2nd International Celebration of Peace: Africa

Jocelyn Pleasant

Artists for World Peace began in 2003.  Its members, artists and activists, have a goal to feed the hungry, house the poor and encourage peace throughout the world, working one person, one family, one community at a time.  Founded by Wendy Black-Nasta (Executive Director) and Dr. Robert Nasta (Musical Director) the history of Artists for World Peace began with the creation of The International Peace Belt.
Wendy Black-Nasta, an internationally acclaimed jewelry designer, received a phone call in 2000 from Hartford Courant and Connecticut Magazine reporter Bill Daly.  She was one of four artists that he reached out to inquiring about ideas on how to incorporate old European currency, that was being replaced by the Euro, into an art work.  Wendy first thought was of one of her jewelry students who was also a belly dancer.  The mesmerizing sight and sound of the bells that she wore became inspiration for a “belt for peace.” She began sending out requests to family, friends and clients asking them to send her a coin from their country.  When coins were unattainable from some countries Wendy used gemstones found in that particular region. Twenty-four months later she had acquired 144 pieces and with a team of apprentices and former students the belt was fabricated in the summer of 2003.  The Peace Belt made its first international appearance later that year at an event in India, attended by more than 150,000 people.  This successful premier event led to the creation of the foundation.

Since that first event in 2003, the International Peace Belt has traveled to more that twenty-five countries on five continents and has been worn during hundreds of artistic performances, sacred ceremonies and at peace and spiritual gatherings.  It has traveled to New York City (Ground Zero), South Korea, Haiti, Spain, Brazil, Tanzania, Egypt, Tonga and many other locations around the world.  Coins and gemstones are continually added to the belt as it traverses the globe.  The belt has become a living link between cultures and a symbol of peace and unity of all nations, of all people as one. 

To support their projects around the world Artists for World Peace will be hosting its 2nd International Celebration of Peace on Saturday, May 1- 6pm at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown.  This year they will celebrate Africa in anticipation of AFWP's fourth trip to Tanzania.  The gala will feature African cuisine, an art auction of superb African-inspired work, and live music and dance, including performances by percussionist Jocelyn Pleasant and The Manding Troubadors, Abraham Adzenyah and the Wesleyan University West African Ensemble, and Sankofa Kuumba Dance Ensemble.  Joining members of the Artists for World Peace on this summer's sojourn to Tanzania will be optometrists and eye-glass technicians, led by professor Raymond Dennis, who will operate an eye clinic in the community health center that AFWP helped build in Kibosho.  In addition, the group is planning to ship medical supplies for the health center, as well as bicycles and soccer equipment for the children.  Tickets for the May 1st event are $100. Join Artists for World Peace for an fun night of food, art and music in the Wadsworth Mansion's elegant setting.  For more information or to purchase tickets click here.

Rhythms of Dancing

With a rhythmic concert program “The Shoreline’s Own” Shoreline Chorale will present “Rhythms of Dancing” at 4pm Sunday, April 27 at the Westbrook High School.

Choral selections emphasize the rhythmic qualities of numerous dance styles, including German waltz, Hungarian, Latin (tango, Cachucha), African (Nigerian, Shona), and American (folk, Shaker) styles. Some rhythms move in smooth cadence, some step intricately, while others drive boisterously.

The Chorale’s lively Shoreliners Quintet will perform "Soft Shoe Song” (The Dance My Darlin' Used to Do), composed by Sid Bass with lyrics by Roy Jordan, in a rendition arranged for this concert by chorale and quintet member Charles Houlihan. With its very smooth and leisurely cadence, the soft shoe style was made famous by Fred Astaire, George M. Cohan and Pat Rooney, and has withstood the test of time. This number is sure to bring memories of that era of American music and dance.
And what would dance music be without dancing? Performance teams from the Westbrook Dance Academy will demonstrate their award winning routines, as groups and pairs will perform the lyrical “Pianoman,” the ballet “Adagio,” and the contemporary “Haunting.”

Ballroom dance champions Barbara Malinsky and husband Richard, will perform a tango during the choral selection called “Tango to Evora.” The Malinskys are Madison residents and Barbara also sings in the Chorale. As nationally ranked US amateurs they won first place in all single dances in the 1997 United States National Championships in Delaware, and ranked as third place champions in the Championship Division in the 2000 National Championships in Providence, Rhode Island. The Malinskys have been dancing together for 25 years, and have won numerous first place awards in regional competitions on the East Coast.

Instrumentally, clarinetist Russ Becker and accompanist Joyce Baxter and will perform a tango duet by Astore Piazzola. Piazzolla created the ‘new tango’ style, called the Argentine Tango, and was recognized by American music critic Stephen Holden as “the world’s foremost composer of tango music".

After deciding to perform a concert of rhythmic dance music, the Chorale needed to distinguish that this is a choral concert, rather than a dancing event. So the title “Rhythms of Dancing” was selected to emphasize the musical aspect of the theme. A silhouetted couple dancing tango was also selected to represent the popular Latin style to be performed in several of the selections on the program.

The chorale’s Music Director Rachael Allen also serves as director of choral music at Westbrook High School, and accompanist Joyce Baxter also serves as Music Director at the Clinton Congregational Church.

The concert will be performed at 4pm Sunday, April 27 at the Westbrook High School, 156 McVeagh Road in Westbrook. Tickets are $15 with children under 12 free. A reception will follow the concert. For more information, call 203-245-2887 or visit www.shorelinechorale.org.

Jazz NightOut Spring Concert

National Jazz Month with the Arts Center Killingworth

Jazz NightOut Spring Concert and Jammin’ Exhibit at the New Spectrum Gallery

 

Celebrating April’s Jazz Appreciation Month, the Arts Center Killingworth presents Jazz NightOut with acclaimed flutist Keith Marks and Trio on April 26 (7:30pm) at The Katharine Hepburn Cultural ArtsCenter in Old Saybrook.  A biannual sellout event, Jazz NightOut includes a cash wine bar, free appetizers and a dessert reception.  Connecticut’s Cedric Mayfield & Epitome opens the evening.

Marks, a nationally-recognized flutist has worked with jazz legends Ron Carter and Dave Burrell, and played for luminaries such as Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter.  He is a regular at New York City jazz clubs and major music festivals, and has garnered rave reviews for his cd releases.  Marks has forged a unique and commanding rhythmic voice from a seemingly delicate instrument, with Jazz Review noting “few artists are deserving of more recognition than Marks.”  Music critic George Kanzler has called Marks “an infectiously funky Pied Piper of the jazz flute.”  At Jazz NighOut, the Trio will perform favorites such as “All Blues” by Miles Davis, “Straight, No Chaser” by Thelonious Monk, “Afro Blue” by Mongo Santamaria, and “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by jazz fusionist Josef Zawinul.

In conjunction with Jazz NightOut, the Arts Center announces the opening of its new Spectrum Gallery and Store with Jammin’, an exhibit of fine art and crafts inspired by jazz.  April 18 through May 26 (61 Main Street, Centerbrook), the show features the work of New York painter Michael Singletary and a select group of local and regional artists working in oil, acrylic, encaustic, photography and more.  Singletary’s portraits of major jazz figures have been exhibited at the Whitney and American Craft Museums, and are included in the MOMA Library and Library of Congress.  His work has been shown with notable artists including Andy Warhol, Chuck Close, David Hockney and Robert Mapplethorpe, and was featured on The Cosby Show and in Spike Lee's films Mo Better Blues and Jungle Fever.


In addition to Singletary, other artists showing in Jammin’ include a wide-range of local and regional painters, photographers, mixed media artists, sculptors, and numerous artisans working in jewelry, glass, pottery, ceramic, origami, weaving and quilting. Many of the artists and artisans have created unique“signature” pieces using their love of jazz as inspiration specifically for this show!

Multiple Gallery events are open to the public including Jammin’s Open Reception, Friday, April 18, (6:30-9 pm) at Spectrum and includes live music by JazzMan Entertainment, wine and refreshments.  Friday, May 2 (6:30-8:30) spend the evening participating in a monthly free program, Drawing in the Gallery.  Use the work of Jammin’ artists as inspiration for sketching or for the start of a new piece.  All levels welcome.  Sunday, May 4 (2pm), meet Jammin’ artist Frank Federico, an award-winning colorist and contemporary impressionist who demonstrates his painting techniques, and discusses his passion for jazz and its influence on his work.  Friday, May 9 (7:30pm) Spectrum Gallery screens Gumbo, the first episode of Ken Burns’ iconic PBS documentary on the history of jazz.  Friday, May 16 (7:30pm) expressionist painter and Jammin’ artist Andres Chaparro leads a discussion and offers an interactive demonstration on his fluid and free creative process, reflecting spontaneous emotion over traditional convention.  He incorporates found objects, strong color contrast, and distorted subject matter. 


In 2014, Spectrum Gallery and Store will present approximately five exhibits showcasing painting, mixed media, sculpture and photography.  All Gallery exhibits will include free educational events such as artist discussions, demonstrations, family days, screenings and drawing in the gallery.  Spectrum Gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday (11am-6pm) and Sunday (11am-5pm).

For Jazz NightOut tickets please call (860) 663-5593 or visit www.artscenterkillingworth.org.  Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended.  For more information about the new Spectrum Gallery and Store in Centerbrook, including the five-week long Jammin’ exhibit, call (860) 767-0742 and visit www.spectrumartgallery.org.

YOGA at LAA

Lyme Art Association will be offering The Art of Yoga, an all-level gentle yoga class with a total relaxation focus. This six-week introductory series will introduce an eclectic blend of yoga flows and healing modalities that cultivate the "Ahhh Effect."  ALL are welcome, from anyage, stage or ability.  Relax your body while surrounded by the beautiful art on the gallery walls.  Laura Jean Kokoska, a registered nurse and certified Kundalini yoga instructor assures that these classes can be handled by all,  "This class will be fun, restorative, interactive, lighthearted, and not super-serious," Kokoska says and notes, "People are welcome to be intrasspective and contemplative.  This new offering at LAA will be held on Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8pm starting on the first day of spring, March 20th, and running through April 24th.  The fee for the six-week course is $108.  For more information and to pre-register, please contact DNA yogi, Laura Jean at (860) 908-0960 or by email at dnayogi@gmail.com.

Happy Bards-Day!

April 23 will mark the 450th birthday of William Shakespeare.  Worldwide celebrations will be taking place to recognize the world's greatest playwright and poet.  Did you know that Shakespeare coined phrases that we use daily - phrases like a laughing stock, dead as a doornail, fair play, neither here nor there, in stitches and many more?  A prolific writer, the Bard authored 37 full plays, 3 poems and 154 sonnets full of characters,  themes, and plots still  relevant today.  If Stratford-on-Avon is not in your immediate travel plans there will be many opportunities locally to help celebrate this giant of literature.  The Blackstone Library in Branford has several special offerings in April that are open to the public, both as audience and as participants.  On Saturday, April 12 from 2 - 4pm, Shakesperience Productions, Inc. will bring a special theatrical presentation of The Tragedy of Macbeth.  The presentation is free but seating is limited. Reservations are a must.  Then beginning at 12:00 Noon on Friday, April 25 the first annual 24-hour marathon read of select works from Shakespeare kicks off.  It will continue through Noon on Saturday, April 26.  During the day (weather permitting) this is a picnic-friendly event featuring volunteers who will read plays and sonnets outside on the grounds of the Blackstone Library.  Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets and enjoy the open air renditions of some Shakespeare favorites.  Evening readings will take place in the library.  Readers are still needed.  Readers are asked to sign up in 15-minute increments.  Sign ups can be individually or as a group.  Costumes and props are not necessary but are welcome. Hint: Don't worry about pronunciation.  Just come and have fun!  Help bring Shakespeare's words into the voices, bodies and imaginations of our Shoreline community in this first annual round-the-clock reading marathon.  Click here to sign up. 

Illustration by Jonathan Aruny

Broadway Bound Theater Experience

 

 

Ages 8 to 15; $325 per two-week session
Monday – Friday, 9 am to 3 pm

This two-week program is for boys and girls ages 8-15 and gives your child the opportunity to experience every aspect of staging a musical with onstage and backstage roles for everyone – singing, dancing, acting, creating sets, and assembling costumes – all in just 10 days! These shows are abridged, fully-licensed presentations and over the past 13 years, CMS productions have included “Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr.,” “Cats,” “Seussical, Jr.,” and “Annie, Jr.” among others.
Students must be 8 years old by the first day of the program to be eligible for enrollment. Payment is due at the time of registration, which may be done online, by phone (860-767-0026), or in person (90 Main Street, Centerbrook).

Daily sessions run from 9 am to 3 pm. Participants will receive by mail a packet including all necessary forms and describing the lead role audition and role-assignment process, what to bring, etc.  Students must commit to and attend the full 2 weeks of the program. A $25 penalty for cancellations received prior to June 21st will be assessed. There will be NO REFUNDS OR CREDITS for cancellations received after June 21st. A limited number of scholarships are available, please download and complete the Summer 2014 Scholarship Application.

Broadway Bound East with Shari Wilcox: PETER PAN JR. July 7 – 18, 2014    Evening performance on 7/18 and matinee performance on 7/19: $325 per student Chester Meeting House, 4 Liberty Street, Chester, CT

Wendy Darling loves to tell stories to her brothers, Michael and John. But when her father announces she must move out of the nursery, Peter Pan comes to visit the children and whisks them away to Never Land. Their adventure introduces them to the Lost Boys, Mermaids, Indians and even the infamous pirate, Captain Hook!
Based on the Disney film and J.M. Barrie’s enchanting play, Disney’s Peter Pan JR. is a modern version of the timeless tale about a boy who wouldn’t grow up with no flying required! The score includes new arrangements of classic Disney songs, such as “Following the Leader,” “You Can Fly,” “The Second Star to the Right” and “Yo Ho, A Pirate’s Life for Me.” Listen to these magical songs here!

Broadway Bound West with Joni Gage: XANADU JR! - July 21 – Aug. 1, 2014    Performance on 8/1
$325 per student; Westbrook High School, 156 McVeagh Road, Westbrook, CT

It’s time to believe in magic with XANADU JR!
It’s 1980 and the magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira (portrayed in the movie version by Olivia Newton John), descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, as he strives to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first roller disco! But, when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds.
This hilarious, musical adventure about following your dreams, rolls along with a hit score. With songs including, “Magic”, “All Over The World”, “Suddenly”, “I’m Alive”, “Evil Woman” and “Xanadu”, to name a few, this JR. title still has all the fun and excitement of the original production. Check out these sensational songs here!

It’s hilarity on wheels for children, adults and anyone who has ever wanted to feel inspired.  You’ll want to keep the music in your head, and XANADU JR! in your heart, forever.

Welcome Back Alumni!

Angle of Light by Terry Dagradi

Veggies by Ellen Hoverkamp

Shoreline Arts Alliance is excited to announce a new event held in conjunction with the 33rd annual IMAGES Photography competition and exhibition.  Some of our alumni photographers of the IMAGES program have donated photographs for a special auction evening preceding the opening of the IMAGES 2014 exhibition.  On Friday night, April 4 beginning at 6pm the public is invited to a sneak preview of the IMAGES 2014 exhibition and to participate in a silent and live auction of art from former award winning IMAGES photographers.  Join us at the Mill Gallery of the Guilford Art Center, 411 Church Street, Guilford.  This event is a wonderful opportunity for adding to your art collection or perhaps to start a fine art collection.  Many of the photographers who have generously donated their work to Shoreline Arts Alliance for this event have or have had work hung in prestigious galleries around the country including the White House.
Work will be presented by Eric Hummel, auctioneer for this special event.  Photographs include color, black & white, Polaroid, scanned images while embracing a wide variety of subject matter.  Photographers that have offered their work for auction, to date, include: Melanie Barocas Mayer, Christopher Beauchamp, Marion Belanger, Joseph Ciffarelli, Terry Dagradi, Joan Fitzsimmons, Robert Giannotti, Ellen Hoverkamp, Keith Johnson, Aaron Kotowski, Sean Kernan, Jack McConnell, Jan Murdock, Jerry Reed, Joanne Schmaltz, and Harold Shapiro. 

Many of the artists will be in attendance and guests will have an opportunity to meet them and learn about their work as photographers while you sip, snack and share in the photographic excellence of Connecticut artists.  The event is free and open to the public.