremonies, please contact Paula Rice at Paula.Rice@nau.edu or 928-600-1826.
