Ian Swanson’s one night site-specific performance, BRB/Total Id Pigs, explores the relationship between ordinary objects and the ideas, people, places and events attached to them. Borrowing elements of various ritual paradigms, the performance is designed to remind us how commerce and ephemera shape our reality, asking us to consider how we define ourselves, and how history defines us.

Gallery visitors are strongly encouraged, although not required, to bring with them an object which holds personal value of a particular size; preferably of or under what could fit in the palm of a single hand. Material value is not a consideration. They will be asked to donate these objects for inclusion in the performance. They will not be returned. Instructions will be provided to attendees upon arrival.

With BRB/Total Id Pigs, Swanson explores again a common thread that connects his work in all media: the use of his creative process to investigate his own personal and cultural identity, layering and deconstructing to expose the “tenuous relationship between what we reveal and what remains unseen,” inviting viewers to embark on their own explorations of existing references and conventions.

**The performance will begin promptly at 7:45, please arrive on time if you don’t want to miss it. Additional works by the artist will be on display in Re:view’s alternate gallery space during the performance.

*Music will be provided after the performance by Jennifer Paull of nospectacle).

*In addition, there will be a gallery talk with the artist the following day from 4:00-6:00 pm in Re:View’s Exhibitions Gallery.”

Re:View Contemporary Gallery is located at 444 W.Willis, Detroit, MI 48201

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (EDE) will celebrate 20 years of visionary dance with the concert 20/20 Dance on Friday, December 10, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. at Seligman Performing Arts Center. The concert will present revivals of audience favorites and a new work by EDE Choreography Competition winner Daniel Gwirtzman.

Notes EDE Artistic Director Laurie Eisenhower, “I love the name 20/20 as a concert title for one of our 20^th anniversary concerts. It suggests the visionary outlook that EDE has strived for throughout the past twenty years. I want this program to celebrate our past, but also look forward to the future.”

The retrospective part of the concert will include revivals of Mosaics, one of the most performed works in the Company’s history, The Show, an audience favorite which is a tribute to the movies of Federico Fellini, and Catharsis, a large-scale collaborative work with Oakland University’s Repertory Dance Company.  

States Eisenhower, “EDE has had a long standing relationship with Oakland University, so it is fitting to include a collaboration with OU’s finest dancers.”

Celebrating the future vision of the Company, EDE will present two newer works by guest choreographers. The first is a work titled Falling Out, which is a dramatic work by Chicago choreographer Brock Clawson that was set on the Company last season.

The highlight of the program will be the Michigan premiere of Encore, a fun and exciting new work by New York choreographer Daniel Gwirtzman. The dance is performed as though the Company is conducting a rehearsal and then dancing in a performance, offering a glimpse into the life of a dancer.

Gwirtzman is an established producer, director, choreographer, teacher and critically acclaimed performer. Celebrating fifteen years as a New York City choreographer, Gwirtzman has earned praise for creating a diverse repertory known for its humor, inventiveness and accessibility. The DanceBreak Foundation, which showcases the next generation of great Broadway choreographers, has selected Gwirtzman as one of its six choreographers for 2010.

True to the educational vision of EDE, the program will also include a dance performed by over forty dancers from the EDE Center for Dance student companies.

Concert Information

20/20 Dance

Friday, December 10 at 8:00 p.m.
Seligman Performing Arts Center
22305 West 13 Mile Road, Beverly Hills, MI 48025
Tickets: $16 general, $12 senior, $8 students
Box Office: (248) 559-2095

Founded in 1991, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble is a professional contemporary dance company based in metro-Detroit. Now in its 20th season, EDE is considered by many critics to be Michigan’s premier contemporary dance company. EDE also offers world-class dance instruction to students of all ages and levels of ability at its two school locations. For more information about EDE, please visit www.ede-dance.org or all the EDE offices at 248-559-2095.

Photo by John Sobczak

Dance has historically been part of all cultures and all people. Detroit Dance Collective’s 30th Concert celebrates the company’s rich dance history with the Detroit area premiere performance of “Dances for Isadora” choreographed in 1971 by José Limón, one of the most prominent American choreographers in modern dance. His choreography is powerful; focusing on human drama, and often incorporates themes from literature, history or religion. “Dances for Isadora”, a beautiful classic work inspired by the life of dance pioneer Isadora Duncan, is a series of 4 solos performed to the music of Frédéric Chopin.

DDC will also celebrate with premieres by DDC’s Artistic Director, Barbara Selinger and Chris Masters, Artistic Director of Mack Avenue Dance Company.
Isadora, Primavera
“In the Moment”, choreographed by Selinger, is an electrifying multimedia dance that embraces humanity and our relationship to life-giving pulses, rhythms and mysteries of the universe. Inspired by the current science of pulsars, Selinger’s work includes numerous cosmic video images that encompass the space creating a breathtaking celestial environment.

“A Traditional Duet (love)”, choreographed by Masters, is a series of pieces that takes a serious look at American socio-cultural norms, and their self-life in an ever-evolving world. Using Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” as a narrative starting point, each duet focuses on a different aspect of millennial society. Created specifically for DDC in collaboration with Lisa LaMarre, (love) is a lush, athletic journey through the depths of tied bonds (when to leave, when to stay).

Corinne Imberski, DDC dancer and choreographer, has reconstructed “Still”, a dance for four women performed to the music of Leos Janacek. The writing of T.S. Eliot and Virginia Wolf inspired the work.

A Pre-Concert Champagne Celebration will take place in the
Padzieski Art Gallery at Ford Center @ 7 PM
Silent Auction ~ Glass from the Blast!
7:00 to 10:00 PM
Concert 8:00 PM

Concert Tickets: $30 $25, $20; Champagne Celebration $15
Ford Center Box Office 313-943-2354 or online
http://www.dearbornfordcenter.com/theater/

more details visit http://www.detroitdancecollective.org/ or call 810-444-4553
or email barb@detroitdancecollective.org

The Howling Diablos perform at The Michigan Gallery’s after party at Alvin’s.
Photo by CKreationz

Incorporating the grit of local industry with the hard edged toughness of the inner city area that it took its name from, the Cass Corridor Art Scene was not only a vital art movement in Detroit in the 1960’s and 1970’s, but also grew to obtain national recognition as a major art movement of the era. As “the corridor” quieted down in the mid 1970’s, the post Cass Corridor “Cass Corridor Art Scene” found a new home in an old clothing store that had been turned into an artist run exhibition space, Michigan Gallery.

Michigan Gallery became a cornerstone of the Detroit art scene throughout much of the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. From its conception in 1973 until its ultimate closing in 1998, Detroit’s most thought provoking and provocative exhibitions were typically at Michigan Gallery.

As Carl Kamulski, one of the founders of this space, and long time its Executive Director, nears retirement after close to 40 years of teaching, HFCC’s Sisson Gallery has put forth a stunning exhibition to pay tribute to both him and to the importance of Michigan Gallery within the Detroit art community.

The Motor City Revue 2010 opened Wednesday, January 27, 2010. There will be a closing reception, called “Michigan Gallery’s Farewell Blast” on Friday, March 5, 2010 from 6:00 – 8:00pm at the Sisson Gallery. This event is free and all are invited. Refreshments will be served and a there will be a musical performance by “Two Guitars: Ron Butzu and Marc Machaud.” Following the reception there will be an after party at Alvin’s. Alvin’s is located at 5756 Cass Ave. in Detroit. The after party will feature the music of The Howling Diablos along with a performance by Satori Circus. Tickets for the after party are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. Along with advance ticket purchase one gets a collectable “Motor City Review 2010” button. Advance tickets will be available at the Closing Reception.

The Sisson Gallery is located in the MacKenzie Fine Arts Building on the main campus of Henry Ford Community College, located at 5101 Evergreen in Dearborn, MI.  The gallery is will be open from 10am – 6pm on M,T,W and TH and 10am – 3pm on F throughout the exhibition.  The gallery may also be open by special appointment during “off” hours.  For further information, contact Steve Glazer at 313-845-6485, 313-845-6476 or 313-671-2048 (during non-business hours) or sglazer@hfcc.edu.

Artists in the “2010 Motor City Revue” include
1. Richard Brinn (Co-Founder) “Satchels and Bags” others
2. Cyndy Weeks “Bomb My Boat” “If You See Kay”
3. Roy Steyskal (Co-Founder) First Show
4. Jim Lutomski “UFO” “Electric Glass” others
5. Dan Graschuck “Boys of Summer” “Artist’s Interpret Fantasy”
6. Marianne Letasi “Out of Solitude”
7. Michelle Spivak Perron (Gallery Director) “Signs of Life”
8. Tom Rudd “Michigan Stone”
9. Art Cislo First Show
10. John Murphy “MPA Show” “Earthen III”
11. Jim Dozier “MUCK-FUCK” (Males/Females Understanding Carnal Knowledge)
12. Carl Kamulski (Co-Founder) “Motor City Review” “Electric Glass”
13. Sergio DiGiusti “Carbonara” “Innocent Visions” “Apocalypse” others
14. Lowell Boileau “Air” “Micropointillism”
15. Steven Goodfellow “Micropointilism”
16. Jim Nawara “Water”
17. Robert Bielat “Michigan Poured Metal”
18. Gilda Snowden Various Shows
19. Joe Zajac “Clay” early show
20. (Bradley Jones) Studio at MG “Michigan Figurative”
21. Mark Chatterley (Various)
22. Tom Phardel “Sharon Que and Tom Phardel”
23. John Egner “John Egner Picks Detroit”
24. Dave Roberts “The Abstract Realists”
25. Sharon Que “Accumulated Knowledge”“Sharon Que/Tom Phardel”
26. Robert Quentin Hyde (“Robert and Ronald Quentin Hyde” others)
27. Sandy Zenisek (“Full House”)
28. Jim Pallas (“Motorcity Review”)
29. Charles McGee (“Artists Against Apartheid”)
30. Rolf Wojciechowski Various Shows
31. Iva Turner (“Up with Downriver” and others)
32. Bill Sanders (“Michigan Friends of Photography”
33. Vito Valdez (Dia De los Muetros, others)
34. Jerome Ferretti (“Up with Downriver” and others)
35. Susan Aaron-Taylor (“Susan Aaron Taylor/Victoria Stoll”)
36. Hugh Timlin (“Starting Point Stone”
37. Meighen Powell Jackson (Various)
38. Russell Taylor (Performance “Satori Circus”)

12:40 AM DIVINE COMEDIANS (Doll Faces / The Decks)
11:40 PM ELECTRIC FIREBABIES (Carjack / Hi Speed Dubbing)
10:40 PM BIG MESS (Thunderbirds Are Now)
09:40 PM BEVERLY FRE$H (Dial 81)

Dance party!

9817 JOS CAMPAU
Hamtramck, MI
Bakers Streetcar is located just 1 block south of the Belmont.

E. Ray Scott

It was Saturday, Feb. 6, when the cheerful, tuxedoed members of Detroit’s Players Club gathered for their monthly show of plays at their historic Playhouse. The mood quickly sobered when they heard that Player E. Ray Scott had died at 86. As Executive Director of the Michigan Council for the Arts from its inception in 1966 to 1985, and as Director of Michigan’s Commission on Art in Public Places until 1991, E. Ray was the solidifying voice and personality of the arts in Michigan.

E. Ray Scott was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1923, and the gentle tones of his Southern childhood never left him. Echoing erudition wherever he went, with a tongue he used as both rapier and unguent, E. Ray earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in Speech and Theatre from the University of Southern California. He then spent six years in the United States Army as the Producer and Director of Army Entertainment for the Armed Forces in Germany.

In pursuit of a Ph. D. in Theatre and Communication Arts, Ray moved to Michigan in 1961. It was as a lobbyist for the State Medical Society and a popular figure in Lansing that Scott became aware of the need for a central figure who could gather the many tributaries of Michigan’s artistic life into one coherent, persuasive and forceful voice. E. Ray had found his life’s work.

As former Governor William Milliken remembers, “I was a State Senator when I first met Ray. He was omnipresent in Lansing and, from then on, Ray gave me advice on when and how far we could go in supporting the arts in the state.” It was when Senator Milliken became Lt. Governor that E. Ray approached his wife, Helen Milliken, with his idea for an art train. Mrs. Milliken describes it as “the genius idea which was soon thereafter copied all across the continental United States.”

As noted by his long-time friend Robert O’Leary III, “Yes, if there was one defining moment in which Ray took the most pride, it was in the establishment of Artrain, Inc.” (the official name of the art train concept). Launched in 1971 Artrain was a rail car equipped as a traveling art gallery. With great support from the railroads, the original mission of bringing art to under-served communities throughout Michigan expanded and eventually traveled over the whole country, Artrain, Inc. continues today and has provided arts and cultural programs for over 3.2 million people in cities, towns and villages across the country. Artrain’s exhibitions have become the catalyst for the development of local community cultural programs and the artists who have been nurtured by these programs.

Close behind the Artrain project, E. Ray was also instrumental in creating the enabling legislation that created the Michigan Council for the Arts – only the second state arts council in the country. Getting the State Legislature to approve a reasonable appropriation for the Council was his greatest task made easier perhaps by his warm and personal relationship with Governor William Milliken, which lasted for the 17 years he was governor of Michigan. In a meeting during his first year in office, Gov. Milliken told E. Ray, “If you can encourage the Appropriations Committee to allocate more than I have designated in my budget, I will not veto it.,” and he never did.

Though Artrain became the flagship program of the Michigan Council for the Arts (MCA) when E. Ray served as the Council’s Executive Director, his tenure, on all levels, was always marked by his passionate, intelligent and persuasive lobbying for state support of artists, all cultural institutions, artists and arts in education programs. On a national level, he established a warm working relationship with Nancy Hanks, Director of the National Endowment Arts, and served on numerous boards and committees of the NEA. E. Ray will always be remembered, however, as the tireless and determined advocate for the arts and artists in Michigan. He oversaw major growth in the arts council, which became one of the leading – and largest supporters—of public arts in the country.

Under Ray’s tenure, the arts council pioneered the concept of mini-grants – smaller grants to initiative local community arts activities. A large network of community arts councils that provided grass roots support to all areas of Michigan was a direct outgrowth of Artrain and Ray’s own commitment to Michigan artists and cultural institutions. The arts council provided significant support to every major arts institution in the state – supporting commissions, artistic seasons, premiers, new work, major museum shows, and a wide array of arts education projects.

Scott used his own resources to work with ArtServe Michigan to establish the Michigan Artist Award, which awarded $3000 prizes to three Michigan artists for two consecutive years. The purpose was to provide them with a level of economic freedom that allowed them to concentrate all of their energies on their art. In 2007, E. Ray received the Arts Advocate of the Year award from ArtServe Michigan.

E. Ray Scott is survived by his sister, Jo Ann Cole, and his daughter Dana (Mrs. Scott Tschirhart), seven grandchildren and one great grandchild. A memorial service will be held for E. Ray at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 27th, at the GEM Theatre at 333 Madison Avenue in downtown Detroit. The service will be followed with a light lunch. Once more stories and legends about E. Ray will be passed around among as many of his friends and admirers who can be there.

Family requests memorials to support the arts in Michigan and Michigan Artrain. To make a contribution in E. Ray’s honor, please go to www.artrainusa.org.

Chinonye Goddess

The infamous event known as the “Erotic Poetry & Music Festival” is one of the oldest community arts festivals in Detroit. The festival is an “eclectic celebration of the erotic arts!” It features provocative poetry, dirty spoken word, erotic art, music and dance performances by some of the city’s top artists. It promises to be an evening you won’t forget!

The date is: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 9 pm, 21 &over are welcome. Admission is $8. Partial proceeds benefit the Michigan based non-profit organization “Paws with a Cause,” who provide and train leader dogs for the disabled.
The event will be held at THE CORKTOWN TAVERN located at 1716 Michigan Avenue in Corktown. (313.964.5103) www.myspace.com/eroticfestivaldetroit

This year we are pleased to have Detroit’s premier performance artist, Satori Circus. Other highlights will be the debut musical collaboration of Hayley Jane & Audra Kubat and readings by poetess Archaela Cindy Cadaver and Blue Dogma Poet-Dena Luckett. The visual art portion of the show has expanded! Joining our perennial artist Jeff Hocking is Chopper Peshkepia, Julie Fournier and photography by LAWRENCEcreative and Eugene Sherrill.

Poetry & Music performances by:
Satori Circus
Hayley Jane & Audra Kubat
Dixon’s Violin
Olive Jus
Emily Rose

Satori Circus

Chinonye Goddess
Archaela Cindy Cadaver
Jimmy Doom
Vic Toledo
Blue Dogma Poet-Dena Luckett
Lisa Vicious
Scott Boman
Jaye Thomas
Blue J.
Catlistening
Laura Bodary
Art by: Jeff Hocking-Chopper Peshkepia-Julie Fournier-LAWRENCEcreative-Eugene Sherrill
Hosted by: The Impaler & Peter Schorn

The Crofoot Ballroom and On the Rocks Detroit are proud to present the 10th Anniversary of The Boondock Saints: a VIP Fan Party on Wednesday, February 24, at The Crofoot Ballroom (Pontiac, Michigan). Join creator/writer/director Troy Duffy, actors David Della Rocco (Rocco aka The Funny Man), Bob Marley (Detective Greenly), Michigan native, Brian Mahoney (Detective Duffy), Bob Rubin (Gorgeous George) and more as they celebrate the 10th Anniversary of their cult classic film The Boondock Saints for one night only in Metro Detroit.

Doors are at 7 pm, Showtime is 8:30pm; tickets are only $12 in advance (available at ticketweb.com or at The Crofoot Ballroom) or $15 at the door. Ages 18 and over are welcome to attend.

“This event is like a full body immersion into the world of Boondock comedy and music – and even hanging out for a couple of drinks with the boys – that Boondock Saints’ fans and virtually anybody that’s looking for a big, fun night out won’t want to miss,” explains creator/writer/director Troy Duffy.

The 10th Anniversary VIP Fan Party features the comedic genius of Bob Rubin (The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’s Gorgeous George) and Bob Marley (Detective Greenly) one of the hottest and most sought-after comedians in the country. Bob Marley has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, hosts his own SIRIUS Satellite Radio Comedy Show and stars in both Boondock Saints films.

Fans will also be treated to the high energy performances of several featured artists on the upcoming soundtrack release of The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day including Detroit’s own Ty Stone and The Truth, Irish American “aggressive folk rockers”, The Dirges, along with original Boondock Saints songwriters and band members, Taylor and Troy Duffy.

Released in 2000, The Boondocks Saints initially had only a limited run in theaters. But fans responded to the film in force, fueling sales of over seven million DVDs to date, and making it a bona fide cult hit.

Set in Boston, The Boondock Saints is a crime thriller starring Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as twin Catholic Irish American brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus. After killing members of the Russian mafia in self-defense, these hard-drinking, God-fearing brothers become vigilantes, determined to rid their city of crime and evil.

Pontiac, Michigan is only the second stop in a series of events on this national tour celebrating The Boondock Saints. “Twenty-ten is already shaping up to be an amazing milestone year for The Boondock Saints and for the millions of fans who have literally carried us to where we are today,” says Troy. “I know I speak for Sean and Norman as well when I say that it’s going to be a year-long celebration of our connecting with, thanking and entertaining as many fans as possible just for the pure thrill of it all.”

The Crofoot Ballroom is located at 1 S. Saginaw in downtown Pontiac. For more information on The Boondock Saints 10th Anniversary VIP Fan Party please visit thecrofoot.com or call the venue at 248-858-9333.

There is one month remaining for emerging and established metropolitan Detroit literary and performing artists to apply for one of 18 $25,000 Kresge Artist Fellowships. Applications are only available online at www.kresgeartsindetroit.org and must be completed by Friday, February 26, 2010. Kresge Artist Fellowships are funded by The Kresge Foundation and administered by the College for Creative Studies, with professional development opportunities for the selected fellows provided by ArtServe Michigan.

The fellowships provide support for 18 artists living and working in metropolitan Detroit (Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties) whose commitment to innovation and artistic achievement are evident in the quality of their work. Artists in the following literary and performing arts disciplines are eligible to apply:
• Literary Arts: Art criticism in all disciplines (including visual, literary and performing arts), creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry, playwriting and interdisciplinary work within the above disciplines.
• Performing Arts: Choreography, music composition (in all genres – classical, country, electronic, experimental, folk, hip-hop, jazz, rap, rock, etc.), performance art, spoken word, sound art and interdisciplinary work within the above arts disciplines.

The fellowships recognize creative vision and commitment to excellence within a wide range of artistic disciplines, including artists who have been classically and academically trained, self taught artists and artists whose art forms have been passed down through cultural and traditional heritage. The fellows are selected through an open, competitive process as judged by an independent panel of local and national artists and arts professionals. The 2010 Kresge Artist Fellows will be announced in June 2010.

The Kresge Foundation is a $2.8 billion private, national foundation, based in Troy, Michigan, that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations through its support of nonprofit organizations in six fields: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services, and community development. Kresge Arts in Detroit, an initiative comprising the Kresge Eminent Artist Award, Kresge Artist Fellowships and Kresge Arts Support, represents one of five strategic objectives set forth in the foundation’s Detroit Program, a comprehensive community-development effort to strengthen the long-term economic, social and cultural fabric of the city and surrounding region by strengthening Detroit’s neighborhoods and downtown, promoting arts and culture, advancing regional economic development and enhancing the natural environment. For more information, visit www.kresge.org.

The Kresge Eminent Artist Award and Kresge Artist Fellowships are administered by the Kresge Arts in Detroit office at the College for Creative Studies. Located in Detroit, the college is a world leader in art and design education and prepares students to enter the new, global economy where creativity shapes better communities and societies. A private, fully accredited college, it enrolls 1,400 students pursuing Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. For more information, visit www.collegeforcreativestudies.edu.

ArtServe Michigan is the statewide arts and cultural advocacy organization. Its mission is to cultivate the creative potential of the arts and cultural sector to enhance the health and well-being of Michigan, its people and communities. The organization is committed to developing and supporting the creative and professional potential of artists and other creative practitioners working in Michigan. Through a portfolio of statewide programs, services and resources designed to connect practitioners to resources, information and networks needed to help them thrive, ArtServe Michigan provides practical opportunities that stimulate ideas and growth. Programs focus on four main areas: professional development, networking and dialogue, research and analysis, and awards and benefits. For more information, visit www.artservemichigan.org.

For more information about Kresge Arts in Detroit, visit www.kresgeartsindetroit.org.