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Black Choreographers Festival

LISS FAIN DANCE 2013 HOME SEASON

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Black Choreographers Festival

LISS FAIN DANCE 2013 HOME SEASON TO FEATURE PERFORMANCE INSTALLATION

“THE WATER IS CLEAR AND STILL”

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum: May 16-19, 2013

www.lissfaindance.org

28 January 2013 – San Francisco, CA: Liss Fain Dance (www.lissfaindance.org) announces its 2013 San Francisco Home Season featuring “The Water is Clear and Still,” a performance installation that combines dance and music with spoken text from Jamaica Kincaid’s short story collection At the Bottom of the River. Fain’s provocative blend of choreography and literature is performed in a surreal immersive installation and sound environment in which the dancers, actor, and audience move together. A hybrid of dance, literature, theater, visual art and music, “The Water is Clear and Still” premiered in San Francisco at Z Space in May 2012. “The Water is Clear and Still” will be presented at Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn, NY, on March 7-8, 2013, in coordination with Farrar, Straus and Giroux, publisher of Kincaid’s new novel See Now Then (2013), following a reading by Kincaid at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on March 6. For the 2013 San Francisco Home Season, “The Water is Clear and Still” will be performed at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum (701 Mission Street @ Third) from Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, May 19, 2013. Performances are Thursday-Friday-Saturday at 8pm; and Sunday at 5pm. Tickets are $30 general/$15 students and seniors. For tickets and information visit www.lissfaindance.org

“The Water is Clear and Still” interweaves Liss Fain’s choreography with the spoken text of Kincaid’s sharp-edged and beautiful stories. In this riveting performance installation, the dance, spoken text, set, and sound environment encompass the performers and the audience. The set—a river in a strangely eerie and surreal grove of trees—and sound environment surround the six dancers, the actor, and the audience, which moves at will into the performance space, close to the dancers, and experiences the work from multiple perspectives.

“Fain’s choreography is both innovative and tied to geometric symmetries at the heart of ballet,” wrote Lauren Gallagher in the San Francisco Examiner (May 28, 2012). “She also welcomes audiences to either move around a piece, or, in the case of ‘The Water Is Clear and Still,’ into it.”

Dance View described “The Water is Clear and Still” as “another of Fain’s transparent and finely shaped works.” The Bay Guardian wrote, “This type of work and Fain’s type of craft are rare today. It’s a pleasure to see an active intelligence engaged in such full-bodied work.”

“The Water is Clear and Still” interweaves Fain’s imagistic, non-narrative choreography and her love of literature, through the spoken text of Kincaid’s stories. “The dance and the literature amplify and illuminate each other,” explains Fain. “The actor makes the images and emotions of the stories palpable. The text becomes a musical score for me. I use the cadences, images and feeling of the stories in creating movement. [Kincaid’s] writing is filled with striking images that can be strange, unsettling and also soothing. The choreography fluctuates as unpredictably as the text.”

“The Water is Clear and Still” was created as a collaborative effort, featuring Fain as choreographer; the company’s six dancers; Val Sinckler, a San Francisco actor with a background in dance who has worked with We Players, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre and Stanford Summer Theater; Dan Wool, composer of the immersive sound environment; installation and lighting designer Matthew Antaky; costume designer Mary Domenico; and projection designer Frédéric Boulay.

Liss Fain Dance tours nationally and internationally with work for proscenium stages and performance installations. Fain’s performance installations have been presented at art galleries, libraries, unusual architectural structures, non-proscenium venues and theaters. “I want people to experience performance installations in places that they normally frequent,” Fain says, “to make them excited and enriched, in an everyday setting, by dance and performance and literature.”

Liss Fain’s work ranges from pure dance pieces to collaborations with composers, lighting and set designers, videographers, actors and technologists. The company’s performance installations bring the audience inside the set and close to the performers. Non-narrative, highly physical and emotionally resonant, Fain’s work fuses modern dance’s forceful energy with the kinetic precision of ballet. Since its founding in Boston in 1988, Liss Fain Dance has premiered over 45 works by Ms. Fain and collaborated with individuals and organizations that include MIT’s Center for Advanced Visual Studies, The Exploratorium and The Apple Multimedia Lab. The company has performed and taught at festivals and venues in Poland, Germany, Belarus, Russia and the UK as well as colleges, universities, festivals and presenting organizations in the US. For more information, call Liss Fain Dance at (415) 380-9433, or visit www.lissfaindance.org

Revolutionary Island: Tales of Cuban History & Culture opens

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Ten Percent

MEDIA ADVISORY / REQUEST FOR ONSITE COVERAGE: FRIDAY, 1/18 – 5PM

Revolutionary Island: Tales of Cuban History & Culture opens

WHAT: Revolutionary Island: Tales of Cuban History & Culture opens

WHO: Cuba’s famous artists on hand: Ruben Alpizar and Esterio Segura and curator Darius Anderson

WHERE: Sonoma Valley Museum of Art: 551 Broadway, Sonoma (just off town square)

WHEN: Friday, January 18: opening reception / media availabilities: 5pm-9pm

WEB: www.svma.org

WHY:

Nothing in Cuba is what it appears,” says Darius Anderson and he should know from his 25 plus years traveling to that fascinating island. From January 19-March 24, 2013, Anderson’s passion for Cuba will be reflected in a new exhibit coming to the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (www.svma.org). Revolutionary Island: Tales of Cuban History and Culture The Sarah and Darius Anderson Collection.

“A culture is expressed through its art,” said Kate Eilertsen, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. “The works in this exhibition provide a profound and realistic assessment of revolutionary to present-day Cuba. Some of the works are powerfully moving, like a series of near life-sized paintings of everyday Cuban people doing everyday things, but all under water. The impact comes when you find that every one of these people of all ages—men, women, even children—have died attempting to cross over by sea to Florida. This personalizes an ongoing tragedy still relevant today.”

The Sarah and Darius Anderson Collection demonstrates that passion with objects as diverse as paintings, sculpture, humidors and more. Through this dynamic and diverse collection viewers will see not only art work illustrating the desire to express non-conformity, or even a sly, knowing wink to the savvy viewer, but also the passion for baseball, love of tobacco and a collection of historic documents that will illustrate the stories that make up the culture and history of this island of revolution. This exhibition will feature Cuban artists: Rene Francisco, Esterio Segura, Ruben Alpizar, Carlos Valera (musician) and many more.

With more than 1,000 members, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA) is the largest visual arts organization in the San Francisco North Bay region. It was incorporated in 1998 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to promote the creation, exhibition, and collection of fine arts, to provide a venue for art exhibition in Sonoma, and to offer educational opportunities for people of all ages. It occupies an 8,000-square-foot space at 551 Broadway, just one-half block south of the historic Sonoma Plaza. The Museum purchased the building in early 2001, and completed extensive renovations in March 2004.

Darius Anderson’s Cuban Connection

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Ten Percent

Darius Anderson’s Cuban Connection

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art to exhibit North Bay business insider’s unique collection of Cuban visual arts, opening January 19, 2013

www.svma.org

17 January 2013 – Sonoma, CA: North Bay business leader Darius Anderson is already widely known for his world-class collection of Jack London manuscripts, first editions and memorabilia. So it is little surprise that it was Sonoma Country’s favorite son that led Anderson to his other collecting passion—for art and artifacts from the island nation of Cuba.

An exhibit of Anderson’s Cuban collection, Revolutionary Island: Tales of Cuban History and Culture, The Sarah and Darius Anderson Collection, opens January 19 at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA) in Sonoma CA.

Anderson is the well-connected consultant, lobbyist and investor whose Sonoma Media Investments group recently acquired The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat and other regional media properties. He is also CEO of Kenwood Investments, a venture fund focused on California development projects, and of Platinum Advisors, a public affairs advisory firm.

Already an avid fan of Jack London adventures at age 16, “I learned that Jack had traveled to Cuba on his honeymoon in 1905,” Anderson recalled. London’s widow Charmian described the couple’s travels in Jamaica and Cuba in her 1921 memoir. “I told myself that one day, I too would visit that exotic place,” Anderson said.

His first visit was love at first sight. “There was a sweetness to the air that enticed me like dark chocolate,” he said, the same sweetness that has drawn him back more than 50 times since. Over the course of years, his fascination grew for the cultural and artistic expressions of the Cuban people in the face of momentous historical events.

From the Spanish-American War in London’s time, to pre-Revolutionary offshore vice capital, to the Cold War hot spot of Anderson’s youth, to the ongoing economic isolation of the present day, “this little island’s impact on the world has been historic,” Anderson says.

How could a small island with a population of just 11 million have such an outsized world impact? Anderson believes the answer lies in the essential cultural character of the Cuban people, combining tolerance and passion that expresses itself in Cuban visual arts across historical periods.

The wide-ranging collection includes graphic and fine arts from the pre-Revolutionary period to the present. Featured themes include commercial arts from Cuba’s native tobacco and rum industries; political poster art from the Cuban Revolution; and contemporary fine art that speaks to Cuba’s unique world role. A timeline of Cuban political and cultural history, illustrated with artifacts, contextualizes the visual art displays.

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to present this important body of works by a prominent local collector. Darius embodies the qualities of vision, enthusiasm, and community involvement that are essential to the work of any important art collector,” said SVMA director Kate Eilertsen.

Anderson acknowledges that his fascination with Cuban art and culture was fed in part by its forbidden nature. The U.S. government has restricted its citizens from travel to Cuba since 1960, part of a program of economic embargo that Anderson regards as Washington’s “greatest international policy failure.”

In addition to his admiration for the Cuban people, Anderson credits family members for inspiring the collection. He honors his parents for teaching him to find beauty in people and places and his wife Sarah for supporting his passion for collecting Cuban art.

With more than 1,000 members, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA) is the largest visual arts organization in the San Francisco North Bay region. It was incorporated in 1998 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to promote the creation, exhibition, and collection of fine arts, to provide a venue for art exhibition in Sonoma, and to offer educational opportunities for people of all ages. It occupies an 8,000-square-foot space at 551 Broadway, just one-half block south of the historic Sonoma Plaza. The Museum purchased the building in early 2001, and completed extensive renovations in March 2004.

A special members’ preview will be held Friday, January 18 at 6 pm. Special programs and events will be held throughout the exhibition. The exhibition will open to the public Saturday, January 19, 2013. Museum hours are Wednesday–Sunday from 11am to 5pm. More information about the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art is available at www.svma.org or by calling (707) 939-7862.

Visit www.jacklondoncollection.com for more information about The Jack London Collection by Sarah & Darius Anderson.

Rainbow Honor Walk

Winner of International Design Competition Announced for San Francisco’s Rainbow Honor Walk

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Rainbow Honor Walk

Winner of International Design Competition Announced for San Francisco’s Rainbow Honor Walk

www.rainbowhonorwalk.org

25 October 2012 – San Francisco, CA: A jury of artists and cultural leaders from San Francisco has selected the winning submission of the international competition to design plaques for the Rainbow Honor Walk (www.rainbowhonorwalk.org), a tribute to be built in San Francisco’s Castro district to honor historic LGBT figures.

“I am greatly honored to have my work selected, especially by a jury of fellow designers and artists,” said Carlos Casuso of Madrid, Spain. “I look forward to working with the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Department of Public Works to bring this tribute to reality.”

Last year, the first 20 names for The Rainbow Honor Walk were announced. This year, the contest solicited design proposals from around the world.

“Now I understand what being an expectant parent in the waiting room must be like,” said Rainbow Honor Walk Co-Founder and Chair David Perry. “The board was thrilled with the jury’s selection and unanimously approved the selection at our recent board meeting. Now, the real work begins: fundraising, fundraising, fundraising.”

Envisioning the Rainbow Honor Walk, a volunteer committee of community leaders received the unanimous support of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to create the sidewalk monument. Eventually, the Walk will stretch from the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy on 19th Street at Diamond down to Castro. On Castro Street — the LGBT community’s “Main Street” – the walk will continue up to Market Street with additional wings along 18th Street. On Market Street, San Francisco’s main thoroughfare, the Walk will continue to the LGBT Center at Octavia Boulevard.

“The Rainbow Honor Walk will not only be an inspiring educational tool for future generations, but an important, ongoing and permanent part of San Francisco’s cultural landscape,” said Tom DeCaigny, Director of Cultural Affairs for the San Francisco Arts Commission in a statement earlier this year. “We are honored and pleased to support this project, and look forward to assisting in any way we can.”

Now that the design template has been chosen, it will be presented to the San Francisco Arts Commission for their approval, in accordance with San Francisco’s Charter, which requires all structures, placed on public property to be approved by the Arts Commission. When that has been completed and the funds have been raised, the plaques will be fabricated and installed in the sidewalks.

Casuso’s design is for a bronze plaque, divided in four quarters. The honoree’s photo, digitally treated so it can be easily engraved in the bronze, occupies the full plaque while one quarter is reserved for the honoree’s biographical information.

Following are the first 20 names selected for inclusion on the Rainbow Honor Walk:
Jane Addams (1860-1935), Social worker, first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, 1931.

James Baldwin (1924-87), American novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, civil rights activist.

George Choy (1960-93): Activist for Asian & Pacific Islander youth and people with AIDS.

Federico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936), Spanish poet, playwright, political activist.

Allen Ginsberg (1926-97), American poet. San Francisco Beat poet/ Free speech activist.

Keith Haring (1958-90), American artist and AIDS activist.

Harry Hay (1912-2002), English born writer, gay rights activist. Founder of The Mattachine Society, 1950.

Sylvester James (1947-88), American disco star, soul singer, San Francisco performer.

Christine Jorgensen (1926-89), Pre-eminent American transgender pioneer and advocate.

Frida Kahlo (1907-54), Mexican artist whose work has been celebrated as emblematic of national and indigenous tradition.

Del Martin (1921-2008), American feminist, gay rights activist. Founder Daughters of Bilitis.

Yukio Mishima nee Kimitake Hiraoka (1925-70), Japanese playwright, poet, actor, film director.

Bayard Rustin (1912-87), American civil rights leader.

Randy Shilts (1951-94), San Francisco journalist, biographer.

Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), American novelist, essayist, playwright.

Alan Turing (1912-54), British scientist who broke the Nazi’s Enigma Code and father of the modern computer, cryptanalyst, logician, mathematician.

Tom Waddell (1937-87), American athlete, physician, founder of the Gay Games.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish playwright, poet, novelist, essayist.

Tennessee Williams (1911-83), American dramatist, poet, novelist.

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), English novelist, essayist, publisher.

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Black Choreographers Festival

9th ANNUAL BLACK CHOREOGRAPHERS FESTIVAL: HERE & NOW

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Black Choreographers Festival

The African & African American Performing Arts Coalition and K*Star*Productions present:

9th ANNUAL BLACK CHOREOGRAPHERS FESTIVAL: HERE & NOW

IN OAKLAND AND SAN FRANCISCO February 9–24, 2013

www.bcfhereandnow.com

22 January 2013 – San Francisco, CA: The African & African American Performing Arts Coalition and K*Star*Productions announce the revised schedule for the 9th Annual Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now (BCF) with three weeks of programs at venues in Oakland and San Francisco, February 9–24, 2013. BCF is an all-community event offering performances, mentoring, master classes, symposia, and special events celebrating African American Art and Culture. Tickets ($10-$20) and information are available at www.bcfhereandnow.com.

Laura Elaine Ellis said, “We are bringing artists together from the Bay Area, New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, the Congo, and Nigeria to collaborate and perform; to inspire and inform!”

The 9th Annual Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now performance schedule includes:

BCF Oakland: Performances at Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon St, Oakland
• Saturday, February 9 at 8pm — BCF Celebrates Dimensions Dance Theater’s 40th Anniversary

A Special Event honoring Artistic Director & Choreographer Deborah B. Vaughan.

• Sunday, February 10 at 4pm — BCF Family Matinee

Featuring Pre-professional Youth Companies performing works by Sarah Crowell, Latanya d. Tigner, Phylicia Stroud, Elvia Marta, Dr. Albirda Rose.

BCF San Francisco: Performances at Dance Mission Theater, 3316 – 24th Street, San Francisco
• Friday-Saturday, February 15-16 at 8pm
• Sunday, February 17 at 4pm & 7pm
BCF Concert Series – New Works and SF Premieres

Featuring Camille A. Brown (New York), Latanya d. Tigner and Kiazi Malonga, Gregory Dawson, Raissa Simpson (Bay Area), Byb Chanel Bibene (Congo)

• Friday-Saturday, February 22-23 at 8pm
• Sunday, February 24 at 7pm
BCF’s Next Wave Choreographers Showcase

Featuring Emerging and Mid-Career Artists Serenity Mlay, Afia Thompson, Colette Eloi, Antoine Hunter, Roquisha Townsend, Jamar Welch, and many more.

Tickets to performances are $10–$20, available through www.bcfhereandnow.com .

Programming is subject to change; please check the website for updates and additional information on performances, master classes, symposia, and other events: www.bcfhereandnow.com. For general information, group sales, and to volunteer, call 866.898.2272.

The 9th Annual Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now Community partners include Dance Mission Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Dimensions Dance Theater, ODC Theater, Laney College Theater, and see.think.dance. Supporters include The San Francisco Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, Zellerbach Family Foundation, City of Oakland Cultural Arts Grants.