NEWS #123 WEB - shemerartcenter.org

enaissance
French Institute of Arizona
Where French is Français
Bulletin of the
Art Renaissance Initiative
a 501[c][3] nonprofit cultural organization
Bimonthly nº 123 — Sept / Oct 2014
Vivaldi Society of America
Arizona Vivaldi Festival
Theartofone'stime
F
One of the famous Women by Willem de
Kooning (1904-1997). Another painting of
the same series sold for 160 million dollars
in 2006. Whether you like it or not is
irrelevant. As humorist Art Buchwald said:
"If it sells, it's art."
Contents
The art of one's time
Calendar
Heard on South Side Street
Art series at the Shemer
Julia Chacon, flamenco dancer
Art Festival at the Herberger
Recital with Isola Jones
1+2
1+4
2
3
3
3
4
or reasons historians will have to explore, after WWII, when the art market moved from Europe to New York, a
disconnect happened between the public
at large and what was presented to them as
the most representative art of the period.
The phenomenon is in itself an interesting
societal issue, since the vocation of art is
to illustrate a culture in its social, political and spiritual dimensions. If a society
doesn't recognize itself in the production
of a few artists selling for millions, the
people can ask legitimately: is this the art
of our time?
Nothing really new here. Art can be
ahead of its own time, as demonstrated by
the Impressionists who struggled to survive
before being widely successful. But what
we observe today is the reverse: the most
successful artists are questioned by a public
more educated than ever before.
I won't discuss here the merits of those
artists who sell for extravagant amounts
of money (a Warhol worth more than a
Rembrandt?). It is clear that new mechanisms are a play that have been foreign to
the realm of art since the origins: media
hype and financial speculation. The sensational transactions that make front pages
and "breaking news" simply expose the
role of money in our society, with little
consideration for the art itself.
Time will sort it all out. In the meantime, let's support the creative integrity
of countless, genuine artists who are "out
of the loop" of the speculation frenzy,
who struggle to survive while creating
and sharing beauty with us. This was the
unfortunate fate of a Van Gogh, while
Meissonier was the king of the place.
Who remembers Meissonier?
Michel Sarda
For here we are, not afraid
to follow truth wherever it may lead,
nor to tolerate error
so long as reason is free to combat it.
Thomas Jefferson
Events of Note
Art Renaissance Luncheon
Thurs., Sept. 11 at 12 noon sharp
Julia Chacon, a talented flamenco
dancer, will share her artistic journey.
(see p.3) At Vincent's, 3930 E. Camelback. $25 inclusive. RSVP (602)
954-6573.
Picasso at the Shemer
Thurs., Sept. 11, 6 to 7:30 pm
See Info p 3. Additional info at
www.shemerartcenter.org
MusicaNova Young Artists seriesSat., Sept. 13 at 4 pm
Samuel Xu, age 13 at the piano and
David Kwak, 12 at the violin will make
you believe in tomorrow's great talents.
At the AZ Piano Company, 4134 East
Wood St, Phoenix 85040. More info at
www.musicanovaaz.com
Romance, Deception & Revenge
Fri., Sept 19 at 7:30 pm
With popular mezzo-soprano Isola
Jones - don't miss! See p. 4
South Mountain Community College
7300 S. 24th St, Phoenix. FREE.
Two operas for one at ASU
Oct. 2, 4 & 5 at 7:30 pm
Purcell's Dido & Eneas and Pergolesi's
La Serva Padrona at the Evelyn Smith
Music Theatre. Tickets and info at
herbergerseason.asu.edu
The Ways of Water at HTC
Opening Fri., Oct. 3 at 5:30 pm
A show dedicated to the magic of water.
At the Herberger Theater Center, 222
E. Monroe. Free admission. Info at
www.herbergertheater.org
2
opinion & society
HeardontheSouthSideStreet
byDonnaleeSarda
W
ho said the following, and where?
“I got the badge. You got the skin. Now
beat it.” “I’ll even lend a hand to get rid of
the scum.” “… and then you [ethnic group]
get what you’ve been itchin’ for: use of the
playground, use of the gym… the streets,….
So what if they do turn this whole town into
a stinkin’ pig pen.”
”I’'ll f*cking kill you,” he says as he points
his automatic assault weapon at the peacefully gathered crowd. My name is “officer
Go F*ck yourself.”
And who said this?
“All of you. You all killed him! Not with bullets, or guns, but with hate.”
M
any savvy Renaissance readers will recognize that all of these lines except
the one containing the classic swear word
came from the Broadway hit that was the
first sophisticated piece to bring societal
conflict as a main focus to musical theater.
Police Lt. Schrank ‘s character spouted all
of the first three lines. Maria, played in
the 1961 film version by Nathalie Wood,
passionately spoke the last lines: “You all
killed him…”
With this reference to Nathalie Wood,
those of us over 40 now are assured where
these famous lines come from. Further,
we are made aware that 57 years after its
Broadway launch, and some 67 years after
the initial concept was discussed in the late
1940s as East Side Story, West Side Story
reveals American society hasn’t changed
much. Despite the dark themes, the story
has continued to resonate with three generations.
Not only does Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliette of the 1590s still compel, but the
Bard himself borrowed the star-crossed
lovers theme whose deaths and near deaths
reconcile fighting factions from even earlier times. And today, the fighting factions
continue, based on man’s propensity to act
out his anger and the uniquely human motivation called revenge.
A
fter successful years on Broadway, in
London and with traveling companies,
the play has received numerous revivals,
including a recent one. This year in Phoenix, I saw two of them – one with AZ Theatre Company at the Orpheum Theater
(magnificent), and one with Valley Youth
Theatre, (nearly as magnificent), and with
a cast of 37 out of 40 under the age of 20,
held at the Herberger Theater.
The August 2014 production by VYT
came on the heels of several notorious police shootings in the U.S. The dialogue
I heard from the character of police Lt.
Schrank (not to be confused with Officer
Krumpke) reminded me of recent police
shootings of unarmed men in Missouri
and the ensuing protest where the above
mentioned four-letter quotes were heard
from a real life lieutenant who has since
been suspended and later resigned from the
St. Ann, Missouri police force. The words
could as easily been heard in Staten Island,
South L.A, and south Dayton during the
same time. The immigrant slur reminded
me of those at the southern border of my
state and elsewhere this month protesting
undocumented children and their mothers
clamoring to gain entrance to the U.S.
During some 70 years, the dialogue hasn’t
rewritten itself. We each still see through
our own 3D glasses. Now, the only change
might be the title, South Side Story.
Before Lt. Schrank exits stage -center during a drug store scene, he lets us know that
he knows he is just plain mean, or, more
correctly, tainted. He lets us know that
he has become his surly self by trying to
keep the gang members in line. I almost
felt sorry for the bastard.
Note: The original Broadway production,
directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins produced by Harold Prince and Robert
E. Griffith launched in 1957, with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, marked Stephen
Sondheim’s Broadway debut. It ran for 732
performances before a London production
and touring companies began, and its return
to Broadway for another 200+ performances.
The film version appeared in 1961 with Nathalie
Wood as innocent Maria, Richard Beymer as
her lover, a former Jet’s gang member striving
to mature in a world of juvenile delinquents,
George Chakaris as heffe Bernardo in the latino gang The Sharks, and indefatigable Rita
Moreno as his girl and Maria’s confidant, Anita.
(The latter two winning Academy Awards.) The
light skinned Jets versus the Puerto Rican
Sharks sang and danced to numbers we now
know as love songs ”Maria,” “Tonight,” and
“Somewhere,” and novelty numbers “America”
and “I Feel Pretty.”
Art Renaissance Series
art & culture
at the Shemer Art Center
Picasso,The Family, 1904
5005 E. Camelback, Phoenix, AZ 85018
$5 contrib. to drinks & snacks
Pablo Picasso,
ArtNews
J
ulia Chacón was born in Albuquerque, NM and raised in Phoenix. She
trained extensively in ballet, and started
Spanish dance at age 12 with Lydia
Torea (former principal soloist with
José Greco). Julia graduated from the
University of New Mexico where she
studied modern dance and flamenco.
Throughout college she attended New
Mexico’s Festival Flamenco, arguably
the most prestigious flamenco event
outside of Spain.
After college Julia moved to Madrid,
Spain to study at Amor de Dios studios.
She returned to the US and joined
María Benítez’ Teatro Flamenco (Santa
Fe, NM) with whom she performed
four seasons. She completed 6 national
tours with Flamenco Vivo Carlota Sanana (NY) working with artists such as
Antonio Hidalgo, Matias Lopez Exposito, Gaspar Rodriguez, Andres Peña,
Angel Rojas, and others.
Since 2012 she has split her time between the U.S. and Seville, Spain where
Julia Chacon
she performs with José Galván y su
Cuadro. In Phoenix, she directs Inspiración Flamenca and performs with Flamenco por la Vida and Jacome Flamenco.
We are proud to welcome Julia as our
guest artist at our Sept. 11 luncheon at
Vincent's. See Calendar.
Max Ernst, The Toilet of the Bride, 1940
(1881-1973)
An honest assessment of the most revered artist of the 20th century.
Presentation and slide show
by Michel Sarda
Thurs., June 10 from 6 to 7:30 pm
Come early - limited seating.
3
The Surrealists in Paris
(1920-1940)
uring and immediately after WW I,
a group of European rawdy young
artists and writers worked at reinventing
their culture. They changed the way we
look at art and many made a (big) name
for themselves in the process.
Presentation and slide show by
Michel Sarda
Thurs., June 10 from 6 to 7:30 pm
Come early - limited seating.
D
✄
For all families !
A unique opportunity to combine fun and
exposure to various forms of art, the Herberger Festival of the Arts is a "must go"
for all families interested in discovering and
supporting local talents — from bands to
film and theater, ballet to flamenco, visual
artists to musicians.
Complimentary parking courtesy of the
Arizona Center (entrance at 5th St and
Fillmore) — a voucher is provided at Festival entrance gate. Free admission for kids
12 and under, $5 general admission.
Become a Patron — subscribe to the Renaissance newsletter!
$35 yearly subscription to Renaissance (6 issues per year) — all donations are tax-deductible
Order Pathways to the Arts, the 210-page, large format illustrated story of Art Renaissance — $35 shipping included.
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Checks payable to Art Renaissance. Send to: 4610 N. 40th St., Phoenix AZ 85018
Tax-deductible donations are needed and welcome. Thank you for supporting innovative art and culture in our community.
Events of Note (continued)
Human Nature at Arcosanti
Sat., Oct. 4 at 5:30 pm
Weatherwild, an original work on our
emotional engagement with climate
chaos, by a creative dance company.
Reserv. (928) 632-7135. Info at
www.arcosanti.org
Art Renaissance Luncheon
Thurs., Oct 9 at 12 noon sharp
Guest artist to be announced. We'll
keep you posted.
Surrealism at the Shemer
Romance, Deception & Revenge in Opera !
Our dear friend Helene Bergeon, who
starred in and co-produced Piaf Forever
with us last year, has been invited by
her vocal mentor and former Met diva
Isola Jones to stage a show featuring
excerpts of famous operas. She designed
all costumes, some of the stage sets and
even created the jewelry!
Excerpts (solos, duets, a septet!) are
from Saint-Saens' Samson & Dalila, Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffman, Mozart's
Mariage of Figaro and Verdi's Aida.
Fri., Sept 19 at 7:30 pm
South Mountain Community College
7300 S. 24th St, Phoenix
FREE admission
Donations accepted
enaissance
INNOVATION
IN THE ARTS
SINCE 1992
Bulletin of the Art Renaissance Initiative
a 501[c][3] nonprofit educational and cultural organization
Issue nº 123 — September-October, 2014
Michel F. Sarda, Publisher • Donnalee R. Sarda, M.C., Editor
(602) 954-6573 • [email protected]
Dates of notes (more inside and in Calendar) — RSVP or reserve the date TODAY
Sept 11
Sept 11
Sept 13
Sept 19
Oct 2-5
Oct 3
Oct 4
Oct 9
Oct 9
Oct 31
Nov 1
Art Renaissance lunch with Flamenco dancer Julia Chacon
Presentation & slide show on Picasso at Shemer Art Center
MusicaNova Young Talents series
Romance, Deception & Revenge in Opera
Dido & Eneas + La Serva Padrona at ASU Lyric Theatre
Ways of Water — opening show at Herberger
Human Nature dance group at Arcosanti
Art Renaissance lunch with a guest to be announced
Presentation & slide show on Surrealists at Shemer Art Center
Zona Flamenca at Pepin restaurant
Festival of the Arts at the Herberger Theatre Center
Is your subscription current? Please check your label.
Thurs., Oct 9, 6 to 7:30 pm
See Info p 3. Additional info at
www.shemerartcenter.org
Flamenco at Pepin
Oct. 31 at 6:30 pm
Bernadette Gaxiola and her dancers
(including Donalita) perform at Pepin
on the Scottsdale Civic Center.
Herberger Festival of the Arts
Sat., Nov. 1, 11:30 am to 5 pm
See info page 3. Additional info at
www.herbergertheater.org
Présence Française USA
Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Arizona
where French is Français
J’ai beau faire, tout m’intéresse.
Paul Valéry, Cahiers
Hommage
àEdithPiaf
published by the Art Renaissance Initiative
Subscription (6 issues a year) — $35
Check payable to IFA — send to:
4610 N. 40th St., Phoenix, AZ 85018
nº 123 — Sept / Oct 2014
Il n'y a pas de honte
à préférer le bonheur.
Albert Camus, La Peste
Requiempourunmassacre
L
es commémorations de la "Grande
Guerre" ont ceci de triste et
d'indispensable qu'elles essaient de
comprendre, c'est-à-dire de justifier,
l'imbécillité criminelle qui l'a d'abord
déclenchée, puis d'ennoblir le rôle des
malheureux qui ont eu à la faire. Même
et peut-être surtout lorsqu'elles révèlent la
profondeur abyssale de la sottise humaine,
les leçons d'histoire, la vraie, sont toujours
bonnes à prendre.
Dans cette tourmente d'une violence
inouïe, ma mère a perdu toute jeune un
père et un oncle. Peu de familles ont été
épargnées: les modestes "Monuments aux
Morts" dans tous les villages de France,
énumèrent les disparus, souvent une lignée,
un père et tous ses fils.
Michel Sarda
re sée
b
Li en
P
En lisant, en relisant
5
C
B
eaucoup d'entre vous n'ont sans doute
jamais entendu parler de Raymond
Abellio (1907-1986). Je le mentionne ici,
parce que dans les années 60, il a brièvement occupé une place à part parmi les
écrivains français. C'est une critique dans
le journal Arts de son roman
E
nfin, rendons hommage à l'une des
plumes les plus acérées de notre littérature,
'est une expérience difficile pour
toute la famille lorsque le grand
frère, longtemps posé en exemple,
devient un délinquant. C'est ce qui se
produit en ce moment dans le monde dit
"libre", où le grand frère américain, ivre
de sa puissance militaire et de la vitalité
de son économie, s'offre désormais en
exemple à ne pas suivre.
Alors que les nouvelles techniques de
communication, les transports aériens et
l'Internet ont réduit la planète au minuscule village cosmique qu'elle est, ce qui
devrait rassembler la famille humaine,
voici l'Amérique rongée de nouveau par
des convulsions racistes qu'encourage
une oligarchie blanche devenue minoritaire; abandonnée au cancer de la
spéculation et de l'argent facile; indifférente à une pollution qui empoisonne
les ressources les plus vitales, air et eau,
et qui maintenant espionne ou maltraite
ses propres citoyens lorsqu'ils tentent
d'exercer leurs droits. Son système de
gouvernement, établi voici deux siècles,
est corrompu à coeur. Pour la première
fois peut-être dans l'histoire de ce pays,
on rencontre des Américains qui parlent
d'aller vivre ailleurs.
Le grand frère est malade, mais le
reste du monde ne se porte pas mieux.
L'époque appelle à une réinvention des
modèles économiques et politiques,
otages d'un petit nombre qui défend
ses privilèges avec violence. Où jaillira
l'étincelle qui déclenchera la révolution
mondiale?
En Amérique?
Cyrano
Vincent's Open Market
Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm
Opens in October
A taste of France on Camelback Rd.
What are you waiting for?
Info at (602) 224-0225