Music and Arts

Fed Hock Senior Donates Funds Toward Art Supplies

Bryan_Gibson — Fri, 08 May 2015 21:33:48 +0000

Sarah Guinn - Athens Messenger staff reporter

Coolville, Ohio

^{Alyssa Cole (right) shows her drawing progress to Colleen Byron, a senior, who helped found National Art Society at Fed Hock. (John Halley/Athens Messenger)}

Pretend you're locked in a room for seven days with your favorite food and your favorite music, Coolville Elementary art teacher Sharon Phillips told her fourth graders. You have all the time in the world and all you're going to do is "zentagle," she said, invoking a relaxing, meditative, "zen" attitude.

The art project for the day was made possible by National Art Society students from Federal Hocking High School and funds raised by Tess Kamody's senior project.

Kamody, who is also this year's valedictorian, donated $122 of the money she raised from silversmithing jewelry.

"I wanted the money to go toward something I knew was being used in this cool way, and it's cooler that I get to help contribute," she said.

The project also gave her the chance to give back, having been a Talented and Gifted student of Phillips' from second grade up through sixth, she said.

Kamody bought lots of brand-new permanent markers for the fourth graders to use and also put together "artist packets" filled with a pencil, a special artists' pen, artist trading cards, as well as blank trading cards students can make and decorate themselves.

Senior Colleen Byron and sophomore Gracie Beha, National Art Society members, joined Kamody to teach Phillips' fourth graders how to zentangle for the day, talk to them about Art Club and help promote future artists in the Federal Hocking district.

"I know I loved elementary art and that's what inspired me to continue taking art classes and join Art Club, so if I can give that to other kids, that'd be super awesome," Byron said.

Kamody and Byron are among the founding members of the National Art Society chapter at Federal Hocking High School.

The kids started with tracing a simple mask, and then went wild from there and drew intricate lines and patterns that make up the zentangle art.

Draw a circle, then put squiggles around the circle, then put squiggles the other direction, and then put squares in the middle, Phillips said to her students to give them an example of how to zentangle.

"Ideas are free," she said to the class. "If you want to borrow any of these shapes, do them."

Keara Stout started on her project tracing a mask with double lines over the eyes. From there, she drew lines upward and out, filling in the space with squiggles, big wavy lines here, a line of circles there, and lots of criss-crossing shapes.

"I love it," she said of the zentangle art. "Where I'm able to do anything expressing my drawing or stuff like that, I just love it."

Kamody sat next to Tiffany Allen at the art table and showed her the different zentangle designs and ideas she could use for her drawing.

"I like all the designs and all the details," Tiffany said of her art.

Byron emphasized the need for kids to de-stress and said she believed the time they get in art class can help with that.

"I think that creativity is such an important thing," she said. "Kids need time to just be themselves and be creative and art class is just the perfect opportunity to let kids express themselves."

Athens Co

Coolville Elementary

Arts

OU Theater Alumnus Earns Tony Award Nomination

Bryan_Gibson — Fri, 08 May 2015 14:44:32 +0000

Athens, Ohio

Photo Credit:

WOUB Public Media

Dale Shields, center, visited WOUB in 2012 for a "Studio B" show with Bob Winters, left, and Dennis Dalen, right. Listen to the interview at the bottom of the page.

A graduate of Ohio University’s Theater Division now can add “Tony-nominated” to his list of achievements.

Dale Ricardo Shields has been nominated for the inaugural Excellence in Theatre Education Award, which recognizes a K-12 theatre educator “who has demonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession.”

“I must have reached someone, somewhere,” said Shields, who completed Ohio University’s MFA program in 1995 and earned his BFA in General Theater from OU in 1975. “I feel that I was needed and respected in my nominators’ lives. There is not anything more special than that for a human being.”

The award, which is being given for the first time, is the result of collaboration between the Tony Awards and partner Carnegie Mellon University. A $10,000 cash prize will go to the winner’s school, and $1,000 will go to the schools of the other finalists. The winning teacher will be presented the honor at the 2015 Tony Awards Ceremony at Radio City Music Hall on June 7.

“These are dedicated professionals who discover talented students, nurture them, inspire them, and set them off on a lifelong journey as theatre supporters and professionals,” the Tony Awards website states in its description of the candidates.

Shields recently has taught as a guest artist at Cleveland School of the Arts and currently runs the Cleveland division of Project1voice, a non-profit organization that advocates for and promotes African American theater and playwrights.

He also frequently visits colleges and universities, where he leads student-written productions with the goal of “bringing different races, genders, and creeds” together. “Hopefully it helps the campus become more of a community,” he said.

Shields expressed gratitude toward Ohio University for giving him “a strong artistic and show business foundation.”

“The training program prepared me for both the professional and academic sides of theatre,” Shields said.

As an OU graduate student, Shields served as Production Manager and taught Stage Management and Acting. A resident of the Cleveland area, Shields works as a director, stage manager, and actor. As an actor he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, Another World, The Guiding Light and The Cosby Show.

“The Tony Awards is the top of our business,” said Shields. “It’s certainly taken me by surprise. I don’t know quite what to say. It means everything.”

The Tony Awards, which celebrate excellence in theatre, are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Listen to a 2012 WOUB interview with Dale Shields and his former OU professors Bob Winters and Dennis Dalen.

Ohio

Dale R. Shields

Ohio University Division of Theater

Arts

Logan-Hocking Library Announces Poetry Contest Winners

Bryan_Gibson — Thu, 07 May 2015 18:08:19 +0000

Katharine Hibbard - Logan Daily News reporter

Logan, Ohio

^{Sadie Vaughn (photo provided)}

April was National Poetry Month, and in order to celebrate, Logan-Hocking Pubic Library Children’s Librarian Katy Smith invited the youth of the county to participate in a poetry contest.

“I love poetry, and so I just made it a public thing, and some of the teachers found out about it and required some of the kids to do it in school too,” said Smith, who added that she received somewhere between 100 and 150 entries.

The response that Smith received from students and youth was stunning, and she received entries from several different schools. Because Smith works primarily with children, she did limit the grades by age, with kindergarten through second grade in one category and third grade through sixth grade in another.

Smith judged the poems herself, and stated that she was surprised by many of the poems from the older students, saying she was really moved by how many of them pulled from their personal experiences and they shared some truly powerful emotions.

Originally, Smith had some criteria for the contest, but she eventually decided to throw it out because she didn’t want to limit the children’s creativity. The result was stacks upon stacks of poetry of all different genres and structures. Some of the students scribbled a few lines on lined paper, others wrote free verse poems, some were very structured, and she even received an acrostic poem where the student used the letters of his name to write his entry. Some decorated their entries with drawings, some wrote in color pencil or crayon to inspire more emotion.

Subjects ranged from emotional subjects like true love and heartache, to problems that the students encounter everyday like testing, to happy or funny subjects like springtime and dinner.

After careful consideration, Smith chose the winners based on which poems stood out to her.

The winner of the kindergarten through second grade category is Sadie Vaughn. Vaughn, who is a second grade student at Hocking Hills Elementary, submitted a poem called “Fun at the Library”, which is a lighthearted piece describing the author’s adventures at the library.

“I just thought it was so cute how she talked about all the different things in the library,” laughed Smith.

Logan-Hocking Middle School sixth grader Andrea Diamond was the winner for the third through sixth grade category. Diamond submitted a deeply moving piece about loneliness the struggles that she, like many youth her age, faces when dealing with her peers.

“I just thought was really powerful, it obviously came from personal experience and I thought it was deep and I just loved it,” said Smith.

Smith was excited about the response and overall success of the poetry contest, and is looking forward to conducting another contest next year to honor National Poetry Month.

Here are the winning poems from each category:

Fun at the Library by Sadie Vaughn

At the library I have fun

I never want to be done

I check out a book

About how to cook

A scientist I see

On my way to see the bees

Butterflies are awesome

But they don’t like opossums

The library is full of things to see

So, come read with me!

Crowded Hallways by Andrea Diamond

Crowded hallways are the loneliest places

So many people, so many faces

Time and time, over again,

Stuck in this place without a friend.

Sometimes I feel like I’m about to break,

But it’s about that time, I tell myself to get over it

I keep telling myself, time after time

They can’t judge you ‘til they view from your eyes.

^{Andrea Diamond (photo: Katharine Hibbard/Logan Daily News)}

Hocking Co

poetry

Arts

Q&A with Deanna Tribe, Author of "Vinton County"

Bryan_Gibson — Thu, 07 May 2015 14:43:16 +0000

Tyler Buchanan - Vinton County Courier staff reporter

McArthur, Ohio

Photo Credit:

Tyler Buchanan/Vinton County Courier

Deanna Tribe

Deanna Tribe of McArthur is the author of Vinton County, printed by Arcadia Publishing as part of its Images in America book series.

The book features 128 pages of photographs and stories of Vinton County history, with many photos submitted by residents or provided by the county’s Historical and Genealogical Society.

The book was released on May 4 and is available for sale online and in various businesses around the county.

How did this project start?

I was aware of these (Arcadia) books. My husband did one on Meigs County, and knowing it’s the 200th anniversary of McArthur it’s a perfect time for Vinton County to have one.

What other history books on Vinton County have there been?

There’s the Lew Ogan book (History of Vinton County, Ohio, written in the 1950s), the Louise Ogan Biggs book (A Brief History of Vinton County, written in 1950), the Hixon book where families submitted their own history and the Bay book, written about the Bay family and their section of the county. They’ve been mostly out of print.

What is the framework behind this book?

When I talked to Arcadia, they told me I had to write a proposal. They are interested in sales to know where the book can be sold, especially within the geographic area the book is featuring. The market to sell in McArthur is kind of small, and then I thought, what was going to happen to the rest of the county?

Any really obscure finds?

There is a photo of Ethel Cox, who had the Economy Store in McArthur. It was where Salyer and Griffith’s Law Office is now. It was just a place that kids would go because it had all of these jars full of penny candy. I didn’t have a picture of Ethel Cox’s store that I could find, so I tried to find a picture of her. Finally a lady that volunteers at the historical society had this in her personal collection. She actually operated the store for 50 years. She was active in the community, she was active in the McArthur Alumni Association. For people of my age range and a little older than I, around here, Ethel Cox brings back memories.

What are you hoping will come from this book?

What I think this book might do is it will cause people to think, “Jeez, I’ve got pictures that should’ve been in there.” When we’re talking historic photos, some people think, “Gee, you must mean 1850 or 1815 photos,” and we’re not talking that. We’re talking, you know, yesterday is going to be history in the future...it’s important to have some sort of record of photos and details while it is still fresh in peoples’ minds.

Anything planned for the next few weeks?

The first book signing is going to be during the Wild Turkey Festival. We’re having an open house at the village hall. With the historical society, we’re working with the bicentennial committee (that I’m a part of, too) to do an open house on that Friday and Saturday. The books will eventually be all over town.

Vinton Co

history

Fifth Annual "Cruise-In at the Convo" Scheduled for May 16

Bryan_Gibson — Wed, 06 May 2015 18:05:49 +0000

Athens, Ohio

Photo Credit:

facebook.com

Ohio University and the Ohio University Alumni Varsity Band (AVB) will host the fifth annual Cruise-In at the Convo on May 16. The event benefits Ohio University Marching Band Society of Alumni and Friends (OUMBSAF) initiatives.

Vintage automobile car owners and the general public are invited to attend the free event. There will be door prizes and raffle drawings for those in attendance.

“Every year the turnout has grown; last year there were 75 cars,” said Erica Lipscomb, associate director of external relations at alumni relations, and AVB liaison to the Ohio University Alumni Association.

In only four years AVB has had participants come from 35 different counties in Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

“They expect to see even more car enthusiasts this year with over 300 attendees and 110 registered cars,” Lipscomb said.

Day-of registration will begin at 9 a.m. Car owners pay a $10 registration fee. The judges will arrive at noon to choose award recipients. Lou Horvath, a 1975 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, will act as DJ, public announcer and award presenter for the event. The award ceremony starts at 1:10 p.m.

There are no “best of” categories during the Cruise-In at the Convo, but rather “choice” awards selected by the individual judges. Previous awards have included: the President’s Choice; the OUAA Choice; the OHIO Athletics Choice; and the Ohio University Marching 110 Choice.

Visitors can also select their “choice” cars. In the past, awardees and participating motorists were given dash plaques and T-shirts.

For information or to register for the Cruise-in at the Convo, visit https://secure.www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/OUL/event/showEventForm....

City of Athens

Entertainment

Nerds Rejoice! Ratha Con Returns This Weekend

Bryan_Gibson — Tue, 05 May 2015 16:53:56 +0000

Athens, Ohio

Ratha Con, Athens' own pop culture convention, returns to multiple venues around town this weekend.

This year’s event kicks off on Friday, May 8 at ARTS/West with a pop culture art exhibit from 6-8 p.m. After the art opening, a screening of Brian Morlean's short film Mining Moon will be presented, followed by the sci-fi comedy classic Galaxy Quest. Donations will be accepted.

A full schedule has been planned for Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Athens Community Center, including an appearance by special guest Chalet Lizette Brannan, an up-and-coming child film and television star. Brannan has already been in many projects, including several shows for the Syfy network, and has just signed to star in the new Star Trek project.

Brannan's presence is a big deal for organizer Kelly Lawrence, who launched the convention in 2012 with former ARTS/West Director Emily Prince. Since then, Ratha Con (the name is a nod to the Star Trek movie The Wrath of Khan) has grown steadily each year.

"This year we're hoping for a big crowd because we finally have a celebrity guest: Chalet Lizette Brannan. That's the mark of a convention that has made it...celebrity guests," said Lawrence.

Another special guest will be John Marks, a special effects makeup artist and sculptor from Indianapolis. Several comic/graphic novel artists, including Travis Horseman, creator of Amiculus, will also be on hand. Cassandra Morgan, writer of the Chartile series, will give a presentation on self-publishing.

There will also be several vendors selling comics and collectibles, plus Lego zip line races, lightsaber choreography, bullwhip demonstrations, a Steampunk presentation, model making, RPG games, food vendors and a costume contest with trophies for winners.

New to this year's convention are Quidditch matches with the help of the Ohio University Flying Bobcats. Quidditch is a sport featured in the Harry Potter book series.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 12-17. Children 11 and under will be admitted free with a paid adult.

Following the day's activities, there will be a night of fun at Casa Nueva and Cantina on West State Street. Attendees are highly encouraged to wear their costumes. Music will be provided by Sector7G and Thoughtbeat, featuring a mix of classic dance music, eight-bit video game samples and sci-fi themes, accompanied by video projector visuals.

The music at Casa will begin at 10 p.m. Admission is free for those 21 and over and $2 for patrons under 21.

For Lawrence, the success of Ratha Con is proof that comic conventions can thrive outside of big cities.

"Emily and I both love geek culture," she explained. "We were always sad to not make it to Comic Con in California, the original comic convention. So we decided that we would try to have one for ourselves. And word of mouth has been very positive. We have more and more people liking our Facebook page and we're getting calls at ARTS/West all the time from people wanting to know more."

For information about Ratha Con, visit www.rathacon.blogspot.com.

^{Artwork by Shawn Langley}

"Arsenic and Old Lace" to be Performed at Stuart's Opera House

Adam_Rich — Mon, 04 May 2015 17:15:41 +0000

Athens, Ohio

The ABC Players discuss "Arsenic and Old Lace"

On this episode of Conversations from Studio B, the Athenian Berean Community Players stop by the studio to talk about their upcoming performance of Arsenic and Old Lace.

Host Rita Preston welcomes director James Euto, Joe Balding, Cecilia Rinaldi and Linda Watkins to talk about the play and its cast.

Curtain time for Arsenic and Old Lace is 8 p.m. on May 14, 15 and 16, and 2 p.m. on May 17 at Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville. Tickets may be purchased at stuartsoperahouse.com

For more information on the ABC Players, visit abcplayers.org

City of Athens

abc players

Athenian Berean Community Players

Conversations from Studio B

Zanesville Art And Garden Lectures, Gala Announced

Bryan_Gibson — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 15:02:29 +0000

Zanesville, Ohio

Photo Credit:

Mission Oaks Gardens

Mission Oaks Gardens, Zanesville, Ohio

The Zanesville Museum of Art and the John McIntire Library will host five of the region’s top gardening experts this May for a series of art and gardening lectures.

Each of these five lectures is free and open to the public and will explore aspects of artful gardening.

"We are excited to partner once again with John McIntire Library," said Zanesville Museum of Art Executive Director Laine Snyder. "These lectures are among several events this year that represent the growing partnership between the library and the museum."

“An outcome from our strategic planning process was the community encouraged the library to focus in the areas of Read, Discover, Learn, and Create," added Sandi Plymire, director of Libraries. "Our partnership with the museum in general, and this lecture series in particular, certainly respond to these community priorities."

This exciting and informative lecture series is one in a series of spring programs designed to appeal to, and enrich, this region’s gardening community.

"There are so many wonderful gardeners in this region," said Snyder. "It was a natural decision to host these art and gardening lectures as part of our spring program lineup. In a way, these programs provide us with another way to recognize and support the interests of the Meadow Vale Garden Club and the Master Gardeners who volunteer their time and expertise at the museum."

Notable area gardens highlighted

Notable area gardens highlighted in this series include the Dawes Arboretum, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and Zanesville’s own Mission Oaks Gardens. Each lecture is scheduled for one hour. The full lineup is below:

"The Artistry of Bonsai" with the Columbus Bonsai Society’s Tom Holcomb, May 2 at the John McIntire Library, 1 p.m. No reservations are required.

"Mission Oaks Gardens" with founder Bert Hendley, May 9 at the Zanesville Museum of Art, 11 a.m. No reservations are required.

"Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Broad Inclusion of the Arts" with Conservatory Executive Director Bruce Harkey, May 16 at the Zanesville Museum of Art, 11 a.m. No reservations are required.

"The Nature of Beauty—the Beauty of Nature" with garden designer and lecturer Debra Knapke, May 20 at the John McIntire Library, 12 a.m. A box lunch is available at 11:30 a.m. Reservations are required. Please contact the John McIntire Library at 740-453-0391, ext. 116.

"The Dawes Arboretum: A Landscape for the Ages" with Dawes Director of Horticulture Michael Ecker, May 23 at the John McIntire Library, 11 a.m.

Art in the Garden Gala planned

These lectures are part of series of garden-inspired initiatives at the Zanesville Museum of Art, including the third annual Art in the Garden Gala and Garden Tour, which is sponsored by the museum’s affiliate group—The Beaux Arts Club. This year the Art in the Garden Gala takes place inside the museum on Saturday, June 13 from 6:30-10 p.m. at the museum.

The festivities continue the following day with the much-celebrated Garden Tour. Ticket holders can tour eight lovely area gardens including the garden of Minnesota Timberwolves basketball player and Zanesville native Kevin Martin. Tickets may be purchased for $15 in advance at www.zanesvilleart.org. All proceeds benefit the Zanesville Museum of Art.

For further information, visit www.zanesvilleart.org or call 740-452-0741.

Ohio

zanesville museum of art

Arts

OU Professor Wins International Printmaking Award

Bryan_Gibson — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 15:53:46 +0000

Athens, Ohio

Photo Credit:

Art Werger

OU professor Art Werger is one of the winners of the 2015 Guanlan International Print Prize for this print called "Night Fall."

Art Werger, professor of printmaking at Ohio University’s School of Art and Design, has been named a winner of the 2015 Guanlan International Print Prize as part of the exhibition at the Guanlan International Print Biennial.

The biennial, which takes place in Guanlan, China, focuses artistic and academic ability and will showcase artists from around the world.

“It’s just such an incredible honor,” said Werger, who plans to attend the exhibition opening in China, on May 12. In addition to prize money, his print, titled “Night Fall,” will take permanent residence in China’s Printmaking Museum.

Werger’s print was one of 11 winners out of more than 4,000 works submitted. Werger made the print using a color etching and aquatint method, which he considers as “the same type of work” he has been doing for 35 years. “So to receive international recognition is quite a fulfillment of all those years — not just one particular piece,” he said.

“Night Fall,” which depicts a city scene from a high angle, is part of a 30-plus year body of work Werger described as “aerial imagery.” Werger first did the linear drawing for the piece five years ago and then put it in the drawer before revisiting the project more recently. The process he uses takes about 6 months on average from start to finish.

Werger, who counts legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock as a recurring influence, approaches his prints like a director might approach a film. The result is an experience that “relies on the viewer to interpret the scene and ultimately come to a conclusion.

“As you move closer, there are little stories and vignettes, which bring the viewer into play,” Werger said.

The professor attended China’s last biennial in 2013, along with his wife, Karla Hackenmiller, who also teaches printmaking at Ohio University.

Werger, who grew up in the suburbs of New York, studied illustration and painting at the Rhode Island School of Design. He has works in The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Boston Public Library, the Brooklyn Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and more than 300 corporate and private collections.

City of Athens

Ohio University School of Art + Design

Arts

"Picture Perfect" Photography Show Opens In Jackson

Bryan_Gibson — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 15:25:58 +0000

Jackson, Ohio

Photo Credit:

flickr.com/photos/10707024@N04/

Markay Cultural Arts Center

The 11th Annual Jackson County Picture Perfect Amateur Photography contest and exhibit, a project of The Jackson County Times-Journal, is currently on display at the Markay Cultural Arts Center, located at 269 E. Main St., Jackson.

The entries, in both youth and adult divisions, are being featured through May 22.

People's Choice voting ends on May 10. Ballots must be cast at the Markay. Voters are allowed to vote once per day.

The exhibit is open each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 12-5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 1-3 p.m. or by special arrangement for groups by calling 740-286-6355.

Entries will be judged for a wide variety of cash awards. Prizes in the youth and adult divisions will be awarded.

The Grand Prize is $75 in each division. The Second Prize is $50 and the Third Prize is $25. A $50 award will be given to the Best Representation of Life in Jackson County Photograph in each division as well. The Peoples Choice Prize will be $25.

Contest winners will be announced on May 15 at www.timesjournal.com, as well as in the May 17 edition of The Jackson County Times-Journal.

Ohio

Markay Cultural Arts Center

photography

Arts